"Wow, that's a lot of ships," Chrom whistled as the Plegian fleet sat in the port. Well, the ones that would fit at least.

"Why do they even have that many ships?" Robin raised his brow, "Sure, some are pretty old, but this seems excessive. With our combined forces we can barely fill them to half capacity."

"Just be grateful they did have them."

"Fair," Robin went into tactician mode, "They fortunately did lend some sailors and a small regiment of troops as well as other supplies. I'm looking them over. It's mostly rations, but something might be tactically useful."

"That's great and all," Chrom squinted at the worn name of the flagship. The Dragon's Claw, "But are you sure we can't rename them?"

"Considering they are on loan, I think that would be frowned upon, yes," Robin sighed, "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some battle plans to tend to."

As he walked off, Sumia sighed, "He's hiding it, but he's still hurt."

"Can you blame him? I'd be devastated."

"Maybe it's my fault. If I hadn't pushed you to send them on that trip…"

"What ifs won't help anyone now," Chrom reminded her with a hand on her back, "And I need you focused. Remember our deal."

"I know," Sumia put her hands on her husband's chest, "I'll stay alive. For our little girl, but you'd better stay alive too. She needs both her parents. Not to mention the little ones to come."

"I know, I-" Chrom stopped himself as he witnessed a pegasus knight fumbling with her lance trying to catch it. He winced a few times expecting her to impale her hand at best, but eventually she did manage to catch it and tried to strike a cool pose. By that time the couple had already separated to watch the display unfold.

"Can…I help you?"

"Huh? Me? What do you mean?" She tried to play it cool, but she was not doing a very good job.

"You had quite an ordeal with that lance. You're also just kind of…standing there."

"Oh, was I? Sorry about that. I guess I should be off. Okay, bye!"

Chrom blinked, "That was weird."

"She's with that new group, isn't she?"

"Yeah, now that you mention it. Odd bunch, but Lucina vouched for them."

"I'm sure Robin loved that."

"He…has not been taking it well, but he's respecting her wishes."

"That's well and good, but I'm afraid that bottling it up isn't helping."

"What are you going to do?" Chrom looked down at his wife with concern and a bit of fear.

"Nothing," She shook her head, "I've had enough meddling for some time, thank you. I'll let them try to work it out."

Chrom smiled and took her into a hug, "They'll figure it out. We just have to have faith in them."

"I hope so," Sumia pressed herself into his loving embrace, "I really do."

"I hope I'm not interrupting," The two parted as a deep but soft voice greeted them, "I was hoping to speak with the prince, but I can come back later."

"General!" Chrom went wide eyed as he spied the general from the Midmire, "I…how are you doing? I had heard that you led the rebellion against Gangrel."

"I merely gave focus to the people's desires."

"I…I want to apologize. For how I behaved when we met. I…almost killed you."

"Yes, but you had your reasons. I must admit, your words struck home as well. I realized I was making excuses. So, I saddled up and returned to the capital to send my family away to safety. Then I got to work. Though, I am glad my life did not end that day in service to the Mad King."

Chrom smiled back, and Sumia squeezed his arm, "So am I. It's good to have you." The prince held out his hand.

Taking it, Mustafa smiled, "Aye, let us do our homelands proud."

"How am I supposed to fight in this armor?" Yarne whined from inside the heavy knight's armor.

"I'm afraid we don't have much choice," Laurent sighed with eyes closed for a moment, "You stand out far too much for us to keep a low profile in your usual attire."

"Yeah, so stop squirming!" Severa grunted as she stood on a box to force the helmet on, much to the taguel's dismay.

"I've been thinking about that," Nah sat atop one of the boxes, her legs not touching the ground, "How are Yarne and I supposed to blend in, let alone fight?"

"Maybe you could try fixing your hair to cover your ears," Inigo offered, "Perhaps try adding some volume. Make it floofy."

"'Floofy?'" The manakete glared.

"Hey, you asked."

"Mother will just smell me anyway," Yarne's voice echoed from inside the helmet until he removed it.

"That reminds me," Laurent produced something from his satchel. A glass bottle, "Put this on."

Yarne gave it a sniff before nearly throwing up his lunch, "Gack! What is this? Are you trying to poison me?"

"You said your mother would smell you. You are quite right, so that was made to mask your scent."

"What did you put in this?"

"Hey!" Severa huffed, hands on her hips, "I made that."

"You?" Nah raised her brow, fingers pinching her nose.

"Yeah, my uncle was an apothecary. You got a problem with that?"

"I think," Inigo managed as he took the bottle from Yarne and put the cork back in it, "That you might have overdone it. We're supposed to be laying low. Not incapacitating half our army."

"See if I ever make you something."

"We are losing the point here, I think," Laurent adjusted his glasses, "The point is, that we are to work in tandem with the people of this world without giving up our origins."

"Just because Lucina said so?" Severa huffed.

"Precisely because Lucina said so," Laurent nodded, expression firm, "Or have you forgotten everything she has done for each and every one of us? She was as an elder sister for most of us, if not a mother. One who rarely if ever asked anything of us for her own sake. We owe her this much, as difficult as it may seem."

"Ugh, fine," Severa rolled her eyes, "You just gotta play the guilt card. Gimme that," The hot headed girl snatched the vial from Inigo, "I'll rework it into something less powerful."

"Thank you," Laurent offered a smile, "Just…try not to bring too much attention to yourselves."

"Volume, I'm telling you," Inigo smirked, only for Laurent to glare at him.

"I mean you as well. While we are here, and preferably beyond, no flirting."

"None?" Inigo raised his hand to pinch air, "Not even a little?"

"None."

The philanderer groaned, "Fine. I'll try, but no promises!"

"That's a start. Remember, we're doing this for Lucina. After all she has done for us and humanity itself, we will simply have to manage."

"It would be nice to talk to our parents though," Yarne bemoaned as he looked at the helmet in his hands.

"I admit it is harder on you two than most of us as we can at least talk to them under the guise of simple allies, but I ask you to hold firm. Perhaps we can find some workaround."

"Don't sweat it," Nah hopped off the crate, "My parents aren't even together yet, so all the more reason to stay away. Besides, with how clueless my mother seems to be, I don't think she'll be sniffing me out anytime soon."

"Very well. Just remember to do your best. It is the least we can do."

"Care for some tea to soothe your stomach, dear?" Maribelle offered to her betrothed as he was looking a bit green around the gills as it were.

"Thanks," The mage gingerly took the cup, "Why'd it have to be boats?" He took a small sip, "Why don't you seem affected?"

"Posture and poise, my dear Ricken. It will take more than some rickety old ship to make me stumble. Though it seems I failed to bring any biscuits. You sir," The noble called out to a ginger haired man skulking across the deck, "Fetch some biscuits from the hold. It will not do to have my beloved waste away."

"Whaddya think I am?" The scarred man grumbled, "Some sort of butler?"

"No butler I know would dare speak like that. You must be some sort of servant or inbred sailor. I could see no other reason Chrom would allow someone of your ilk on board."

"Really," Ricken tried to keep his lunch down, "It's fine. I'm not hungry."

"Nonsense, you need to eat and keep your strength up. Now," Maribelle patted her parasol into the palm of her open hand, "Where were we?"

"Ugh, fine, I'll get ya somethin for your stomach. Just hold yer horses, will ya?"

"Really, where does Chrom find these people?"

"Hey, urg," Ricken paused to not throw up, "Wasn't that one of the new Shepherds recruits?"

"Really? Then I should be doubly appalled. He lacked basic manners. Why, when he returns, I should give him a piece of my mind!"

"Please, ugh, don't…"

"Here," Brady huffed, tossing some hard bread onto their table, "It's what we got."

"Hmph," Maribelle scoffed, "Now listen here-"

"Oh, and here," Brady handed Ricken a few herbs, "Mix these in with your tea. Should fix your stomach right up."

"Trying to poison us?" Maribelle took the herbs and looked them over before giving them a brief sniff, "My…where did you find these?"

"I got a weak stomach, okay? I keep a stash. Take em or don't."

As he trudged away, Maribelle looked in shock, "This…is a medicinal herb. He's right. It should work."

"Guess we shouldn't judge a book by its cover."

"Hmph, well, his manners are still abhorrent, but maybe there is hope."

Around the corner and out of earshot, the two missed the sounds of sobbing, "Sorry bout that ma…pa…"

"And you're certain of this?" Chrom folded his arms.

"Yes, milord. They match us ship for ship, but with nearly twice the men."

"Wonderful," Chrom sighed, rubbing a hand through his hair. He once again questioned bringing his wife and sister along.

"This was to be expected," Robin pointed out, "I've been planning for it."

"Music to my ears!" Basillio let out a belly laugh, "Well, let's hear it, boy!"

"We use the oil provided to set their ships on fire."

"Simple, but we have no catapults," Flavia noted skeptically, "We'd be caught in the blaze."

"Exactly. As the report says, they match us ship for ship, but double the men. We have ships to spare. They don't."

"Are you suggesting we ram flaming ships into their fleet?" Chrom blinked, "And you said renaming one of them would be rude?"

"Desperate times. Naturally, we need to sow as much chaos in their ranks as possible to ensure a sloppy response. We'll need to disrupt their command for that."

"Well, at least there's something I can do. I'll lead the attack."

"Then we have a shot. I'll prepare the Shepherds."

Lucina clutched her sword hilt as they awaited orders. It was an old habit born of when she wielded Falchion into battle. The old blade gave her some respite from harsh reality. This silver sword did none of that.

Sure enough, Robin eventually came to issue orders, "...I take it you will be leading your squad into battle?"

"Yes. Cynthia and I have much experience fighting together. I am certain we will be safe."

"Er, actually," The pigtailed knight spoke up sheepishly, "I have gotten used to drills with Gerome too. If you want, we could run aerial support."

Robin looked at the girl appraisingly. Was she…trying to help him? All the same, Lucina did not seem comfortable with the idea, "Thank you for the input, but I'll keep the formation as it is."

"Understood," Lucina nodded.

"Yes, sir!" Cynthia saluted.

Robin nodded and prepared to walk away, but as he did he leaned over to whisper to Cynthia, "Keep her safe."

"I got this." She nodded back with a determined expression.

With one last look, Robin walked away. Once he was gone, Cynthia addressed her sister, "Lucy, he-"

"I heard him," Lucina forced herself to look over her gear. Once Cynthia made to do the same, she looked over her shoulder to where Robin was looking over the ship's railing. Barely caressing the ring under her gauntleted glove, she whispered back, "Be safe, my beloved."

"Too slow, bro!" Cynthia cheered as she intercepted a knight who thought he could lay a hand on her exalted sister. The two of them were a nearly unassailable force. They actually resembled their parents in battle, and this was by design. Each modeling their style after one of them, they found similar success.

Sumia in particular in their world had come to be known as the Prince's Shield with just how hard she made it to get an attack in on Chrom. Due to injuries sustained by a poisoned blade, he also relied on her to finish the job sometimes. Lucina wondered if things would have been different had her mother gone on that mission.

As it stood, both Lucina and her sister had sustained nary a scratch as her and the children had taken their assigned ship. Kids. She knew she saw them as that for so long. She always felt so small herself with the weight on her shoulders, but for the others, well, she had seen them grow up. When their parents died, she helped take care of them. She taught them to fight. Made sure they survived.

So then, that added another potential rift between her and Robin. They were from different worlds, different generations. Could they really be together? Would the others think them pariahs if they found out? Would Robin see just a child? It was just another complication for her.

When all was said and done, the Shepherds achieved their goal marvelously. Most retreated in smaller ships waiting for them, while some, such as Lucina herself, escaped with a flying mount. Lucina had a bird's eye view when the flaming fleet hit the Valmese one. What ensued was carnage.

Lucina could sympathize with the Valmese troops, but in the end, it had to be this way. Letting them past would have put their home at risk. It was horrendous, but it was war. One they did not start. Still, she knew this would likely weigh on Robin who already did not like being responsible for so many lives.

That thought got her thinking once they landed on deck. She did not see him anywhere. Concern started to turn into panic as she did not find him on the deck. Her searching started getting more and more frantic as she searched below deck. It was not until she went to the sick bay that she found him being treated by Lissa. Was that…a lance wound?

"You really didn't need to do that," Lissa reprimanded as Lucina hid in the doorway.

"You, ngh," Robin winced as LIssa applied the alcohol to clean the wound before she sealed it up, "You and Lon'qu were in danger."

"Hey, I took up magic, you know. I can take care of myself now. I can watch his back just fine. You, on the other hand, really need to be more careful."

"It's my job to look out for everyone."

"And if you get yourself killed? Imagine how that would affect everyone."

"They'll manage," Robin grit his teeth as his flesh stitched back together.

"And what about Lucina?"

The tactician scoffed, "I'm not sure she cares much. Ever since…" Robin let out a dejected sigh, "Maybe her memories mean she doesn't love me anymore. I don't know."

Lucina covered her mouth and closed her eyes to contain herself. It hurt, knowing how much she hurt him, but she still was not sure what to do. He deserved so much more than her. What was she to do? She did not know. She did not know, so she fled. She ran. She seemed so good at it after all.