GREETINGS, MY DEAR, DEAR READERS.

IT IS TIME TO LET YOU KNOW THAT I HAVE ALREADY TALLIED THE VOTES AND HAVE COME TO A DEFINITIVE TOP THREE FOR EACH TWIN. THE VOTES I GOT FROM YOUR PMs PLUS THE VOTES FROM YOUR REVIEWS HAVE COME IN TO PLAY AND BY THE END OF THE FIC, IT WILL BE PRETTY OBVIOUS WHO THE TOP THREE FOR EACH TWIN ARE.

And because of that, I'd like to take this moment to officially announce a forum I've created dedicated to this fic! I know I can't please everyone with the ships, especially with the close calls like Tharja and Cherche. So you can relay to me your request for oneshots and drabbles you'd like to see of any pairing at all within THIS high school universe. Don't worry, I'd love to write it! Especially to those whose voted pairs don't get chosen. You can also tell me what AU you'd like to see next, and since it is a forum, I'll allow RPing. Basically that is now one of the best ways to reach me if you'd like to discuss certain aspects of this fic. Here's a link to the forum:

myforums/ponchimaya/1816814/

And so, without further ado, let's see how the first match of the season concludes!

Chapter 14

"Frederick!" shouted Chrom, taking a step towards the knight.

"Damn it…" growled the Northic captain, in a one-on-one wrestling match with the said knight. "Out of my way…" he gained power for a second and took a step forward, resulting in Frederick taking a step back.

Robyn swiftly took her place in front of Chrom, guarding him from the Northic threat.

"I CAN HANDLE THIS!" yelled Frederick, regaining his footing and at balance with the enemy again.

"Make the decision now, Robyn." Said her brother through her tiny earpiece. "The reinforcements are coming and at pretty good vitality. They escaped Lon'qu and Cherche somehow. They're rushing to aid their captain. Frederick's on half, and Chrom's tracker is going to dim pretty soon. You can't take them all at once. Besides, you've barely warmed up."

Robyn swiftly turned. "Sorry, Chrom. But you have to trust me." Chrom was just about to protest when Robyn took his wrist and took off, pulling him with her.

OoOoOoOoO

"Talk to me, Robin."

Robin studied the screens. Once his sister had set a fast but manageable pace, she let go of Chrom's wrist.

"Keep going forward. You'll come into a three way split. Don't be fooled. Take the one on the right."

"That's going to lead us AWAY from the Northic flag!"

"Just trust me!"

Robin saw his sister roll her eyes and make a sharp right, Chrom following without fail. Robin watched as Robyn and Chrom's dots went in the direction of the far right corner.

"Hmm…" he quickly switched on Lon'qu and Cherche's communication. Lon'qu's vitality was at 50 percent, and Cherche's was down to 42. Gotta keep their path clear…

"I'm gonna need you guys to split." Said Robin. The two players' eyes widened in surprise from Robin's sudden communication.

"Elaborate." panted Cherche. She sounded exhausted, but when Robin looked up at the screen, Cherche was still in an alert, defensive position as she tried to track her escaped enemy.

Lon'qu was doing the same thing, except with his sword poised up in the air in an offensive stance.

"Cherche," said Robin. "Forget the enemy. Same goes to you, Lon'qu."

"That bastard escaped by pushing his ally to me." Growled Lon'qu. "Same bastard who destroyed Sumia's tracker. Coward."

"I'm going to need you to make sure Robyn and Chrom go unfollowed." Said Robin. "Cherche, I'm going to need you to turn back and head over to help protect the flag."

"Come again?" Cherche's eyes were wide. "Did you say Robyn?"

"Yeah, she joined the game." Said Robin. "You can hug her later, but right now…"Robin watched the Northic dot go in the direction of the Ylisse Flag. "I'm gonna need you to intercept someone going dangerously close to our flag's location."

"Got it." Said Cherche, turning back and retracing her steps.

"Aren't you gonna ask for directions?" asked Robin.

He heard Cherche chuckle. "I've been playing for a long time, and I've learned to map out internally. I remember the direction Sully, Vaike, and Maribelle went. You tell me when there's an enemy close or if I gotta pick up the pace."

OoOoOoOoO

Cherche turned the corner. The dull construction and design of the map gave Cherche an eerie feeling, how everything looked so the same, making her feel as if she was in a never ending dungeon made of stone slabs and lit with torches. Then she realized she would have been even more nervous without Robin there to watch her back. Cherche also smiled to herself when she remembered that Robyn joined into the fray too. The recent events were so out of this world, so ridiculous, but she was glad for them.

So far, no word from Robin on nearby enemies. They've done well so far. She wasn't able to ask about the enemy count, but perhaps for now that didn't matter.

Cherche came across a wall. Which way? She could no longer go forward. Only two choices stood before her.

"Take the left." Said Robin immediately. "There's a Northic player in that direction, and I don't think your location's been found out yet. You should catch him from behind."

Something felt iffy, but Cherche wordlessly obeyed. Although something in her told her to keep her lance at the defense position, instead of the offense.

OoOoOoOoO

Robin leaned back in his seat. Lon'qu was going where he wanted him to go, and Cherche should be able to take one more pesky Northic player down before being an extra reinforcement to the flag guarding.

He eyed the said Northic player's dot. Cherche's dot was going to the right side of the map, and the enemy's dot was a bit more far off and coming from the upper part of the map. Now, if Robin's calculations were correct, the player would most likely take a left and end up at the same corridor as Cherche, where she could easily surprise him. Heck, with the unpredictive pause of the dot, He could already be ahead of Cherche, and with her considerable speed, she'd catch up to him.

Cherche's dot was nearing the enemy's dot. Robin grinned. One and a half minute was up, and the dot should change position right in front of Cherche right about…

…what?

The enemy dot stayed in place. Cherche's dot shot past the hall where the enemy dot stood. Robin broke into cold sweat when he realized that the Northic dot stayed in place to creep up behind her. No doubt the Northic player left his spot the second she passed him.

"Damn it!" Robin quickly switched on Cherche's communication. "CHERCHE!"

OoOoOoOoO

Cherche was prepared for it.

With her lance already in position, she quickly spun around to block the Northic player's sword.

"I got this, Robin." Said Cherche. The Northic player's eyes widened in confusion.

"You're pretty airheaded if you think a sword is going to win against a lance." Growled Cherche. She pushed her lance forward, knocking the Northic player back.

"You've heard of the weapon triangle, right?" asked Cherche as the Northic girl swung her sword, which Cherche easily evaded. She clicked her tongue. "Minerva tramples on people like you."

OoOoOoOoO

Robin watched in awe as Cherche effortlessly felled the Northic player. He'd made a miscalculation, and yet Cherche held her own, a whole lot better than he thought she would.

He watched Cherche pick up the Northic player's tracker. "Don't sweat it when your calculations go out of plan, Robin." She said, looking up at the ceiling camera up at him. She was smiling. "That's why we train hard. That's why we learn our battlefield skills, because we help you as well. If this is a game of chess to you, don't forget that you're not just playing a second opponent with pieces made of wood. The pieces you hold are alive and you have to learn to trust in them." Cherche gave him a wink and turned again to run in the direction she was originally headed to.

Robin stared at her dot as he switched off her communication. In the live game of chess, the concept of trusting the pieces was new to him.

"Oi. Tact." Robin heard Lon'qu say. "I'm here. What do you want me to do?"

Robin shook himself back to reality. Trust in the pieces…if that was the case….Robin's eyes twinkled, his head beginning to form the start of a new plan. One more extra move…

OoOoOoOoO

"The corner." Said Chrom, panting heavily.

Leaving Frederick was as hard decision, but when he felt Robyn grab his wrist and pull him back to reality her realized two things: He had to trust Frederick, and if he didn't start thinking clearly his team would be dissolved.

Robyn's pace was terribly fast, and Chrom had a difficult time keeping up, even with Robyn's grip. Once she set a pace he could follow though, running was easier.

After Robin had directed his sister where to go, they ended up in a corner where Robyn stopped running. She leaned her back against the wall and tried to catch her breath.

"What are we gonna do now?" asked Chrom.

"We wait for further instruction."

"Shouldn't we contact Robin?"

"He'll know where we are." Robyn shook her head. "And pretty soon, the Northic tactitian will, too. Whatever my brother's planning…"

"Where exactly are we?" asked Chrom. He looked right and saw a long hallway leading in a straight direction. It seemed to stretch on. He turned to the left side of the corner and saw the same thing. "Don't tell me we're…"

"…on the very top right corner of the map." Said Robyn. She pointed along the left hall. "The Northic flag would be that way."

"Can't we just go and get it?" asked Chrom.

"We could." Shrugged Robyn. "And run the risk of getting ambushed. We'd better wait till my brother says it's clear."

Chrom leaned against the wall. Out of habit, he asked, "How long has it been since the game began?"

Robyn shrugged. "Maybe 45 minutes?"

Chrom chuckled. "If we can finish this in an hour we could really impress the board."

Robyn crossed her arms. "Square map like this? Easy. At least. It should have been." Robyn faced upwards. "Thing is. This is all so surreal. All too new. Being qualified, the experience…" she shook her head. "It's Robin's wet dream. But his excitement's getting the best of him."

"It's working so far."

"I'm not doubting that." Robyn uncrossed her arms. "Exciting for him."

Chrom raised an eyebrow. "You don't like this?"

Robyn looked ahead. "I didn't say that. It's thrilling, I'll give you that. I guess I've never really enjoyed anything. So this…despite how surreal, it's going to become a regular thing for me sooner or later, just like everything. I've never really been one to go crazy about something."

Chrom didn't quite understand what Robyn meant yet, but the look in her eyes reminded him of himself a long time ago. A time when he drifted through life with nothing to fight for.

"In any case…" he said, giving her a warm smile. "I'm really glad you joined."

Robyn's head whipped to face him, and Chrom's face immediately grew warm and he began to stutter. "I mean, you and your brother. I'm really glad you and your brother joi—"

Robyn held up a finger. Chrom immediately grew quiet. She wasn't looking at him, but at his direction, which was the hall that lead to the lower right part of the map.

"Do you hear something?" asked Chrom, growing alert. Robyn pushed herself off the wall and Chrom followed suit.

Robyn switched on her earpiece. "Robin. We're moving. Now."

"But—okay. Fine. Damn it, fine. Vaike! Speed up!"

"Vaike?!" exclaimed Robyn. "Isn't he supposed to be guarding—"

"No time, Robyn!" said Chrom, now hearing what Robyn's been hearing: the sound of footsteps.

Suddenly Chrom's earpiece was switched on too.

"Defining moment guys, now or never." Said Robin. "Trust in the pieces. If my calculations and setups are correct…you should be good in three..."

OoOoOoOoO

Back at the Den, Robin closed his eyes and prayed that the setups he made were on point. A real live board game where outcomes are determined by skill and trust and risk…it was overwhelming, but amazing. He was so used to his calculations in the durations of the current game to be perfect that this little blunder really shook him up. Loss of confidence? Nah. Just a…miscalculation. All good.

Yeah. He was Robin Tact. Uncertainty was not a word that belonged in his dictionary.

He took a deep breath and focused on all the positions he marked.

"…two…"

OoOoOoOoO

Chrom and Robyn were positioned for the run. He could hear the footseps already, and he took a deep breath. He trusted Robin.

"It'll be okay."

Chrom turned to Robyn in surprise. She was smiling at him. Her eyes were filled with something he couldn't quite explain, the color of a moment's fire that would soon be extinguished once there was nothing more to fan it. It was beautiful, but sad. Chrom made a small promise to himself that he would give Robyn something to fight for. He looked ahead, feeling the adrenaline pumping through his veins.

Suddenly, he heard the footsteps, although not in sight, stop abruptly.

"…ONE!"

Chrom ran faster than he had in his whole life.

OoOoOoOoO

The stands went wild.

Cheers, jeers, every reaction and sounds of anticipation you can imagine wafted through the stadium.

The Ylissean Captain and Exequutor made a run for it. The speed of the Exequutor was amazing, leaving Chrom behind a few feet. Still, the captain never faltered.

Right before the two sprinted off straight, the captain and his ally(the other one felled easily by that crazy strong knight) were directed by their tactician the exact whereabouts of the opposing captain, which wasn't hard since their location wasn't very hard to get to. Both the Northic Captain and his ally were considerably weakened though, so felling the Ylissean Knight came at its own price.

The Northic Captain and his ally were too engrossed in their straight goal, they failed to notice the final piece the Ylissean Tactician had played: a certain hyperactive blonde that had been sprinting every morning of everyday. Vaike came running and with a, "IT'S VAIKE TIME!", and thus caused the two Northic players to stop abruptly to deal with this newcomer who seemed to be at full health.

And that is when the Ylissean Captain and the Tactician's Exequutor took off.

OoOoOoOoO

Robyn and Chrom were halfway, at least from what Robyn can deduce. She'd already realized by now that she'd left Chrom a little ways behind, but not so that she had to grab his wrist again.

The torched area was coming. Robyn could see it. It was so close. Nothing was going to get in the way of her, save for that oncoming opening from the left. If someone were to go through that and slow them down, then that would be very bad indeed.

"Just keep running!" her brother's voice came through the earpiece.

"Is it clear?!"

"Don't mind!"

Robyn shrugged and gained a little bit more speed to go past it. Her eyes widened as she heard a Northic battle cry coming from her left now, but she closed her eyes and kept running.

Chrom however, paused to see the Northic ambushed being dealt with by a fierce looking Lon'qu, who seemed to appear out of nowhere.

"GO!" shouted Lon'qu as he engaged the Northic player in a one on one swordfight. Chrom had a smirk on his face as he regained pace again. He was yet to meet someone who can beat Lon'qu in a one on one sword fight.

Robyn's mind was reeling. The three who must have been guarding the flag must have split three ways: One to sprint for the Ylissean Flag, one to stay and guard, and one to ambush them.

Robyn matched her pace with Chrom.

"We're going to win this." Said Robyn.

Chrom's eyes were adjusting to the brightening environment in where the flag was kept: lit by three big torches, was a single, terrified looking Northic player. His lance was at the ready.

Chrom and Robyn stopped. Chrom raised his sword, no doubt stanced to fight, but instead he planted it onto the ground with great force. Robyn sprinted to deal with the final player, and Chrom wasted no time in making his way to the brown and black flag of North Road High. He looked up at it, and a strange sense of peace, calm, and relief wash through him.

My team's gonna be okay. He thought, as he reached up and felt his hand make a fist within the silk that automatically brought his team to victory.

OoOoOoOoO

It was a complete haze of cheers, screams, and endless hugs and pats on the back when they all got back to the Safe House to meet up once again. Chrom thrust up the flag and his team went wild.

Cherche hugged Robyn, and so did Lissa.

"I can't believe you joined in!" cried Cherche.

"Thank you so much!" cried Lissa with equal happiness.

The best part was probably when the doors to the Overseer's Den opened and Robin came out with his ridiculously sly grin, where he received numerous pats on the back and gave Chrom a high five.

"Thanks, dude." Said Chrom. "Seriously. I don't know how we can ever repay you."

Robin was about to make a reply when he was hit on the back of his head.

"Ow!" he cried.

"You did good, Tact." Said Lon'qu.

Robin rubbed his sore head. "Ugh. Thanks."

OoOoOoOoO

After that, one would expect the bus ride home to be filled with merrymaking, and noises befitting of a house party. But even with Coach Basilio's reckless version of toned down driving, the team was either asleep or too tired to even talk. Tired from the stress and relief of the overwhelming events that just transpired, that much was understandable.

"We'll be able to get a bigger van after this." Said Coach Basilio. "They have to now. I see a weapons and transportation upgrade coming from the board very soon. An exequutor…that's got to impress the board."

Flavia gave a hearty laugh, but not so loud as to disturb the exhausted students. "For once, I must agree with you, old man. I've a heart to assemble all the Instructors again."

Basilio grinned. "You're saying that as if you're sure we're going to attend the Tourney Games."

"Why not?" said Flavia. "I've got a feeling things are starting to become a lot better."

"Out of curiosity, where are the others, anyway?"

Flavia thought for a moment. "I hear Panne has returned. She used to be just part of the team, but I think she wouldn't turn down the chance of being an Instructor."

Basilio nodded. Flavia continued. "Libra, head of the clinic department, was supposedly one of those menders back in his days. He could probably help people like Lissa and Maribelle if only we persuaded him enough. And Stahl…" she shook her head. "I still haven't been able to reach him. Rumor has it he's managing a shop somewhere, but I don't know. But that's what we have for now."

OoOoOoOoO

Robin yawned as he stepped off the bus. Everyone had gotten off the bus, and some were talking and gathering some equipment.

"Boy." He said. "I'm starving."

Robyn nodded. "I'm thinking of ordering a huge pizza for late lunch when we get home. Mom should be done with her errands by now, don't you think? No doubt she'll be too tired to cook."

Robin nodded. "Pizza sounds good." Suddenly he felt a heavy sack of equipment unceremoniously pushed to him.

"Help us bring in the equipment, Tact." Said Lon'qu.

Robin whined. "But…my brain. It hurts from all the strategizing."

"You big baby." Said Robyn, taking his load from his arms and replacing it with her bag. "I'll go with you, Lon'qu." She smiled. Lon'qu only gave her a look before sighing and grabbing his own sack of equipment and leading the way back to the school. Robyn caught sight of Chrom carrying a box and also making his way over there, and she called him over.

"We're going to return this stuff." Said Robyn. "Wanna come with us?"

Chrom nodded. "I'm putting this in the weapons room too, anyway."

The three made their way to the school.

Meanwhile, Robin yawned as he just said goodbye to Vaike. He leaned against the van to wait for Lon'qu and his sister, when he noticed three girls chatting animatedly on the parking lot bench.

Sumia caught his eye and she gave him a warm smile and a wave. Next to her sat Cordelia, whose eyes flickered to Robin and stayed on him for a second, then quickly turned back to the person talking to her. And talking to Cordelia admiringly was none other than Lucina. Robin's heart skipped a beat. She really was a sight to look at after a tiring day. Lucina noticed Sumia's wave and she turned to see Robin. Her eyes lit up in excitement and her face broke into a grin.

Who should he say hi to first?

Lucina

Cordelia

Sumia

OoOoOoOoO

"Okay." Said Chrom, putting the box down in its proper place in the weapons room. "That should do it."

Lon'qu cracked his knuckles.

"You really shouldn't do that, you know." Said Robyn.

"I'll do what I want, Tact."

Robyn crossed her arms. "I'm not my brother."

"Fine. Female Tact." Said Lon'qu. Chrom chuckled.

"Right." Said Chrom. "Well, let's get out of here. I wonder who has the keys, when we got here the door was wide open and supported by that mop." Chrom pointed to a mop that he had set aside.

Robyn shrugged. "Anyway, I'm pretty hungry. Let's go!"

"NOOO!"

The three jumped. They heard a surprised shout, and quickly turn back to see…

Robyn's eyes widened. A figure came out from behind the shelves that held all the training dummies.

"Inigo?" asked Chrom. "What are you doing here in the weapons room? Do you have the keys? I thought it was Lucina locking up after inventory count today…"

Inigo's eyes were wide with fear. "You took away the mop?!"

Chrom raised an eyebrow and pointed to the mop he was talking about. "This?"

"No no no no…crap." Said Inigo, running to the door. To his horror, it was locked. "The mop was keeping this door open!"

"I don't understand." Said Robyn, feeling the unpleasant veil of terror gradually washing over her.

"I came here to…er…clean up earlier, and you know that this door only opens with keys, and…"

"Inigo." Said a slowly fuming Lon'qu. "Get to the point."

Inigo sighed and shook his head. "The keys are with Lucina."

Chrom's eyes widened. Lon'qu closed his eyes in frustration. Inigo quickly tried to work on the door, and Robyn…

…left her cellphone in her bag.

Which was upstairs.

With Robin.

Oh no.