Hey, guys! Sooooo yeah, this just came to me. I was actually going to put Ike as a baby instead, but my I thought I could work on something involving Awakening for a change! *Because by the Gods, that fanfic – I MEAN game is freakin' amazing and people should play it at least once. … But seriously, it's totally an official fanfiction).

Speaking of which, am I the only one who sees the Shepherds as reincarnates of the Greil Mercenaries? Their personalities and roles just match up a little too nicely to certain characters. Down to Chrom and Lissa's sibling relationship as compared to Ike and Mist… =_=

Anyway, enough spiel from me and enjoy!

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Chapter 1: Because YOLO. … Right?

"Henry! Heeeey, Henry!"

Shouts filled the Shepherd's garrison as Ricken ran searching for the dark mage. Turning the corner, he nearly stumbled into white armor.

"Whoa! Easy, Ricken!"

"Captain!" Ricken stepped back and fixed his askew hat. "Sorry!"

"It's fine. But where are you going in such a hurry?" Chrom questioned. "You were speeding faster than Lon'Qu from Robin and her fruit bullets."

"Well, I can't find Henry anywhere. Have you seen him?"

"Henry?" He gestured to the back. "I saw him near the training grounds playing with some crows."

"Great! Thanks, Captain!" Ricken quickly left in the direction given.

Sure enough, after opening the back door, the boy found Henry laughing and running around with the birds, arms stretched as if to fly with them.

Ricken waved him over. "Henry!"

"Hm?" The dark mage turned, grinning at him. "Hey, look who the cat dragged in! What is it, Ricken?"

"I need to show you something."

"Ooh!" Henry's grin widened, "is it bloody?"

"Uh... no."

"An eyeball in a jar?"

Ricken nearly gagged. "Of course not!"

"Oh. Hmm, is it a dismembered limb at least?" Henry mused thoughtfully, "if it's scabbed up, it certainly can't be helped that there is no-"

"Henry, it's a book!" The redhead groaned.

"Aww, boo. But it's fun to play around with hanging flesh! Especially the muscle. Boy, you wouldn't believe the kind of 'twang,' a sartorious gives-"

"ANY-way!" Ricken forcefully shoved a black book into Henry's chest. "I found this at the market today and was hoping you would be able to tell what it is. Uh, please?"

"Okey-dokey! Gimme a minute. Hm…" The dark mage gave it a once-over, never losing his grin. "It doesn't look like any dark magic I've seen before. Heck, it doesn't even look much like your run-of-the-mill kind of tome. Where'd ya get it?"

"Well, I was in the market earlier looking for a new tome when this old man beckoned me over. He said that in the hands of the right mage, something good would happen. All while cackling and doing this weird dance…" He trailed, increasingly disturbed.

Henry however, couldn't be more delighted. "Nya ha! Sounds interesting! Should we give it a whirl?"

"Uh, are you sure that's safe? I don't even know what this thing does."

"Hm, nope! But no worries! I've got a bundle of curses if anything comes our away!" Henry waved off, "even if we were to lose a limb or something, bring along the right sacrifice and POOF! Besides, what better way to learn about a magic than to experience it firsthand?"

Ricken thought. He did have a point. "Well, I guess if you put it that way…"

"Awesome!" Henry opened the tome, advising Ricken. "You, uh, might want to stand back a bit."

He quickly paced back a few steps.

"Now, let's see…" Henry cleared his throat before chanting the spell, a dark rune lit beneath his feet.

Ricken shielded his eyes as the bright violet light grew to consume the garrison. It remained for a few more seconds before finally fading.

Only when the light completely vanished did he lower his arm.

"Henry…?" He asked. "Are you okay?"

The dark mage grinned, glancing at himself wholly unchanged. "Like the early crow that ate the carcass! You?"

Ricken wasn't even going to ask that one.

"No worries here. But… that spell had to have done something right?" He glanced around to see the grounds untouched. So why did he feel so uneasy?

"Nya ha! Any spell that doesn't do that would be quite a bummer, wouldn't it?" Henry cheeked. "I hate to say it Ricken, but I think you picked up a dud. Want me to curse'im for ya?"

Before he could say anything, a panicked Sumia slammed the backdoor open.

"Ricken! Henry! It's awful!"

"Sumia?" The redhead asked, "what's the matter?"

"It's Robin! She's… something's wrong with her!"

Ricken paled; Henry's smile faded slightly.

"I-is she okay!"

"I don't know… Chrom requested us in the briefing room, so please come quickly!" She quickly disappeared back inside, but not without stumbling.

Ricken groaned guiltily, "I knew we shouldn't have opened that tome!"

"Hey, you can't say that yet!" Henry piped, "she might've just come down with a bad flu or something! You know, coincidence!"

"I hope you're right…"

"Well, whatever the damage is, one of my curses should fix her right up!" The Plegian eagerly motioned him over. "Let's go see!"

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"Come on, you can't be hungry again! You just had lunch with us!" Chrom nearly groaned as an albino toddler wailed louder in his ear.

"Uh, Blue? You and I must have different definitions of the word 'lunch.'" Gaius turned his deadpan stare at Sully.

"Are you trying to say something, asshole?"

"Not really. Just that the proof is in the pudding. Or in this case, the barracks floor."

"You've got some balls. Need help making them drop? Permanently?" Sully cracked her knuckles.

"I've got my hands full with one kid, I don't need two more!" Chrom groaned when the toddler cried louder.

"Captain!" Ricken and Henry hurried inside the room, drawing most of the Shepherds' attention. "Where's Robin?"

"See for yourself." Gaius nearly snorted at their jaw drops of disbelief.

No way can the baby crying on Chrom's shoulder be Robin. That couldn't be their tactician. Even if she was wrapped in the strategist's cloak. But all further skeptism was erased when they met the baby's familiar dark orbs; Sumia was currently quieting her with a spoonful of applesauce.

"… This has to be a joke." Lon'Qu scowled.

"Even if it is, it's one in poor taste." Chrom frowned. "One minute, we were discussing battle plans, next she collapsed and turned into this… how did this happen?"

Ricken gulped. "I think I know…"

The Shepherds listened raptly as he recounted everything he and Henry had done.

By the time he finished, Chrom shut his eyes as he breathed out deeply. "… And you think it was the spell that turned Robin into a child?"

"Most likely!" Henry grinned, "I saw the light engulf the fort too, so she must've have been caught up in the spell."

"Can't you do something?" Lissa asked, pouting. "Like one of your curses and hexing-doodads?"

"Unfortunately, there is no such curse to age someone. Not yet at least. Sorry about that!" His laugh contrasted his words.

Tharja looked sorely tempted to cast multiple hexes on him.

"But then whatever shall we do? We cannot possibly leave Robin of all people in such a state!" Maribelle motioned to the gurgling toddler.

The Exalt sighed, "we have no choice. Looks like The Shepherds will be on hold for a while. At least, until we find the cure. For now, we can all look after Robin in shifts."

Still guilty over what he unintentionally done, Ricken offered, "I'll watch over her first."

"Are you sure, Ricken?" Chrom frowned. "Looking after babies is a big responsibility."

He should know; he and Sumia already had their little girl waiting at the castle.

"Hey, no worries!" Henry piped, "I'll help him out! Two bodies are better than one, right?"

"Hm. Indeed." Miriel agreed, "meanwhile, as interesting as this particular development turned out to be, it is imperative we return Robin to her natural state posthaste. Though I personally welcome this opportunity to learn more about this perplexing phenomenon."

"That would be great. Thanks, Mir." Chrom finally smiled.

"Yeah, always good to see a noble CAWS! Nya haha!"

"HENRY!" Everyone shouted over his cackles.

Ricken sighed but smiled apologetically at the toddler. He stroked her head. "You know we're sorry, right?"

Robin cooed curiously at him, mouth smeared with apple.

Little did they suspect that their break was about to turn into a war of their own.

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… Looking back on Awakening now, it's scary how similar my OC Fyran is to Henry orz. I SWEAR IT IS COMPLETELY COINCIDENCE – /Bricked

Thanks for reading! Read and review!