Chapter 1

"Plegians! I ask that you hear the truth of my words! War will win you nothing but sadness and pain, both inside your borders and out. Free yourselves from this hatred, from this cycle of pain and vengeance! Do what you must... As I will do. See now that one selfless act has the power to change the world!"

That moment, replaying in his mind as they ran. Her speech, her fall, Gangrel's maniacal cackling. He had failed. Robin had failed her, Lissa, and Chrom. Because he didn't see Aversa begin the summoning ritual for the Risen, because he didn't plan ahead of time for this kind of contingency, she had died.

He glanced back, making sure Chrom was still following. To say Chrom was distraught was an understatement; he was devastated by his sister's sacrifice. Lissa must be feeling the same way, Robin thought.

He balled his hands into fists and gritted his teeth as he ran forward through the punishing downpour. Curse Plegia. Curse Gangrel! he thought viciously. I will show them no mercy.

"Hurry! There should be carriages waiting just through the ravine!" Basilio roared as they made their way along the escape route. Suddenly, he stopped. "Huh? Damn, Plegians! I knew it couldn't be that easy…" He turned to Robin, scowling. "They've cut us off. We need to fight through them!"

Robin didn't reply; his body felt a strange combination of nausea and exhilaration, and he was afraid if he opened his mouth he'd be sick. Chrom stepped forward.

"Ylisseans! I offer you mercy! Surrender to me now and live!" their enemy general yelled to Chrom, stroking his beard.

"Surrender? Sorry, not familiar with the word," growled Basilio.

"…Emmeryn would not have wished for this to come to bloodshed," the general replied morosely.

"DON'T SPEAK HER NAME!" Chrom and Robin both roared at the general. Robin felt his entire body shaking with anger. Or was it something else…? The roar of blood rushed through his ears.

"Your rage is justified, Prince Chrom. But-"

Robin didn't care what came out of this general's mouth. He couldn't contain himself any longer. It was as if a spell had come over him, and his body was acting of its own volition. "Damn you all!" he yelled. With inhuman speed, he rushed forward and began to hack at the enemy line keeping them from escaping.

The enemy was shocked at his ferocity. They began to fight back, nicking Robin's coat and body, but seemingly never able to land a fatal blow. Robin appeared possessed; inhuman speed and strength allowed him to destroy whatever stood in his way, forging a path for his friends. The Shepherds looked on in horror. Purple mist seemed to be gathering around Robin the more people he slew.

Basilio quickly gathered his wits. "Chrom! Your fool of a tactician is creating the opportunity we need! Now is the time to escape, so MOVE!" he pulled Chrom along, who looked to be in some sort of dazed stupor.

The Shepherds ran after Basilio, who ran through the path Robin had impossibly cut for them. And soon, even the Plegian general met his demise, his armor providing the perfect current for Robin's impossibly strong Thunder spell.

"Khan Basilio!" a voice exclaimed. She was dressed in typical white Feroxi dancing garb, showing more skin than a normal person might. Her clothes and pink hair had been somewhat protected from the storm by the carriage however, and were only slightly damp.

"Olivia! I'm sorry we kept you waiting. Is Azura..?"

"I am here, Khan Basilio," another voice echoed, emerging behind Olivia. She too was dressed in a white dancing garb, though much more modest than Olivia's. Her sky-blue hair reached all the way down to her feet, which did not seem ideal in this storm. "My carriage is waiting as well!"

"Chrom, meet Olivia and Azura. They'll be smuggling us out of here."

"Only if you hurry!" Olivia retorted.

"Everyone on board, NOW!" yelled Basilio, dragging Chrom into the first carriage. The rest of the Shepherds followed, splitting up among the two carts as brigands did their best to rush them. But the demon Robin had become prevented the Plegians from doing such a thing; he stood in front of the carriages, launching spells and slashing any who dared cross his path. Ragged breathing marked his every move.

"Who is that lone fighter?" questioned Azura to Gaius, who was about to climb aboard. "He's going to get himself killed!" Gaius turned and swore. He hadn't realized Robin wasn't following him. "Wait for us!" he yelled to Azura as he tossed his pack within the carriage. However, the closer he moved to Robin, the more he realized something truly menacing was occurring. The purple mist around Robin seemed to have gained a dragon-like shape, and swirled around his mutilated body. "Bubbles?" he asked cautiously.

And just like that, Robin collapsed on the ground, the purple mist dissipating. His body could not take the strain of his actions any longer. "Gods!" Gaius cursed, and moved to drape Robin across his shoulders. "Ungh, why are you so heavy?" he groaned to an unconscious Robin, and made his way towards the rest of the Shepherds. Miraculously, it seemed Robin had all but wiped out the force that opposed them on his own. Soon, they raced away into the storm.

Robin lay in the center of the carriage, the only place with room enough to extend his body. As soon as Gaius had brought him in, Maribelle began to assess his injuries, moving her healing staff across his body. "By the Gods… lacerations everywhere, torn muscles, ligaments, tendons, internal hemorrhaging… His body should have shut down ages ago! How did he wipe out an entire legion of Plegian soldiers?!"

"…Well, spit it out Twinkles, what can we do?" asked Gaius, attempting to keep a level head. The rest of the Shepherds in the carriage seemed to struggle with their own thoughts as well.

Maribelle simply shook her head. "Alone, I can only do so much… If I had Lissa and that new war monk with me, however… Maybe then he could stand a chance."

Hearing that, Gaius immediately climbed to the front of the carriage, where Azura and Flavia were attempting to steer through the storm. The wind tousled his hair and roared loudly around him. He looked to his right; the other carriage was nearly parallel to them as well.

Tapping on Flavia's shoulder, he yelled as loud as possible in order to be heard. "How long until we stop for camp!?" Flavia shook her head. "We need to make distance between us and any Plegians! It will take time!"

Gaius scowled. "We don't have time for that! Bubbles is dying, and we need Princess and the war monk in here! Stop the carriage, I'll tell them to stop too!" Before Flavia could even ask how he would accomplish that, Gaius jumped.

As he sailed through the air, one thought made its way to the forefront of his mind. I really need to ask Blue for more sweets as compensation…

He hit the side of the carriage right next to Basilio, who jumped in alarm and raised his axe, before recognizing Gaius' flaming hair. Groaning, the burly man reached down and pulled him alongside. "What in the devil's name do you want, boy?!" he roared.

"Stop the carriage! We need the healers here healing Bubb- er, Robin- or he'll die!" He pointed backwards, where Azura's carriage was slowing down. "Just do it already!"

Basilio nodded. Even he realized the war with Plegia would be lost without their tactician. He ordered Olivia to stop. The two carriages pulled alongside each other. Wasting no time, Gaius scurried to the back.

Inside, the Shepherds were looking around confused, save two. Chrom and Lissa seemed lost in their own grief. Gaius could see Lissa weeping uncontrollably into Chrom, who was trying to be strong for his sister. Mourning would have to wait though.

Stepping inside, he announced, "I need that war monk right now!" A man with long, blond hair stood up. Gaius pointed to him, "Move to the other carriage, you'll know what to do there!" Nodding in confusion, the monk nevertheless pushed past everyone and made his way outside. Chrom looked up questioningly as Gaius closed in on him and his sister. "Princess!' he yelled, and grabbed her shoulder. She jumped and turned to him in shock. "Go to the other carriage, please! Bubbles' won't make it otherwise!"

"He's… dying?" Lissa stammered.

"Yes! So please move Princess!"

Even in her grief stricken state, Lissa knew Robin's condition must be serious. She hurriedly withdrew from Chrom and moved outside as well. Gaius simply took a seat; the other carriage would be much too crowded now. They began to move. He turned to Chrom, who hadn't said a word yet. That's not good, the thief thought to himself in dismay. If Blue's out of it, what chance do we have to win this war?

Inside the other carriage, Maribelle, Lissa, and Libra were cramped around Robin's body. The rest of the Shepherds had made as much space as possible for them, but even then it wasn't much.

"There's so much…" Lissa murmured in horror.

"I fear we three may not be able to do much at all. It may be in Naga's hands" said Libra.

"Nevertheless, we must try," said Maribelle determinedly.

Nodding, the three healers touched the head of their staves together, and held it above Robin. They began to unload whatever vulneraries they had on them. Lissa pointed to Lon'qu, the first person in her sight. "Make him drink these vulneraries, all three of them!" she exclaimed, and began to focus power on her staff. Lon'qu hesitated. Forcefully giving Robin those potions means he would need to be close to Lissa, who sat next to Robin's head… But Lon'qu would bear it. Swallowing his fear, the Chon'sin warrior grunted and began to slowly pour the medicine into Robin.

The three healers slowly began moving their staffs, still joined at the head, over Robin's body in unison. Starting from the top, they moved painfully slow, heading down towards his feet. His lacerations healed instantly, but his breathing remained shallow and slow as they moved. Lon'qu continued to forcefully push vulneraries down Robin's throat, though he had to stop every few seconds to coerce Robin's body to swallow. The bumpy carriage ride did not make things easier either.

The procedure continued, full of tension.

Meanwhile, at the front of the carriage, Flavia and Azura continued to scan the horizon, looking for any sign of the enemy. Thankfully, it seemed they were in the clear, at least for now… But they kept going, determined to put as much distance between them and Gangrel.

Flavia turned to Azura. "Girl, head to the back and see how that idiot tactician is doing. I'll hold course."

Nodding, Azura handed Flavia the reins. The Khan scooted over, her heavy gear making it difficult to move, but eventually she took Azura's spot. Azura stepped backwards inside the carriage.

The three healers were finishing up, their conjoined rods hovering over Robin's thighs. Lon'qu had finished already, the vulneraries empty. Yet, despite their best efforts, Robin's breathing had all but stopped. His face had a ghostly pale tint, and his jet black hair seemed to be getting lighter as the minutes progressed.

Azura opened her mouth to ask the Shepherds about Robin's condition, when all of a sudden her pendant began to glow with a rich blue light. The Shepherds glanced up in surprise.

Azura herself had a look of shock on her face, breaking through her normally stoic exterior. She held the pendant in her hand and gazed at it; it seemed to be pulsing very slowly, like a heartbeat.

Impossible… she thought. We killed the Dragon, and he cannot even be in this realm!

"… Oi, why is necklace shining?" asked Gregor suspiciously.

Azura didn't answer; her mind was running through all sorts of possibilities for why her pendant was acting up.

"It's a Dragonstone…" breathed Nowi. "But… I've never felt one with this kind of power before. It's radiating everywhere!"

Azura came to a conclusion. Whatever mysteries behind the cause of her pendant acting up would have to wait; right now, her pendant was pulling her hand slightly towards Robin. He must be the cause! she thought suddenly. She began to make her way towards Robin, when Lon'qu stepped in front of her and held out his hand.

"Back away, woman! I do not know what sort of Plegian sorcery this is, but you will not take our tactician's life!" Slowly, Lon'qu began to draw his dagger from its scabbard.

"Please, I must help your tactician! The pendant tells me he is in danger!" Azura pleaded. "He won't survive otherwise!"

Lon'qu scowled, and made no move. The rest of the Shepherds inside seemed similarly split, unsure of whether to trust this person. Suddenly, the carriage lurched, knocking Lon'qu slightly off balance, and Azura took her chance and pushed through him to Robin. She clasped the pendant in her hands and immediately began to sing.

"You are the ocean's gray waves…"

Lon'qu reached out to pull Azura back, but her body was surrounded by a small, whirling barrier of… water? It was impossible to break through, and actually repelled any moves he made, knocking his hands back every time.

The three healers had retreated from Azura when that barrier materialized around her, and all the Shepherds were on high alert. Anyone that had enough room to draw a weapon had done so, and stood guard, waiting for an opportunity.

Azura pushed everything out of her mind and simply focused on singing. Something definitely seemed to be happening; Robin had begun to convulse and contort his body, as if something was crawling underneath his clothes. All of a sudden, he arched his back and emitted a silent scream, his mouth gaping wide. Purple mist began spewing out and towards Azura.

Her hands moved of their own volition and opened. The pendant hovered in front of her and the mist gathered around it, a dark stormy cloud blocking out the light. No more mist was coming from Robin, though his back was still arched and his mouth was still open. A tense, heavy silence filled the air inside the carriage, punctuated only by the storm outside. Suddenly, the light of the pendant broke through the oppressive cloud, and seemed to absorb the mist into the pendant itself. Robin flinched and contorted again into a fetal position, his complexion returning to its original color and his hair returning to its jet black color as well, except for a horizontal stripe on his left side. The pendant, now finished, fell into Azura's outstretched hands.

"The path is… yours to climb…" Azura finished. The barrier around her dissipated. For a moment, everyone stared in stunned silence. Maribelle was the first to react, rushing to Robin's side and checking his condition.

"I… I don't believe it, but he seems to be alive! His bones are still broken, among other things, but he'll make it!"

The Shepherds all let out audible sighs of relief. Azura, however, simply lay on the floor of the carriage, exhausted. That song and its power had always taxed her beyond belief, and it was no different this time. She was conscious of someone turning her over, and she could see a few fuzzy faces, but in the end, she too blacked out from exhaustion.

A/N: Alright, let's get the big questions out of the way: why the heck is Azura here, and why did I pair her with Robin?

Well, firstly, it's because I like Awakening's story better than Fates', and I can write a better story if I like the source material. Secondly, I really like Robin's whole story in Awakening WAY more than Corrin, and I always wanted to see Robin as this calculating tactician who, although he cares for his friends, know they may die, and so isolated himself emotionally to maintain a state of peace around him. Also my Robin was really OP in Lunatic Mode because I farmed XP from the DLC maps and it then became easy to wipe everything out, so I'm seeing if I can shove in some epic moments because of his strength (although I wont make him TOO powerful, there still needs to be a plot). Lastly, I like Azura, and so I took her out of her world and into this one and paired her with Robin. I mean, c'mon, if we have baby microwaves in Fates then I can take whoever I want from these games whenever I want for no reason!

But I'll probably give a more valid reason in the story later on...

Also, Morgan and Shigure will be in the story, eventually.

And yeah, that's pretty much it for now. Please review, I really like feedback, positive or constructive.

Oh, before I forget, I am also writing a Zelda story simultaneously, so my updating will not be regular at all. However, I am determined to finish BOTH stories (eventually)

Take care!