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

Warnings - This chapter contains harsh language, violence, and gore.

Chapter 1

My head. Oh my god. What did I do? What did I drink? Am I hung over? Damn it woman, you have work today!

There's something muffled, far away. Voices maybe? Is the T.V. still on? I can't tell because of the pounding in my skull. It's like a Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade marching through my frontal lobe.

"- just laying there. I sw-"

A young woman's voice. Or maybe a girl? It's hard to say. The rock poking into my lower spine is so distracting. I'm outside? Man, I need to sit up.

" - in the middle of these fields. A spy - "

Now a deep voice. Masculine. Not of the Barry White sort but still deep. Ooh! I wiggled my toe! That's where my feet are! Now I need to move my arm...

" - jump to conclusions. Maybe she just -"

The same voice? No it's lighter. Still male though. Egads! Don't sit up! Abort! Abort! Pain. Okay there we go. Easy does it. Cripes! What did you do to yourself Robin?

"Chrom, we have to do something."

I'm blinking. Blinking a lot because the sun is searing my retinas. I can make out two figures who stand black against my adjusting eyesight. Colors are slowly fading in as my bodily functions begin to return.

"What do you propose we do?"

"I-I don't know."

Those silhouettes kind of look familiar. This whole thing is giving me a real odd sense of déjà vu. Why am I on the ground anyway? Did I leave for work then? Where's my car? Did someone jack it? They sure as hell better not have!

I struggle to move but my body feels like lead. I crack my eyes open as far as I can and try to discern where I may be.

My sudden movements catch the attention of the female and she looks straight at me.

"Oh!"

Her startled gasp alerts the man next to her and he glances over. He looks surprised, then relieved.

"There are better places to sleep than on the ground you know," he states, though there is a hint amusement in his tone. Haven't I...?

The younger girl leans in closer and I can now clearly see her face. "Hey there," she murmurs in concern.

My brain suddenly races into gear as everything comes into focus. I think I know her? Yes? Yes...Yes! That hair and those clothes. My brain puts two and two together. That's Lissa. I upgraded her to a war cleric last night actually.

...

Wait...

...

What?

My body jerks up in surprise and I end up knocking heads with the poor girl in the process. Everything explodes into pain again and I grasp at my head with both hands. I hiss between my teeth. Through the buzzing in my head I can hear Lissa's own yelp of pain and someone laughing.

"Ow! It's not funny, Chrom! That hurt you know!"

I freeze when I hear the name. I open an eye and try to focus on the other figure before me.

Blue hair? Check. Fancy cape. Check. Brand of the Exalt? Check.

I groan and bury the rest of my face into my hands. I'm trying really hard not freak out right now but it's hard considering what I'm seeing. Aside from the obvious pain and the fact that these people are literally standing a foot away from me, I would almost think this some horrible dream. I try to piece together the fragments of how I got here but they keep swimming away. I remember... Something? Nothing? Why can't I remember?

This is stupid and impossible. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid-

"Hey. You alright?"

I peek through my fingers and find myself face to face with the main character of Fire Emblem: Awakening. I shut my eyes and then open them again just to make sure I'm not seeing things.

Nope, still there.

I continue to stare at him in silence, struck speechless by a mix of shock and awe. The seconds roll by and his look of concern starts to turn into one of confusion.

"Perhaps she is mute milord."

Chrom turns to look over his shoulder and I follow his gaze to the third part of this merry brigade.

I really shouldn't be surprised anymore but I feel light-headed all over again as I see Frederick standing behind us, gleaming in full armored glory. He is helping Lissa to her feet as she wobbles to a stand from her sitting position on the ground. She is holding two fingers to a spot above her left eye. Probably where my head met hers.

"You may be right. Or perhaps she speaks a language from a place beyond our borders."

My attention locks back to Chrom who is looking at me once more.

"Can you understand me? Are you able to speak?"

Okay, time to pull myself together. I have to say something. Sitting around like a moron isn't going to get me anywhere, right? God, why does none of this make any sense! I drop my hands and nod.

"Yeah. I can." The words feel odd on my tongue. My head is still foggy so it's hard to string a sense of thought together.

Chrom lets out a sigh and his features brighten.

"Well, thank the gods. Seems like it's your lucky day friend." He gets off bended knee and stands upright extending a hand in the process.

"Here. Give me your hand."

Déjà vu again. I somehow manage to raise my arm despite the screaming protest in my muscles. My vision subconsciously shifts to the top of my hand and my heart jerks. There is the Mark of Grima. How did...? I feel a twinge of apprehension looking at it but the feeling is swept away as Chrom hoists me to my feet.

My balance isn't completely where it should be and I begin to pitch forward as soon as I stand. Chrom places his other hand on my shoulder to steady me. I wince at the cramps and aches that dully throb throughout my body.

"Easy there," Chrom says. "Looks like you've had a bit of a beating."

"Bandits?"

Chrom gives Frederick a thoughtful nod as he mulls over the idea. "Could be. We are close to the border." He refocuses on me. "Can you tell us what happened?"

Oh, great. Explanations. Something I have none of. I shake my head. "I don't know," I manage to say. "Everything is kind of fuzzy. In fact, I can't recall a thing before this."

I rub my face and try to do just that, remember. How the hell did I manage to end up here anyway? Oh boy, there's my head spinning again. I feel Chrom's grip tighten as I begin to slink downward.

"Lissa, could you heal her with your staff. She seems to be more worse for wear than she appears."

"Yep!" Lissa, who seems to have completely recovered from her own headache, bounds over. Chrom helps ease me back to the ground and I feel some relief in my leg muscles. She kneels down beside me and looks me over. She takes my chin in her hand and tilts it several ways. She pays particular note to my left temple and moves some of my bangs out of the way. Immediately her eyes light up.

"Ah ha! Thought so!" She turns and picks up a staff laying on the ground beside her. It isn't all that intricate, a simple metal pole with a gilded circular accessory on the top. There is a crystal embedded in the gold that glows like amber when the sun catches it. "You've got a nasty cut on your noggin!"

Gently, she places the tip of it against my head. The metal is a cool relief to my head sore. She scrunches her eyes shut and wrinkles her nose in concentration. As she does so, a soft light begins to emit from the top of her staff and I feel a strange tingling on my skin.

I jerk back in surprise at the sensation. Deep down in my mind a part of me knows that what just happened was healing magic. That's what Lissa's starting class is after all. How else does she go about applying first aid in the game? However, as a person who lives in a world where magic is only a thing in storybooks, it's a pretty surprising thing to feel. It's like if someone just decided to defy gravity. Suffice to say, the experience is surreal.

Lissa startles at my sudden backpedaling and the light promptly goes out. I instinctively scuttle away in shock until I feel an arm around my waist.

"Hold up there! There's nothing to worry about!" Chrom cuts off my retreat. Man, this guy is strong. "My sister here is a healer. All she's going to do is mend up those cuts of yours."

Lissa gives me a reassuring smile. "Yeah! I promise. There's no way I could hurt you with this," she remarks while raising her staff.

I feel Chrom stiffen at that remark and I see the tiniest flinch on his face. From behind us I can hear Frederick emit a subtle snort. Lissa's face falls and she glares between the two of them.

"That was one time! Jeez guys, I haven't hurt anyone since!" She retorts and sticks her tongue out. Lissa then gives me a bashful smile. "Ignore these beetheads. I promise nothing bad will happen."

Magic huh? This will be interesting. There's really nothing to be afraid of. I know this already from the games. It's just...magic. Magic! Like, who ever thinks that they would actually encounter real magic! I find myself nodding in consent as I try to gather my senses.

My mind is still processing the thoughts as Lissa settles in beside me and repeats her earlier gestures. The light returns and this time I sit still.

The sensation is...odd. How can you describe something properly when it is a process that lies beyond the scope of what you typically understand? My senses begin to work in overtime grasping at this new feeling. It is certainly calming. I close my eyes and let the warmth wash over me. All my pains seem to melt away. The light also seems to not only physically but psychologically do something to my overall being. My pulse drops and I get this fuzzy feeling. Not so much drunk. It's like when you go to the dentist and they give you that laughing gas so you can't feel when they yank a tooth. It's warm and you just feel giddy.

"Aaaaaand...done!" I blink in surprise. It felt like she just started. Lissa notices my reaction and giggles. "Your cuts were pretty superficial. The worst was right up on your temple there. Saved you one bad concussion I did! That should get your thoughts back in order."

Well she was right about one thing, the pain was certainly gone. I check the top of my left hand where I had seen a scratch earlier and see that the skin is completely smooth. I then place my fingers on the spot where my alleged head wound was but feel nothing besides a tiny puckered mark. I honestly can't believe it.

"Now that your immediate needs are dealt with," Frederick's deep voice rumbles," perhaps you can now tell us who you are?"

Ah, there's the down side. I sure can't tell them the truth. Yeah I come from another land where you all exist as fictional characters that I control across a game board like some omnipotent god. Not sure how I got here but I'm pleased to meet you all anyway. You look great in five dimensional proportions by the way.

Genius. And to be fair, I still am not sure how I got here. I can remember vaguely going to sleep in front of my T.V. I was watching old reruns of something. Next thing I know the alarm on my cell phone is going off for work. I did my normal routine, right? Yeah, I did. I grabbed my coat and reached for the door knob. Then...nothing. I rack my brain but it's just one big blackout.

There's not much else I can say without sounding crazy to them, I'm sure. And loathe as I am to do so, I think I'm going to have to take a page from the game and play dumb until I can figure this out later. Welp, all aboard the amnesia train!

"I'm..." I draw my brow together and try to look befuddled. I make sure to extend out the last syllable as I pretend to try and recall my name."Hm. That's odd. I can't seem to remember."

"You don't recall your name? Lissa, I thought you healed her?"

Lissa stares at her brother and shakes her head in protest. "But I did. I cleared her injury right up!"

"Hmm." Frederick lets out a sound of disapproval. "How convenient."

"What does that mean?" I shoot him a wary look. I forgot how distrustful he is in the beginning. Not that I can blame him but it sure feels crappy to be treated that way.

"Woah there! Peace. Frederick meant nothing by it," Chrom interjects.

"Unlikely milord."

"You know," Lissa butts in," I've heard of something like this. Sometimes, when there is a head injury involved, people forget things. It's called amnesia."

Frederick scoffs. "I believe it's called a load of pegasus dung."

"Now hold on-" I start but he cuts me off.

"We are located on the border where many miscreants gather and so happen to conveniently stumble upon a suspicious stranger with a pack containing expensive looking goods beyond what is normally traded here?"

Lissa gives him a sour look. "You went through her things Frederick? That's so rude. You never look through a woman's bag!"

"Pardon the incivility of my actions milady, but I believe foregoing acts of decency when assessing a potential threat is acceptable."

I have a pack? I suppose I would. I am in the middle of nowhere. I think. Where would I, er, Robin have been going? Probably traveling? I don't know because the game never let on with their back story. Leaving it open to the players I guess.

Chrom holds up a hand to silence the two from their bickering. "What if it's not a lie though. What if it is the truth-"

"Which it is," I mumble. Kind of...

"-Then we can't just leave her here, alone and confused. What sort of Shepherds would we be then?"

Frederick's stony glare doesn't waiver. "Just the same milord, I must emphasize caution. 'Twould not do to let a wolf into our flock." Chrom continues to give him a defiant glare and Frederick sighs. "As you wish."

Chrom nods and a smile returns to his face. "Right then-we'll take her back to town and sort this out there." He helps me up a second time.

I don't resist here. Though Lissa healed my cuts I still have a sense of fatigue. I wouldn't mind sitting down somewhere and putting up my feet for a bit. We'll probably head to a tavern or something. That's what medieval places have to bunker down in, right? And honestly, with all this happening, I could use a drink.

Surprinsingly, the walk back isn't as bad as I thought it would be. Once I began to move, the kinks in my muscles began to straighten out. Along with whatever Lissa did, I feet a whole lot better than the hour past. The countryside we travel through is refreshing as well. The weather is warm but a calm breeze blows through to cool us off.

Lissa skips on ahead of us with almost limitless energy. Chrom and I walk side by side and Frederick pulls up the rear leading on his horse. The time so far has passed with mostly idle chats between the three and me simply tagging along. Silence is a boring companion however and I take advantage of a recent lull in their conversation to slide over to Chrom. He acknowledges my presence with a small nod so I dive directly into it. I remember the starting conversation in the game and use that as a starting point.

"So," I inquire, "I'm a little confused. Am I your hostage? Prisoner?"

Chrom chuckles lightly. "Not quite either of those. Have no worries. You'll be free to go once we establish you're no enemy of Ylisse."

"Ylisse." I repeat the word, testing it on my tongue. It feels different to say now that I'm actually, well, here.

"You've never heard of the halidom?" Frederick comes to pace beside us. He is looking at me with a mix of disbelief and wariness. "Someone should pay her. She plays the fool quite well. The way she speaks of it as if it were some small hamlet of little refute is convincing."

"Frederick..." There was definitely a bit of warning in the way Chrom said the other man's name. I quickly give him the stink eye before Chrom turns back to me. "This land," he says while gesturing to the countryside ,"is known as the Halidom of Ylisse. Our ruler, Emmeryn, is called the exalt."

I just nod my head as if processing everything he says for the first time but none of this is new to me.

"I suppose proper introductions are in order though. It is only fair." He points to himself with his thumb. "My name is Chrom, if you haven't caught that already. The delicate one here is my little sister, Lissa."

That statement causes Lissa to instantly whirl around on her heel. She stomps the ground with one foot and throws an accusing finger at her brother. "I am NOT delicate!" She huffs in annoyance and glares away toward me. "Ignore my brother please. He can be a bit thick sometimes. Despite that, he is a good Shepherd. You're lucky we found you though. There have been a lot of brigands on the borders lately. Those idiots would've been a rude awakening."

"Shepherds? Since when have Shepherds had to wear so much armor before? Do these bandits really want your sheep that badly?"

Chrom seems to find my "ignorance" funny because he laughs. "It's a dangerous job. Just ask Frederick the Wary here."

I'd rather not.

"That is a title I wear with pride, milord. Gods forbid one of us keeps an appropriate level of caution." He towers over me as he walks along my right side but his tone for once is not full of distain. "I have every wish to trust you, stranger, but my station mandates otherwise."

I understand, deep down inside, but the attitude still pisses me off. It can't be helped though. I can only try to be sympathetic about it and hope he gets I'm not some crazy bandit who will kidnap the princess here and ransom her for gold.

"I...get it. The situation is pretty bizarre. I can see why you would be cautious, even if I don't agree with it." I sigh. "My name is Robin by the way."

As soon as the words leave my mouth I realize what I've done. My stomach drops as I see my companions halt in their path and gaze at me with sudden confusion. I quickly pull myself together and whip out the stupid card again.

I play off the shock of what I've just said with a nervous laugh. "Huh, that's odd. I guess I do remember my name. I suppose that's one less mystery to solve."

"Robin?" Chrom states my name slowly. His gaze is elsewhere and he seems to be mulling over something. He catches himself in whatever thoughts he has and quickly recovers. "Ah, well. We can discuss it later. We're almost to town. Once we-"

"CHROM!"

Lissa's shriek instantly grabs our attention. She hops up in place and points madly toward the path ahead.

"Look! The town!"

Oh right. I forgot.

"Damn it! The town is ablaze! Those blasted brigands, no doubt..." Chrom's hand goes toward his hip and for the first time I register the scabbard hanging at his belt. Ohhhhh man. Is that...?

"Frederick, Lissa! Quickly!"

"What about her?" Frederick shouts as he swings himself up into his saddle.

"Unless she's on fire as well, it can wait!"

I absentmindedly pull at my cloak edges as if excepting to see flames.

"Aptly put milord," Frederick grunts.

"Let's go already!" Lissa shouts impatiently. The three of them charge off towards the burning city leaving me alone in the road.

"H-hey!" I cry out feebly. I hesitate, watching them grow smaller and smaller on the horizon. Inside my chest I can feel my heart clench tight. I'm about to encounter the first stage of the game. I can't help but feel nervous at the thought. This is all so unreal. I just can't seem to wrap my head around the whole idea.

And yet, here I am. There is no way I could turn away from this path now. With no way back and nothing to guide me forward, I would just have to embrace the present. Even if that meant running head first into battle with the only three people I've come to meet in this bizarre experience so far.

"Well then," I say as I take my first real step forward, "game on."

This was a baaaad idea.

I shriek in surprise as an axe comes bursting through the stall countertop above me. I flail and bolt from my hiding place. I briefly look over and see a muscular man rip said axe up from the wood. In one fluid motion he swings the weapon in an upward arc toward the militia man he is brawling with. The gent barely blocks the blow as the axe head bounces off the metal rod he uses to intercept it with. Not waiting around to see the rest of the match, I clutch my rucksack to my chest and duck around the corner of a building seeking refuge in the darkness of the alleyway.

All around me I can hear screams. Some are those are female, some male. Amidst their horrified wails I can occasionally hear the bawdy laughter of some bandit doing God knows what. If that wasn't bad enough, my stomach was constantly lurching at the smell. Between the thick ash and the acrid stench that I could only assume was burning flesh, I was doing my best to keep my gag reflex in check.

I quickly duck behind some crates and huddle back against the wall as two bandits run past. Honestly, this was so much easier in the game. I had run up to the outer limits expecting to find the trio and hop right into things. But noooo that would be too easy. You know who I actually find?

Bandits. Lots of bandits.

There are some people fighting back though not very well mind you. As opposed to the bronze weaponry that the attackers carry, these people are wielding kitchen knives and farm equipment. Definitely town militia.

As horrible as it is to say, I really can't help them. My main priority is to find the Shepherds. Without them I don't have a story to follow and then I am completely lost. So being the genius I am I concocted a great plan:

Step 1 - Run in some direction.

Step 2 - Stuff happens.

Step 3 - Profit.

And that little display of tactical prowess is how I ended up lost amongst the streets with a city burning down around me. I'm already off to a great start.

I chuckle grimly to myself. The maps in the game made this place look much smaller. In reality, it was a sizeable farming community with a boat ton of roads! They twist and turn into each other creating one big muddled maze. I was just like a rat running in a maze.

"Mama!"

My heart nearly stops when I hear the childish shriek. The cry literally came no more than a few feet from me. Probably right down the other end of the alley. I edge a wee bit closer and hear quiet sobbing. A masculine voice laughs gruffly and I hear a solid smacking sound.

The sobbing cuts off into a shriek followed by a woman's voice babbling in a pleading fashion. I feel only dread as I begin to mentally picture what could actually be occurring only a few feet from me. I creep even closer until I am at the building's edge. I take the biggest breath I could and peek around the corner.

My stomach twists in a knot of disgust. Some asshole with a clear lack of hygienic understanding is in front of one of the domestic abodes. The door has been smashed in from the outside and lays propped up against the inner wall. He stands in the door frame and in one of his gargantuan hands he holds a poor young woman by the length of her hair. Her face is covered in soot but I can see the tear streaks on her cheeks. She is clearly in pain. One of her hands is reaching out toward a small bundle of rags.

"Tomas. Oh Gods! Please!"

The man's face twists into a hideous grin and he gives her head a shake, causing her to cry out again.

"I told you didn't I, no more lies. Now tell me sweet thing, where's the rest of the gold? Alls I need is a little bit more for my protection fees and you and that brat of yours can go back on and bury that mess I made of your husband."

Oh no you didn't.

"Gods," the woman whimpers as she weakly attempts to pull herself from his grasp. "I already told you," she sputters through sobs, "we have nothing else."

His grin disappears and he yanks her up so she is face to face with him.

"Bull. Shit."

He flings his arm to the side and lets his grip slackens. Her yelp of pain is cutoff as she hits the stone road. Dust kicks up in the trail she leaves as her body rolls across the ground.

God, this is too much. What do I...? This isn't...I mean...What the hell?

The ruffian walks over to the pile of rags and kicks it with the toe of his boot. It flops to the side and suddenly I see a pale arm tumble from the folds of cloth. It's a child.

From the corner of my eye I see the woman stiffen. Her whole body shakes and shakes but cannot rise. The only thing she can move is her head.

"To...tom..."

She tries to move her arm, her leg, anything but she's probably too broken.

T-This cannot being happening.

The ruffian isn't even bothering with her anymore. He kicks the kid again and the body just sags. I can see their face now. It's a boy. A tiny boy with a little round face and short hair and pudgy hands. He can't be older than five. My eyes dart between the woman and the boy. Mother and son.

"They say nothing is stronger than a mother's love. And seeing that this looks to be your only son and all, you've gots to have some feeling for him am I right?"

The woman is struggling so hard now. One of her eyes is swollen shut but the good one is focused solely on her son.

He's grinning again in that same sick, twisted way. "Here's where I get serious now, love. This boy is about to meet the same fate as his old man. It won't be hard to take his tiny head in my hand and smash it just like a melon. Now I'm going to be a good gent and give you a second chance to answer me."

The woman murmurs something but I can't hear it. It's too garbled. Neither can the man apparently because he leans in closer.

"What's that? Can't hear you."

"I...already...no more..."

The look in his eyes makes my blood run cold. "Now listen here. I'm being a fair man. I could just kill both of yous and then ransack the house but I'm not gonna. I'm giving you a chance to fairly answer the question and leave with both your life and the boy's. Don't squander this."

"I swear...No more! Crops failed us. There's no-no more!" She pushes out the last word with such force that her body erupts in a series of coughing fits. "Not. Lying."

The ruffian abruptly stands. He turns and heads back to the house dragging Tomas in his wake. He dumps the child in a heap and reaches inside. I hear the cracking of wood and his arm swings free. A full, double sided axe comes into view with edges smeared in coppery hues.

"Last chance," he growls, his voice lined with impatience. "Tell me."

But he doesn't receive an answer. The woman is a shuddering mess. All she is capable of is broken sobs and painful whimpers.

"Well then," he says neutrally, "that's a bloody shame."

He spins on his heel and the axe gleams under the sun as he raises it skyward.

"Waste of my time."

The muscles in his shoulder and biceps tense. Ready to release. The mother whines out in protest one final time but can do nothing as the axe starts its downward arc-

"NO!"

The hulking brute's head jerks backward and he nearly topples under the force of the rock that crashes into his skull. He howls and grabs at his left eye with his free hand. The white granite smashes to the ground, its pure finish marred with a splattering of contrasting red.

His head swings around. There is froth gathering at the edge of his mouth and rivulets of red run down his cheek and through his fingers. His one good eye swings wildly over the landscape searching for the one who launched the projectile. They sweep endlessly and then they stop.

They stop on me.

Suddenly the world rushes back to me. I can feel the warmth of the fires on my skin and can hear the shrieks in the air. My hands have suddenly found themselves above my head. I lower them to my line of vision. There is a layer of dust on my fingers and I can see the fine pebbles caught in the creases of my skin. I threw it. I threw the rock.

"You."

That one word, full of venom and acid, pulls my attention to him again. I immediately regret it.

Never in my life have I ever seen another human being look at me like that before. All I could see was pure, unadulterated hate. This person wants me dead. Fear wells up in my stomach and all I can think about is running far away from all of this. So I do just that. I run.

My surroundings are a blur as I speed through the streets. I am acutely aware of my own breathing. My shuttered breaths sound monstrous and I can feel the strain of my lungs as they continue to try and churn out accurate amounts of oxygen. There is a sharp pain in the back of my left heel where I'm pretty sure a pebble has lodged itself in my boot. This all bears little consequence considering what the alternative of me stopping meant.

There is a fork up ahead and I blindly curve left. I angle wide enough to catch a quick glimpse of the raging bull behind me. Correction, literally on top of me. He snarls some hideous words at me and I pump by legs even faster in an attempt to put some space between us.

The road breaks open on both sides and I burst into an open clearing. Stalls and wagons line the outer edges while a select few are assembled into no particular order towards the middle. The cobblestone road splits in several directions, the most notable being a bridge toward the north. Beyond that a large building rises up, the only break in the skyline beyond the tops of the homes. It's beautiful white tower pierced upward decorated in front by a giant stain glass window.

I recover from my distraction just in time to avoid stumbling into another body. I manage to somehow pivot on my heel and tumble over my legs to the side. I catch myself from spilling out at last minute by grabbing on to the corner of a stall.

"What in the hells?"

Another man in equally foul clothing is standing slumped against a large pair of pots. I can't help but notice that he too has a beast of an axe.

"Really?" I whine.

He shakes off his confusion and notices my presence. His whole stance changes into something hostile.

"Bones!" My pursuer comes bounding up pointing a bloodied finger at me. "Don't let that one get away!"

"Is that right?" He swivels his head forward and gives me a vile grin. I make a dash for the side but somehow he is able to dart right in front of me. I switch to the left but find that path blocked off too by his friend. I try to retreat backward and find out what a mistake I've made. I've boxed myself into the corner point of two market stalls. The only way is forward but these two fine fellows just happened to be in my way. Bravo tactician Robin. You've failed your first battle.

"Nice look there Sid. Let a woman beat you up did you? Wait until ol' Benji hears about that," this "Bones" snickers.

"Shut it you godless worm, " 'Sid' spits.

"Whatever you say mate. So whatcha want to do with her."

Oh.

Oh no.

"Anything. Everything. You just stand there and make sure she don't squirm away."

Bones just laughs and leans back on the haft of his axe.

The distance between the ruffian and I is closed in two strides. Before I can back away Sid has reached out and caught me by the front of my shirt. I'm lifted off the ground and slammed up against the wall, his face pushed up practically to my nose.

"Take a good look girly. You almost took out my eye with that rock there."

Indeed I did. The whole left side of his forehead was smeared red. A heavy portion of his skin had been ripped off and a huge gash was left across the ridge of his eyebrow. Pus and bits of dirt lined the ragged edges.

"It's a good look for you," I rasp out.

My little remark is rewarded with a good ramming into the wall. Pain sparks up my jarred spinal column and I bite back a yelp of pain.

"You want to know what I'm going to do to you? Do you?"

I can only wheeze after enduring that last impact.

"Firstly, I'm gonna-" His body jerks. "Fir...fir-" My body starts to slide downward as his grip slackens. His eyes widen and he looks downward. Something is poking from his chest. He then stiffens as the point disappears backwards.

The two of us crumple to the floor together. I struggle to an upright position and am vaguely aware that my hand is sticky. I pick it up and gaze numbly at the blood all over them. Not mine though. There's blood pooling under Sid's body.

"Robin?"

The touch on my shoulder and the sound of a familiar voice break me from my stupor. It's Chrom.

"We are too far in the open. We should retreat."

There is a wet tearing sound as Frederick pulls his own sword from the ribcage of the other fellow. Bones collapses in a heap and makes no further movements.

I feel a sturdy arm around my waist as I am hoisted to my feet. "We have to move fast. Stay low and move with me," Chrom orders. I nod weakly and don't protest when he begins to run.

I follow his lead as he bolts toward the closest edge of the square. Frederick promptly follows behind and the three of us make a break for it. We duck behind whatever obstacles we can to avoid being seen. We are able to move without detection and soon I find us darting behind a small grain stand that emptied into a blocked off alley.

"You're back! Is everything alright?"

Lissa emerges from behind some stacked barrels. A hand flies to her mouth as she gasps when she sees me.

"Holy cow patties! Robin? How did you get here?" She pauses and then gasps again. "Wait! Were you the one getting chased by the bandits?"

"Sort of," I mutter weakly. I slump up against the side wall and squeeze my eyes shut. I try to concentrate on something other than what just happened. I go to brush some hair back behind my ear and pause midway. My hand is shaking horribly. I grasp it tightly with the other and hold it up to my chest.

"You look horrible," Lissa grimaces. "How did that happen?"

"A fine question," Frederick snaps. "I believe that last we saw of you was on the outskirts of the village where it was safe of any disruptions. Would you care to explain to how you ended up in the hands of brigands?'

"I, uh, thought I could help." I strain to say the last part because I know how ridiculous that sounds after everything that just went down. Of course Frederick all but agrees with that opinion judging by how livid he looked.

"Thinking an idea and actually performing it are two drastically different things when it comes to battle. You could easily have been killed should we not have been there. Or even worse had myself or, Naga forbid, milord here be injured in the process!"

"It's not like I planned on getting caught! You all ran off so fast that I got lost!"

"That's enough, both of you!"

Chrom's voice rings throughout out the narrow space causing both of us to flinch.

"I agree with you Frederick. Robin's actions were dangerous and a bit reckless. It could have caused some severe consequences for one, if not both parties. But," he adds before the knight can start gloating," they were done with noble intentions. Foolhardy, but brave. Something I can understand given that I've found myself in a similar mindset more than once." He gives Frederick a knowing glance and the other man frowns back in a way that makes me think that this situation may have happened once upon a time when the two of them were a little younger and less wise.

"My point here is that arguing about this makes little sense. Aside from possibly alerting the enemy to our position, the effort and time being put into this whole thing is a waste. What's done is done. Robin's safe and she's now with us, for better or worse."

Lissa, who has been listening in silence the whole time, nods in approval at her brother's words. But upon seeing Frederick's stoicism, she frowns and butts the end of her staff into his armored side. He sighs and then bows his head in defeat.

"You are correct. I apologize for my actions. I shall focus fully on the matters before us now."

Chrom nods. "Right then. To the first topic at hand here." His attention shifts to me.

"I know you stated that you came out here seeking to help us and I appreciate the gesture. The numbers are clearly against us here so extras hands are most welcome. If you can give me a quick rundown of where you excel in combat then I can try to figure in where you can stand in our battle plan."

"My combat abilities? Yes. Right, those," I ramble. "I have those. Fighting skills I mean."

Oh boy, they don't look to impressed.

"I'm a tactician," I blurt out.

"A what now?" Lissa inquires.

"She's trained in military strategy Lissa," Chrom responds.

Frederick crosses his arms and continues his tirade of disapproval. "And a poor one at that. One of my squires could perform with more competence than she. It's a wonder if those tomes in her bag are for show as well."

I blink. Tomes?

He looks visibly disturbed by my confusion. "Don't tell me..."

I quickly let my rucksack slide from my shoulder and let it plunk to the ground. I tear at the drawstrings and separate the top opening. I stare into its depth for the first time and notice a messy combination of loose paper and knick knacks. My hands dive in and scavenge around until I feel them brush against something thick. I pull with all my force and yank a thick book out from the bottom.

A strange sense of giddiness takes over as I gaze at the cover. It is bound in a leathery hide dyed a sort of off yellow. Shiny gold threading stretches in a swirled pattern around the borderline. Simple runes, almost Gaelic in nature, adorn the cover. When I look at them, I find myself oddly able to interpret them. Thunder.

My eyes light up with glee. Aw yes. Lightning magic.

There is a strange buzzing in the tips of my fingers as they trace the edges of the book. The more I think about it the more odd my body feels. I can't explain it but something deep down inside is suddenly intimately familiar with this tome. I feel as though I can open just any page and simply use it. It's like riding a bike or opening a padlock on your safety deposit box. You don't have to think about the actions your doing because they are just so ingrained into you. It's purely mechanical since you've done it so often. There's no way to explain it but I can feel it to be true.

"I can do this," I say breathlessly. "Magic. I can use this."

I hold the tome tightly to my chest and give them a big grin. "I can back you up with magic."

Frederick makes to say something but Lissa cuts him off. "That's great Robin! We don't have any offensive magic right now. That'll definitely help tear through their grubby defenses!"

"Right then. If you have confidence in your abilities then I can't complain." Chrom looks a little apprehensive but offers no other thoughts on it. "Now that we have that figured out we can focus on the next problem."

My newfound enthusiasm drops as reality sets back in. Right, the bandits.

Chrom leans back against one of the wooden support poles. His hand rest on the top of his blade, fingers drumming across the hilt. "Our biggest problem is their overall power."

Lissa hums in disapproval as she rocks on her heels. "There is whole ton of them out there."

"Quite. No matter how much more skilled we may be that will prove of little use if they overwhelm us from all sides," Frederick adds.

The three of them continue to banter but my attention seems pulled elsewhere. I'm not sure why but I get the feeling I'm missing something very important. Oddly enough, I can feel that the answer lies in the folds of my pack. Placing the magic book to the side, I return to digging through my possessions.

A scroll case. That's what I end up fishing out. I'm not sure why but I know that this is important, more so than that tome or anything else I own. I pull at the corked end and it comes off with a tiny popping sound. I peek in with one eye and see something rolled up inside. With my forefinger I pull at the edges until the entirety of it slides out.

I unroll the parchment and spread it out on the ground before me. To my surprise, I find that it's blank.

"Odd," I murmur.

I frown and flip it over to see if I missed something on the backside but find nothing. I flip it back over again and sit back on my heels, trying to think why this blank paper was so alluring to me. It was clearly bare and had no other markings that I could see. The parchment it was on looked no less ordinary than what you see every day. It was thicker than the thin leaves in books. My guess was animal hide.

Maybe there's a hidden message on it? It's a far shot but I recall something about lemon juice, ink, and candle flames creating some sort of primitive coding system. I reach a finger forward and swipe it across the top as if expecting to feel some sort of residue. Instead, I get a whole lot more.

Ink begins to bleed across the whole width of the paper. An invisible quill drags from one corner to another. Lines soon cross and curve together and pictures begin to form. My eyes go wide as I realize what exactly is happening. It's a map. The same map I use in the game.

A thinly drawn checkered board adorns the surface. Building and environmental objects are filled in with thicker black lines. Dots pepper the expanse and move independently. I apprehensively touch one and the space next to it erases itself into larger box. Runes appear and my eyes skim over them. Classifications, strengths and weaknesses, weaponry information...

I begin moving my fingers across the map pushing things here and there seeing what exactly will react. Boxes slide and disappear where I point and the edges scroll when I swipe in any directions. Whatever this thing was, it was amazing. It was literally the 3DS touch screen. I could survey the whole battlefield in the same omnipotent way the game itself did back on my handheld, just in paper form.

"Robin!"

I'm so caught up in my new discovery that I don't hear my name. I snap my head up and find everyone's eyes on me.

"What?"

"My brother wanted to know what you thought of his plan because, well, you know. You're a tactician and all."

I was so caught up in my discovery that I completely spaced. I'm really making a great impression, aren't I? I can feel Frederick's eyes burning into me. Yikes.

"I, uh, that is-Your plan is good?" Chrom's eyebrow raises. Crap I am really digging myself a hole here. "That is to say," I babble in a pathetic recovery attempt," it's okay based on the, um, knowledge we know but we should, you know..." I gesture with my hands as if trying to find the right answer.

"Oh really? Do explain," Frederick asks me. His tone is challenging as if daring me to BS even further. I am so dead.

I open my mouth to respond but Chrom speaks before I can.

"She doesn't have to."

"She doesn't milord?" Frederick sounds thoroughly surprised.

"I don't?" I mimic equally stunned.

His shoulders slump and he runs a hand through his hair. "You don't have to spare my feelings here. I'm well aware it's a horrible idea." Not the answer I was expecting but whatever takes the heat off. "Honestly, without a good idea of what we may be facing, it's hard to make any sound calls. Nothing is for certain right now."

He walks to opening of the alley and looks out toward the square. "Unless I'm sure of the plan, we could very well be throwing ourselves on their swords."

"As loathe as I am to admit, unless we can come up with another scheme, we may have to resort to such chances. Time is not our ally today."

"Can't we just try and scout again," Lissa says. "I mean, it can't hurt to try one more time."

"Stealth isn't exactly my specialty Lis. And Frederick here..." he gestures wordlessly to the other man's armor.

"I know. But I could always-"

"Absolutely not! That is one thing I cannot allow you to do milady."

"Oh stuff it Frederick! I'm not some dainty flower. I'm a Shepherd too ya know!" Lissa pouts. She looks pleadingly at her brother. "Come on Chrom. I can do this. I know I can."

"Sis. I-no. I'm sorry. I agree with Frederick."

"Oh come on!" She slams her staff into the ground. "You can't say no. You can't afford to say no."

"I can and I will Lissa. You'll stay here. That's an order."

I think now is as good as a time as any to step in. "Hey guys! A word maybe?"

Chrom wearily rubs his forehead, sparing me only a side-glance. "Yes Robin?"

I steel myself. Time to play the role I need to. I've played the game five times, including lunatic mode twice. I know how to do this. And honestly, I don't have a choice. If I can't be 'Robin the Tactician', I don't know who else I could.

I take a deep breath and find my center. Time to play the tutorial level.

"I have something that'll help us." I beckon them over with my hand.

Lissa peers over and cocks her head. "Is that a map? Did you draw that?"

I nod. "Sort of. It's kind like a map but a whole lot better."

This gets Chrom's attention and he perks up. "Really?"

Lissa comes to lean over my shoulder and I hear a sharp intake of breath. "Woah. Chrom! Frederick! You need to see this! It's got, well, everything!"

Even Frederick looks a little intrigued by this point. I'm still reeling from the discovery myself but this is going to be a godsend for them. The greatest magical cheat sheet in the history of cheats. I swipe my hand around and close the information box on the one brigand I had highlighted leaving it clear for them to see. I pick it up at the edges and flip it around for the two to see as they draw closer.

It's funny watching their faces. At first, they both look pretty neutral. But the longer they stare, the more the confusion sets in. Frederick realizes the magical properties first because his eyes widen considerably.

"That is highly unusual."

Chrom on the other hand is still scrutinizing it. "I'm not sure what you mean. It's a very detailed map for sure but I'm confused as to what this-Is that moving?"

"You want to know where every bandit in the area is? You got it," I smirk.

"Where did you get this? I've never seen any sort of scrying magic like this before."

"I don't remember," I say flatly. Chrom balks and offers an apologetic smile.

"This is an impressive tool Robin. I have to wonder why you didn't bring this out sooner."

"Don't be silly Frederick," Lissa huffs. "She just said why. She probably didn't remember she had it until she found it just now when looking for that tome. Jeez. You guys are dense."

"Hm." Frederick offers no more words and for once I'm really grateful Lissa is there.

Chrom kneels down and inspects the paper a little closer. "May I?"

I get a little nagging feeling deep in my gut but brush it off. "Sure."

He reaches forward but as soon as he touches the top the whole parchment goes blank. All the ink blinks out leaving nothing in its wake. His arm shoots back in alarm.

"Chrom! What did you do!" Lissa panics.

"I'm not sure." Chrom gives me a puzzled look but I can offer no answers.

"Gods Chrom. I can't believe it. Why is it every time you touch something it breaks?" Lissa moans.

"Here, give it back to me. I'll take a look at it." He pushes it back over and I reach for it. Once I make physical contact with it the whole map inks itself back into existence. "Alright then." That nagging feeling comes back again and I suddenly get a suspicion.

"Lissa, can you touch it now."

"You want me to?"

"Yes. Go ahead. I'm just confirming something."

She frowns but does so anyway. Just like before, as soon as she touches it the map wipes away. Upon returning to me, I repeat the same actions and watch it once again fill up. I get it now.

"Interesting. It seems to only respond to your touch." Frederick literally took the words right out of my mouth. "This is heavily specialized magic. I have seen such things amongst Miriel's workshop. Common objects are enchanted to respond to a specific holder for their certain needs. Though I must admit that I have never seen an artifact respond with such complexity. This paper quite literally gives a bird's-eye view of the surrounding area. Most impressive. I suppose there is some validation to your tactician title after all."

Did Frederick just give me a compliment? Shoot me.

"This map of yours Robin, it's a godsend. This will give just the advantage we need."

I can't help but beam at Chrom's words of praise. For the first time I really feel like I've done something right.

For the next half hour or so we huddle together around the map and throw out ideas based on what we see. Overall the square we are in is not so bad. Most of the bandits seem to be south and east of us in the heavier residential sectors, looting most likely. There was a small mob west of us but they headed south as well some ten minutes after we started deliberating. After watching for as long as we did we safely assumed that no one had plans to head back into our position anytime soon. My best guess is they are already done pillaging the merchant stalls.

At the current moment we are facing two myrmidons and a mage to the east side of the square, a myrmidon and a brigand in the center, and another brigand hovering near the left exit. Up north another mage circles around the bridge while another was in the church. The dot in the church was a larger size than the rest and when I poke it the symbol for leader sits before the man's name. I think back on that first level in Fire Emblem and remember that the boss was in the same spot. Good to know.

We deliberate and finally come up with a strategy. We decide to split into two groups to clear out the smaller pockets of enemies. After dispatching them each team would head up the middle and meet at the bridge. That way we can prevent any enemies from taking us by surprise. Both Chrom and Frederick agreed they have enough skill to handle a small group of two as opposed to getting mobbed by all eight remaining bandits.

Following the Fire Emblem universe's weapon triangle, I suggest Frederick take the right lot given his spearing capabilities and Chrom the left since two were axe wielders. They have no objections to the idea. The only point that seemed to be arguable was the teams themselves. Chrom was adamant about keeping Lissa with Frederick as he felt she would be better protected with him. Frederick was resistant to the idea naturally. It's obvious he doesn't trust me alone with Chrom and would have preferred to have paired with me instead. Of course he didn't voice that thought outright so without a valid argument Chrom's preference won out.

As we ready to part ways Chrom pulls Lissa to the side and begins a rant of brotherly concern about listening to Frederick and keeping out of harm's way. I stand to the side and flip through my tome while waiting for them. While doing so I feel a tap on the shoulder. I can feel Frederick's icy aura even before I turn fully around.

I nearly lose my spell book as something is thrown into my arms. I fumble with the mess of objects pulling them close to prevent them from spilling about. It takes me a moment to realize what the oblong item is. It's Frederick's short sword. I gaze questioningly at him.

The knight looks down at me sternly. "Take this with you. If you are to fight alongside milord I will not have you do so ill prepared."

"I appreciate the thought Frederick but I have a spelltome, remember?"

"And? What should happen if the enemy closes in on you? Will you let yourself be caught in the blast alongside your enemy? I would hope you value your life more than that Robin."

I frown. I didn't think of that possibility. If magic ignites and has some sort of blast radius then I could be in trouble if I'm too close. The sword would be the best alternative should one the bandits get up in my face. That brings up another problem though. I don't know swordplay. Then again I didn't know how to sling magic before this but suddenly I have this inherent ability to do so. In the game Robin is both proficient in magic and swords. What's to say I'm not equally as trained in this either.

Taking Frederick's sword leaves him with only his spear though. Not a problem considering in enemy type but I still feel slightly guilty. When I voice my concern on this he shakes his head in protest.

"My spear will suffice."

Okay then. Whatever you say.

There's a loud whistle. We turn and see Lissa waving at us. "Hey you guys! We're ready!"

"As you say, milady." Instead of walking with me, he turns away. I watch in confusion as he disappears into one of the stalls shielding us.

"What is he doing?"

"Getting Gertie of course!" Lissa smiles.

"Gertie?"

A hear a high pitched whinny. A second later the flap is thrown aside and Frederick emerges from inside with his horse in toe. The brown steed, who I assume is Gertie, gives a shake and hooves impatiently at the ground. Frederick leans in and whispers something to her. He then gives her a pat on the neck and makes his way to the saddle. Despite being in full armor he is able to leap into the seat almost effortlessly.

I'm still trying to get over the fact that a horse has been hiding utterly silent behind us this whole time when I hear Chrom call for me. I brush it off and join him at the entrance. To my right I see Frederick extend a hand to Lissa. She accepts it and is whisked into the saddle behind him. She looks so small against his massive armored frame.

"Everyone ready?"

Chrom looks each of us in the eye and we nod in confirmation. He returns the sentiment with a brisk nod of his own. "Alright. As long as we stick to the plan then things should go accordingly. Remember, stay focused on your targets and aim for the bridge. Leave none of them standing."

Lissa lets out a little cheer. "Let's show these numbskulls what it means to mess with the Shepherds!"

"Well said milady." Frederick turns toward Chrom and bows his head. "Good luck milord. May your blade ring true." He spurs Gertie forward and the horse bolts forward. They quickly disappear around the corner and I can hear their hoof beats grow faint.

"Looks like it's our turn. You ready Robin?"

"As ready as I can." I quickly finish adjusting the straps of the short sword's scabbard to my belt. I give is a last tug for confidence. This is probably the most prepared I'll ever feel considering the circumstances. We both emerge from the alley way and I follow his lead as we weave through the stalls.

The gravity of the situation isn't lost to me as we zero in on our first enemy. Despite appearing outwardly calm, I am shaking inside. I've never fought anybody before outside of digital entertainment. Given that this reality was getting more genuine with each passing second, I could be going into this fight with some serious odds against me. So what if I may have randomly acquired the ability to use magic and maybe a sword too. I've never actually used either skill before so I'm bound to be clumsy until I get the hang of it. The real test will be to see if I can learn fast enough before I end up dead on the street.

I hope for both of our sakes I'm a quick study.

A/N Hello there! Thank you for reading my story! I hope you've enjoyed it so far. I apologize for the rehash of the prologue. I tried to change it up just enough to be familiar but still entertaining. I hope the rest of the chapter made up for it. This is actually the first story I have posted in years so I apologize if my writing skills are a bit rusty. I created this as a hobby story some time ago to rid myself of writer's block and to practice working with more difficult aspects of fiction. I feel like posting this will serve two purposes hopefully: to entertain the reader and to deliver feedback on my own writing abilities. I'd appreciate any words you may have, even if only one or two. Much thanks!