Interlude 1
Dreams
Robin ran through the halls of the Ylissean Royal Castle, her robe fluttering behind her. If what "Marth" had said was true, then the Exalt's life was in grave danger. No time to waste.
As she ran, Robin tried to recall as much of the castle's layout as she could.
The Exalt's sleeping quarters was actually rather close to the castle's walls, with only a large garden and two hallways standing between the Exalt and any who dared her harm. The room's proximity to the garden was one of the reasons why Emmeryn was so adamant about the location, that and it had easy access to the balcony from which she addressed the citizens so often.
If Robin was honest, it made horrible tactical sense, as while the walls were heavily guarded, a dedicated and competent team of assassins could slip in and out with none the wiser until it was too late. In fact, were it not for "Marth's" warning, she had no doubt the beloved ruler would be dead now.
And speaking of which, these recent revelations only added to the conundrum that was "Marth". She had emerged out of a mysterious portal in the sky to save Lissa from the Risen. She wielded an exact replica of the Falchion, a divine weapon of which there was only one in the entire world. She came bearing grim tidings of the future, and while she had only told of Emmeryn's assassination, Robin suspected there was far,far more "Marth" was hiding. Combined with her strikingly beautiful royal blue hair and nearly identical fighting style to Chrom, Robin had a couple theories about just who the enigmatic youth was.
Robin suddenly realized she'd been staring at "Marth's" lithe legs just a bit too long. Thankfully the clopping of hooves on stone provided a welcome distraction. As the trio slowed down the armored form of Frederick and his horse loomed over them.
It said a lot how she didn't question how did the man not only manage to suit up in the time it took for them to run to Emmeryn's room but also bring in his stead. Behind him she could see the other Shepherds in various states of readiness, some of them forgoing their usual gear in the rush to arm up.
"Milord," Frederick nodded to his superior and charge. "I've already assembled most of the Shepherds near the Exalt's quarters. The others were sent to warn the rest of the Royal Guard and search for any other infiltrators."
The man bowed his head. "Forgive me, milord. It was my inattentiveness that allowed these assassins to come anywhere near you or the Exalt."
"No need to beat yourself up over it, Frederick. There wasn't any way you could have foreseen this." Chrom grinned. "Besides, it's going take a lot more than a couple of sellswords to best me."
"As you say, milord."
Chrom turned to Robin. "Alright, Robin, I presume you have a plan?"
She smiled. "Of course I do."
They had ten of the Shepherds available to fight plus "Marth". While the enemy will likely have more soldiers, the corridors and doorways should serve as good chokepoints to deny them a numbers advantage.
There were three main entrances they needed to worry about. The hallway they just came from and two doorways flanking the Exalt's room. The middle door was much smaller than the other two, and only a token force should be enough to stop any incursions. They opened into a hallway lining the inside of the wall to the garden, which itself had two doorways to the outside.
The majority of the Shepherds will be concentrated on the flanks. Once the initial push has been beaten back, they were to sweep the same flanks the enemy had attacked from, catching the ones in the middle of the corridor in a pincer movement before regrouping and performing the same with the enemies in the garden.
Of course, any plan was prone to being thwarted by either enemy action or just plain bad luck. Still, Robin wouldn't consider herself a Tactician if she wasn't capable of adapting.
Robin began her explanation. "We're splitting into two main groups, one covering the south doorway, one covering the north…" Robin quickly ordered the Shepherds into the two groups she had needed. After a small debate, it was decided that "Marth" would serve as the middle passage way's guardian. As the north group dashed off to their objective, Robin still found herself surprised and just a bit overwhelmed at the trust the Shepherds had unconditionally given her. It was both heartwarming and…a bit scary, to be honest. These people trusted her plans with their lives, trusted her with their lives. She wanted, no, had to prove herself worthy.
Robin was broken out of her thoughts by a commotion in the back. A woman covered in hair—no, fur—with bunny-like ears braided in her hair had joined the fight on their side. After a brief exchange between Frederick, Chrom, and "Marth", the woman, named Panne, joined with Robin's group.
Sully, who was bereft of her steed at the moment, was the first to speak with her.
"So…Panne, was it?"
"Do not speak to me man-spawn, I am only here to repay my debt, not associate with your race."
Sully bristled, features twisting into a scowl. "I was just gonna ask if you needed a damn sword!"
Panne chuffed. "I have no need for the barbaric tools of man-spawn."
Before the situation could escalate further, Chrom interjected.
"Peace, Sully. I'm sure Panne here has come prepared." He turned to said woman as an unspoken question.
His only response was a "hmph" as the woman pulled out some sort of spherical crystal. It was purplish, the orange flames of the wall-mounted torches dancing throughout the surface and interior like fairies.
Panne clutched the stone to her chest, light filling the room as the stone disappeared in a cloud of magical energy. Panne dropped to all-fours like a beast, and Robin, standing directly behind the woman's…behind, quickly turned her head away, heat rushing to her face.
The light solidified into a sphere that covered Panne's entire form. Suddenly it shattered, and everyone stepped back, some gasping as the floor shook with the impact of a heavy weight.
It—Panne—resembled a rabbit, if a rabbit had glowing red eyes and was bigger than a Cavalier and their mount. Curiously, the pinkish-purple armor Panne wore while she was humanoid had transformed to fit the taguel's new form. As the woman-turned-beast reared up on her haunches, she spoke, her voice warped and distorted.
"I can defend myself." The rabbit-woman's ears twitched at some unheard noise as she looked to the door. "Prepare yourselves, man-spawn. The assassins arrive."
Robin took that as her cue. "All right everyone! Get into positions!"
The assassins had not come in unprepared. They had studied the patrol routes to the very step, determined which guards were easily swayed by a purse of coin, analyzed every crack and nuance of the castle's corridors, spent weeks planning the optimum strategy. Yet every plan was only as good as its executors.
These assassins were the elite of their cult, augmented by the best men money could buy. They had countless hours of blood and sweat practicing their blades, the thick metallic stench of magic clinging to their robes. And leading them was their superior, the head of their vile cult, the foul aura of Dark Magic permeating his being like that of an unwashed wretch. An aura he basked in.
They were to come into two waves. The first in were the sellswords. Skill could be bought, but loyalty could not. It was the mercenaries who were kept in the dark, the promises of riches keeping them going. It was them who would be the ones to bleed on the defenders' swords, weakening the guards who were not so easily corrupted for the true assassins.
These mercenaries ran through the castle expecting drowsy guards and a disorganized defense. Instead they met the disciplined blades of Ylisse's most elite fighting force, and it was these blades that savagely hurled them back.
Robin yelled out as she launched another orb of lightning, her target falling to the floor in a smoking mass of charred muscle. Beside her, Chrom neatly deflected an axe before lunging forward. His assailant's battle cry turned into strangled choking as Falchion was buried to the hilt in his chest. A shove sent the body to the floor in a bloody heap. Behind the two Sully engaged another swordsman with Lissa supporting the red-haired woman with her healing spells.
Feeling the hairs on her skin prickle, Robin sidestepped a blast of Dark Magic, identifying it as a Flux spell. Before she could prepare a counterattack, Panne leapt above her and slammed into the Dark Mage, the floor fracturing under the blow. Panne moved off, and Robin could see a deep paw-shaped indent on the man's torso.
Seeing themselves outnumbered, the remaining assassins retreated through the door.
Robin took the lull to update her mental map. If the muffled sounds were any indication, the other group had managed to fend off their own attackers. So far, so good.
To her side, she could hear Chrom talking with—and apparently recruiting—one of the assailants who had hid himself during the fight. She decided not to fight the smile that creeped onto her face. The man really had the good fortune of somehow finding people who were swayed by his honest charisma.
"Robin," Chrom pulled Robin away from her thoughts. "The Thief, Gaius, said that this first group were just mercenaries."
Robin drew her hand to her chin. "Send in disposable fodder to soften up the targets for the real troops. Whoever planned this meant business."
Chrom growled, his grip on Falchion tightening. "Dastards! They won't lay a finger on Emm!"
Robin smiled. Chrom tended to act with his feelings more than his mind. And for the most part, it turned out great. Still, she was the Tactician, and thus had to serve as the voice of reason.
"If we do this right they won't even get near her room," she said. "But if what Gaius said is true, then we're going to have a hell of a fight on our hands. We can't let ourselves be blinded by emotion."
Chrom looked to Robin before smiling and patting her shoulder. "Heh, not to worry Robin. I won't let them take advantage of my anger. But…"
The sounds of footsteps once again drew near. Already Robin could tell these weren't the unorganized group they fought earlier.
Chrom shifted into an offensive stance, Falchion reflecting the light of the wall-mounted torches. He grinned. "…I'm not the kind to hold back my feelings."
Robin readied her own weapons, her trusty sword and a more powerful Elthunder tome.
Around her, Sully and Gaius lifted their own blades while Panne's powerful muscles tensed as she stared at the door like a predator would at prey. Even Lissa puffed herself up, determination shining in her eyes as she hefted her healing stave.
"For Emmeryn!" Chrom's battle cry was echoed by the Shepherds as they rushed forward to meet the enemy, and the fighting continued once more.
Robin's feet tasted the crunch of autumn dirt as she stepped into the courtyard. She chanced a brief glance at the night sky. Beautiful pinpricks of light greeted her, and she had to force herself to pry her eyes away from the breathtaking sight. She always did love the stars.
Her plan had gone on mostly without a hitch. Already she could see some of the other Shepherds emerging from the north courtyard doorway. Donnel had to be sent back when one of the assassins had managed to cut off his arm. While the healers would be able to reattach it without issue, it would take too long. As a result, Sully was sent to reinforce the north group.
The remaining assassins, a little less than a dozen, had regrouped around what appeared to be their leader. Even from here, Robin could feel the foul Dark Magic that permeated his being. She shuddered from the feeling.
She told herself it was because it made her nauseous, and not because of how distressingly familiar it felt.
She heard Chrom step up behind her. He must have caught sight of the the assassin leader, for she heard him growl out, "There's the dastard who dared attack Emm."
Robin eyed the man in question. Even surrounded and outnumbered, he still radiated an aura of confidence. The confidence of someone who still had a trick up their sleeve.
"We'll have to be careful," Robin said to her friend. "The man looks dangerous, and there's no telling what he's got planned."
Panne nodded her large head, ears as tall as her humanoid form bouncing with the motion.
"A cornered rat always fights the hardest," she rumbled in her distorted voice. "I imagine it to be the same for man-spawn."
Of course, Chrom was undeterred. "Then we'll have to fight harder than them. Robin?"
She nodded. "All right," Robin began, preparing a spell as she rattled off commands. "Panne, swing around the flank and cut off any who try to flank us. Gaius, follow us and engage anyone who tries to intercept. Lissa, keep doing your thing. Chrom, you and I are going for the head.
"Go!" Robin punctuated her command with a bolt of Elthunder, sending the assassins scattering to avoid the lightning spell. Their leader didn't budge.
Panne darted to the side as ordered, her immense bulk belying her agility as the ground was kicked up from her strides. Two of the Cavaliers attempting to flank the Shepherds met one ton of angry Taguel. Like a bolt of Thoron Panne crashed into the first Cavalier, bringing her to the ground with a strangled cry. Her companion swung at Panne, who easily dodged before a swift kick from her powerful legs toppled his horse. As he attempted to get up Panne leapt upon him, stilling his movements with a sickening crunch.
An assassin's blade gleamed in the moonlight as he swung at Chrom, hoping to decapitate the Ylissean prince. Falchion swung back, and the sword and its wielder fell to the ground in two pieces. Robin launched yet another spell, driving off a Barbarian into the waiting blades of Gaius. In a single swift motion the Thief slipped past the Barbarian's guard and sliced open his throat, sending the man to the ground in a choking heap.
A Dark Mage unleashed a Flux bolt, and Robin was just a bit too slow in dodging. She bit back a scream as felt the sinister magic eat through the skin of her arm, leaving a sizzling crescent indent in her flesh under her shoulder. In retaliation the skimpily-clad man was shocked by a well-aimed Elthunder, his body twitching in its death throes.
Before she could linger on the pain Robin felt her skin begin to knit together, undoing the damage the Dark Magic spell had inflicted. She flashed a smile to Lissa, the younger girl responding in kind.
The northern group had not be idle either. Ricken and Miriel unleashed blasts of wind and fire that had cut down half of the assassins facing them while Kellam, Sully, and Sumia took care of the rest.
Soon the enemy's numbers were reduced to three. A wounded Dark Mage, a Barbarian, and their leader, who had maintained his smirk even as his troops fell, and if anything Robin thought it had grown bigger.
She had a really bad feeling about this.
"Robin, come on!" Chrom cried, his eagerness at ridding the assassins showing. "Let's finish this."
Nodding, Robin threw away her used up tome and pulled out her trusty sword.
Before she could follow everything went wrong.
"Well, well, Robin. Submit to me, and rid ourselves these pathetic fools!"
Time seemed to slow as Robin's vision distorted and she tried to clutch her head with the pain pounding with every heartbeat. She felt claws and tendrils worming their way into her mind and scratching her skull and then suddenly her felt blood on her hands and looked up and saw Chrom coughing blood.
"R-Robin-?" he croaked before slumping to the ground red liquid flowing out and staining the flowers and blackening his cape.
Time seemed to stop and Robin stared in horror at her friend who wasn't moving and was so still. She heard screaming but it wasn't her it was Lissa, her eyes were wide with fear her stave forgotten on the ground and Robin realized her body wasn't screaming it was laughing, laughing, laughing a laugh that wasn't hers.
Her mouth moved and spoke but she wasn't the one to say it and her arm lifted to Lissa wreathed in Dark Magic. Lissa was paralyzed with legs shaking but was thrown aside by a red-haired thief who clutched his gut that was gone and fell over in two. Panne snarled something but stopped when the sword Robin still held was shoved into her head and the rabbit laid dead at her feet slain like a beast.
Sumia and Sully and everyone else cried out and charged her. She felt an unnatural smile as tried to stop her hands and the spell but she couldn't she felt the claws crush her mind when she resisted and then her Shepherds her friends her family lay dead and dying and gone.
This wasn't how it was supposed to go. This wasn't how it happened.
Then she saw her. Her long, deep cerulean hair waved as she stopped and saw what happened. Her beautiful blue eyes widened in shock, in fear, in rage. Hands that were once delicate but now calloused through combat gripped the divine sword so hard that they turned white. Long, lithe legs shook with anger and grief. Pale, soft lips were stained red as Robin ran her through.
No no NO! Robin tried to cry out but instead she laughed and laughed and laughed.
Robin had a mouth, but she couldn't scream.
A/N: This was a lot more Fire Emblem than RWBY. Decided to show a bit about how this version of FE:A "played out" in terms of combat and mechanics.
Originally was going to have this just be the first third of chapter 5, but it went 1k over my intended goal so I decided to let it be standalone.
Merry Christmas!