Fire Emblem: A Different Awakening

by Esid

Two Plegian dark mages find themselves aiding the prince of Ylisse, Chrom, and his Shepherds after they abandoned Plegia. Things get complicated quick, with tensions between the two nations rising. War is inevitable. But what happens when people from one of these black mage's past start showing up? To make matters worse, they bring news of an old enemy chasing after him!

15. And so I dreamt

First things first, I want to apologize for how long it took me to get this done. Because of how hectic work has been this past two weeks, I found myself with a big writers block that I just couldn't push past. I kept going over and over what I had to see if I could get into the flow until finally, yesterday, I was able to continue. There might be a few things that I gloss over because of that, so if you find them and they bother you, just point them out to me and I'll make sure to bring up those topics on the future chapters.

I'm really happy to see that there are so many Legault fans out there. I always thought he was one of the coolest characters of Rekka No Ken. You will see a lot more of him in the future. You can look forward to that.

Other than that, I hope you like this chapter. Remember to leave a review to let me know what you think or if you have any questions. Also favorite and/or follow the story if you really liked it. I'm selfish and I like seeing those notification come in. It lets me know that I'm doing a good job, you know? Anyways, enjoy~

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Chapter 15: And so I dreamt

For the longest time there was nothing but pain and nothingness. He was falling. Well, it felt like he was falling. It made sense, with there being no floor and all. And as he fell, there was an excruciating and constant pain in his chest. He couldn't stop the pain. He couldn't stop the fall. He just kept going lower and lower into the abyss. What was strange was that there was nothing around him. It was all just pitch black, and yet when he moved his hands in front of his face, he could see them clear as day. The best way he could describe it as was as limbo—that state between life and death. Part of him wanted to be happy. If he really was in limbo, that meant he wasn't dead, right? There was still a chance to pull through; to wake up and see all of his friends… To see her again. It was too early for him to pass on. He'd just started to remember what happiness was like after so many years. To have it for a second only for it to be taken from him along with everything else was just...cruel.

On the other hand, he wanted to die. He wanted the pain he was feeling to end. Every passing second was like he was stabbed again and again on the chest. He couldn't protect himself. He tried putting his hands over the spot where he was feeling the pain. Maybe there was something causing it and he just couldn't see it? He was half right. He couldn't see it, but he couldn't stop it either. It was driving him insane. At points he wanted nothing more than for his body to just give in. Have the pain go away, he just wanted to rest. But something told him that if he did, he would never get back up. There was not even a guarantee that if he gave in he would leave that place. Instead, he focused on the people he wanted to see again. They would be waiting for him. And when he finally came back, they would laugh and welcome him back. He would be able to fool around for a bit, and then go back to the serious matters. Yeah. That sounded good. Even going back to a world at war was better than wherever he was.

This went on for a while. Then the pain disappeared and was replaced by that. The all too familiar red glow that he'd seen in a dream and then in reality. He didn't know what its purpose was, or why it seemed to come off of him during the strangest times. It was just...there. He could feel a surge of energy inside of him. But while it was trying to seemingly help, he felt frightened by it. It was an unknown force like he had never seen or read during his many years of studies before and it was enveloping him, without him having any sort of control over it. He shut his eyes hard, hoping that it would be all on his mind. Maybe it would go away if he ignored it. Suddenly, an image started forming in front of him...

Lundgren had been fatally wounded. His forces had been all but shattered by the small enemy forces as they'd approached Castle Caelin from the north. A plan to take over the house by assassinating his own niece and her family to gain control of the throne that was to be left by his dying brother. All his months of planning had been destroyed in less than an hour. The ones responsible? A legion of fourteen lead by that same daughter of his niece he'd tried to assassinate—the lone survivor of the Lorca tribe, Lyndis, or as she was more commonly known, Lyndis. To think that a child, as the dying man insisted on calling her, would be able to bring everything down as if it were a house of cards was sacrilege.

But there they stood, the fourteen of them. The ever honest Lyndis, the rightful heir to the throne, stood by with her soldiers. The skirt chaser Sain and the stern Kent, cavaliers of house Caelin, who'd searched far and wide for the heir. Lyndis' friend and Pegasus Knight-in-training for house Ilia, the shy Florina. The best archer that ever came out of Pherae, the mercenary Wil. The loving husband and force to be reckoned with, the fighter Dorcas. The egotistical and sassy cleric, Serra. The educated mage, Erk. The reserved son of the Silver Wolf, the nomad Rath. The thief that turned out to be a spy of house Ostia, Matthew. Nils, the young boy whose ability with the flute could bring forth energy from those around him. The understanding traveling monk, Lucius. And the trainer to the knights of house Caelin and author, the knight Wallace. Yes, these thirteen belonged there. They were always meant to be there—brought together by a conflict that had repercussions in all their lives. They fought bravely and won every one of their battles. But then there was one more—a stranger who carried no weapons at all. The fourteenth was a man enveloped in mystery. This man kept to himself, rarely talking to others except to exchange greetings when necessary, though he kept an ear open for all the conversations going around camp. And yet, he was the reason they'd all gone into combat and come back alive time and time again. The tactician that would become a myth, Mark.

They all watched as Lundgren tried to crawl away, cursing only one person in particular. "That annoying little girl…," he said as he spat blood as cold as his words. "Nothin but a savage from Sacae… The Caelin throne...should be...mine…" There was no one there to help him. He knew that much. There was only one way things would end for him. With one last breath and an extended hand towards Lyn, he laid flat on the ground. He simply fell to the ground, motionless. With his death, Lyn had secured victory for them as well as the future for house Caelin.

"We've won…" Lyn said as she sheathed her sword, her voice shaky, but her words full of confidence and joy. The fighting that they'd faced for months could finally stop. "I can finally see my grandfather…" She turned to look at everyone, but her eyes fell on the tactician she'd found one day on the fields as if fate had destined them to come together. She smiled at him and he smiled back at her. Though his eyes weren't visible by the cowl on his cloak, his smile radiated a warmth that none of those around him had ever seen before coming from the man. It was a contagious smile that spread amongst their ranks. There was no reason for them to exchange words. They both knew how important that moment was for her. After losing her parents months prior, she would get the chance to meet her last living relative. It was a heartwarming thought, but a frightening one. Both Kent and Sain had explained that the Marquess disapproved so much of his daughter's marriage to one of the Lorca tribe that he'd insisted he didn't have a daughter. The two of them had searched for Lyndis far and wide to bring her back to Caelin, but what waited for her inside the castle was still unknown. As the troops gathered themselves, a middle-aged man dressed in clothes of someone of high status approached Lyn.

"You are Lady Lyndis, are you not?" He asked.

"Who are you?" Lyn asked, going back to her more stoic composure.

The man took a step forward and gave her a small bow. "I am Reissmann, the chancellor of the Caelin royal family. Me and my family have worked for the Marquess for generations. I had received word from Kent and Sain when you first met, but then Lundgren discovered the message and my plan to bring you here, and he imprisoned me. I must apologize, as it is because of that that you met with so much resistance on your approach to the castle."

Lyndis shook her head. "We were expecting nothing less than a fierce battle. We were lucky to have a great tactician amongst our ranks." She signaled to the man that worse a green hooded cloak. "Mark has helped us every step of the way here."

"I'm honored to meet you, Sir Mark," said Reissmann, bowing to him too. Mark only returned the bow, preferring to refrain to interrupt the current conversation. Turning back to Lyn, Reissmann continued, "It is my great pleasure to welcome you to your true home, Lady Lyndis, even if the circumstances are less than ideal. I... must inform you of something of grave importance…"

"Could that wait? I was hoping I could meet my grandfather now."

"It relates to your grandfather, you see. Lundgren...had been poisoning the Marquess for sometime now without any of us catching on. Because of that, the Marquess is not on the best of states. His body has been ravaged… He's been bedridden for months, I'm afraid. I understand your want to see his and I shall take you directly to him, but I only ask that your companions stay behind for the time being." The news didn't go down well with the others, not because they wanted to meet the Marquess, but because of the reveal of his current state. Yet not one of them said anything. They understood that these were family matters.

"Please, could you allow at least one of them to accompany me?" Lyn asked. It made sense that she would want someone to go with her. It was a way to find support in someone familiar. What confused Mark was when she turned to look at him yet again. He was expecting her to ask Florina to go with her. They'd known each other for much longer, after all. So why him? He would've asked this same question or even declined the invitation had he not noticed something he'd never seen before in her eyes, not even when she'd been surrounded by enemies. She was afraid. Afraid to see what was waiting for her inside—what she'd been working so hard for could just as easily slip past her. It was then that he was reminded that she was still a teenager, forced to face a cruel and harsh reality all by herself… Just like he had all those years before he'd set off for his training. "You'll come with me, right...?"

"Of course," said Mark, approaching the young girl. "That is, if there is no problem with that." Reissmann didn't have any complaints. He signaled them to follow and the three of them made their way into the castle.

There was a heavy atmosphere inside the Marquess' room, emphasised more by the darkness in there. The room was the biggest Mark had ever seen, decorated by the many luxuries that one would expect a noble to have. A gigantic painting with a frame made out of gold hung on one of the walls, depicting some heroic battle scene of some sort. Next to it, there was a marble fireplace with a relief sculpture on it. On a side table, there was a golden goblet sitting untouched. These were only a few of the things that caught Mark's eye. But more than anything, the enormous bed with its canopy and luxurious bed sheets that draped around a man called for his attention.

"Who is there?" called the sickly old man. He was the living image of a dying man. His hair, long and gray, had become thin and was receding—a few bald spots were visible. His skin was pale to the point that Mark could make out the veins that ran under it, giving it a sickly blue-ish tone. His bone structure was clearly visible, whether by the effect of the poison or the lack of nutrition. "I said no visitors," he said, "I will see no one." Lyn flinched, taking a step back. "What are you doing? Leave me...to die…"

Lyn didn't make another move. Mark could see the conflict going on inside her head. She wasn't sure if she should say something or just do as she'd been told. But they'd gone too far—done too much—to simply leave when she was so close to her grandfather. He placed his hand on her shoulder, hoping to help her regain her confidence. Lyn glanced at him, looking for help. All Mark could do was nod at her and give her a small push to get her going.

"Um… Pardon me…" She took a step closer to the bed. "My name is… I'm Lyndis."

The dying old man sprung back to life. His eyes snapped opened and showed a glimmer of hope as he pushed himself up and turned to look in her direction. "Lyndis…?" He repeated, his lower lip quivering slightly. The proud and hotheaded man was no more. "You mean…"

Lyn walked all the way to the side of her grandfather's bed. Mark stood not far behind her, just far enough to not be in the way. He doubted he would need to push her once again, but he had to be sure she would commit to this. "My father's name was Hassar, chieftain of the Lorca tribe. My mother was...Madelyn… Your daughter. They raised me on the plains."

Lord Hausen looked at his granddaughter, taking in her features. "...You truly are Madelyn's trueborn child… Uhhh...ahhh…" Somehow, the man was smiling through the pain. He gently wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. Lyn rested her head on his chest, tears starting to form on the corner of both of their eyes. The heartwarming scene brought a smile to Mark's lips. The heavy atmosphere had been lifted. "Lundgren told me that my daughter had died. My heir...and you, too. He told me you were dead. Thank you… Thank you for living. Ahhh… I am blessed."

"Mother and father were slain last year by brigands. I… I managed to survive, but…" Lyn's voice was shaking.

"Lyndis, please forgive a prideful old man." He tried to sooth her by rubbing her hair lightly. "Had I not been such a fool and accepted your parents' love, all of us would have lived here together in perfect peace." The little strength that Lord Hausen had mustered to hug his granddaughter left him, though he lived still. He fell back onto the bed, except this time he wasn't alone. Lyn was kneeling down by his side, her hands holding onto one of wiped her eyes with the back of her hand.

"Grandfather, my parents… my tribe… Our life was one of love and peace up until the end… All of us were truly happy."

Lord Hausen smiled serenely. "I'm glad to hear that my Madelyn was able to find such happiness. It gives me so much joy just hearing that… Thank you, Lyndis. I can now die...in peace… If the gods are good, I could see my daughter yet again and...apologize. To her and to your father."

"No!" Lyn's voice was carried around the room. "Grandfather! You mustn't say that!"

"There is no avoiding it anymore, child. I've taken too much poison for far too long. Many clerics have come to my side in hopes to heal me, but all have failed. It's too late…"

"Be brave, grandfather! You will recover! I know it! On the plains, we say that illness fails in the face of a strong heart! I am with you now! You mustn't give up!"

Her words resonated within Mark… It was as if she'd said them to him, for some reason… His eyes felt heavy. The memory in front of him started to blur out. His eyes felt so heavy. He couldn't fight it. He felt tired… He needed some rest. He closed his eyes, Lyn's words still on his mind.

When he opened his eyes again, everything he'd been seeing had vanished. He wasn't on a vast darkness, nor was he inside another memory. This felt different from those. He could see a light— a very annoying light hitting him in the face from what looked to be a window. Then he started to hear things. It sounded like a small fire crackling. There was also the faint sound of what could be a crowd somewhere nearby. The smell of burning wood confirmed what he thought. There had to be a fire, he was sure of it. But the air was also mixed with scents of salves and herbs of some kind or another, which he found foreign. He started feeling his body again. He could tell he was laying down on something soft, most likely a bed as bedrolls weren't that comfortable. On top of him was a thick blanket, which he really needed as, even with the fire going, he could feel the cold biting at his cheeks and hands. Well, one of them. The other one felt strangely warm.

As his eyes finished adjusting to the light, he could see that he was in fact laying down on a bed. To his left there was a window, a fireplace, and a bedside table full to the brim with strange bottles. He turned right and he noticed a figure who was using her arms as a pillow. Her upper half was on the bed, but she was sitting on a wooden stool. His hand was in hers. It was a very familiar scene. He felt nostalgic as he looked at the green hair of the woman that was sleeping there with him. A smile crept up his lips as he used his free hand to run his fingers through her hair and squeezed her hands with the other. He saw that she too started to smile, which made him chuckle. Either she was having a nice dream or she was aware of what he was doing. Her eyes started opening as he continued the motion in silence, simply looking at her. Her smile disappeared when their eyes met.

"Good morning," he told her, still smiling. Her head shot up, her back straightening as she stared at him with her jaw slightly dropped. Her expression quickly changed to one of relief, going so far as her gasping. Before he knew it, there were tears going down her cheeks and she was sniffling. She threw herself at him, wrapping her arms around him tightly. He could feel his breath being squeezed out of him. Either she had become ridiculously strong or he was just that weak. He was glad that his injury had been healed already or he would be in a lot more pain. She stopped as quickly as she'd jumped him and started kissing him. He basked in the barrage of kisses—some soft, some strong—she gave his cheeks, his forehead, and best of all his own lips, which he gladly returned. This was the first time he'd seen her be so affectionate. He liked it, though if anyone else was there in the room, he would feel very embarrassed to be caught in that situation.

"I knew you would make it," she told him as she nuzzled her head on the crook of his neck, wiping away the trails of tears with his shirt's collar. "Illness fails in the face of a strong heart... And yours is the strongest I know," she whispered. This time it was him who wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly. "You really scared us, Mark."

Robin chuckled. "It's funny," he said, "just before waking up, I remembered that same saying from when you told it to your grandfather. I think it was just what I needed to be pulled back to reality." She looked up at him and smiled fondly. He smiled back at her, but it quickly disappeared at the reality of what had happened to him set in. "I'm...sorry for making you worry, Lyndis... "

"Huh?" She looked at him confused. "What are you apologizing for? You did nothing wrong."

"I lowered my guard thinking that we would be safe here. It foolish of me. As the tactician for our forces, I should've known that an attack could come at any time. I inadvertently put you and everyone else at risk because of-"

"This wasn't your fault, Mark," she told him, her tone much more serious as she frowned at him. "You could never have seen something like that coming. Nobody could. You are alive, Mark! Just like the rest of us. That's all that matters." He found himself relaxing, some of the weight being taken off his shoulders. "Do you remember what happened?"

That was an odd question. Of course he- "Hmm?" He scratched his head. Something wasn't right. "I-I can't… I remember I was on my way to meet with you when someone called out to me." Whose face had he seen? Had the voice belonged to a male or a female? Did he recognized that person? "I talked to them. I remember that much. We were talking, then there was a shift that I found suspicious. Before I knew it, I'd hit the ground and lost consciousness soon after…" He could see the concern in her eyes as she heard his explanation.

"Do you know who it was...?" Lyn asked, but Robin could only shake his head.

"I can remember everything that happened before I was attacked, but... " He scratched his head. It didn't make any sense. How could he not recall something so important? "I just can't remember who the person that attacked me was… I recognized the person, that much I'm sure of, but… It could've been Gangrel himself and I would never know." He let out a long sigh. "This is going to drive me crazy…"

"Don't overthink it. We will get to the bottom of this. And to make sure nothing like that happens to you again, I'll stay by your side. Whether it be that you go to a war counsel, to eat, or to sleep, I'll make sure to be there. Or at the very least make sure there's always someone with you."

"Aren't you being a little over protective?"

"You almost died, remember? If it hadn't been for Legault being there when it happened… I don't even want to think about what would've happened to you."

Robin was nodding along, not really thinking about it. It took him a second to realize what she'd just said. "Wait, Lyn… Legault was the one who found me?" He asked her. "As in the Legault...from Bern?"

"Oh, that's right, you didn't know he was here," she said, suddenly remembering the important piece of information. "At first there was a misunderstanding because Gaius and Lissa found him covered in your blood and over you, but Isadora cleared him after talking with Khan Basilio and Chrom. He's been staying here with the Shepherds ever since. It's been a tough week for him too, seeing as there were more than a few people that kept their eyes on him." She went on to explain the situation and what had happened since he was attacked. It'd taken four whole days of constant treatment before he was cleared, but as Legault had said, he'd entered a comatose state that only Robin would be able to break out of.

"A whole week…" Robin muttered as he ran his fingers through his hair. "That can't be good. We are still at war! What of Emmeryn? What if Gangrel had mounted another assault at Ylisstol? You guys should've left and-"

"No!" Lyn furrowed her brow. She'd taken it very personally. "Everyone here knows just how much you've done for this army and how much they need you if they want to win this war. You've brought everyone this far—kept them safe. That's not something anyone can brush aside... And personally, even if they'd decided to leave, I would've stayed by your side. It took me years to find you. I wouldn't leave you just like that."

Robin felt his heart skip a beat at hearing that. He felt happy that she felt so strongly about him. But then, at the same time, he felt guilty for having worried her so much. This was the second time he'd done it since they'd reunited, the first being after the battle against Vasto. He would have to take better care of himself from now on. Guessing from her earlier reaction, she'd taken what happened to him pretty badly. He wouldn't hold it against her. If the roles had been reversed, he would be the one saying the exact same thing to her, even if it would be selfish for him to abandon the Shepherds.

"Oh!" Lyn jumped all of a sudden hovering over Robin, as if suddenly remembering something. "We should take you to see the others! Everyone's been visiting you since the entire thing happened. They will be happy to see you've recovered!" She got up and extended a helping hand to him. "Come on! Let's go." Robin was disappointed that their moment had ended so quick, but he would be lying if he didn't admit that he wanted to see the others and apologize for making them worry and to thank them for all they'd done for him.

"Getting out of this bed does sound good," he said as he grabbed her hand and started pulling himself up. "After laying there for so long I- Woah!" He couldn't take more than a single step before his legs started shaking. He ended up losing his balance, landing back softly on the bed butt first. He was still weak. Though his spirit was willing, his body was still lagging behind. He laughed nervously. "Maybe you can lend me a shoulder too?" He looked down to see that he wasn't wearing his usual clothes. Instead of his white shirt, he had a black that fit him somewhat loosely. The material felt nicer than his old shirt. It was much warmer. "Um, what happened to my clothes, by the way?"

"Oh! I completely forgot about it," she said as she walked towards the dresser. "Your shirt was too ripped to fix. We couldn't even get the blood out of it… Lissa brought you that one, to make up for it."

"Lissa?" Suddenly he didn't feel as comfortable wearing the shirt. If it'd come from Lissa, there had to be something in it. Had she made a secret pocket and packed it full of snakes? Or maybe she'd rubbed something on it that would attract wild animals to him the next time they marched? "She's acting more like her usual self, I take it?"

"She-" Lyn cut herself off. "I-I think it would be best if you heard it from her. It's complicated" She returned to his side carrying his cloak, which looked clean. He was happy to see that they'd not thrown it away like the shirt. He really liked that cloak. It looked pristine. It had to be the cleanest he'd ever seen it. Even all the small tears that were on it before from the different battles they'd been in and their time traveling were all gone. If he didn't know any better he would say it was a whole new cloak! Well, he didn't know what a new one was supposed to look like, but seeing it in such condition made him think that it had to be like that. Lyn smiled as she looked at Robin admiring the piece of clothing. After he put it on with a little of her help, the two of them left the room.

To keep himself from falling, he had his arm around her shoulder. It was a good thing she hadn't grown taller than him in those six years. As extra support, she wrapped her left arm around his midsection and held onto the hand that was just over her shoulder with her right hand to keep it in place. Strangely enough, as they walked they didn't see anyone—not even a single Feroxi guard. Lyn explained that it was because everyone would be having breakfast around that time. That also explained why he could smell the delicious combination of bacon, eggs, and biscuits that had just come out of the oven. His stomach wanted to get to them there faster than his feet could take him. Forget the others! He wanted to have something to eat! He had a week to make up for.

Sure enough, when they reached the dining hall, everyone was there. Well, almost everyone. Chrom and Frederick weren't there, but that had to be because they would be at the war counsel with the khans. But something was off. Instead of seeing groups of people chatting and laughing together, they all looked meek. Those that were talking kept their voices to a more reasonable level, but the majority of them were just eating with their eyes down on their plates. They all looked troubled, which would explain the lack of conversation. Robin could see the usual groups sitting together, except for one. Isadora had some interesting company that morning. Apart from the person that he could only assume was Legault, there were three other faces there. Lissa sat across from the two people of Elibe, happily chatting with Maribelle. By far those two were the loudest in the room. Panne was also sitting with them… She was having some sort of staring contest with the thief as they both ate.

Lyn guided them towards that table. They'd gone unnoticed by anyone until they were halfway there, when Lissa stood up from her seat like a spring and leaned over the table. "Robin?!" Lissa yelled full of excitement in surprise loud enough for everyone in the entire dining hall to hear. Suddenly, all eyes were on him and Lyn, who'd stopped on her tracks. "You are finally awake!" All the serious and gloomy faces around them quickly disappeared as everyone stood from their seats to approach the couple. "Don't you dare go anywhere, mister! I need to go get Chrom and Frederick!" No one moved to stop her as she ran out of there faster than Robin had ever seen her run.

"Ah, Bubbles! Finally decided to wake up, huh?" Gaius said, grinning wide. "I've been eating all your desserts. Figured you wouldn't want them going to waste."

"It was about time that you got your ass outta bed," Sully said, smiling approvingly. Oddly enough, despite her choice words, there was a hint of care in them. "I had half a mind to drag you out of it if you kept sleeping so much."

"How rude of you, Sully," scolded Maribelle as she held to her parasol with that elegance that only she could pull off. "Though I do admit, Robin… You had my treasure, Lissa, too worried. I should find a fitting punishment for that… but I will let it be, only this once."

"My good fellow, it is good to see you on your feet again," said Virion, "but to be strutting around with a lady the moment you wake? Hoho! I've taught you well!" Robin couldn't have expected anyone other than Virion to comment on that. He felt his cheeks heat up, but he wouldn't let it bother him too much. Even if he really wanted to stand on his own he wouldn't let himself push away from Lyn. Not after all that had happened. "I have to say, good work! You have my approval, though I would wish I had had a chance to be in your position."

"I am glad, but not surprised to see you standing," said Miriel. "Your vitals were stable for days. Due to the comatose state you were in, it was only a matter of time before you could come back to us." Analytical and scientific as always… "Though I do admit that I had my concerns about your ultimate chances of recovery."

"Good to see you up, Robin!" The tactician turned in the direction that the voice came from, but saw nothing except for an oddly position armorstand. The Feroxi sense of decor focused too heavily on combat. It didn't even make sense to have an armor stand in the middle of a room!

"I made sure to use many hexes to see that you would recover faster, Master Robin," said Tharja, who had a smile that sent chills down Robin's spine. Nevertheless, he appreciated the sentiment...no matter how creepy it was. "I hope you don't mind that I took some…samples when I visited."

"It's good to see you again, Mark," said Legault .Robin turned to look at him. Despite some changes in his appearance from years past and the very obvious change in attire, the man carried himself the same as always. "Maybe people will be more trusting with me now that you are standing and not trying to stab me in retaliation?"

This continued on until every single one of them had said some words. Robin felt truly happy to know that there were so many people there looking out for him, to support him in his hour of need. In the end, things returned to how they should have been from the beginning: everyone having cheerful conversations as they ate. There was also the faint sound of mugs clashing and cheering as some of the others toasted. As for Robin, he and Lyn joined the table that Isadora, Legault, Maribelle, and Panne were sitting on. Isadora was quick to stand up and tell them she would get breakfast for them. Robin would've objected, but she didn't give him a chance. Just like Lissa, Isadora was gone in an instant.

"Everyone," Robin called for the attention of those sitting with him. "I have to thank you all. Legault, Lyn told me that you helped decrease the blood loss and even gave ideas for my treatment. Never in a million years would I had thought we would meet again under this circumstances, though I'm glad that we did."

"Don't mention it," Legault said with a smirk. "You would've done the same for me."

Robin nodded. "That I would, though my knowledge on venoms and poisons is none existent." He then turned to look at the blonde noble girl. "Maribelle, I know that you and Lissa were there looking after me for a long time. I can't thank you enough for that. I know it's no easy task to cast a healing spell for long periods of time."

"We were only doing our part," she said, looking pleased with herself. "I believe this makes us even for your part in saving me?"

"Oh, I'd almost forgotten about that. I guess you are right." He finally turned to the taguel, who'd remained quiet for the entirety of the time. "Panne, I know we don't know each other too well, but I have to thank you too. You alerted Isadora about what was going on, and that ended up helping Legault too. I feel safer knowing that I can call you a comrade."

"Think nothing of it, tactician," she said. "From the man-spawn here, you are amongst the ones that have treated me fairly in this short time. However, I would do the same for anyone here, whether I got along with them or not."

The conversation was cut short when Lissa came back in with a spring to her step. She made her way to their table with a few more faces in toll. She stopped by Robin's side and, as if he was some sort of present, she extended her hands in a flashy manner and said, "ta da!" Robin felt like cringing. It wasn't the best way to show that he was alive. Still, he prefered to see the princess being herself instead of the nervous girl he'd seen since that night. "I present to you, the Shepherds tactician!"

"I'll be damn," Khan Basilio said as he looked at Robin, astonished. "The lad is truly up and about as if nothing had happened!" He let out a great laugh. "We were all worried about you, and here you are, ready to eat breakfast! Ha!"

"Let him be, you old oaf," said Khan Flavia, who despite her stern voice, wore a playful smirk. "Better a hungry man than a dead man, I say."

Chrom trailed behind, but he was soon enough by the tactician's side. "It is it good to see you've recovered well, my friend," said the prince. "You had us thinking we would have to go through this war without you. But more importantly than that, you made all of us think we would lose a friend. You are full of surprises."

"It's good to see you too, Chrom," said the brunette. "It feels good to hear that, especially coming from you, but… I think it was a mistake to wait for me to recover. You should've gone ahead and returned to Ylisstol with the troops-"

"Not this again, Mark," said Lyn, displeased by how the conversation had turned. "I already told you, I- No. We're not leaving you behind. Your strategies only work when you are there to execute them."

"She is right," the prince said. "You don't give yourself enough credit, Robin. You may think the only reason you are here is to be our tactician—that's how you came to us after all—but with time there are many here who think of you as a friend, myself included. We won't leave behind one of our own, whether it be in the battlefield or otherwise."

Robin could only smile. "What of the preparations for the march? I doubt you stopped everything just because of me."

"Why am I not surprised that you would ask that as soon as you got better? Actually, we had a surprise visitor that just happened to know a thing or two about the enemy." Chrom turned to look the other way. "Ah, here she comes. Marth!"

Something in Robin triggered at the mention of the bluenette's name. He could feel a mild headache coming and felt some heartache. The reason behind it was a mystery to him. No one seemed to notice his sudden change in health, as they were all looking towards the new arrival. The tactician attributed everything to him being too active too soon after his recovery and thought nothing of it.

Marth entered with a smile on her face, but she looked stunned when she locked eyes with the tactician. "S-Sir Robin," she said weakly. "...It is...good to see you've awoken." Robin remained quiet.

"Marth has been helping us gather men and supplies as well as help us organize different squads we can use for combat for the last week," Chrom said as he turned to look at Robin. "But guessing from your looks, I say that you take at least one or two more days of rest before we leave for Ylisstol." Robin was about to raise his voice, but he was quickly interrupted by Chrom. "That is an order, in case you were wondering. We've all had our rest, so it's only fair that you would too. We have scouts coming in every day to tell us about the situation back in Ylisse. Rest assured that everything is under control. Right, Marth?"

"R-Right! I actually have something more that I wanted to get done regarding preparations this morning. If you'll excuse me, I'll get to it right away."

Marth wasn't the only one to leave. Both khans also had other affairs that they had to deal with, so they excused themselves after a few more friendly words. Panne excused herself without much of an explanation. Something about horses, she said. Chrom had to leave too, taking with him Maribelle, as they had to check on the different medical supplies that had arrived and sort them out. Frederick volunteered to lend a hand too, not to anyone's surprise except for Chrom, though he did not object for the extra pair of hands. In the end, the table only had Legault, Lyn, Lissa, and Robin. Isadora soon came back carrying their plates. Having had missed everything, she took her spot back without another word, setting down the food in front of Lyn and Robin.

"Lord Mark," said Isadora. "I believe we should discuss the possibility of the attack on your person being retaliation from the Black Fang." Robin was glad he hadn't had a bite of the food yet or else he would've spat it out. Had Isadora completely forgotten about Lissa being there? He'd made the knight promise that she wouldn't speak of anything relating to Elibe if there were others around. Even if the noise around them would make it impossible for others outside their circle to hear, the princess was. Right. There.

"Uuh, Isadora?" Robin whispered to the knight. "I don't believe this is the best time to talk about this…" He looked over at Lissa, who had a glint in her eye.

"Oh? Are you worried about me, Robin?" Lissa asked, already aware of what was going on through the tactician's mind. "Don't worry about it! I already know eeeeverything that there is to know about you guys. Legault spilled the beans ages ago, which made it easy for me to connect the dots." She pushed her chest out in pride as she nodded. "You guys can talk about it, I don't mind. Actually, I would like to know more about what is going on! It all sounds very exciting."

Isadora had to explain what had happened days before, about how Lissa had heard them talking about Elibe and how she'd finally concluded that they were all characters from some old, mostly forgotten, legends from well before the appearance of the hero king. This greatly confused Robin. If those legends were true, then that meant that not only had he traveled back through time and had an effect on it, but Lyn, Legault, and Isadora had somehow managed to travel to the future. As absurd as that theory was, them being from a different world that ran parallel with theirs wasn't any better. He let the others start the discussion while he rubbed his temples. Lyn, taking notice of this, decided to intervene.

"We should let Mark have some more rest before we get too far into it," she said. "He's just woken up. Talking about all of this may be too much. Like Chrom said, he needs some time to relax before jumping back in. We can discuss this after dinner or maybe tomorrow morning."

"I don't like it, but I agree," said Roin. "There's just too much I've missed and my mind is jumbled up. I need a bit of time to sort things out. Maybe I will remember who it was that attacked me that day too if I take a break."

So it was decided that, for the first time since he could remember, Robin would have a completely free day. He wouldn't worry about tactics. He wouldn't have to go to meetings. He wouldn't have to do or oversee any training. He would just get some time for himself. After breakfast was done, he returned to his room with Lyn, who true to her word, would be with him the entire day. Had he been on his own, he would read some of the books that he'd been given, but seeing as that would leave Lyn with nothing to do, he decided to make up for the lost time and take her out for a date. Well, she would be the one taking him out, seeing as he still didn't know what there was to see or do in the Feroxi capital.

After collecting a few items, like his sword, his tome, and his wallet, the two of them decided to walk around town. This time around, Robin held himself up without any help. Once outside, Lyn turned to look at him and asked, "was there anything in particular you wanted to look for? Maybe some place you were interested to see before but didn't have a chance to go to?"

The tactician gave it some thought. He'd seen the city only when coming in and out of it, so he knew what was around, but nothing in particular stood out to him. He ended up saying the first thing that came to his mind. "I'm thinking that I should get some armor," he said poking fun at himself. "The last two injuries I got were to the chest—almost on the exact same spot had the first one not been a slash. Know any good armor smiths around here?"

Robin was trying to lighten the mood. Though perhaps because he didn't joke around much or because Lyn was, well, Lyn, she took it as him being serious. "It's good that you brought it up," she told him. "I was thinking the same thing, but I wasn't sure how you would take it. I do know a really good place nearby. It is where I got some of my own armor when I first came here. I'm sure we can find something that can fit you well."

"Oh… Well, okay then." With nothing else to do, checking out some armor wouldn't be so bad. It gave them something to do, and if in the process they found something better to do, then they could always steer that way instead. "I've never been much to wear armor. There was never a reason for me to do so. I guess there's always a first time for everything."

With that, the two made their way around town. It was cold day. Even with the sun shining brightly down on them and no snowfall, there was still some sludge on the ground after the morning rush. There were many people walking around too, Robin noted. There was a much greater number of what looked like soldiers going from here to there. They had to be part of the troops that the khans had gathered. It was amazing to think that they could gather their forces so quickly. He had to wonder how many of those faces he was seeing would end up fighting with him and the Shepherds on the war.

"Is everything okay, Mark?" Lyn suddenly asked, snapping Robin back to reality. "You looked troubled."

"Oh, it's nothing," he quickly tried to dismissed her concern. "I was just thinking about everything that's been happening lately, that's all." Lyn didn't look too satisfied with his answer, but didn't push the topic further. It would take them close to an hour to get to the store she'd mentioned. So much for it being nearby.

From the outside, the building looked like any of the other buildings. There was no window display to attract customers nor were there any wares shown on a table outside. No, the only indication that they were in the right place was a small sign hanging from a post that had the picture of an anvil and a hammer. The inside, on the other hand, was the complete opposite. There were many swords, axes, maces, chestplates, and shields; anything a fighter could need was there. Not only did it have a massive amount of goods, but there was a wide variety of everything—weapons ranging from bronze to silver and killer, and several types of armor.

"You weren't lying when you said this was a good place," Robin said as his eyes darted around from item to item. "I would say you undersold it. It looks like there's anything and everything you can think of here!"

"Thank you, handsome," came a jolly voice from behind the counter. It belonged to a slender redhead, who was leaning on the counter, resting her chin on her hands as she kept a close eye on him and Lyn. "It's always nice when people with good taste come and look around. But you know what's better than that? When they buy something! That always puts a smile on this face.~" Robin frowned at the woman. He wasn't suspicious of her or mad in any shape or form. There was just something about her. "Oh, don't look at me like that, handsome." The woman pouted. "I swear the only thing that will take a hit here is your wallet!"

"She looks like the owner of the secret shop back in Elibe, doesn't she?" Lyn whispered to him. Taking another look at the woman, she did look very familiar. And if Lyn was the one pointing it out, then there had to be something behind it.

"Excuse me but, have we met before by any chance?" Robin asked.

"Hmmm?" She looked at him up and down as if sizing him up. "Don't think so. But! It's entirely possible that you met one of my sisters or cousins. People tell us that we look very similar. I'm the most attractive one, though." She winked at him. There was something strange about her, no doubt about it. When she looked at the greenette, she smiled widely. "And look who we have here! Lyn! It's been too long since I last saw you. What brings you here?"

"Good to see you too, Anna," Lyn said. "We are looking for some armor for Mark here. Something not too cumbersome but can do the job."

"I have just the thing! And because of your continuous patronage, I'll even make you a deal if you buy the full set of armor~ What do you say?"

Robin scratched the back of his neck. Something was telling him that even with the so called "deal" they would be paying a hefty sum. "I would like to take a look at the armor before making any decisions."

"Say no more, just give me a minute and I'll bring it. Why don't you two look around for now? Maybe there will be something that will catch your lady friend's eye, hehe."

Robin felt his cheeks heating up. Having a stranger talk about his relationship with Lyn like that… Were they that transparent? Did they really look like a couple? The two remained quiet and looked around until Anna made her way back with a wooden crate in hand. She set it on the counter and waved them over to take a look at it. Inside the crate was an armor like no other the brunette had ever seen before. It was made up of a combination of plates, leather, and cloth. The chestplate—the piece he was most worried about—was a simple x-shape piece of metal that would protect his ribcage completely, and gray leather that covered the stomach area. It looked though, but was very lightweight too. The whole crate was, actually. It wasn't half bad. It included some pieces for his shoulders, forearms, and legs. Best of all, he could probably wear it underneath his coat without a problem.

"What do you think, Mark?" Lyn asked as she examined one of the pieces. "It looks good, right?"

"It really does, but I'm curious, where is this armor from?" Robin asked. "I haven't seen anyone in Ferox or Ylisse walking around with these sort of pieces."

"Ah, you have a good eye!" Anna crossed her arms and nodded, satisfied, "This was brought in from Chon'sin, actually. It is a very rare piece. You wouldn't find a complete set like this anywhere else. Nowadays they prefer to use lacquer armor because it's easy to repair, so craftsmen that could do work like this faded out. This is as close as a one-of-a-kind piece as it gets!"

"That's all good and all, but I'll I can hear is that I can't afford this… Perhaps I should take a look at some of your other wares-"

"Nonsense! How can you know when you haven't heard the price? Besides, this set here, it has your name on it. It's saying "buy me, Mark! We would be such a good team!"" If she only knew that his real name was Robin… "Guessing from your physique and the weapons you carry, you can use a sword and tomes, correct?"

"Yeah, but how could you-"

"That means that you need to move quick to get those baddies that get too close with your sword, right? You can't do that with a big plate armor! And leather armor is good and all, but if you aren't fast enough then you are just going to get hit and end up having to buy a whole other chestpiece because you can't fix leather armor without weakening it."

"R-Right." This woman was dangerous. "That still doesn't answer the question of the price."

"Look here, an armor is an investment. You can't just buy a cheap piece and call it a day. Weapons are a dime a dozen. A sword is only as good as the person wielding it, right? Armor? Nope. You use armor to keep yourself alive! Buy a cheap piece and it might not do its job well. Think about it," she walked around the counter until she stood by Lyn. "Would you buy something of low quality because it was cheap that could get you killed? Imagine how sad Lyn here would be if you died! She will think that you died because you were being a cheapskate and wanted to keep a few extra gold coins in your purse."

"I don't think I would ever blame Mark for something like-"

"Nonsense! Tell you what, I like Lyn here. I can see you two are meant to be together just as much as you and this armor! For her, I'll let it go for, let's say, 3000 gold."

"3000 gold?!" Robin felt like someone had just punched him in the gut. "I don't have that kind of coin! I could get enough swords to arm a squadron with that much money!"

"Fine, fine! Geez, you are being dramatic! Okay, 2500 gold. At this point, I'll be losing on this deal-"

"No!"

"2250. That's my final offer."

"Mark, we could do that much if we pull our money together," said Lyn, who was now holding onto her own wallet.

"Lyndis, this is insane! I rather just buy a good chesplate than a whole set of armor and save ourselves a small fortune," Robin said.

"Aww, that's cute. You have a pet name for her? Though, aren't pet names supposed to be shorter than real names? Well, whatever, what is it going to be, handsome?" Anna kept pushing.

This had turned to be the most expensive date he'd ever been in. "Fine…"

---

A lot of things happening on this chapter. Going from a suggestion that was left before, I did a small flashback in the form of a dream that gives some back story to Mark/Robin and Lyn's relationship. I found it be a really good way to have a flashback, though who knows if I'll handle them the same way in the future. I don't want all of them to be dreams. Could get boring if they always ware. Maybe I'll have the characters reminisce or a situation that feels similar happen to them or something. Who knows?

We all knew that Robin wouldn't be left out for long. I mean, I could've extended it a chapter or two more, but seeing as he is the main character of this story and I do want to keep the story moving, I think this was for the best. Besides, having him out of commission was useful to have a little timeskip, hehe~

For the reunion with everyone, I was going to write out dialogue for every single shepherd, but then that would turn very, very long. It's the same reason why I didn't write out all the explanations when Robin was being filled in on what he'd missed (things that where on the previous chapter.)

We also get a few romantic moments between Robin and Lyn, finally(?) including a date(?) Before anyone asks, no, that Anna isn't from the past nor is she the same Anna that will join them. I just thought it would be funny to use her since I already had the whole armor thing planned out.

On to responses!
starlightkitsune2178 -Good, good! Questions means interest! I think playing with the past was the better decision since we already have character from the future showing up.

Antiques thief -hahaha nothing to apologize about. I know that there are a lot of people that would disagree with me and my portrayal of Lucina. I'm just thinking that if I'm going to change some stuff on the story I might as well change a bunch of stuff that I thought about when I was playing the game. Yeah man, Legault is awesome. I always had him on my team every single playthrough.

potatoman098 -You know, there were so many ways I could've handled the whole Lissa thing. Personally, I think that it would be so very like her to hear something she is interested in and then don't care about anything else. And thanks! I hope you like this chapter too and all the ones that will come after :P

Sugouxxx -It's a good thing to think about, no? Lissa knows about who they really are. And who did I have Robin ask to investigate Lissa...? Things will either get complicated or very silly soon enough. In this chapter I glossed over it, but be sure to read the future ones to see what will happen there. I've been dropping a ton of hints about this whole thing about Robin. Question is, can you catch them all? I'll play the Pokemon theme for you, even. Oh, Jaffar! Another very cool character! So many characters... Still have to plan for some more. It's really important how I bring them in, since it could hint at how significant they will be to the story in the future.

Whatstoknow -Always nice to see your name popping up. And yes! Lissa now has a lot of information about what is going on, of all people! She'll be showing up much more in the future because of it.

Tumerboy12 -Really good question. I'm inclined to say that he helped Lyn and Hector because that's what I was thinking when I first came with the twist to include the FE7 characters, but I think it would be good if I found a way to have him had helped all three of them. Just one more thing to think about.

Yellowclover -Who's to say it didn't help him? You have to remember that no one knows about the meaning behind the mark of Grima, not even Robin. For a similar reason Tharja's hexes weren't used. Legualt gave the explanation with poison, not knowing that Tharja could use hexes. And as for the others, you can assume that they didn't know she could use a hex like that at that point. If she'd been in the room when Legault explained everything, then yes, she could have proposed to use a hex instead (a lot less dangerous.) I never played Chrono Cross, so I had to look up info on the game. I think that's a similar idea? A few thousand years wouldn't be enough for continental shift of that magnitude, but water levels can explain a lot. In both world maps, we can't really see the poles, which means that we can't say for sure that they would be the same size either. It is possible that a big chunk of the land flooded over time. As far as Iduon goes, I hadn't considered it, but after looking up more info about her, it could be a very good addition to this story. I'll definitely keep it in mind. Don't worry, feel free to ask away anything that you want. If it's something too spoilery, I'll try to answer as best I can without giving away too much. I don't mind at all! I actually enjoy it because I can get good ideas or find things that I completely forgot about.