This is my first fic ever! I have some experience with roleplaying, which may or may not help with my writing. Let me know what you think. Any input (storywise and/or on my writing) is welcome.

What would've happened if the circumstances around Robin's life had been different? This is my interpretation of events with this question in mind. For the most part, no pairings in mind just yet.

Chapter 1: And so we met

How long had they been walking? His legs felt like jelly every time he took another step. There was no way for them to stop moving, however, as for the last three days they'd been chased by a band of bandits. If it wasn't for her, I would welcome that steel to the neck. It was true. The young man knew what his so called "destiny" had in stores for him later on. That was the reason he'd run and was in this position now; no food, no money, no shelter. If it hadn't been for his companion-this woman he knew little about-he would've been long gone from this world. But in doing so, she had set herself up for her own demise. They had been forced to leave their home country, after all. So the very least he could do was find her some sort of place where she would be safe.

The woman followed close behind him, her long, black hair swaying from side to side as they kept moving. Every now and again the man would look behind him to make sure she was still there. In all honesty, sometimes he hoped she wouldn't be-that she would just leave him so that way he wouldn't be bound by this foolish sense of honor that had them now on the run in the supposedly safe land of Ylisse-maybe then he would be able to relax a bit more. A strange sense of guilt would come over him every time he did this and their gaze met. It's too late to think about that. What's done is done, he thought for a second.

"How are you holding up?" he asked as he kept looking forward, his legsstill moving despite his brain telling him to stop.

There was a moment of silence between them, only the wind and the sound of their steps hitting the ground filling the empty air. Maybe she wouldn't respond. She was mad at him…? It would only be logical. Then again, it had been her who first helped him, so why-

"As good as you would expect," she said in a noticeably tired voice. Well, at least the usual venom that was in her voice when talking with the few towns people they've met in their travels wasn't there when she addressed him.

"Yeah…" Not much else he could say about it. Anyone in their position would be both physically and mentally exhausted if they've gone through the same things the pair had. "There's a tree up ahead." he motioned to a lone tree standing on the middle of the fields. "Let us rest there for a bit. We've been walking for gods know how long."

"Mhm," she let out.

No sooner did they reach the tree that the man practically collapsed, hitting the ground with his knees and hands. The tome he'd been carrying with him through the journey simply hitting the floor as if it was nothing more valuable than a sack of potatoes (he was so hungry that his stomach was telling him to trade the tome for just that if he had the chance.) At least he was on the shade. Only after letting out a long sigh did he notice that his companion was on her knees next to him. Unlike him, however, she had one of her hands on her tome and another on his back. The touch felt nice, but he felt so pathetic having to be reassured in that way. The last thing he wanted to do was take a look at her face. She probably had one of those sympathetic looks on her face.

"I'm okay," he told her. It took him all he had in him to muster his strength and turn himself around just to sit down. The tree was now was not only offering him it's magnificent shade, but the trunk was useful to keep himself upright. The girl did the same thing, moving herself next to him. "Just for a little while…" he muttered. "We have to keep moving."

A nod was her response. No need to waste their energy in pointless chatter, he supposed. And their circumstances made it difficult to have a normal or more friendly conversation anyways. Instead, he would do the only thing he could. From his cloak he produced a half empty waterskin. Being as cautious as he possibly could (this was all the water they had on them) he took off the cork that sealed the leather contained and then look a swig. His parched throat yearned for this. The refreshing, cold sensation spreading through him as the water went down. Only with self control was he able to not just chug the whole thing down right then and there. Just in case though, he handed it over to the girl. "We'll need to find a source of food and water soon," he told her while she took the waterskin from him. "We'll be dead from lack of nutrition and dehydration before those bandits find us otherwise."

She let out a satisfied sigh as she finished drinking, which brought a small, involuntary smile to his face. He didn't notice it himself until she turned around to return the waterskin. "I think this is the first time I've ever seen you smile," she said.

For one reason or another, he felt blood rushing towards his cheeks. He immediately took the waterskin, put on the cork on it and put it away, all the while making sure not to let her see his face. "I smile all the time," he defended. "You just never happen to see it."

"That's why I said it's the first time I see you smiling," she responded. He didn't have to look at her to see that oddly charming grin she sometimes used on others.

He had put a foot on his own mouth now for sure. Better use that to stomp out any sort of misunderstanding now before he made a bigger fool out of himself. "I-I meant to say-"

He was quick to cut his words as a girl, seemingly appearing out of nowhere, approached the duo, two men following behind her. "Hello!" She cheerily said, waving one hand well over her head.

Instantly the two sitting under the tree stood up, grabbing to their tomes. The girl in front of them didn't seem hostile, but they weren't going to risk it at this point. They'd gotten this far by being cautious. But while their actions didn't bother the girl, the larger man did take notice. He stood between them, as if trying to defend the girl in the dress.

"What's the matter, Frederick?" the girl asked the man, who now could be called by the same name.

"Stand back, milady," the knight in blue armor said. "These are two are Plegian. What's more, their attire leads me to believe they are dark mages."

The words stung more than he would let anyone know. He hadn't chosen to be born in Plegia. He certainly didn't want to have anything to do with Grima. That was the reason he'd flead Plegia in the first place! Not that this man, Frederick, would listen. The knight certainly didn't look as friendly as his charge-the girl in the yellow dress and pigtails that had a look of confusion on her face.

"This would explain the reports of raiding in the area." Frederick was quick to grab his sword and take it out of it's scabbard. This man meant business.

With the sound of the sword unsheathing, he could feel an incredible bloodlust, but not from the man. He turned over to the woman. "Wait, Tharja!" it was his very first response. It certainly was possible for them to take out the knight on their own. As strong as this Frederick man looked, black magic could pierce through armor as a hot knife cuts through butter.

His sudden shout got the attention of everyone present. The third person from the new group caught up soon enough. "What's going on here, Frederick?" the bluenette asked, eyeing the strangers before him. Whoever this man was, he had authority behind him or the knight would've struck the pair down already.

"Milord, these two Plegians must be involved in-"

"We mean no harm!" Again, the young magic wielder got the attention from everyone. The bluenette looked confused, the girl in yellow looked more concerned than anything, Frederick was still on high alert, and his companion, Tharja, was all over the place (somewhere between angry, confused, and maybe even nervous?)

Tharja was the first to break the silence that had set in. "Master Robin, what are you-HEY!"

She didn't even get a chance to move. Robin quickly took the tome from her hands and threw at the feet of the group in front of him. He quickly put a hand on Tharja's side and moved her behind him, as if to shield her. Not that it would do much good if the two men decided to attack. All Robin would do would be act as a meat shield, buying her maybe a second or two. Still, his heart was racing to the max. He could feel Tharja's hands grab a hold of his cloak as she peeked over his shoulder.

"We've been chased for by a group of bandits for days," he said in a more calm demeanor. "You are right… eh… Sir Frederick, I presume? Anyways, yes, we are from Plegia, but-"

"Oh, Frederick! I didn't know you were known outside of Ylisse," the girl in yellow was quick to say. Maybe it was her attempt to lighten things up a bit.

"So you admit crossing the border then." Frederick pointed out. Obviously the girl's words went unnoticed. "And with these weapons no less. Tell me why I shouldn't just strike you down?"

"Relax, Frederick," the blue haired man interjected before the knight could say anything else or Robin got a chance to respond. "I don't think these two have anything to do with the reports. Not directly anyways. If what they say is true, then I would be inclined to think that the bandits following them are to be blamed."

This man… This man, whoever he may be, had to be the greatest man in the world at that instant… Well, at least in Robin's mind. His hands went down as he let down the biggest sigh of relief he could muster. Even if the knight was still not convinced, at least handing over the tomes was enough proof that they were harmless. "Thank you, good sir," he told the bluenette.

"Master Robin…" Tharja said from behind him. He could hear that the bloodlust, for the most part, had left her already. Still, she clung to him as a little girl would to a puppy that her parents wouldn't let her keep.

The blue haired man and the blonde girl both smiled to each other. Even Frederick might've felt the slightest pinch of the mood that had set in, as he sheathed his sword while keeping a stern look on his face.

"It's okay, friend, no need to be so formal," the good man said. "My name is Chrom. As you already know, that man is Frederick." He pointed towards the knight who gave a small nod and then pointed towards the girl in the yellow dress. "And that's my sister Lissa."

The girl gave a small wave all the while wearing a smile. "It's nice to meat you!" There was a moment of silence. Robin looked at her. It was as if she wanted to say something, but she couldn't quite get the words out. For a moment, she laughed, either out of forgetfulness or embarrassment. "Sorry, I didn't catch your name before."

Robin cocked an eyebrow. Oh, right. He hadn't introduced himself just yet. Tharja had called his name and he hers, but maybe it just went over the girl-Lissa's-head. Regaining some composure, he introduced himself. "I'm Robin. It's a pleasure." He gave a small bow to the three. While he was at it, he guessed it would be best if he introduced Tharja as well. She was still hiding behind him, for some reason or another. In order to do so, he sidestepped, but to his surprise and possibly the surprise of the other three, Tharja did the same thing. Robin let out a nervous chuckle. Once again he tried to sidestep, going back to his original spot, but Tharja just did the same thing.

Lissa certainly found it humorous, as she was giggling. Chrom too must've felt similarly, as there was a smile plastered on his face.

From the time Robin had spent with her, he would never had pictured her as one to get nervous in front of others. Could it be that being without her tome made her feel vulnerable? If so, he couldn't blame her. A certain part of him felt naked without a book by his side. Still, this was rude of her and it had to end. "What's the matter? There's no reason to be afraid."

"I'm not!" She quickly answered. "I'm just enjoying you acting like the big, strong, protective man for me." She, too, giggled. Though, in comparison to Lissa's, which had been sweet, Tharja's had a certain malice behind it. "You don't do this often enough for me, Master."

"Is she perhaps under some sort of contract with your family?" Frederick asked Robin. "I've noticed that she keeps calling you master. And I'm assuming she is not a slave. As far as I'm aware, even in Plegia slavery doesn't have a place."

"N-no, no, no, no!" Robin stuttered. "We've only met about a week ago! We met by chance. Your guess is as good as mine as why she refers to me as such." He really had to clear things up before they got the wrong idea about them. The only other time you would hear someone calling a person "Master" would be in a M&S relationship, which they certainly did not have. "Come on, stop fooling around." He turned around and grabbed hold of one of Tharja's wrist to make sure she would stop. She let out a small gasp in surprise, but he decided to ignore that. He gently pulled her to his side. "This is Tharja."

Everyone, Robin included, turned to look at her for a second, expecting her to talk. Alas, she said nothing. Her eyes were even hidden behind her fringe of hair. "Uh…" he turned to look at Chrom once more. "We are dark mages, which is why we carry those tomes with us." He pointed at the tomes on the ground, which Frederick then picked up, but didn't hand over. The man had to still be suspicious of the Plegians. "Apart from that, I specialize on combat tactics using magic while Tharja here is more adept with hexes."

Those last few words got the curiosity of the Lissa. She brought a finger to her chin in thought. "Hexes? Are those like traps?"

Tharja let out another giggle, which caused discomfort to the Ylisseans. "Traps. That's a simple way of putting it, but yes." Those were the first words she had spoken to the other group. Not the best first impression. "Also, curses. I can use magic in a variety of different ways. From giving someone the worst luck imaginable to causing a very slow and painful death."

"..."

Silence. Robin was once more nervous. Tharja, well, she just looked pleased with herself.

Chrom coughed into his fist. "I-ignoring that for a second," he began as to break the silence. "Robin, you said something about using magic for combat tactics? How does that work."

Glad that Tharja's words had gone ignored, Robin was more than pleased to answer. "Yes, well, it can be used in a variety of ways. For instance, I can get a sort of aerial view of a small battle field. I can also gage combat results between troops, making it easy to decide if someone should attack an enemy."

"That sounds really impressive!" Chrom didn't try to hide his excitement. From his words, it was the first time he'd ever heard of someone being able to use such skills. It wasn't such a surprise, as Robin himself didn't know of anyone else with such abilities. "But how would you be able to relay those orders to the troops? It's not like you can stand by every single one of them at all times."

He did had a fair point, but to that, Robin smiled. "Of course, you are right," he told him with the smallest of smiles. "But that's where a telepathic ability comes in. Basically, before a battle, I can create a link that will last for a certain duration with every soldier. This will allow me to communicate will them at all times as long as I call out their name in my mind. I can't use it to read minds, however. In order for me to hear back, they have to call out my name as well. Think of it almost as letters being sent between two people. You put your thoughts into the letter, but obviously you never write down everything that is on your mind."

Why Robin was revealing all this to these strangers, he didn't know. There was a certain aura around Chrom that just made you want to trust the guy. Could it be that he too had magical powers…? No, if that was the case Robin would be able to know for certain. Still, he had nothing to lose in telling him and everything to gain.

"My Master is very impressive," Tharja said, giving Robin a smile that sent a chill down his spine. He almost felt as if she wanted to cut open his skull and examine his brain.

"If what he says is true, then I would have to agree with you, Tharja," Chrom said.

"Maybe we could use him on the Shepherds, Chrom!" The always excited Lissa said.

"I would oppose that, Milord," Frederick said very matter-of-factly. "Having a Plegian so close could cause problems amongst the troops."

"But you have to admit it sounds very interesting," Chrom countered. "With something like that, casualties would be kept to a minimum."

"If I may," Robin cut in. "I've only used this abilities during training; never on actual combat. I couldn't guarantee anything until I had some real practice. And for obvious reasons, that on itself is a problem. No man or woman would want to die just to see if some black mage can pull off something like that."

"To that we can both agree," said Frederick.

"I don't know, it sounds kind of cool," said Lissa.

"Don't worry, Master Robin, if it came to it, I can always protect you from danger," Tharja said as she gave a squeeze to his hand- WAIT! When did she get a hold of his hand? He had been holding on to her wrist but a minute ago! Robin quickly let go of her a took a step away. His face must've looked funny because she once more let out one of her giggles.

"In any case," Robin continued on topic. "Like I said, there isn't much of a chance for me to try such a thing."

"Maybe there is," Chrom let out, surprising everyone present.

"Milord! You can't possibly mean-"

Frederick was immediately interrupted by Chrom. "Robin, remember when you said there was a band of bandits that had been chasing you and Tharja?" Robin nodded. "I've received reports about them too. Our people are lead to believe they will be attacking a village in the vicinity. It could be good practice for you."

"B-but even if you say that, Tharja and I alone wouldn't be able to take them on!" Was Chrom thinking of simply pushing them out for the wolves to find?

"We fought them a couple of times and dwindle down their numbers, but they keep coming," Tharja said with an angry undertone. "Our tomes wouldn't last much longer, which is why we've kept running."

"Chrom! You can't just send them out like that! The Shepherds are meant to take care of this mess!" Lissa quickly reminded her brother.

"Oh no, don't worry Lissa," Chrom reassured her. "We'll take care of them… with the help of Robin and Tharja."

Frederick and Lissa were both taken aback. Tharja didn't seem to react to this. And Robin, well, he was now questioning if he was having some sort of hallucination from lack of food and water.