Author's Note: I have so much I could say about this story. This fanfiction is - and might ever be - my absolute favorite; the plot, the characters, the silly side adventures... It will all draw together to create one of the best Fire Emblem: Awakening fanfics, I pray.

...Okay, enough gushing. But before you read, I must give a massive thank-you to my fellow author, Xanedis, penner of the amazing fanfiction Everlasting Bonds: Wings of Despair, for his reading and rereading of this and the following chapters. Without his help, I could not now present you with this:

Fire Emblem:

Unwritten

I. Corridors of Memory

Robin wandered breathlessly through another white corridor, identical to the past ten or fifteen she had just seen. The cold fear of getting lost in the unknown maze was a heavy weight upon her mind. Her eyes combed the room for differences or some type of clue to bring relief to her worries, but she could find nothing.

Perhaps there is a notch in one of the walls? No... Maybe some of the paint has been chipped away somewhere. No... I see nothing like that. Hey, this wall seems shorter than the last! ... I really am digging for clues now, sigh...

It was some time before Robin realized that the picture frames were unique.

Each room held similar looking frames of shining blue light, hanging not on the walls, but floating in the air. At a quick glance, one would think they were no different than the ones around or before them. But when Robin took the time to inspect them, she noticed that there was no specific spot where they hung. And when she stopped to examine the pictures, they were never the same two.

"Pictures" is not quite the right word, the young woman mused silently. But what are they, then?

While many of the frames held simple, extremely life-like portraits of people or places and such, there were a few that were... different. Robin had gasped in surprise when one of the pictures she had had been looking at began to change. Not slowly or suddenly, but naturally, as if she were walking and her eyes were moving over a landscape. The scene would run for some time, then peter out and the entire frame would disappear.

Room after room, Robin watched more and more frames disappear. She felt ill, knowing full well that what she witnessed could not be - in any way - normal. Something was happening and it scared her far more than she could understand why. She just wanted to find a way out of the strange world, though she couldn't even remember how she had come to be there at all.

Eventually, she had to pause and catch her breath. Robin slid weakly to her knees, just a few inches below another moving picture. Having nothing else to look at, her eyes settled on the screen.

It showed a little girl sitting on some rocks near a campfire. The dim light made it difficult for Robin to see, but she thought she could make out a background of thick woods and the distant shine of the moon. The little girl held something in her hands and was squinting to see it, unknowingly mirroring the exact face of concentration of her observer. After a few moments, Robin realized that the girl was trying to read from a book.

"Robin, put that away, now. You can see nothing in this moonlight." A voice from somewhere off screen chided the little girl gently.

"But Mother!" The child perked her head up, frowning. "I'm almost at the end of this chapter!"

"I understand, love, but it is getting very late. You know we must move early, tomorrow, lest the desert sun gets to be too hot."

"I don't see a desert around here." Little Robin grumbled softly. The voice said nothing. With a heavy sigh, the girl closed her book and grabbed a blanket from a nearby pile. She wrapped it tightly around herself and lay down close to the roaring campfire. In a few moments, she was asleep.

The image went dim and swiftly faded. Then, with an inaudible crash, the frame shattered into small pieces of shimmering light.

Robin shrieked and tumbled backwards in surprise. She stared in confusion at the disappearing shards that now littered the floor. Why... are they doing that? she wondered. The previous frames had only vanished, but this frame had broken.

"Is there a difference? Is... Is something changing?"

Her questions echoed off the walls and floor, fading into nothingness without any answers. Robin hurriedly got to her feet and rushed through the long, white rooms, her heart racing and her mind in a state of panic. She had no idea where she was running to, nor even why the broken frame concerned her. A growing sense of urgency began to eat at her chest, adding to the sharp pain of fear that already lodged there.

She reached a new room, just in time to catch a faint picture of a slightly older looking Robin shoot a fireball at a crude target, before it vanished as well. Something behind Robin cracked loudly, causing her to again cry out in surprise. She spun around and saw another broken picture frame split into a million pieces and fade. She didn't even have the chance to see what the picture was of and, this time, the crash was plainly heard.

Again, Robin flew through the rooms, dodging frames and holding her ears to block out the screeches as several more shattered. Room after room, all identical, all with frames either vanishing or being destroyed by some unknown force. Her heart was sinking into despair and her vision became clouded. But a soft voice urged her on.

"Please, love! You must not give in!"

It was so soft, so gentle, so loving. So familiar... Robin wanted to stop; she wanted nothing more than to stand still and simply listen to the beautiful voice and try to recall who it belonged to. She knew she had heard it before, but where? As the question surfaced, a dull ache began to pound in the back of her head. But the voice continued to press her on and begged her to keep going.

"Come on, Robin! Stop laying around, already, and get on with it!"

By now, the woman should have been beyond being surprised. Yet this new message shocked her more than she knew how to express. The voice had been different than the first, but still left her with a sense of familiarity and warmth.

"I'll go on," Robin said out loud, looking up at the high vaulted ceiling, as if the people who spoke to her were hiding somewhere beyond. "As long as there are answers waiting for me at the end." She obediently put away her questions and pressed on, though she could feel herself rapidly tiring.

More rooms flashed by, each with more frames that were swiftly blinking out of existence. Her legs ached terribly and her whole body felt as heavy as lead. She would have curled up in a miserable ball on the floor and simply cried her eyes out, if it hadn't been for the voices.

"Robin, come on!"

"Are you seriously going to give in?"

"Please, Robin! For us! Do it for us!"

"Oh shut up!" Robin screeched, shaking her head. "Just shut-" she stopped abruptly.

She was in another room, exactly like those that had come before, except there was no doorway. She had reached a dead end.

Robin slowly circled the room, not sure if she should laugh or cry. At the moment, she felt like doing both.

"Oh? You still here?" A sudden voice asked. Robin turned around to find a figure standing a few feet away. It seemed to be looking at her, though she couldn't be sure, as the person's face was hidden in the shadows of a thick hood.

For a moment, Robin wondered if this was the owner of the gentle voice from before, but she quickly shot the idea down. That person had sounded so kind and caring; the tone of this figure was bored and gravelly.

"What? Do you not know what is happening?" The cloaked figure asked impatiently.

Robin shook her head slowly. "N-no. I don't understand."

"Heh. Well, it matters not. Everything shall be made clear, once we are one."

"O-one?"

"Enough talk!" The figure moved the cloak aside, revealing a long, silver blade lying unsheathed in his belt. He drew it and pointed it at Robin. "Kneel, pup, or die!" The stranger charged Robin.

She screamed in surprise and dropped to the floor, narrowly missing the sword thrust aimed at her neck. She rolled sideways and jumped up, taking a few steps away from her unexpected opponent. Her breath was already heavy and body still exhausted.

"Keeping fighting, love. Do not... give in..."

That voice again! A new courage slowly gathered itself inside of Robin and filled her with energy. Her legs slid effortlessly into a proper stance, one that gave her body balance and made escape easy if she needed to run. Mirroring the previous movements of her assailant, she reached inside her own cloak and drew a heavy book, worn with age and rough use. Robin's eyes flitted across the cover, noticing the words "Thunder" printed neatly in swirling, black lettering.

The figure, after having missed Robin, had crashed into the nearly invisible white walls. He quickly recovered, clearing his dizziness with a vicious shake of his head. Now he turned and stood, seemingly watching Robin, waiting for her to make the first move. The young woman complied.

"Thunder!" A boring enough battlecry, but it seemed to work for the book. Energy coursed through Robin's veins and sped lightning quick to her hand. A ball of tangible electricity grew in her gloved palm and she sent it shooting straight into the cloaked face.

"Aaah!" The figure screeched as the magic hit its mark. He fell backwards and clutched at his hood. The shadows receded just enough for Robin to see his snarling mouth. A sinking sense of dread washed over her as she realized that her weak spell had done little more than enrage her attacker.

"You fool!" The figure took a step towards Robin, sputtering out curses at the terrified woman. "Trash! ...Dog! One who is not even worthy to look upon my budding power! You shall die and leave your body for Grima!"

"No! Go away!" Robin screamed, throwing her book and clutching at her ears to block out the dreadful threats.

"Weakling... craven! You are nothing! Nothing without the all-power of-" A sudden crash caused the figure to trail off. "What?" The figure's voice changed suddenly, from being husky to that of a young woman's. "What is going on? What devilry-?"

Another frame cracked and shattered around them, as several more began to fade. "What? This is not supposed to happen! What are you doing?" Robin gasped as she realized the figure - who she now was certain was, in fact, a woman - was addressing her.

"N-n-nothing! I have no part in this! I don't understand why all the pictures are vanishing!"

"'All of them'? This is happening in the other rooms, as well?"

"Y-yes!"

Then something new happened. While it was very difficult for Robin to discern which frames were breaking and which were simply disappearing, she thought for sure that she could see new frames appearing to replace the old ones. They, too, had scenes playing inside of them. Through some, Robin saw again the images of a little Robin, playing or reading at a campsite. One or two showed picture Robin looking to be the exact age of real Robin herself. Other images, nightmarish pictures of a battle-torn wasteland and a ragged army of children, began to surface.

"This is not right..." The woman said grimly. "We can not fuse, now. Your body is too weak to handle my power. I must wait until another time; but I will leave you with a gift, so that you may not forget your purpose."

Slowly, the woman walked towards Robin, cornering her against a wall. She reached out and placed her bare left hand on Robin's own; it felt unnaturally cold on Robin's hot skin.

"Your efforts are meaningless. All of your attempts at life will end the same!"

"St-stop!" Robin drew her hand back quickly, but it seemed too late. Her throat closed up and her head began spinning with sudden pain. Her hand felt as if it were on fire. Who are you? And why are you doing this to me?

Footsteps echoed off the cool, marble floor of the spacious hall. Two figures fought their way through the shadows, one a young man with thick blue hair and a glittering sword, the other hidden within their cloak. They paused to search the room for some type of escape route, but there seemed to be no exit before the purple barrior of magic.

Suddenly, the man sighed. He turned to his companion and gave them a small, reassuring smile. "This is it; our final battle."

The figure nodded. "There is no way out of it, then. We must end this, now." Her voice was soft and feminine, weak with fear.

"Whatever happens, whatever he tries to tell you or make you do, remember you are one of us, Robin, and no 'destiny' can change that."

The woman slowly pulled down her hood, showing the man a grateful smile. "I know, Chrom. I won't forget."

"Good," Chrom turned away from Robin, glaring into the darkness ahead. "Now let's kill this dastard and be done with it!"

"For the Shepherds!"

Without another word, the two charged ahead, weapons drawn, their hearts beating wildly. Neither knew what awaited them in the shadows.

Somewhere close by, a mocking voice hissed from the blackness, "Why do you resist?"

Suddenly, the haze cleared. Robin and Chrom found themselves within a close circle of dim torch light, the magic barrior to their backs. Standing a few yards in front of them was a gorgeous throne, where a tall, regal man was seated, leering at them.

"I see you are pleased we made it, Validar." Chrom adjusted his grip on his sword. The sorcerer laughed deeply.

"Oh, I may seem a little surprised, but not at all disappointed. Though it means I will have to waste my time with you, princeling, it saves me the trouble of searching for the Puppet's dead body to perform the rites."

Chrom's face contorted with rage. "You will be stopped, Validar!"

"Ha ha! How you are so confident. Fools! You can not unwrite what is already written!"

A crackling of purple energy grew in Validar's palm, taking the shape of a large sphere. He cackled madly, throwing the deadly magic in his assailants' direction. Robin and Chrom leapt aside, the spell slamming into the ground between them, shaking its foundation. Robin tumbled to her knees, while Chrom made a dash for the sorcerer.

They met in a short, furious skirmish. Chrom swung his blade wildly, trying to at least graze his enemy, but each blow was frustratingly parried. Validar stepped back and prepared another bolt of black fire, sending it straight into Chrom's chest.

The man went flying into a stone column, a few pieces of the beam collapsing on top of him. When the debris cleared, he was struggling to stand up.

"Chrom!" Robin screamed, already preparing one of her own spells.

"Die, Hero of Naga!"

"No!" Magic - huge, powerful bursts of golden lightning and blue fire - clashed right in front of the injured prince. Harsh light filled the room, momentary erasing everything. Chrom shouted for Robin, she groping blindly for his hand.

Nails suddenly dug into Robin's shoulder, keeping her from going any further. The glow died away, allowing the room to slowly come back into focus. Colorful spots stained her vision, but she didn't need her eyes to know who had hold of her.

"You can't escape it. That's why it's called destiny." Validar hissed into her ear. "Your destiny is to fail. Why can you not accept it? How long shall you run?"

Without answering, Robin spun on her heel, raising her tome above her head. Immediately, a glittering knife caught deep in the cover, its curved blade a few inches above her eyes.

"I'm done running," she spoke through clenched teeth. "I'm prepared to end this... NOW!"

Robin used all of her strength to push the sorcerer away, jumping back just as Validar brought his sword crashing down. "Irum Levitea!"

A large blast of electricity, surrounded by smaller clouds of the same energy, struck Validar in the chest and face. He stumbled backwards with a gasp of pain, wispy smoke raising from his sizzling burns. Before he could react, a sword sliced him from behind.

"GAH!" A scream of agony echoed off the black marble hall, fading slowly as the sorcerer sank to his knees. His clawed hands flew wildly about him, as if they were trying to catch his fleeting life.

The world seemed to slow for a moment. Validar stumbled towards Robin, his limp body swaying dangerously. Robin watched as the last glint of consciousness faded from his dark eyes, the intense hatred in them paralizing and horrible to behold. Validar collapsed in a heap upon the bloodied floor and finally his spectral screeches were forever silenced.

Chrom slid soundlessly from the shadows, his soiled blade glowing in the faint light. Robin hardly noticed as he came around the body to stand beside her.

"I want to go home," she said.

Chrom nodded, gently helping her to turn her back on the slain villain. He gave her a weak, relieved smile, his mouth partly open as if to utter some words of congratulations, or perhaps reassurance.

"This isn't over!"

Robin watched, eyes growing wide with horror, as more magic was launched ferociously at the pair. Chrom didn't even notice. His back was turned to the blast.

With a cry, Robin pushed him out of the way and took the full brunt of the attack herself. Chrom shouted, but his voice was lost amid the confusion that covered her senses.

Moments seemed to pass. "Are you alright?" Finally, the question reached her. But Robin couldn't answer. Her vision swayed and her chest felt as if it was being crushed.

She was faintly aware of Chrom lifting her, his voice a low buzzing in her ears. His tone was gentle and reassuring, whether for his benefit or his own, Robin couldn't say.

A shadow suddenly fell over her vision. She could see nothing, could barely even hear. What little she could understand was a strange jumble of Chrom's words and a faint chanting playing in the back of her mind. She tried to concentrate on the prince, but the song was sweet and enticing, tempting her to listen and obey.

Begone, Naga...

"We can rest easy, at long last."

Depart, goddess of discord...

The chanting grew gradually louder, and a strange shape began to take form in the darkness. A long body with six wings, curved horns and glowing red eyes. Who...? Robin wondered drowsily.

Grima... Grima... Grima... Suddenly, the song was not so sweet. The air became frigid, the shadows even blacker. Robin turned to flee, but there was no where to run. Ice cold hands slithered up her being, wrapping around her limps and locking her in place. She tried to fight back, willing her arms and legs to kick, to move, but her body would not respond.

Chrom, run! She screamed, but her voice was only a faint whimper.

"What's wrong?" The young man asked. "Hey! Hey! Wake up!"

Please, run! The cold atmosphere sank into her blood, coursing through her veins and burning her fragile body. Robin screamed, her voice different and gravelly. A short spear of black magic shot out of her palm, slicing easily through Chrom's flesh.

The man stumbled backwards, unintentionally dropping the dazed Robin to the floor. All color drained from his face, as he clutched painfully at his side. He looked at his hand as if it was a foreign object, seemingly stunned at the thick red liquid that coated it.

"NO!" Robin screeched, unable to move towards the prince. Chrom gave her one, final look, his dying blue eyes imploring.

"This is not... your fault." Chrom crumbled to the ground.

"And so ends Prince Chrom - Ylisse's greatest! His last words a pathetic plea for his treacherous friend to live."

Robin stared, trying to weakly reach for the still hand. The evil voice continued to cackle in the back of her mind, slowly drawing her away from the hall and dead body of her dearest friend.

The memory faded and Robin fell into unconsciousness.

Next chapter (Chrom, Prince of Ylisse) will be out in two weeks - the Saturday after next.

I don't expect favorites and alerts, yet, but please review; how else will I know what to keep doing and what needs work?