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

Warnings for violence, blood, gore, and swearing

Chapter 23

"Well this certainly isn't what I pictured happening."

One lowly lieutenant, a super pissed cook, and the lasting remains of the resisting palace guard bumble about behind me as Lucina, Gaius, and I stand over my map.

"Tell me how I ended up in control again?" I cringe as I swivel the map out and around to the far wing.

Gaius, leaning all relaxed against the wall, turns his head and chuckles loudly. Lucina, on the other hand, regards me with sincerity.

"The castle guard is trained to fall immediately behind the one with the highest ranking for orders should their current leader be displaced. Though you are part of a special unit outside their main body, to them the hierarchy is all the same. Amongst the Shepherds, you equate to a higher command, higher than this newly promoted lieutenant anyway. That's enough of a leadership position for them to rally behind."

"Right. Good to know I have some level of standing as I lead us all to our deaths."

"You dismiss your skills so readily," Lucina frowns. "Have faith in your capabilities."

"Ooooor," I say, "you could take over instead. Gods know you have more experience at this than I."

I think she just narrowed her eyes at me through the mask. Her tone definitely sounds threatening. "And why would you presume that? I am no member of the guard, nor the army. And between myself, an enemy turncoat, and yourself, who is the best candidate to trust?"

Oops. Right. Nobody is supposed to know her relations to all this. I force out a overly loud laugh and try to cover my error. "Right. Right. My mistake. They'll only listen to someone actually in the army. Not a random mercenary. With no ties to us whatsoever. None at all."

Lucina's lets out a subtle sound of disgust and shakes her head. Leaning back, she chooses to ignore me and change her focus. "Master Gaius, a word if I may."

The thief gives her and incredulous look. "Master, huh? That's a first."

Pushing off, he nonchalantly meanders to the long table we've made base at. He takes a good look at the map we're gathered around and his eyebrows shoot up.

"That," he enunciates with a stong tone of curiosity, "is quite the handy tool."

"Thanks," I grin with pride.

"Happen to know were I might get one?" He reaches forward and taps the top of it with his finger, causing the whole layout to wipe clean. The hard candy in his mouth snaps in two as he recoils back. Gaius' eyes shift between us as denial settles on his face. "I didn't do it."

I bite back a laugh and reach forward again, setting it back up. "Don't worry. You did nothing wrong. The map does that with any one else's touch but mine. It's a defense mechanism."

Gaius lowers his hands and seems to calm down. "Right. Like I said, didn't do it."

Lucina clears her throat loudly, breaking into our conversation. "As I was saying?"

"Right. What'd ya need Hero?"

"Hero?" Lucina repeats in confusion. "Another nickname of yours, I presume?"

"Bingo," he replies.

"Mmmph," she sounds in mild annoyance. "What I was going to ask is whether you have any advice you would be willing to offer us. Are you aware of their scouting plans? Did the enemy commanders have a specific base of operations or are they upon the field as well? Perhaps weaknesses we may take advantage of?"

He barely spares her a glance as he watches me work on my map. "You really think they'd share something important with a low level hire-on like me? That's cute. While I divulge their secret plans, I'll include the pass code to the Plegian treasury. No charge."

"Your glibness is charming," she retorts dully.

He flashes her a roguish smile. "Comes with the territory."

Lucina's fingers begin to curl and flex as if she is getting ready to lash out. Okay, time to step in. "Gaius, don't be dick. Just answer the question."

The red head looks at me in surprise, but that quickly melts into amusement. "Anyone tell ya you have a mouth spicier than a stick a cinnamon?"

"Not in that fashion, but yeah," I shrug.

"Huh," he says with a tilt of the head. "My type of gal. You're alright Bubbles."

I laugh nervously and Lucina just shakes her head at the whole scenario. "Focus please. Save your...your wooing for another time."

"That's not-ugh!" I hide my face behind my hands and take a deep breath out.

Gaius just laughs the whole thing off. "You want some advice that bad? Here's some. Stay away from the chief. That fella has more magic in his pinky finger than a whole pegasus and then some."

"Validar," I grump evily. Lucina gives me another stare of disbelief and looks ready to whap me upside the head.

Gaius raises a brow. "Yeah, that's his name. You know 'im?"

Aren't I on a roll of plundering today. "No! Nope, just heard one of the cronies say something about their leader. The name drifted around with it so I just assumed that's him. Yeah," I trail off with shifty eyes.

Dragging the attention off me, Lucina grabs his attention again. "Master Gaius, I know you claim no foreknowledge of the plans at hand but I must insist. Did you hear nothing at all? Even one thing that may be a use to us. Perhaps where this leader of yours will appear? Anything?"

Gaius pats him self down, no doubt looking for another snack. "No clue. Never even met him until we were assembled just outside the castle." His face splits into a grin of triumphant as he pulls something like taffy from his back pouch. "Niiiice. Anyway, where was I? Ah. So us mercs are just standing around and all of the sudden tall, dark, and grim comes from no where with a whole crew at his back. Started spouting something about our duty to Plegia and placating the Dark One."

"Now me and this other fella start chatting and realize there's been some info left out between point A and point B. The poor sod gets it up in skull that he's just going to talk sensibly, thinks he can just walk out before we start. Well the boss didn't seem to care for this."

"He starts sneering, ranting in his crazy way. But this man on his left, some advisor or something, just cuts him off. Doesn't say a word, just steps in front of him. Validar gets real quiet here and shuts up. Steps back and lets the man make way."

"His crony walks forward and his hand does this glowy thing ," Gaius says, stretching out his right hand and wriggling it slow and mystic. Lucina starts to lean away as he gets closer. "So he reaches forward with just his one finger toward the fella's head. The guy's eyeballing him like he's a candy cane without stripes. The finger gets closer and closer to his forehead. Finally, the bony thing pokes him blank in the face and-"

He boops Lucina right in the forehead. "Nothin' happens."

"What?" I say in confusion. Lucina, meanwhile, swats his hand away in impatience.

"This is going no where!" she hisses.

Gaius holds a hand up and silences her. "Now hold on Hero. I ain't finished. Nothing happened, yet." He gets more somber as he speaks. "So the fellow's just standing there and I figure I'll be the good soul to wrangle him in and tell him to count his chickens before they hatch. Doesn't move the whole time I'm there. I go to reach for his shoulder and turn him around except he feels mighty cold under than armor. And when I pull him back- BAM! - his arm falls right off."

I can't even describe the sound of alarm that comes out of me. Well that went south quickly.

"The guy's arm hits the ground and collapses. Nothing but dust comes spilling out of his armor. And just like that, the rest of him starts to fall backward. Lookin' down, I see just in time he's a petrified clump of dried skin and bone. Crumbles just like that as he hits the ground. It's like someone sucked the life right out of him."

"Marth," I say in alarm. This isn't what I remember happening.

"Nosferatu," she says cold and quiet under her breath.

"Can't understand you, kid," Gaius says, leaning in.

"Nosferatu, it's a dark spell. I read of it in a spell compendium. What you described happening sounds just like it. It's one of the rarest and foulest of dark magic spells. Not just anyone can do it. I'm not even sure this Validar is capable of wielding it as he is."

"Yet another Grimleal priest can," I say. "That makes no sense."

"If this mysterious friend of his really is Grimleal. You know nothing else of this man?"

"You serious? The whole point of me telling you this is why I don't know anything else. I stayed clear of those two. Pretty easy to do so too. The advisor stayed behind Validar the whole time and they only spoke when out of earshot. Stayed cloaked the whole time. Must like his secrecy."

So there's someone else here with Validar? I'm both alarmed and intrigued. The whole development behind this sudden appearance and the alleged power level is frightening. But, for me, this could be something big. Is this person connected to the strange events somehow? If so, there's a potential for answers. Or more questions. Lord help me if it's the latter. I'm sick to death of all these uncertainties.

"So we have two potential power players on the board," Lucina murmurs, rubbing her thumb in contemplation under her chin. Her head tilts as she surveys the many rooms. "Robin, we should locate them. If this Validar and his associate are Grimleal priests, we should approach them with more care and planning."

"Right."

Just a sliver of me is hoping the guy decided to just watch from the sidelines. Of course that isn't the case though. He'll be around here somewhere and most likely his creepy friend as well. What I worry about most is whether he's found and engaged in combat with somebody.

"Stop, go back there!"

Lucina gestures to a back storage room in the servant corridor. Three red dots and a green one inhabit the area.

"What in Akaneia is that doing there?" the girl ponders. I can't help but wonder with her. Why is an ally unit hanging with enemy ones?

Punching down on the map, I investigate each one. The first two are Plegian clerics. I skip checking the information on them and head straight to the next. My heart plummets when the familiar sinister mug sketches in.

"That's your man," Gaius remarks from the side. "We infiltrated the castle from not too far down. Some scout of theirs found a path from the outside that leads in. An old passage long abandoned. I heard them mention they spent several months clearing it out."

Lucina and I exchange alarmed looks. "Several months?"

"It's probably an old escape exit for the south wing fallen into disrepair over the years from disuse. For someone to find it though, that is troubling," Lucina comments. "You would need very intimate knowledge of the castle to be able to find something that forgotten."

Wonderful.

"Robin, check the ally unit."

I quickly swipe it and nothing happens. That's odd.

"Robin?"

I do it again and nothing changes. The boxes all scratch in but there's nothing there. The picture panel is empty, as is all the lines of information.

It's like a webpage that stops loading halfway through downloading. A broken link or something.

"I don't understand. It's registering someone there but I'm not getting information on them. Maybe the entry in the Roster is damaged? That's all I can think of."

"What are we going on about?" Gaius questions.

I wave a hand at him. "Don't worry about it. Scrying schematics. It's something I'll have to work out later."

"It would be of great help to know who it is though," Lucina remarks in disappointment.

"Well it can't be one of your friends. They're coming up blue now on the map."

"Hm." She sighs in defeat. "We cannot waste time pondering on it now. We must simply be more vigilant about it. If it is an ally of some sort, we have half the reason not to worry. In the meantime, we should check the situation of the other groups while we are here."

"You got it. One thorough sweep coming right up."

Huh. I suppose things could be worse. Emmeryn's group seems to have regained some ground but the numbers seem to be the same on both sides. Looks like they're in a deadlock. That's worrisome because things might get more dangerous given the desperation the enemy might resort to.

In good news, Lissa and Lon'qu have made it to the gate house. There's a lack of enemy dots meaning they've also succeeded in knocking out the guards. It shouldn't be long now before we've got Nethys' group on our side. Still, it wouldn't do just to wait for them. Making our way to Emmeryn would still be the smarter choice.

"So," I ponder. "Should we take out the big boss or head for the Exalt first?"

Lucina turns and gestures for me to follow. "Come with me a moment."

"Uh, alright." Gaius and I share quick look but he just shrugs and nods me over.

Lucina guides me to the far corner and draws us in. "You must take these guards and get to the Exalt and others."

"That's a potential plan, isn't it? So why all the secrecy just to confirm what I already knew?"

"Because I have different plans. Remember?"

"Lucina," I say, my voice rising in warning.

"Robin, I explained this before," she states firmly. "Validar cannot get to you. He should not even see you. And if this new entity is truly with him, we are even more at risk in exposing you."

"I know you said you and the others kids planned to take him on but I think that's a bad idea. You should wait until you've got reinforcements on your side to back you up."

Lucina crosses her arms and glares at me. "And who has given you the right to order me around?"

"N-no one. But I don't want to just let you run off to handle this by yourself," I plead.

"You must. I have already explained the dangers and risks at hand. Have a little confidence in my friends and I. Together, we are strong enough."

I grab her by the shoulders and look her dead in the eyes. "And that Noseferatu freak? What if he appears? You really think you can handle a guy who can turn you into a dust bunny with the flick of his finger?"

She gently disengages herself from my grasp. "Trust me. Please."

"It's not just your safety I'm worried about Lucina. That man may be connected to me somehow. What if he knows something? I need to find out."

"I know you desire to learn more. Truly. But this will do us no good. You must be kept from Validar's grasp at all costs and the easiest way in doing so is keeping you away from him completely. I will do what I can to garner information on your behalf. Will that suffice?" Her face softens and she points to the group behind us. "Besides, you are their leader now. They will need to look to you for guidance."

"Not the wisest of decisions," I say while letting out a weak laugh.

"But it is theirs nonetheless. They are your responsibility now. You must lead them. Take them to the Exalt and reunite with Nethys' people. Gods willing, all will be well by then."

"If not?"

"Then you must stay hidden at all costs. The only risk that we face greater than losing the royal family is having you fall into the Grimleal's hands."

The great sound of stomping feet comes up behind us, followed by a deep and gravelly voice. "Oi! You two jabberin' 'bout the weather there or what? These Plegian bastards'll take over the whole of Ylisstol by the time your gums stop flapping."

Dear old Eliza. How Anneliese and her are sisters is the greatest mystery to me. This hag makes a Risen look tame. It takes everything in me to bite down a response. Instead I force a smile and turn.

"Planning takes time Eliza. We're almost done."

The grey haired crone glares at me from over her beaky nose. Her foot taps in tandem with the fireplace poker bouncing up and down against her palm. "What's almost done is my desire to hold back from shovin' me weapon up their unsanctimonous arses."

"Robin, she's right. We're wasting time," Lucina states.

"I still think it should be the other way around. You should be saving your family. I should be, uh, fighting mine. Or other me's family," I answer quietly back.

"Consider this a..." Lucina pauses and swallows. Her next words come out with a soft confidence. "...a testament of my trust in you. Trust me with your safety and I will trust you with my aunt and father's lives."

"I-alright." What can I say to argue a response like that?

Lucina slowly draws away, nodding quietly in response. Only with great hesitation does she break our gaze. Her mouth thins in silent acceptance and there is a grimace of fear as she turns away.

She pauses to speak, her back turned. "Stay strong Robin. Everything is riding on us tonight. We cannot fail. Though I belive you know at this point just how much is at stake."

"More than I'm willing to allow."

"Indeed. Hold tight to that thought and make it your resolve as you combat the elements tonight. It will get you through, even when your will begins to fade. Do not falter. But most of all, remember. The future's dawn is what we fight for."

She's looks just over her shoulder. Her next words give me goosebumps. "I'm fighting to change our fate. As are you now. Know that for me, hope has never died. May it be the same for you as well."

Before I can respond, Lucina breaks away swiftly. She does not acknowledge the heads that turn to watch her leave. Her path is set and nothing can stop her now.

"Hope will never die," I find myself mirroring back. A mantra from the game. A mantra for her life.

Well didn't that just get deep on a whole new spiritual level.

Gah. What am I doing wallowing here? I've got work to do myself. I can't push this off on anyone else here. The responsibility is now mine and mine alone. Just wish it wasn't though.

I curse under my breath as I walk toward the group. Eliza watches me burning eyes. "About time you got your scrawny little self moving. Let's get on with this already!"

The woman follows behind me as I reach where Gaius and the rest of the guards stand. Tired and stressed faces look to me for news. The group's lone officer, a freckle faced young gentlemen from Southtown named Markus, rises from his chair to greet me.

"Lady Robin, Sir Marth has left us. Should we be following or...?"

"He's splitting from us," I answer. "The enemy commander has made himself known. Marth is off to engage him."

"Alone?" he exclaims in alarm.

"For now," I grimace. "If we do our part quick enough, that shouldn't be the case for too long. Rescuing the royal family is up to us now. If we succeed, we can join up with the reinforcements coming in from the city and then suppress the rest of the invaders for good."

I gesture for them to huddle in with me as I walk up to their table. I unfurl my map and start to pull up the surroundings. There's a bizarre tingle that coursing through me. I don't know if it's adrenaline or desperation, but I'm definitely on edge. Energized even. My mind is whirling with new thoughts even before I speak. My eyes start to flit over every square and space this map has to offer. Everything is riding on me now.

My fingers briefly drag over to the back hall and circle it. "We found the enemy leader here."

"Marth is going to attempt to waylay him. He claims his skills are well enough that he can handle the man." Zooming back out I pull over the west wing. "I already briefly explained to you all earlier that Princess Lissa is attempting to get the city guard to help us. As she does that, it's going to be up to us to break the siege going on in the private wing. Essentially, we are the ones who will rescue the Exalt."

There's a clamoring of quiet voices as the news sinks in. Everyone is now on edge. The very reason for their existence is about to be put to the test. But judging from their looks, I say most feel uncertain about their ability to do so.

I waste no time gathering what information I can to plan. With Gaius' help in determining any scouting patterns, we draft up the fastest route to the west wing that we can. Against my better judgement, I decide to head out as soon as we do that. Not willing to waste any further time in doing so, I end up plotting up a plan with Markus and Gaius along the way. It isn't glorious or elaborate but it's the best I'm willing to make on such short notice.

"So, we got an idea of where to position up once we get through the doors?" I ask as we round the last hall between us and our destination.

"I think so."

"It's a yes or a no Markus. Either you get the plan or you don't."

"Yes ma'am. I apologize. I'm just nervous. We all are." Markus runs a hand through his dark hair, looking back in concern at the others behind him. Only Eliza looks ready and raring to kick butt and take names. "This is like something out of a nightmare. Never once did we think the castle wall's could be breached. To think we actually have to make use of our training tonight. It's surreal."

"What in Naga's name did you expect when you signed up? You're here to protect the Exalt and her family," I ask.

"True. But not once in our history since the days of the First Exalt has their been an incident in the very heart of our kingdom. To have it happen so abruptly and without warning!"

Gaius snorts indignantly. "That's the name of the game kid. Gotta be on your toes all the time. You get comfy and someone will swoop right in and take ya by surprise."

"Not helping Gaius," I say shooting him a disapproving glare.

The sounds of battle are louder than ever as we approach the portal to our entry. It's unnerving to think what's waiting for us just beyond the door. We're located on the far side and well behind them. It should make springing a surprise attack on them easy.

"Alright everyone," I say louder for everyone to hear. "You all know the plan now, right?"

"Remember, what you're facing. The most dangerous enemy you'll encounter is the specialized fighters who are after the Exalt. If you find yourself facing them alone, get an ally to help you. Have heart though, there's only three of them to our numbers advantage. On top of that, they have four measly mages and the rest are fighters. Play it smart when you're out there."

"Those of you with shields take to the front. You're going to be the wall, got it? Any flying daggers and whatits are gonna bounce right off you. Your primary responsibility is to keep those archers of yours safe in the back."

"And you guys," I say turning to the long range crew, "need to focus on their mages. You'll hit them easier than forcing us fighters to cut through their men to reach them. Keep that pressure off of us."

"Markus, you and the rest need to watch yourselves, especially if you wind up with one of the assassins. I fought one and they're fast. They use small knives predominantly. You're all heavily armored so they are going to take advantages in the weak areas of your mail. Keep an eye on your blind spots. Don't leave them open and you won't be exposed."

"Yes ma'am." He looks a little paler after my words but still stands brave.

"Survival is going to depend on our ability to adapt to the situation. My job is to advise, which I've done. Now you have to use that information and apply it smartly. So keep an eye on your selves, your neighbors, and most of all, for the Exalt. Understand?"

I give them a moment to let it sink it. This is a heavy responsibility. Some of these guards here probably has never even seen a real pointy stick shaken in their face before. Trying to instill some sense of bravery, I mirror the Ylissean salute I've seen them use on the practice field with their commanding officers.

"All together now, right Markus?"

He draws up tall, mirroring my stance. Behind him the squadron mimics his form. "It is our duty after all, no matter what ill may come of it."

"I hear you. Gods, can't believe I'm even saying this. This is gonna be crazy but we have to do this. What hope Exalt Emmeryn has now rests with us."

"It's alright Lady Robin. We understand. And we stand with you."

The familiar chant from the training yard runs in my head and I can't help but declare it out loud. "For peace. For Ylisse."

"For the Exalt!"

Our voices all ring together, no stuttering or whispered voices heard. The call is strong and a strange sense of nationalism fills me. This is a solider's pride. The desire and will to do one's duty despite the imminent fear and death that may hang before you. I won't lie, I'm shaking in my boots. But hearing that chant together has strengthened my bones and continues to allow me to stand. Even more so is the look in these men and women's eyes. There's a realization of what's at stake now. The lives of their friends, their livelihoods, and their own.

And no one is affected by it more than me. Impromptu and unofficial as it is, I'm in charge here. I'll be a the forefront of this battle. Me, with mediocre skills and no tome to back me up. No Shepherds either. Just strangers looking to my example as I pull the charge.

Well ain't this a kick in the head.

"On your mark Ma'am."

"Right."

Pulling up the map, I observe for the last time the change in the tide of battle. The numbers are fairly even. There must be a blockade beyond the door because the Plegians are not pouring through the besieged entrance all at once. In fact, as some get through, they wink out rather fast. That's good. It means the survivors are still fighting back, and hard at that. We have a chance at winning this.

It feels strange to be drawing my blade like I am. This isn't just a bout of self defense anymore. It's not me versus another. It's me versus a horde of bodies.

It's unnerving to hear the clanking and rustling of armor as the guards behind me follow suit. They're following my lead to the very last action. The whole idea is surreal. Wasn't Frederick just yelling at me not too long ago about how to properly grip a sword? Now I've been unwillingly thrust into a leadership position I have no qualifications for.

Gods, I feel sick right now. Like everything is just off. An out of body experience or something. I haven't felt this way since I saw the Risen for the first time.

I realize the group is patiently watching me for my signal. Despite their resolution, some of them are still shaking. Others are pale. But their discipline keeps them from running or moving. They'll follow my command to the very last man falls.

Well, no pressure or anything.

The sword in my hand feels like a massive weight all of the sudden. My gaze flickers down and I turn the blade toward me, surveying the clean metal about to be stained. My reflection stares back at me, two familiar yet foreign eyes locked on mine.

Eyes that belong to a Robin, but not the Robin. All the same, once upon a time that woman was in the same position as I. Did she look down at her own sword, unsure and afraid? Was the weight of the world pressing down on her shoulders when the loom of battle threatened her very life and the ones of those around her?

You can't be afraid.

A voice, calm and comforting says from somewhere deep inside me. For a second, my heart slows and I feel a strange sense of ease envelop me. I remember...I remember my mother saying...

"Mom, what's it like to shoot somebody? Is it as easy to do as those cops do on Case Busters?"

My foot reaches out and pokes the handgun peeking out from the holster on my mother's work belt. Immediately her hand shoots out and gives my flip-flopped foot a good tap. My curiosity turns to sour disappointment as I pull back and rub the surface of my skin.

"Don't touch that."

"Fine," I huff in boredom. I find myself trying to pass the time by kicking against the desk so I spin in circles. I do so until I think I'm going to vomit up my candy bar. Rolling back to her desk, I check the clock. Only four minutes passed.

"Ugh," I groan loudly. "Can't you finish sooner? I'm going to be late for my music lessons. Mrs. Green gets super pissy when I'm late."

"No," she states dully. "And don't swear. You're not old enough."

"I'm eleven," I mumble as I crumple over Mom's desk and bury my head in my arms. Tilting up just slightly, I peek at her through my bangs.

"You didn't answer my question," I whine.

Mom tenses and snaps her head up, glaring. She looks as if she is about to yell, then takes a deep inhale of air. When she exhales, the wrinkles around her eyes aren't creased so badly.

"What is it Robbie? I'm busy here."

"What's it like to face off against a bad guy? Is it thrilling to have a stand-off? Mono-e-mono. Good guy versus bad guy." I raise my fingers and form the shape of a gun. I shake them at her making little 'pow-pow' sounds.

Mom doesn't like to lie. She always thought hiding things from me would be worse for my development. She never wanted to shield me from the harsher realities of life. I needed to be insightful and aware so I could make the smart calls if I ever came under pressure. But boy, did she look like she wanted to make an exception this time.

"It isn't like what you see on T.V."

"Oh." I deflate. I think it's lame at the time, but what does an ignorant kid know? "So you wouldn't be able to shoot and blow up a truck like on Cops and Criminals."

A tiny laugh. "I'm not sure that's possible outside of Hollywood. If it is, I doubt I'd be able to do it."

"Oh," I grumble again. The gears in my kid brain are turning and trying understand. "Sooooo, what is it like then?"

The pen scratches hard across the surface and she freezes. Slowly, she raises her eyes and looks into my own. I'm wearing my stubborn face and she knows I'll just keep asking until she caves. Mom presses her palms together and begins to tap her fingers against each other.

"Robin," she says calmly. "Whatever you see on television isn't at all like what I do day to day. It's different. And that means...what I mean to say is...jeez."

She quietly states. "It's a very scary thing what I do sometimes."

I roll my eyes, blowing a loud raspberry. "Come on Mom. You? Scared?"

"Believe it or not kiddo, but it's the truth. Your mom's just as human as anyone else. Protecting people can be frightening sometimes. You don't know what the other guy is thinking or what anyone else is doing. It's just you and yourself. And in those moments, you have to make decisions sometimes. Very scary ones that you may not find yourself wanting to do."

"But you make the calls anyway."

"Yes, I do." Mom's head turns and looks to a clipping on her corkboard. A newspaper article not even a year old with big bold font and a picture of the business that made her a local hero.

She closes her eyes. "The thing I learned Robin, when it comes to protecting others, is this: You can't be afraid. I've shouldered the responsibility of allowing others to leave their lives in my hands. I'm allowing them the chance to be scared. But I can't be because I'm the one doing the saving. So I have to makes the calls and step into the line of fire regardless of what I may feel."

"And that's why you're a hero," I nod sagely. I never felt so proud of my mom before.

"Yeah cause I'm the hero," she smiles back sadly. "And hero's can't be afraid to act."

That was the first time I became aware of the burden my mother carried as an officer of the law. As a kid, she kept everything simple whenever I asked questions. But after this, she obliged my inquiries with more honesty and detail. She never shied away from letting it be known that she was a mere human. She had nightmares sometimes of incidents she responded to. Once or twice she would make a bad call and dwell on the potential would be and could bes of futures we would never experience. But she never regretted her actions. She would always say the same thing.

Never be afraid to act.

And in this moment, even though I felt nauseous and weak and small, I knew I had to move on. Like her, I chose to pick up a sword and willingly learn to fight. Like her, I chose to take on a responsibility of protecting others with my own strengths. It would be an insult to myself, and her memory, to buckle down under this pressure.

In that infinite second, I found a new part of myself. It was tiny and hidden beneath doubts and fears, but it was there all the same. But I've scooped out the dying ember and now the little flame is burning small but steady.

I may not be my mother, but maybe in time I could be close to her awesomeness. This'll be the small start toward that journey. I just have to take the frist step forward.

Tightening my grip, I find my voice and give my first order. "Shields to the front."

And just like that, my band of warriors come together.

Someday I'll be laughing about this whole scenario. I'll be at home sitting in front of a fire knitting some God awful pair of socks and my grand kids will look up from their phones and say "Gee, grandma, don't you want to do something besides sit there and knit."

And I'll be all like, "Shut up kid, I fought a war you know."

Course they'll think I'm just being old and forgetful but I can laugh and reminisce to the one point I became a true badass. Yeeeeeeah. Meanwhile, in the present, I'll just be here shaking in my boots as I dictate the first phase of our attack.

I have no idea when someone might turn around to see us so I have to take advantage of my window of opportunity as much as I can. I have the main fighters hang back while the five with shields line the doorway on both sides. I wave forward our archers and lone mage to the front.

"Okay, position up everyone. I want everyone with bows to focus on the mages in the back. They have the cloaks with the eyes on them. Us magic users will fry the assassin on the end. Everyone else, be ready to file in."

A murmur of voices in affirmation answers back. I spare a thought to Lucina and the others and hope they're alright. We'll do everything we can to get to you. Or vice versa. But to do that, we have to win.

"Right, let's do this team. Good luck to you all. Remember, we're all going in as heroes today."

And with that, we go.

I'm acutely aware of all the sensations that happen in the first seconds of battle. The stretching of bow strings as the archers pull back while notching arrows. The way the light brightens and then dulls as my eyes adjust as we emerge from the dimly lit hallway. The smell of blood and smoke and wood.

The mage beside me stops a step behind the others and opens his tome. As he searches for a long range offensive spell, the archers duck behind any available column and wait for us to proceed.

It's hard for two people to work off the same book. We're all elbows and knees in each other, but we manage. With one hand each supporting the bottom we move in time as we draw our ruins. Static crackles under my skin and hops up my arm, sparking and snapping. Arcing off the ends of our fingers tips, the ruins pop in completion.

"Now!" I holler.

One, two, three arrows fly. A hiss and shriek of two intertwining lighting strands.

The battle begins.

Two arrows hit their mark and instantly down the target. The third is hit in the back of her thigh and falls to the ground with a wail that alarms the others beside her. As the back row turns in alarm, the twin bolts slam into several other members, twisting and jumping between the bodies as they convulse to the floor.

The element of surprise ends and we enter the next stage, confusion. In the precious seconds they will take to scramble and regroup, we have to pull together and advance across the floor on them.

"Shields up! Fighters to the forward."

My five heavily armored guards surge out from behind. They take a stand before the pillars and plunk down, creating a defensive wall with their tower shields. The archers move back around their pillars to take refuge behind their allies. Through the peep holes in the front, these knights will be able to alert the archers behind them when they have an opening to shoot. Drawing apart, the five will each create a break in the wall for the archers to shoot from before coming back together.

As my sword fighters rally forward, I step away from the mage and follow after them. Holy bananas. I'm really about to do this. I narrow out my mind of everything. Don't dwell on the people. Don't look them in the eyes. Just focus on each target as if it were a...a Risen. Yeah. Do that.

There's a triumphant clash of metal on metal as the Ylissean guards smash with the still standing Plegians. Bodies rush up around me and the skirmish becomes one bubble of chaos around me. It's both mesmerizing and horrifying. There are fights and swords flashing everywhere. It feels like I'm vulnerable on any side. It's almost impossible to be aware of everything at once.

And then I make eye contact with a Plegian fighter.

It's like time freezes. I stare at this man and immediately pull up my sword. It's as if my body is acting on its own accord, but I'm fully conscious of my movements and make no attempts to stop it. To get to my friends, the enemy has to go. And this man is in my path.

Despite the potential to attack anyone around me, it's like the spirit of battle has pushed me to this particular foe. A random shuffle of the roster. Suddenly everything dulls around me and seems to zoom in only on the space between us. I can almost hear the announcer blaring in the back of my head as the Plegian draws his own weapon.

"Round 1. Fighters ready...FIGHT!"

He's got a short sword, just like myself. Taller than me by a good foot. Slight hang on his left arm and he's holding most of the sword weight with his right. An injury?

My quick assessment ends with an incoming swing. Instinct kicks in and I raise my own sword. There's a quick clang and the vibrations of our interlocked blades runs up my arms. He's got leather armor on. Handy for arrows but that's it. One good thrust and I can easily puncture his vest. Good to know.

We quickly disengage but he's on me again. He swings for my head and I duck under it. I hop back for the needed space then lash out with a forward shot to his mid-section. With a grunt, he blocks with the blunt of his sword thrusting it to the side. I stumble with the momentum and quickly shift around on my heel. I had watched his feet as I went forward and saw the way he shifted to the side. Twisting, I flip my sword around and catch the incoming vertical swipe with a parry. My inexperience comes in and I catch it at an awkward angle. The force of the collision sends the edge of my weapon into my shoulder creating a shallow line of injury across the surface.

We quickly disengage and parallel around each other, prepping for another attack. This time I'm the first to move. I try to ignore the faint throb in my shoulder muscle as I rush him. I perform a low feint Frederick specifically taught me to take advantage of with my speed. As he strikes out to meet my supposed swing, I quickly duck my head and dive around his body. I dig my foot into the ground and use the extra push to burst around him quicker. Just as he is turning, I'm already twirling around him and lashing out. The tip slices through the lower crease of his back though the material prevents it from going deep.

The Plegian lets out a pained holler and he stumbles forward. He faces me snarling and full of contempt, but still slightly bent with his hand supporting the injured area on his back. I take a deep breath and center my self, trying to steady my shaking hands and nerves.

Another barrage begins and I find the odds now tipping more in my favor. My enemy's movements are sluggish and growing duller with every exchange. The slower he is, the more I see. The limpness in his hand is from a preexisting cut torn across the top of his bicep. His new injury causes the one leg to lag a litle. His grip slips on the blade more from the blood.

In turn, I start to use each point against him. Another cut to the same area on the arm that disables it completely. A kick to the back of his limping leg for more reflex reduction. More hard pressing exchanges to try and shake his blade lose.

The impending sense of loss makes him reckless and I more composed. The dance changes from equal caution to ones of extreme counters. All it will take is one extra wrong move from him and it's over. That moment doesn't take too long to occur. It's a jilted swing going wide.

I have him.

The edge of my sword scrapes up the side of his. I tense my arm and then push my weight into it throwing his blade away and leaving his whole torso open. He looks down,then up, and the, realization is on his face.

With both hands on my hilt, I reel back and then thrust straight into his chest. There's minor resistance from the armor and then a ragged tear before I pierce flesh. He carries a look of shock and emits a burble of pain and blood. I push forward with all my weight until I feel myself going as far through as the blade can go.

In that instant, I force myself to look over his shoulder. If I find myself staring into his eyes, it will be over. I'll break and there won't be any coming back from that.

He starts to sink and I pull back. He goes down, sliding off the slick trail of blood coating my sharp sound of my breathing is heavy in my ears. I stare down at the sword dripping in the man's life fluids. His crumpled corpse before me breathes out his last with pained shuddering.

My throat closes up and I choke on the lump growing in it. For the first time, I killed a man on my own volition. This wasn't in self defense like back in the soldier barracks with Plegians throwing themselves at me. I willingly chose, fought, and ended this specific man's life. H-holy...I...what...I did this? Me? I? Killed? Murdered?

Common sense is telling me to pull myself together but I can't help but feel dizzy and wrong. I don't feel like I'm myself anymore. It's like I swapped skins with another person. I just took someone's life! Someone who once was alive. Someone's child, sibling, lover? God. Oh God.

No. No, I had to. They...they would have done the same to me. I can't think like that. Shut this out. Freak out later but focus now! Now, damn it!

"Watch it!"

Something slams into me, throwing me to the left. I catch myself and twist around, just in time to see Gaius slamming his main knife into the neck of a Plegian already stuck in the gut with his smaller one. He throws the dead woman away and gives me a disapproving look.

"Get your head out of the candy clouds Bubbles!"

Shit. Shit.

I almost...

Gaius jerks his head signaling behind me. Another Plegian incoming. I crunch my eyes shut and shake my head good. I-I can't get soft.

The thief next to me moves first. He rushes the incoming swordsman. The smaller knife comes in low, to which he's easily blocked. But Gaius is already moving with the other knife from over head. I realize the the moves are too quick and open to be really meant for damage. He using the momentum of their actions to move easily behind the man. And he does just that.

His cloak twirls with him, masking him in a dark whirlwind. The thief shifts all his weight to one side as he lifts a leg, spinning into a round house kick that connects straight into the Plegian's spine. The man comes flailing straight for me.

Snapping from my dumbed state of being, I react quickly by cushioning the falling enemy with the pointy end of my sword.

"Good job," Gaius says, clapping me on the shoulder. "That's teamwo-"

He looks over my shoulder and his eyes open wide. His mouth open wider causing the sucker in his mouth to come falling out. "Aw hells."

I can feel the magic beginning to prickle my skin even as I turn. A mage is still alive and casting strong. Jerking my head toward their line of sight, I see they're aiming straight at my back crew. Why the hell isn't he down? I told the archers to engage all long range enemies.

"That's a priest Bubbles. Better than the average mooks you've been aiming at."

"Oh. Oh gods damn me. I didn't check all the units thoroughly enough! If I had known some sort of advanced spellcaster was with them then...!"

Fear wells up and I sprint off after the mage. I have to stop him. By the game standards he's probably on the promoted tier, elfire standards. He's packing more magical punches than everyone on my team together.

I am such a fool. I should have tripled checked all the units in terms of lethality. If I had known this asshole was on the floor I would have had all the focus on him before the little guys. What a shameful oversight on my end. If I hadn't rushed things then this wouldn't have happend! Instead I was too much in a rush to take the precious seconds to looks. Double damn me!

"Gaius!" I yell back in horror, hoping for aid.

The two of us weave behind the engaged bodies of our foes and friends. The Plegian is fast. I see him weave his ruins effortlessly. Warmth and power surges up through the air as the spell bursts into a flaming inferno.

"No you don't!" I shriek as I throw out both hands, launching off to slam into him from the side. Sweltering heat burns my back as the spell goes free. Too late. I was too late! Like the roar of some dragon, the flaming asteroid rockets off the mage's axis of concentration. I fight off his flailing limbs as I try to see where the impact lands.

To my horror, the air erupts with screams. I gape in mute horror at the indescribable nightmare I see before me. The spell slams into the ground sending a spray of groundwork and marble tile all over. Two of the pillars splinter and blow inward, damaging the wall behind it. More frightening is the split second I have to see the madness going on in the middle of the firestorm.

For one second I see the figures of my archers flailing, crispy and black. A blink later, they are blown away to ash.

What remains of my shield guards lies sprawled in different places in varying states of misery. They cleared the spell but were thrown about by the impact force. The closer ones lay rolling on the ground, trying to put out the fires in their clothes and ripping at armor attempting to boil them alive. The others lie winded and partially broken from slamming into the floor.

"No," I whisper in denial. "No, no, no!"

Those people. I couldn't...!

Something in me grows and grows and grows. It gets stronger, surpassing the sadness and pain and desire for self preservation. Feral and savage, this gnawing raw emotion wells up from the pit of stomach and bubbles up through my very veins.

I snap my head toward the mage across from me. A deep and gutteral growl of rage escapes from me as I crawl on top of him.

You...you...

The pompous piece trash is actually smiling. Laughing! He's enjoying the fact that he just took all those lives!

...You...little...

My fingers twitch in the sudden desire to grab him by the neck and throttle him. My knee itches to comes up so hard I slam his balls right up into his ribcage. I'm...I'm...

I am literally seeing red.

My war cry is of anguish and pain and anger. The stupid fucker has only a second to see me coming before I slam my fist right into his smug face. I take a moment to kick away the damn book from his hand before sending another fist into his face. Again. And again. My blood is boiling and I swear I've hit a new level of consciousness.

I stop before I feel myself go completely under. My pulse is pounding in my head and my breaths come quick and uneven.

The mage lies with his back to the floor. There's blood dribbling from his mouth and nose. When he laughs, some of it shoots out and flecks his lips. "Keep going worm! Take my life! I've served my purpose."

"How could you?" I grit out. "Those were my charges!"

"Then Grima thanks you for providing sacrifices to the Great One's revival."

Something in me grows cold. Sacrifices. For Grima? You did this for Grima?

...

"You scumbag piece of shit," I hiss, low and foul. My fingers brush against something beside my foot. It's cold and jagged. "Go feed Grima yourself!"

There's a satisfying squelch as the rubble slams into his head erasing that smug smile off his face. The pained cry breaks from a gasp to hysterical laughter. He doesn't fight back. He just takes it. Why is he laughing? This...this is almost too much to bear. All those lives! Why? WHY?

"Son of a bitch! You had no right! Those were my people!" My voice cracks in pain and tears.

As if someone is pulling my strings, my hand comes down unbidden again. Something hot hits my face. Dripping down my nose.

"My responsibility!"

The skull cracks and there's no more twitching underneath me. No more laughing.

"My...my failure."

Something caves in under my blows.

"I failed. God. God, why...I..."

My shoulders are shaking.

He did it for Grima?

Me? I'm Grima, right? No, the vessel of Grima, but close enough.

I don't want this.

You know what I want?

Popcorn. A blanket. A frosty coke. My friends. Normalacy.

I don't want...want this. Who would want this? Don't do this for me. Don't. Don't. Don't.

"Robin!"

My name. Me. Yes, that's me. Robin. Not a vessel. Not a Plegian born tactician. Just simple Robin. Me.

I blink, startled. My mind clears, a foggy haze blown away on familiar winds. Who-? What-?

I flinch in disgust, eliciting a muffled shriek as I scramble back from the shredded body before me. My whole sleeve and right hand are drenched in blood and gore. What remains of the mage before me is barely recognizable from the neck up. I wrecked him.

I-I did that?

I grab my forehead with my clean hand and try to shake off the dizziness I feel. My mouth has gone dry and I feel hot all over. Sick. I can't believe I just did that.

And all those people. Dead, dying, injured.

"Fuck me," I grunt. I feel like I'm losing it. But I can't lose it.

My mind is playing tug-of-war with itself. I'm screaming because I just lost good people. I'm trying to stay strong because I have to be for there for the one's still alive. But how do I do that when I feel like I'm falling apart inside?

My knees wobble as I struggle to my feet. My sword lies discarded several feet away and I barely manage to grasp it without falling over.

Gaius rushes up to me, his call of my name falling silent as he skids to a stop before the mess I've made. His green eyes flicker between me and the mage. "Ouch."

I can't even look at him. I feel so disgusted right now. I-I've never felt that much rage before. "Gaius, shut it. J-just help the fallen men in the back. I'm gonna keep doing...doing the thing up front here."

"Uh-huh," he hums in reluctance. "Listen Bubbles, if you gotta-"

"Gaius." My voice cuts sharp and swift. "Now."

He looks as if he wants to protest, then sneaks a peek to the injured over yonder. He mellows up and sighs. Nodding with a grim expression, the thief dashes for the nearest ally.

I grunt dimly in response. I'm gutted and empty yet everything hurts and I don't know what to do. I stare down at my hand and realize in horror at just how tainted it is. My right hand, branded with the most offensive declaration of lineage in the history of this world, is soaked in my enemy's blood and gore. I chuckle darkly as that both horrifies and amuses me. In a way, it's like I really did satisfy Grima in some way. What irony.

I flex my fingers, one at a time, and stare at the damage coating it. I feel like exactly the monster I should be harboring.

My fingers clench together and form a fist. The fist shoots to my forehead and knocks into it hard.

"Pull yourself together idiot. You can't do this now. Find your mojo and save whoever is left standing."

I need to redeem myself somehow tonight. That first step is to stop griping. I can't fight on if my mind is elsewhere. Focus before-

Ah, too late. I made eye contact with the enemy.

A Plegian throws his sword arm up and starts to advance quick on me. But he doesn't make it two steps before his body crumples under a heaving mass of fur.

My mouth opens in shock. "What. The. Hell."

So that one time I saw a pegasus for the first time? Amplify that feeling times ten. Cause holy balls, I'm staring at a ten foot were-rabbit ripping out the throat of that same Plegian.

"Panne?"

This is no fluffy anime rabbit girl. She is a flipping monster.

Don't get me wrong, she's got this agile and long elegance to her. Her fur, where it isn't matted and covered his blood, shines dark in the firelight. But she's still intimidating to look at. She's the size of a rhino and has the speed of a cheetah. Her deep, black eyes glimmer with a dangerous intelligence that lets you know that once she sets her eyes on you, you're pretty much toast.

Grisly bits hang from the vicious looking claws on the ends of her hands, er, paws? A man with a spear comes running at her side. The powerful muscles in her left leg coil up and then she lashes out. There's a bone crunching shudder as the body flies limply into the back wall.

How is her kind extinct? She's an apex predator of the highest order, without actually being a predator that is. Pretty sure she's a vegetarian. Or was that Walhart?

Regardless, Panne is wrecking their shit. And so are the others around her.

Amidst the damage she reeks, more fighters in Ylissean colors emerge from the royal wing. No doubt they finished off the droves on their end and then were drawn by the noise of our fight. With the combined numbers and skill of our two groups, even the most potent members of the Plegians are going to be quickly subdued. I wonder if-

!

Dots and stars! Pain!

My fading vision registers feet. Plegian boots. My back was turned for too long. Someone hit my...

Fuzzy...My head is...

Blackness.

...

...

...

Why is everything so fluffy? I feel soft, like clouds. My blood calms from rapids to a bubbling brook. The air is sweet and I inhale roses. My name is whispered on a spring breeze and I feel safe again.

The weird wrongness in my brain feels right again. I feel whole and capable. The pain is still raw and irritating, but everything else is in place.

"Robin, sweetie. Open your eyes."

"Where?" That's all I manage before my throat closes up. The ceiling fades in from blinding white. A blob swirls into an oval and then a face with features. A familiar, weathered woman stares kindly down at me."

"Hello love. How are feeling now?"

"Anneliese?"

I struggle to rise but there's a faint pain in all my muscles. I feel her press a hand to my chest, keeping me down. "Don't try to rise. You're still weak. It will take a moment for the spell's side effects to wear off."

Confused, I turn my head. My vision blurs in the rapid movement and I have to blink to clear it up again. I see bodies covered in sheets and standing people. Lots of grim faces and smoke and blood. Smells start to come back again and I wish they didn't. It makes me want to hurl.

"I got knocked upside the head pretty hard, didn't I?" I state lamely.

I see her nod from the corner of my eye. Course I did. I'm such a dumbcluck.

"Did you heal me?" the question lingers as I turn back to the older woman.

The smile on her face detracts the cuts and smears on it. "Aye. That I did. You were in a bit of a tizzy, weren't you? Understandable though. The situation is...well...not the healthiest to be exposed to."

"Yeah." My muddled brain becomes clear again and the urgency of everything that is, was, and will be comes back. Lissa. Marth. Nethys. Lon'qu.

Crap.

My hand presses to my cramping side as I start to rise. I need to find Emmeryn. She has to know.

"Robin, what did I just say. Sit down at once young lady!"

Anneliese's strong arms drag me right back to the ground. I futilely try to wiggle away.

"You don't understand. I have to tell Emmeryn. Her sister's at the gate. We need to-ugh!"

Wow, she's got grip like an anaconda on my waist. "You are in no state to move Robin. Your body is still under much duress."

"Anneliese, you have to understand," I say squirming even harder. "I have to tell them. Please."

"Goodness, such stubbornness," she sighs, letting me go before I sprain something. "Wait here."

She rises and walks away. For the first time I notice the chain mail peeking out from under her robes and the encrusted mace she picks up to attach to her girdle. In fact, she looks just as harried as the others around her. Well, ain't that something. The royal nanny also knows how to kick ass and take names. A healer and a fighter.

"Hardcore gal," I say to myself.

Taking a moment to step back from things, I look around. I'm no longer in the hall but somewhere in the private wing. There's a few other injured souls around me all in various states of recovery and repair. How many injured to those lost I wonder?

A pang in my heart and then my head. Memories flow unbidden of the previous battle and my hands start to shake again. I twist my fingers together and hold tight to stop the tremors. I take deep breaths and try to picture palm trees and beaches. Whatever helps take the edge off. Too bad it doesn't.

We won the battle but I failed personally. Not only did I fail on a professional level, but a personal one as well. I didn't just go off the deep end, I cannonballed. Hard. Seriously, what happened there?

Gods, here I am taking over the legacy of tactician Robin and her freaking flawless 'no one dies' legend. And on my first run I lose a bunch of good people because I failed to do something so basic a child would remember.

What a horrid failure of a night. And we still have one act to go. I just can't flipping wait. More blood, wheeee.

I'm so consumed in thought that I barely notice the presence behind me or the light touch on my shoulder. I jerk in surprise at the soft utterance of my name. For a moment, I think it's Marth. Then I realize it's her elder half.

Something pops inside of me. A mood swing from utter dumpsville to cloud nine. There's a feeling of euphoria and triumph all wrapped in one. It's like seeing an old friend after ten years of separation, even though in actuality it's only been a half day since I saw him last.

"Chrom!"

My voice breaks at the end of his name as I succumb to laughing and crying all at once. Am I going crazy again? Who cares, this is the kind of crazy I can do. Oh, he looks horrible. Worse than back in Southtown. He's wearing some borrowed set of light armor that's definitely taken a beating over time. There are hastily healed cuts all over his face, arms, and torso. Most of all, he looks tired.

I crash into him, causing us to smash into the wall behind us. I couldn't care less that the entirety of the hall is seeing me hugging the living daylights out of their prince right now. The feelings of relief and happiness are too much for me to hold back. I had no idea what to expect. Injuries. Death. Who knows? I went through hell tonight to make sure this silly man would survive and actually seeing him alive and breathing is just...! Hells, I can't even think anymore.

"Holy cow! You're alive! Breathing even!"

"I would hope I'm still breathing. Though that might change soon if you keep crushing me like so," he laughs lightly, a rumble I can feel all the way through his chest.

"Oh, sorry," I wince and immediately sit back. I pull a ruffled shoulder crease straight again and then pat both of his shoulders. "Right. Gods, though. You really are alive."

"So far," he states. "As are you! Imagine my horror when we found you face down in the middle of the floor."

"Someone clipped me upside the head when I wasn't looking. My own stupidity." I shake my head and start to panic. "Wait, why are we talking about me though? Forget that! Where's your sister? Is she well? Is Frederick with you? We can't sit around here. There's tons of stuff going on. Marth is...and Lissa and Nethys are...and the bad guys are going sneaky in the back and..."

Chrom catches my waving hands and pulls them to my lap. "Robin, calm yourself. We have a pretty good idea of what's happening from your..." he pauses and looks back to where I see Gaius getting grilled by a very ominous looking Frederick.

The knight is also wearing a borrowed set of leather armor and only carries a lance with him. Like everyone else, he's fairly tattered and bruised in his makeshift get-up. Minor cuts and scrapes dot his skin and I can see the red lines of hardier ones that were healed in haste.

"The man says his name is Gaius. He claims he's on our side, though he's not a guard as far as we know," Chrom says eyeing the thief warily.

"Oh no! Gaius is cool. Circumstances are weird and I'll explain after this is over. Just don't think too hard about it right now. He's on our side and that's all that matters. I own him a lot today."

Chrom doesn't look totally convinced but seems to at least be willing to entertain the other man. "It wouldn't be the only strange ally we received today."

"Pa- uh, that big rabbit thing. I saw them in action on the floor. Really hard to miss."

Chrom points to where Panne leans quietly against a windowsill a distance from the rest of the group. Hanging on the outskirts, she watches the group with pure neutrality. Now in her human form, she looks almost normal. Well, aside from the bits of fur tufts. And the ear braids. She looks really stern and unapproachable though. Maybe why she's off by her lonesome.

"That's Panne. She's a Taguel, something I never thought I'd see in my life. It's amazing, really," Chrom says with a hint of awe. "As far as I knew, they were assumed to have died out as a race. Yet here she is, claiming to protect my sister's life as a favor to my family's line. One of the many unexpected things to come out of tonight."

I want to be really excited about Panne right now, but the fangirling has to wait. Some many more pressing things on hand!

"And I'm sure there's more to come," I cringe. "Hopefully anymore surprises will be in our favor. We haven't done very well tonight, have we?"

"You," he says in exasperation, "did well enough to get here. A foolish and incredibly silly endeavour, but one I appreciate nonetheless. It was a brave thing you did and we can count it as a small victory tonight."

"But it isn't though. Not for me anyway. Sheesh, never mind. I don't have time to wallow. We need to get moving."

"We will. You, however, are staying here. I'm not risking agitating your head injury."

I shake my head in protest. "That's a negative Captain. I'm seeing this night through to the end."

"Robin," he says with all the agitation of a parent to a willful child.

"Chrom, I fought through hell and high water to rescue you and the others. I'll be damned if I sit here and skip out on my job. I have to do this. I don't get to take the easy way out. Not after this blunder of a battle."

"What are you-?"

A primitive, animalistic roar rocks through the castle. The sound causes the walls to vibrate and the chandelier overhead to swing sideways. Voices rise in fear as people in the hall grab for something to steady themselves. I see Frederick immediately abandon Gaius and head straight for Emmeryn.

There's a large crashing sound from somewhere east, followed by the ceiling rumbling and dropping small bits of debris. When it finally settles, everyone quietly regains their footing.

"What was that?" Chrom asks, bewildered.

"I have no idea," I respond just as fearful as he.

Beyond us, I hear Frederick call out to the back.

"Panne, have you any knowledge of this? A friend of yours perhaps?"

"Expect no more help from my kind, human. I am all there is to expect," she replies cooly.

"Chrom, a moment would you?" Emmeryn asks.

"Coming Emm." Chrom rises and walks to his sister's side, and I struggle to follow behind.

You know, that scream sounded reptilian. Reminded me of a wyvern's screech, but deeper and scarier. What's bigger than a wyvern though? Wait, dragons! Manaketes! And the only manakete around is...

"Nah," I whisper in fear. "Shoot."

Emmeryn's smile is as dim as twilight when she watches us approach. She looks to me first in greeting. "Robin, it seems every time we meet you are at a healer's side. Perhaps brighter circumstances are in order for next time?"

"Yeah, maybe," I chuckle morbidly.

The Exalt's tone swiftly changes. She looks grave as she speak with her brother next.

"After conversing with the young lieutenant over there and Robin's acquaintance, it seems two things are evident. Our sister is rallying the guard and the enemy commander has shown his face."

"Is that true?" he asks me.

"That's right. The plan was to rescue your lot, connect with Lissa's group, and then sweep the castle for the remaining forces."

"So the enemy commander is within reach for us to make contact," Chrom responds quietly.

"Indeed. And with due haste, we must respond to this." Emmeryn turns to the knight behind her giving orders to the others. She gently grabs his attention. "Frederick, I want you to rally everyone still able to fight. We will find my sister and then reclaim the castle. The enemy has had free reign in these hallowed halls long enough."

"At once, your Grace," Frederick says with an incline of his head. His eyes flicker to me and there is a weary smile of greeting before he turns back to the gathered men and women around us.

Chrom walks up to her side. "Sister, what are you planning on doing when we find this leader of theirs?"

"I plan to speak with him."

"Emm." The clear disapproval in his voice is impossible to deny.

"We must try."

"And if that doesn't work?"

"Then the wrath of Naga will be swift indeed," she says with much pain. "But let us pray it does not reach that point. The loss of life has been too high tonight."

Emmeryn's staff tinkles musically as she turns and exits toward the end of the hall where Frederick, Gaius, Panne and the others sit in wait. Her presence alone seems to invigorate the men and women as their tired faces perk up in apt attention on her approach. It's amazing what a good leader can do to their followers.

And speaking of leaders, my personal one is starting to spout nonsense beside me to a lingering Anneliese.

"-and make sure she stays in good care with the rest. I don't want her-"

I lean in behind Chrom's shoulder and whisper angrily in his ear. "Don't want me to do what?"

He startles and whirls around. "Robin. Gods, don't do that."

Anneliese just watches the two of us with amusement. "He's keeping you out of battle, dear," she chuckles.

"What?" I cross my arms and glare at the other man. "Chrom, we already went over this. I'm going with. You need every able body you have."

"Exactly, able. You're recovering still. Listen, you've done more than enough Robin. Stay here and rest."

"No," I retort stiffly. "I promised to keep you safe and I intend to do just that."

"You promised...?"

Ah nuts. I did it again. I can't say I promised Marth because that would make no sense to him. And I can't offer a real explanation. Um. "Uh, yeah. That's right. Promised someone as in myself." I gesture with both thumbs toward me. "I promised myself that I would keep you safe. Cause you're my captain."

That sounds convincing. Right?

Chrom looks rather surprised at the admission and narrows his eyes in confusion. Anneliese, however, looks smugly between us before patting Chrom on head.

"How darling. Well aren't you lucky Chrom."

I resist the urge to slap my head. "Anneliese." I whine.

The older woman lightly chuckles. "I suppose I should be going. I have patients to get to. I would love more than anything to be there alongside you fighting but someone must watch the injured. Especially that old goat there."

Eliza's bandaged head pops up from under a blanket. Her one uncovered eye glares menacingly at her sister. " 'ey! Who you calling an old goat you festering boil."

"Ah, name calling. That's the first sign my sister is well on her way to recovery. Now Robin, I expect you to make do on your promise and keep this lad of mine safe, since I can't be there myself."

"I will."

"You can't be serious. Anneliese, I just asked for you to take her in!" he protests futilely.

"And as your elder I am overriding your decree. If it worries you that much, just stay close to her."

Chrom ruffles his hair and pouts. "Fine, you win," he declares in exasperation.

"Yes!" I cheer.

"But you do exactly as I say with no hesitations, understood Robin," he adds.

"Boo."

"Orders are orders Robin."

"Yeah, yeah, boss. I hear you."

Anneliese watches us with a fond expression. "Just work together you two, and all will be well. Now then, you best skedaddle. No doubt you'll be leaving shortly. Naga bless you both. And pound a few heads in, just for me."

We part ways and nestle in amongst the growing crowd of Ylisseans. It feels nice to be back amongst familiar faces. It makes the throbbing in my chest hurt less.

This night really blows. I hope to God we wrap this up soon because I don't know how much more I can take. I think I need a vacation after this. Maybe I'll luck out and we'll find a way to that the beach DLC. That's be nice. Though at this point, I think anywhere would be better than here. Ain't that the truth.

Let's get these Grimleal out of here once and for all.

A/N: This was...a long and frustrating chapter. More emotional and visceral than I'm used to. Call it experimentative if you will. Trying to tap into such darker aspects of one's personality when enduring more traumatic elements is not something one can just write, especially having never gone through such an experience myself. It's quite a challenge to invoke such raw and gutteral feelings that both the character and the reader can feel. In the end, I feel a little burnt out. Whether I succeeded on all of the chapter, a little, or nothing at all, I learned something from this.

Anyway, happy December everyone. Warm regards to whatever holidays you may be falling into this time of year.

Review Responses -

Raiden312 (Sorry!) - Thanks for the encouraging words! Ha, I'm amazed if I get more than one review per chapter so I considered myself lucky with the dedicated readers I do have. I'm glad you like what you've read so far though. Lucina's adaptation is sad, true. Though, she's always had a tweak of tragedy to her. Let's hope for a happy ending on her part.

Titan127 - Heh, I hear ya. The only reason I'm ever still logged in is because my computer usually sits on 24/7 so I have yet to log out. I hate that number security thing. Wow, what a compliment though! Just don't drop everything if you're driving or something! That would be bad XD Pegasus knight Lissa though? Never tried that before. Maybe I'll experiment with that class next run!

timewastin - Thanks! I tried to up the action-y stuff. Nothing says that better than a big old cave-in. Yeah, Robin's control imagery is a bit underwhelming for fire! I imagine someone like Miriel has something far more grand. Or bizarre. Hmm. And thanks, Dragon Age is lovely. A great distraction between writing and jobing!

That's quite an idea though. If that were the case, it could explain some things happening to her. You'll just have to wait and see though!

A Shadow's Lament - You know, I never imagined Lon'qu would be this hard to write. Digging deeper into a psyche like his is way different than I'm used to. The man's so simple but at the same time should have all this blunt wisdom on the gritty aspects of life. And being who he is, there's so much delicious contrast between him and sunshine and bubbles Lissa. I didn't have plans on diving too far into their relationship but last chapter got me curious. He is turning into quite the badass though. I blame Travis Willinghams's fantastic voice work on that though.

Aspirin in general seems to be advertised (at least around where I live) as some bizarre wonder drug. All the boxes exclaim it hampers fevers, is a mild pain reliever, eases joints...I think it was one of my uncles who joked people would tell him "Take two aspirin and call the doctor in the morning." That was the answer to all pain relief. If you have better advice for what to swap in, go ahead. You are the medical expert here! Thanks for another stellar review Shadow (Madame Shadow? Lament? However you prefer to be addressed :) )

humanManure - Lovely ideas! We'll see what ends up where. And I'll PM you answers to your questions soon! Thanks for showing the story some love!

Mysca - Here's a round of applause for catching up! I admit I'm surprised at how long this has gotten! Thanks for hanging in there! Ah, a fellow science geek! Welcome! I do love incorporating the ideas of magic and science together. It's like a beautiful marriage between fantasy and sci-fi. Lots of room for creativity!

Ha ha! So many StahlxSumia fans! I didn't know that ship even existed! Happy to oblige though! It's incredibly adorable and would produce the sweetest Cynthia ever. Glad you love everyone else as well! I wanted to elaborate on lesser seen relationships amongst Robin and the Shepherds and Virion and Miriel surprisingly mesh very well with her. On that same note, Gaius and Lissa pranking the pants off people would be pretty awesome to write. And Virion and Cherche...yeeeeees. I cannot wait for that.

oxybusy - Thank you! I'm glad you hopped on board for the ride. The aim is to write something entertaining so I'm happy to oblige!

Alucard45 - I read on my Kindle all the time so I feel you on your phone. Typing is the worst.

Awesome to hear from another Dragon Age fan. I was eager to see Corypheus again too but I had no idea he would be so big to the plot! Then again, I was on a media blackout for the game so nearly everything has surprised me so far. The cameos!

Hm, I was afraid of that. I'll go back and tweak some things. I danced around with the numbers and went to big I gather. Thanks for the insight. As for Robin's death dealing issues, that's being addressed now and into the future. Her progression with handling the pressures of war and killing are all part of her development, and those around her. Once again, thanks for the insightful review!

RoseNitemare - Hey! Thanks for stopping in and leaving a review! Always nice to hear from new people.

There are a lot of genre types in this aren't there! My fault for juggling so many, ha ha. I have to sigh in relief though knowing you like what you do. All your points are the main ones I try my hardest to cover. Realism, world building, and character driven elements. Aside from the combat sequences, the character part was always what I liked about the games. This fanfic is my way of appreciating and expanding on it.

Ah, ships. Blessed ships. I have a feeling at least a few will still switch up again before the day is done. I didn't even get all my favorites in but I do like what's happening so far. I'm a newly converted StahlxSumia fan too so it's been fun coming up with original content for them. I could see Robin trying to help out Cordelia though, given she's aiding Sumia right now. Don't know if it will succeed yet but who knows?

Skarrow - Well thanks. If you catch an idea, lay it on me. As truthful as possible. First person is sort of restrictive in the larger picture when it comes to combat so that may have something to do with it. Or maybe I just need a thesaurus to help with new action descriptions. Things may sound repetitive with all the "I swing," "I stab," I twirl," etc. I'll see what I can do and hopefully that change will be more evident.

Glad you liked the small details in the text. I enjoy adding extra bits in like that and even more excited when others notice. That's awesome you and your friends would have debated something like that though. Debates with my friends are usually a lot...shallower. Not everyone is enthralled by medieval history. So sad.