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...

36. Chapter 36

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

Warnings for some violence

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Chapter 36

"Enjoying the smell?"

Lucina's bemused comment causes me to pause in my work. I slam the pitchfork into the rancid pile before me and drop the handkerchief over my nose to present a look as dirty as the muck I'm working with.

"I think it's burned out my sniffing glands." I push the handle of my tool toward her. "Want to take over for five minutes while I go bury my head in the flower bed outside?"

She scoffs in disgust making me want to fling the steaming excrement at her. "And strip you of some much needed character building? Perish the thought!"

"Thanks for the support," I grumble before readjusting my makeshift nose plug. Even with the thick cloth blocking my airways I still catch a hint of the earthy freshness. The whine of a pegasus in a stall several rows down reminds me of my dismal misfortune.

Let's just say Frederick got news of my little shenanigans in the meeting and not even Chrom's word could save my soul. I didn't think the man actually meant it when he said he'd send me to clean the pegasus stalls. Fortunately my captain was able to sweet talk him down to a single row per day given I'm a first-time offender to something so serious. I'm barely surviving the work here! How on earth could I have handled more than this?

Do you know how much poo these blasted creatures put out? What the heck are they feeding them? I swear I've never dealt with such copious amounts of excrement before! And then the one on the end was ill and some of this was green and I'm...I won't be eating at all today. Maybe for the rest of this week.

It's not just the manual labor either. I swear some of these pegasus are out to kill me. Most just seem to act nervous around me but Sumia's mount, Sprinkles, has been glaring at me with her beady eyes. One of the stable hands tried to lead her out to let me in but Sprinkles just started slamming her hooves against the door and beat her wings in frustration. The boy said it was probably because she was wild and not disciplined like her domestic brethren. I suppose that makes sense. Still, the species as a whole seems unnerved when I wander around. They shift nervously or paw at the ground. One particularly pretty one near the end of the row shied away from me when a returning rider allowed me to pet him. It was only begrudgingly that the mount let me when the rider coaxed him. I felt bad causing him such distress and left him alone after that.

I hear the sound of a crate scraping across hay and stone. Lucina drags the box over and kicks off against the floor. The boards creak under her weight as she sits atop it, hands nestled in her lap and ankles locked around each other. In the quiet of the empty stables, she allows herself to pull back her hood and leave her face to be seen.

The princess doesn't look like her usual self today. I wonder who exerted their influence on her? Lucina's unbound hair has been braided tightly and wound around her head where its been pinned in place at the nape of her neck. Someone has given her an overshirt of her house colors and she wears the shortened piece over a thinner black undertunic and leggings. A matching skirt embellished with a floral pattern along the bottom swishes wide and open just above her knees. It gives her a soft, feminine air that she seems comfortable in.

With her hair up and framing her face like it is, I can almost see a bit of likeness to her aunts. The royal family's features run strong in her blood. Lucina's nose is different from them though. Sharper and longer.

"Is something wrong?" she remarks warily. A hand reaches up and ghosts against her cheek as if to brush away whatever it is I seem to be staring at.

"No," I add quickly. "Don't mind me."

I pick up my tool and adjust the angle into the pile. Placing the bottom of my boot against the top, I shove downward into the filth. Gripping tightly with both arms, I use my new angle to leverage out another wad for removal. The excrement pops up with a disgusting squelch that I promptly deposit into the wheelbarrow next to me.

"So what can a humble stable lass like meself do for ya, my Lady?" I reply in my best Donnel voice.

"You can start by not attempting to get yourself expelled from court," Lucina immediately answers.

"News travels fast, doesn't it?"

"The Shepherd's bold new tactician is one of the most gossiped articles in the court's private circles," she despairs. "You have a way with getting yourself known in the worst possible ways. First Regna Ferox and now this?"

I give a great huff as I chuck another mound, shaking my foot free of some dried straw that's fallen over it. "What can I say? I have a gift for appealing to the masses."

"Strangely enough, you seem to have," my companion continues. "Your 'rustic charm' as some of them have coined, has caused a great interest to have arisen in you. A mysterious stranger who's arrived in the highest of graces yet seems beholden to none. Your current lack of allegiance is making you a viable ally to many powerful people."

I pause in my routine and lean against the pitchfork with a crooked grin. "Excuse the pun, but I couldn't give a-"

Lucina goes expressionless at my intended angle and cuts me off with a single harsh word. "No."

"I thought it was funny," I laugh lightly and return to work. "Seriously though, my only loyalty goes to the Shepherds and to you. I have no interest in politics or courtly intrigue. Save it for those who can gain something from it. I'm just here to make sure everything that went wrong gets righted again."

There's a long drawn out silence marked only by the scratching of the pitchfork against the floor. Her eventual response is small and curt. "Ah."

"What's with the disbelief? I thought I made my intents clear," I respond calmly.

"Forgive me, I did not intend it to sound that way," she apologizes. "It's just that I find myself still coming to terms with, well, you. It's clearly evident you are not the same woman I know but it's still so odd. Is that the right way to describe it? It's hard to put to words these feelings."

"Get use to it, kiddo. I'm a good guy." I find her lingering surprise still amusing. I continue speaking while looking down at my smeared and smelly smock. "An occasionally mischievous but still inherently good Robin."

"So I see," Lucina answers, daring to break her serious stance with a bit of humor. "Good by nature but not so good by color at the moment. I must admit, that shade of brown does you no service."

"Young lady, I will fling this poo at you mark my words," I warn goodnaturedly with a non-threatening shake of my tool.

She quiets down with a faint smile of surrender before sobering up again. "Best you don't or you'll find yourself with more punishments than free time. With deployment coming soon, I would treasure what peace you have left."

The statement brings a shadow over our previous levity. My pitchfork sinks into the soil with a definitive strike. What's now dirt will be flesh and the tool soon steel within the near future.

See, the past few days have been rife with activity. I don't know what it is that went down the night after Chrom and I talked but something happened afterward with him and his sister. Heavy words must have been said in Emmeryn's chambers. The morning meeting began anew the next day and both their seats remained empty much to Frederick's distress. He didn't have long to worry however. It was five minutes past the bell but our wayward captain managed to drag himself him. He looked haggard and bleary-eyed as if he hadn't slept all night. Still, he managed to flash us a triumphant smile before stepping aside to let in the Exalt herself. She seemed equally weary but held her head high.

Emmeryn spoke little and presided more in person than spirit. All the same, it was a step in the right direction. The progress we needed was nudged forward. Emmeryn's word finalized decisions petty lords refused to agree on. And anytime she seemed to falter in her way, Chrom was there to keep her steady. Whether it was a gentle gesture or the strength of his own voice, brother and sister worked together to pull the floundering nation together. It's hard not to see the loving gratitude Emmeryn has for Chrom. For years, she was the pillar of support for her nation and the guiding light in her siblings' lives. She's sacrificed so much of her own happiness to ensure theirs. He's now doing everything he can to give that back to her in her darkest hour. It's there in the subtle actions and sideways glances. Siblings standing side by side as equals.

Because of this, our countermeasures have gone into full motion. While the council delegates, the army has been assembling. Phila's scouts arrived back with the first news regarding Plegia's whereabouts and Flavia's own messengers are verifying their pacing. Eldaran's been working alongside Raimi to integrate the two differing factions while Nethys' iron will carries her night and day through clearing the city and rescuing the displaced civilians. The reports never end and the quiet of the evening is much needed. Except when you're cleaning the pegasus stalls three nights straight.

A heaving grunt slips out of me as I offload an extra large lump. Only a little bit to go, thank Naga for that. After this I'll be done cleaning. Just need to resettle the hay and refill the water trough. "And what are you doing with your free time tonight, your Highness? You're looking pretty nice there, if I may say."

Lucina makes a face and turns away quickly, the tips of her toes rubbing together in nervousness. "It's nothing of import. My...that is..." Lucina struggles to find the appropriate phrasing for her current predicament. "My sisters, if you will, wish to...have a private dinner together."

I pause and process just how tender and frail her words sound. Lucina seems unsure of her situation. My guess is it's because of Emmeryn. Did she even ever get to speak to her eldest aunt on a personal level? According to the lore I know, they never meet again after the night she intervenes with the assassins. Always in the shadows, Lucina only knew the previous Exalt from a distance. But now she has a chance!

"I hope it goes well for you. Like you said, the few hours we have now at night won't last long. Make the most of this, yeah?" I say while searching up and down the aisle for any potential bodies nearby. Seeing the coast clear, I drop my voice a tad for only us to hear. "I'm glad you're having this time with your family. Even under the current pretenses, you and Owain must be ecstatic to see them again."

Lucina grows quiet, a wistful expression in her eye and she trails off elsewhere. "It is...something."

"Everything okay?"

"You've been exceptionally pesky with these personal questions as of late," she responds flatly with an accusing side glance.

"I'm just asking-"

Lucina reaches into her cloak and pulls out familiar looking pieces of parchment. It's the letter I slipped her a few days ago. To say the events of Ylisstol's siege left me shaky is an understatement. My swirling emotions caused me to scratch out an immense set of text several pages long asking for answers and information from the young time traveler. Lucina's presence has been scarce as of late thanks to our conflicting schedules and the only way I could think to reach her with my wishes was through the fat roll of papers I slipped her while passing in the hall.

"Ah, right," I groan in embarrassment. "Sorry for the barrage of questions in there. I started with the intent of informing you of what happened in the fight and it devolved into a rambling rant for answers."

"That is too light a description. Regardless, your account is disturbing" Lucina murmurs while returning it back into her cloak. Her voice breaks in the distress of her thoughts. "I never imagined there would be more of them. It was strange enough to see two of Grima's generals here but to find so many? And with the inclusion of all else, this changes everything. This cycle will not be something to easily predict."

I thrust the pitchfork into the ground and give the filled wheelbarrow a nasty glance before turning away. Now is a great time to take a break. I peel off the gloves stuck to my sweaty palms and throw them to the side as I escape the small box. The gate slams shut behind me as I reach for a rag hanging next to the water bucket. Even lukewarm, the liquid feels great against my flushed skin.

"I think this cycle broke before it even began. Grima's influence from the last stage has leaked in and thrown this act into complete disarray."

"Yet the key actress and villain have both gone missing leaving the story wholly unfinished," she counters.

"Then I suppose it's up to us to write a new ending." I dig really good under my fingernails, laughing dismally at the irony of it all. "Never fancied myself an author but hell, why not?"

"It's not so simple as that Robin," she murmurs with a furtive glance toward both ends of the hall around us.

"It can be if we try."

Lucina's brow furrows in disbelief and she starts to say something before biting it back into the tip of her thumb. Spending a moment to think, she eventually starts anew. "Robin, are you even listening to yourself? Freely changing the course of time? Intervening into the unknown? You're starting to sound just like my own Robin! Is that what you want?"

Ouch. Like, really. That is a stab to the heart. I cringe an eye shut in response as I chew nervously on the left edge of my lip. I, uh, suppose she has a point. Well-meaning or not, that is the same thing. But isn't there a difference between using this power of ours sparingly and responsibly? Or is that what my other self started out believing before she went off the deep end?

I drop the rag and shake my hands free of some excess water before rubbing them instinctively against my apron. I feel the smear too late and hold the backs out before me in disbelief.

"Wonderful..." I dig my hands back in the bowl and start washing again. As I do so, I try to defend my line of thought, more for posterity than my own belief in it now. "Look, I don't mean to sound like that. I apologize if that's what you think and I'll even acknowledge your point. I just want my line of thinking to be heard. For all the craziness about to hit us, we have an advantage. Foresight. I mentioned this before didn't I? We sort of know how Gangrel will move. We know about Validar and Aversa. We even know about Walhart and Valm's impending invasion. Hells, counter Grima's potential rise! We should prepare while we can."

"If only it were so easy," she grimaces. The princess takes a long, deep breath. Her delivery is mechanical, dead. This is a tired truth she's been forced to accept.

"Battling the effects of time is no easy thing Robin. It is no game. The others and myself have only come so far because of perseverance, luck, and the blessing of a god on our side."

"But you saved the Shepherds. You saved the world," I persist stubbornly.

I'm answered with a crackling, acidic laugh that twists her face into a bitter portrait of her own battles.

"Did I? Where are we now?"

Quick as it came, she blanks out. Her mood shifts drastically to no emotion at all as we lock eyes. "We achieved a small victory that lasted a few short years only to have it ripped from us again. Pulled away by the throne's greatest asset, no less."

A hint of something in her devoid features. Regret? Fear? "Sometimes I wonder if this is the price for earning those few extra years. Our payment for taking time and twisting it to our own desires."

I...I never thought of that. Could there be consequences for attempting to do something so drastic? Life is no storybook plot where the good guys do everything with no fear of repercussions. Even actions taken for the greater good can come with consequences. Hard choices usually require a compromise or trade-off. With opportunities, it usually consists of closing one door in order to open another. Sometimes it means turning down the potential of one reward to accept another. We can't always have it all. Now amplify that logic by one hundred and you get Lucina's predicament.

Even with Naga behind them, they did make an attempt to shift time itself. They're changing a history that's already happened. This isn't just a 'we hopped to a new dimension' thing. The kids stepped back in time to alter the flow while Other Robin went and ripped it in two.

The thought that there may be some sort of backlash because of that is frightening. I don't want to think about it. I won't even consider it. It's not a luxury I can have because I know it will only fill me with doubts and nightmares.

"Don't you dare think any of this is your fault. You were given an opportunity and you took it. What you do is for the sake of everyone. Never blame yourself for that."

"Hm."

Lucina drops her chin into the palm of her hand, growing contemplative. She reminds me of some great philosopher ruminating on the secrets of the universe. In fact, her pensive declaration mimics that of a thinking mind reciting a long established actuality of humanity.

"I try not to. But selfish acts barely concern just the person in question, do they not? The effect is bound to spiral out and ensnare all around them, consequences be damned. Can we truly be blameless when our 'greater good' is still rooted in our personal desires?"

Okay.

What?

"Luce? What's that even mean?" I exasperate. I don't mean to sound so angry but there's something ominous behind her thinking. I don't like it. This is not a side of her I like to see. It's like she's just dead inside. Bring back the resourceful, intelligent young woman I've come to know.

"Nothing." Lucina's mouth twitches before she resets her whole personality. Just like that, her usual self comes back as does the tempo in her voice. "Idle commentary, forgive me."

The long, rusty creak of a door in the back of the stables causes us both to freeze in place. We strain to listen over the occasional knicker of a pegasus. A few are starting to grow restless, prancing in place in their stalls.

The grumbling of a stable hand is heard followed by the scraping of something wooden over the floor. With a hefty grunt of exertion, the person in question gets further and further away before the door shuts again. I think we both breath in relief.

"Our conversation is growing too dangerous to speak of. This is not the place for this type of talk, nor did I come here to even do such a thing. Still, answers are what you seek and I've provided what I can."

Lucina returns her hands to the confines of her cloak where I can see a hefty bag slung over her shoulder and resting at her hip. Reaching into it, she pulls a brown package out. The bundle is bound tight and she holds it out for me to take.

"A reply to what you requested, equal in measure."

Checking to make sure my hands are properly clean, I reach out for her gift. It's lightweight despite the look of it and parchment crinkles inside when I take hold.

"A large response for a large inquiry," she continues. "Had we more time to converse in private as of late, I would have done this personally. But with the war as is...This will have to do. I need not remind you to read this in private?"

I offer an offended look, mostly playful. "Nah, I'll just read this out loud in the middle of the Shepherds' barracks."

Her derisive snort is becoming as much a trademark in our conversations as is my attempts to get her to smile. "I've given you all I can. Do not pester me with any more of the same questions after this. Especially those of such an inane nature. Why is it imperative to know if you are capable of riding a griffon?"

"Griffons are majestic," I state proudly before throwing a sour pout at all the creatures behind us. "They also don't attempt a stampede over me when I walk nearby."

Lucina returns with a pout close to my own. "Focus on achieving some mastery of swordplay before you even attempt to start training a mount."

"Okay Frederick," I counter sarcastically with a toss of my head. "Shall I continue with the basics of endurance training as well?"

"Well isn't this cute! What sort of sneaky plans are my favorite two anomalies scheming up right now?"

The sudden delivery from a foreign voice sends both of us spinning. The first thing I see is red. Lots of it. It quickly forms into a recognizable form. Red pony tail, red cape, red everything.

"Salutations my little time warpers!" Anna greets jovially, the jingling of the coins in her purse creating a custom soundtrack all to her own. The mysterious woman is wearing a noble's garb far more upscale than the travel wear I had first seen her in. It's clear she's been out and about conducting business here in court. That worries me. Ever since she popped up in the battle for Ylisstol, Anna's presence has increased. Both she and Donnel established themselves as something of a myth here.

When the civilians were evacuated to the church, the two were among them. After the assault began, a number of innocents claimed their lives were owed to the merchant and her personal guard. Allegedly they fought with a company of mercenaries that came from no where, only for the bulk of them to vanish afterward. When pressed about it, Anna merely said they'd show up sooner or later. That's not the only odd thing about her. Numerous people claimed to have seen her in separate parts of the city that conflict with other sightings. It's like she was in two places at once. Her antics have confounded some people, but I have some good guesses what she was really up to. Regardless, the two were instrumental in saving many and that's garnered some major attention. Not sure what Anna's been negotiating around the castle but from the few cryptic times she cornered me to speak, it has something to do with her ingraining herself in the war.

Of course, the newest mystery is how she got here. I look both ways and wonder how she came up so close to us despite how loud she is with her flamboyant trot.

"Anna? Where did you come from? No one was there a second ago!"

She raises a finger to make a point, winking with a proud smirk. "Stealth skills only the Black Shadows of the Chon'sin dynasts could teach. Cost a pretty penny to learn too."

Her smile falters and there's a regretful twinge to her words. "Really. All the shiny coins I polished with love and care every day are probably rotting in some greedy lords' keep."

She pauses mid-stride and abruptly turns with a great shout. "Donnel!"

Coming up the rear is my favorite farm boy still clad in his same uniform. The huge sacks he carries over both shoulders cause him to wobble while he tries to keep pace with his employer. Her sudden cry throws him off balance in surprise and he staggers one way and then the other before catching himself against a wooden beam for support.

"Yes'm?" he drawls politely, using the tip of his shoulder to push the oversized helmet sliding off his head back up again.

"Remind me the next time I pass through south Chon'sin lands that we stop by the manor of Lady Pin'mai. There's some abused antiquities I need to save and restore."

Lucina looks absolutely shocked to see one of the first generation of Shepherds here before her. I don't know if the trauma is more of seeing him as young as he is or the fact that he's traveling with Anna.

Me? I just feel sorry for him. Working for her must be a drag. "You're both here?"

She dismisses my concern with the flick of her wrist. "Of course. He's the greatest little pack horse a girl could ask for. Plenty of talent to make use of and a quick mind to learn. There's not a thing this boy can't do. Isn't that right Donny?"

The young lad finally struggles up behind us and drops all the sacks he carries causing a cloud of dust to rise up. "Almost everything," he grins bashfully. "Everything 'cept ol' Hubba's food pantry. Don't think there's anything that could be done 'bout cleaning that mess up no matter what yer talent is."

They both pause and a look of pure, unbridled terror passes over their faces upon recalling whatever memory it is they share. Anna is the first to break and she laughs a bit too forcefully before aggressively pulling them both shoulder to shoulder.

"Aside from that minor scarring incident," she twitches just barely, "he's right as a rain check."

"Old Hubba?" I question, taken back by his mention. Is there anything from the game that isn't real to some degree? At this point all the DLC is going to happen as well. Not that I wouldn't mind a trip to the beach or hot springs. What's important here though is the fact that Old Hubba's not only been mentioned but Donnel's seen him. The boy is in deep and I'm beginning to doubt if his role is tied to the Shepherds anymore. And seriously, what has he seen while under Anna's employment? She's a crazy anomaly herself despite her accusations.

Anna squints in concern. "How do you know about him? What am I saying, how does anyone not know about him? The amount of Outrealms he's intruded in are..." She catches herself and draws up very straight. With arms behind her back and reciting like she is, I can almost picture her in a lawyer suit shuffling papers before me. "If my great uncle has somehow upset and/or insulted a female relative in any way or fashion, Anna and Sisters, Inc. is not held liable. All actions of independent agents, blood related or not, do not reflect the views and beliefs of our company. If you have any concerns or lawsuits I can direct you to our legal department for further inquiries."

Lucina gazes on clearly baffled at the wordage spilling from the redhead's mouth. I'm just surprised at her little revelation. Suddenly things don't seem so strange given her own personality. "He's family?"

The regret in her voice is palpable. "Somehow. We traced through the family tree and someone married someone who was siblings with someone who, well, you know how the roots and branches get gnarled. We're stuck with him. But enough about my family practice!"

Her friendly gesture quickly swaps to one of business. Anna pushes the boy still held tightly against her roughly away. She presses her hands together before rubbing them thoroughly. There's a mischievous glint in her eye that makes me concerned.

"So, lucky me. I've come to find such an interesting sight today. Allies turned enemies, now friends again."

Lucina has finally shaken off her stupor and grows cold toward the odd merchant before us. "Anna, what are you doing here?"

Anna feigns a glower of hurt, her equally red lips plumped out dramatically. "What?" she gasps, "can't a girl just say hello to a few neighbors while on a walk?"

Lucina glares, dropping off the crate to stand up to her. "You and I both know very well your lot never appears without some hidden agenda behind it."

Anna regards the younger female with a critical eye, like appraising a prime cut of meat. Her sullen look slowly changes, mouth curling up in amusement. "So true!"

"Looks like you've found me out. I may have a reason or two for dropping by." Anna turns and points to Donnel who is finally recovering from his tumble into the dirt.

"Donny-boy, you know what to do," she instructs with a shake of one of the dropped sacks.

He rubs the edge of his sleeve over a smudge on his cheek before sniffing. "Right then."

Donnel takes the bag being offered and then looks around. Spying something in the stall I formerly worked in, he gestures to the tool inside.

"Beg pardon but would ya'll mind me borrowin' yer pitchfork there?"

"No," I answer in mild curiosity.

Donnel dips his head in appreciation and hoists the tool away with him as he makes for the far end of the aisle. We watch as he stops next to the large cart I've been dumping all the pegasus dung in. Things get weirder when he starts adding it to the bag.

"Um." It's all I can muster.

Anna just beams with pride at the sight. "Profit, ladies. Profit."

There's a long silence as the two of us try to process this.

"That's pegasus dung," Lucina bluntly identifies.

"It's an opportunity," Anna corrects with the cluck of her tongue. "Do you know what kind of saps would pay big for a magic fertilizer made from an authentic pegasus?"

"There's nothing magical about it," the royal continues.

"Not to you. But to a couple backwater peasants a world away? Priceless."

I nearly sputter. "You're selling these in the Outrealms?"

If our current representative is implying the right truth here, the Anna sisters have some sort of power that allows them regular access to the Outrealms. Not only that, she's mentioned before the time fluctuating doesn't have much affect on them given this world's resident has kept up with the cycles as easily as Lucina does. Who are they?

"Sometimes I forget you know about those. But to answer that? Of course I am!" Anna responds back. "I have several very strong contracts already set up. All I need to do is deliver on the goods. Who wouldn't be interested in a magical fertilizer made from an authentic creature of myth? What they produce is extra nutritious for dirt! Crops will grow at half the speed it takes in normal soil once you lay down these whimsical patties! It's like you don't even have to farm anymore! All the work's done for you."

"Save the merchandising for someone who will believe your blather," Lucina remarks in clear disgust of the woman.

"Snippy little thing, aren't you? How charming!" Anna coos. "You'd have half a mind to hold your tongue if you knew how much cash these poor fools are putting out for one bag of renewable resources. My profit margin is almost two hundred percent on this stuff. And the bonus selling point is that it's made here right in the heart of Ylisse. Nothing sells an investment better than free sustainability in my eyes."

There is something seriously messed up with this woman.

One of the gates further down clatters violently as the pegasus inside rams it once with its hooves. We all look over, startled. The sound catches Donnel off guard as well and he ends up losing his grip on one of his bags causing the insides to spill out.

Anna pales and waves a hand around in distress. "Careful Donny! Remember to treat those bags like they were your own mother! Full of reverence and a fat purse to boot."

He waves in apology and acts like it was nothing.

"That's a mean thing to say about his mother," I comment.

Anna taps her finger against her chin and gives me a knowing look. "You know what's really mean? Having a little chat like this and not inviting me to it. This doesn't bode very well for our future as partners, Robin. All fellow investors should discuss their business plans together."

Her pushy quest for answers in the halls come back to me. "I said I'm not agreeing on any of this business junk without Lucina here to discuss it with."

Said girl comes between us, looking the other woman dead on. "And I believe I've made it clear I desire no potential 'partnerships' with any of your sisters. I do not need your aid."

Anna breaks into a fit of laughter. Leaning in, she pinches Lucina's cheek causing the younger one to slap away at her.

"Oh, sweetheart. Believe me," she responds, her tone taking an ominous drop, "you will."

I suppress a shiver as Anna's eyes lift over Lucina's shoulder to me.

"What makes you so special that I would warrant your help?" the girl stubbornly accuses as she steps back.

Anna cools down, her demeanor nothing like it was before. She doesn't seem threatening on the surface but that's with one shallow look. Something about her in this moment is making my hair stand on end. It's like a strong magical tingle is playing on my skin.

"I suppose you wouldn't think anything of it. I do resemble one of the many famous beauties that make up Anna and Sisters, Inc. But I am more than just a humble representative of our door-to-door sales franchise."

Anna takes a seat on a stool nearby and starts to examine her finely trimmed nails with feigned interest. "I specifically run a very specialized branch. One that requires a lot of field work."

"All I've observed of you is running sales and pushing wares."

Anna flicks something invisible from her the tip of her finger. "That's just a side job, dear. A girl like myself has to support herself somehow."

"Then what exactly is this job of yours?" Lucina asks with a growing interest.

The merchant throws me another look and I flinch back in alarm. "Loss and Prevention, sweetie. When our goods go missing, someone has to investigate."

Lucina looks lost at all the sales jargon. Coming from some dismal retail service experience in my early college years, I'm well aware of it all. She's basically a form of security in her, uh, company. When there's theft or mischief about, it's her job to handle it.

Anna continues to explain with a great pride. "It's one thing when a few crates get lost between trips. When an operative goes missing, which never happens mind you, that really peaks our interest."

I nudge Lucina from behind, still getting the jitters from Anna's stare. "This is what I told you about."

Lucina looks back over her shoulder at me and makes a face. Still, she remains strong and doesn't let any of this trouble her outward appearance. I'm giving her all the props for taking control so well here. I feel like I'm standing behind Chrom. He's taught her well.

"So you are aware of what's going on here?" Lucina asks our companion.

"All us sisters do. It's hard not to. Your friend really screwed things up here. The backlash is hard not to feel. Frankly, it was beginning to get tiresome. Our sales in local herbs and ore have been down since your disturbances began. Everyone is in a bad mood because of it."

"And you're quite sure your sister has gone missing? I had contact with her well into each cycle. She's always been around, regardless of how welcome she was."

"Trust me, we know when something is wrong," Anna nods knowingly. "We run like clockwork or risk upsetting the careful balance our family has set up. You can't run a business without a good framework in place. One of us going missing is like finding a hole in your money purse. The difference in the weight of gold is noticeable."

"So she truly has yet to appear this cycle?" the princess confirms a final time.

"No mention of where she went at all. And she wasn't too happy last, er, whatever you call these. Cycles? Something was agitating her. Then, nothing. Not even a letter for my birthday."

"See," I murmur in concern. "All these important people are missing. Robin, Grima, Tiki, Anna...who next?"

Lucina brings a hand to her face, hiding her anxiety behind her palm. "This...this is not what I had planned today. Discussing such matters in the pegasus stables is not ideal for this delicate a matter. I don't want unwelcome parties stumbling upon this."

"Too late for that." Anna remarks in amusement. Neither of us know how to take her comment. This causes her to roll her eyes in a fit disbelief. She kicks back and stretches out a shoulder as if to warm up for a bit of exercise. "Your ignorance is heartbreaking."

She delivers another intense look in my direction. At first I believe she's looking at me again. My mind starts whirling with potential causes. Does she think I'm masquerading like Lucina once did? Or...

Or maybe it's something else. Is...is she actually looking at me? Her eyes don't appear to actually be resting on me. It's more like she's looking through me. Maybe over the shoulder. Behind?

Uh oh.

Anna just smirks. "Oh, did you finally realize it?"

I spin around in fear expecting the worst. Emmeryn? Chrom? Frederick?

But nothing is there. And around us, the pegasus grow more restless by the second.

The empty space behind me is just what it seems. Void of life. A lone stall with nothing but my wheelbarrow and discarded hay. I try to see what she means but my eyes don't see anything out of the norm. I run along the fencing and the walls. Nothing.

"If this a joke I find no humor in it!" Lucina hisses sharply from behind.

"No wonder you all were taken by surprise. Trust me, it's there. Look harder."

As soon as she says this, something strange happens to the wall. The lines in wood shift and break. A strange shimmer as light is disrupted over the surface. The space is wavering, shaking.

It's just like that night in Regna Ferox and it's even more so like the magical veil made during Ylisstol's siege. I zone out for a second, focusing on the spot for further confirmation. I can just barely make out a glimmer from the space. It's abnormal and distorting, as if the air is fracturing and coming together again in a continuous loop. There's magic afoot here. The thing before us is invisible. More than anything else, I can take a good guess now based on personal experience.

It's a Risen.

The alarm upon my face gives it away. The camouflage around the Risen quickly dissipates revealing a grotesque humanoid crouching on top the corner of the stall. It's squatted down held in place with both hands while it balances on its tiptoes. The formerly human male is decked in the broken remnants of what looks like a Feroxi ranger garb. The gaunt face cranes to the side, bleary irises glowing through stringy strands of hair. For a minute, all four of us are caught in a face-off. Then, panic ensues.

It leaps forward with a shrill screech, claws out and wriggling. Lucina pulls me away within an inch of its landing. A bucket goes flying and wood beams creak as it hits the ground. Its arms and feet skitter about to catch itself before it goes flying down the aisle.

Above our panicked attempts to fall into action, I feel an immense rush of magic beside us. Following this, Anna's voice rings out loud and clear.

"Donnel!"

The boy's been watching us with concern as soon as our voices died down. With the explosion of noise, Donnel leaps to his feet. The pegasus around have gone into a frenzy, their frantic neighing nearly blocking out Anna's command. The creature scrambles drunkenly down the aisle, slamming back and forth between the gates on both sides. As it closes in on the end, it flattens down and then launches itself up. Its limbs wrap around a pillar where he hangs briefly.

The Risen lets off a defiant hiss in our direction before diving for the open barn doors. It jumps, spread-eagle. Mid-flight, the Risen folds up inward and slams into the back wall with a pained scream. Thrashing madly, it starts tugging at the pitchfork embedded in its midsection.

"Good boy!" Anna cries as she dashes past us. Where did she get that lance from? The thing is practically humming with arcane energy. She avoids us with practiced grace. The lance in her hand raises. Stretching her free arm out as a measure to the distance, the other pulls back. Her gait speeds to a side-stepping trot and she twists around. With a great snap of her torso and arm, the weapon goes flying.

I swear I hear the sound barrier crack as the piece blurs through the air. The weapon catches the Risen right through the sternum and carries it back against the wall. There's a solid thunk as the creature becomes pinned to the wood base behind it. Runes flair up the side of the weapon and wind magic seeps out of the handle. It slithers up the pole and starts to wrap around the Risen. The numerous ends connect against the wall, latching onto it like vines on a tree. It looks rather silly with this Risen cocooned as it and the pitchfork wobbling up and down with each futile shake it makes.

"Well that was invigorating," Anna gloats triumphantly. She swipes back loosened red strands from her pony tail and walks up to Donnel. Placing a hand on his shoulder, she looks the monster up and down. "Your aim is getting better. I'm almost proud to call you my pupil."

"Been practicin' just like you said," he beams back.

She raises a brow and flicks him hard over the nose, causing him to reach up in reflex. "I said almost. Don't get cocky yet. Your upper arm strength wouldn't knock over my grandmother."

This whole thing would be comical if I weren't boiling over in anger.

"Anna!" I cry out angrily, pointing with great emphasis at our captive. "What the fuck?"

She just cocks her head as if ignorant to the reasoning for my rage.

Lucina is no less irate than I. Clearly we're both on the same page for once because her tone is no different than mine. She stalks up to the grinning woman and stands toe to toe with her. "You knew this Risen was here?"

"Of course," she admits with a shrug of nonchalance. "And you didn't."

"And just how long did you neglect to tell us this?"

"Can't tell you that. The nosy little thing was here long before I came in."

"I reiterate. Anna, what the fuck?" I seethe as I join the trio from behind. Watching the thrashing Risen, I take note of its features. This is what Lucina and I are considering a fresh kill. There's a difference between those from this timeline and the Risen that fell through with the kids. Those are plenty rotten and show their age. These still function pretty well. The muscles are still loose and there's more defining personal features. The clothes are mostly intact and the vocal glands work better.

"Call it curiosity," Anna admits. She pirouettes around Lucina with ease, throwing the young princess into shock at her fluid escape. Twirling to a stop in front of the Risen, she leans in next to it. "I haven't seen one do this before. What an utterly interesting trick."

"It's been there the whole time," I repeat her earlier statement to myself in disbelief, the impact of the statement slowly sinking in.

"You've got quite the admirer," Anna answers.

It's been watching me this whole time. I feel sick.

Lucina is livid at this point. Her voice has reached a new dangerous low. Even Donnel looks taken back. He's stands off to the side with a wary uncertainty as he tries to decide whether the Risen or Lucina are the bigger threat.

"How could you-"

Lucina's rant ends with the merchant throwing a hand up in her face. Anna's quick movements startle her enough to allow a few words. "I didn't say anything right away because I wanted to know what this was here for. Either it was going to make off with your friend or it was strictly on reconnaissance."

"Are you insane?"

Anna lets out a mean snicker and narrows her eyes mischievously. "Oh no. I have nothing but clarity. See, I've been doing a little research while I've been in this messed up hodge-podge you call home. You've released some very, very bad things and I've got a sneaking suspicion they're involved somehow."

She waltzes up before the Risen and taps it politely on the forehead, her crimson eyes burning right back into the monster's. "Hellooo? Anyone home in there?"

"This is ridiculous. I'm getting someone," I say, weakly slinking down the corridor a few steps. "This is a security breach. The captain of the guard should know. Chrom too. If this thing infiltrated that easily we're going to have to revamp our sentry routes."

If the Risen has been hanging around here unnoticed then we have no idea what it heard. Anything we deemed private could be compromised! And honestly? I just want to leave and clear my head a moment. Nothing is more disjointing than hearing that something has been stalking you for hours. These Grimleal are getting real twisted with their fascination of Grima.

"Don't. Move," Anna barks out with a deep sincerity that causes me to freeze. "Whatever is in here is going to flee the second you do."

"Someone's...?"

Lucina's question tapers off as we both stare at it.

Oh gods. She's right. Of course she's right! Why would it be acting as it is if it wasn't?

The Risen's eyes are burning brighter than usual. I can see the spark of inhuman intelligence burning the irises extra bright. Something beyond the dull remnants of a former human soul resides inside. I rub my arms as goosebumps rise up over my skin. It's now just watching having given up over the struggle of its magical restraints.

Anna's right, this thing was spying on me. Someone was there and I never even knew. It's just like before. If I hadn't heard the thing in the tents during the pure silence of the night, I'd never have known. But because I was surrounded by noise and caught up in my work, I remained oblivious.

I find myself slumping against the nearest stall in shock as Anna resumes her impromptu interrogation. Her tone remains airy, full of false friendliness.

"I know you're in there. No use playing dumb. I'm sure you remember me." Her smile grows more chilling. She turns on her heel and takes to switching sides. "I remember you. I know a meddler when I see one."

She remembers? That's right, she said she ran into some interesting Risen during the fight. Probably one of Algidus'.

Its head lolls to the side, still silent. Its eyes aren't blue. They're red. But this one seems no less intelligent than the ones Algidus possesses. Who's exactly in there watching us right now?

"Miss Anna?" Donnel dares call out. I'm not sure how close he's been to a Risen but watching her cozy up so close to one is distressing him.

"Sh!" she enunciates with an extra long hush. Removing the finger from her lips, she leans up so the two are almost nose to nose. "Now then, how about we make this easy?"

"Here's the truth, love. I really don't want to be here. I have better things to do with my time than this. And you? You probably know by now it'd be unwise to get me involved. So let's make a deal."

Did she just say she wants to make a deal? As in with the enemy? And right in front of us?

"I want my sister," she utters out, icy and even. The Risen's head drops limply in the other direction and she tilts her head to follow. There's no escaping her piercing gaze. "You lead me in the right direction and I'll be gone before you blink."

She is! That's...that's the same deal she tried making with me! She's negotiating with the enemy!

Anna's hand starts with just the tips of her pointer resting on the edge of her weapon. As she speaks, the rest of her fingers curl up and around it until her whole palm encases it. "If the Ylisseans are clueless then the only other obvious party at fault here is you."

Whatever possesses the Risen ponders her offer. It appears interested and it almost starts to say something.

"I..." it rasps out.

Her eyes light up with a bit of hope as she leans in to hear better. In response, the puppeteer eases off allowing the feral nature of the Risen to take over. The yellow, cracked teeth in its mouth grind and gnash at her as it reaches out to bite at her face. Foaming specks of spittle hit Anna's smooth features causing her to jerk back.

"Well that wasn't very nice."

Her knuckles whiten as her grip tightens and the whole spear vibrates with life. The Risen jerks as the vines around it grow. Numerous thorns pierce out of it and the long spikes embed deep into the skin. Risen don't feel physical pain but this creature actually seems to be in that state. The amount of magic seeping into it is giving me a headache. I don't have to have Ricken's abilities to feel the explosive power behind her. Gods above, this Anna's power level is off the charts. I'm legitimately getting afraid of her.

"I'm being pretty fair, I think. Trust me, you don't want to see me when I start negotiating. Save yourself a bad time and give me what I want."

"What is Naga's name?" I hear Lucina whisper. She's inches closer to me and her own hand has come to a rest on the sword she carries at her waist. Neither of us know how to interpret this Anna's abilities.

Her antics don't impress the captured party. The Risen stiffens up as control is regained. The wild grunting turns into a rumbling. Hacking, broken coughs burst out between the reedy laughter the Risen forces out.

"I, uh, don't think that worked too well Ma'am," Donnel peeps up.

Anna's disgusted moan is accompanied by the tired fall of her shoulders as her scariness melts away. "Well drat, it was worth a try. Can't say I didn't try to be civil with them."

The Risen's head drops allowing us to see nothing but the oily crown of its head. Its shoulders shake as the monster continues to respire heavily. Maybe it's my imagination but it sounds like something is being said between gasps.

"...re...Ber..."

"It's trying to answer," I practically whisper. My vocal capacity is all but shot right now.

"Really?" Anna's head bobs up and she taps it curiously on the ear. "Speak up now."

It raises its face and a single red gleam can be seen through the parts in its hair. It's staring straight at me.

"ReMEMbEr...tHis..."

Coooome on. Why me? This creepy voodoo is bad for my health!

"ReeeemeMBer...youR...PRomIssSsssseee..."

Cracked lips part and stretch to create a horrifying smile that dares to invite me in.

"GRima..." I shiver at the name. "we arE...waITInG..."

With a final rattling breath, the voice dies off and all sentience fades away. The Risen returns to normal having lost its ghostly inhabitant. The creature strains madly against the magic holding it back. Moaning and thrashing, there's little hope of getting anything else out of it.

"It's gone," Lucina solemnly finalizes for us all.

"And it's usefulness with it," Anna concludes. She snaps her fingers and the spear rattles again. The phantasmal vines begin to wind tighter around the monster. They constrict more and more. I can hear the metallic whine of the remaining pieces of armor begin to crush under the weight of the spell. The Risen starts to bloat as pressure builds on its frame. I turn away in reflex and try to block out the cracking of bone. It isn't until I hear the poof of smoke signaling its demise that I peek over again.

Anna isn't the least bit perturbed by her choice of execution. She pulls her weapon with ease from the wall and shakes away the wisps of magic around it.

"What a waste," she whines. "Donnel, take a break and find a place to massage my toes."

When she turns around, it's not her assistant facing her down. It's Lucina.

"Hello!" the merchant exclaims cheerfully. Did anything that just happened faze her?

"What...what was that?" Lucina gapes. Her hand has yet to leave her weapon which causes Anna to regard the youth with renewed interest.

"What was what?" she asks innocently.

"This! You!" Lucina sputters. "Who are you exactly?"

Anna doesn't have a chance to respond. The rapid pattern of footsteps causes us all to tense up in suspicion. A guard rushes through the wide opening of the stables. He stumbles in, the cape marking his status as lieutenant wrapping around his legs. He kicks his ensnared leg free while holding himself up with one arm, cursing quietly the whole time. Once that's done, he lifts the visor of his helmet and his familiar features identify the man underneath.

"Markus?" I exclaim in surprise.

His breathing comes heavy. "Are you all okay? Did something happen? I heard strange noises coming from the stables. I thought maybe you were all in trouble too."

I immediately look in alarm toward Anna expecting her spear to be a dead giveaway to our predicament. Strangely, she weaponless. Instead a ragged looking broom moves casually back and forth between her hands.

"Whatever could you mean? I believe everything has been quiet over here," Anna answers as she casually continues her work. Does she realize how out of place a traveling merchant of some prestige sweeping the pegasus stables looks?

Markus seems confused by her being here. He awkwardly gazes on her before casting a glance around the area. "I heard the shrieks though. And the crash. Are you sure..."

"Must a been those pegasus here. I reckon it's 'bout time fer their daily feeding. Critters will get like that, no matter what they are," Donnel jumps in to aid his employer. "Don't matter if they're cows, ducks, or flying horses. Get hungry enough and you'll get nuthin' but a ruckus till ya fill their bellies."

The animals in question help reinforce his point. Still worked up from the prior attack, the heavy snorts and loud shifting of the stable doors give a certain credence to Donnel's story. Someone not use to the habits of a pegasus could see their agitation as a sign of hunger I suppose. With the lack of evidence to suggest otherwise, it's certainly believable.

I can see the wheels turning in Markus' head. He's got four different people acting sort of shifty yet firmly denying anything he swears he just heard. With no bodies or damage done to us, nothing can prove his suspicions.

"What did you mean when you said we were in trouble as well?" Lucina pipes up from the back.

Markus shakes up in surprise. Realizing it's Lucina, the guardsman relaxes and adopts a much more casual stance. "Lady Marth! I didn't realize you were here as well."

Her silence causes him to falter and he continues. "Uh, well. I guess you wouldn't have heard if you were here." Raising both hands up, he tries his best to reinforce a continued attitude of calmness. "Now don't be alarmed. We're getting the situation under control."

Markus adjusts the corner of his cloak and then steps to the side, gesturing with his thumb out the door. "Actually, it would be best if I explained while escorting you back to the castle. Until we do a clean sweep of the grounds, you would be safest inside."

Anna's breathy laugh is all but unheard except to myself. There's a twinkle in her eye she shares just with me that makes me believe there's been more than one little incident here she was aware of.

Too our horror, we find that there were indeed other Risen here. Like ours, these buggers infiltrated through invisibility. They snuck into a storage room of all places. What makes this so different from the usual is how messy the attempt was. They made themselves known right away when they tripped several magic detection runes. Being invisible, it took some time to figure out their whereabouts. After several mages in the guard pinpointed them, the soldiers tried to box in the intruders.

Their movements were sloppy and the evasion attempt even more so. There were a fair number of them but most of the Risen just threw themselves at the guards in an attempt to buy time for a specific few. Whatever it was they stole from storage, the Risen were working together to make sure they escaped with it. The whole attempt was easily culled and the wares retrieved.

They were trying to escape with parts of the dragon cannon. Specifically, the parts that give it its namesake. Dragon cannons are devastating weapons that are hard to control and harder to build. They function as they do because they are made from actual body parts of a dragon. Given the scarcity of manaketes in this age, most cannons are extremely old and nonfunctional. That's what makes Pleiga's so odd. The lungs, skull, and other innards used in the cannon we recovered had parts that seemed perfectly preserved. Like they came off a fresh kill.

The infiltrators fought to leave with the bits up until the last one. It acted with extreme desperation. Markus claims one of the guard even swore they heard it say something on its final breaths. A name? It evaporated with the word and fingers outstretched toward the parts. It's so strange because it's unlike anything before. These Risen weren't even out for us. They just wanted to recover the dragon cannon.

And through his whole explanation we had no choice but to follow while playing ignorant. To mention we were attacked would raise questions. Why were we assaulted? Who killed it? Why didn't we alert anyone right away? That's not including the other issues it would bring up. Namely about myself. The idea of me being in the same place as another attack would already make certain suspicions even worse than before.

Gods, what is going on today?

Entering the main foyer exhibits the aftermath of our short-lived scare. Nobles gather in tiny circles drunk on the thrill of danger. Nethys' pissed off tirade can be heard several halls over and Eldaran's own men are scurrying around with hers. Markus begins offering us advice on where to go when a crowd of delegates parts beyond us. Ginette quickly breaks away from Southtown's mayor. There's a hint of distress on the official's face but he turns away with a stubborn pride to leave the fretting to be done by his assistant.

"Markus! Good heavens! You took so long I was afraid one of those monsters had nabbed you," Ginette babbles frantically as she reaches out for him. Her hands slide into his and the two stand apart as she frets over his otherwise unmarred body.

"Ginny," he lets out with a long whine. He grasps her palms with a good squeeze and tries hard not to stare at his father nearby. "The castle grounds are on lock-down. Nothing is going to happen to me."

"Still," she persists. "You know I worry."

"Too much."

This earns him a half-hearted slap. Ginette eases the tenseness in her shoulders. "The captain has been looking for you," she remarks grimly.

"Ah shit," he cringes. Realizing he just cursed in front of four women, he reddens. "S-sorry! I meant damn, er, drat!"

"You're fine Markus," I reassure gently.

"Thank you Robin," Ginette nods in appreciation. "It's also good to see you again outside of these dreadful meetings." Something peeks her curiosity and I find Lucina staring wide-eyed at the other woman. Like, saucers for eyes big.

"Hello?" the blonde greets kindly.

Markus steps in with a quick introduction for his friend. "Oh, my apologies. I never did have a chance to introduce you. This here is Marth. She's the other young lady who I can claim my life to. It was her sword arm that cut us a path to safety when the Grimleal fell upon us in the kitchens."

Ginette curtsies deeply in gratitude, her platitudes humble. "It's a pleasure to meet you. I'll have to formerly thank you on behalf of the mayor of Southtown and myself. His son is a bit of a troublemaker but of the decent sort. It would be a lonelier world without him had he perished that night."

"Thank Ginny," he sulks.

Lucina, who had since pulled her hood back up to cover her face, continues to gawk. She's utterly stiff except for the nervous rubbing of her fingers together behind her back. "You're welcome," she responds mechanically.

Ginette seems to question Lucina's response but Markus' own question to our third party distracts her.

"And this is...uh. I'm sorry. I don't think we've met before," he pauses in realization.

Anna easily dismisses him. She puts a hand to Donnel's back and ushers him away. "Don't mind me. I'm merely a merchant of little circumstances. I believe our business for now is concluded so I won't interrupt your friendly chatter any long. Come along Donnel. I hear there's a guard captain who may be in the market for some extra security acquisitions."

Donnel raises his shoulders helplessly and offers us a wordless good-bye as she drags him away. Passing us by, she offers a final word.

"I do hope you reconsider my offer ladies. In these trying times, it's good to have as many friends as you can."

With that, she disappears into the crowd.

"It was nice to meet you," Ginette calls out with a bit of uncertainty. She really is a nice gal. Too sweet for this world.

I poke Lucina hard trying to knock her back to her senses. Ginette's being here seems to be disturbing her greatly. "Marth?"

"Is you friend alright? You weren't involved in this breach by chance?" Ginette worries. She moves to help Lucina take a seat but the girl backs away.

"We're fine," she says almost too quickly. "We were no where near the same area as this situation."

"Thankfully," I can't help but interject. What a lie.

"That's good," Ginette says, a hand pressed to her chest in relief. "The whole thing is frightening to think of."

"You need not worry about a thing, my Lady. The guard will continue to protect and serve the populace as we always have. Your life is in good hands!" The remaining man puffs out his chest and performs the Ylissean salute. He does it with so much vigor he causes the raised visor on his helmet to fall with a loud clank.

Ginette smiles and reaches over. She pushes it back up and giggles lightly. "Do you see this? Ever since he received that promotion he's been letting it go to his head. His supposed valor is about as great as his new found ego."

"I bet." His attempts to impress her are endearing. Sometimes I wonder where the line between their friendliness and teasing end.

"Are you girls banding up against me?" he complains. "No fair."

"Common sense seems to run stronger in the fairer sex, dearest friend," she teases.

"Can you believe this woman?" Markus asks to Lucina and I. He points to the crest stitched to the front of her coat. "Two months she's been the mayoral assistant and she thinks she has the rights to sass me. Who's really letting their power get to their head?"

"I think both of you need to cool it before your egos rub off on poor Tomas. He'll turn out worse than the two of you combined!" I point out causing both to roll their eyes at the other.

"Tomas?" Lucina seems more interested than ever at the mention of Ginette's boy. She's almost apprehensive as she awaits the answer.

The thought of him makes the village woman swell with pride. There's a misty recollection in her eye as she reminisces about him. "He's my son. Tomas is not here thankfully. Safely stowed away with my grandmother in the protection of Red Rapids."

"And that's where you should be as well! Our mayor can handle his affairs perfectly on his own," Markus intercedes with another harsh look to the back of said person's head.

"Markus, please. Your father can barely find either shoe in the morning. He'd walk around in his socks if it weren't for me. My place is here doing good for our village and the country."

The door to the west wing bursts open and Nethys barrels into the foyer. Nobody is spared as she knocks past both noble and peasant in her path. She limps by with the help of a simple cane. Her good eye flares with a rage that could stop a raging bull in its path.

"You pissent little shits! My blind mother could have done better than this! So don't you tell me you couldn't have done anything more! Nothing should have gotten up that wall!"

Someone makes a remark and she rounds on them. Her cane waves menacingly in her hand as she swipes at the group following her. One poor guard gets caught upside the head and the rest cower to the point of tears in one woman's case.

"I'll have all your sorry asses nailed to wall for this. Naga take my word on that!"

"Oh gods," Markus pales.

I slide up next to him and watch the raging demon of a captain shriek for her missing lieutenants. "Markus. Buddy. Pal. It was great knowing you."

"Yeah," he mumbles. His body sags forward in defeat. "I should go."

We watch him drag himself to his potential demise. Though concerned, Ginette seems to accept his fate. She sees him off sadly. "She truly does frighten him. I just tell Markus it's all tough love. Poor thing."

Realizing she's been away from her own duties, Ginette offers an apology. "I should return to the mayor's side. I promised just to check in on his son then report back. He's a man of little word, but he does care whether that stubborn son of his realizes or not."

"Sure."

"But Robin! You'll be leaving with Shepherd, won't you? Deployment is soon I hear," she concludes.

The question is painful to hear. I wish it weren't the truth but the plot moves ever forward. I try not to let my feelings of dread betray me. "Unfortunately."

"I wish it were not the case. I can't help but be worried for you and all our warriors. None of us wish for war."

"No, but it's got to be done. Ylisse has to protect herself or we'll only suffer again. It's unfortunate but we have no choice."

"It's a shame." Ginette tries her best to sound cheerful despite the apprehension. "Markus and I will have to see you off before then. Both of you."

She lingers a few moments more before we exchange our goodbyes. Ginette returns to her grumpy looking boss leaving Lucina and I alone again.

"Robin."

"What?"

"That woman back there. You know of her? How?"

Lucina's strange behavior continues. I'm beginning to wonder myself why she's so interested in Ginette. By all accounts, she's just an average villager. Then again, maybe not? If she became a strong part of Southtown's politics in past cycles, she could have some impact on the royal life here. But why is Lucina acting so strange about it?

I take a deep breath, cautiously watching her as I explain as normally as I can. "Ginette? She's the woman I told you about once. I probably didn't mention her by name, but she's the one I rescued in Southtown during that bandit raid."

Lucina reacts little to the statement. Her quiet is making me uneasy. She betrays little emotion yet watches the woman with a strange intensity.

"And her son is alive?"

Weird questions. "Yeah. One of the few things I can say I'm rather proud of from that day. I saw them at Emmeryn's ceremony. She's doing well for herself. Can you believe it? Of all the things I've been screwing up and trying to fix, at least one good thing came from all of it."

It's silly to feel like this but I still get all soft inside thinking about how well both are doing. For me, Ginette and Tomas have become the faces of the Ylissean people. They remind me of the thousands of people who live in this country. The same ones the Shepherds are fighting to protect.

"He's alive," she echoes.

Lucina's muttering bursts my happy bubble and draws my attention back to her. There, finally. I catch a hint of something in her voice. It's not of relief or anything positive. If anything, she sounds alarmed.

"He didn't...but you did? That shouldn't have..." she murmurs to no one in particular. The hitch in her voice denotes something akin to panic. There's no way I misheard that.

"Hey," I ask loudly enough for her to hear. "What's the matter?"

What is the matter with that? She acts as if what I said was wrong.

Is it?

"Lu...Marth?" I nearly slip. "Talk to me."

She blinks rapidly as if breaking from her daze. Looking between us both, she abruptly turns away. She's exerting too much restraint to ease my fears. "Read over my letter and acquaint yourself with the contents. Hopefully it will better prepare you for the challenges we're about to face."

"Marth, wait-"

"Have a good evening."

She speeds off without another word, stalking away stiffly. I can't help but note she disappears in the same direction as Anna.

"Okay then."

What was that about? Something has spooked Lucina about Ginette and I'm left wondering why. What sort of connection could they have that compelled her to act like that? More importantly, what did I do?

Ginette's being here shouldn't be that much of a complication for things, could it? I mean she's just a simple woman. Well, sort of. She's the village maiden. But still.

Still.

…...

Okay, not to grasp for straws or anything but there isn't a possibility that maybe she's... I had some little inklings from the moment Ginette showed up at the ceremony. Even since then, I sometimes catch her peeking at the certain blue-haired prince she met briefly that one afternoon. Wistful dreaming is what it could be best described as. Something akin to Sumia's own admiration. And maybe it's my imagination but I may have caught Chrom looking back once or twice himself. Not so much as of recently but he's been so caught up in family that it's no surprise.

It could be nothing. But why would she act so shy around meeting Ginette? Then the mention of a son still being alive and me doing something about it utterly shocked her.

Dude.

I really don't know how to interpret this right now after everything. I don't want to. Naga's flaming bunions! Between all this and having to clean the pegasus stalls, this really was a shitty day!

Wow, that actually is a bad pun! It seemed a lot more funny early on.

Damn. I need some new material.

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A/N: So I discovered who would win in a battle of the human skull versus a falling bucket heavy with frozen frosting. It's not the human! I'm finally fine and thankfully ready to write again. The ending is a little slap-dash because it was two and a half weeks between then and when I got back on it. Sorry if it comes off as confusing. On the bright side, Thanksgiving was great and the holiday season is now upon us! If I don't get another chapter up this month, let me wish you all season's greetings! May it be filled with lots of joy!

And for all of you who may be wondering still, this Anna is a very specific one. If you haven't picked up the clues by now, she's from an Awakening DLC ;)

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Review Responses:

The Right Hand of Light – Oh geez? I inspired...well darn. Um, glad to help get those creative juices flowing! I'll have to check your story/stories then! Apologies I didn't look sooner! I'll do so now that the chapter is up!

Hey, a fellow fan of strategy and slow burn romances! High-five! As you've pointed out, I love my details. Rich histories and epic battles make my world turn. Is it a wonder I love the fantasy genre the most? All the same, I'm stoked that it's tickling the fancy of readers like yourself. I wish I could update faster for you all. I feel bad for being such a slow typist. The mystery should start unfolding bit by bit now as the aftershocks of everyone's actions start to culminate. I'm excited and I hope you continue to be so as well. Thank you so much for the compliments and I'll keep providing what I can! Best of luck on all your writing!

Erika Elencia – Thank you. The feels were certainly there. Rereading it all, I got a bit twitterpated myself over their interactions. I'm trying to imagine either Robin or Chrom coming to terms with potentially finding out about having kids. It probably would be a combination of both happiness and shock. And twins among them? Beware the future of sleepless nights!

ArcherShirou – Thanks. The relationship between them is tricky to nail because I want to give it the proper depth it deserves. Luckily I seem to be doing pretty well at it! Writing their interactions comes so naturally now because they mesh so well. A great duo, through and through.

Qwertys Human – I feel like that whole situation would end up with someone somehow recruiting Henry. He'd crash the party, antics occur, and everyone wakes up to find his name on the Shepherd's roster. And yeah, the mood could come off with some romantic vibes this chapter if you squint in the right places. The seeds are planted for something more, I guess?

Angelus Candida – Thank you very much for the review! The kind words keep me going through the worst of writer's block. Hope you continue to enjoy the content.

Arthogawa – Chrom's heroic little rescue was an intentional jab at fairy tale princes saving damsels in distress. I just couldn't pass up the chance at making fun of that. Plus, they haven't paired up in forever. He is the hero of the game so Chrom should be at the head of the biggest moments. I can confirm certain relationships can bolster Einherjar performance. Blood relations or matching affinities can affect this. So an example would definitely include Marth to Lucina. Strong bonds like Sully and Stahl using duel cavaliers (Cain/Abel, Sain/Kent, etc.) could also do that.

And yes, Robin seems to be doomed. She's been doomed for a while it seems, ha!

The aftermath is bad. Lucina did warn Robin in chapter seven that messing with the order of things can lead to potentially worse outcomes. Sure, Robin saved most of the army and Emmeryn's life. In compensation, they lost half the city and a good chunk of the civilians. Nothing comes for free as Robin is slowly learning. :(

There's a decent chance Robin's past will come to light earlier than before. With Chrom's understanding so far and the constant emergence of Grima's generals, I think it's only a matter of time until the right word is spoken to make him understand. It might be in Robin's best interests though. With the odds she's facing, having him at her side might be her only chance to escape this unscathed.

Glad you liked the other little details as well. All the small things in between tie together the big stuff. Though who said the twins left Katarina's card? Someone else can blend into shadows and sneak around just as much as they can :)

Raiden312 – I figured the former Exalt's life was a tragic case like that. To paint him as a single-dimension murderer is too easy. The siblings are clearly troubled emotionally by him and his war. The complexity of their feelings has to stem from something. Usually the worst hurts come from those you love but continue to watch destroy themselves. Most human beings, even at their worst, retain some sort of redeeming point. Pure evil is a rare thing to behold. Considering their father only went to war with Plegia and not the whole world with his ideals, that makes me believe he's just severely misguided in his beliefs. He's no mass murdering psychopath, just disturbingly ignorant in his unfortunate fanatical racism toward the Plegian people. It's by no means excusable, but he had some sense of morality as he never went after Regna Ferox, the Chon'sin dynasts, or others.

Yep, support is building up. We'll see where this strange duo goes!

ramble incoming – Theories! Yes! Excellent! I'll admit that all the clues have yet to be unveiled. While there are many to piece together, there's still some important parts yet to be seen. So don't feel bad if things aren't all there yet. It isn't you. They'll appear at some point.

I reeeeeeeally, and I mean it to the depths of my soul, really want to remark on something you said that many aren't considering or remembering. It's a pretty telling thing and many haven't dwelled on the potential of it. So good job! Since I can't comment on it all though for fear of spoilers, I'll just clarify points in hopes it will help sort out other stuff. The fact that traitor was written in the book along with other malicious stuff was triggered by only one person. The aftermath of that triggering was insane rambling over all pages. No one in particular was being targeted. Other Robin wrecked all those pages because who she was thinking of made her really mad. Interestingly, this can be tied to something you mentioned. Also, Lucina is the only one to be immune to the affects because of her strong bond with Naga. She mentions this in chapter eleven. Her blood and possession of Falchion allowed Naga to reach out to her and protect her further from the warping affects. Being weak from all the time shenanigans, Naga was only powerful enough to save her. As for the twins, Lucina also states they only appeared last chapter with the rest of the generals. So they're actually a new phenomena according to her.

When the Moon Met the Sun – The list is long. So long D: thanks for bearing with me!

Heh, yeeeah. Robin at court. I probably cringed a lot too through that. With all the best come all the flaws. Robin's bluntness works both ways this chapter. This was at her worst and, like in reality, people will appreciate the brutality of it or loathe it. The best of her honesty comes in her interaction with Chrom. Because she's so open with her feelings and acceptance, she can help him speak freely because he knows she won't try to feed him false platitudes because of his position. Everything they discuss will be as equals.

I'm, uh, sort of on board with you guys about their potential. There's just something oddly unique about how they reflect off each other. Everything comes off so natural and clean. And I'm the one writing this! This mutual state of understanding and respect warms me up. I'm adapting them as the plot rolls along but gosh darn if this doesn't have all the signs of something blossoming. It's so strange. I love it. I really do. I reread chapter thirty-five several times and surprised myself. The best of friendships see all different depths. And the best relationships seem to be between those who can also claim to be the others best friend. I'm sort of getting eager to see how this could go if all works out!

timewastin – Yo! I don't think you could have had a more true statement. Certain Shepherds should be approached with severe caution. Some like Sumia and Ricken would be easy because of their kindness or desire to please. Others, like Sully, would probably spit in your face. I suppose that's why the most desperate approach Robin so brazenly. What's there to lose. In this guy's case, his dignity!

Well, I wouldn't say Chrom was so much unsure about asking her on a walk. Had it been someone else he could have done it quite nicely. Hormones and nerves made him fumble there. He wasn't just asking her for a walk. He was asking for a walk. Robin sort of ruined it by bringing up some heavy topics. The bedroom thing I could see though. I'll probably go back and change some text there because that would seem a bit salacious of them. Good call.

To clarify, no version of Robin had a father figure. Canon Robin is shown in game to have been taken from Validar and raised away from him all their life. Cycle Robin just simply had no father because he abandoned her mother according to what she was told. She does mention in an early chapters that she can't remember a paternal presence in her life and remarks a few times she had a single mother. The clarification of the circumstances came last chapter when she confirms he allegedly abandoned her mother after the pregnancy came to light. But who know anymore?

White-Starcloud – Thanks for formerly stopping in! The last two chapters have skyrocketed among my favorites as well. Certainly among my most ambitious writing attempts. I'd print them out and hang them on a wall if they weren't so long, ha ha! I'll try to keep the same content going as I did before!

Steve – Heya, stop in with a word whenever you like! And I'll agree, I think teasing him is hilarious. Mostly because he can take it pretty well and still appreciate it, unlike someone such as Frederick or Miriel.

Nah, I don't find you shipping them at all weird. They had a great moment back in one of the chapters that essentially set them up for further development. I mentioned before that this Robin had a few romance supports in mind. Eldaran was one of them. He's easygoing and laid-back which goes along superbly with Robin's own lazy and simplistic lifestyle. I wonder if introducing him sooner would have changed anything? No harm though! Multiple options means multiple AUs. Everyone's happy!

Yep, my favorite new red-head got a shout-out. I can't wait :)

hot poteito – Feel free to smack my muse around whenever. She left me hanging for a whole week as I stared at the chapter once allowed to type again. Meanie.

Oh, sorry about Robin's antics. They are pretty bad. Sometimes keeping up character is hard when exploiting their worst points. I took a long pause and blushed before writing that line. I had to force myself to type it. But on the bright side, lots of goodness that came after. I'm enjoying writing Robin and Chrom out more than ever. And of course Maribelle has amazing! She is the queen of courtly intrigue and the pinnacle of noble living. She is beauty and grace, a sharp umbrella to the face.

Katarina is character who appears in a remade version of Marth's adventures. She was an assassin who tried to infiltrate his army by posing as a new recruit. Unfortunately in her time there, she bonded deeply with some of the other soldiers. When it came time to do the deed, she regretted her objective and was granted mercy when subdued. I made up her blood relation to Robin to emphasize parallels. Hopefully we'll get to see her soon! She could be a great teacher!

Overlord Valkyrie – Ha, ha. You're welcome. It's always nice to see a shared headcanon in a story.

All the siblings are precious cinnamon buns who need hugs. The trio each have their own major detriment to face and overcoming them is what will help them grow stronger. They just need to find the strength to do so.

Hey, I'm open to Einherjar suggestions. I can't swamp the story with them given how many other characters are already in it but if a few turn up with a popular demand, I could try to squeeze them in. I can confirm at least one from Sacred Stones and maybe Blazing Sword. And thanks for the romance advice. It was helpful! Based on what you suggested, it seems we're already potentially on our way!

Hylianshepherd – Holy cow. Achievement Unlocked – Do you need sleep?!

Thanks for reading this so voraciously! I'm honored you rank it so high in your opinion! I'll just have to keep up the hard work then!

Anon1438309480 - I wouldn't say you're alone in this. Quite a few people have pointed out the hesitation and weapon abilities (if we are following class based logic). The points you do bring up have some strong implications toward Chrom. Not that I'm confirming or denying anything, but the proper usage of forks and manners could also point to Frederick as well. Stahl is exceptionally family oriented. Who knows? It's an impressive argument though. I like it. Just keep reading and you'll one day find if you're grasping for straws or truths! I'll also voice my appreciation for Papa Risen. He's probably the only thing keeping those kids from delving into pure insanity. They don't know how lucky they are.

Titan127 – Your comment on William Penn made me laugh a good, long minute. The guy had it coming. And Maribelle's reaction was a personal favorite of mine to write. A literal iron lady. The elements in Robin's room show how far she's come since the beginning. A once empty room now full of life and memories. Bobbette is quite literally a symbol of her relationships with everyone. Once a tiny shrub, it's now bigger and flowering. Yay metaphors!

Animeseris – Hey there! Thanks for the review here and on the other story! To answer your question in Fracture Points, yep! Those two are a foil for Abel and Est, albeit with a happier ending hopefully!

A lot of people want to see the B and A rank supports happen now. You're all killing me! I'm simultaneously blushing and laughing over this.

And more theories? Excellent...

Well, that's honestly a really good theory. I'm going to answer one of these. Marth and Caeda actually are referencing that Robin resembles one of their old friends. Specifically, Chris/Kris. While I can't say anything on the whole reincarnation thing, I do applaud the insight. A lot. Those are some good pointers! You guys are starting to notice everything! Finally! That's so exciting! Great work. You might be rewarded with the truth someday! Anyway, thanks for all your great ideas. They're a blast to read through. I also read the African myth about the sheep. You're right, I laughed hard. The son is a real punk setting everything on fire! Ha!

Rationalism – Perhaps her reaction is a bit extreme? I debated heavily on this. My point of view is that Emmeryn's world was essentially shattered with her one on one with Gangrel. I mean, blow up. She took the inability to quell his rage as a personal failure and the weight of everyone's deaths fell on her. In the games, Emmeryn is more clear-sighted because she felt she did everything she could to avoid disaster. Even though she went to the greatest extreme, she was able to use her power to prevent the Plegians from razing Ylisstol. Here, she could only watch helplessly after she failed her negotiations. She's haunted by this. She's ultimately afraid of making more moves that will lead to failure and that the council will begin to doubt her ability to lead.

I sort of viewed Emmeryn as both strong and weak at the same time. She's clearly strong in her morals and spiritual beliefs. But she's so much a pacifist that it almost reaches the lengths of child-like naivety. She wants to believe that everything can be solved with peace talks when the reality is that sometimes you can't. The harsh slap of reality is forcing her to adjust and she doesn't have the time for it unfortunately. That's just my humble opinion though. I can certainly see your point. I definitely don't want to misinterpret her character or make her seem like a limp biscuit. Well, chalk it up as another learning experience. Thanks for the honesty.

King Keith – Oh God, don't remind me of the Winter Palace. I played it the first time around with an elven mage and wanted to set everyone on fire after all the snide remarks I heard. I reloaded and brought a team consisting of Iron Bull, Dorian, and Sera just to muck around with everyone.

If all goes according to plan, there should be more Maribelle coming up. She'd also beat the crap out of Chrom if he ever pulled Robin's C-rank on her. Rocks? Please. Boulders would be falling on his head. Same if he ever went through his sisters' drawers. Invading a woman's privacy is a no-go in her book. He'd be a smoking pile of ash if either sister didn't get to him first.

I saw the Project X-zone trailer. I'm crying. It's beautiful and I must have it.

The Night Gaunt – Really, thanks for sticking around. I enjoy the feedback you give and it'd be missed.

Emmeryn's taken a hard hit but she's now alive and around to control her army. Exploring the chain of command and how this affects things should get interesting. Actually, this whole war is going to be interesting. I should really start plotting out the individual battles now. Yikes.

Caellech Tiger Eye – I think we covered a lot of these topics in PM so I'll refer to the ones we didn't. First off, holy smokes thanks again for the in-depth reviews. The insight helps. Truly. Helps to know what I'm doing right and what I need to expand on.

For the lack of progress made in technology/economy for the continent, I blame it on the Schism. My personal take is that it led to a Dark Ages equivalent in Akaneia that pushed back progress due to war, isolation, and Grima's influence. Only recently have the countries recovered and started to improve at a steadily growing rate. As to why only three countries formed from the remnants of Marth's empire? That I can't say. Ease for the developers I guess. Like you said, I'm trying to fill in the gaps best I can. God bless fanfiction. I'd explode with all these ideas otherwise.

Developing plot lines for a preconceived idea without spitting all over it is hard. I suppose having dabbled with original ideas in the past has helped me avoid a little bit of toe-stepping when it comes to world-building. I enjoy character driven plots and am a firm believer in diverse characters. The cast should be as unique and breathtaking as the cultures and beliefs they stand for. Now on the topic of the original "stakes", so to speak, that's even more tricky. This is all came about before my promotion back when I would spend about an hour or so every work day mindlessly panning cookie dough for baking. I'd blank out and just picture what certain mechanics or outcomes could do to the Awakening plot. I mean everything. That includes the player ability to reset, how you could adapt promotions to reality, and why magic did what it did. Somewhere along the way I meshed up what-ifs from the DLC (The Future Past, Apotheosis, etc.) and the main plot. Then this happened, ha ha. Speaking of the Future Past and kids, I'll answer your question. There, uh, aren't any other ones left. What you see is it. Does that mean they're gone forever though? Nope. Current Robin is changing the plot day by day. She's filled with hope that she can somehow save them and she just may be able to just that. If Stahl and Sumia continue as they are, I don't think Cynthia will be in danger for much longer!

I could go on an on about world-building and characterization but that would probably add twenty-thousand more words to this. That's some stellar essay writing though and I enjoyed reading every minute of it. As for the pairings, that's always tricky waters to navigate. Cycle is about the what-ifs that could occur so reaching out into the unknown was bound to happen. In the beginning, I was going to skewer almost anything. Kellam and Raimi are a product of curiosity and some strangeness that happened when I unleashed all the Awakening characters into a town of their own in the Sims 3. It's a legitimate crack ship but I'll be damned if I don't make it work. Same for Sumia and Stahl or anyone else in particular. Some of your own preferences may still come true. There's a few on your list I'm entertaining. Not everyone is locked in and there might still be Shepherds with other side characters or OCs. Sometimes a plot twist changes things. Either way, as long as everyone keeps letting me know that I'm doing right, I won't worry too much. Wish I could have every character receive equal limelight but it gets harder as Robin's personal plot creeps closer. I'll try hard to give them their dues though.

Pretty sure anything else got covered in the PM. Still, the reviews made my day. It got me thinking on several aspects of the story and allowed me to reanalyze other parts. So hey, it probably made the story even better. Thanks for all the time into that thoughtful response. Utterly awesome.

Kai'kel the Fereldan Magister – It was a breather! Both these chapters were. The chaos was taxing, let me tell you! Then again, so is politics. While I may not be as blunt as Robin, I don't think I'd do well either in that situation. And all the little butterflies are indeed starting to show. I planned quite a few things a head of time as seen in this chapter. In the game's chapter, Garrick had the village maiden as a hostage when the Shepherds confronted him. Notice how he was alone though in this story? Robin getting lost and separating from the Shepherds seems to have changed a few things. Oops?

Yep, the myth was a jab at Tsubaki/Subaki. I love the idea of a male pegasus rider. Not sure why. I just am!

Robin does make out of character thoughts occasionally, doesn't she? Still not helping the paranoia but you may have found one. It does seem like another odd thing to think, don't you?

A Shadow's Lament – Yep, Other Robin returned with another lovely memory. Not a fan of court intrigue, is she? Smart gal. Politics can get dangerous with the wrong enemies. As for Frederick, it's all tough love. He's playing big brother figure and does everything for her best interests. Even if it mean slaving away in the pegasus stalls!

Whoo, the main portion of chapter thirty-five made me sweat. It was intense but I'm super pleased with how it turned out. I think we all agree that those two have the most important relationship in the game, but trying to convey why it's so successful and different from everyone else is key. While the poke at the C-support was all good fun, my favorite was definitely them realizing that mutual reliance the duo has come to form with each other. I'm so damn proud of these two that it's silly. :) And everything else too! I dunno, I'm just happy it turned out like it did! Thanks again like always for the insightful and endearing reviews!

NODAHE – Thanks for the review, it's wicked cool ;) Hope the new chapter keeps up with the last one and provides another one worth rereading in between updates!

torisuke – Hey, thanks for giving the story a chance! While I'll admit to having a great love for Awakening, I'll agree it has its faults. The story starts off strong but there's a lot of 'the power of love' and other common tropes that hinder it. I did get disappointed in the over use of certain stereotypes as well (Kellam specifically). I think that's why I'm trying so hard to give this world the vivacity the creators dreamed of. I love the characters and want to give them justice, you know?

As far as POV Robin goes, I'm always glad she retains a more positive than negative reception. Main characters are painful to balance because readers need to relate to them or face hurting the story. Either they aren't interesting or readers don't care. She's a constant work in progress as I learn to balance out a, well, balanced character. So thanks for forgiving any faults with her. I'm learning how to approach different aspects as I go and try to change them based on feedback. Really, the only one in the story who should be fourth-wall breaking is Anna so if the humor is getting a bit too much, I'll reign it in. I make too many puns and snarks in real life so that's just my personality rubbing off. Easy fix.

Lucina and the twins scare the pants off me because they are such delicate characters to work with in an alternate situation. I can't lose the core of their personalities because that's who they are. But external stimuli will cause them to alter their viewpoints on life so the battle to tweak and retweak their appearances are a constant. Still, they are one of the most integral parts of this tale and Robin's development is deeply ingrained to her relationship with them. I won't lie and say that I feel immensely for the strange bonds she established with them.

FastAsleep – First off, your writing is perfectly fine! If English is not your first language, I'm jealous. I wish I was half as fluid in French as you are in English.

I'll admit that reviews like this make me dance, ha ha! Thanks. I appreciate that you take the time to read everything, comments included. Sometimes hints slip through so you never know? And it's not so strange at all to do, honestly. I remember reading the entirety of the appendix in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. There's a whole epilogue in there I would never have know about had I not peeked! As for your theory, you just never know! That's the beauty of having multiple interpretations. Everyone can read everyone else s' insights and start forming their own ideas about things. Theorizing is a beautiful thing. Good eye though! I hope future updates continue to intrigue!

TruthIlluminated – Goodness, thank you! I've been reading fanfiction for a long time so I can sympathize with losing an amazing story part way through. That sense of loss is so bad because you get in deep with the plot line! While I do have my moments where writer's block becomes unbearable, having reviews like this forces me through it! Knowing I've got people out there as invested in this as I am gets me spirited again. I get the same feelings writing this because the characters and world mean so much to me. I think not seeing this through to the end would really leave me embittered about my own abilities. So unless I lose both hands, I'll keep typing away no matter how long it takes! Nothing is worse than an unsolved mystery after all!

3liManning – I'm literally jumping with excitement because someone finally dug super deep into that interlude. Not that some mentions haven't been made before but you certainly went the extra mile. If the threat of spoiling parts of the story weren't hanging over me, I'd give you all the answers I could. Thank you for reading so much into this! The whole chapter is a finely crafted riddle and I was hoping someone would try to lift up the rug and see what's underneath.

For starters, never worry about looking too deep into things. I'll mention something off-handed and it will come up later on as something potentially big. I'm terrible like that. Now while I can't claim anything in particular, regardless of how great your researching is, I'll make comments where I can. Starting off, the statue is one of Naga. Just as the last chapter ends with that specific figure, so to does the next chapter start with one. The significance of that is up to you to decide.

Your google-fu skills are very strong. Much of the imagery and overall setting have a meaning and you nailed it. I won't say which interpretations are right but some of them are. Moving on to character reactions, again your observations are very astute. She clearly has a tome with her and is wearing a tactician garb but modern day memories and Akaneian ones are garbled. It only gets worse from there.

The paintings are the primary point of this dream so I can't comment much here or all the fun of the chapter is lost. What I will say is that the paintings are in chronological order. The first described are actually in the middle. The real beginning to this set is the one with the large dragon and woman intertwined. The portrait described after that is not what it seems. ;)

If I describe anymore I'll probably spoil something. Those were pretty amazing interpretations though. Right or wrong, I give you an A+ on that assignment. Moving on! The statement about the mirror is tied with that statement in chapter thirty-five and to another made in chapter fourteen. And then when the doors are opened, we are viewing the main hall in Ylisstol's castle where the archers two chapters back had died. The skeletons are manifestations of the fighters who perished and are now back to remind the heavy sense of failure that follows their deaths.

There's so much else I could respond to but I'm suppose to be letting you guys have the fun of figuring it all out. This is one of the best breakdowns of a chapter yet regardless of how right or wrong you are. You should be proud. :)

The closest thing I can give to a hint is this. If you think hard enough, it may answer something:

What do all the interludes have in common?

Smashing job!

Just a theory – I love it when you guys make theories! Love it! That's my favorite things to read. Having made this in only chapter fourteen, I have to pat you on the back. You're doing a great job paying attention! And I think it makes perfect sense. It would explain some things, wouldn't it? Other Robin's history seems to run pretty deep so who knows why she did what she did? Things are starting to point in a specific direction though, aren't they?

Thanks for the suggestion. I do tend to get wordy I've realized as I go back to reread chapters. I have this fear that I'm not being thorough enough for some readers and may overstress points at times. I need to learn to "trim the fat" so to speak. Though I will say that sometimes something that may seem unnecessary may turn out to actually be important. The title of the story is a reference to the act of situations and things coming back around again! But for the most part, you're right. I'll work on that! Have fun reading on! Maybe your theory will grow stronger with time.

Naga's Ass – Ha! Wonderful username! I'll admit that I really liked Chapter 24 as well. I got to have fun experimenting for the first time with several dark magic spells. They come off as grotesquely amusing to write. And while I hate putting Robin through pain as well, Falchion's reaction had to be done. It's known to reject the unworthy after all. And Robin's about as far from that as possible if the context of her brand is to be believed. Poor thing.