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!

20. And so we approached

Chapter 20: And so we approached

Despite the apprehensions most of the Shepherds held at the beginning when first meeting Hector and the rest, Robin was glad to see everyone getting along well with each other. As days passed, it was more and more common for him to see them chatting with each other. Everyone adapting quickly was good news to him, as it showed that they would trust each other in the battlefield.

Serra, who was now married to Oswin, bonded quickly with Maribelle and Lissa. In Robin's head, it made sense to see that their healers would get along well. It also helped that Serra had turned herself into a total lady. She was much more refined than she used to be, but some of her old quirks were still present. Perhaps having the official title of Lady helped with that. The three of them would often drink tea together and gossip about this and that, though Lissa would also turn the conversation to stories about Elibe, from what Serra had told him when he checked in on her.

Sumia and Cordelia were in friendly terms with all the Pegasus Sisters, but it was Fiora who they clearly admired the most, whether because of her skill as a fighter and as a Falcon Knight or because of her caring and mentor-like attitude. She was would often give them pointers during training to improve their movements and attacks while still being able to keep up her own training and that of her troops. She would even invite them over to train with them, which Robin insisted they take up to learn countermeasures against other flying units. He was glad to see that she remained as reliable as ever, but was shocked to learned that she had married Sain! How the flirt had been able to convince her of marrying him was beyond what the tactician could call a "logical decision".

When not talking with her sisters, her husband, or with Sumia and Cordelia, Farina liked to hang out with Sully and Raimi. Robin wasn't all that sure what the three would talk about, but from what he could see, they got along well enough. Seeing as the three were women that could beat up men to a pulp with only their fists, he tried keeping his distance as much as possible. In all honesty, he was trying to avoid Sully more than anything. Since she had accused him of lying and possibly being a traitor or spy, things had become too awkward. Still, he was glad to see the redhead socializing and putting some effort into forming bonds with the new arrivals.

Kent, or rather, Lord Kent since he had been appointed as steward of Caelin, had befriended an odd pair. First was Kellam. Though Robin could swear he'd never seen the two together, Kent said that the two of them had the chance to talk a few times and that he was good company. The other was Donnel, who Kent had taken under his wing, of sorts. Donnel was being a good sport about it. After going through the daily regiment of Frederick's training before marching, he would train some more with Kent in the evenings. How the young man was able to muster that much energy was as much of a mystery as to where Kellam was most of the time.

Canas was the one that talked to the most Shepherds, surprisingly. Though they had just joined, Nowi and Gregor would often talk with the druid, Nowi wanting to play while Gregor would exchange stories with him. Then there was Sumia too. As both of them were avid readers, they would lend each other book everyday. He would talk a lot with Ricken too, who would be more than glad to show off his magic abilities to the older man as Canas would always praise him. Lastly, Miriel and him became "academic partners", as Miriel put it. The kind of conversations that the two would have were too much for anyone else to follow. When the two were together, everyone knew not to approach unless they wanted to get a headache.

Not surprisingly, Oswin and Frederick started getting along. Perhaps because of their similarities, though Frederick held Chrom to a much higher standard than Oswin did, which could be attributed to the difference in age between Chrom and Hector. These two knights even exchanged exercise regimens to tweak their own. Also, because of his serious demeanor, Robin hadn't expected Oswin to get along so well with Gregor, who had turned out to be a very easy going guy.

Florina had spent most of her time catching up with Lyn. Seeing the two walking around camp chatting always brought a smile to Robin's face. To him, the two of them together looked exactly as they did when he last saw them. He'd also learned that, though she was a lot better when dealing with men, Florina still had trouble holding a conversation with anyone of the opposite gender for more than a few minutes. When he had the chance to talk to her, she wouldn't even look him in the eye, cowering every time he spoke up after an awkward silence. Part of him wanted to get and Lon'qu in a room to see how they would react to each other. Alas, they didn't have time to waste for something like that.

Matthew would have in depth discussions with Gaius about the different techniques that they each used to sneak around. Though Matthew worked as a spy and Gaius was a full-fledged thief, their lines of work made so that they could learn a lot about each other. Robin had heard that they had some sort of contest going too. Something about stealing a certain object from each other over and over again. Matthew also found a friend in Vaike, perhaps because of some of the similarities the blonde had to Hector...

Last but not least was Hector. The six years had done a number on him, not just in facial hair. He'd grown wiser, as he'd seen when they held the war counsels. It seemed that he didn't just look like Uther, but he also adopted some of his traits. That being said, he was much easier to tease. Six years of marriage to Farina might have had something to do with that. Still, he was a valuable asset not only because of his army, but because the man himself was a one-man-army. Just like the old days, he trained training with the different Shepherds to gage their strength. He beat every single one of them in single-combat. The only one that he struggled with was Gregor, though that match ended on a draw when they each forced the other to drop their weapon. Robin had known better than to fight against the iron-clad, using his lost sword as an excuse not to fight. Lyn, Legualt, and Isadora also declined the invitations to train.

Of course, there were other people that had joined them recently that were worth mentioning.

Nowi brought smiles to most faces around camp, always trying to get people to play with her. When not with Canas or Gregor, she would look for Ricken and Donnel, both of whom were more than happy to share their free time with the little Manakete. It was still too odd to think that the same girl Robin would see force people to play hide-and-seek with her was more than a thousand years old. Then again, there was a lot about manaketes that he still didn't understand. Even though he knew Nils and Ninian were manaketes, there were things that were probably different from the manaketes in Elibe than those in Ylisse.

Anna was more than happy to see the increase in the size of the attacking force. She would toss around a pouch full of gold at the end of every day. She'd taken full advantage of the Ostian army, selling her goods to them at exceedingly higher prices every day as her stock ran dry. The prices had been so inflated that Robin couldn't afford to buy a decent sword at a reasonable from her store.

The sellsword Gregor would talk a lot with the khans. Robin heard about how the three of them would drink every single night. Rumor had it that the mercenary was an old friend of Basilio's. He also had heated conversations with Stahl about food from around the world, saying that he had traveled all over and tasted about every dish imaginable.

Lastly, and the newest member of the Shepherds, was the meek girl Olivia. As a dancer, she could lift the spirits of anyone watching, revitalizing them and making them push themselves harder during training. The idea that dance could have such an effect had interested Robin since he'd first seen Ninian do the same thing as well as Nils playing his flute. He knew that she would be a great asset to have for the battle to come, but talking to her turned out to be a difficult task as she, like Florina, was extremely meek. Thus, he was surprised to learn that she had befriended both Panne and Tharja in a few days. She would also dance at time with Virion at the edge of camp, though Robin never pried about it.

But for all the good things that were going on in camp, there was a big one. Being the only one that knew how all three armies operated and had the most knowledge of the terrain, Robin was in charge of all the logistics, from resupplying and coordinating their movements, to deciding where best to camp and work on a training schedule. He ran through so much ink during a handful of days that he was forced to borrow bottles from anyone that had any.

The added workload meant that his free time was almost nonexistent. The only reason he had a chance to get to know their new members and catch up with the old ones was because he couldn't eat his meal in his tent with all the scrolls scattered everywhere. His sleeping schedule took a hit because of it, cutting it by half. Likewise, he hadn't had a chance to talk with Lyn as he had before. It didn't help that because of Florina's arrival, she had returned to sleep in her usual tent for the time being, as the two of them had much to catch up with. It was better that way. Looking at him scribbling away during the long hours of the night before bed couldn't be fun for anyone. Heck, it wasn't fun for him either!

Though it was hard on him, the tactician never complained about it. He took all the responsibilities without a second thought. If it meant that they could get the war over with quicker, he would sign himself up for even more tasks, even if that meant only sleeping two hours a night and catching up one whatever sleep he needed while they were on the move.

The war counsels got considerably longer each passing day. Despite the size of Chrom's tent, which they were still using to hold all important meetings, it felt overcrowded. The reason was simple: too many important people. The Khans and Raimi representing Regna Ferox, Hector, Kent, and Oswin representing Ostia. Fiora, though she was part of the Ostian forces, lead Ilia's 5th wing, which meant she had to coordinate her troops too. Matthew, managing their scouts, also had to be present, though he was also part of Ostia. And then from Ylisse there was Frederick, Robin—therefore Lyn too—Lissa, and Chrom. The upside was that they were respectful of each other, allowing everyone to voice their concerns and to help make a better plan.

At the end of each counsel, Robin would make sure to give any new maps to everyone that needed them or to make notes on those that they already had. It was tedious work, but someone had to do it.

Robin sighed as he gathered up the maps and other scrolls they had used for the latest counsel. It looked like their plan was solid. All important decisions regarding the coming battle later that day had been made. All they had to do was to execute them to perfection and hope that the Plegian army didn't have anything hidden down their sleeve to turn the tables on them.

Though he would never admit it, the truth was that he was nervous. He was confident on his plan and on their troops. He had practically come up with a hundred solution for what if's that ranged from change in weather to a sudden two-fold reinforcement. Still, there were too many variables that no one could calculate. While the appearance of Hector and the others was a welcome sight for sore eyes, it also opened up a pandora's box. If an army the size of Ostia's had been able to cross over and find the tactician, couldn't the Fang or some other enemy do the same thing? If it were the case, it could be catastrophic for the war effort.

He was snapped back to reality by the feeling of a hand squeezing his shoulder. He thought he saw everyone leave the tent before, but was surprised to see that Lyn was standing there looking at him in slight concern. He stared at her for a minute, not saying anything. Only then did he notice that he'd been nibbling at the nail on his thumb again, something that he'd catching himself doing more often the past few days.

Lowering his hand, he smiled at the nomad. "Is something on your mind, Lyn? You're not feeling nervous or anything, are you?"

He was trying to dispel her concern by feigning ignorance as to why she had approached him. Her eyes told him that nerves were the last thing on her mind. It was a look he'd seen many times before, especially back in Elibe.

She shook her head, her lips forming a straight line. "I should be the one asking you that, Mark," she said, squeezing his shoulder just a bit more. "You haven't been acting as yourself lately. At first I thought that the others showing up had something to do with it—knowing how you and Hector can be at times. But you've also started to look more pale every day. Not to mention that you haven't been eating all that much lately…"

Of course she would be the one to notice all that. Robin had to guess that she had been keeping an eye on him. He looked away from her, finding the ground to be very interesting as he rubbed the back of his neck. "You said there was no need to mention it but you still-"

"Mark…" Hearing his old name, he turned to look at her once again. "I know how you get during times like these. It's not the first time we've gone through something like this, you know. The other's might have dismissed it back then, but I could always tell… That's why I would always try to talk to you before a big fight. But this is a big army—bigger than any we've been a part of before. You are stretching yourself thin. At this rate you won't have the energy to fight when the time comes."

"Once we rescue the Exalt and this war is over I can-"

She shook her head again, her hair swaying from side to side. This time, she didn't stare at him with concern or sweetly. She was trying to stare him down. Robin couldn't help but feel helpless. "No. You need to get some rest now. When we depart, you'll get on one of the wagons and sleep. I'll wake you up before we get near the capital."

"But how are you guys-"

"We have the maps you made for us," she reminded him. "The very detailed maps you've been working on daily?"

"But what if there's-"

"We've run through many scenarios already, Mark. We'll be fine."

Robin had lost the battle... Or he could pretend…

He let out a sigh, smiling at his lover once again. "Okay, you win this time, Lyn. I'll get on a wagon and rest."

Lyn nodded, satisfied with the results. "Then I will see you after you wake. I will take care of your tent, so don't worry about it. I know where you have everything. You just focus on relaxing."

"Thank you, Lyn."

Lyn kissed him on the cheek before she walked out of the tent. He really was thankful to have someone like her by his side. Even to that day he kept on asking himself what he had done to deserve someone like her. But as much as he cared and admired her, there were still things for him to do. He would get in the cart, lay down in case she checked in on him, yes, but he would be-

"Oh, and before I forget," Lyn said as she popped her head back into the tent, startling Robin. "Don't think you can get away with using your Mind Links. Canas, Miriel, and Tharja may not know how to use it themselves, but they've told me they can perceive when you use it. And don't worry about telling Chrom and the others. I will take care of it."

She knew him better than he had expected, he realized. Not that it was a bad thing. He knew that she was looking out for him, as she always had been. With no way around it, he gave in, nodding. This time the greenette had sealed her victory.

Once he had collected all the documents, he reluctantly handed everything over to Lyn before she escorted him to one of the wagons. He hopped on the back and was surprised to see that it was all ready for him. There was enough space for him to lay down flat on his back. There was even a blanket and a small sack for him to use as a pillow. It was a little frightening to think that Lyn had been that confident in convincing him to get some rest.

Taking off his cloak to not wrinkle it, he set it aside with care. It had seen him through a lot, he thought, as he inspected the different stitch work that been done on it to repair it from the many slashes and burns he had suffered since setting off from Plegia, not to mention a few discolorations from the chemicals used to remove mainly blood stains that were almost impossible to spot if it wasn't inspect closely. Who would have thought that he would be using it for battle? He certainly wasn't. It was, after all, a piece of clothing that belonged to his birth mother. Thinking about that significance, it saddened him to see the coat in such a sorry state when it had been in an almost pristine condition when his parents had first shown it to him when he was but a kid.

"I should really take care of this better, huh?" This was as close to a family heirloom as he had, given that he didn't have anything else that he could related to both his birth mother and to his parents. Perhaps, if everything went well in the future, he could pass it on to his own child. The thought brought a smile to his face as he set down the cloak besides him. As he laid down, hands underneath his head to act as support, he could already imagine a young girl wearing that cloak. It would probably be too big, but cloaks were meant to fit loosely. Yes, a cheerful girl with short green hair… Wait… The thought had come to Robin so naturally that he didn't think twice about the implications of it. He could feel his cheeks heating up by the second. He felt embarrassed to think so far ahead when he wasn't even married to Lyn yet. Not only that, but he couldn't recall ever telling her he loved her… He did love her, of that he was sure. So why was it that he hadn't told her? It seemed like an important piece of information to tell the person one was courting...

"I get some time to relax and I start thinking about this sort of things…" He closed his eyes in an attempt to fall asleep, but it kept bugging him, even as he tossed and turned. The caravan was eventually formed—he could hear the movement of troops and their horses—and they were got on their way. The gentle sway of the cart was comforting. With time passing, his eyelids became heavier and heavier, but sleep still escaped the tactician. It was only until he decided that he would tell Lyn the next chance he got that sleep finally took him.

He guessed he hadn't slept for long when he opened his eyes and look out the back of the wagon to see that the caravan was still moving. It seemed that because he had been adjusting his schedule, his body was denying him any more rest than he already had. Or perhaps it had been his mind trying to remind him that there were important tasks to be done.

"Slept well, Master Robin?" The sudden words sent a shiver down Robin's back, more because he hadn't been expecting them than because he was afraid whom the voice belonged to. Sitting up, he turned to face the only other Plegian in the army. Tharja was sitting there, hugging her knees, staring at him with a blank expression. "It's good to see you getting some rest outside of your tent."

The tactician arched an eyebrow, not sure how he should take the comment. Tharja only giggled to herself as she kept on looking at him. Rubbing his eyes, he asked, "Tharja? What are you doing here? I thought Lyn had asked everyone not to disturb be."

"Ah, yes… Her. Well, I can be a very...persuasive woman," she said, looking at the young Shepherd that had the misfortune of being the driver of the wagon. Donnel didn't react to her words at all, instead focusing on the road ahead. "You don't have to worry either about anyone finding out about our little...rendezvous. I've cast a hex on the wagon. As long as I no one else enters or one of us leaves, no one will be able to hear what we say."

Robin narrowed his eyes. "I'm not sure what we could possibly talk about that would require the need of a hex like this one."

"No need to be like that, Master. After all, it's only you and me here, like it used to be." Before they had been found by Chrom, Robin would wake up with Tharja looking at him too. Perhaps that was why he hadn't jumped back when he noticed it was her with him. The black mage didn't have the best reputation amongst the Shepherds, though saying she was disliked would be a lie too. She just made the others be cautious, as she would hex anyone that got on her wrong side. Still, didn't didn't stop everyone from approaching her repeatedly. Miriel would often talk with her and even Virion would attempt courting her, like any other woman. "I thought it would be good for us to talk. In private."

"Don't tell me you are having doubts about fighting now, are you? I know I dragged you into this. If you want to sit out this last fight, then by all means, tell me and I'll make sure it's done."

"Why would I be having doubts? You may not know this, Master, but there wasn't anything left in me in Plegia even before we escaped. I was...given to Validar, in a sense. I was meant to be one of his tools, much like you were. So no, I have no doubts about fighting or killing our countrymen. At the end of the day, I'll be happy to be on the winning side."

Tharja seemed to have much more confidence in their plan than even Robin did. He had to wonder if the other Shepherds felt the same way or if it was only. Though, the fact the reason behind her confidence disturbed him. Perhaps that was because he had been thinking that she, like him, had people in Plegia that she still cared about. But if she had been given to Validar as if she were an object, then the brunette could understand why she didn't care about Plegia at all.

"What do you mean by being on the winning side...?"

The raven snickered, rolling her eyes while smirking at him. "Whoever side you take, that will be the winning side. That's what I mean. Afterall, how could an army with a tactician with the power of Grima lose?"

Robin's heart stopped. It was as if someone had suddenly doused him with icy-cold water. There were very few people that knew about his supposed connection to Grima. Having her say it so nonchalantly was the last thing he had been expecting her to say. How can she…?

Tharja approached him, crawling towards him, closing the distance between them. He leaned back as she brought her face a few inches away from his. "Any competent black mage should be able to tell that you aren't like the rest of us, Master Robin. You have an...affinity that makes you unique. I noticed it when we first met. The feeling it gives off is enough to make my body quiver! But it wasn't until Marth's second attempt that I understood why that was. Oh, or should I call her...Lucina?"

"...Where did you hear that name, Tharja?"

"No need to be so aggressive, Master. After all, I was only looking out for you. But if you must know, I followed you the night you went to interrogate her on your own. Not that you would be able to see me. I used a hex on myself that allowed me to move without being noticed."

"So you heard her name then."

"Yes, though the first time I heard it was when Prince Chrom and his little knight interrogated her."

Robin pushed her back, feeling more and more uncomfortable not only by the distance between them but also by her words. He rubbed his temple in an attempt to keep himself focused. If Lucina had confessed everything to Chrom as she had to him, wouldn't Chrom confront him about it? Well, going by what the prince had said before, it didn't seem like he had any knowledge of it. But when Chrom had interrogated Lucina, Frederick had been there too. The bluenette could have dismissed the allegations as an attempt to justify the attempt on his tactician's life, but Frederick was always cautious. However unlikely a lead might be, he would investigate further. And yet, the knight hadn't mentioned anything about it, nor hinted at it.

"You don't have to be so troubled, Master," said Tharja, looking at him with a half smile. "Hexes are useful, and as you already know, I am very well versed with them. Casting a memory hex on them so that they wouldn't remember their conversation with the little princess-to-be was no challenge for me."

"You are saying that it is because of that hex that I never heard anything about this?"

"Yes. And you should be thankful for it too, Master. Had you seen their faces as they came out of the dungeon that day you wouldn't be so comfortable standing side by side with them right now. But that was for the best, yes? Like this, we can end this war and decide on our next move from there."

"Next move? What are you talking about?"

"Well-"

Before Tharja could elaborate, one of the flaps on the back of the wagon was pulled. Standing there was Florina, looking confused. She first looked at Robin, then Tharja, then back at Robin. The brunette was thankful for the interruption, not sure if he wanted to hear what Tharja was going to say next. He still didn't know if there was any truth behind everything she had said either.

"Is everything okay, Florina?" Robin asked after Florina had been standing there for a whole minute fidgeting.

"Ah! Um… I, ah… I'm sorry for interrupting, Lord Mark! It's just… um… Lord Hector and Lord Chrom have asked for your presence at the front of the caravan," she said, struggling to get the words out, but doing a much better than when all those years ago. She could even hold eye contact for longer, though she would nervously glance over at Tharja every now and again. "W-We are approaching the capital."

"Then I shouldn't make them wait," he said as he got up, having to hunch over to avoid hitting the canopy. As he moved towards the back to get off, Florina took a few steps back. Once off, he turned to look at Tharja again, who was still sitting inside the wagon. "The fight will begin shortly, Tharja. You should get yourself ready. We can continue this conversation once Emmeryn is safe and Gangrel is six feet under."

Nodding to Florina, the two started making their way towards the front of the caravan. Along the way, Robin could spy the their troops getting ready for combat, be it by checking their equipment or doing warm-up exercises.

The walk was, not surprisingly, a quiet one. Under normal circumstances this wouldn't have bothered Robin, but with everything Tharja had told him, he felt uneasy To distract himself, he tried talk with Florina, hard as that may be. "We've known each other for a long time, haven't we, Florina?"

As expected, she yelped. He decided it was best to let her take a second to talk instead of him filling the empty air if she was ever to work past her fear of men. He had given up on having a conversation when she finally answered. "We travelled together with the others for over a year, Lord Mark…"

"Isn't it strange that you call me "Lord" even though I wasn't one back then?"

"Um…" She began to fidget, looking down at the ground and twiddling her thumbs.

"What I'm trying to say is that there is no need to call me by title. Just Robin or Mark will do. I'm not different than Lyn in that matter. I don't feel like I ever did anything that would make me deserve the title, despite what Hector and Eliwood might say."

But before she had the chance to respond, they had reached the front. There, standing shoulder to shoulder, where Chrom, Hector, the Khans, Lyn, and Farina; all of them gazing out into the distance in the direction of the capital. To Robin, the sight of the Plegian capital wasn't that special, but to outsiders, seeing it would be a grand sight.

"So those are the remains of Grima, you say?" Hector asked.

"Yes. After the Hero King defeated the Fell Dragon and founded Ylisstol, followers of Grima came together on its remains to make what is now known as Plegia. I guess making their capital on the carcass of their god is meant to be very symbolic," said Chrom.

"Indeed," Robin interjected as he and Florina approached the others. Seeing their faces, he could tell what those from Elibe where thinking when they turned to look at him. If that was the dragon that the Fang was after and it was somehow connected to the tactician as the rumor had it, then the situation was to be taken seriously. Not that Hector hadn't, considering he had brought an entire army. "I did mark it on the maps I gave you, no?"

"You did, but this is...something else," said Farina as she look at the colossal skeleton. "When someone mentions a dragon, I always think back to that battle six years ago. A dragon is something I can always picture in my head to have a certain size, but this," she waved her hand towards the city, "this isn't even realistic. How could that thing fly?"

"Those questions can be answered at a better time," said Hector. "More importantly, we are ready to begin the assault, and it looks like they are too. I can see the enemy forces gathered all around the city."

"One of their scouts must have spotted our new numbers for them to gather up like that," said Flavia. "Not that it'll make a difference. It only means we have to cut down a few more Plegians."

"I agree," Robin said as he nodded. "Their increase in numbers won't make a difference to our plan. All we need is to hold them off long enough for us to rescue Emmeryn and get out of there. As much as I want to see Gangrel dead, we shouldn't risk the safety of the Exalt. For now, we should all get ready. We are leaving our supplies here hitting them head on."

"You want to begin the attack now?" Basilio asked, one of his eyebrows raised as he crossed his arms over his chest. "That's a ballsy move, lad. There is still a good distance between us and them. We could move closer and setup camp there."

"We could, but if we keep going, by the time we decide to make a basecamp, they will be on us. From here to the capital is all down a slight slope. We have the advantage of a slightly higher ground. If they decide to engage us halfway, they will tire out faster than we do. And with the archers we have, we can considerably cut their numbers before we meet in the middle. They will try to lure us in closer in order to save energy. They will also have the advantage of high ground there, with sentries along their walls. We may be close to even in number of troops for this battle, but we are a disadvantage because we need to siege their city too."

"Had those words come out of anyone else, I would have questioned them more, but given that it's you, I'll take them as true," said Flavia. "Then let us waste no more time. Chrom, Hector, I wish you both luck out there."

"Luck be with you two, Khan Flavia, Khan Basili," said Hector.

"We'll meet again once this is all over," said Chrom with a smile.

"Ha! Of course we are! And when we do, you better be ready to celebrate! A party paid with Plegia's coin."

The group split off, each one going their own way to inform their men about to be ready for battle within the hour. Except for Robin, that is. He had stayed behind to take another look at the city. It was finally time to end it all. Robin would do anything in his power to make sure Emmeryn returned safely to Ylisstol. There was no turning back. With Chrom carrying the Emblem as a shield, this battle would be the deciding factor for the war. Either they would come out victorious or they would have a broken army and nation.

"It's strange to see you walking about without your cloak, Mark." Robin smiled as he turned to look over at Lyn, who stood by his side. "The armor should do it's job protecting you, but I am curious. Are you not going to wear the cloak?"

With everything that had happened on the wagon, Robin had forgotten he taken of the cloak and set it aside. He had half a mind to go back there and collect it, but when he remembered what he had been thinking about in the wagon, he thought it was best to leave it this once.

"It's insurance," he said offhandedly.

"Insurance?"

"If I leave it here then I have to come back and get it, don't you think?" He smirked, earning a chuckle from the greenette. "With everything that's happened lately, I've been thinking a lot about what I will do once this war is over. Just because there is peace between Ylisse and Plegia doesn't mean that my life will go back to normal, whatever that means. I still need to think about the Fang and what they want with me. There's Marth to deal with too. It seems like I won't get much rest for the foreseeable future."

Lyn intertwined her fingers with his, holding his hand tightly. Small as a gesture as it was, it did comfort Robin greatly. "You are not alone on this," she told him. "You have me with you. I will always do my best to help you. The same could be said about Hector and the rest. They came all this way because of a rumor. And you shouldn't forget about Chrom, the Shepherds, and even the khans. You may not know them for long, but I can see that there is an incredible link between you and everyone around you. So don't shoulder all these by yourself. Let us help you."

"You are right…" He could feel his smile growing. "Though we should take care of what is in front of us before anything else. After everything's said and done, then I'll think talk with Chrome about all of this. I would also like to talk to you too about something important."

"Couldn't we talk now?"

"I don't think it's the right time for it right now. Once this is over, meet me in my tent. We can take our time then."

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Short author noted because my brain is kinda fried right now.

I know that I've said a couple of times that this would be the chapter that ends this arc. However, as I was writing the breakdown, I noticed that I wanted to do too much for what is supposed to be a shorter chapter than what I normally do. So I decided to have this chapter be all the setup and the next will be the fight.

I will say that this chapter changed a whole lot from what I was originally planning. I'm pretty happy with the ideas that I've been getting since I started writing it, but because of it, it'll push the arc I had in mind back in favor of a new one I came up with. I'll explain more about this in the coming chapters as to not spoil the many surprises that are to come.

Anyways, on to reviews!

Whatstoknow -I'm glad you liked it! I was a bit on the fence about, so I'm happy that you liked it. As for Fates, I'm not entirely sure. The thing is, I only knew the basics of the story before the game came out this past Friday. Because of that, I had planned to make a small reference to the game, but not anything more. Now that I'm playing it, I see a few ways I can reference it, but I'm not sure how I would bring in those characters if I do decide to link that world too. More than anything I need to think of a good struggle for that to happen. Once I finish the game once of twice I might get some ideas, but then I would have to think about new arcs too and if I want them to run simulatniously with the events I already have planned or if I should conclude the Awakening story and then start with something relating to Fates.

Sugouxxx -Not gonna lie, Legault x Isadora has always made sense to me. That could happen. But then, I'm thinking that it would be cool for characters from Rella no Ken marrying Awakening characters would be cool. Just imagine the drama! What if, random example, Nah came back to see that Nowi and Kent are married, but in her timeline Nowi married Gregor. Drama, I tell ye! And Jaffar? Don't worry about it, I have stuff planned for him and Nino in the next arc.

Anthiques thief -Good thing that all that money is coming out of Chrom's pocket, hehehe.

animegamerlover2 -By Fiona I'm guessing you mean Florina, right? I'm toying with the idea for now. I'll either flesh it out or drop it in the coming chapters.

XenoEmblem4TW -There are a ton of characters. Gotta start killing some of them soon. I'll write all the names on a random generator and have it pick who dies! Mwahahaha! Cool! Very different name than before, but I guess it works xD

starlightkitsune2178 -There are many things that man should not play with. High on that list are portals... unless you have are a test subject with an orange jumpsuit. Won't have to wait much longer for that. Unless I think of something crazy between now and when I start writing the next chapter, the fate of Emmeryn will be shown on the next chapter! Oh, yes! Cynthia and Owain are going to be a lot of fun. Much more when Roy and Eliwood show up. You can add Lissa to that list too.

Saraku -Thank you very much. It's been a lot of work trying to get all of this to work out as it has with just a handful of characters, so reading something like that makes me look forward to the struggle that is to come once everyone shows up xD Mark being serious all the time had more to do with how his mental state was back when he was in Elibe as well as him not really understanding that he was having a real effect on the lives of those around him. More of it will be explained once I do more flashbacks. As for the lords being older siblings to him, that wouldn't work here, since he was much older than they were when he was in Elibe. Now most of them are older than him, but that won't change the dynamic in their relationships that heavily. Like I told starlightkitsune up there, you'll get all your Emmeryn answers on the next chapter! I just hope I don't disappoint that many people with what I want to do, though I know that inevitably someone won't like my decisions, haha.

Yellowclover -It's fine, you re here now, so we're all good c: I did... but it was a mistake. I didn't notice it until someone else pointed it out. I was too lazy to change it... 3 As much as I like some characters from FE8, for some reason I can't remember the story all that much... Plus, the load of all those extra characters? I calculated before that I would have a little over 100 characters with the games I'm including so far, so adding more would push that to 150~ So for the time being, that is something that I don't touch even with a five foot poll. I know I did some mentions of who characters are interacting with on this chapter, but there are a few gags that I'm keeping on my sleeve for the right time. You are right to say that I want to do something silly with Olivia and Florina for sure. Makes me think that I should do a bonus chapter at some point with a tone of those mini scenarios. Could be fun! The origin of Canas is something that even now I'm not too sure on. I read all his supports and checked the wiki time and time again but they never said where he was from. I just took the one that was kinda hinted at. Though if you know that he is from Ertrutia for sure, then I'll change that for sure. Yes, Canas and his wife die in a blizzard like you said, but it's not said when it happens. I kinda want to play with that blizzard in the future. For now, he might or might not die in the same way. That'll be up to future me to decide. A want to feature a lot of the attacks on the battle to come, so you bet your butt that you'll see at least a couple of the ones you mentioned. You know, I have so much stuff coming in the next 5 or so chapters that it gets me all excited. From the things you mentioned, the time police will show up for sure. They'll have guns and stuff. It'll be epic!

werehogdog -Ch16. Maybe that's what she wanted you to think! Nah. She was just being overly emotional and (maybe) being manipulated(?) Ch18. Things are about to get real, just you wait.

Tumberboy12 -They really do have a lot of similarities. Then again, it's probably just a coincidence. It's fun to think about.

Defcon Deceiver -First of, let me start by saying how happy I was to read you review because you touched on a lot of points that I've been pushing for in little ways to hint at stuff. Now, from the start: Sully attitude stems from her own past with Plegia. I know I haven't delved to far into it yet, but I assure you that it is to come. I have a bunch of stuff planned revolving around both Sully and discrimination of Plegians as a whole in the future. The trouble I'm having is when these will be featured in the future. With me pushing the original arc I had planned back for now, I'll have to think if I want to bring those elements that will help explain Sully's actions more or just keep you guys waiting some more. Now, also consider that she is looking out Chrom above anyone else, be it because of love or because she wants to keep her leader safe. She may be the only one that continuously shows her bad side to Robin, but both Frederick and Vaike have shown before that they don't trust him because he is Plegian. As for Galeforce and whatnot, that is irrelevant for this story. Same for stats. Their performance will depend on them as a soldier, not on who their parents are. On to your next point (LynxRobin): The for their children will be similar to what you've said. Only thing I'm considering right now is how many children they would have. I've played with he idea of them having twins, two kids of different age, or twins and another kid. The Valm are will be affected a ton by all the changes that have happened so far. In the game, Walhart started his conquest a lot sooner than he did during Lucina's timeline because of changes in the circumstances between the past and the future. This will be no different. How much time will pass between the Plegian war and Walhart showing up is still up in the air at this point. For the events of FE6, I'm thinking or running everything simultaneously, which will make for a fuck-ton of content to come, though this might give you the wrong idea. You'll have to wait and see what I mean for this one. The whole Tharja thing you mentioned was one of my favorite part about this review because I had just finished the scene with her on the wagon when this popped up. Don't worry, she will be showing up a lot more now that I have her directly involved with an ongoing plot point. I'm even considering having Noir from Lucina's timeline be Robin's child out-of-wed. Only future Tharja and Noir would know this, though. It's an interesting way to shake things up a little. To your final point: you bring up a few really interesting points. With light magic being correlated to the religious figures of each world, would they be, in essence, the same type of magic? That's something I hadn't considered before. I'll have to keep it in mind in the future. Thanks for bringing that up! Lastly, I just want to say that if anything that I said up there offended you in any way, I'm sorry. I did not mean it to sound harsh or anything. I welcome all criticism equally. And I know that there are problems with this story overall. I'm always trying to address them in one chapter or another, but when you have a cast as big as this one, trying to develop every single character is difficult. Inevitably, some fall through the cracks until I notice "oh, I haven't said anything about this one for a while, wonder where they are." I mostly mention this because you'll keep seeing ti in the future, be it intentional or not.

Also Sprach Brooks -Thank you very much! For the Sully, thing, check out the first bit of the response I made to Defcon Deceiver. You brought up a very similar point that pushes the word count by a ton if I copy paste it :S As for Tharja, she'll be showing up a lot more, especially in this coming arc. The problem I had with her was not having too much of a concrete idea of how I could bring her to the front some more instead of just showing up like other characters (Virion, Lon'qu, and even Miriel, for example). Inspiration finally hit me for her. I just need to keep that alive for a few chapters to roll out everything I want and hopefully get new ideas for her. For updates, this one varies a lot, to be honest. Sometimes I'll post a couple of chapters in a week, others once a month. That's because I have a few other stories that I work on all at the same time and because of IRL things. Right now, I'm aiming to get this one to a biweekly upload and then maybe push it to weekly. Having shorter chapters helps with that. It also depends on inspiration. There are times where I get stuck for daaaaays without making any progress at all. Those suck... But hey, I'll try, so that's something, right?