When Tactics Collide

Day 0, December 24th

"Kamui! This way!"

On one side, home.

"Corrin, come back to us!"

On the other, family.

Corrin's stance was square- the slightest shift in either direction could spark a bloodbath lasting years. It was probably for the best that Yato stayed in its sheath, not that its presence would do much to aid the situation. Behind the young princess stood Azura and Jakob; a naginata staring down one army, a dagger warding off the other.

Azura looked about, gazing blankly towards her surroundings. The winding Hoshidan river dancing beneath her feet, the plains covered with just as much grass as it was with soldiers. Soldiers that would not hesitate to kill royalty at the drop of a hat.

She even recognized a handful of the enemy Hoshidans, but everyone had the face of a cold-blooded killer. A stranger that would claim not only her, but the white-haired princess to her right. Shiny sword or not, there was no way out of this mess without something big. Something that could tear apart an army. The dancer stared off now toward the river. If she could get in deep enough, maybe...

"Big sister?"

Oh no.

"S-sakur-" Corrin attempted.

"She's my sister!"

Some wounds cut deeper than blades or arrows.

"Please, little princess. It's alright. Come here," Xander pleaded desperately, his fingers not holding Siegfried, but grasping for something far more dear.

"B-but..." the exile whispered, immediately drawing Ryoma's glare. "I c-can't! You're making me choose against those I will not... can not betray!"

The samurai barely stifled his rushed breath. There was no choice here. The Kamui he knew would have retreated back to them without a second thought. What had they done to her?

"Don't... don't tell me you're actually considering siding with the Nohrians!?"

The high prince felt a pain just hearing those words come from his mouth. He brought his hand down, knuckles white and clenched.

"It's no complicated matter siding with your true family, Little Princess," Xander corrected aloud, voicing his affection quite audibly.

"I'm sorry... I'm so sorry!"

The princess stammered off, trying to fight back her trepidation. Her shoulders sagged and her legs gave in, forcing her to widen her already relenting stance.

"I-I... I..."

she trailed, not knowing any words that would even remotely remedy the situation.

"What are you waiting for!?"

Takumi raised his bow. The sister he remembered would have come back to him.

She was just a traitor.

No. Not yet, at least.

"Kamui, please," he whispered, too softly for her to hear.

"She actually feels an attachment to them. Like she owes them something. Dammit, Corrin, now's not the time to be naive-"

"Don't you dare talk about MY sister that disrespectfully," Hinoka hissed through gritted teeth.

"You're acting as if you have any right to her. What could possibly delude you so?" Camilla asked, twirling her ax along its haft.

Corrin watched as both of her dear sisters stared each other down, ready to shred the other into a pile of flesh and bone.

All because of her.

All this was because she couldn't choose.

No...

This was happening because they were making her choose! Why couldn't she have both of her loving families by her side? Why was this war keeping her apart from those she felt kinship and bond with?

"Have you made your choice?" Xander asked with his last shred of patience, considering letting loose his cavalry and capturing Corrin by force.

Ryoma was thinking the same, wondering how fast he could run for Kamui before Sakura could rescue-festal both of them to safety.

"Let her determine herself with a clear mind," the crown prince stalled, hoping to buy time as he tried gesturing his plan subtly. "I know her feelings will lie true."

The princess looked at Azura and Jakob with a frown, her lip bleeding from her sharp fangs shifting into her bottom lip, but her composure recovered to one of rehearsed, if not false, strength.

"Azura, Jakob... you should surrender. I don't want you to get hurt because of my... indecisiveness," she apologized. Azura and Jakob both just smiled, still standing by her.

"Your smile is my life's purpose to preserve, Lady Corrin," Jakob said with a bow. "And I will not return to our home with it extinguished."

"There is another option," Azura suggested. "We can make a run for it, if we can traverse the river before them."

"Run? As in, running away? What good would that do? They would just catch us in seconds..."

"Not if Hoshido and Nohr are both chasing us," Azura reasoned. "They'll slow each other down. And the river will separate them long enough for them not to engage..."

"Perhaps," Corrin thought aloud, thinking of a plan before straightening up and announcing her choice. "Okay. It'll buy us some time. But won't they fight each other on the way? I can't let that happen!"

"It's going to be fine," Azura assured. "But we need to get out of here."

"If you... say so," Corrin nodded. "Here goes."

"Ryoma, Xander... Big brothers... Please-"

Any notions were interrupted when a bright flash of light blinded both armies, not only hiding Corrin for a brief instant but when the eyesight of those afflicted recovered, a new sight appeared in the middle.

"Well, the scroll worked."

Chrom and Robin grinned sheepishly at the mess that the Shepherds had just found themselves entangled in.

"And that's... quite a lot of soldiers."

December 23, 1st Year of our Exalt, Chrom

Robin took another slow breath before digging his knife slower and deeper into his marked hand. Keeping things clean was far beyond the question, so the tactician thought he could at least keep things healable-

"What in the hell are you doing!?"

The tactician turned to see Chrom- pissed- from behind, head peeking through the doorway and displaying a scowl of disdain. Robin raised his good hand in defense, smiling nervously even as blood dripped everywhere.

"We're getting war reprimands from Plegia, whom our countrymen still hate with a passion. This mark on my hand happens to be the symbol of their religious deity, Grima. I can't wear a glove everywhere I go, Chrom." The white-haired strategist pointed to the bloodied mark on his hand, defiantly clear even with the splotches and lines of crimson running down its surface. All the while, more blood dripped from his fingertips onto the floor and basin next to him, causing Chrom to wince at the sight.

"Robin, you won't need a glove when you're missing a hand."

Caught off guard by Chrom's uncanny wit, Robin simply shrugged it off. "It's not that bad. We've seen worse on the battlefield. Tis' but a scratch."

"...No, that's a gouge. A gouge sustained in the line of, gods help us, paperwork."

"Tis but a small gouge," Robin corrected with a wry smile. Chrom's stifled a chuckle, turning around to hide his smile.

"You know what, fine. Just... clean that up! It would not behoove our great tactician to show up looking like he just got robbed of his lunch money before our meetings today. Am I right?"

Calling for Lissa and Maribelle and blurting something about a 'self-conscious fool' Chrom left, causing Robin to grin in triumph despite the numb pain in his hand. Examining his handiwork (to which the tactician laughed at the pun) , the Plegian opened up his supplies and bandaged the offending member himself, then wiping up the sanguine mess from his room. Once that was finished, Robin sat down by his desk and gazed out the window, enjoying the brisk Ylissean air.

One would wonder why Robin kept the windows open in the onslaught of winter, risking the room to cold and snow.

The answer was simple, and quite nimble, taking the form of a future-seeing swordsman.

Not so simple, Robin reconsidered. But very nimble.

On the first of her visits, Marth, with much hesitation, offered Robin a sturdy volume, not much of a valuable considering it was probably from the bookstore just a few blocks away in the main city.

It occurred to me that the events of the Plegian War are your first memories, considering your loss of...uh, memory. For lack of better phrasing. Have you considered writing them down? Something to give yourself when your mind grows thin?

It was a great idea, all things considered. It put a nice side to Marth now that the war was over.

Already halfway through the bindings, Robin took the time to notice just how deep into the book he had delved into. On the days after the decisive death of Gangrel, Mad King of Plegia, Robin opened the present from Marth, who comically gifted it to him in an uncharacteristic display of nervousness. Recalling the memory fondly, Robin started a new entry.

"It has been nearly two years of peace and prosperity in Ylisse. And may I politely say, it's boring. While I'm glad the court doesn't have need of me, neither does the battlefield. It has been clear that my calling is towards the art of battle tactics, something that is woefully oversupplied nowadays.

Then again...That isn't so bad. I'm a decent secretary and diplomat as well. It's just that the battles of the court are much more convoluted. I don't feel like I'm winning on days that I do come out on top.

It's not as satisfying as saving lives and ending tyrants.

Woe and behold, after two years I find myself not on the fields of battle but gazing at stars and reading books by my lonesome. Sure, I wake up to Tharja between my ceiling panels on some days, or perhaps Nowi crashing into the side of my room in her dragon form on others. Sumia invites me to read cheesy romances with her (I tolerate it only because she puts on such a smile) and more than a few times I've found myself seeking Maribelle's advice on handling the ruffled collars about me.

And then there's Marth.

She hasn't checked in on Chrom in a while, though she did say she was going to inspect on some border development for a few months. I find myself a bit too eager than appropriate for her news, though I'm coming to think it's not because of the message, but the messenger.

And to think that I believed she was actually the Hero King's reincarnation or something come once upon a time. Not that a masked individual gallivanting across Archanea is any less civilian, of course. She is quite the adventurer too, and who could know what stuff she's up to lately. Today, I wish I could be a part of them due to days like these.

Then again, if something interesting is happening near the border, I hope Chrom will let me out of the mess that is the court and let me explore the land for a few weeks. A place to stretch my legs, see the sights, and appreciate the cultures of places I cannot possibly remember. Or perhaps I never saw them in the first place.

And nothing hurts with having a companion for the trip.

Ah, to have an adventure again would be amazing, more memories and more opportunities for me to learn of the world around me! I could do without the particularly gruesome battles and bloodshed, of course. Perhaps Chrom will let me run off to Chon'sin or even learn more about Plegia?

Maybe another time.

I really should socialize more though.

Maybe I should adopt a child?

Apparently, I'm good with children. However, to have one of my own? Would that be any different for me? Not that baby Lucina is old enough to complain about me, but she seldom cries in my arms unless she shits herself or wants to go to sleep. Only time will tell at this rate, and I hope I have more than few years left in me.

I-"

"Robin, are you busy?"

Upon reflex, Robin quickly shut his book, reigniting the magical seal that kept his journal safe from even Tharja's prying eyes.

He turned, easing when he saw the figure of Marth in his doorway, leaning against the wall.

"Ah, if it isn't the Hero Princess. And, no, not anymore," Robin said while rising, before regarding the blue-haired swordsman who stopped against his now-closed door. "...Marth. It's been a while."

"I am afraid I have to get right to the point," she sighed, coming in and closing the gap rather quickly. Her strides were never subtle, and the briskness that they held always put Robin a little on-edge.

"Easy there," Robin warned, giving a glance to the sword that rested on the other side of the room, then slowly to the Falchion on Marth's hip. "Maybe I am busy now."

Marth scoffed and squinted at the same time, but showed no signs of harm, which caused the tactician to smirk at her childish face.

"The border development is as I feared," she began, taking a seat across from Robin's desk, thumbing through his drawer for a map of the area. Understanding her motives, Robin pulled one out for her, waiting for Marth to continue. Tracing her slim finger across Yilsse, she paused it near the coast of Ferox, along the shoreline of the Valmese Sea.

"That's quite the hike you took then," Robin whistled. "You sure you still have legs?"

"It was a distance to travel, I shall admit," Marth sighed, "But I arrived just in time to warn the Feroxian guards stationed there. I hurried back here to warn Exalt Chrom and the Ylisseans."

"More future-premonition stuff? You really must tell me how you're pulling it off," Robin replied. "So, what's happening in Ferox that we should be worried about?"

"You mean you did not have it figured it out yet?" Marth wondered, genuinely surprised. "I suppose it would be too much to hope that you would expect this."

"Marth, I don't even know what 'it' is yet, let along the process of figuring 'it' out. Does it hurt to be forthright once in a while?"

Nodding in reluctant agreement, Marth dragged the map westward until her fingers rested upon their far neighbors on the Valmese continent.

"Chon'sin, Roseanne, Valm, Mila," Robin read curiously. "Ylisse's trading partners to the west, though not exactly on the best terms just yet. Are they in trouble too?"

"The contrary," Marth corrected. "They are the trouble."

Robin paused a beat, thinking to himself.

"...Which explains why our diplomatic attempts have fallen silent," Robin pieced together. "I... should've known. What exactly am I dealing with?"

Marth cleared her throat, recalling her own memories as she put together the events into words.

"Rumors lie on the winds that Valm has outlived her peaceful existence, seeking now to subjugate the entire continent of Valentia. That seems to have happened already. Now Archanea is next. Sooner than we think."

Robin nearly choked on his own cough, leaving Marth nodding to reaffirm.

"Valm has rejected all our trading negotiations," Robin clued. "I think I now know why Chon'sin and Roseanne have fallen silent. So, Valm's going to invade us in a few days? That's... bad."

"That is not the half of it," Marth added. "In my mind, I see Ylisse and Ferox successfully repelling Valm but at a high price. What I fear is that this will allow Plegia to blindside us after the war, easily avenging their earlier defeat."

"W-w-wait, why would they do that?" Robin asked, frantically grabbing his maps and his books and writing down everything he had just learned.

"I know these things. I hate to verify my own merit but have I led you or Exalt Chrom astray? I hope not," Marth admitted. "Perhaps I should just-"

"It's okay." Robin winced, but continued on. "We'll handle this one problem at a time."

"I agree. Let me gather my thoughts for a minute."

With that, Marth paced the floor, deftly grabbing one of Robin's maps as she examined the lines thoroughly.

"I think, if I recall correctly, that Virion and whatever entourage he has with him should arrive back in Ylisse within a few days."

"I don't see how that is so important. Virion is just-"

Boots rang on the stones of Robin's doorway, and both parties turned to see the Ylissean Knight-Commander in the entrance.

"Master Robin- and...Marth. Pardon me Sir, you are being summoned by Lord Chrom in the throne room."

A quick glance towards each other and Robin nodded.

"Farewell, tactician. I shall take this as my leave," Marth said with a smile, leaping out of Robin's window and rappelling down using his curtains.

Robin took this time to smile sheepishly at the knight, who only shook his head at the open window and the fluttering sheets.

"Clearly the guards are just for show. How do they not notice that," Frederick muttered.

"Oh, give them a break, Freddy-bear. They're up against a girl who can predict the future."

"Whatever the case, it is unacceptable. I will multiply their training a thousandfold."

"Only a thousand? Goodness. You're getting soft."

"There is no limit to the measures I will take to defend Ylisse and her people," Frederick replied. "Which reminds me..."

"Is... is this about a Valmese invasion by chance?" Robin hoped, to which Frederick raised his eyebrows questioningly.

Clearly this was the first time he'd had such an idea presented to him.

"No. And what would you know of a Valmese invasion?" the knight asked, curious, if not worried.

"Enough that a certain female swordsman with healthy premonitions gave me some valuable warnings of a Valmese fleet," Robin responded in turn, before going down the stairs and leading Frederick, at quite the loss, down.

"It's actually nothing of the sort, but still-"

"I know, Frederick. Chrom will want to know, if Marth hasn't told him already."

"Right. I suppose with your surprise, I have one of my own. What do you know of our rascal friend Virion?"

A few flights of stairs and Robin found himself on the blue carpets of the throne room, where Chrom and Virion stood adjacent each other. With them was a woman Robin would easily mistake as Anna, the merchant that traveled alongside the Shepherds in the Mad King's War. This 'Anna' was younger, and had a different style of clothing on her, as if she had always been in the colder weather. Though, if he remembered correctly, the Anna brand name spread far and wide across the continents so this may very well have been another member of their-Anna's family.

"Anna? One of our Anna's relatives at least? Gods, the resemblance truly is uncanny," Robin asked, getting a faint smile in reply.

"That's right! Though, I'll admit, even for winter, this place is warm. Still business is good here, so no doubt my sisters have been out and about, no?"

"That's about right," Chrom said stiffly, the bitterness of being scammed by their own Anna still leaving a foul aftertaste.

"Anyway, Robin, I called you here for guidance," Chrom admitted, smiling nervously at the Anna.

"On what?"

"On how much stock to put on mythology," Chrom sighed, gesturing to a thick scroll in his hand. "Preferably the mythical figures with swords."

"Depends on how big their swords are," Robin replied in mystery, not knowing much of what was going on. "What is that?"

"It's a portal, as if to those Outrealm things, though none we've been to," Chrom explained, taking out the collection of the Shepherd's outrealms they've been to. All of them involved ancient heroes of some type and time, and their Einherjar reflected thus far. Such figures had been pivotal in reinforcing the Shepherd's meager numbers when engaged in a larger front. Now at peace, the cards lay useless in Chrom's drawer, wondering for the day they'd be called to fight for their master once more. "It's technically a warp scroll, if you want to nitpick."

"What good would that be if we don't know where to go?"

"We do know where this one leads," Chrom corrected. "It's just... I don't know if this is worth the price."

"The price?" Robin asked, before his shoulders dropped in realization. "...Chrom, what have you gotten yourself into now?"

"Anna wants the Einherjar," Chrom explained. "In return, a warp scroll to a continent only referred to in myth."

"And why would we need this?"

"Word on my street is Valm is preparing an invasion fleet, if they are not already on their way. I can only assume our mutual blue-haired swordsman paid you a visit as well?" Chrom asked, to which Robin nodded. "You may not know as much of our culture as you think you do, so here's a quick lesson; In Ylissean, Marth's words translate to 'We're quite screwed.'"

"I'm assuming the Einherjar aren't going to cut it then?"

"It's not going to be enough, you see. We need a specific kind of help. Help that neither Plegia nor Ferox can give. Specifically, the help that sinks Valmese armadas and scatters their cavalries to the winds. If not, you might as well bend over now and take off your cloak, because if the Valmese don't murder us all, a religious cult the size of the Grimleal will. That also, if you were paying attention, translates to us being screwed."

"So what are you suggesting, Chrom?"

"Remember how essential the Einherjar were in a pinch?"

"In a pinch, yes. Not a full on prolonged invasion. They only lasted a couple minutes before going back into their... things."

"The Shepherds need more than just a few bodies and a deck of cards, Robin."

"Let me get this straight. This... land, which is actually another continent entirely... What do you want to do?"

Chrom smiled slightly, ready to display his plan.

"The Hero-King, Marth, raised an entire army out of the ranks of his defeated foes. That same charm thankfully runs through my veins."

"You mean to recruit strangers to fight our wars?" Robin asked incredulously. "Because you sure aren't going to conquer them."

"I know you trust our Marth as much as I do, seeing how much you two elope or what not in that study of yours."

"I do no such thing," Robin scowled. "As lovely a woman she is, don't get me wrong..."

"But you have to admit, she tells the truth no matter how far fetched."

"...Yes she does."

"And here's your last lesson in Ylissean. 'We are screwed.' Can be translated many different ways. Thankfully, we both know of someone who can translate our predicaments for us. In fact, I'm looking right at her."

Robin turned to see Marth in the corner of the hall, eavesdropping from behind a pillar. Her cover blown, the hero disowned by time stepped into the light, a nervous smile on her face.

"I've done what I could to prepare us," Marth stammered, causing those not listening to Chrom and Robin to turn to the unfamiliar voice. "I had to make sure you all were ready for the storm that I have come to recall in every passing nightmare."

"In what manner?" Chrom asked slowly.

"In my manner," Lucina replied, before flourishing her cape, the mark of Naga visible on its plane.

"...Father."

"So we commit to a peaceful excursion on the outskirts of Hoshido and Nohr, try to enlist however so many troops as we can, repel the Fell Dragon and the Conqueror himself, skip a couple pages good guys win, and then what?"

"It's not gonna be that easy," Robin sighed. "They won't be convinced to just leave their home and join forces with a ragtag group of foreigners. Especially not with the coin we have."

"We're not ragtag nor poor," Chrom reminded, taking offense to the crude description of his nation's coffers and the quality of her militia. "Though our story is not convincing either way."

"The stories of Hoshido and Nohr make very clear that they have always despised each other. I'm sure we can find a use of this conflict," Chrom suggested. Robin shook his head adamantly.

"Who are we to play a game of life and death? Even if the stakes are our own, we have no right meddling with the wars of other countries without good cause, and especially not on a whim."

"What if it wasn't whim," Lucina offered, voice low. "What if you do as Shepherds do and protect the downtrodden? War is brutal and cruel, and survivors and the abandoned are always left in its wake. That's where we can enter in."

"You mean to aid those that have been hurt the most?" Chrom asked.

"I mean to find whoever is in the crossfire, and help them."

"It's a plan," Robin admitted, "But we have no means to convince them, even with our meager help."

"We're fighters, Master Tactician," Lucina reminded, "We solve problems through force and through action."

"And diplomacy." Robin countered, "Seeing that I can count our total number with the fingers on my hands, we're not exactly a war machine. We took down an army once, and barely. It's not going to happen again no matter how many tricks I have in my sleeve."

"And the alternative is for you, a foreign commander, to parley your way between two warring nations?" Chrom asked in counteraction. Robin nodded in confidence, holding his head up high.

"Why certainly! Subtlety is a tactician's finest garment... besides this sleek cloak, of course. All we need... are the right pieces. We'll find those who will join our cause once they see our danger. Our mutual danger."

"No matter, we're going to need more than the four of us here," Chrom decided. "Frederick?"

"I'll rally the Shepherds, those available at least. Expect us within the next hour, milord."

The knight left with smart precision, his steady footsteps fading off down the hallway. Robin turned to the two Ylissean nobles at his side.

"Valm won't be a threat to them, I suppose. But Grima? A dragon that can end the world, one we share, is something we can exploit. No matter how far away they are, they are subject to his destruction," Lucina declared. "Nowhere is safe if the Fell Dragon manifests."

"We just need to tell that to them," Robin winced. "I doubt we have anything a foreign country would listen to though. What if they don't even speak our language?"

"One problem at a time, Robin," Chrom reassured. "We'll find enough people in time."

"We may not have time," Lucina urged, "Anna said that time flows differently there than here, but that doesn't give us forever. Soon enough, Valm will come, the Grimleal will come, and I pray that we have what we need by then."

"Then we go in blindly, and bull-shit things once we're already inside?" Robin asked skeptically. "I may have the occasional sleight of hand, Chrom, but I'm no miracle worker..." he trailed off, but his eyes widened as Lucina continued her tangent.

"And me being 'from the future' is not going to quite sell it."

Lucina sighed in short-term defeat, not noticing Robin's stare.

"But do you know what will?" the tactician suggested, grinning mischievously.

"What?" Lucina asked, slightly nervous from Robin's piercing gaze.

"If I may... I need to borrow your memories. The scariest ones you can give me."

A number of Shepherds had been rallied to join Robin and Chrom, so that their number was nearing 20 in strength. It would be enough to at least earn a mass grave, Robin hoped. A silver lining was that they had some veteran fighters like Lon'qu, Sully, and Vaike among them. Was Kellam there? Probably.

"Robin."

Chrom's voice shook him from his reverie.

"Hmm? What?"

"What if we fail at having them join us?"

"Then we join them first," Robin ordered, "And hope they return our favor. They may just have listen in time."

"They have no choice but to do so."

And with that, the Shepherds stepped through the portal. The first thing they saw were two legions of soldiers. One bore a white banner with red trim, the other a black banner with purple trim.

"So. Hoshido and Nohr. Looks like we stumbled upon a fight."

And as they did, the clear but shaking voice of a young woman echoed through their ears.

"And... That's... quite a lot of soldiers."

Corrin gasped at the bodies who manifested out of thin air around her, closing off her escape (Or acting as extra layers of protection.) They were dressed in armor and wielding weapons similar to both Hoshidan and Nohrian styles. Though small in number, she sensed the aura of experience on them, not unlike Gunter or her brothers. The strongest sense of power from these individuals was right next to her, unarmored but wearing a curiously marked cloak and wielding a jagged sword wreathed in lightning.

"Wh-Who are you?" Corrin asked, causing the white-haired man in the coat to turn around, lost in her red eyes for a second longer than he anticipated.

"Looks like we found a good spot to start," Chrom whispered.

"Who are you and who do you fight for?" Corrin repeated, pointing Yato at Robin. "If you do not identify yourself as a friend, I shall cut you down as an enemy!"

"..."

"In that case, let's be friends," Robin replied nervously. "I am Robin, tactician of this army, for lack of a better word at the moment," he trailed, gazing on the actual armies on either side of him.

"And I have a very good reason why your armies should not be killing each other right now."

"Odd words for the one between the two armies," Corrin whispered.

Ryoma and Xander raised their hands simultaneously, a thousand weapons instantly being re-raised at the Shepherds.

"And why, pray tell, shall we comply with your demands, stranger?"

"Because..." Robin stared around him, no escape.

Fantastic. He had to stall. "Hoshido and Nohr have been fighting this war for how many generations now?"

"Like you even know that answer," Chrom whispered.

"Oh, who says we are fighting? The way I see things, Nohr and her cavalry will trample over these farmers with the sun setting on our spears!" Xander boasted.

"It has taken you hundreds of years to get this far, Nohrian, and hundreds years more! Like hell you would," Ryoma retorted, twirling Raijinto as he turned to Robin. "And what would a stranger who appears out of nowhere know of our struggle? My father died to these mongrels. My mother died to them. The blood of Nohr's finest stains my blade. Such is our cycle, and such is our history!"

"Blah, blah, Grima, we're all going to die, apocalypse," Chrom summarized under his breath, catching Corrin's attention. Said Princess turned to both the Prince and the Tactician, trying to piece together what was happening before her.

"Answer swiftly and honestly or you will die as suddenly as you appeared, stranger," Xander warned, raising Siegfried with a dark flame accompanying.

"Say something, dammit," Chrom groaned.

"I... I-" Robin was choked off by the white-haired girl, who raised her hand skyward.

"Allow me," Corrin whispered.

"Listen to me, and lay your weapons down!" Corrin yelled, pointing at Xander and Ryoma equally. "Father may have orchestrated this war in order to sustain Nohr, but Hoshido is strong enough to support us peacefully! And they will, because it's the Hoshidan way!"

Ryoma couldn't help but frown at this bold statement, but Xander stood firm.

"But if a single drop of blood falls here today, know this! The manipulators and diplomats who have been planning this selfish endeavor know that this will lead to weakness in both Nohr and Hoshido! We cannot afford to fight today, or evermore! These soldiers come from a land that have suffered from such a fate! I brought them here by my own will, to serve as a lesson for both these countries I have come to cherish!"

She pointed at Robin and the other Shepherds, "We are so focused on Nohr and Hoshido that we could never see those powers within waiting to scavenge on our remains! Hoshido may want peace, but as long as they stay isolated, Nohr will always be in poverty! And Nohr may have waged this war on Father's orders, but there's something more to that! This isn't about preserving Nohr, it's about monopolizing it! Ryoma, Xander, STAND DOWN! For all that is good of Nohr and Hoshido, STAND DOWN!"

Slowly... Siegfried was lowered.

Raijinto mirrored it a few second later.

Strangely enough, even without commands from their commanders, not a single blade or bow remained raised save for a choice few soldiers. What used to be an army ready to strike turned into a vigil, their weapons sheathed or strapped.

Chrom whistled in due amazement, commending the quick thinking of the stranger in the group.

"A woman that can break up a fight," Robin whispered under his breath. "You must have a lot of siblings." Corrin nodded with knowing smile and responded in kind.

"I tend to protect any friends I make," Corrin exhaled in relief. Her face shifted though, when she realized the people around her. "You guys... are my friends, right? I mean we just met so..."

"Of course. I wasn't lying by the way. We're here to help you. We'll help you whatever way we can;. Oh, and the name's Robin, by the way." Robin added, winking at Chrom who only rolled his eyes.

From both sides, the Shepherds could hear the vocal worries of the crowd around them.

"What does that girl know?"

"Rival dynasts want Mikoto's bloodline off the throne!"

"Garon needs a reminder on how to handle these politicians..."

"Why are we listening to her? She killed Lady Mikoto!"

Chrom breathed nervously. "They're getting restless. A field like this is meant for battle. Not a stare-down."

"Enough!"

Hesitantly, Xander and Ryoma lowered their weapons and stepped hesitantly towards Corrin. Chrom gulped, not thinking his words would have been heard that easily.

"Hoshidans... stand fast," Ryoma ordered, only accompanied by his retainers, walking slowly to the middle.

"Prince Xander, what say you?"

"Nohrians! Stand down... negotiations have begun," the Crown Prince ordered. Slowly but surely, he walked to Corrin and stared down Ryoma who was well within striking distance now. Hesitantly, he returned his blade to its sheath, and breathed a silent sigh of relief.

Corrin looked on, trying her hardest not to look too relieved. Robin and the Shepherds did not hold such restraint and smiled at the peace they had just brokered.

"Tell us then, stranger," Ryoma asked, kneeling in view of his sister.

"Your magic, if it has corrupted our Corrin in any form..." Xander started, but a kind smile from Corrin shut him up.

"While I might not know everything yet..." Corrin stalled, glaring at Robin and Chrom, "I'm sure my friends know more than I do."

Robin nodded nervously and took out his scroll, simply labeled 'Ylisse.'

"Tell me... What do you know of the divine dragons?"

Day 1

Lucina gaped in shock as Robin and Chrom came through the portal, their faces blank with confusion.

"What happened? What did you-"

The Shepherds came out now, one by one, none of them the worse for wear, but still looking as stunned as their leaders.

And then Corrin came through, head held high and a slight smile on her face.

"...Are these our allies?"

Ryoma and Xander followed, baring their teeth and imaginary weapons at each other but maintaining control. And after them, retainer and warrior alike manifested in the throne room, both Hoshidan and Nohrian. Lucina swore she could cut the tension with a knife. Then again, the appearance of a drawn blade would probably spark a mini war in the throne room.

Running over to Robin and Chrom, the Exalt's daughter whispered loudly, unable to bring her voice down.

"What happened!?"

"All according to plan. It worked," Robin replied happily, still a bit nervously.

"I sense terms."

"There are none... Let's just say your apocalyptic future is not something either of these countries wish to experience, Lucina."

"So you mean..." With a wave, a red and gold blur swept by, shutting them up and raising his lightning katana in the air.

"That is enough about us," Ryoma scowled, ordering his retainers and elite soldiers in formation as to take accountability. Xander did likewise, except on the other side of the throne room.

"Three divisions," Chrom mused. "Ylissean, Hoshidan, and Nohrian."

"No division," Corrin insisted, holding Xander with one arm and Ryoma with the other. "Or did we forget what happened out there?"

"Kamui... you were kidnapped by Nohrian-" Ryoma started.

"And Azura was kidnapped by Hoshidans," Corrin continued, "I do prefer Corrin a lot more, no offence. But this is a war we cannot be split upon. If we are to preserve this peace, if we are to bring forth a new age of peace... Can I trust both of you to work together?"

"I cannot say I agree with you," Xander admitted, "But what that wizard showed us, what our own retainers have claimed... I cannot have that happen to Nohr. And if it means working alongside Hoshidans for this to be averted... then I must, for Nohr. And for my family."

"So be it," Ryoma announced, Hinoka, Takumi and Sakura behind him. "For our world's sake, we fight together, Nohrian. Even if your soldiers killed my father, it means nothing anymore. Even if a Nohrian device killed my mother... it means nothing. I fight only for my future and my family. I may fight alongside you, but not for you."

"Then it is settled?" Robin guessed, appreciating the lack of apparent tension between both countries.

A wyvern rider interrupted the gaggle as a few dozen heads turned towards her, even as she landed precariously in the hallway, diving through the grand doorway.

"Lord Chrom! I bear horrible news! Valmese-"

"Armadas are sailing to our borders as we speak? Followed by a land invasion that will sweep through Ylisse just as they did your country of Rosanne?"

"Did news already arrive, gods-"

"Relax. Cherche of House Virion, was it?" Robin asked, relaxed as he walked to her, hands casually behind his back. Corrin smirked and Chrom shook his head at his tactician's lax. Virion could be less pleased, but he remained silent.

"I take it you're a soldier of good renown, Lady Cherche. What say you to joining us on our quest to show the Conqueror how to really sweep a nation?"

"W-what? Am I interrupting something here?"

"I'd say you're right on time," Robin affirmed, patting Cherche on the shoulder. Peeking beyond her, he waved to Virion. "Hey there milord. Word travels fast."

Ryoma examined the room, but paying most attention to the numbers standing before him. Hoshidan troops, the finest he has ever seen. And he'd hate to admit it, but those Nohrian troops looked just as disciplined.

Ugly armor though.

"Hoshidans! You have my word as your High Prince that this is the dawn of a new era in our history! Across from you right now are not enemies, but allies. Treat them as such, and you will have secured not only the prosperity of Hoshido, but its survival! Will you stand by me?"

"AYE!"

Xander nodded in agreement and turned to his own army. Such was the future of Nohr, clad in steel and blood, tempered in the fires of a thousand years of war. Then again, so were the Hoshidans.

But what on earth was that disgusting armor?

"Soldiers of Nohr, our ancestors rode past the horizon and brought back not just food, not just victory... They rode and conquered the lands beyond, and came back wearing the glory of victory! I say we pay tribute to those before us and honor their memory by repeating history! If we are not to conquer Hoshido, then perhaps a dragon's corpse will sustain our lands just as well!"

"AYE!"

Robin watched in sheer thrill, silently turning to Chrom and his own Shepherds. He had fought alongside these good men and women, and have known them for two long years. Now, he was about to take them on another campaign from which they may never return. They needed their expert tactician more than ever.

"Quite the face you have there, tactician," Chrom laughed, nudging his friend with a smile of his own. "You ready to add another page to your grand history book?"

Robin nodded, graciously brandishing his cloak with a dignity that only a hero of his country would allow.

"Shepherds of Ylisse, Archanea is rich in the history of heroes and fights against the forces of evil. With Valm knocking down our doorstep, I think it's time we secure our own chapter in the castle library. Let's do those we love a favor and move this invasion force aside."

"Aye!"

Corrin had to draw away from the impressive armies, noticing Lucina next to her doing the same.

Feeling something hum against her hip, she drew Yato, mirrored by Falchion.

"The blades, they're.."

"Glowing?" Lucina realized, tapping Yato with Falchion

"It seems even the gods our on our side," Lucina realized. "But what is happening..."

Both blades started glowing a faint gold and blue respectively, and suddenly the edges of the twin swords radiated brilliant light as they flashed in a blinding display of evolution.

"The Seal of Flames," Leo gasped. "I read about this in an ancient text... Is Corrin... fulfilling some rite of passage?"

"Falchion... It's like she's awake now, after a long night of unrest," Lucina whispered, the blue pulsing from Naga's fang even through the scabbard she had sheathed it in. Awoken Falchion had reacted with the Yatogami and was shining a beautiful cyan as a result.

Corrin, holding her blade, had a similar problem.

"Yato," Corrin echoed, her golden blade glowing in a similarly-golden light, illuminating the hall alongside its blue-glowing sister. "Awoken Yato. I swear I'm not making that up- it literally just spoke in my head."

"Well that's as good a sign as any," one of the Nohrians called out, prompting some Hoshidans to laugh. Ryoma and Xander looked none to pleased, but weren't quite upset at that quip either.

The Nohrians and Hoshidans cheered spontaneously in unison, Ylisse not sure how to respond. Just realizing how quickly she had formed a temporary peace between two warring nations, Corrin retreated to the back, where Robin and Chrom stood.

"Commander Robin. I think we'd best be on our way. My Hoshidans were ready for a fight today, but we can wait a little longer. Let them come against us, and you'll see your stories about us are hardly fairy tales."

"Nohr stands as well, Commander. My ancestors led cavalries against other cavalries during the Nohrian formation. I would much appreciate being given the opportunity to try the same."

"Then it is time," Robin announced proudly. "We have about a week before our own ships arrive. We... have a bit to do before then."

"They are coming," Lucina noted, "But they will not expect this. So many..." Chrom patted his daughter on the back and waved a hand towards the distant sea.

"Out there is our future, Luci. We'll save this country one step at a time. And those that came with you."

"You didn't tell me they weren't all here?" Robin asked, curious.

"There were some others that came with me from the future," Lucina explained. "They will be more than willing to offer their blades to our cause. Gerome, Cynthia... I know they're out there, somewhere."

"Don't worry, Lucina. We have all the pieces together now," the Exalt reassured, before turning to Corrin with a faint smile.

"Thank you, Princess Corrin. You might have just saved us all."

"I-I... I should thank you. Thank you for keeping both of my families from attacking each other. You saved us."

"That was your doing, not ours," Chrom assured, turning to his Shepherds with new orders. "I'll go now. Robin, why don't you show the Princess around?"

Corrin and Robin stood above the throne room, smiling at the host of Shepherds at their disposal who sat chatting among themselves in ambient droning.

"It's really happening, huh?"

"It is. You like the feeling? That anticipation before a hard fight... It's nerve-wracking. And exhilarating."

There was a certain thrill in Robin's eyes- a taste of adrenaline in the presence of death and danger, a desire to beat difficult opponents. Leo had the same eyes when they were younger.

"You seem to enjoy your job."

Robin scoffed, but shook his head. It wasn't some game to enjoy, not with life and death in the palm in his hand. Emmeryn's face flashed briefly in his head, a testament to a greener tactician's failures.

"I enjoy a lot of things. Saving lives most of all."

"Well aren't you the epitome of battlefield inspiration?" Corrin smiled, feeling comfortable around the tactician she had met just a few days before.

"I try. Morale is a resource just like food and water out there. An army without morale is just as poor as an army without weapons."

"I see. I have a lot to learn about that."

"You're proficient in tactics, no? I'm sure you will be fine."

"I can fight a fight, sure... But looking at the big picture? It's scary."

"Have you ever fought in a war?" Robin asked quietly, quivering at the mounting dread that silently arose.

"...I've been preparing all my life for one," Corrin replied after a slow pause, gesturing to her two families swapping words and handshakes below. "A war to kill Hoshidans, to raze crop and castle to the ground. But no longer. Fighting alongside both of them after a lifetime of not even considering a peace? This is amazing. I can't tell you how ready I am for this. How excited I am to be with all of them. And all of you."

"I will devote my everything to keep them from harm," Robin promised, "And I pray, they will trust me in time."

"I trust you," Corrin said with a slight fluctuation. "It takes a pretty special person to teleport in the middle of a battlefield of strangers and convince both sides to cease."

"The pleasure was mine," Robin replied. "A commander always seeks to earn the trust of those he will fight alongside."

"I know that cloak isn't just for show. I'll have you know I can whip up a surprise or two myself," Corrin promised.

"Oh? Like what?"

"Well, the sword's new. I'm not sure about that. But how about this?" she asked, hoisting her dragonstone. "I saw one of your own holding one. I don't think I can fly, though. At least, not that I know of. I've only been in a couple skirmishes, so we'll see."

"You're... a manakete? You're not like, a thousand years old too, are you? Because you look pretty my age and-"

"What?" Corrin wondered, interrupting the tactician. "But yeah, I can turn into a... thing. Oh, and control water, dragon stuff."

Robin was tempted to reply to that tidbit, but he kept his tongue. Suddenly, a crazy idea crossed his mind, and his eyes mirrored that.

"Uh-oh," Corrin guessed aloud.

"You can swim, right?"

"..."

"Pardon my asking but... Humor me, Princess: How heavy is your dragon form?"

"Um... S-something large, I can only assume. Why ask?"

Robin turned around towards his study, his eyes shining with a plan.

"What would a tactician be without his secret weapon?"