-Months Prior to Dalton's Attack on Port Ferox-

-Valm, Council Room-

"We're going to war." Robin said.

"That's a decision the council makes, not you." Virion frowned.

"It won't make a difference if you call the vote." Robin said. Good, Virion is sticking to the script and playing devil's advocate against me. It's more or less what he would have done anyway. "And even if you do, just remember that Farber says yes. Actions speak louder than words."

"Aren't you being hasty about this?" Virion countered. "We're two members down. Marth isn't here, and neither is Farber, even if you claim he says yes, I think Marth would say no; meaning this council is balanced. In either event, I don't think this is a decision we should make lightly."

"Rosannean viscount." Pheros interrupted. "This isn't a decision made lightly. I consulted Robin on the matters, and the conclusion that was reached is that war is the only decision to be made at this point. We still don't know why Farber acted as he did. It might have been a trap. It might have been bad intelligence. It might have even been that he knew something we didn't."

"The Empress is correct, and her tactical assessment keen. My forces march in an hour. We reach the ocean in four days' time." Robin said. "At that point, we sail for Plegia, and start pillage and burning once we get there. You can either help me or get out of my way. I'm still the Battlemaster, which means the armies are mine. The majority of the Wolfguard will remain on home soil, along with half our forces. The other half will be slowly sent in waves to invade Archaneia."

"Robin, you need to cooperate with us." Pheros said. She looked at him with an expression that spoke of wanting to help him, but also one that weren't happy with his behavior.

"No I don't." Robin snorted. Pheros had reached the same conclusion that he had. She didn't actually oppose him, she was merely trying to maintain her indifference as the Empress to the warring factions within the council. And Robin didn't care about them – the council itself was just a means to an end as far as he was concerned, and he wasn't going to let them slow him down. Time mattered when it came to war. And nothing ate up time like arguing bureaucrats. "What I need to do is my job. And I'm the Battlemaster. In case you hadn't noticed – we're at war."

"The council has yet to come to a decision-" Virion started.

"The council can sit here and pick wool out of their ears for all I care." Robin scowled. "I didn't think I'd need to explain this to you, but right now your decision is irrelevant. Farber went and tossed any hope you have for peace out to sea when he attacked Ferox. You can either declare war now or wait for Archaneia sends their armies to our soil and declare war against us."

"We could renounce him." Say'ri offered.

"That works in Chon'sin." Robin considered and shook his head. "Say'ri, in your culture, he'd commit suicide when we renounce him, and the other countries would understand that we don't actually renounce him but are required to do so to avoid all-out war."

"Aye."

"Ylisse, Regna Ferox, and Plegia wouldn't even understand that, much less accept it." Robin said. "They'd think it'd be some kind of trap, at best. We need to declare war now. Declare the vote."

Pheros fixed him with a glare. "Very well. Thanks to a very persistent Battlemaster, we call the vote."

"If Robin says there is no other option, then there is no other option." Say'ri frowned. "War."

"War," echoed Zulas.

"War," echoed Ignatius.

"And war say I." Pheros announced. "Four votes, two absences, and one against."

"I didn't say I'd vote against it…" Virion started.

Robin fixed him with a warning look. The vote wouldn't be unanimous in any event, Tiki hadn't responded well to Lucina leaving and told them to remove her seat. (Robin didn't object to this as he didn't want Tiki to have a seat, the whole façade was an excuse to get Lucina on the council, but he couldn't admit to that, so they just treated her as absent until he could find someone to replace the seat.) Dalton, as much as Robin argued against it, had forsaken his vote by leaving without appointing a stand-in for his place, as per the rules, something else Robin would hold against him in the unlikely event he survived.

However, they could use a dissent for internal records – obviously a united front was best for the public, but Robin wanted it to be noted that they were forced into the war and didn't choose it, even though the entire thing was Dalton's fault. And a non-unanimous vote would be acceptable.

Virion frowned. "Yes, I am dissenting. I, personally, am friends with Chrom and Flavia. I think it's within my negotiation capacity to talk them into agreeing to a bargain."

"But not with Plegia."

"No." Virion shook his head. "Ylisse and Regna Ferox only. And mostly only Ylisse."

"Very well." Robin said. Thank goodness that went as planned. "My army marches within the hour."

"You had standing orders?" Say'ri scowled. "Why was I not informed?"

"Why wasn't the council informed?" Pheros asked. That wasn't what Say'ri asked, of course. Robin had stopped including the Chon'sin princess on his army's orders now that she was a member of the Council. Zulas was also left out, but he understood the necessity, so he didn't ask the question.

Pheros's question, on the other hand, was a bit different – essentially a veiled version of 'Were you going to go off to war without us?'

"My army is always ready at an hour's notice." Robin dodged both questions. "Say'ri, you cannot come with me. You are required in Chon'sin, and need Council members here, in case the worst should happen."

That is to say, in case he didn't come back. Not that Robin expected it, of course. He was just too good of a tactician to not plan for the case of his own death.

"Fie." Say'ri crossed her arms. "Then stay here I shall."

"I would be better served here as well, I think." Virion coughed. "Leading an army overseas would be a slight conflict of interest."

"I should accompany you." Zulas said.

"That will do." Robin said. "Empress, Ignatius, you are invited as well."

"I am not ready yet." Pheros shook her head. "I assume that you have more than one wave of ships? I shall be part of the second wave, if it is necessary."

"I'm good. But not good enough to only want to conquer Archaneia with a single wave of ships. Thank you, Empress." Robin nodded. It felt good knowing that Pheros would be the one reinforcing him. But a small part of his wanted her to be with him during the initial wave. "Ignatius?"

"I'm the greatest captain in Valm, tactician!" Ignatius said. "Don't even think of leaving me out."

-Port Valm-

"Come to see me off?" Robin said. "Or have you changed your mind last minute, and decided to come with me, Viscount?"

"Out of curiosity, would you actually accept my help?" Virion rolled his eyes.

Less than a week had passed, and Valm had mobilized. The army was already ready to march, and the ships were prepared. It was just the logistics which took time. Now, Robin was at the docks, preparing to board his flagship. His original group of lieutenants, save Dant, had already gotten onboard. Virion, with Cherche standing slightly behind him, had made his way to the docks.

"I'd be tempted too." Robin admitted. "For all your flaws, you're a good commander for the right situations, and it'd stop you from pulling a coup d'état. But I think it's best that you don't have your loyalty tested against Chrom."

"You're really worried about that?" Virion asked. "I'd never pull off a coup!"

"Yeah, that's because if you did, Robin would retaliate by beating the tar of you, and then burn Rosanne to the ground in retribution." Ravena interrupted. Robin's adopted daughter was munching on fried fish in a paper cone. "Cherche, keep an eye on him, will you?"

"Of course, young mistress." Cherche said. "But I can join you, if you desire it."

"Nah." Ravena said. "Honestly, Virion could really use someone like you to keep them in check. And I'm going to be spending time with Robin anyway."

"You're taking a child with you into battle?" Virion raised an eye.

"She's my newest member." Robin said. "Dant is still missing, and we kind of need of fifth member, if for nothing but consistency. So I figured that Ravena's been training for a while, and she could use the experience. She'll be fighting with me."

"Yup!"

"Actually, I've been meaning to ask you this for a while now." Robin said. "Didn't you used to call me 'Father'?"

"I'm kind of more your apprentice these days, you know?" Ravena shrugged. "Don't get me wrong, I still look up to you as a father figure, and I appreciate all you've done for me, but I think that our relationship has changed and thus it would be inappropriate to conserve the same name."

"Is that what it said in your textbook on human psychology?" Robin sighed. "I shouldn't have let you read that."

"Mostly, yeah." Ravena grinned. "Those books are fun! Do you want me to switch back? Honestly, I don't care either way."

"Your preference." Robin ruffled her hair. He looked at Virion. "Isn't she just adorable?"

"I agree with the Battlemaster." Cherche smiled. "Mistress Ravena is beautiful."

"Cherche, you think that wyverns are…" Virion trailed off as he realized the consequences of contradicting either Cherche or Robin were. He coughed. "Ahem! Yes, Ravena is a wonderful little girl."

"Good." Ravena stretched. "Are we done talking?"

"You can leave whenever you want, you know." Robin remined her. "You're supposed to be on the ship, not stuffing your face with seafood."

"Only if you promise to repeat any secrets that you share when I leave, alright?" Ravena said. She'd finished her fish and frowned at the empty cone. "I wonder if they have these in Plegia?"

"I doubt it." Robin said. "They'll have fish, but not fried in breadcrumbs like that. It's a desert, after all. Grain is hard to grow there."

"Ah, okay." Ravena said. "I'm getting another one. Vermil's on the ship, right?"

"I think so, why?"

"He said he had something to show me." Ravena said. "Some kind of rare wind tome. I'd hate to be bored."

"See you later, then." Robin turned back to Virion as Ravena left. "So, why are you here, Virion, if not to join me?"

"It's about Chrom." Virion said.

"Are you going to tell me not to kill him?" Robin asked. "Because if you are, you're just wasting your breath. I've no plans on killing him, but I might not have a choice in the matter, and I'm not going to put an Ylissean's life, no matter how important, above the safety of Valm."

"Do you intend to make peace with him?"

"That's a good question." Robin considered. "It's likely that we'll never get a chance for peace until the end of this war. But there's a chance, slim as it is, that I'll be able to negotiate for peace once I conquer Plegia, assuming they provoked us, and I've enough evidence to prove it."

"I see." Virion said. "I must make a request of you, then. Chrom is a man that had a sister better than he was, and she died for her ideals. He wants to build the world that she envisioned, and he's willing to cross some lines for that. He's willing to use violence."

"Right, a noble idealist." Robin said. "What's the question? Do you want me to kill him if he goes dark, or something of that nature?"

"That's not what I'm worried about." Virion said. "If at all possible, endeavor not to kill him. If you could make me your ally, it shouldn't be hard to do with him."

"Already done." Robin said. "I don't drop potential allies. Anything else?"

"No, that was it." Virion looked surprise. "I wasn't expecting you to-"

"The Exalt inspires loyalty, and strong loyalty at that, if you traveled across the continent to tell me that." Robin said. "Rest assured, I've no intention of martyring him, and I respect his abilities. And, I do happen to be friends with him as well. I'll do my best to try to avoid killing him."

"Thank you."

"Thank me once this is all over, if you can." Robin shrugged. "Time's a-wasting, Viscount. Are you going to come on the second wave?"

"Why would I-?"

"I'll need someone to negotiate with Chrom." Robin tapped the side of his head. "Think about it, okay?"

-Sea-

"Ignis." Robin called the power to life. Then he took a small knife and made a shallow cut on his palm. "Now, Vengeance."

Dark magic came to life within him. There was an old saying to not blame your right hand for cutting your left hand. But that was exactly what Robin was attempting. Using Vengeance against himself, he could replicate any injury, even one self-inflicted. And that could be used to deal an injury, even one self-inflicted.

A scrape appeared on his opposite palm. Robin growled and called up Ignis further, attempting to combine it with Vengeance as he had done against Walhart. But the magic wouldn't combine easily. There was a wrongness to it, something he hadn't felt when he attempted it for the first time. And he couldn't figure out why.

"Robin?" Vermil asked. "Is there a reason you're trying to hurt yourself?"

"I'm using Vengeance." Lack of cabin space meant that he and Vermil were practicing magic in one of the few private rooms upon the ship. Robin had no interest in comfort but knew that morale would be raised if he was seen with the same conditions as the rest of the troops. Or, at least the same conditions as any other officer. So he had a private cabin, but not a private room to practice magic.

"I can see that. I am the foremost authority on magic among your men, you know." Vermil said. "Just because I don't use dark magic doesn't mean I don't know the theory."

"Is that so?" Robin sighed. "So do you know about, say, combining dark magic with bloodline magic?"

"No." Vermil sat down cross-legged and withdrew a notebook, flipping through it. "What does it do?"

"It's supposed to use the perfect version of Vengeance." Robin said. "I … hmm. Fine, can't hurt to tell you. I managed to fuse Ignis with Vengeance when I was fighting a while ago. I called it Ashandari, the Forbidden Lance of the Ravens."

"Odd name."

"I suppose." Robin laughed. "I only recently figured out why I called it that. Pheros told me of a man who sold his eye for all the world's knowledge, which came in the form of two ravens. A power with a price attached."

"So you used it when you lost your eye." Vermil whistled. "Those assassins must have been exceptional to warrant that kind of response. An eye for an eye, indeed. Why Ashandari, though?"

"It just popped into my head."

"I see." Vermil said. "Well, I can tell you one thing for sure."

"Oh?"

"You did not cast a perfect version of Vengeance." Vermil said. "The reason it only reflects half the damage taken isn't because the technique is imperfect. It's a function of chaos. Call it the price it takes to use it. Vengeance, in theory, does actually retribute all the damage. In practice, it's down to half because casting magic like that always has a price. Entropy's fault, really. You cast an overdrive version of it. Which, ah, shouldn't exist."

"So I broke the laws of reality."

"No, magic does that all the time. You broke the laws of magic. I wish I could have been there." Vermil nodded. "That's my theory, anyway. It's hard to say without checking, but it looks like Ignis let you get away without paying the cost. Like shadowgift, almost."

"Is that so?" Robin asked. "I asked Aversa, but she didn't know either."

"Shadowgift is a bit difference." Vermil said. "They don't pay the price of dark magic because the universe just loves them. Entitled brats. Here, I think you did pay a cost."

"How so?"

"You can't use it again, can you?" Vermil said. "At a guess, that's it. Even shadowgifts don't break rules that bad – they skip the cost entirely. Here, you ran up the cost and declined to pay it. So, I'm guessing that the debt is still out there."

"If I cast it again, what happens?" Robin said. "I can feel it, I think. It's just possible to cast – but it feels wrong. Is it just going to not work?"

"Huh. So I'm wrong about that. No, if you're lucky, casting it again won't work." Vermil said. "Which you aren't, by the way. No, it'll take the cost from somewhere else."

"So…"

"Don't cast it again." Vermil said. "Even on pain of death, unless you're certain that you can't make the situation worse. And start praying that whatever you already did do doesn't come back to haunt you. Guessing what's going to happen is beyond my theories – all I know is that it's a bad idea."

"Thanks, doc." Robin sighed. "Follow-up: Let's say I've been experimenting with combining Ignis with other skills, like Sol, Pavise, you know, those. Hypothetically. And let's say hypothetically it doesn't feel wrong at all."

"Your guess is as good as mine, but I think it should be fine." Vermil said. "By fine, I mean no worse than when you first cast Ashandari. So, you know, your choice. But you only get one of each, before you start running into problems."

"Is that so?"

"Just my intuition. I'll run the logic and numbers later."

"We've got a voyage ahead of us."

"I get seasick if I write on a ship."

"Of course you do." Robin sighed. "I assume reading works fine for you."

"Of course. Mind if I ask you something?"

"Probably not."

"Alright then. Eavesdroppers away." Vermil flicked his fingers and cast a bit of wind magic. "So, why'd you kill Walhart?"

"What?" Robin blinked. "Why did I … Vermil what are you suggesting?"

"I mean, I know the 'how' now. It's pretty obvious – you used Ashanderi. Probably stacked it on a Flare too, it's a pretty unique signature, to tell you the truth." Vermil just shrugged. "I also know you can use warp magic, by the way. You might have confiscated Excellus's notes, but I now have access to the same resources that Excellus did when he found that spell, initially. You should consider placing some of the ancient texts under better lock and key. I know the cost for warp magic, and you've lied about it."

"Do you want to die?" Robin asked. It was an honest question. "Because if you don't, I strongly suggest you shut up and not tell anyone."

"Oh, what, you think I'm an idiot? I didn't tell anyone about this." Vermil snorted. "I didn't care for the guy either. I think you're a better choice. I'm not telling anyone else."

"So why are you telling me?" Robin's eyes narrowed. "Be aware that you might have just signed your death warrant."

"Riiight." Vermil rolled his eyes. "I told you because I want to prove that I can keep secrets."

"Ah. It's not so you can blackmail me into dating Ravena." Robin shrugged. "That's fine, then."

"What? No!" The fire mage's cheeks turned crimson as his robe. "Why would you think that?"

"You two seemed pretty content to study tomes together of late…" Robin said. "And from what Argeni told me, you've gone through, what, a dozen girls over the past few years?"

"No, no, no, you've got the completely wrong idea!" Vermil protested. "I'm just studying magic with Ravena. Nothing more, I promise you."

"Just know if you did try blackmailing me, I'd kill you. I'm not letting some piece of scum date my daughter through blackmailing me." Robin smiled and patted the smaller mage on the shoulder. "It's nice to know I can trust you, Vermil."

"So … clarify …" Vermil blinked. "Accidentally stumble upon your great and master plan to rule the world, and you're more or less okay with it. But try to date your daughter without your permission, and at that point the kid gloves are off."

"I always knew you were the smartest one of the group." Robin said. "Also, it's not like you could do anything with that information. As far as conspiracies go, there are a lot more outlandish ones, and a lot more realistic ones."

"Conspiracies?"

"Don't you know? The Crimson Demon Tactician plucked his own eye out and made a deal with demons for immortality. He's ten feet tall, and the ground shakes where he walks. He knows every weapon like a master and every magic like a scholar. He can see the future of every battle and knows what's to occur." Robin laughed. "Compared to that, saying that I can teleport and can beat Walhart? Honestly, seems a bit tame. And while there's a lot of people who suspect that I was behind certain events, like the death of Excellus, even they won't believe that everything is my fault."

"How's that work?"

"A simple piece of effective propaganda." Robin chuckled. "If you present someone with two contradictory stories of an event, as long as they fall on the extremes, people will believe that both are wrong, and the truth lies between."

"What do you mean?"

"The official Imperial policy is that I'm completely blameless for anything off the battlefield. Excellus's betrayal, the rebellions, the death of Walhart. All of that. All I've done is win battles." Robin said. "The dissenters and those who hate me claim that I'm a sly and manipulative mastermind, who's managed to do everything evil in this Empire. Upon hearing this, most people assume that I'm crafty, and I'm responsible for maybe one or two things. But not all my schemes."

"You were responsible for the rebellions?" Vermil said.

"Of course not." Robin smiled, baring his teeth. "That was the Gray Tactician. Haven't you been paying attention?"

"My instincts are telling me that you aren't lying." Vermil frowned. "But my intellect is telling me that you are. So this is what you mean, is it? Even if I said something, my voice would be lost amid the nest of rumors."

"And I'd start a few, you know. Discrediting you, and all that." Robin said. "Obviously, not me personally."

"You're the one behind all those rumors, aren't you. The ones which exaggerate your feats and make them sound preposterous, so people wouldn't believe rumors about you." Vermil flatly stated.

"All of them?" Robin shrugged and smiled again. "Surely not. It'd be best to assume that I'm only responsible for some, wouldn't it?"

"It's time like these I feel real bad for your enemies." Vermil muttered. "Glad I'm not one of them."

"Indeed." Robin nodded. "Can you use the warp spell?"

"No." Vermil shook his head. "It's still a work in progress for me. Can you teach me?"

"That's not going to happen." Robin gave a wry grin. "Perhaps if you were one of my spies, but you're too visible to be able to get good use of it. Don't think of this as a lack of trust on my part, but it would take certain … resources … to make you able to do it. Resources that you don't have access to."

"So there still is a cost." Vermil said. "The calculations and the formulas indicated as such but … what is it?"

Robin shrugged.

"You aren't going to tell me."

"No." Robin said. "Suffice to say, it'd cost me quite a bit, and you don't need to warp. Stick to the books – you may be able to figure out another way."

-Plegian Docks-

Robin's ship crashed into the harbor. Unlike Ferox, which kept scouts and a standing garrison, the main Plegian port didn't have anything of the kind. They'd had warning of the massive Valm fleet when they woke up and saw the sails coming up over the horizon. But the warning was only good enough for panic and fleeing. There was no way for anyone to arrive on time. Just enough time for the guards to try to save the fleet.

Robin leapt off the deck as soon as ground was within view. There wasn't even enough Plegians to pose a decent threat to him. There were some of those who had stayed behind which had taken ships out, but the Valm fleet just sent off ships to catch them and continued on. They'd assembled in the large opening in the dock, taking up a formation.

Robin respected that. Loyalty was something that was almost impossible to buy with money, and thus one of the most valuable commodities for a man like himself.

"I won't insult you to ask for your surrender." Robin yelled out to the crowd. "But I will tell you that I'll be taking you out personally. Consider the attempt at my life a reward for your loyalty."

"Forgetting something?"

Ravena landed nimbly beside him. She drew her spear and took up formation. Vermil dropped, cloak fluttering as fire came to life around him. A thud came as Zulas crashed on the dock, taking up position with a spear as well. A horse whined as Argeni's mount leapt off the deck and landed behind the group. Robin grinned as the five of them formed up on a position as various Valm soldiers did likewise from the ships around the dock. The first fight on Plegian soil, and it would be a rout.

"It's as good of a time as ever for this one." Robin unrolled his new weapon and held it aloft. Bright red, forged to have the body of the spears he was accustomed to. Yet the blade was of the swords he had recently begun to learn how to use. The sword was double-edged and straight, complete with a cross guard that a standard spear might have, just longer.

The spear was forged from Walhart's axe. The entombed Conqueror had no need for it, and would no doubt approve of Robin's appropriation for his personal use. Robin had the Empire's best weaponsmiths forge it, and then combined it with a magic tome – the tome given to him by Tiki, Katarina's Bolt. The result was a deadly combination, long, sharp, and unforgiving. It had taken Robin the better part of year to acclimate to it.

And now was its trial by fire. As both a weapon of might and magic, the two-handed weapon had another very useful property. Robin could use it to activate Ignis Corona by itself, without needing a second weapon. Something useful to a one-eyed man who didn't have a second eye for the second weapon. Robin held it aloft and laughed as a bolt of lighting crashed into it, lighting up the swordspear with electricity. The named, carved in runes along the side, lit up as well. Gungnir, the weapon of the seeker of knowledge.

"RALLY TO THE SPEAR OF THE BATTLEMASTER!" Robin howled. "GO FORTH AND CONQUER!"

A/N: Robin's new ability, Ignis Spectrum gets one use with each activation-based skill. He can't just spam the stuff, that'd be overpowered. And he's already used Vengeance. Now taking bets on when he uses the rest of them.