Chapter 25 - A Familial Encounter

"Really? You're part dragon, part human? I mean, I figured you must be a manakete to begin with, but I had no idea you were part human too," Marc exclaimed.

Corrin visibly winced at the excited answer, squeezing his eyes shut briefly. "Yes. Honestly I don't really understand it much myself. It just sort of… happened," Corrin answered. "Still don't know how or why I inherited these powers when my siblings did not. Kana has them, as does Shigure."

Robin winced at this answer, biting his tongue lest he inadvertently let anything slip. Better for Corrin to believe what he may, he reminded himself.

Besides, he was taking a small bit of perverse joy in seeing Corrin suffer Marc's ceaseless questions regarding the prince's unique powers.

And it could always be worse. Corrin could be having to put up with Morgan's antics instead.

The past few days of travel had passed with little event, having now reached the last leg of their journey to Izumo. If the maps Robin had seen were any indication, they only had a half day's march left after today. It has been surprisingly pleasant despite how late in the year it was, the warm southern region remaining temperate even with winter coming so soon.

That was part of why he and a few others had struck out ahead, volunteering to act as the forward guard and scout the way as the rest of the army followed some half hour behind them.

Besides himself, Corrin, and Marc, Lucina and Owain had also joined them. Lucina walked close by his side, having remained mostly out of the more engaged chatter Marc and Owain had engaged Corrin in. Evidently it was Owain's turn to keep watch over Corrin, the three sticking to the task Anankos' good half had charged them with.

For the prince's part, it seemed he'd mostly come alone simply to have a chance for their group to discuss plans out of the reach of the others. Especially given the roundabout manner they needed to discuss thing that would otherwise arouse suspicion in those unaware of the curse.

Not that Marc and Owain had allowed time for any such planning to occur.

"My girlfriend is actually half dragon too. Her name's Nah," Marc told Corrin, his cheek flushing slightly red as he finished, almost embarrassed at the information he volunteered.

"Really? Is she from a future version of your world like yourself?" Corrin asked, visibly intrigued by this.

"Yep." Marc nodded, rubbing the back of his neck nervously in a similar manner that Robin did at times. "That said she, can only switch between forms completely, not partially transform like you do." Then Marc paused, slowing a bit as an idea seemed to occur to him. "At least... I don't think she can. Do you think you can explain in detail how it works? Maybe I can relay it to here when I get back and teach the skill to her too!"

"Well, I'm not exactly sure how it works to be entirely honest.. I focus on a part of my body and visualize the change, and it sorta just… happens," Corrin began to respond, glancing back with a pleading look.

"Should we help him?" Lucina asked, cupping a hand over her mouth as she leaned in close.

"Why not see how this plays out. Besides, they look like they're having fun," Robin said, motioning with his chin Marc and Owain's way.

As if on cue, Owain strode a step forward to move between Marc and Corrin, clapping both on the shoulder. "Yes! This moment is one I have awaited for too long! With the union of our minds and spirit, we shall unearth the full mystical powers of dragonkind. For within you still I sense might yet untapped, potential held in lock and key screaming for release!"

"Uh…" Marc interrupted, seeming the shrink a little next to the overwhelming force that was Owain's sheer force of personality, not to mention the volume at which he spoke. "I was just hoping Corrin could explain things a bit more so I could better relay it to Nah and see if she can…"

"And squander the opportunity before us?!" Releasing both Corrin and Marc, Owain strode past them, waving his arms. "My friends, we have a unique opportunity, to pool the shared knowledge of both our worlds. Not just to pass experience between us, but to unearth mysteries neither could discover on our own! Think what we can accomplish so long as we are here."

"I'd honestly prefer if we, you know, focused are efforts more to the task at hand and-" Corrin sheepishly tried to cut in, only for Owain to continue to talk over him. The sorcerer continued his tirade, which in so many absolutely unnecessary excessive words repeated the same exact thing he'd pretty much already said, having not even seemed to notice Corrin's attempt to speak.

Huh, glad I'm not the only one that happens to, Robin mused, recalling countless conversations Owain and him had in the past, almost all entirely one sided.

This lasted for several more moments, by this point both Corrin and Marc having given up on stopping Owain, opting instead just to remain silent and let this run its course.

Which, blissfully, did not take too long. Relatively speaking, at least when it comes to the very long winded Owain. As the dark mage finished, however, Corrin took it upon himself to shoot another pleading look Robin and Lucina's way. A cry for help that was promptly and swiftly ignored.

"You know, your very… inspiring speech reminded me of something, Owain. Something I've been wondering for a while now," Marc said, speaking in the silence that followed the end of Owain's ramblings. "How were you guys planning to get back to our world when all this is over? You had to have had some plan, right?"

"Ah, indeed we did have a means of traveling the endless expanse that is the churning seas of time and reality itself. While I cannot give their origins, each of us three companions beckoned to this world were given a crystal capable of breaching the barriers of the worlds between worlds. It is with this that we intended to return, but only when our divinely ordained duty is complete!" Owain proclaimed.

Then Owain paused, frowning as his voice momentarily faltered from it's usual bombast to a more restrained demeanor. "Actually I think I have it on me somewhere. One moment, I think I… Yes, got it! Behold!"

From a pouch on his belt, Owain withdrew small spherical crystal. It glinted brightly, almost as shone from within itself.

"Huh, really? Doesn't that seem a bit, I dunno, underwhelming for something that can allow you to travel between worlds and other times?" Marc asked, gazing at the sphere somewhat disappointedly.

Quickening his pace somewhat to move alongside Owain, Robin also leaned over, curious enough to want to get a better look at the orb.

… and abruptly came to a sudden stop, feeling his eyes go wide with shock and mouth fall half agape. No, it couldn't be. That looks just like-

The others continued forward a couple more steps before they realized he'd stopped moving. They turned back his way, expressions both curious and concerned for his well being.

"Robin, is something the matter? You look pale," Lucina asked, starting back towards him.

Robin rummaged through his pockets, tearing through their contents. Where is it? It has to be- There!" Retrieving the object of his search from the piece of paper it had been wrapped in, he withdrew his hand from one of his coat's inner pockets. Holding it out, he turned his closed hand palm upright and uncurled his fingers. Inside was an orb almost an exact match to the one Owain still held.

For indeed, the two silvery spheres were the exact same shape and size, their surfaces shimmering with rainbow hues as they caught the light and seemed almost to glow with their own power. The only difference was that the orb Owain held seemed to glow slightly blue, while Robin's was more green in the color if it's inner light.

Owain did a double take, glancing between Robin's orb and the one he still held, as if expecting to find that it somehow teleported from his possession to Robin's. "By what means did you come into ownership of such an artifact?! I had thought only the three possessed by myself and my companions existed!" he exclaimed.

"Naga," Robin answered. "Before we ended up here, I used a spell to converse with Tiki. Near the end of our talk Naga seemed to take over and speak through her. When the spell ended, I'd found that she'd somehow given me this," Robin explained, turning to Lucina. Recognition flashed across her face at once.

"I'd forgotten Naga had bestowed upon you such a thing," Lucina noted, her pensive expression becoming an odd mix of awe and a small bit of suspicion.

"As had I. Between everything that has happened, it entirely slipped my mind until now," Robin replied.

"Wait, so you think it's the same as the orbs your friends were given?" Corrin asked, glancing between both of them as he slowly began to grasp what they were getting at. "But that would mean…"

"... that she somehow knew we'd end up in this world from the beginning. I can't think of any other reason she'd give this to me," Robin answered for him, nodding in affirmative.

"But… But that would mean she knew about things that hadn't even happened yet. Naga can't see the future, can she?" Marc exclaimed.

That is a very excellent question, come to think of it, Robin noted. He frowned, rubbing his chin. For all her powers, prophecy was not one Naga did not possess. To learn of the future, she'd either need to peer into alternate futures of worlds similar to their own, or hear of it from someone who possessed that ability.

Robin blinked suddenly, the answer smacking him dead in the face.

Anankos.

Owain, Severa, and Inigo had said that Anankos' good half had met them at the Mila Tree, hadn't they? What if that meeting spot hadn't been random: what if Anankos had conversed with Naga through Tiki before summoning the three there. He could have easily conveyed everything he knew of the possible futures he'd seen to Naga herself.

Had Naga set her own contingency plan in motion? Had she been told of the potential for Lucina and himself to end up in this world, and given him a means to return as a result? Was that why she'd sent the Fire Emblem with Marc? Was this all preparation for some bigger end? What did all of this mean?

What exactly is Naga playing at? And where exactly do we fit into this?

"Robin?" Lucina asked. She gripped his arm, snapping him back to the present.

"Sorry I was, I got a bit wrapped up in my own thoughts there," Robin apologized, shaking his head. Then he turned to Marc. "To answer your question, no, I don't think Naga can. I have an idea how she knew, but there's still so much we don't-"

The group continued forward once more, their talk eventually drifting away from the orbs to other matters. After all, there was no real point to discuss it much further, not without knowing more. Throwing around theories and speculation could only get you so far.

However, the renewed conversation was cut short by a distant cry that echoed out from the woods. It was no human voice that had called out, for it had sounded far more beast than man, it's note somewhere between a gutteral shriek and a roar.

Steel rang as in the span of an instant weapons were drawn, the whole of their group having reacted to the sound in unison. Robin recognized the cry at once, though it was one he'd only heard on two occasions before. Though it was a sound he'd not soon forget, and one the denizens of this world certainly knew all too well.

"Faceless," Robin stated, turning to Corrin for confirmation.

Corrin nodded grimly.

More cries reached out from the woods, echoing through the treeline. Everyone tensed, gripping their weapons tighter.

"Wait, listen. They're moving away from us," Corrin said, his expression changing to one more curious than tense. "That means we're not their target! Come on!"

Then Corrin sprung forward, sprinting off into the trees before any of the others had a chance to respond.

Robin exchanged a quick, worried glance Lucina's way before running after the Nohrian prince, the others following in quick pursuit behind.

As they ran, they passed the crumpled forms of animals that had been caught in the Faceless' path, their broken corpses left behind to rot. Just like when Lucina and I first fought them, Robin noted.

Then the forest began to clear, giving way to a grassy plateau overlooking a forested valley. Robin spied Corrin standing at the cliff's edge, staring at something in the distance. Following his gaze, Robin soon saw what had caught Corrin's attention.

A pegasus flew in low circles over the valley, swooping down close to the treeline before retreating back from hails of boulders flug from below.

"What's she doing?" Lucina asked, coming to a stop just behind the two, her eyes following the pegasus rider's movements. "Why does she keep flying so low if not to fight back?"

"She's distracting them," Robin answered, only just then grasping that very goal. "Every time she moves in close to the Faceless, they must be stopping to attack her. Which means-"

"- there must be others out there too! She's trying to buy them time," Marc finished for him.

Robin nodded. "Not to mention scouting the enemy's movements while she's at it," he added. He grimaced, spotting something else below them. "But look! The entire valley is alive with movement. There could be a hundred Faceless down there, at least! We need to hurry, whoever this pegasus knight is, she and her companions are in serious-"

"That's Hinoka's pegasus!" Corrin exclaimed, his eyes widening in recognition.

"What, how can you tell?" Robin asked. What would the heir to the Hoshido throne be doing out here?!

"Trust me, it's her. It's colors and banner are her's," Corin answered, speaking urgently now. He turned to look at them, desperation in his gaze.

Then Corrin's grip on Yato tightened, the blade erupting into deep scarlet light. "We can't just stand here any longer! I'm going to cut off the Faceless' advance. Go! Help them, please!"

Leathery wings erupted from Corrin's back as he spun around, kicking up a cloud of dust as he threw himself from the ledge.

"Corrin, wait! We need to-" Robin shouted, only to cut short as the dragon prince disappeared into the treetops bellow.

Dammit, we needed to all stick together! Traipsing off alone is that last thing we need right now! Robin cursed under his breath.

"Father! We need to go after him!" Marc urged. Robin felt his son grip his arm, trying to pull him along.

"No," Robin dug in his heels, holding his ground as he made Marc turn to face him. "He has too much of a lead already. We do what he says." He hated himself for saying it, but the truth was undeniable. Going after Corrin now would prove too much of a risk.

For a single instant Marc looked like he was about to argue, glancing worriedly the way Corrin had gone. Then he nodded. "We should hurry then."

"Don't worry. We must have faith Corrin can take care of himself. Now we must do our utmost to ensure his gamble is not for naught," Lucina assured Marc.

"Agreed. Now, quickly, I have a plan," Robin told them. He turned, his gaze fixing on Owain. "Owain. Have you by any chance learned any sort of teleportation spell?"

Owain blinked at this question, then nodded eagerly. "Yes. Alas only over short distances. Any greater distance remained out of reach even to a master of the dark arts such as-"

"Good. I need you to go back to the others," Robin interrupted, grabbing Owain by the shoulders. "Get Lord Xander and Lord Leo to muster whoever they can and come to our position at once!"

"It shall be done. For who but Owain Dark could see such a task to swift completion!" Owain proclaimed. There was a flash of light, followed by a cloud of darkness that rushed to surround him. When the inky blackness dissipated, the sorcerer was gone from view.

Hopefully help comes soon, Robin thought, turning back to his wife and son. "Alright, let's go."

Hopefully, he added, before it's too late.

. . . . .

Gusts of wind buffeted the hilltop as Hinoka's pegasus alighted in the space before the two waiting there. "This isn't good. The woods are swarming with Faceless and right now they're all heading our way," she announced, the Hoshido princess' expression grim.

For a moment neither of the other two said a word. The younger of the two princesses, Sakura, looked between her sister and to where the hooded girl sat perched upon a outcropping of rock. "W-What should we do?" She asked at last, her voice wavering with worry. "How m-many are there?"

"Don't know. Too much tree coverage to get a clear count," Hinoka answered simply, fingering the haft of her naginata apprehensively. Her frown seemed to deepen further. "We shouldn't have left without the others in a first place. I was too impatient."

"D-Don't say that. You k-know there was no way we c-could have known there'd be Faceless out here," Sakura said, the younger princess seemingly trying to sound reassuring for her sister's sake. Even with the stammering, the sentiment was not lost, even the the onlooker who'd only known the two for a handful of weeks.

"Sakura's right, don't beat yourself up too hard. Trust me on that one, I know from experience all that does it make you feel bad. And feeling bad won't help any," the hooded girl agreed, speaking up for the first time. With a grunt she pushed off the outcropping, landing before them.

Hopefully that looked as cool as she intended it to be.

She took a moment to dust off her new coat, really trying to sell the image, before digging her hands into her pockets. She felt the worn leather of a book, comforted by the touch of one of the two identical keepsakes she always carried. Distantly she wondered which copy it was. She always lost track.

"Right, so, we need a plan, don't we? Well, lucky for you I have one. Granted, it's not my best work, but…"

"You aren't suggesting we make a run for it, are you?" Hinoka asked, interrupting before she had a chance to elaborate.

"No." The hooded girl shook her head. "There are too many of them for us to run. We've got a defensible spot right here. Good as any, I think." She waved her hands at the space around them, inclicating the steep slopes of the hill on all but three sides.. "Plus these Faceless things don't seem to be that smart. Mostly working from limited experience though. Point is they'll probably come at us piecemeal. Maybe. Hopefully."

That got some worried stares from the two princesses. "That doesn't inspire confidence," Hinoka noted.

"Well, working with what I can get. Besides, even a master tactician like myself can't just conjure up perfect plans all the time. Just most of the time," she added with a smirk. Then the smile faded, her expression growing serious as her eyes fixed on Hinoka "Look, if you'd rather, you could fly back, find the others, and-"

"And leave the two of you alone? Not a chance," Hinoka snapped, her eyes narrowing. "Besides, they'll be needed where they are; I doubt these things are coming just for us."

"Y-Yeah. Hinoka's right. We n-need to stick together," Sakura stammered in agreement, her expression serious despite the nervousness that still pervaded her body language.

The hooded girl started to respond, only for her voice to be drowned in another chorus of reverberating cries that carried up from the forest. The sound of heavy footsteps and snapping branches could now be heard, faintly at first, but drawing closer with every passing second.

"Dammit, we're out of time. Hinoka, keep your distance and focus on picking off stragglers," she instructed, speaking quickly now.

"Got it," Hinoka nodded sharply, her pegasus taking off from the hilltop.

"Sakura, stay behind me. Focus on healing, but feel free to use your bow whenever you have a chance. Slow them down."

"O-On it," Sakura stuttered, stringing up her yumi before gripping her rod tightly, her hands trembling slightly. "W-What will you be doing?"

"What will I be doing? Well, I'm glad you asked." The girl reached up throwing back her hood with one hand before revealing her tome. "After all help you've given me, it's the least I could do to keep my promise in return to keep you both safe."

There was a loud crash as the first wave of Faceless broke through the treeline, smashing down the smaller trees that lay in their paths. They roared, their voices like feral beasts reverberating through their rusted masked.

"So just sit back and see what Ylisse's one and only princess tactician can do," grinned Morgan, fire beginning to burn around her outstretched hand, casting crimson light over the hilltop.

"Bolganone!"

An eruption of flame and molten rock engulfed the the Faceless' first face, signaling the beginning of the desperate fighting.

Hopelessly outnumbered and with little chance of success. Hah, if father was here he'd probably make some quip about how that's basically every day for us. I wonder if he'll get mad if I start stealing his material?

Author's Note: So this is the part where I'd normally apologies for the lack of updates, but in this case I did have a good excuse. Due to having to write seven whole one-shots for Robcina Week (all of which you can read in Love Across Time, go check it out if you haven't already) I hadn't had any time to write this story until the past two weeks. So yeah, this time it was because I had Robcina fluff to write instead!

Though speaking of this chapter, look who's back! And on her birthday no-less! That was totally planned the whole time, by the way. Totally not a complete coincidence where this chapter had actually been intended to come out several weeks ago. Nope, completely planned all along from the very beginning. All of it. Not at all due to my procrastination paying off for sir-ee.

Anyways… onto to guest reviews!

Darkness21 - I mean, it's no surprise that Marc isn't angry about it on his sister's behalf. He is much like Robin in that he's rather passive and tends to try not to start drama with people. Plus he does have a cooler head than Morgan.

As for Lucina's reactions, I figured it fun to have her talk to characters you wouldn't otherwise think of her talking to. She has certainly come a long way too, opening up more and being able to talk about her past. As for the Robin bit… huh, it's almost like all these secrets he's keeping will eventually backfire or something.

Also, in this story they are not cousins, since that was a single dumb line brought up only in a $20 DLC route that is never mentioned again. It's dumb, should feel dumb, and will never be used here. I am not at all salty that I paired Corrin with Azura in all three routes only to realize they were cousins at the very end.

Dracofighter - I figured it was about time I had more interactions with the rest of the Fates cast. Plan to work more of that going forward

CrypticCoffee - Well, hopefully my slow update schedule does not dissuade you from continuing to follow the story. Though that said, I have no intention of stopping now. Got a lot of fun stuff planning going forward

Anyhow, that's all for now. As always, please let me know what you thought of this one. Until next time, peace!