Sorry about the late update everybody. Been busy, and currently on a FE binge right now. I had made a resolution that I will pass Fire Emblem: Awakening on Classic and Lunatic Mode before the release of Fire Emblem: Fates, which is in a week. And I've been playing other games as well to keep me busy.

Also, if there are fans of my other Fire Emblem story, The Miraculous Birthday, I intend on making a similar story like that, except it will be set within Fates. There is one crucial point I do want to address though: whether or not Lelouch will be a Hoshidan or Nohrian child. I'll set up a poll decide which kingdom he will belong to, as his situation will be the same as Azura's and Corrin's; a prince of one nation, taken in by the other.

Well, anyway, may Gerome and Lissa do the honors?

Gerome: ...

Lissa: Come on, Gerome! It won't be that hard!

Gerome: ...

...do I need to call Noir or Nah out here?

Gerome: ...tch. Demons Anarchy of Pride does not own Fire Emblem, nor any of it's characters. All of which are property of Intelligent Systems and Nintendo. This purely a work of fan-fiction. Any and all relations to real-life characters is merely coincidence.

Lissa: And here we go! *brandishes stave* Everybody, welcome to Fire Emblem: Eternity Unto Reformation!

Fire Emblem: Eternity Unto Reformation

"Sometimes you will never know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory." -Dr. Seuss

The late night in Nohr had been long and drawn out, and the recent events had brought nothing but a restless night sleep to the Ylissean tactician. He sat on the bed within the guest room, his hands rubbing his face while his tired eyes remained closed and hidden beneath their lids. His cloak had been discarded, now hung on a small rack. The day had started to catch up to him only now, and left him nearly sagging. "What a day..."

It was hectic beyond imagination for him. He had defeated Grima, saved the world at the expense of his own life, only to discover that he was still alive, and here in a foreign country in the hands of a brutish, if not terrifying king. What disturbed him slightly was how he awoke here, having been found in the same way as he did when Chrom had found him. It was so odd and so strange that it was hard to simply write off as mere coincidence. It was almost as if someone had ordained it, especially when he recalled the voice that called out to him. His mind went back to it when he thought that he was merely drifting in a black expanse, and a voice calling out to him. What exactly did this person have planned for him?

And why had they addressed him as the Fell Dragon? True, they were one of the same, but he had always believed to be a separate entity. They were connected, and because of that, he was able to bring the damned monster down once and for all. The missing mark on his hand was proof of that. Just how had this happened in the first place? He was supposed to be dead, but... He felt relieved, in a sense, but also lonely as well. He missed being with his friends, the family that he had come to known. He missed them all dearly, and all of their quirks. He missed his chess games with Virion, as haphazardly as they were with him often on the receiving end of a beat down. He missed borrowing books from Sumia, as strange as the novels were. He missed the shenanigans of Lissa, pranking anyone at any given chance. Gods, how long had he been gone from them? A few days? Months? A year? The more he thought about it, the more the pit in his stomach grew. Still, at least there was some good to be made here. He had made a few friends in Nohr, which were royalty, however ironic that was.

Xander was the very loyal type, so heavily devoted to his country, yet while there was sternness to be found, he was also someone who would not risk the lives of his comrades and siblings. He cared deeply for them, Corrin in particular. Camilla was... well, he wasn't sure how to put it. She was certainly very attached to Corrin, much more so than a normal sister, but if the conversation with Leo and Elise is to be believed, the attachment was more than simply an emotional attachment. Being the eldest of siblings, it was obvious that politics, among other things, had taken quite the toll on her, enough so that she relied heavily on her siblings. Corrin was like the emotional crutch she needed, though in his opinion, the attachment was also possessive. He couldn't help but pity the poor man who would win Corrin's heart, for his encounter with Camilla would not be a pleasant one. Leo shared his interests in magic tomes and texts, as they had earlier spent most of the evening in the library, going over what they knew about magic. His yearning for improvement was on par with Miriel, though his thirsts for knowledge lied in the power to stride into further heights, to become someone as strong as his achieving siblings. It was also clear he was attached to Corrin as well. The same could be said about Elise, who adored the young princess far more than her other siblings. It greatly reminded him of the bond that Chrom, Lissa, and Emmeryn had.

God, he wanted to see them all again. He wondered how they would react when they would see him. Would they honestly believe it was him? Would they believe that it was maybe an impostor? Would they even believe the crap he was going through right now?

As he pondered this, a sharp knock echoed at his door. "Hello?" a familiar voice called out from behind the wooden pane. "Robin? Are you awake?"

"Yeah," he called back, standing up. "One moment." He walked away from his bed and to the door, twisting the doorknob. When he pulled it open, he found Corrin standing there, her hair completely let down without a black hairband to keep it in place, and a white nightgown. It wasn't extravagent as he would have expected, rather it looked quite plain, and it was obviously bigger than her, as the sleeves went past her fingertips. "Corrin? What are you doing up?"

The princess chuckled abashed, scratching her cheek. "I couldn't sleep." she said. "Can I come in?"

"Yeah, sure." he nodded, pulling back. The young girl entered, allowing him to close the door behind her. "Is this because of what happened back in the Throne Room?"

"Y-yeah..." she nodded nervously, whirling about. "It's just... I can still hardly believe everything that's happened. In just one day, I'm in the outside world, met you, fought with Big Brother Xander against bandits, and then father tests me. It's just all so..." she took a deep breath. "I'm just now feeling exhausted. No, I think I feel even more tired after we let Rinkah and Kaze go."

Robin nodded, a sheepish smile on his face as he sat down on the foot of his bed. "Yeah, I know what you mean. I wake up in a field, met you guys, then fight against some brigands, and get an audience with the king of Nohr himself. Overwhelming doesn't begin to describe this day." A chuckle escaped him. "You know, that was the second time I woke up in someplace I didn't know anything about and met two royals. It reminded me of how I first met Chrom."

"Oh, right..." Corrin nodded. "You said you were apart of the Shepherds." She took a seat beside him, landing softly against the mattress. "So, what was it like? Fighting underneath the Exalt?"

"Technically, back then, he was a prince." he pointed out to her before grinning. "But it was probably the best time of my life. Sure, most of it was wartime, but it was still the best time of my life. In fact, the best way to describe the Shepherds would be to say that they're like family to me." He couldn't help but laugh. "It was like a giant family of misfits."

The young princess of Nohr tilted her head in curiosity. "How so?"

Robin grinned. "Well, for starters, we have this big oaf named Vaike. He has the worst memory I have ever seen. He forgot where he put his axe, three times! One of them was even during the battlefield! Then we have this mage named Miriel, sweet Naga, the woman was nuts. She damn nearly used me as some sort of lab experiment, and her room was littered with tomes and books. There's also this big guy we call Kellam, nobody ever notices him. Ever. You don't even know he's standing right next to you until he starts speaking to you, and next thing you know, he just pops up like some sort of damned ghost. There's also Sumia, this girl that's the very definition of the world "klutz." She can trip over the smallest things, but she has a real knack with animals. Then there's Virion, a noble from Rosanne, and a horrible flirt. He tried to swoon over Sully, another Shepherd, only to get whacked in the face repeatedly. There's also Gregor, he's probably the oddest person you'll ever meet."

As time went on, Robin, for the first time since Corrin met him, continued to talk about the Shepherds with this large, bright grin on his face. She couldn't help but feel amused and awed as he spoke about the Shepherds, obviously seeing the close bonds they all shared. It had honestly made her feel slightly envious. It wasn't that she was lonely, per say. Oh no, far from it, she very much enjoyed her time with them. They were all so wonderful, and she made friends with Jakob and Gunther, who were technically servants, but to her, they were good friends, the latter also being a capable teacher. But, the more she listened to Robin's tales of his friends, the more she couldn't help but feel captivated. She also listened as he described their misadventures and the situations of when they had all first met and come together to become one of the most famous band of soldiers the world had ever known. She listened to every word intently, hearing more and more about the outside world, and Ylisse.

Gods, she wanted to see more of the world. All of her life, she had been raised in that dingy citadel, and could scarcely wait around when Xander came by and told her the news, that she was finally leaving. Her first real glimpse of the world outside the stone walls were so breath-taking that she could scarcely believe her eyes. Hearing Robin's tales made her all the more wanting. Still, though... she wondered if she would meet anybody special? Camilla had always teased her about finding herself a man, but at the time, she didn't really get what she meant. Xander had told her that everybody had someone special in their loves, but considering that this was coming from the guy who hadn't found himself a fiance, and thought everyone he didn't like that he was speaking to were carrots of all things, she didn't pay much attention. Elise joked that maybe it was Jakob, but the butler, who overheard this, had outright stated that while he cared deeply for her, he doubted he was worthy of her affections. Leo had the nerve to tell her that she would be single for all of her life, especially because she was a shut-in. Her response was to tease him about his cape, which had been done inside out.

Unconsciously, she glanced at his form. Robin was certainly not lacking physique. He wasn't as impressive as the other people she had seen in Nohr, who had built up plenty of muscle. He had a well defined body, but it wasn't to heavily built. He had a strong physique, but little baby fat remained. What had caught her eye was the well-defined collarbones that he sported, as a few of the buttons on his sleep shirt revealed a fair amount of his chest. She felt her cheeks heat up, developing a warm red tinge as she stared at it, as if trying to burn the sight into her memory.

Oh, Naga. she thought in horror, and in realization. Big Sister Camillia was right... I do have a collar bone fetish.

The morning had been relatively uneventful as Robin and Leo waited outside the throne room, as the both of them were the early risers. The white-haired tactician was sitting atop the staircase, holding a small black tome in his hands while Leo looked rather bored, leaning against the dark pillar behind him, staring up at the marble ceiling above them. "How long does it take for one girl to change?" the young prince complained. "I mean, Camilla, I can understand, but I'd expect Corrin to be faster."

Robin didn't reply. Leo doubted he even heard him, given how engrossed he was in the book he was reading. It was a tome that held much information regarding Nohrian spells. They were quite similar to those he was aware of back in Ylisse, but the context and usage of the spells was very different, as well as the theories that laid behind them. He was thoroughly absorbed in it as he passed page after page, browsing through each spell with heavy intent. Most of these spells were unfamiliar to him, but they were all so unique, done with the same principles as Ylissean magic, albeit with different methods. It was all so intriguing. There was even a small portion on Hoshidan magic, but that was rather scarce, and there was very little. A shame, too. He was hoping to learn more about how it was that Rinkah was able to infuse her club with flame magic.

He stopped when he heard the sound of rushing footsteps, bookmarking his page and setting the tome inside his cloak before standing up. "You took your time, Big Sister." Leo teased as a panting Corrin came running up to them, Elise accompanying her. "What took you? Did you forget to set your Elise alarm?"

The short blonde princess gave a mock-glare to her brother. "Shut up, stupid Leo!" she snapped, earning a chuckle in reply. "You are so mean~! I'll have you know that Big Sis Corrin was having trouble getting awake, so I helped!"

Robin raised an eyebrow. "Did this have anything to do with last night?" Unfortunately, he failed to comprehend the meaning of his words as Corrin's cheeks flared red, a sight that had not gone unnoticed by Leo and Elise. The younger male royal suddenly became interested, raising an eyebrow while Elise's face looked positively giddy, as if she had just discovered a secret that she couldn't wait to learn more about. "Last night?" Leo inquired, smiling coyly. "Do we need to know something, Corrin?"

"It-it isn't like that!" the Nohrian princess panicked, shaking her head furiously. "A-all I did was come by Robin's room and-!"

"Waitwaitwait!" Elise's eyes sparkled. "You went to Robin's room?! Ooh, Big Sis! I never knew you were so daring!"

"It's not-! We were just-! Gaaaaah!" Corrin growled in frustration, fingers coiled around the hairs at her scalp. "It's not like that at all!"

Robin only now realized what the two were implying, and shook his head, folding his arms over his chest. "We weren't doing anything like that at all." he told them, all the while trying to hide his own blush from surfacing. He was going to admit that Corrin was beautiful, cute even, but he wasn't willing to risk doing anything so rash and brazen right off the bat. They had only just met, after all. Besides, he wasn't particularly fond of being cut down by an angry overprotective sister, if what Leo told him about Camilla was true. "We were just talking about my life in the Shepherds. That was it. Nothing happened."

"Hmmmmmmmm..." Elise and Leo leaned forward, giving the tactician a scrutinizing gaze. "Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure. Also, no offense to your older sister, but I'd rather not get killed for simply hanging out with Corrin under the guise of a misimpression that we were doing something intimate." At the mention of Camilla, the two let out an "aaah" of understanding, realizing that he had taken their warning to heart. They left the matter alone after that (though Corrin was sure that Elise was going to bug her about it later). "So, what's going on? I doubt Xander called us here for a social meeting."

"It's an order from Father." Speak of the devil, and he shall appear. The crowned prince himself emerged from a nearby hallway, looking ever as gaunt and impressive. "After what happened the other day, he's mulled over some things, and has decided to give Corrin another chance to prove herself."

Robin nodded in understanding. "So it's a mission."

"Yes." he confirmed. "He said to meet him in the Throne Room to receive all the details." Corrin nodded back before she asked him, "Will you be coming with me?"

Sadly, the blonde shook his head, smiling regretfully. "Sorry, Corrin." he apologized heartedly. "But Father has already given me, Camilla, Leo and Elise our own tasks to perform." Corrin pouted slightly, drooping her head before her older brother patted her on the head, ruffling her white mane. "Don't worry about it so much." he assured her with a warming smile. "You'll do fine. After all, you have Jakob and Gunter with you." He glanced at the Ylissean. "And Robin, if Father allows it." The tactician shrugged his shoulders, showing that he was perfectly fine in accompanying her. Provided it was an excursion to the outside, it would give him a much better look at Nohr, and possibly other regions in the country. He might even get the chance to see what Hoshido is like. He had always been interested in other countries' cultures, considering he had only been in Ylisse, Plegia, and Regna Ferox. Chon'sin and Valm were quite large, but he barely had any time to know what they were like, as wartime was quite dominant then in the campaign against Walhart.

"Well, then," Xander said. "Let's go see Father."

Elsewhere, far away from Krakenburg Castle, far to the East, a figure had taken up to the skies, soaring into the bright azure sky that was commonplace to the peaceful nation of Hoshido. In that country, similar to Nohr, there were steads to be trodden on, however, they were in contrast. Nohr utilized griffins and wyverns as their steads when taking to the skies in order to obtain dominance, while Hoshido used golden phoenix's and pegasus to retake the skies. The figure was among the former, riding atop an old, yet battle-worn wyvern, it's scales tough and scathed with scars, creating the illusion image of a beast that held much experience. It's rider was no better, though the armor of his make was not Nohrian, but Hoshidan. Upon his shoulders were violet-colored pauldrons with an ivory edging, lined with a green guard. At his legs were armor of similar make in the form of greaves, and his attire slim fitting as to not be caught in the wind-draft. Beneath the armor was a dark green tunic bearing a tailcoat that split into two tails, flapping around in the wind while wearing dark breaches, the left leg bearing a pouch. The rider himself looked young, his messy brown hair slicked back perfectly, and a sharp, strong chin and a smoldering gaze.

However, his defining feature was the mask that covered his eyes.

As the rider soared through the skies, axe in hand, his stead paused for a moment, stopping mid-air while the rider observed his surroundings. "...strange," he mused, his tone deep and baritone. "The winds are calm, but..." A grimace fell upon his lips. "...There's obviously a storm brewing." He turned to the wyvern, gently stroking it's scaly, armored head. "Let's return, old girl. I don't want to be caught in the middle of what's about to happen." The wyvern roared in agreement, and soon swished back down, making a steady descent down to ground level, plowing through the clouds. After a few minutes, the rider caught sight of his destination, an old, yet sturdy fort at the crevice of a large, deep scar that dug into the land. It was obviously Nohrian, despite it's occupants being Hoshidan, evident by their attire and armory. They were grew slightly tense when they heard the beating of his wyvern's wings, but relaxed when they looked to see him making a slow descent. It bat it's wings a few times as it slowly, steadily fell to the ground, clawed feet landing firmly on the stone floor beneath it. The rider stroked it's scales, earning a low growl of pleasure in response, smiling as he lifted himself off of the old beast, and undid her saddle.

"So," the commander of the fortress, dressed in similar apparel to Kaze, only without sleeves and wearing vambraces with sharp, pointed edges, walked up to him, a red scarf at his neck, and a headband at his skull. "How are things looking?"

The rider nodded. "There's a storm brewing, and I found no traces of any signs of Nohrians." he reported. "Although, I wouldn't put it past them to use a storm as cover."

"I agree," the commander said gruffly. "They usually take advantage of the harsh weather." Disgust filled his face. "That last battle weeks ago nearly crippled us, but at least we were able to secure a fort here."

"True..." the rider nodded. "But we lost Kaze and Rinkah."

"No, not quite." the commander shook his head, much to the rider's surprise. "Princess Hinoka informed us that Rinkah and Kaze returned to Hoshido. It appears that a Nohrian Princess had allowed them to leave." A Nohrian princess? That was surprising. Given how high tensions were between the countries, he would have expected them to be executed as soon as they were captured. The fact that they were even alive for this news to be delivered meant that they had been used as slaves or something along those lines. "However, it's what they told us that caught our interest."

The rider raised an eyebrow.

"A Ylissean was with them." Oh. Now that was surprising indeed. "He was apparently highly skilled with magic. There was also the Nohrian Princess as well..." The commander sighed, shaking his head. "There are some concerns about her."

The rider frowned. "Is she a threat?"

"No." the commander replied. "It's not that she is a threat. It's more along the concerns of the royal family."

The rider wanted to ask more questions, but refrained from it. It wasn't his place to pry into the matters of the royal family. He had other concerns. "At any rate, I've got news for ya." the Ninja told him. "His Highness, Ryouma, has asked you and those girls to scout ahead down by the border. Apparently, a few bandits have started to get a bit too comfortable. His Highness is worried that if they stick around much longer, we're going to have a helluva time dealing with them and those Nohr bastards at the same time."

"In other words..." the masked man smiled somewhat. "Take them down."

"Pretty much." he nodded. "Think you can handle it? I mean, don't get me wrong, those girls are tough." The commander chuckled. "After all, that blue-haired miss' archery isn't anything to sniff at, and it's not everyday you see a shrimp turn into a dragon. I'm just worried that you kids might get into more trouble than you can handle." It should have annoyed him how his superior was treating him like a child, considering he was in his twenties, but given how the man was much older than he was, probably somewhere around forty or so, he held quite a bit of seniority over him.

"We'll be fine." the rider said confidently, walking past him. "Like you said, those two have some skills of their own." He made a quick whistle, calling the wyvern to follow him. As the ninja watched him go, another soldier, a young man adorned in the garbs of a Samurai, marched up to the commanding officer. "Sir," he reported, snapping into a salute, hand over his heart. "We've searched the perimeter. No signs of any enemies nearby. The coast is clear for now."

The Ninja nodded. "Good work, lad."

"Sir..." the Samurai glanced over to the retreating wyvern rider. Awaiting for him, up ahead, were two others, both women. One was wearing Hoshidan garb as well, bearing a leather breastguard that connected to a shoulderpad over her right arm, a white traditional archery uniform underneath it, along with a pair of leather gloves. Her companion was much shorter, and very much younger, having dark hair cut at the chin, despite the small ponytail that went over her shoulder. Her attire was more fancy and western, but not of Nohrian design, as it had a frilly shirt with a red skirt and cape. "If I may ask, do we have to depend on those three?" the young soldier asked, uncertain. "Do not misunderstand me, I know they are all powerful, but..."

"It's understandable why you feel that way." his commanding officer nodded his head, understanding his feelings on the matter of leaving this job to outsiders. "Given how things are right now, it's no surprise how those three are viewed. However, all three of them are vassals to the royal family. Not only that, but they're not ordinary Ylisseans." He looked to the young man. "Have you ever heard of the military force of Ylisse known as the Shepherds?"

"Who hasn't?" the soldier replied back. "They're a special band of soldiers led by the Exalt, arguably one of the finest band of soldiers ever seen. Some of their numbers composed of soldiers from other countries, such as Plegia or Valm. There were even rumors of how the Mad King, Gangrel, along with the Conqueror of Valm himself, were among their numbers." The Samurai tilted his head quizically. "Why do you ask?"

"Because those three are Shepherds." the Ninja replied with a smirk, earning a surprised look. "The Wyvern Prince, the Demon Archer, and the Dragon Princess... Those kids are some of the scariest Ylisseans they'll ever meet."

The samurai gaped in shock, looking back to the three teens, who were now in the midst of leaving the fortress in order to accomplish their goal. It was hard to believe, that children so young were so infamous to other countries. He knew of them well. Gerome, the Wyvern Prince, a rider skilled in aerial combat, nigh unmatched, and ruler of the skies. The Demon Archer, Noir, who struck down any and all who dared to cross paths with her with naught but a cold, terrifying gleam in her eyes. The Dragon Princess, Nah, odd name aside, a child born to both humans and dragons, and a storm that plowed right through the battlefield, as any terrifying beast would. There were some rumors that they were related to a few other Shepherds as well, such as Cherche the Wyvern Queen, who was known for both her beauty, and her kills with an axe, Virion the Archer King, who was famed to have never missed so much as a single shot with his bow, and Nowi, the Queen of the Dragons, who had rightfully earned that name when she had all but tore apart a battlefield in the form of a green-scaled behemoth. He now understood why they were so highly respected, and suspicious. It was natural to think that way when such powerful allies appear, and within a year's time.

However, there was also one other thing that concerned the young Samurai. "Sir... I've been hearing an odd rumor as of late." he said slowly, managing to recover from his earlier shock. "It's... regarding that princess of Nohr, who spared Lady Rinkah and Sir Kaze..."

The Ninja understood what he meant, and his face grew solemn. "We don't know if they're true," he responded. "But, if they're true... Then it's a cruel joke the Dawn Dragon has placed upon us." He stared up at the sky, which had once been azure. True to the wyvern rider's words, a storm was brewing.

"Our lost princess, raised by those Nohrians... A cruel irony indeed."

-Chapter 4: Preparations-