Fire Emblem Awakening of the Trailblazer

by zedocter115

Robin tells others of his adventures throughout life before his "retirement". This story will cover many of the events of Fire Emblem Awakening with "a Hint of G." This story is full of references to other stuff but it IS NOT A CROSS OVER! Also visit my Mediafire to listen to all of the BGM's listed in the story, it's an important part of the experience. To get there see my profile

9. Chapter 07-1:

"Silent Orbit" ...What could that mean?...Also exposition city...

(Part one of Part one of the two year time gap)(no that's not a typo by the way)

BGM: SHADOW OF THE COLOSSUS - The Farthest Land (reprise version)

After everyone finally settled down from Nino's bizarre arrival, the pair of nigh Omni-powerful gloves (Master Hand and Crazy Hand) waved good bye and departed back through the hole in reality for the time being. With all of that out of the way it was decided that now would be a good time for lunch, so after getting some help from the castle's staff everyone was treated to an impromptu buffet meal, including the workers themselves. You see it wasn't uncommon for people in the castle workforce to be able to participate at such large gatherings despite not being guests themselves as ever sense Robin took over as ruler of Plegia (now Neo-Plegia) there had been a great deal of change to the culture as well as the country.

One of the first things the tactician established was that just because there was a royal family, all people were to be treated with the same respect for one another and that no one was beneath anyone else in society. More importantly no one was above the law so all of the old ideals, traditions, or laws that applied such notions were discarded. These weren't the only changes to be had as many more were made to the country during the beginning of the tactician's leadership like dealing with the monstrously unequal distribution of wealth.

Despite paying for both previous wars almost in their entirety, the (Neo)Plegian royal vault that had been amassed by the ruling families over the years was still absurdly high so Robin had also decided to invest the money back into the nation by helping the people. Public standards of living were improved everywhere by countless expenditures in order to improve the daily lives of the people who lived in the country, enabling them to do more than simply subsist as peasant folk. Prosperity began to fill the entire nation as result of these spendings/projects and poverty had become virtually non-existent in a period of months.

The economy actually began thriving as Neo-Plegia eventually become the world leader in magically powered/produced goods, not only that but the former Shepherd had even managed to remove all of the, quote, "crazy cult-y religious nonsense from the country". The nation's criminal past was also addressed and crime was severely cracked down upon making it an overall much friendlier (non poverty stricken, human sacrifice-y, slavery prone, pirate rampant, undead raising) place to live. So with the brief history lesson aside, let's cut back to the group.

As everyone finished up their meals and the castle staff left to resume their duties, all of the kids left dining hall to go play around at castle's (child friendly) courtyard, leaving the adults to socialize with one another as they casually followed behind. As the group of friends made their way down the hall they began chatting up as usual when an interesting question popped up that caught Robin's attention.

BGM: ROGUE GALAXY - Planet Zerard

Vaike: Hey you guys so I forget, how is it that Nino is Robin's daughter again? I thought she was a mage from a book or something."

Cherche: "I wasn't there when you all first met her dear, so I'm not really sure. Why don't we just ask him about it?"

Robin: "Ask me what?"

Cherche: "Oh perfect timing Robin, my forgetful Vakie and I..."

Vakie: "Hey!"

Cherche: "...were just wondering how is it that you and Nino are related exactly. I think some of us here would like to know if that's alright."

Robin: "Well the short answer is she's adopted but if you want me to go into the details... That might take awhile..."

The tactician was interrupted by a familiar laugh that came down the hall just as the group had entered the courtyard area.

"Nyaa-ha-ha! It sounds like a HEX of a good time to sit down for one of your famous stories then, what do you say Boss?" Another white haired man happily chuckled as he and his family greeted everyone.

"Oh hey Henry, Tharja, Noire (plural, as in future and present) when did you all get here?" Robin asked as he and the others welcomed the newcomers.

"We just got back into town...and I'll go ahead and apologize for my husband's...overly cheer condition. He's testing a new curse for me and it hasn't quite worn off..." Tharja commented with a grin.

"It's always so sweet when she does this!" Henry happily added.

"Okay then..." Robin replied with a bit of a smile, "Well it's nice to know that some things don't change. I guess if it's alright with everyone, let's go see if any of the kids want to listen in then we can get started."

As Henry and Tharja let their young daughter(s) Noire go spend time with their friends, those who wanted to listen to Robin's story gathered under a large tree in the court yard and got comfortable under the shade as they prepared to listen to another long segment of the tactician's tale...

...

BGM: GUNDAM TARGET IN SIGHT (It's titled Gundam Crossfire in the U.S.) - Come to

As the victorious tactician made his way back to the others with the dancer resting in his arms, the duo moved past the steaming corpse of King Gangrel where Robin could have sworn he heard it whisper. "F-fool of...a prince... Your people care not for you... You are...alone... As every man lives and dies ...alone..."

The body showed no real signs of life so the tactician continued walking past it, only to see his friends/comrades rushing up to meet him in the distance. Chrom and Sumia were the first to reach him and as they flew up to them on a Pegasus, the blue haired prince hastily leapt off the mount to speak with Robin.

"Robin what happened, are you two alright? What about Gangrel?! Is he still alive?" Chrom questioned his friend with concern.

Robin shook his head and spoke up, "Chrom, it's done... you can check his body back there if you want to be sure. You see, after that explosion knocked you out Olivia came to help me and together we were able to finish off Gangrel. She passed out after the fight but I think she'll be fine... Are the rest of Gangrel's personal forces defeated? I can't hear the sound of any more fighting nearby."

"Yes my friend, thanks to all of us standing together the day is ours!" The blue haired prince proudly announced as the rest of the Shepherds began to arrive.

A short time after tending to their wounds/wounded while also rounding up the surrendering enemy troops, a messenger from the main army alerted Chrom that the Plegian primary force had finally surrendered and agreed to make peace with the two armies of Ylisse and Regna Ferox. The Ylissian prince agreed to their surrender and after meeting up with the Khans, they all met at a nearby Plegian fortress to discuss their terms. After they had reached an agreement and signed several papers/documents around a table for a few hours, the group of leaders had finally had a chance to rest.

"Well then, it's finished." Khan Flavia stated with exhaustion. "Once their messenger delivers our terms, that's it. We put an end to this bloody business, once and for all."

Chrom nodded but with a bit of a down look on his face. "We've won...but somehow I don't feel like celebrating... We defeated the Mad King and won the war, but we still lost so much. So many lives... and on both sides, not just on ours. I just hope that after all of those soldiers deaths, we can finally bring a lasting peace to all of our lands."

Khan Basilio walked up from behind and gave the prince a strong but assuring pat on the shoulder, "Victory can be bitter as well as sweet, boy. It's good you learn that now. The fact that you have sorrow in your heart proves that you'll be a good ruler as well as a good man. Never lose that."

"Indeed." The lady Khan agreed, "Regna Ferox lost many good soldiers today, but their deaths weren't in vain. We need to see to our dead and give our thanks. Then it will be time to attend to the living and rebuild our armies."

"I'm sorry, Flavia. Your sacrifice will not be forgotten. Ylisse will compensate your nation in whatever fashion—"Chrom tried to apologize before being cut off.

"Oh? In that case, how about you hand over the Fire Emblem and we'll call it even?" The lead Khan jested. "...Hah! Just a little Feroxi humor. Don't worry about our finances, Chrom. Reparations will fall to Plegia, and I've seen their treasury—they can well afford it."

Basilio began to let out a hearty laugh, "Yes, pity the man who stands between Flavia and a full coffer, boy."

"Heh, I'll have to remember that when you come to visit Ylisstol." Chrom finally broke out of his semi-depressive state with a bright smile. "And you know what speaking of Ylisstol, there is something I need to do. If the two of you will excuse me."

Chrom hastily got up from his chair and left the room just as Robin and Lissa were going in to check up on them. The three shared a quick exchange as Chrom hurried down the hall way past them.

Robin: "Oh hey Chrom how are things going?"

Chrom: "We just finished, but sorry I can't talk now I need to go finds Sumia."

Lissa: "OH MY GOSH! Chrom are you?!..."

Chrom: "Yeah, wish me luck!"

Robin: "With what?"

Chrom: "I'm going to ask Sumia to marry meee...!"

The eager prince's voice trailed off as he disappeared around the corner.

As Chrom went to go find the pegasus rider of interest, Lissa excitedly dragged Robin along to find all of the other Shepherds to spread the good news and have everyone be there for the big question. Thankfully Chrom got a bit lost along the way so the pair of friends were able to gather up the rest of the Shepherds in time and everyone was there to see the blue haired prince's proposal to the pegasus rider. She accepted of course and after a quick congratulations to the newly engaged couple, the Shepherds offered their many thanks to the Khans before packing up into their transports and departing with the rest of the Ylissian army on the victorious march home. Everyone spent the return trip in the wagons happily discussing the future now that the war was over with many of them eagerly discussing the wedding, while others were chatted about more personal matters.

BGM: WHITE KNIGHT CHRONICLES - Flander Trail (Flandal Range in the official OST)

In one particular cart, the amnesiac tactician who had no plans for the after war was thinking to himself, wondering what it was he should do next. As almost everyone else in the vehicle slept, Robin continued to ponder about his life eventually finding himself staring intently at the back of his right hand and the strange mark he kept concealed by his glove and gauntlet. It was only when the timid dancer Olivia who was the only other conscious person on the cart with him, spoke up that he was removed from his trance.

"Ummm...Robin. Are you alright?" She nervously asked.

"Hmm?...uh, yeah. I was just thinking about what I'm going to do now that the war is over." He responded with a still pondering demeanor. "We'll have little need for a tactician and this militia of ours with no one to fight so I'm trying to figure out what my next move should be. I know very little about living an ordinary life...let alone myself, so I'm not really sure what it is I should do..."

Before Robin could lose himself in this thoughts again Olivia nervously spoke up. "... I think I understand what you're saying, you need some time to adjust and find out what it is you want to do... but for what it's worth... I'm really glad for everything you have done already. The Khans told me about how you helped guide the Shepherds through a lot of tight spots and it's because of you that we were able to help put a stop to this awful war...so no matter what you've already done a lot...so... umm, thank you..." As she finished her statement she gave Robin a grateful smile.

Olivia's kind words caught the tactician off guard as he found himself blushing a little, "Oh...Uh...thank you Olivia... But it's not like I did this all by myself. I mean, I had plenty of help from all of the Shepherds along the way so I owe a lot to them. I even had help from you there at the end, so if anything I should be the one thanking you." Robin replied as he regained his composure.

As he did however he began to remember something. "You know what though." The tactician asked, "I don't think I ever asked you how was it that you were able to reach me in the fight with Gangrel. Didn't his personal guardsmen still have everyone held back in that defensive line?"

"Well... I had some help too." Olivia explained.

"After you got past the guardsmen and I tried dancing for everyone, we actually started winning. Whatever had rallied them all up had worn off so we attempted to send a few more people to help you and Chrom but there was some kind of magic field that kept us from getting closer. That was when Sumia asked me to hop on her pegasus and help her look for a way around it. After a bit of searching we found a hole near the top when there was some kind of explosion from the inside that blew the barrier open. When we flew inside, we saw Prince Chrom get thrown out of the smoke cloud as some kind of monster emerged from it and slowly floated towards him. Just as it was ready to strike, you seemed to catch its attention so Sumia and I used that chance to try and to help the two of you out by splitting up. She flew over to check on Chrom and I made my way over to you... well you know the rest..." The dancer's last words turned sheepish as she shyly looked away from Robin.

The tactician nodded in understanding, "Alright, well that explains that plot hole...wait... what did I just say?!"

(Master Hand and Crazy Hand insist on speeding things up, so we are going to fast forward a bit... Yes there will be a lot of odd time skips like this for the next three chapters so get used to it...)

Time skip! The next day and arriving in Ylisse...

BGM: STAR WARS THE PHANTOM MENACE - Augie's Great Municipal Band (Say what you will about the prequel trilogy, at least they aren't the new trilogy!)

After the rest of the long cart ride home spent raising support levels, I mean having everyone converse and get to know each other... The group final reached the Ylissian capital where all of the citizens had gathered out in the streets. There were signs and other celebratory decor all over the city that welcomed home the victorious soldiers while also marking the end of the war with Plegia, brining an air of joy and peace to the people. While everyone in main army was given permission to return to their families immediately, those soldiers who chose to wait were paraded through the city all the way up to the main road to the castle where they were greeted by the members of all of the noble houses and congratulated for their efforts in the war.

The same thing applied to the Shepherds of course and although a few of the more reclusive members namely, Gaius, Lon'qu, Olivia, Panne, and Tharja decided to head back to the barracks in order to rest/not be in public so everyone else in the group continued marching without them. Although Robin also wanted to go back at the barracks, Chrom insisted that he meet the other nobles so the tactician had little choice but to accept his friend's offer. As the (currently present) Shepherds reached the castle, they were introduced to the nobility and Robin couldn't help but notice one family in particular as he began to feel an uneasy pressure around them. The tactician couldn't quite figure out why their presence started bothering him but he didn't have time to worry about that for long as they were the next ones to introduce themselves and offer their congratulations to the group.

BGM: SHADOW OF THE COLOSSUS - Silence

"Prince Chrom we're so glad to see that you are safe and sound." The oldest looking member of the strange family thanked Chrom as he shook his hand. "Not only that but you've also managed to finally put an end to this war. You have done your country and your people proud this day young prince, this I do swear."

"Thank you Lord Degwin, but I didn't do it alone..." The crown prince thanked the Zabi patriarch before turning his attention to Robin as he uneasily stood beside him. "This is the tactician of the Shepherds and my good friend, Robin. Robin, this is Lord Degwin Zabi. He's the head of the Zabi family here in Ylisse, they've done a great deal for our nation over the years."

"It's... nice to meet you Lord Degwin." The still perplexed tactician greeted before Chrom continued.

"He's the brains behind our group, and was a huge help in our fights against Gangrel and his army." The prince proudly stated.

"Yes, yes, we've all heard so much about you... the mysterious man known as the White Devil." Another foreboding member of the Zabi family spoke up.

The strange nick name immediately caught Robin's attention as he had heard it from somewhere before.

"B-Beg pardon?" He asked as the nobleman with slight concern.

"Oh you'll have to excuse me, my name is Gihren Zabi. Eldest of the Zabi children." The older looking man introduced himself as he walked forward, "It's just that tales of your exploits during the war seem to have given you quite the reputation, as well as a handful of titles from both sides. We nobles just catch wind of rumors as they spread about... You needn't worry about it."

Robin remained silent while Gihren continued, remembering glimpses of what he had done to those Plegian soldiers during the war when he was overwhelmed by that unknown and terrifying power residing in his body.

"Anyways, as a means of thanks however for all of your contributions to the war effort, we would be honored if you and your Shepherd comrades would join us at our estate later as our guests."

"Ah yes, an excellent idea my son." Degwin agreed. "In fact Prince Chrom, why don't you and your friends join us after this celebration ends? Hmm, no actually... let's save it for tomorrow instead, that way you all can earn some much needed rest and relax here in the capital. We'll just send for you in the morning."

BGM: DARK CLOUD 2 (Also called Dark Chronicle) - At the Station

"That's very kind of you Lord Degwin but..." Chrom tried to respond when a nearby Frederick accepted the offer as he quickly approached.

"Thank you Lord Degwin, we would be honored for you to have us. However you must excuse us now, Prince Chrom needs to make an important announcement. Come now milord." The weary knight quickly directed Chrom through the crowd of nobles and catching their attention, while the blue haired swordsman argued with him in a rather confused state.

Chrom: "Wait Frederick what's this about? Where are we going?"

Frederick: "To the main balcony Milord, you need to announce to everyone in the kingdom about your proposal."

Chrom: "It's only been a day, can't we wait until we've rested?"

Frederick: "Nonsense Milord. The people deserve to know."

Chrom: "But we don't even know when we're going to have it yet...C'mon...Frederiiiick..."

As Robin along with the rest of the Shepherds and nobles saw the blue haired prince (humorously) be guided up to the balcony, the tactician couldn't help but smile as his friend Chrom nervously announced to his people about a royal wedding.

Time skip! Later in the same day...

BGM: ROGUE GALAXY - The Galaxy Public Corporation

After Prince Chrom's joyous public announcement as the whole town continued to celebrate war's end and the newly announced royal wedding, the (currently present) Shepherds spent the rest of the night at the castle partaking in the festivities there before the left tomorrow. Robin was alone out on a balcony with a communication gem trying to reach the others back in the barracks when he finally got a response from Lon'qu.

"Hey, uhh this is Robin. How are you guys doing back at the barracks." The tactician asked.

"Fine... did you need something?" Lon'qu answered back in his typically blunt fashion. "If not your just wasting my training time."

"Sorry about that." Robin apologized, "I just needed to keep you guys informed about what we're doing tomorrow. So we've all been invited to one of the noble families estates and we're supposed to spend the day with them as their honored guests."

The swordsman gave a disinterested "Hmmph" before Robin continued.

"But Chrom did say that if any of us weren't interested they didn't have to go, and everyone who didn't can stay at the Shepherds barracks until the rest of the group got back."

"Good. I have little time for, or interest in, nobility." Lon'qu simply answered back. "If that's all, I'll inform the others."

"Uhh, Yeah I guess that's it..." The tactician said before the call was immediately hung up on the other end.

"Okay then..." he spoke to himself before he heard familiar footsteps from behind. "Chrom?"

"Robin?" his friend questioned as he walked over to him. "What are you doing out here? The party's inside."

"Not much, I just wanted to call the others over Crystal Net to tell them about tomorrow." Robin explained.

"You could have done that later you know." The blue prince told him, "What's really bothering you, Sumia and Lissa both said you seemed a little out of it today. Are you just tired or is it something else?"

The tactician gave an amused chuckle, "Is it really that easy to tell when I'm thinking?..."

Chrom replied with a grin.

Robin look out at the night sky over the town and continued speaking.

"I'm sure the party's great and all, but I just don't think I'm a party person...or am I... I don't know. Actually I feel like the whole not knowing about myself thing has started to creep up on my now that the war's over..." He paused before looking over at his friend. "I mean you guys found me out in that field with no memory of anything, I could barely even remember my name and then everything just kind of picked up from there... Don't get me wrong Chrom, I'm truly thankful for our friendship and everything else you guys have done for me but I just feel like I haven't had any time to really sit down and think about myself. We had some down time here and there between the conflicts and our travels but I was mostly just reading up on tactics, history, or magic."

Chrom scratched the back of his head while trying to think of what to say.

"Well Robin, I didn't know you felt this way... are you going to stay here in Ylisse? The war might be over, but the Shepherds will always have need for a tactician... so you'll always have a place here with us." the prince assured his friend while offering a hand shake.

"Thanks Chrom." Robin answered back, accepting Chrom's gesture.

Time skip! The morning afterward...

BGM: GUNDAM TARGET IN SIGHT - Under Tactics

So after a restful night spent sleeping in actual beds instead of tents/carts and being treated to a hearty breakfast, the Shepherds headed off to the barracks to sort out which of them actually wanted to take up the Zabi family's offer to visit their estate. By the time their transports had arrived only Chrom, Robin, Frederick, Lissa, Sumia, Maribelle, Ricken, Stahl, Virion, and Kellam were the ones who decided to go so everyone else stayed behind. The trip wasn't too long and the group found themselves in awe of the rather impressive castle-town when they arrived. The castle itself bared a an odd shape, somewhat resembling the symbol the Zabis had as their personal family crest. The group also noticed red flags with the same symbol located all over town as they were guided directly to the castle. Once they arrived at the front door, they were immediately welcomed by four strangers.

"Welcome O' humble Shepherds, to Zum City and to Castle Zeon. We've been expecting you." A young and somewhat familiar purple haired man greeted the group as he bowed. "Hmmm, there are less of you then I thought there would be. Oh well..."

"Don't be rude to our guests Garma!" An older looking red haired woman scolded the younger purple haired man.

"Yes sister." Garma reluctantly acknowledged.

"Come on let's not argue like this now, we still need to introduce ourselves." A large gorilla like man whole heartedly spoke. "My name is Dozel Zabi, and these two are my younger siblings Garma and Kycillia Zabi. The three of us were with my father and older brother Gihren Zabi the other day at the celebration but we were never formally acquainted. It is nice to meet you all."

"Yes, well now that the introductions are out of the way, shall we show you around?" The eldest looking man, Gihren interrupted. "Oh and you'll have to excuse father, something has come up but he'll be joining us later."

The family proceeded to lead the group of Shepherds all around the town, showing them all of the utilities and other assets that they offered to the kingdom as a whole through them and their settlement. When evening time rolled around, the group was lead into the rather large and uniquely structured/furnished Castle Zeon where they were promptly served in the dining hall to a late lunch. While the Shepherds ate, Robin couldn't help but notice all of the odd decor that was scattered throughout the castle and when he finished eating finally decided to ask the family about it.

"Thank you very much for the meal and for your hospitality, but if you don't mind me asking... What are all of these strange items that are being displayed throughout the castle?" The tactician wondered, "Some of them seem Ylissian in origin but there are a lot other ones that don't even look like they are even from this country. I don't mean to be rude, I'm just a little curious is all."

Robin's question caught everyone's attention, especially that of the Zabis, but before anyone could say anything Gihren spoke up.

"Well that is an interesting observation but I'd expect nothing less of a great tactician to be aware of his environment. If we are all done with our meals, why don't we resume our tour here in the castle and we can explain." The rather cunning looking man answered.

BGM: ROGUE GALAXY - The Lost Gene

Continuing with the tour, the group was lead into the main lobby where there were several large, framed paintings that lined the walls, easily catching the eyes and attention of the Zabi's guests. These painting and other items seemed to display events or historical figures of the past.

While everyone of the Shepherd's looked about Gihren began to speak, "As you've all noticed by now the castle is adorned with several... decorations, that may seem out of the ordinary... That is because our family is in the artifact and art collecting business. These are relics from places all across the world like Vlam or Ferox, as well as from different periods in history like the era of the Hero King Marth, or the times of Ylisse's beginning. Some are even from distant lands like Elibe, Magvel, and Tellius. You see, our family has acquired a great number of these rare items for the sake of keeping track of all recorded histories and trying to learn from them..."

"Not only that, but also for the sake of preservation." Another voice interrupted as it entered the room. "It's imperative that we are able to pass down such information to future generations to ensure that they may learn what we have."

"Father, you must be finished with your work!" Garma happily asked as a plump old man slowly made his way towards the group.

"Yes indeed young Garma." The Zabi patriarch replied, "And it seems as though our guests are curious about our family's work. Why don't we go ahead and show them our greatest discovery so far. If everyone would be so kind as to look over at the wall at the end of the room."

BGM: DARK CLOUD 2 - Ancient Mural

Shifting their attention the end of the lobby, the group saw a proudly displayed set of large oil paintings that combined into a single joint image depicting strange characters in some kind of an event that no one in the Shepherds could seem to recognize... except for one of course. Robin wasn't sure why but these images were all somewhat familiar to him one again in spite of his amnesia.

The set of joint paintings showed a swirling orange and fiery back ground where figures of all shapes and sizes with odd silhouettes clashed weapons against one another in some kind of fierce battle. Other than the paintings that comprised the larger image however, were two stand alone paintings with one depicting a red-orange draconic looking creature while the other showed a blurry image of what looked like a man in a suit of armor with horns and a mask against an unintelligible background.

The drawing of the suit was primarily pale white all over its body with hints of other colors like red on the helmet's forehead, chin guard, lower torso, belt buckle, and soles while the rest of the torso was blue with yellow on the neck guard plates and skirting. Lastly, on his back was the white hilt of a single sword with no blade being apparent. While the amnesiac tactician continued to struggle against his mental limbo of familiarity and memory loss, the rest of the group continued to examine the portraits while chattering about the strange paintings.

BGM: ROGUE GALAXY - The Watery Relic

Frederick: "I'm afraid I'm not familiar with these, what are they exactly?"

Maribelle: "Are these some kind of abstract renderings perhaps?"

Virion: "Yes that may be the case my dear and while I am a rather gifted connoisseur of the arts, my knowledge these items is rather... lacking."

Ricken: "So is it like of some kind of battle or army from ancient history?"

Sumia: "I've never read anything about something like this, it just looks too different."

Robin: "I'm not so sure either... (Why are so many strange things so familiar to me...WHY?!)"

Lissa: "Awww, I'm not a history buff like you guys are... what about you Chrom?"

Chrom: "Ummm, well... honestly, I don't know."

Stahl: "That makes two of us captain, I'm not even sure what I'm looking at."

Kellam: "More like three of us... no, anybody? Okay then..."

Lord Degwin let out an amused chuckle. "It is no surprise that you all failed to recognize this, that is because it was only discovered recently by our private research. You see these ancient paintings depict a second, forgotten war, that was waged at the same time of the war of the dragon tribes. History seemed to have abandoned this event to the flow of time... almost as if it were left that way on purpose."

Robin thought to himself, "A forgotten war?"

Degwin continued speaking while the group murdered, "I'm sure you are all familiar enough with our history to recall events that took place before the time of the Hero King Marth, correct? The times of the Holy War in the land of Jugdral, the decline of the dragon tribes and so on?"

Some of the Shepherds nodded in agreement.

"Very well then, allow me to explain what we have learned from these paintings and the secret ties to our history that they portray." The Zabi patriarch took a serious breath and began to speak.

BGM: GUNDAM-X - The 7th Space War

"Once there was a war... A conflict initially triggered by mankind's rise to power and their accidental movement towards global dominance over the pre-existing dragon populace... Grew into a full scale war when the dragons learned that their species had started to decline. The once mighty race began suffering from falling birth rates as well as kind of feral degeneration, in which many of those who affected lost control of their immense powers until their minds twisted back into noting more than simple and savage beasts on nature. Some of the dragons blamed mankind for the downfall of their once proud race as they believed it was the increasing human presence in the world that caused such events to befall their people. However it was agreed upon by the rest of the dragons that the humans were not to blame and their reign had simply come to its natural end, maybe it was time for a new race to rule the world in their stead. Nevertheless, to those dragons who blamed the humans this decision would simply not stand so they set out to crush the ever-growing human population not matter the cost.

These dragons started the bloodiest conflict that the world would ever see with the war becoming so intense that all of the other dragons who had initially rejected the idea of fighting the humans had no choice but to intervene on mankind's behalf in order to prevent the complete destruction of both species. Eight months into a stalemate in the war, the dragons who had initially wanted to destroy all of mankind discovered that there was infighting between the humans and recruited the traitorous groups to their side with the promise of their survival over the other humans. With the power of human minds and the magical abilities of the dragons now on both sides, the war escalated into a new phase which saw the birth of a secret new weapon... The Mobile Armor.

These Mobile Armors were immensely powerful and destructive war machines, forged from the scales, flesh, and bones of dragons as well as the minds and spirits of humans in an attempt to combine the strongest aspects of both races into unstoppable weapons. While initial only created and used by the faction that desired the destruction of the human race, once the threatening power of the Mobile Armor was discovered it was reluctantly also adopted by the opposing group of dragons and humans as a means to an end. At first, due to the high resource consumption and sacrificial nature of the Mobile Armors in the construction process, these weapons were only deployed in specified areas to try and limit the damage they would take but as the war continued it mattered less and less.

Driven to win, the faction that desired human destruction, proceeded with an operation to deploy their entire Mobile Armor force on a separate war campaign that would tear through the enemy territory while the main armies clashed in a decisive final battle. The opposing faction caught wind of this however and sent out all of their own Mobile Armors to fight back, as they were determined to hold their ground. The fighting quickly spread to both territories and this new war became a quagmire as the lands of both factions dueled on were devastated. In that war, there were no longer any instances of defeat or victory, only the complete destruction of the enemy. It was not until a mysterious hero arrived from parts unknown that the unholy desolation would finally end.

They say he came from a falling star, clad in white armor, wielding powerful magic, and a sword of light the unknown hero put an end to the war and the threat of the Mobile Armors for the sake of both races before disappearing forever...

BGM: SHADOW OF THE COLOSSUS - The End of the Battle

By the time that the main army that fought to protect humanity had won their own battle and sealed away the dragons who started the conflict, the hero who had stopped the Mobile Armors had departed from this world, never to be heard of again. To honor the great hero the humans created many items in his image but the remaining dragons had decided to ask the humans to destroy them as well as all records of the battle and the Mobile Armors as they believed all traces of that terrible war should be forgotten. And so any documents of that conflict as well as the monuments/idols of the mysterious hero were left to waste away by the Humans while the Dragons disposed of the Mobile Armors themselves in order to ensure that no one would ever be able to use them again... It seems as though it is human nature to disobey orders for the tale of this war was passed down against the will of the dragons in secrecy through the safekeeping of these paintings.

Everything that I have described was recorded on the backs of these canvases, the hidden war that the dragon tribes tried to hide from mankind, the existence of Mobile Armors, and the mysterious hero whose name was, Gundam..."

BGM: SHADOW OF THE COLOSSUS - Creeping Shadow

That name immediately caught Robin's attention as it caused his head to throb and he had to bring his hand up to grasp the sides of his head to try and ease the pain. "Gun...dam..." He muttered under his breath.

Chrom noticed his friend's sudden affliction and asked if he was alright. "Hey Robin, are you doing okay? What's wrong? Are you not feeling well?"

Not wanting to arouse suspicion, the tactician tried to pass it off. "Oh it's nothing Chrom, just a bit of a migraine I guess. This happens sometimes if I start to over analyze stuff on not enough sleep, I'll be fine."

"Yes I suppose this must be quite the revelation for all of you." Garma stated in a slightly condescending tone. "We experienced the same thing when our Zeonic research division had discovered it in the ruins of an old vault not so long ago."

"Indeed, but if it's my place to ask. Why did you bring us here in order to explain this to us?" Frederick curiously and cautiously questioned.

Dozel stepped forward to answer. "Well, we weren't sure how well the public would respond to this discovery and decided it would be best to consult with the Crown Prince and his trusted advisors on how to handle the matter. After all what do you think would happen if the people learned that the ancient dragon tribes as well as Divine Dragons who are often prayed to for guidance had decided to purposely hide something from them and their ancestors for thousands of years? Not only that but we couldn't tell Prince Chrom or any of the other nobles about this in the middle of a war, especially without having some kind of proof. With the war being over now, bringing you all here to see the paintings in person was the best way to accomplish this and now you all know."

As everyone of the Shepherds stood there processing what they had just been told, the chiming of a large clock in the room signaled the Zabis about something.

BGM: ROGUE GALAXY - The Prison

"Father, if we are done here it's time for us all to resume our duties." Kycilia promptly spoke.

"Ah so it is. Very well then you may all leave." Degwin confirmed.

"Thank you father." The Zabi children gave a quick arm over the chest salute before splitting up and heading off into the halls.

As the other the Zabi family members departed Robin decided speak with Lord Degwin, "If it's alright with you Lord Degwin, I think now would be a good time for us to leave as well. We also have a number of duties to attend to back in the capital as well as at the Shepherd Barracks."

Chrom inserted himself into the conversation, "I agree with Robin... I think that would be in both of our best interests for now Lord Degwin. I'm thankful for you and your family's thoughtfulness on this matter, as well has your willingness to have us for today... but you needn't keep us if it's cutting into your regular duties. The Zabis have done enough for us already like watching over the capital in our stead after the Plegian invasion as well as helping to rebuild it with your own resources. The Ylissian Royal family will see that you are reimbursed in any way possible, be that coin, animals, man power, or most anything else you need. I'd also like to help fund your historical research as I'd like to know more about this secret war as well."

"Very well then young prince." The plump old man smiled. "On behalf of the Zabi family as well as our people, I would like to thank you for visiting our humble Zum City and for lending your ears to us on this matter... Oh and due be sure to let us know how and when you are ready to inform the public about this. If at all."

"We will." The blue haired prince swore.

BGM: BRAVELY DEFAULT - Below the Duchy's Banner

With that, the group of Shepherds gave their thanks to the Zabi patriarch for hosting them and packed themselves back into the transports to head back home to the barracks. During the ride back, Chrom and Robin got singled out by Frederick, Maribelle, and Virion for not having properly "noble" etiquette with the Zabis throughout the day, and they also discussed what they should tell the others about what they learned today... At the same time the Shepherds made their way back to the barracks, the Zabis met in their secret meeting room to discuss their encounter with Prince Chrom and his allies.

Degwin: "So my children, what do you make of the prince and his rag-tag group of soldiers?"

Dozel: "They weren't what I was expecting, but why is it that we told them the truth about the secret war again?..."

Garma: "Oh my dear older brother, as formidable in combat as you are you can be rather slow. We did it to sow seeds of doubt amongst their group and to shake their faith in the divine dragons... I'm personally just disappointed that we didn't get meet all of them... from what I have heard, SHE has joined their ranks now..."

Kycilia: "You can daydream about your woman later, we have more pressing matters to deal with."

Dozel: "Oh he's just young, Kycilia let him dream on about it for a bit. After all I'm the only one of us who's married..."

Ghren: "Dozel! Garma! That's not important right now! What we need to do is assess our inevitable opposition!"

The group went silent.

After a short exhale, Ghren continued speaking. "When the dust settles and we are on top, then you can pursue as many women as you like... Now then going back to father's question, from what I'm aware of all of the Shepherds are capable on the battlefield. Swordplay, magic, archery, mounted/flying combat, etc... But no matter how skilled they are, their effectiveness depends on how they are deployed, namely how their new tactician guides them. The group's past records show that the Shepherds have always gotten by through force/skill alone and never truly through Prince Chrom's strategies. We need to keep an eye on that unusual man, so we may learn how to break him and ultimately break them."

"Hmmm, indeed." Degwin agreed, "So what is it you propose we do my children?"

"We could use my special task force to keep an eye on him." Kycilia stated.

"That may work for a time but I fear that he and-or the other Shepherds may catch on eventually." Ghren replied. "What we need is a way to get close to him without drawing any suspicion."

"How would we do that? Didn't all of our information on him conclude that might also be a..." Dozel asked before he was interrupted by Garma.

"...I think I have an idea!..." The youngest of the Zabis blurted with a sinister smile.

...

BGM: GUNDAM SEED - In The Quiet Night (english or japanese...it doesn't matter)

Back with the Shepherds, those who had left on the trip arrived at the barracks by nightfall and Robin was sleepily heading to his room after the long day when he heard a faint noise echoing in the hallway.

"Is that...? Is someone singing?" He asked himself as he listened to the soft and pleasant sound. The tactician wanted to locate the where singing was coming from but decided to leave it be and go to bed. As he entered his room and started to get into his undergarments however he heard the same voice but now it sounded closer.

"That sound... is it coming from the other side of the wall?" Robin thought to himself as he listened closely, "Chrom said that room was just used for storage...someone else must have moved in."

The white haired mage looked at an old doorway in the corner of the room, still enchanted by the gentle tune as he pondered on.

"Hmm, I never really bothered with the closet when I stayed here last time... Maybe the sound is leaking in through a hole or something. I'll just put something in there to plug up whatever gap is in the wall and that should pad out the sound." The tactician reasoned with himself as he opened the door.

In the other room across from the closet however was the dancer Olivia who was happily singing as she hung up some clothes on a rack in the closet. The pink haired woman saw a door open from the other side of the closet and stopped singing when she noticed that not only had it been opened but someone else was standing there.

BGM: ROGUE GALAXY - A Hasty Man

Robin was just as surprised to see Olivia from the other side of the closet and after the two made eye contact and saw each other in their night clothes, both of their faces blushed red. Olivia was wearing a simple blue and white nightgown that comfortably fit over her feminine frame while her soft pink hair was let down in a fluffy and adorable looking mess. Robin on the other hand was just wearing his off tan colored undershirt and similarly colored boxers showing that while his body wasn't quite fit, he was not entirely out of shape either.

The two just froze in place as their bodies stiffened up with embarrassment, they each tried to speak but both found themselves unable to talk.

Robin: "I...uhhh...ummm..."

Olivia: "...R-R-R-R-obin..."

Robin: "...Ye-Yeah?"

Olivia: "Cl-Clo-Close the door!..."

Robin: "S-SORRY!"

Robin immediately spun around and slammed the closet shut behind himself, pressing his back against the door as he slid down to the floor and let out an embarrassed sigh.

Olivia on the other hand ran over to her bed and curled herself up under the blankets, trying to hide her own complete embarrassment beneath the sheets.

After a brief moment of the two shepherds trying to calm down from their awkward encounter with each other, Robin decided it would be a good idea to try and apologize to the dancer in order to clear things up.

BGM: DARK CLOUD - If You Strain Your Ears

The tactician got back on his feet and hesitantly knocked on the closet door before speaking.

"H-Hey Olivia, look I'm really sorry about what happened. I didn't know that this was a two way closet and I didn't mean to stare at you, I was just caught off guard... I'm sorry"

Robin waited for the pink haired maiden's reply but it remained silent from her end so he continued.

"... I, uh... heard you singing too..."

Olivia pulled the covers over herself a bit more out of embarrassment when she heard the tactician's words.

"But you know what?" Robin paused. "I actually thought you sounded great. I don't think I've ever heard someone sing a nicely as you did."

The dancer's cheeks started to redden even more from under her blankets.

"I know you might not be in the mood to talk after that but really I just wanted to apologize about it and I hope this didn't give you some kind of other opinion of me... If it's alright with you, I'd like to try and forget about this so we can still be friends... "Robin waited again for a response but there was still nothing. "... I guess I see you around then, good night Olivia. And again I'm sorry about that."

As he was walking away from the door the white haired man finally heard a very soft reply.

"Umm...I'm sorry too... good...good night, Robin..."

With that the tactician and the dancer both drifted off to sleep in their beds while trying to shake off the awkward encounter with each other.

BGM: BRAVLEY DEFAULT - The Land of Beginnings

The next morning after the Shepherds ate breakfast in the mess hall, Chrom had everyone gather up in the courtyard/outdoor training area for an announcement.

"Okay everyone, I'm sure that some of you might be thinking what are we going to do now that the war is over?" Chrom glanced over at Robin and gave a friendly smirk, "While it is true that we've made peace with our neighboring countries and finally ended a tyrannical leader's reign over his people... Our job isn't over, there is still going to be a lot we have to deal with in this after war period. Bandits, marauders, slave traders, and all other kinds of threats to the peace still roam about the lands so it's up to us to continue to keep the people safe."

Chrom paused for a moment as Frederick walked over and held out a large poster with everyone's names on it.

"In order to help with that, we are going to be setting up a rotating patrol schedule with everyone taking turns for on and off duty. The poster Frederick has in his hands is our rotation schedule, everyone will write down next to their name what days they are free to go on patrol so we don't over work everyone all at once. It's not just patrol though, we'll also be investigating reports that are sent to us by the people and helping them out when we can. As for everyone not on active duty, you're free to do what you like as long as you report to the morning or evening training sessions."

Robin thought to himself how surprised he was by the amount of planning Chrom had done for all of this, maybe he underestimated his friend's ability to organize after all.

The blue haired prince had kept speaking while the tactician was thinking to himself, "In addition to the standard training sessions, everyone will also write down a skill next to their names that they can teach to the group. It's important that we learn from each other so we can get to know everyone and ultimately work better together. You can teach anything, swordplay, magic, cooking, survival skills, it doesn't matter as long as it's not the same as someone else's. You can also help someone teach something if they ask you to but that doesn't count as a skill for you, you still need to come up with something on your own."

With that established and everyone in agreement, this is what the Shepherds all came up with...

Chrom: Sword training (because he wrote it down first)

Fredrick: Endurance training/working out (time to lift muh broski)

Lissa: Battlefield medical treatment...the not magic kind (someone had to teach it)

Robin: Battlefield tactics/troop strategies (it should be obvious why)

Sully: Horse riding/grounded mount combat (I wonder if that may come in handy in the future...)

Virion: Archery (surprisingly he's not trying to teach something extra fancy)

Stahl: Cooking (everybody's gotta eat so it might as well taste good)

Vakie: Wrestling/hand to hand combat (SUNDAY! SUNDAY! SUNDAY!)

Miriel: Spell casting, but not the dark magic kind (MAGIC IS EVERYTHING!)

Sumia: Pegasus/flying mount combat...and learning how to fight against them for the guys because Pegasi and Falicorns only let women ride them (maybe they're sexist or something?)

Kellam: Agriculture/growing plants (at least the plants will notice him)

Lon'qu: Sword/weapon maintenance (...sword training was already taken...)

Ricken: Magical resistance training (also being a small animal magnet)

Maribelle: Magical battlefield medical treatment (potions, healing spells, etc.)

Panne: Hunting (strange for a rabbit to hunt isn't it?)

Gaius: Stealth training and other thief-like teachings (just don't use it to cause trouble or something)

Cordelia: Lance training (why not learn the weapon triangle?)

Gregor: Axe training (because someone is already taking the sword teachings job from Gregor and learning how to drink was not given the okay)

Nowi: Foraging in the wild (TECHINCALLY it's different from hunting)

Libra: Meditation/relaxation techniques (because calling it prayer time was a little too forceful...)

Tharja: Dealing with dark magic (yay... hexes and curses...)

Olivia: Aerobics and body stretches (dancing is actually a lot of hard work)

BGM: WHITE KNIGHT CHRONICLES - Nordia Tunnel

So now with the on duty work schedule figured out as well as what everyone was going teaching to teach and when they were going to teach it, the group was dismissed and free to do whatever they wanted for the weekend. With that in mind Robin spent the next two days doing some simple reading as well as learning the full layout of the barracks, the nation of Ylisse, and the capital Ylisstol. He also spent some time checking up on each of the Shepherds and learning a little bit about everyone while recording their info in a logbook he found in the (former) storage rooms that he and Olivia had moved into. He also confronted Chrom and Lissa about not telling him the rooms had a connected closet and what had accidentally happened. Chrom apologized for forgetting about the door and so did Lissa, but she secretly enjoyed it as if she was hoping for something like this to happen.

That Sunday evening after a particularly long (and awkward) check in with Tharja, Robin was going to check on Olivia before going to bed when he heard some noise coming from her room. He walked over to see what was the matter but found that the door was open slightly and it seemed like there was someone else already inside. Although he was intrigued (or potentially jealous) of who else was in the room, he didn't want to pry into the dancer's privet matters he started to walk back to his room. Just as he opened the door to his room, the door to Olivia's room opened and the silent swordsman Lon'qu walked out. Although he made sure to quietly close the door, he flinched when he noticed the tactician standing in the doorway to his room with a confused look on his face. Not wanting to make things awkward by standing there in silence, Robin decided to just ask him what was going on.

"Uhh... Hey Lon'qu, what are you doing here?" The tactician questioned in a still confused state.

The stoic swordsman gained a slightly grumpy/anxious demeanor when Robin confronted him, kind of like the one when his gynophobia (fear of women) kicks in. "I'm just checking on Olivia on behalf of Khan Basilio, that's all." He bluntly stated. "Don't assume anything about what you saw."

"Ummm, okay I won't?" Robin gave a confused reply. "...so is she doing alright? I'm just doing the last of my check-ins with everyone so I'm just trying to be sure."

"She's doing fine so go ahead and get some rest if you're done checking on everyone." Lon'qu swiftly answered before he started to leave down the hallway. "We have sword training tomorrow so don't show up unprepared."

"Alright then... I guess I'll see you then..." The tactician was a little surprised by the swordsman's serious regard for training but decide he was right and clocked out for the night.

Time skip! A few weeks later...

BGM: DAI-GUARD - To Go To You (loose translation of title from japanese)(Iki Youyou is the real title)

Spring had finally arrived and after spending the last month and a half filled with training sessions, going on patrols, having strange adventures, and fighting against roaming bands of barbarians/thieves/pillagers/etc., the group of Shepherds had started to become good friends. Not only that but they had also recruited two new members during that time period, further adding to the Shepherd's roster of unique individuals. The first new member was Donnel, a farm boy from a small village who Chrom saw potential in and wanted to train in order for his home town to have better protection in the future. (Donnel's training session is fishing, that also includes cleaning the catch for consumption) The other new member was the strange red haired merchant woman named Anna, she had MANY identical sisters as well as a strong sense of business/salesmanship (saleswomanship?). Her reasoning for joining was less altruistic and more for the potential profits that may come with accompanying the Shepherds, she was also a rather skilled trickster with a mixed set of talents. (Anna's training session is inventory management and other business related teachings)

One day after another session of Olivia's surprisingly exhausting aerobics/flexibility training, the group was recovering/lounging about in the barrack's courtyard and freely conversing with one another.

Vaike: "Gods, I didn't think that there was this much work that went into dancing... I've done some tough workouts before but this is nuts. You have the Vaike's respect Olivia."

Olivia: Why thank you Vaike but I do this every day so it really isn't that hard once you get used to it. I'm sure if you are willing to commit to it you won't wind up exhausted like that on the floor."

Lissa: "Oh dang, sick burn Olivia."

Olivia: "What! Oh I didn't mean it like that, I'm sorry..."

Vaike: "Aww whatever, I'm a muscle-y guy so I'm not going to worry about being too flexible anyways.

Frederick: "You know this is just a different kind of workout for your body Vaike, try to think of it like that and I'm sure you'll be stronger for it."

Stahl: "All due respect Frederick but you're like a work horse, I don't think anyone's physical training as put a dent on you over the past month."

Frederick: "Well I have been told that my own training sessions could break a wyvern, perhaps I started you all off a bit too strong..."

Ricken: "Yeah..."

Gaius: "Isn't that the truth..."

Anna: "Well I think all of this physical training has been great stuff, would any of you mind if I published some of your teachings in a fitness manual or something like that? I'll be sure to give you a share of the credit... or you could always sell me the rights..."

Lon'qu: "I refuse to let you sell off my weapons maintenance techniques like food on from a vendor on the side of the road, woman."

Donnel: "Shucks Mr. Lon'qu, why do ya gotta be so harsh to ladies like that?"

Lon'qu: "That's none of your business."

Virion: "Well it seems like a rather un-gentlemanly trait to me. Wouldn't you agree Prince Chrom?"

Robin and Kellam: "Oh hey Chrom, when did you get back?"

Chrom: Hey Robin, Virion, everyone."

Kellam: "I said hi too, hello?...Okay."

Chrom: "I just needed to stop by and tell you guys that we're having a meeting in the briefing room. Whenever you guys are ready just head over, alright?"

The other Shepherds responded with a series of "Yes sir, yeah, you've got it, understood, etc." before everyone finally met up at the room. Once all of the members were present Chrom started to speak.

BGM: BRAVELY DEFAULT - Sunlight Filtering Through the Trees

"Thank you everyone for gathering up on a short notice, if you don't mind there are a few things I'd like to go over with you all." The leader of the Shepherds explained. "Firstly, crime rates have dropped thanks to our resumed patrols and the people have sent their thanks to us. For that I want to thank all of you and your hard work. Second, Khan Flavia sent us a message asking if we could lend them a hand with some extra security on a shipment of dues from the Plegian treasury. It will be volunteers first except for Lissa, Stahl, and Sully. You are all going for diplomatic purposes on behalf of Ylisse."

The spritely yellow cleric was completely shocked by this.

Lissa: "Chrom! You can't just drop this kind of stuff on me without warning! What if I had plans and stuff?"

Chrom: "Sorry Lissa, but we need to show that we care about having good relationships with other nations by sending people that can represent us well and I'm stuck here doing more work with the other noble houses. Besides, you're the one who asked me the other day about treating you more like an adult despite you nagging me about not tending to all of my duties."

Lissa: "Yeah fine, but do you have to send me to the coldest AND hottest places around? Like, what the heck am I even supposed to wear?"

Chrom: "I'm not sure but Stahl, Sully, as Ylissian knights it's your duty to take care of her and keep her out of trouble.

Stahl: "You've got it...I mean yes sir!"

Sully: "You can count on us captain!"

Lon'qu: "I'm going as well. I left some of my training gear in Ferox and need to pick it up while we are there."

Olivia: "Umm, if we are going back to Ferox I'll go too actually. I have some of my own things that I'd like to bring back as well. Thank you for reminding me Lon'qu."

Lon'qu: "Hmph..."

Chrom: "Alright then, any other volunteers?"

Robin: "I have a lot of books that I need to return to the Khans so I'll go."

Tharja: "If Robin is willing to go, I'll just have to go with you all then. Besides you'll need someone who is familiar with Plegian customs in case you need a guide."

Virion: "I shall also accompany you, after all if anything were to happen to someone as fair as Sully..."

Sully: "Gods, this again... for the last time 'ruffles', I don't need you keeping an eye on me..."

Virion: "...I would never be able to forgive myself, or the foul hooligan who would try to do such a thing."

Maribelle: "I feel the same way about my darling Lissa. Not only that but if she is going on behalf of our nation, I shall make sure she is the picture of Ylissian diplomacy."

Lissa: "Aw, thanks Maribelle. Wait, do you not trust me with this either?"

Maribelle: "No, no, no, It's just the opposite. I want to make sure you are at your best and besides, someone has to bring a little bit of finer culture to such barbaric places."

Lon'qu: "*clears throat with a grunt*"

Tharja: "...You know just because other people do things differently from your own culture, doesn't make them uncivilized. Who knows they might think the same thing about you..."

Lissa: "Hey now you guys, I don't think she meant it like that... it's just that... Uh... sometimes people think other people are scary when they don't know them."

Chrom: "*Facepalm* I've changed my mind, we need to send someone else..."

Robin: "It will be fine Chrom, I'll try to keep an eye on everyone."

As the rest of the group either laughed or shook their heads, the new member Donnel spoke up. "Beg your pardin' milord but what were some of the other things you were gonna tell us? I was just hoping to be of some service to ya on account of me not being on as many patrols as the rest of y'all."

"Oh umm actually yes, thank you Donny." Chrom recalled. "The last thing is... Sumia and I have decided to go ahead and have the marriage ceremony take place in December and we'd like all of you to join us there."

The group burst out with excitement and congratulations as well as a few questions.

Lissa: "WHAT! SUMIA!? Why'd you agree to doing this so late?!"

Sumia: "Well actually it was actually my idea Lissa. We still have a lot of things to sort out with Ylisse before hand... that and the thought of winter flowers at the wedding was just too tempting for me..."

Cordelia: "That does sound lovely..."

Gregor: "Will there be drinking here like in old country?"

Nowi: "Hey I haven't been to a wedding in forever, has anything changed in the past 100 or so years?"

Miriel: "If you need any extra planning allow me to assist you."

Libra: "I offer you my assistance as well your grace, if you would let me I would be honored to join the two of you in the holy matrimony."

Robin: "With it being in December, I guess I'll have time to find something nice to wear by then."

Chrom: "Oh right you don't actually own anything else do you Robin?... Wait I'm getting side tracked. Okay that's it for now everyone, if you have questions come talk to us in a bit. Oh and one more thing Lissa. Robin. When you guys are all in Ferox, one of you be sure to invite the Khans for us."

Another time skip! After the group consisting of Lissa, Stahl, Sully, Virion, Maribelle, Robin, Lon'qu, Olivia, and Tharja arrived in Regna Ferox at night.

BGM: BRAVELY DEFAULT - Land of Immortality

By the time that the group had managed to reach their destination it was getting dark outside so everyone unpacked their belongings and went to the mess hall to have dinner. However it seemed as though Robin would once again be late to dinner on account of some books that he borrowed earlier. The knowledge driven tactician had to unload all of the boxes with his returns to the Feroxi Library from the wagon and take them back inside to make the deposit in a back and forth cycle. Although it had taken till night fall, the tactician finally finished with his book runs and was making his last drop off at the library when he heard someone else enter the room. After turning to see who it was, Robin saw that it was Olivia but she was dressed in more civilian looking clothes as opposed to her dancer garb. She wore a medium sized, minty green casual dress as well as a plain white and a pair of brown shoes with very short heels.

"Oh, hi Olivia. What are you doing here?" The tactician asked as he set the last box of books down.

"Hello Robin." She replied. "Khan Basillio sent me to see how you were doing and to tell you that the mess hall was closed now and if..."

"Wait, how long have I been moving these?!" The bookworm realized as he accidentally cut off the dancer mid sentence. "Aww man, I knew I should have checked to see if I left any notes in the books before the trip instead of doing it when I returned them. I can't believe I missed dinner because I had my head in too many books again."

The dancer gave a slight giggle at the tactician's comment. "I don't think I've ever known anyone who reads that much. You must really enjoy a good story Robin."

"Oh most of these aren't story books Olivia, they're more like the informative kind. You know strategy, history, culture, general knowledge... you get the idea." He answered back. "Although, I did pick up a few Feroxi written story books just to keep busy...What about you, do you read often Olivia?"

"Me? Oh well I suppose I do from time to time." She hesitantly replied. "But it's only because I tend to stay occupied with dance practice and other duties."

Robin shook his head and gave an understanding "Okay." before his stomach grumbled reminding him that he needed to go eat.

"I guess I really should try to find somewhere else to eat then." The tactician amusingly stated as he rubbed his empty gut, "I'll just leave the last of these books here and go find some food. Thanks for coming to tell me Olivia."

"It's no trouble Robin, but... ummm actually that's not the only reason I came to talk... I actually haven't had dinner yet either..." The pink haired woman rather sheepishly remarked. "You see, I've been busy this evening too and Khan Basilio told me that he never saw you in the mess hall so he said it would be a good idea if the two of us went together to find something to eat. Khan Baslilio even gave me some extra coins so we wouldn't have to spend any of our own... would you... well, ummm... like to go?"

Robin gave an assuring smile, "That sounds like a great idea actually, of course I'll go. Sense I'm not really familiar with the town here, why don't you decide where we should eat. I'm sure whatever you pick will be fine by me."

The dancer was pleasantly surprised, "Sure. I know a little place that the Khans take Lon'qu and I sometimes, It might not seem like much but I really like it there."

The tactician's stomach grumbled again causing the two to chuckle a bit, "Sounds great then, let's go."

Robin followed the seemingly more lively dancer into town from the barracks where he was surprised to see how relaxed the town seemed. It wasn't anything like what he expected, the people seemed to be more equal compared to those in Ylisstol as there wasn't really a sign of higher or lower class at all. Back in Ylisse, the tactician realized just how much he disliked most of the nobility as many of them seemed to look down on those who were, quote 'beneath them' and that there were really only a few like Chrom and the others in the Shepherds that he was okay with. Here in Regna Ferox, it didn't seem like he had to worry about that sort of thing and it was a very welcome idea to him.

As the two continued on the their way, they talked about various things like what the rest of the town and even the rest of Ferox was like until they finally reached their destination. It was a hole in the wall looking place built into the side of an alley, a pub with a small neon blue colored sign that hung just above the door that read CLUB EDEN on it. Robin was a little stunned by how much the place seemed to contrast with Olivia's more docile looking nature but she was actually getting rather excited. As they knocked on the entrance, Olivia moved in front of the sliding peep hole on the door and waited for someone to answer. Just then someone did come to the door as a pair of eyes appeared on the other side of the peep hole, their eyes immediately widened when they saw the dancer and the latch was quickly shut before the door swung open.

BGM: ROGUE GALAXY - Swinging!

An slightly portly looking middle aged man with black hair and a mustache happily greeted Olivia as he stood in the doorway, "Ha-ha-ha! It's great to see you again Olivia. Tell me how have you and everyone else been?"

Olivia smiled back to the burly-ish man. "It's good to see you too Mr. Ral, I'm doing well and so is everyone else. The Khans are getting along about as well as they usually do but Lon'qu and I are actually just staying in town for the next few days on business."

"Alright, that's good to hear." The man who was apparently named Ral, nodded his head with satisfaction before turning his head to yell inside, "Hamon, tell the back to get a Feroxi special ready and go ahead and pour out a pitcher of the good stuff. Olivia's come to visit!"

"Olivia?!" A woman's voice answered back. "Dear, don't just stand in the doorway let her in, I want to see her." As the voice stopped speaking a fairly tall and fair looking woman with blonde hair stepped into view of the doorway.

"Oh of course." The middle aged man agreed as he stepped aside to let the dancer in. As he moved out of the way, he noticed Robin who had been also standing there off to the side. "Hmm? Who the hell are you? Hey Hamon, have we seen this guy before?" he questioned as the woman who answered earlier also came closer to the door.

"Mr. Ral, Mrs. Hamon this is Robin, he's a friend of mine from the Ylissian Shepherds. He's also an ally of both of the Khans so please treat him well." Olivia politely asserted.

Robin was surprised by Olivia's unusual control in the situation and introduced himself. "Hmm? Oh right, excuse me. My name is Robin, I'm the head tactician for Chrom's Shepherds, it's nice to meet you..." The magic user greeted as he offered his hand in a hand shake.

The middle aged man reached out his hand to meet Robin's and the two shook. "A Shepherd you say, no wonder you seem familiar you're that magic user from the arena fight. My name is Ramba Ral and over there is Crowley Hamon."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, any friend of Olivia's is welcome here." The blonde haired woman replied as she waved to him from inside.

Ramba Ral continued shaking Robin's hand for a moment, "Hmm, that's a firm handshake you have there, that's good. I expected you to be like most mages or other Ylissian types I've met but you seem to be different." He approved as the two released the hand shake. "Alright then, let's get you two something to eat and a pint to drink!"

BGM: ROGUE GALAXY - The Bar Angela

When the pair of Shepherds were let inside Robin discovered that the club was actually just a simple pub. It might have seemed a little depressing with some of the dull colors and slightly dirty appearance but it also had some kind of old style charm and comfort to it just like the rest of the town. The bar's patrons seemed rather happy to see Olivia but none of them were disrespectful with their greetings like the tactician would have figured might happen if they were in Ylisse. When they noticed Robin however, all of the heads in the room turned to him as they started to stare him down like they were studying him. Ramba Ral told the others that the Khans trusted his strength and that he had even fought in the arena on the one of the Khans behalf but they wanted to be sure. The crowd of bar patrons cleared the tables and chairs to the sides of the room leaving a long space across the floor before they guided Robin to middle.

BGM: ROGUE GALAXY - Insectron Strategy

"Uhmmm, what's this all about exactly?" The bewildered magic user questioned as a chalk outline was drawn around the clearing.

Ramba Ral leaned in next to him to explain. "It's simple young man, they mean to test you. If what everyone has been told about you is true, they want you to prove it to them and it is their right be able to do so. Our Feroxi traditions allow members of society to test someone else's strengths or conviction if others have reason to doubt it. There is an old teaching that says a warrior's heart is revealed through their fist and should they bring a lie into battle, it will be seen by all. So basically if you fight well, everyone will believe you and you won't have anything to worry about."

"I'm not sure I follow..." Robin questioned back. "I'm supposed to fight who and how exactly?"

"You're gonna fight with me!" A large, bulky, orange haired man answered as he walked to the middle of the clearing to greet Robin. " The name's Angus, and you and I are participate in a wee bit of a competition to prove your worth. The rules of this little duel are simple, all you need to do is spar with me here in this clearing and the first one to get tossed out of bounds or give up loses. If you lose we kick you out but if you win you can stay, sound fair to you lad?"

"Oooo-kay?..." The tactician uncertainly agreed. "But is this necessary? I fail to understand what this will... ACOMPLISH!"

BGM: ROGUE GALAXY - Insectron Battle

Within moments of Robin agreeing to the contest Angus rushed him, forcing the tactician to put up his hands to counter with a grapple. Robin groaned as he tried to hold back the much larger man to no avail with his boots sliding backwards all the way from the middle of the clearing until the heel of his backmost leg almost slid past the edge of the combat area. As much as he was trying, Robin knew he wasn't able to repel the Feroxi man's assault with his own raw strength and without a plan he was about to lose so he had to think of something fast. He quickly glanced at the crowd and saw their exited faces, all of them seemed to be enthralled by the spectacle. All of them except for Olivia.

When the tactician saw the worry on her face and the way her eyes seemed to plead with him, he was struck by another flash of information that rushed through his mind. There was something different about this one, it was more clear than almost all of the others he's had before in fact it was almost like a dream or even a memory. By comparison to his recent memories with the Shepherds this vision was still blurry but it was enough for him to make out a few things. Two figures made of two different colors that stood beside each other, one white and one pink with the feeling of joy emanating from the both. Then a number of hostile red figures approached the original two changing their happiness into concern and fear. The white figure now endowed with anger moved in front of the pink one as the same kind of worry that Robin saw on Olivia's expression came from the pink figure. The red figures drew near but the white figure intercepted them while a single image completely took over what Robin was seeing. It was so clear in his mind that Robin knew exactly what it was, a drawing of a combat technique from the strange stroll he took from the assassin Validar's body. The vision ended with the red figures retreating while the white figure returned to the pink one's side with both of them at ease. Robin's snapped back to reality and realized what he needed to do, immediately performing the technique he had seen in a matter of seconds.

BGM: DAI-GUARD - Dai-Guard Launch (Dai-Guard Hasshin is the japanese title)

The tactician relaxed his hands letting him quickly slide out of his gloves to help free himself of the grapple before pivoting his stance to line up his back with Angus' front. Robin then kicked back at the Feroxi man's feet in a sweeping motion to set him off balance and forcing him trip forward. As the large man stumbled into Robin's back, he grabbed one of Angus' arms and used the combined force of the larger man's forward momentum and his own strength to throw the Feroxi man over his shoulder. The orange haired man went flying out of the ring and crashed into a nearby table causing everyone in the room to cheer with excitement as they encircled Robin and raised him up above their heads to celebrate his passing of the test.

While he was being carried up above everyone, Robin looked around the room and saw how thrilled everyone was with what had happened, he even got a thumbs up from Angus as Ramba Ral helped him out of the pile of wood scraps that used to be a table. Robin continued searching around the room until he made eye contact with Olivia and saw that she was looking back at him with a relieved but happy smile. Once everyone settled down, the pair of shepherds finally got a chance to sit and eat by being treated to a rather hearty meal free of charge. (But he did have to pay a slight fee for the broken table)

The duo was served some fresh bread, a few large chops of mutton, roasted vegetables, and some rather strong drinks. As they ate, Robin noted how odd it was to see the seemingly delicate dancer down such potent ale with ease but still eat the food in a more lady like way, maybe it was just a Feroxi thing. Whatever the reason it was still rather amusing to him that she could hold down a drink better than he could.

BGM: ROGUE GALAXY - Lapatia Village

After finishing the last bit of his meal and feeling a bit of a buzz from the alcohol, the exhausted tactician let out a satisfied groan as he stretched his arms out.

"Oh man that hit the spot, thanks for inviting me here Olivia." Robin thanked his companion while patting his now full stomach.

Olivia let out a cheerful little giggle at Robin's gesture and words, "You're welcome Robin, and I'm glad you liked it here."

The dancer paused before looking out at the room and observing all of the other happy patrons. "You know Robin, the reason why I wanted to come here was that I was feeling a little down so I wanted to visit someplace familiar to relax. Ever sense I was little I can remember coming here with the Khans or Lon'qu and being able to cheer up."

The tactician turned on his stool and looked over at the crowd with Olivia. "How so?" He questioned.

"I've always enjoyed seeing people be happy." She joyfully explained. "That's one of the reasons I became a dancer, to make people smile. When I look out at everyone here and see the joy on their faces, that makes me happy too. Sure they're a little violent and can get kind of dangerous, but they're all really nice people and they mean well."

The magic user was a little taken back by what the dancer had just said but shook it off as he looked around the room. "Yeah, you're right. Despite their appearances and behavior they don't actually have any bad intentions, all they're doing is relaxing and enjoying spending time among friends. It kinda reminds me of the Shepherds actually."

As the two continued to observe the other patrons being rowdy, Robin spoke up. "I've given it a bit of thought and I feel like I learned something after that little fight... I understand more about the culture here now. As an outsider it was kind of a strange idea to have to go through something like that to prove my worth, but after giving it a bit of thought I realize how that's an important part of life here."

The pink haired Feroxi nodded in agreement. "That's right, but it's not for the reasons you might think. The thing is Robin, the landscape here can be harsh and the people are constantly tested by it in one way or another so they have to become strong in order to survive. Those who can't prove their strength might not be able to live here, but that strength it's not determined by physical ability alone. There is also the strength of the mind and heart that are shown through your actions in the past, present, and future. That's why someone who fights well and with honor has no reason to be doubted."

"Mr. Ral mentioned something like that before we began..." The tactician stated before he thought of something that made him grin. "But that actually sounded a bit more like what one of the Khans would have lectured to Chrom and me."

Robin's statement made Olivia smile a bit. "Well Khan Basilio taught almost everything about I know Ferox when I was young so that might explain why."

After hearing her words, the tactician realized something and spoke to himself. "Wait. How is it that she's known Khan Basilio from childhood exactly?"

Before he could ask, Robin was cut off buy one of the bar's owners, Hamon as she approached the pair.

BGM: DARK CLOUD 2 - Shifting Windows

"Olivia dear, how are the two of you doing? Did you both enjoy your meals?" The blonde woman asked.

"Oh it was great Ms. Hamon! I haven't had any food from Ferox in awhile, it was just what I needed. Tell Cozun and Acous their cooking is just as good as ever!" Olivia delightfully declared.

"I'll be sure to do that dear." Hamon agreed before turning her attention to the tactician. "And what about you Robin? How did you enjoy the Feroxi cuisine?"

"I liked it a lot. But I have to say, the ale here is much stronger than what I'm used to in Ylisse." The tactician admitted in defeat.

"Don't worry, I'm sure you'll get used to it eventually." The bar keep assured him. "And just so the two of you, know we'll be closing in a bit so if you want to get anything else just tell me. Okay?"

"Do you still have the piano here Ms. Hamon? If it's alright with you I'd like to play it for a bit." Olivia eagerly questioned.

"Of course we do, and there is no reason for you to worry about playing it. It's been a long time since you've performed here so go right ahead." The older woman assured.

With that, the dancer got off of the bar stool and gave Hamon a grateful hug before happily making her way over to the small piano that sat at the end of the room. Robin spun around on his stool to look over at Olivia, as he did he could see her posture herself to play before taking a deep breath and starting to sing...

...

BGM: GUNDAM THE ORIGIN - Don't Say Goodbye (The english version is hard to come by so play the japanese one if you can't find it) (Just let this play out)

Author's note: The chapter was getting too big so I've decided to cut it in half here. (But also so I could put something out so you wouldn't have to wait even more...) I will say that I am sorry for the delay with the story but to be fair, you should know better than to trust a Fanfic writer to keep up with self-imposed deadlines. :') I'm not going to say much here on this one so I'll just save it for the other half. Sorry again about the wait and thank you for being patent with the story!

Until next time..."Ze Docter, is operating!"