Cycle

by RoseWarden

Robin is a young woman who bakes cakes during the day, sleeps at night, and drinks on weekends. She does not wage wars, fight demons, or solve dating issues. Yet, somehow by divine mistake, she's found herself doing just that. Clearly, someone has her confused with another Robin...

22. Chapter 22

Disclaimer - I don't own Fire Emblem. All of its properties belong to Nintendo and Intelligent Systems.

Warnings for harsh violence and blood

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Chapter 22

"Woah, how did you know this was here? I thought only Frederick, Chrom, and I knew about this hole!" Lissa exclaims in wonder as she squeezes through the thin crack in the outer wall of the castle.

While she may be baffled by Lucina's knowledge, I know full well it's only because of her history. She grew up here in these very walls. How could she not know about the infamous crack her dad smashed into it during his childhood. Incidentally, she's probably used this more than a few times to sneak in during past cycles to interrupt this very same event. I bet this is the first time she's doing so with a group in tow.

Thankfully Lissa is in her civilian clothes today, but she still somehow manages to get snagged inside the tunnel. To help her, I grab her flailing arm and ease her along. She wretches free with a good pull but not without some damage. There's a heavy tearing sound as she bursts out, knocking me over. Thank God she's so thin cause she lands all over me in a heap as we hit the ground. As she groans and grabs her nose, I raise my head and peer over her shoulder. The whole bottom of hem of her dress as come clean and is trailing from the hole.

She rolls off of me and into a sitting position. When she sees the ripped material, she wrinkles her nose and puts on a tiny pout. "Aw nuts. This was one of my favorites!"

Lucina holds out her hand and helps the princess to her feet. She turns her head to the large structure just beyond the foliage protecting us from view."I would not protest too much, my Lady. If it had not been this, surely something else would have ruined it. I think it fair to say there will be some blood shed here tonight if our suspicions prove true."

"I suppose we better get toward finding out the truth then," I say as I climb to my feet. I place both hands on my lower back and stretch out this awful kink Lissa threw into it when we toppled over. Knocking out the crick in my spine, I then reach into my coat. Thinking us safe for the day, I only packed my map and sword. Even then I was prepared to leave them behind. I'm thankful now I didn't. Consider this a lesson learned for the future.

I slip my map out of its protective container and bring it to an overturned rock nearby. Weaving the symbol for light into the air, I feel my blood heat as the fire magic burns. A tiny flame sparks to life in my palm and begins to grow wild. Remembering Miriel's lessons, I find my image of control. I picture myself grabbing the knob on my stove, turning down the heat of the burner. In response, the magic in my hand dims down in power providing the perfect amount of light I need to see by.

I try not to grin too broadly at my own success. It's not that impressive of a feat, but it ranks me a step up about novice students at the academy. While my timing and versatility are still off, my control over the elements has allowed me to master simple mundane spells quite efficiently. So much so that I can use the lowest ended spells without a book. Again, not that impressive as every good mage apparently can when strong enough. It's when you get past these little caltrops that you can really start boasting. Alas, I am simply one of the many aspiring practitioners in the meantime.

Pulling my light over the map, I activate it with the swipe of my finger. The immediate area scratches in and reveals our lonely dots on the far side. Strange, not a soul about.

"Impressive," I hear Lon'qu say behind me.

"Isn't it," Lissa grins as she comes around the rock to peer down at it. "It's Robin's secret weapon."

Lucina joins her aunt by her side, bending down to look at the parchment. "A powerful weapon indeed," she notes. I know full well she isn't the least bit surprised but she's just remarking for posterity's sake.

Turning back to it, I zoom out and enlarge the region. The whole expanse of the yard opens up and unveils itself. I bypass the emptiness of the training areas and push to the side where the castle borders sit. The explosion of color draws my eyes in to the blueprints of the castle. I close my eyes, face contorted in frustration and fear. Red pricks of enemy personas are stationed throughout the castle, some even engaged in the friendly blue of Ylisse's guard.

"No."

Lissa's tiny gasp is barely audible. A tiny wisp of a word that ends in a mortified lilt. She hides behind her hand with eyes emphasized by the gleaming realization in them. I can't imagine the horror she must be feeling right now. She's probably lived under the notion that Ylisse was impenetrable and ever safe. Now, to be seeing her private sanctuary being invaded and her loved ones assaulted. I have this incredible urge to give the poor girl a hug.

"Show us the whole castle Robin," Lucina instructs with a gesture to the map.

I nod and slowly scout the area. The amount of enemies, assassins at this point I'm suspecting based on events, is actually small to our overall forces. I don't know how they got in or why but they certainly had a plan and used it well. A good portion of our own are engaged in drills outside the walls today leaving the castle a bit more understaffed than usual. A stupid thing to do but I doubt anyone thought this possible. From my time here, the general attitude of Ylisse is that it's unbeatable. Most believe that Naga's divine protection has blessed the country and keeps them safe at all times from the evil bad guy Grima and the dastardly forces of Plegia. What a gross misconception that was. Hopefully this will teach Ylisse's people the meaning of the word caution. I just pray that we won't lose too much in learning that lesson.

From our observations and talking, this is the best we seem to be able to piece together. The attack must have occurred sometime in the early afternoon after Lissa, Lon'qu, and I left. Considering it was a spur of the moment decision by the princess, we simply lucked out in avoiding getting caught up in it. Incidentally, their timing was probably intentional. At this point the soldiers on drill would be at the furthest point in their route from the castle giving the assault plenty of time to do what it needs to do.

What went down is as good a guess as anyone's, but the results are obvious: most of the remaining guard is dead.

There are no stragglers in the halls. What's left of the castle's defense is located in the two separate pockets. Near to us in the barrack's mess hall is a group of soldiers barricading themselves against some Plegians. Another larger formation is floundering in the main hall against enemy forces and are slowly being pushed back into the private wing of the royal family.

Worst of all, only a handful reside in the actual quarters. A brief sense of relief falls over us when I confirm two of the dots are Lissa's siblings, alive and well. Those are quickly dashed, however, when several red specks escape the mess in the main hall and make their way to what I assume are Emmeryn's quarters. While they are dispatched, another blue dot winks out along with them in the scuffle.

And ignoring all this, dozens of the green "NPC" dots are hiding in various points of the castle, or are being chased. So not only are the guard and royal family in trouble, so too are the general personnel. Cripes, cut the servants a break. What did they do?

"We have to go straight to my brother and sister," Lissa exclaims in reckless abandon, ready to dash off toward the habitation quarters.

Lucina catches her by the arm and holds her fast. "That is inadvisable, my Lady."

"What? Why? You see what it's like on the map! They could be killed any moment!"

"Jumping in now would only prove to be a foolhardy decision. It would be as if you were simply handing yourself over to them," Lucina gently chastises.

"But they're in trouble!" Lissa protests.

"The kid's right," Lon'qu remarks gruffly from the side. He leans forward on one arm while the other rests on his hip. He scrutinizes the map intently taking in every detail he can. "With the four of us as we are, we're outnumbered."

It doesn't take a strategist to see the obvious. The numbers are against us. Even with Lon'qu and Lucina's talents, it's not enough to protect Lissa and also fight through the crowd at the same time. At worst, it will incite the guards to only panic in trying to protect her and the others at the same time, dividing their resolve and defenses. Not the most efficient plan.

"We have to even the odds somehow," I muse, tapping my fingers along the edge of the parchment. "For starters, we have the element of surprise. They have no idea we're inside the walls. This means we have a chance to do something to turn the tides in our favor."

Lucina comes around to my side and observes the setup. "What of them? These guards here surely may provide us with some aid," she says, her finger hovering just over the image of the mess hall.

"That's a good option to consider," I ponder. "Freeing them up will give us some numbers to our side. Assaulting the main hall will be easier."

"Or not," Lon'qu grunts.

Lucina and I look to him. I can see her mouth quirk in annoyance but I decide to hear him out.

"What's on your mind Lon'qu?"

"Their inclusion will only buy us time. What we need is a quick and definitive victory. Your enemy is skilled. The longer they fight, the more assured our defeat is."

"And you have a suggestion?" Lucina inquires.

"The city guard."

"What about them?" Lissa asks curiously as she peers on her tiptoes over the map.

"Sheer numbers mean nothing to a skilled squadron of fighters," he starts. His face is grim and his tone sharp and clear. He's speaking with all the experience of a trained warrior. "You may throw all you have at them but discipline is more deadly than a blade in the right hands. Your men here are soft. Armed against enemies such as these, they are nothing but leaves blown aside upon the wind. They will be of little help."

"Hey!" Lissa pipes up in offense. "That's a horrible thing to say! These people died to protect my family!"

He eyes her from the side, regarding her cooly. "And they are dead because of that inexperience. Crass or not, that is the hard truth. Accept it or not, the slaughter of your castle guard is testament to that."

"But that's...you can't...hmph!" Lissa's protests are a tangle between her emotions. Her cheeks puff out and she twirls about. With a good kick, she sends her heel straight into the wall. "Stupid! Everything is stupid! Why'd these idiots have to go and do this?"

With her outburst done, she quickly gathers her arms across her chest and walks stiffly a distance away. I catch sight of her face, marred in an expression of disbelief. She bites down hard on the corner of her mouth and there's a glint of wetness in her eyes. Lissa passes by and stands quietly out of earshot. As soon as her shoulders begin to shake, I turn away to allow her privacy. Knowing her bubbly and social nature, Lissa probably knew a good number of those who worked in the castle, and that probably includes the guard.

Turning back, I see Lucina watching her aunt somberly. She looks tense, as if she is holding back the urge to go to her side. Poor thing.

Lon'qu eases off the table and stands tall. "I watched the captain of the guard order her men. I observed the way they moved and assembled. She has taught them well. And knowing their duties, which are no different than those of Regna Ferox I assume, that means they have experience dealing with opposition on a daily basis."

"You think the city guard is any more qualified for this than those in the royal house?" Lucina scoffs. "These men and women are born of the elite and receive the finest training offered."

Lon'qu's face hardens and he glares at her with a ferocity I've yet to see from him. "You may swing a blade all you like at air, but you are still cutting through nothing. Have a recruit who has swung at nothing but stationary targets try to cut through a full bodied man. See how well his grip remains on the blade or how quickly he is able to pull out."

"Do these warriors train against a desperate man willing to do what he must to procure bread for his starving children? Do they daily disarm seasoned mercenaries from tavern brawls? Drills will only do so much. If you wish for competence, this guard will suffice. If you desire warriors who have seen desperation, anger, and the true strengths of a man, those who encounter it daily will be a better entourage to recruit."

Lucina is starting to bristle and I feel like I might need to intervene soon for fear she might break character. "You speak as though Ylisse is wracked by barbarians and brigands."

"No city is perfect, even your shining Ylisstol. There is always a dark underbelly and it is the guard that keeps it from running rampant."

Before Lucina can start arguing further on the honor of Ylisstol, I step in between them separating them lightly. "Can we debate the semantics of this later? Regardless of who's more qualified, Lon'qu is right. Getting the gate open and inviting the guard in will be just as helpful. More bodies on our side in always a good thing."

Lucina looks me hard in the eyes. Finally, she breathes out and nods in defeat. "You are right. Of course. My apologies. This arguing in petty and we need as much help as we can. But what shall we do? There are several options available to take."

"Just do both," I say.

"You are jesting, surely."

"Not at all," I reply confidently. "Here's what I'm thinking. Lon'qu and Lissa make their way to the gate house. There, they can undo the locks and let the city guard in. No doubt Nethys has her people rallied and ready to storm it. In the meantime, Marth and I will relieve the remnants in the hall and go back up the others fighting on the far end of the castle. With the element of surprise on our end, we can take out these enemies of ours and then free up whoever is stuck in the private quarters."

Lucina and Lon'qu both share a look of similar thought, though it is she who speaks. "You wish to split us up? That does not seem all that safe. For one, the gate house is almost as far from us as the private quarters. When they are seen, and no doubt they will, the focus of our enemies will alter to include us. We cannot endanger the princess."

"We won't. Not when we have this to help."

I pull the map in and tap the library. Ah, there it is.

I draw my finger across the thin rectangular hallway residing between the space in the walls of the library and the adjoining archive next door. "I noticed these not that long ago. Apparently there are a few hidden paths between the walls we can take advantage of. If we can make use of these, we should be able to move undetected between any roving lookouts amongst the enemy."

"Hmph. Interesting," Lon'qu rumbles in acceptance. "The concept of escape routes within fortress and castles is not unknown to me. It could be useful, assuming there are none lingering these paths as well."

"I would find that hard to believe," Lucina states with assurance.

"You sure?"

"Er, yes. That would only make sense is what I mean," she quickly recovers. "Passages such as these are normally meant as escape routes for the royal family. I can only assume that they have no knowledge of it. Why tell others and risk losing a means to run when in danger?"

"He's right," Lissa says from behind. She lets out a big sniff as she draws her sleeve over her face. A quick rub later, she's back with a fiercely determined look. "Aside from my siblings and I, only Phila and Frederick know. It's been a secret known only to the royal family and their personal retainers since as long as it could be remembered. I guess maybe the original architects knew too but they sort of, you know, died forever ago. The castle plans are all locked up in Emmie's study, so no one's seen them."

"A viable option it is then," Lon'qu nods.

"Well if we're in agreement to that, I suggest we see if there is a route connecting to or close to the gate house," I say, gesturing back to the map.

Scanning room by room is a bit time consuming and wears my nerves as we try to figure out the paths that connect to our end. I note Lucina occasionally, in her own subtle way, tries to guide me in the right direction. She must have knowledge of the routes but can't divulge them in their entirety because of obvious reasons.

She can't just come out and explain she know everything because she's a time traveller. Lon'qu isn't Chrom and there's no assassin here to spring on us and prove her claims. He'll probably think she's insane and then she loses all credibility she has. And that will make things complicated.

Eventually we discover that one of the corridors leads to a sitting room connected to the front garden. Given the lack of enemy presence outside, Lon'qu and Lissa would easily be able to get out there. Lissa may not be able to fight but she knows the castle interior by heart. She'll easily be able to guide him the rest of the way. The problem is the gate house itself.

There's three red dots situated in the structure, an archer and two mages. A fairly dangerous combo for someone who needs to get up close and personal to fight. Despite that fear, Lon'qu seems confident in his abilities to handle them. Who am I to question his prowess?

Of course Lucina suggests I accompany the two of them to the gate house, which I firmly deny. For one, I don't like the idea of leaving Lucina at a disadvantage of numbers. I may not be near her skill in sword play but I'd like to think I could at least handle myself efficiently at this point. Maybe. At least I hope so. Haven't had a chance to really try real combat yet.

Also, I just don't want to leave her by herself. I don't know if it's because of my sense of obligation to Chrom or us bonding a bit today but...I can't find it in myself to leave her alone. Luce has been by herself for who knows how long with so little to rely on. Hearing that tiny confession from her, about how she's just continually lost people over and over again to the point of not caring anymore, was heartbreaking. I, uh...I guess a part of me feels some need to try and fix that.

I know other Robin's sins are no burden of mine. But I did willingly take up the mantle this time around. So as long as I go masquerading around as her, I should do something to try and make sure things go right. Lucina is pushing aside her inhibitions to try and put faith in a complete stranger wearing the mask of a greatly feared enemy. It's only fair I try to repay her for that.

Ha! Listen to me sounding all heroic and stuff. Who would have thought it possible? Where's my old selfish soul gone off to, I wonder?

It takes some convincing but eventually we decide the balance of power would be better with two and two. So I officially join team time anomaly in an attempt to liberate our remaining soldiers. Cool beans.

With one more check of the map, we decide we're ready split. Lon'qu and Lissa are taking advantage of a hidden route right in one of the armor supply rooms. Gonna have to make note of that to make sure no one sneaks in and tampers with the gear in the future. Back on point, the two have a literal straight shot following the whole outer edge of the castle. It would be impossible to get lost thankfully. So as long as they stay vigilant that in the off chance some assassin had found the passages, they would be able to defend themselves.

Before they go, Lissa launches herself at me and gives a tight hug. She looks up at me with eyes still a tad glistening though she bears an expression of war readiness. "Be careful Robin. I don't want to lose anyone one else tonight. So stay alive, that's an order!"

I let out a quiet laugh and muss up her hair affectionately. "As the Princess wishes."

To Lucina's surprise, Lissa jumps right on her next. The poor girl doesn't know what to do with herself as her aunt gives an equally crushing hug.

"And thank you for helping us again Marth! This means more to me than you'd ever know!"

"I-" Lucina's voice cracks to her usual octave and she quickly recovers herself. "The honor is mine, my Lady."

I look to Lon'qu and give him a semi-serious glare. "And you, sir, better keep up your obligations as her bodyguard. I hear one word about something happening to Lissa here and her siblings will be the least you have to worry about."

Lon'qu gives me a solemn nod. His whole demeanor has changed. He seems more alive, deadly. This is the poise of battle ready warrior, a man whose shed blood and taken lives. I know he'll keep her safe and am only more grateful than before that Basilio loaned him over as an ally.

Even though the map says no one resides in the yard, we continue to use the foliage as a shield for precaution. Making our way around, Lon'qu firmly volunteers to be the one to sprint for the door and check if the coast is clear. Lissa is definitely antsy about his decision. She's caught between swooning and worrying.

Luckily, he enters with no confrontation. After disappearing inside for a long and agonizing minute, he emerges again and beckons us in. We move, one at a time. As soon as Lucina comes up the rear, Lon'qu follows us in and brings the door shut as quiet as possible.

The whole atmosphere to the castle has been swapped. The walls are quiet and the torches seem to dim and flicker ominously around us. What was once bustling, warm, and inviting is now cold, quiet, and dreadful. I can't help but shiver as cold fear takes ahold of my insides. There's no way to describe the feeling of having your own private space being broken into in such a way. It's like someone's gone and tainted the air by dragging their uninvited bodies in. The castle just doesn't feel like home anymore.

"We should not linger," Lon'qu states. "I explored each end of the hall. Not a body in sight, so we are free to move."

"I agree. Tarrying will do us no favors. Let us check the map once more and then be on our way," Lucina agrees with a brief nod. We do so and see that the enemy has changed very little in our time. Those who had been assaulting the mess hall had pulled away and were now huddled together, perhaps planning a new tactic to get in. The main hall has fared a bit worse than before. The remnants still clinging to life had fallen back completely to the private wing and were stationed at the ends of the two corridors leading to the rooms. A final stand against the red beating on the entrances.

"That's bad. We have to go," I say hastily as I roll up the map once more. "We're running out of time."

"Okay. Right. We will. Just..." Lissa pauses and then grabs my hand with both of hers. "I mean it. Please, don't die Robin. And you too Marth. Please."

I throw on a cocky grin. "Seriously Lissa? If a Risen can't take me out, how can a simple human? We'll be just fine. Focus on yourself and your own safety, okay?"

She gives my hand another squeeze and then leaves for Lon'qu's side.

"Good luck you two!" I say in parting. Lissa waves sadly while Lon'qu nods in affirmation. The reality of us splitting hits me in full force and I feel a wave of uneasy nausea take hold.

Naga, if you really are up there, you better keep an eye on those two. Keep them safe with whatever divine intervention you can. Cause if you don't, I'll find you! Yeah, you heard me! Screw up and I'll find someway to go Grima all over your dragon butt.

Lucina and I make our way down the hall all stealth-like. When we round the corner, I find her stopping.

"What's up?" I whisper.

"Check your map once more," she responds equally quiet.

Alarmed, I take a quick look ahead for someone as I pull it once more. I'm not greeted by red dot. Instead, four blue ones are now nestled along the wall in the yard, not too far from where we entered.

"Is that...?"

Lucina gives me a half smile. "I assume you expected my friends to be here? You are correct."

"So that was them back there in the alley," I say to myself out loud.

She scoffs. "Truly? I'll have to speak to them about their trailing skills. They should not have been that obviously seen. Regardless, there is little to be done of that now. I had hoped to slip away from you all when given the chance to rendezvous with them but given the new plans now, they must simply go forth without me. I'll have to catch up later."

"You were going to leave us? What were you and the others to do?"

"We only spoke briefly, a spur of the moment plan given how little time we had to make a diversion. The plan was set in two phases. First, we would make sure one of our allies did not meet an unwarranted demise."

"Emmeryn?" I thrown out.

"No. There is a thief here by the name Gaius. He will be an integral part of the Shepherds in the future."

"Gaius? Oh. Oh!" I blink. "That's right! Gaius and Panne both are here! Wait then. So Gaius can die?"

"It has happened. Remember, he is working for the Plegians right now. If someone other than my father or aunt find him, they will most likely strike him down thinking his protests a deception."

"Let's not have that happen. I rather enjoyed Gaius from the ga- the stories. Quite a personality," I laugh. "So what's the other plan?"

"Protect you from Validar."

That's a punch to the gut. "Ah. Him."

"Yes, him," Lucina answers with equal distaste. "You should know how much of a danger he is to you, even as you are. Unless things have changed, he will assume you to be his daughter."

I make a disgruntled face. "Gods, please no. I'm not that desperate for a father figure. He can take his creepy self back to whatever hell it is he crawled out of."

"Indeed. He is not a family relation one would like to have claim to."

"Isn't that dangerous though?" I point out. "I mean, can you all handle him? I'd think he's super dangerous."

She gives me a pointed look, hand settling to a rest on her weapon. "Did I not tell you I can handle myself. Both my comrades and I are fully capable of standing against Validar."

"I don't doubt your skills. It's just that you had such problems against that general of Grima's and Validar is the Grimleal head priest. Isn't that the same level of power?"

"Please. Validar is but a man. Grima's generals are not human but walking monst-..." Her words catch in her throat. She looks off to the side as if in thought and then shakes her head. "Never mind. Just trust me. We will handle this. I will not let the other Shepherds, let alone you, handle that madman."

"Whatever you say. So if you're staying here, what will the other kids do?"

"I spoke to them and told them to find Gaius and Panne by themselves if I take too long. I can easily find them later once Validar surfaces."

"As long as they'll be okay then."

She gives a half-smile. "Of course they will be. We are our parents' children. Now let us move. We have wasted enough time as it is."

I follow behind her in silence. A part of me is rather ecstatic to think I'll be meeting two new members of the Shepherds. But any thoughts or questions I might have are dwarfed by the looming threat in the near future.

Validar.

Hazy memories surface from the dream I had in Regna Ferox. The premonition of the future you see at the start of the game. Given it was only a dream, the visuals were only minor. It was the sensations of the events that affected me most. When I woke up, all I could feel was lingering tastes of disgust and abhorrence for the man. It's impossible to think that someone like that could be a father, let alone Robin's. It's selfish to think but I'm glad Lucina is going to take care of him. I don't want to meet him or see him or let him even know I still exist. Let him rot in his own blood by the end of the night.

Slinking along through shadows, Lucina and I grow ever closer through the barracks. As we close in, the voices of the Plegians grow louder. Drawing to a stop at the corner, Lucina peeks around it. She doesn't look too hot when she comes around.

"There's quite a few there."

"By quite a few, you mean...?"

"Twelve? Twenty? Some of them seem to have dispersed. Perhaps to join their brethren in the main hall?"

"Brilliant." I groan. "So how do we do this? You go in swinging for about half of them. I take the rest?"

"No," she huffs with annoyance. "We will not going in 'swinging.' We need a diversion to separate them. Thinning the numbers will make it easy for us to pick them off."

"Oh. Right."

"And you claim to be a tactician."

"No, I claimed to be a baker masquerading as a tactician. There's a difference."

"Just pull up your map," she says with what I can guess to be a roll of the eyes.

The blueprints prove to be of little help. With the dots swarming so close together in their circle, they continue to cover up one another as they blend into one large blob. I can count at least eight. Huh, what's that under the mob? Another color? Nah, just my imagination.

Surveying the local area proves that we're located in a long wrap-around hallway. If we were to ambush them somehow, we could do it from either a left or right direction. Aside from the mess hall ahead of us, there are a few supply rooms around we could take advantage of somehow.

"You really think we can lure someone away without the whole group following?" I say, looking over to her.

"They wouldn't. They'll never sacrifice leaving the doors exposed for the these men to escape. At worst, they'll split the group in half."

"Okay, point taken. Another question. Aren't these guys going to be a bit too smart for a simple diversion. These are top grade assassins."

She eyes the corner. "Not these here. The true leaders will have made their way to the royal wing by now. They will leave their lesser compatriots to clean up whoever is left behind. You will only encounter expendable low grade soldiers here. Even someone such as yourself may handle them."

I eye her in displeasure but refrain from commenting on the little jab. "You sure we're good then?"

"Robin, I've been here plenty of times prior. I know what I am saying."

"True." She's right. I didn't even think of that. "So what then? We spook 'em by causing a disruption from the end of the hall?"

She's leans against the wall on her shoulder, gesturing with her hand as she speaks. "Precisely what I would have suggested. Draw them away from the group toward me and the two of us may spring a trap upon them. You can attack from the front, and I from the rear."

"Great idea, unless one of us gets overwhelmed by the whole lot of them," I point out morbidly.

"Then you must simply turn the situation to your advantage until the other is free." She taps the side of her head and gives a me a snarky grin. "You are a smart woman Robin. You will be able to think of something when the situation arises."

"Sass, sass, sass. Is that all I'm to expect from you young lady?" I sigh.

"You are seriously asking me this? Perhaps you do not like receiving a dose of your own medicine?"

Girl, you think you can outsnark the master of sarcasm and wit? Please.

I gasp in mock horror. "Oh no! What have I done? This attitude is almost too much to bear!" Grabbing her face with both hands, she flails as I draw her in. "Poor sweet child. Here I am your sole role model and I've been rubbing off all my bad influence on you!"

I let go of her and throw my hand out all dramatic toward the sky. "Quick, it's not too late to change your ways! Turn away from the dark side Lucina! Don't let this evil fell spawn's snarky ways lure you in!"

Lucina stares at me in shock, and then anger. "Are you serious right now?"

"Not at all," I say flatly.

"You are aware we are about to take on several dangerous foes?"

I reach out and tweak her nose, much to her chagrin. "Yep. We are. Let's get on that, shall we," I say innocently, as if none of that exchange had ever happened.

"Gods above," she mutters.

We gather together again and talk over our options. Short on time, we brainstorm what we can. Following Lucina's prior logic, I can distract the group and lure the set number of our foes away. I'll lead them to a specific weapon room nearby that has a barring mechanism on it from the inside. Lucina will hide behind a storage stand to the side and spring out to lock them in when they enter. She'll then surprise them from the back while I attack from the front.

"Guess we're ready. I'll go over and make some noise then once you give me the signal?"

"Yes, whatever it takes to get their attention. But not too loud," she cautions. "Just enough to pique the interest of a few."

I feel a little surge of pride towards her. "You sure you don't want to take over as tactician. You seem way better at this than I am."

Lucina regards me with a mixed expression. "Students typically do tend to surpass their masters if taught in the proper fashion."

"Well I don't-wait. I taught you tactics?"

"Hm." The strange look on her face changes and she quickly alters the subject, dodging any further mention. As much as I'd like to prod further, now isn't the time.

"It will take me about thirty seconds to round the whole hall and enter the room. Wait about that long and then make your move, be it a noise or whatever you choose to pull their attention."

"Okey-dokie," I say with a thumb's up. "Just be ready for me when I come screaming."

Lucina darts off and I'm left alone.

"Geez, how did I get myself into this?" I whisper to myself as I slide up against the wall. I inch toward the edge and poke an eye out.

The group is still gathered, though I see one of them at the door doing something to the handles. They're so far away. How am I going to get their attention? Bollocks.

I look around my surrounding and see nothing but chairs and overturned decor. Not very useful. Hm. I don't want something loud to freak them all out. Just something to rouse their curiosity.

Something under my foot crackles as I shift it. Looking down, I see I'm standing on sheafs of strewn paper. I find myself staring at the white notes.

You know, paper can go pretty far if crinkled up and thrown. Thrown. Paper. Paper airplanes?

Yo, that'd be stupid. But also weird. Weird enough to investigate? Maybe. Not too loud and just enough to maybe snag a few of them in terms of attention. I mean, who would wig out over getting pegged with a paper airplane? The superior would probably just scoff and send the freaked out members to calm their paranoia. Can't hurt to try. God, I'm so bad at this.

I reach down and start folding the nearest untarnished paper into a rudimentary glider style. I repeat the process a few times so I have enough in case I miss. Did I mention this is stupid?

I try to angle myself around the corner so I'm not too easily seen. Taking my first projectile, I make a few practice flicks with my wrist. Feeling confident in my power, I reel back and let the thing fly.

I let go too late and send it crashing into the floor a foot from me. It smacks with an tiny splat. No one seems to hear it. Blast. Time to try again. Picking up another, I go for round two.

This one sails a lot further but goes at a bad angle, hitting the wall on the left just short of the group. This time one of the back cronies stirs and peeks over their shoulder before turning back. Okay, I'm getting the hang of this. Third time's the charm.

Firing off my next round of ammunition, I go for what I think is now the right altitude and power to send it flying. 3, 2, 1. Take off!

Like some majestic scene in a movie, I watch the triumphant piece soar up in a graceful arc and begin to glide forward. I feel myself rooting silently as I watch the little plane that could fly ever closer to its target. The white coloring shines off the paper as it passes by a torch, lighting its way to victory.

Thwap.

My projectile makes its mark. The pointy end smacks right into the back of a grunt's head. They spin around and stare, head twisting back and forth in confusion. Looking down, they pick up the aerial nuisance and turn it in their hands. When their head raises, I intentionally tarry just a second so they can see a part of me duck away. As I pull back, I see the one tap a friend on the shoulder. Mission accomplished.

Now let's just hope they aren't rallying the entire squad.

I turn around and dash for the end of the hall. Lucina is just around the corner and a few doors down. I have to keep luring whoever I can a little further on and we'll be gold. Ducking around the edge, I wait for them to come.

"Damn," I mumble as four soldiers round the bend. Two and two for each of us I guess. The grunts stick close together and search the area. It's hard to tell anything about them thanks to the wraps covering their faces. What I can see though is the clear as day eye emblazoned on the back of their cloaks. Agents of the Grimleal.

They begin a systematic search of each room in the hall, moving in small groups as two stand at the doorway while the others search the room. Fascinating and all but after the third sweep, I decide to speed things up. Slowly reaching out with my finger, I brush it up against a pot sitting on the table beside me.

"Oops," I say innocently as I shove it over the edge. The pot slams against the stonework, shattering in all directions. The explosion is a loud echo off the walls, a clear sound no one can miss. Come on you stupid dweebs. Follow mama spider into the web.

Dashing to her hiding place, I take my place at the room's front. "Get ready. There's four coming. Armed with swords as far as I can see."

Lucina doesn't have to answer for me to know she understands.

I wait and watch. I see bodies gather at the corner around the fallen pot. Their heads whip around in paranoia, fingers itching to grab their weapon. The furthest one over finally looks down the hall and I duck in toward the back of the room. It's a little creepy, stepping into the shadows. I feel like they're swallowing me up in my retreat.

Alarmed voices call out and I hear them rush over. The room over I hear the door burst open and someone enter it. Simultaneously, two bodies step into my room. Their silhouettes are dark against the lit corridor. They stalk in with weapons drawn like two predators on prey.

I feign terror and press up against the wall as if trapped. I force myself not to look at the shadow creeping in from the corner toward their backs.

"Survivor, eh?" the one comments.

"Just some gangly looking page brat. He's of no use to us," his ally flippantly states.

"Bro, really?" I yell in aggravation. "I am not a guy!"

Not that my protest matters. They don't have much longer to worry about that.

The left one goes stiff, a look of disbelief on his face. His mouth moves wordlessly as the blade poking from him slips back through his body. His comrade walks forward two steps before finally noticing his ally slipping to the ground. He jerks in surprise, letting out a protesting cry. That's rapidly cut short as Lucina dispatches him just as effectively as the first.

Ah, there it is. I haven't felt that in a while.

"Robin?" Lucina leaps over the bodies to my side as I start to fall back against the wall.

I hold up my hand in protest, while I lean my head between my legs. "Just...give me second."

"We do not have a second!" she protests. "What is wrong? Are you injured?"

I force myself not to look at the newly bloodied bodies on the floor. Goddamn. Remember what Chrom said. Push the feeling from your mind. But dead people! Just, just, don't look at them. Remember who you're fighting for! These people are here to steal the lives of those I want to save. If they have to die to reach that goal, then so be it.

Shit, why is it so hard to act on that though.

"Robin..." Lucina says almost pleadingly.

"I'm fine. Or, I will be. I just have to get used to that," I grunt, waving at the two corpses nearby. With a deep breath, I steady myself again. Maybe if I start thinking of them as Risen, it will be easier.

"I had no idea you-"

An explosion of stone sprays into us, causing us both to duck to the side. Spitting out a pebble, I stare at the doorway. "Company!"

The two Plegians from next door are on us. And what do you know. One's actually a mage.

Eerie shadows cast over her face as her fingers light green. Wind magic.

Lucina pulls Falchion up and beelines for the sword user. I guess I have the magic one. Shoot. Why didn't I bring my tome? Stupid Robin!

I rush past Lucina's fight and immediately drops to my knees, ducking my head. I know the movements of her hands and the rune signs. She's launching a blade like projectile which only functions well in a straight line forward. A rush of freezing air blasts overhead crunching into the wall again.

The mage says something inaudible as she begins to panic. I begin to panic too at the encroaching fear of what I have to do. Biting down hard, I remember the faces of every one I'm protecting.

The sensation of colliding with a warm human body, of the blade sinking into the soft fleshiness, is indescribable. I'll...I'll never be use to it. But I can force myself to get through it.

The other woman lets out a breathy sigh as if her soul is escaping from the already cooling body. I don't look at her face, only the wall behind her as she starts to fall. I withdraw with a wet sliding sound. That will never stop being gross.

I turn and see Lucina has finished handling her own fight. Her foe is not only down, but missing his sword arm as well. That's swell.

"Lucina."

She holds up a hand and looks behind her. I take a step but she pushes her hand toward me.

"Do you hear that?"

"That would be the sound of my stomach not trying to hurl," I joke darkly.

She isn't too appreciative of the gesture. Walking further into the room, I follow after her. "What are you hearing?"

"I'm not sure. Creaking. Cracking? I heard it loudly as I struck down that Plegian." She stops in the center and looks around. I stand beside Lucina and copy her movements.

As we strain to hear, something hits my shoulder. Reaching up, my fingers grasp around it. Tiny pebbles. Where did that come from. Above?

The ceiling?

I quickly tap into my magic again and light a flame, illuminating it overhead. There's a mighty crease in it. Lucina follows my stare and gasps. I enhance the strength and let my hand follow the trail to the wall. The source spider webs from the large crater in the wall. In it is the splintered remains of a support column.

"Bollocks."

"Robin, go!" Lucina shouts.

Like some disaster scene in a movie, the ceiling splits as we move. Without thinking, I push Lucina hard to the left and throw myself to the right. My magic winks out leaving me in darkness as the world crumbles around me. A gust of dirty air slams into me and forcefully throws me to the side.

A garbled string of painful cusses rips from me as I comically roll over the spinning rocks. The roar of toppling stone subsides and the cloud settles. My lone cough mixes with the last of the pebbles tumbling by. I grasp my aching elbow and stagger to my feet.

My head snaps up when I realize someone very important is missing. Lucina! Throwing caution to the wind, I start to yell as I scan the ground for some sign of my missing comrade. I slip over rocks as I press up against the great pile separating me from the other side of the room.

"Lucina! Lucina! Gods, kid! Tell me you're alright! Come on! Say something!"

It's muffled but I hear what sounds like broken coughs.

"Lucina!" I shout through cupped hands. "Is that you?" I try to press my ear closer.

"I'm here!"

Relief courses through me and the tension in my muscles lets go. "Thank the gods. You still in one piece?"

There's the sound of rocks falling as she moves just beyond sight. "I am well but the ceiling has collapsed entirely. The mage's spell must have destroyed the support, causing this to collapse." She coughs again. "There looks to be no way around this."

I look around me and see my only way out is a hole in the wall nearby. I'll have to exit there.

"Hold on," she yells. Seconds tick by and she finally returns after an excruciating wait. "The hall is blocked. The rubble has spilled through the door and stopped up the way. If we are to meet once more, we'll have to go around."

That means I would have to circle all the way and meet her in the center. By the mess hall. "You do know that there's a bunch of Plegians blocking the way between us?"

"A few less than before, I may add!" There's a pause as if she's in thought. "More of them will make their way toward us thanks to the blast. If you believe yourself capable, take them out. If not, try to make it to the junction as best you can. If we can draw most of the fighting to the doors then the guards imprisoned may hear us fighting. There's a chance they may come forth to join us. It's a gamble but perhaps the best we have."

"We couldn't have done that earlier?" I point out.

"With the numbers they had on us, we'd have been cut down before a commotion could have even been made," she replies.

"Good point. Sheesh, what I mess," I say, pressing my forehead against the rock. "I don't want to leave you alone but I have no choice."

Another pause, then her voice comes softer. "I will be fine. You must focus on yourself now."

"Yeah, yeah. I know." I sigh in defeat. "So, I'll meet you down there I guess?"

"Indeed."

I slam my fist into the protrusion. "This sucks!"

A sad chuckle, barely audible. "You worry far too much for my wellbeing."

"Someone has to," I breathe out shallowly. "I guess I should say good luck."

"Mm. Naga protect you Robin. We shall both need it."

No more is said.

Pressing away from the wall, I carefully make for the other edge of the room. The ceiling overhead creaks again and reignites my desire to leave. Someone is going to be pissed about this. I can't imagine what it will take to repair that.

Throwing open the door, I duck in and find myself in a room draped in linens. Wash tubs and clothing are strewn about in abandonment. A laundry room? I push a bed cover out of the way and enter the middle of the room, only to come face to face with another Plegian. Already? That was quick.

Man, why does my life suck so bad?

I panic and yank out my sword, brandishing it threateningly at my enemy. Instead of doing the same, he just stands there in shock dropping the pair of pants and coin pouch in his hands. Slowly he raises them and takes a step back. Two eyes peer out from under his wrap. They flicker to the debris behind me.

"Is that what...What in the gods' names...?" He trails off and focuses on the weapon being pointed at him. "Hey now. Easy," he says casually.

What the heck? Is this guy serious? I don't move to strike, but I refuse to lower my guard.

"Stay back and I won't stab you silly," I say in warning as I sidestep toward the exit.

The man pauses and seems to assess my persona. In response, I do the same thing. He's rather tall and got a lithe frame. Bedecked in dark colors and a light leather armor, his suit lacks the trimming the Plegians have. A mercenary maybe? I can't tell much else with that head wrap on blocking his face.

"You aren't attacking me?" he says, almost in confusion.

He's got a point, I suppose I should be. I contemplate righting that wrong, but I get queasy at the notion. This guy hasn't made it a point to attack me either. Why spill anymore blood than need be. I'm no murderer. Killing's just...urgh. It makes my stomach want to turn inside out. I can feel Frederick yelling at me in the back of my head. I'm giving this guy an opening to attack. Never trust the enemy!

Still, I don't want to go axe crazy on every person I see. If I can get down to Lucina as quick as possible, I'll do just that.

"J-just pretend you didn't see me!" I stammer as I walk while still facing him.

My enemy watches me quietly, still in a position of surrender, as I use one hand to feel the wall behind me. My hip finds the opened door before my hand does and I wince and stumble in pain.

The man cocks his head to the side and his eyes crinkle in amusement, but continues to say nothing. Is he laughing? Stupid asswad.

"Don't follow me," I say stupidly as I duck into the hall. Looking behind me, I see it's clear so far. Who knows how long that will take? I should get moving. Moving sideways along the corridor, I watch both ends for incoming enemies.

As I hit the end of it, I see the Plegian in the room poke his head out. He sees me and gives a nonchalant wave. Is he for real? I stagger slightly in my pace as I'm caught off guard by his rather friendly manner.

"Hey, lady! Hold up a minute."

Nope. Not happening dude. I'm not giving you the benefit of the doubt!

Ducking quickly into the closest room, I slam the door shut and back up. Breathing a sigh of relief, I think myself free for the moment. Another laundry room. Ah, there's a window in the back there. I can escape through that and enter another room a little further down. That'll-

The door handle turns.

Shit. I forgot to lock it.

The door opens partway, the rogue experimentally poking his head in. When nothing attempts to shave it off, he ducks in further. He looks down at the handle then up to me.

"Not really good at keeping folks out, are you?" he remarks casually.

I answer by throwing a nearby pitcher at his face. His eyes widen and he ducks back through the frame.

"Jeez! Cool it! I ain't here to pick a fight with you! I just want to talk," he says from the other side of the door.

"You want to talk?" I say incredulously. "Really. I find that hard to believe coming from the likes of you."

"Dead serious, sweet stuff. Swear on my ma's best pie. Just talk and nothing else. No reason for anyone to get all stabbity and such. We'll just be two civil people having a civil conversation in a...civil situation."

Did he just call me sweet stuff? Ew. "Why?" I glare.

"Cause you're the first Ylissean here who hasn't employed the 'stab first, talk later' tactic," he replies, daring to pop back in again. As he enters, I can see a variety of small weapons on his belt. Not good.

"Drop your weapons and then we'll talk," I warn. This is his only chance. If he's isn't willing to do that, I doubt he's here to chit chat.

He tilts his head, clearly not liking the idea. "Sorry, no can do I'm afraid. Knives and such go with the whole rogue thing. Discarding them might hurt my image."

"Your loss," I growl, throwing all my weight forward with an attack I hope catches him off guard.

"For the love of...!" he yells in surprise.

I'm not much of a fan for taking the first swing. I prefer to go on the defensive and watch how they move to get a grip on their fighting style. I didn't have much of choice this time though. I need to end this guy and get back to Lucina.

I charge the chatty rogue and go for a pretty standard swing toward his upper chest, trying to gauge his talent level. He pulls out a fairly small-sized knife but manages to lift an effortless parry off of my sword. He doesn't take on the brunt of it as much as he does use the edge to deflect it off to the side.

Tch. He's fast. I hate fast fighters. They're my weakness. Frederick deduced my style to be more accurately geared for quick maneuvers and taking advantage of lowered defenses. When I find myself up against someone equally fast, that tactic flounders. They move so much I can never take advantage of an opening, let alone even find one.

He deflects harmlessly allowing me to easily spin on my heel, swapping my angle and reeling downward for a low blow to the hip and thigh.

The rogue twists with me, flipping up another knife from somewhere along his belt. Longer and sturdier than the one in his other hand, he catches the spinning blade and aims it down, catching my sword at a hold as he digs his feet into the floor for support. Stopping my attack, he then twirls the dagger in his other around and uses the blunt end of his fist to swing at my head.

I duck just in time and fall all the way to the floor, kicking up sloppily with the foot I'm not balancing on. He leans back, dodging my heel. Instead of attacking, he takes a few steps away toward the back of the room. Overhead hangs a line of clothing, long abandoned in the haste of the attack. Following the rope from the ceiling to the floor, I see one end of its taunt line strung right nearby. Distraction time!

Instead of aiming for him, I roll onto my hands and push forward. With a well-aimed burst, I launch out at the cord. My sword cuts into the twines and a quick set of motions breaks through the rest of the resistance. The rope snaps against the floor before the tension whips it through the metal ring it's wrapped around.

The sound of the line hissing through its restraints echoes through the room as massive sheets begin to fall. Realization dawns on the rogue and he turns his head just as one topples over him.

He makes a disgruntled sound of alarm as he becomes entangled in the material. Getting to my feet, I run at him with my shoulder out like a lineman ready for the tackle. As I converge on him, there's a brief tear in the material and I can see his head poke through the opening. They open wide and then the world tumbles around me.

We both let out simultaneous gasps as the air is knocked from both of us, him from my elbow in his gut and myself from slamming into his much heavier body. Feet slip on the covers and we both fall into a heap of flailing limbs. My hand reaches out for support and clamps down on something wooden. I throw my weight into it to help pull me to my feet. As I do so, I find my surface starting to slip and turn.

"No, no, n-Ah!"

I fall face first to the floor. Something cold and wet falls over my back and legs. Panicking to get back to my feet, I push up and fight against slipping on the soapy water I just spilled from a nearby tub. Bubbles from rise from the liquid and pop around me. One bursts right in my face, causing me to cough from the horrid taste.

I see my weapon only a short distance away. My feet slip against the slimy surface and I wobble trying to get my balance. Unfortunately that doesn't go quite according to plan. I slide again and grab for whatever I can, that being the rogue next to me. Just having gotten to his feet, my hand subconsciously grabs at him and snags the wrapping hanging off his shoulder. A coarse expletive comes from both of us as I drag him down with me.

Before I can recover, he gains the upper hand. He grabs me by the shoulders and forces me on my back, pinning me down. Warning alarms shoot off all over me. Having pulled off his wrap, all I could do now is stare into the face of-

Wait. What?

"For the love of all that's sweet and savory, can you just calm down a sec? I'm trying to talk to you for a sec. So why don't we just agree to parlay and skip with me having to ruin your night."

Gaius?

Sure enough, the famous sticky-fingered red-head stares right down back at me. Wow, he's a bit different from what the game pictured. I should say more accurate for a thief. His disheveled and uneven cut frames a much more rugged face than I imagined. I suppose when one is a thief you aren't going to be as clean-shaven as the original portrait. Damn, the boy is fine though. Lovely eyes.

Seriously, why is every Fire Emblem character so flippin' hot? At this rate, even Excellus is going to look handsome. Ouch, that's a scary thought.

"You going to play nice?" he inquires with a wary look.

"Not much I can do. You've got me pinned down pretty well," I point out.

"Not something most women complain about," he offers in a half-hearted jest. An attempt to be friendly? Not that it matters. I just stare morosely back. "Right then. I'm going to let you up now."

Gaius eases back alleviating the weight holding me down. He rests on his haunches, watching me as I raise myself up. "You got some suds in your hair Bubbles."

For some reason that mortifies me. I throw both hands on my head and rustle my hair frantically in an attempt to get them out. This elicits a hearty laugh from the thief.

I can guess why Gaius isn't stabbing me full of holes right now, but I ask to save face. "So why are we talking instead of fighting? You're the enemy as far as I'm concerned. You should be killing me. Or I you."

He raises a finger and waggles it, giving an enigmatic smile. "And that there, Bubbles, is where you're wrong."

He reaches under his cloak and there's a quick rustling before he pulls out something that looks like a cigar case. Flipping open the fancy do-dad, he pulls out...a lollipop. Go figure. Crunching down on it, he carries it in his mouth like he would a cigarette. Noticing my stare, he offers it over to me. "Care for one?"

"Uh, no. Thanks."

"Your loss," he mutters between clenched teeth as he returns the metal box to wherever it came from. "So, let's chat."

"Fine."

"Here's the deal. You're obviously wondering why the dashing rogue before you is claiming not to want to harm you? Am I right?"

"Clearly it's because you don't want to ruin my pretty face," I drawl.

Gaius snorts. He takes the sucker from his mouth and points it at me. "That'd be half of it. The other half being, I really just don't want to."

He pops the candy back in and offers me a hand as he stands. I gratefully take it. "Look, this whole plan here: the murder, rape, and pillage thing, that's not really my style. I might take your coin purse, the pie off your windowsill, and maybe your pantaloons for fun, but I'm no murderer. I didn't sign up for this."

"I find it hard to believe you weren't aware of the plan."

Gaius gives a weak shrug and cracks down on his candy. "My fault for taking a job and not reading the fine print. I just heard fancy loot and came along for the ride."

I cross my arms and lean back, giving him an incredulous look. "Great story and all, but that doesn't explain why we're talking."

He snaps his fingers. "Ah, an astute lady. What a pleasure. Good questions. Ones I have answers to. We're talking because of several reasons." Gaius gestures with his pointer finger then ticks off each point with another raised one. "One, you're still alive to talk with. Two, all your friends so far have proven to intense to try and chat up. Three, you are going to be my ticket out of here."

"Your ticket out of here?"

"Bingo," he says, snapping his fingers. "You scratch my back, and I scratch yours. Catch my meaning?"

"Maybe?" I say half sure.

He sighs. "Look, I ain't happy with this whole thing. I just signed on for the cash, not the blood. From what I hear, the Exalt's a really sweet gal. And I mean that in more ways than one. There's this really great cupcake this town in the south makes out of her face. If she were to die then, well, I doubt anymore of those tasty treats would get made. That would be the greatest shame of all."

"I'm sure," I respond apathetically. "So you signed on unknowingly with a bunch of psychos and now you want out?"

"Yep. I've had to stomach some real bad situations tonight that just don't sit well with my moral compass, ambiguous as it is. I don't want any part of it. So I figure I jump ship and pledge myself to your lot instead. I figure I can take my chances with you instead of getting sacrificed by these guys here. At worst, you all might put me up for trial and I end up in a cell somewhere. Not ideal but it's better than dying."

"They'll probably still execute you for being an assassin, trial or not."

"Nah, I haven't killed anyone today. Like I said, snuffing out innocents isn't my thing. I mean, look at this face. Does it look like it belongs to bloodthirsty killer?"

I stare at him awkwardly, unsure what to say.

A voice and footsteps drift in from the hall. For a second, I feel hope as I expect Lucina to come wandering up. That quickly disappears as the voice becomes clearer. Definitely masculine and not of an Ylissean accent. Looks like his friends finally made it over.

"Son of a bitch," I curse as I scramble over to where my sword lays discarded. Snatching it up, I look to Gaius for support. "You want to get out alive, then help me fight. More importantly, help me save my friends. Trust me when I say that my word can make or break your chances for survival tonight."

Before he can respond, a man's voice shouts out from just beyond the door. "Scout, report!"

Three men in leather armor and Grimleal heraldry pass by. One of them gazes in and immediately stops, wide-eyed. "Sir!" he exclaims.

The tallest one halts and steps back to peer in. He grows a furious expression and draws the other two in with him. Crap, here we go.

"Welp, guess it's my turn to prove my end of the bargain, right Bubbles?" he says low with a grin aimed secretly at me. He snaps up one of his daggers and catches it mid-air.

The leader in the forefront stops and points to him. "You there! Thief! What is the meaning of this? Your orders were to slay every enemy on sight."

He sucks in the air between his teeth, offering them a false look of pain. "Yeah, that sounds right, don't it. Guess I haven't been keeping my end of the bargain very well lately. But seeing as the enemy is right here, I should probably start working on that."

"Well?" the man says impatiently, eyeing me in disgust. "Do as you were assigned to do mercenary!"

"Huh, didn't expect you'd want to die that fast. Happy to oblige though," Gaius throws out.

The first man is down before the words even sink in. My initial disgust at watching these men die takes a backseat to the utter awe of seeing Gaius in action. This is...this is out of this world.

The Shepherds all work with long weapons and practiced patterns set to counter a situation as analyzed. Gaius' style is just raw and erratic, yet still fluid. There's no discernible patterns. He just moves.

He sprints forward in a blur, striking out with deadly precision at the first man's neck. He spins to the side, the knife a flash as it sinks into the primary artery. I cringe at the burst of blood spray, as does the Plegian beside him. The quickness of the events around him muddles his moves. He and the remaining man fumble for their weapons, though it's rather useless.

Gaius digs his boot in the floor and stops himself, turning toward to the other two. His eyes flicker over their movements, assessing their threat level. He moves with deadly agility again. Catching the one by the arm, he slams them back into the door frame while drawing his knife up. His victim jerks and lets out a mangled grunt of pain before going slack-jawed. As he starts to slip down, Gaius steps back exposing the reddening slit on the Plegian's chest, right where his heart would be.

The last of our foes has now drawn his weapon but stands in frozen shock as he sees another ally fall. Realizing he's now the only one left, fear takes hold and causes him to let loose a reckless swing even I could very well block. Gaius easily dodges and does a sweeping kick that knocks the Plegian flat. The man drops his weapon and scrambles, backing away until he hits the room's outer wall.

Gaius casually watches, approaching him slowly while throwing his knife up and down with each step.

"No. No!" The man gasps as he presses away from the encroaching rogue. "Spare me! Mercy."

Gaius kneels down and regards the Plegian with a dark expression. He spits the spent stick from his mouth and leans in. "Funny, I recall that pretty maid in the armory saying the same thing before you cut her neck."

The other man's eyes bug out and his mouth opens to cry in protest, but his voice never comes. Instead, there's only a wet gurgling sound as blood pours out from between his teeth. He futilely claws as the blossoming crimson line in his neck as he slumps to the ground.

"Oh," I say mutely as I stare in shock at the mess that was once three men. That's some, uh, Tarantino choreography right there.

Gaius rises and casually wipes both sides of the blade against his pant leg. He stares at the three bodies disdainfully and ends up kicking the one's head out of the way as he walks back to me. "Well, what say you? Convinced?"

"Yeah," I reply breathlessly. Really. Holy cow. He's actually just wasted three guys in just a few seconds. I can't get my head around that. "Wow."

"Can't deny I have that effect on people," he grins. Gesturing toward the door, he continues to speak. "You got places to be? If we're still doing this whole partner thing, I'm following your lead."

Am I seriously pairing up with Gaius? Heaven take me now. How stellar is this?

"My friend!" I cry suddenly as the seriousness of the situation sinks in again. "He's on the other end of the passage, trapped there after the explosion. We're supposed to be freeing the remnants of the guard in the mess hall."

Gaius looks down the way. "Yeah, I remember. Couple of them stuck in that boarded up room. Stupid idea to be wasting time trying to break in from the front. There's another way in through the kitchen. Could have used that."

I blink rapidly. "You knew there was another way in? Why didn't you say anything?"

He shrugs, fishing around for another snack. "Course I knew there was another way in. It's not my first time in a castle. They're all the same." Extracting a tiny red wrapper, he slips out a chocolate.

"As for why?" he says between crunches. "I already said. Pretty sure ol' Naga ain't a fan of thievery. But murder? That's ten times the bad. I reckon if I find myself looking down her fancy bosom one day in the afterlife, I'd rather be scolded for the lesser of my evils. You know?"

"A gold-hearted rogue. Rather cliché," I snort as we leave.

"I ain't looking to be revolutionary, Bubbles. I'm in it for the thrill and a good haul of spoils. Taking lives is only an option."

Entering the hall, we find another Plegian waiting for us. Gaius readies his knife again and looks sideways at me. "Not my preference though."

That's his way of letting me know he's done with these sickos. He has my back and I shouldn't doubt it. One of the blessings of this foreknowledge into things is that I know him as a person already. He's going to be an ally so I don't have to watch for betrayal. He's good as gold.

I take a deep breath and focus on that mantra in my head as we proceed to wipe the floor of any Plegians we come across. His count is higher than mine, but my sword is no cleaner than his by the end of our adventure to the opposite end. I still feel numb every time my sword cuts through another person's body. But the shock and inability to move, that's fading.

I'm adjusting to death. Adjusting to taking lives.

God. That's...that's pretty dismal. To be even thinking that is just, I don't know. Where's the old Robin going? This doesn't sound like me at all. No, don't think of that now. Philosophise later. You have people very important to you to save. I can't let this hamper my abilities. Focus.

Charging around the final corner, I'm met with more battles. Lucina's prediction came true. I don't know if was the blast or all of our struggles, but the guard decided to react after all. The mess hall doors are thrown open and the fighting is occurring here and spilling into the far room.

"Marth!" I shout. But she is no where to be seen.

"Heads up," Gaius remarks, rushing toward a Plegian who's broken from the group on seeing us.

This one is different. Her armor is fancier than the others. Smoother, sleeker. A higher grade material than what Gaius or the others have. She moves with the same deadly speed he does and her weapons emerge from seemingly nowhere.

Gaius and the woman clash, a quick connection of blades before separating apart. She's a half a step ahead of him, circling him quicker with another strike. He keeps up with her but the fierce look of concentration tells me he knows the same thing. She's far more deadly than the mooks we've dealt with on the way here. I'd take a stab and say she's part of the assassin entourage.

I watch closer, taking in every part of her footwork and sparing style. I know Gaius has cast an eye at me more than once, probably wondering why I wasn't helping. I'll be of no use to him if I can't provide the right aid. I have to balance my lack of experience with what skills I do have.

Hey, is that...? I watch her left leg, hoping to see what flashed by before. Yes! There. A cut in the material of her pant leg. A tiny limp. That's a weakness to exploit. If I can slow her down, Gaius can get the upper hand. It needn't be even crippling, just enough to get him the advantage in their almost equally matched speed.

"About time," Gaius grits out as she pushes him back with a good strike.

My insides curl as she whirls on me. Savage eyes pierce into me under her wrap. A quick scan and a cold chuckle. Yeah, that's right, underestimate me. I dare you.

"On her left leg! There's- HOLY FUCK!"

I underestimated her speed this close! It's only because I watched her that I'm able to suck my stomach in and avoid the last part of her three cut barrage. Neck, stomach, kidney. Reverse order with kidney, heart, neck. Twirl away and start over. Given her rather unimaginative style, I wonder if she's just an acolyte or something. Still, if she's this good, I can't imagine what the rest of her cohorts are like. Emmeryn. Chrom. Hold on. Please.

I'm not trying to press the attack. All I have to do is keep her occupied from Gaius. I do my best to keep up with the attacks but tiny slashes are starting to appear in my clothes. Blood from shallow wounds begins to trickle out and run down my arms.

"I don't appreciate unfinished business," Gaius snarks as he jumps in to help.

The assassin reacts quickly. Her leg bends in gymnastic elasticity, cutting up and catching the tip of her boot under my chin. My head snaps back and my teeth smash together as I topple. Multiple colored dots swarm my vision as I crack my skull on the floor. My nerves are on fire and I can't even find a voice to let out the amount of pain I'm in.

I can barely make out whether I'm flexing my toe or my fingers. Only the solid surface of the hilt in my palm helps me tell what's what.

Shadows and far away noises start to separate. The dancing blurs in front of me becomes noodles, then feet. I'm inches from where Gaius and the Plegian fight. It feels like I got thrown much further away.

I blanche and push away, the assassin's boot almost coming down on my face as the two twist in a whirlwind of moves.

You know, I'm at a very good angle down here. There's her injury! If I could just stop seeing doubles of everything then maybe I could...

She's circling around again! Yes. If I could just lift my arm...Come on. Feels like it's full of rocks.

I wait for her to have her back to me before moving. I groan quietly as I roll on my stomach. Propping myself up with my elbows, I tighten my grip on my sword. This thing is so long and awkward. Forget some little surgeon-like incision. If I can lob her whole leg off, then I'll do it!

Before she can turn and see me, I weakly push myself forward, thrusting the edge of my blade at her.

The assassin's battle instincts alert her to my movement. She jumps enough away to avoid me skewering her whole leg, but not enough to dodge it completely. Gaius, having seen me go on the move, attacks her in just the right way to angle her into my blow.

The sword cuts into the general area of her already existing wound. The assassin restrains a cry of pain and recovers, sending the amount of her weight to the good leg she rests on. Gaius and I both look right pleased with ourselves. The assassin, not so much from the way she's squinting.

"Traitorous wretch," she hisses at Gaius. "I will see you hunted for this."

I see her one hand slipping out from behind her back. Before I can shout to Gaius, she flicks her wrist. There's a pop and a fine white mist explodes around us. Someone barrels into me, slamming me flat against the floor.

I hear several objects hiss through the air and thump into the wall behind us as another person leaps away.

The smoke begins to part and the dark remains of a body flit around the end of the passage.

The weight on my back rolls off and Gaius ends up back first on the floor beside. He looks over with a weary expression. "You alright?"

My eyes wander to the wall where I heard the sound and see several knives jutting from it. "Hells," I mutter. "Thank you."

"No problem. Just doing my job."

"You sure are," I wheeze as I sit up. What I wouldn't give for a bottle of aspirin.

"Good," he says, mirroring my motions. "Cause I think I may be needing you to do your job now."

"Robin!" A voice rings out.

"Hi Marth," I greet lamely, rubbing the throbbing knob in the back of my head.

"Gods! Are you well? You took so long to appear I feared-"

Lucina's call cuts off abruptly as she nearly skids to a halt. She looks at the floor between Gaius and I. Seeing the dagger next to his hand, Lucina jumps forward ready to tear a chunk from him.

"Marth, no!"

I throw myself up on my feet and hang off her, stopping her attack. She watches me in confusion as I lean in. "Lucina," I whisper, "look."

She gazes at me in confusion and then looks over my shoulder at the man behind us. I feel her tense up, and then relax. "I see," she whispers back. Lucina assumes her normal guarded stance beside me but lets her hand fall from the hilt of her sword.

"We all good?" Gaius calls out hesitantly.

"Yeah, we're good," I throw back. "I told him you're not our enemy."

Gaius seems resistant at first to the idea, but ultimately chooses to tuck his weapon away and stand. "A recently found ally, but better late than never," he says.

"Consider this man here a deserter. He told me he finds the Plegians' distasteful and is willing to work with us for penance. Considering what he's done to these poor bastards already, I'm gonna give him a shot. What do you say Marth? He did save my life after all," I say.

In normal circumstances, I don't think either of us would do something like this. Just totally accepting the enemy open armed with little inhibitions is stupid and risky. But we both know who Gaius is and what he'll be for the Shepherds. So we'll break the rules in an instance like this.

Lucina picks up on my thoughts and seems to agree. Feighing some thought, she eventually nods. "If that is what you believe, I will be willing to accept his aid."

Gaius looks at us in surprise. "Wait, seriously. Just like that?"

"Just like that," she reaffirms.

The thief makes a face but shakes it off for a friendlier one. "Whatever works. Long as I live another day, I'll consider it a sweet, sweet victory."

"Tell me then, what shall we address you as?"

He rests against a nearby table, pulling out a small candy from another hiding place. Popping the morsel in his mouth, he discards the wrapper on the wood behind him. "Name's Gaius. Master of the art of permanent borrowing and selling of shiny goods. Also, occasionally connoisseur of all things delightful and sugary."

"I, um, suppose I should return the favor. We have been working together now for a bit. I'm Robin, tactician to the Shepherds," I say quickly. "And this here is my friend Marth, a wandering mercenary of sorts."

Gaius looks me up and down. "Robin, huh? I think I like Bubbles better."

He looks at Lucina, then does a double take. He looks rather confused with her. "Marth?" he says slowly. "Your friend here is, uh..."

"What?" we both say, she harshly and I in alarm.

He raises both hands. "You know what, never mind. I've seen weirder things in my line of work than this. I know not to comment when I shouldn't. So let's just skip on that. Tell me though, are you and the kid here riding in with the calvary or what? Who am I signing on with?"

"If you are inquiring into whether or not we are with a rescue party, then you would be wrong. However, we are working toward getting one here," Lucina admits. "Soon, I hope."

"That so," he says as he scratches the side of his nose. "Glad you came along when you did then. I'd hate to be found by some angry knights later on. But, uh, what exactly's the plan?"

"We had intended to free the trapped knights in the mess hall for support. A tactic I am glad to say has been near accomplished."

"Really?" I say in surprise.

Lucina nods. "I steered my fight toward the mess hall as best I could. It was all I could do when you didn't appear. Luckily, they did and took the chance to investigate. When they saw me fighting, they jumped in." She looks back at the hall. "We shouldn't be talking like this. There are still fights going on in there. We should aid them."

"Let's go then! I'm ready to kick more Plegian ass!"

"Indeed," she says with supressed relief. "Bring our new...friend along. We will need all the extra hands we can get."

"You got it," Gaius says, saluting us with three finger. "Point the way."

Kay-o. Time to finish this and get the ball rolling. This night is far from being over.

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A/N: I'm going to channel my inner Severa for a bit and just say "GAWD." I've been working on this for eight days. Did I mention I'm not at all practiced in action sequences. Well, I'm not. Please tell me some of this was salvageable. I'm going to crawl back to Dragon Age now. Urgh. Happy Thanksgiving to whomever and a wonderful day to everyone else. Ciao.

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Review Responses -

Alucard45 - I've sold my soul to Dragon Age. It's pretty darn impressive and I'm digging it a ton. Hope you're enjoying it too!

Hm, challenge accepted. A lot of the characters do suffer from stock stereotype syndrome and he's no less different. I was planning on expanding his character when Regna Ferox rolls in but I can push something up sooner. I brainstormed a few scenes so I'll see where I can fit them.

You've got some valid concerns. Coming from someone who read the most convoluted time/dimension travel story of all time (Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles by CLAMP), I'm trying to avoid their level of complications. I wouldn't worry too much about the two Lucina mentioned. As I stated in their chapter, they're just a few OC characters I made for Kellam because I love his pairing so much. They're simply a way to show Robin is subtly changing the plot in little ways. Nothing more.

I'm actually glad you noticed Lucina's rather singular attention to just her father. She is intentionally avoiding any mention of her mother for reasons. I'm aware, and annoyed, by that aspect of singular parent devotion myself. The same with Morgan as well. It's something I turned into a plot point for both of them and it will be addressed later. Thanks for noting your concerns. Keep 'em coming. Makes me a better writer!

BrowncoatJedi - Thanks for the triple review! I always appreciate the continued support. Glad creepy Robin is striking some chords with you. That was the intent. I didn't want to gloss over the villains so I'm really trying to emphasize how dastardly they are. As for Chapter 20, that was a pleasure to write. I love world building so indulging in different aspects of the character's lives only gives them more depth. There's no greater pleasure than seeing others not only enjoy but find that content flow effortlessly with the existing feel of the world.

timewastin - I love Lucina trying to sound grown-up and responsible. She tries so hard be a leader but then little bits of her youth come out and I want to laugh. Those memory problems of Robin's though! Perhaps they aren't so naturally occurring as she thinks. You may be right. Hmm. Who knows?

Titan127 - If I had someone like Lissa around all the time, I doubt I could ever have a bad day. She's just one big ball of sunshine! Ha, yeah I sort of snickered at the idea of Chrom beating up anyone on her behalf. I think he's probably overprotective, maybe even more so than Frederick depending on the situation. Lon'qu better watch it!

guardsmansparky - TO DEFEAT THE HUUUUUNS! I tried to resist but couldn't. That song is too damn catchy. I'll be humming it forever now. Someone is going to throw a turkey leg at me today at the dinner table.

When the Moon Met the Sun - Aw, thank you :) I enjoy my mixing of humor and danger. Lissa's bad fashion sense is a family gene unfortunately. Chrom's asymmetrical disaster of a uniform and Lucina's horrible shopping spree her mother's support made me believe it's hereditary. Poor Frederick has his hands full trying to pick their clothes and keep them matching every day.

A Shadow's Lament - Robin and Lon'qu's relationship is a something I wanted to write sooo bad! I read so many stories where the avatar locks eyes on their one true love and never looks at anyone again. I think seeing our peerless avatar get shot down and flounder a bit in love before finding their right partner is more entertaining to see. But then again, maybe I just like watching my characters suffer. ;)

And yes, they did go through that break in the wall! Some things won't change, no matter how warped the events may be.

humanManure - Thank you! Let me gush in appreciation right back! I'll definitely be writing this for a long time! Just look how long it took to get to the assassination attempt, ha ha! Goodness, a request for love drama though! I'll try my best! Tharja throwing a wrench into any prospective suitors of Robin's is a lovely plan. I'll have to remember that!

Skarrow - Ah, well thank you for your honesty. I'll admit that action is a struggle of mine. If I've managed to make them even mediocre at this point, that's a win for me but I'll keep striving to get even better. That's the whole point of this story. I'll try to look at my future attempts from new angles then and figure out what's missing. If you have any suggestions yourself, feel free to vocalize. Sometimes it takes another pair of eyes to see what you're missing.

Lon'qu and Sumia though? That's...actually a rather neat idea. A bit more difficult to pull of than Sumia and Stahl but I can see it. She would be a great candidate give how understanding and patient she is. Lord, seeing Cynthia and him both burst out in a petal shower...That's the most precious thing ever. Consider me intrigued. I'll ship it.