Me: Hi, guys! This is my first Fire Emblem fanfic, but I hope you guys give this a chance. c:

Summary: Chrom is Ylisse High's basketball ace, and he sees potential in the transferee named Robin, not just as a tactician, but also as a player. Robin punched him in the face for trying to recruit her. Chrom doesn't understand why she refuses to play, and so he makes it his goal to understand her and get her to love it again.

Pairing/s: mainly Chrom x Fem!Robin, and Frederick x Emmeryn, Lon'qu x Oc1, Virion x Sully, Stahl x Lissa on the side (and possibly a Gaius x Oc2 in the future)

Disclaimer: I don't own Fire Emblem. I can only wish that I did. Also, if anyone else had this idea, sorry, I didn't know.

Warnings: Modern AU. Basketball and high school setting.

Additional Information: I forgot the specifications I put for Robin, but I recall my Robin having orange-ish hair, a small build with long hair and Hyuuga Hinata-like bangs, with 'Voice 1' (the medium voice). Her birthday is February 17. Her strength is in Skill while her weakness is in Luck.

Chapter 1: The End and Now

It was going well so far. They were in the fourth quarter, with an eighteen point lead over their opponents. They were going to win – she was sure of it. There were only four minutes left on the clock, and all they had to do was to make sure that their opponents wouldn't be able to score six three-pointers or nine two-pointers.

They could do this.

The girl with the bubblegum-colored hair gives her a smile and a thumbs-up. She returns the smile eagerly, dribbling the ball and shooting yet another three-pointer from somewhere near the half-court line, earning their team a twenty-one point lead. She shares another grin with the other girl, so both are unaware of the gleaming eyes of their opponent's ace.

Her companion gives her a knowing look, making sure to follow the plan they agreed upon, and as if they were one, they passed the ball back and forth to each other. They neared the opponent's ring, and she passed the ball to a teammate, whose two-pointer failed. She gives her companion another look, and they both jump to rebound.

A third person jumps with them.

A resounding crack.

A scream.

She woke up immediately, panting and gasping for air, as she clutched her chest with shaking hands. Her room was dark, the curtains shielding the sun's light that entered her window. The air-conditioning unit made her room cold, causing her to shiver and wrap the blanket tightly around herself.

She hadn't seen that dream – more like a nightmare – in a while, and on the days she never had it, she was thankful. She didn't exactly like reliving it.

She glanced at the clock attached to her wall. It read 6:30 AM. School didn't start 'til 7:30, but she supposed it wouldn't hurt to be early. She sighed, wrapping her arms around herself as she headed to the bathroom to have a hot shower. Once she was finished, she headed downstairs and heated up last night's macaroni and cheese, unmindful of the heat as she ate it once it finished cooking.

After brushing her teeth, she wore her black jacket and grabbed her black backpack, sighing all the way.

Ylisse High was a towering structure, with four floors and having an area of thirty-five square hectares. It also contained many courtyards where students could interact, play, and perhaps even study. It had great facilities and qualified teachers. It was the school everyone wanted to get in to.

But not for the orange-haired girl who just walked past the white gates of the school. She tried to suppress the glare that threatened to show on her face.

The first scream, followed by the next hurt her ears.

She shook her head and sighed once more. No, she would have to do this. She would have to endure staying at Ylisse High for three years. It wasn't her ideal school, contrary to the opinions of the numerous people she had encountered. Yes, it was pleasing to look at, and probably had academic standards that even she would find challenging, but it wasn't the same.

It never would be.

She made her way inside the main entrance, where she was taken aback by the numerous corridors and staircases. She glanced around for a map, but was dismayed to find none nearby. She was about to aimlessly walk around until she encountered someone else to ask for directions, when a hand landed on her shoulder.

She squeaked slightly and turned around to find a bulky, brown-haired senior – at least, that's what his blue tie indicated – giving her a polite small. "Y-Yes?"

"You must be new here. I'm Frederick Gray," he stated, lifting a hand for her to shake.

She joined hands with him. "Hi. I'm Robin P—, er, just Robin."

She gulped nervously as she saw him raise an eyebrow, but she relaxed once he shrugged it off. He glanced at her green tie and hummed. "A sophomore? What class are you in?"

She thanked the gods that Frederick Gray seemed to be a gift from them. She wouldn't have to confess that she had absolutely no sense of direction at all. "I'm in Class 2-2."

Frederick hummed once more. "It's just beside Chrom's classroom." At her confused look, he added, "Chrom's a childhood friend."

She nodded at his answer and let him lead the way. They went up one floor and took a right, walking further before stopping at a classroom with the sign '2-2' on top.

"Well, here we are," Frederick said. "If you need any assistance, I'm sure your class' president will be able to help you with it."

Robin nodded. "Thanks, Frederick."

Frederick nodded back and made his way up another flight of stairs.

Robin, on the other hand, stared at the door of classroom, a hand outstretched to open it, but she hesitated slightly. I can't… I don't think I…

Before she could convince herself to skip classes, someone coughed behind her. She turned around and saw a boy her age with wild, brown hair, looking anywhere but at her.

"Um, yes?" she asked him. She noticed him glance at her briefly before he looked away and used his hand to point at the door. Blinking, she realized that he probably wanted to enter the classroom. Still, the fact that he wasn't talk to her was a little disconcerting. Did she smell bad or did she not wear her uniform properly? After briefly glancing at herself to note that there was nothing wrong, she stepped aside and the boy nodded in her direction before walking in.

Shrugging to herself and realizing that she really had no other option, she stepped inside and glanced around. There were already students inside, talking about what they did over the weekend, some gossiping about things she didn't really care about, and some pointing at her and the boy and whispering to each other.

She assumed that both the boy and herself were transfer students.

Noticing that the boy had seated himself by the window, and that there as an empty chair in front of him, she took her seat there and placed her bag under the table. She rested her chin on her right palm as she glanced out the window, bored. She noticed students playing football in the courtyard below, students sitting on the grass and laughing loudly, and she noticed one peculiar boy walking towards the building.

The boy had dark blue hair and his tie showed her that he, too, was a sophomore. She watched as the students pointed at him, watched as some girls down below shrieked and giggled to themselves – fangirls, I guess – and how he smiled at them politely and seemed to love the attention.

She scoffed. She hated arrogant boys like those1. If she were back at her previous school, she would have spewed insults at him immediately. Alas, she was at Ylisse, the school that was bully-free. Please, she rolled her eyes, there are bullies everywhere. You can't completely eradicate them. Perhaps there's not bullying in the school itself, but it can't speak for any bullying going on outside its walls.

She looked at the clock on top of the blackboard: 7:20 AM.

She groaned softly, resting her head on her arms.

It would be a long day.

The brown-haired boy glanced at the orange-haired girl in front of him, wondering if she despised her situation as much as he did. It wasn't his choice to transfer, but his parents figured that this would be a good school for him, a place where he could 'open up' and be normal.

Just because he wasn't good at dealing with the opposite sex didn't mean that he wasn't normal. It just meant that he, like every other normal person out there, had something they weren't used to.

More of their classmates entered the room, talking in loud voices and laughing loudly. His eyebrow twitched at the noise they were creating, working hard to block them all out.

It didn't seem to work since they only got louder. He glanced once more at the girl who was effectively blocking out the noise by taking a nap. He wished he could fall asleep, as well, but before he could, their teacher entered the room, stopping all the noise as the students scrambled to their seats.

"Good morning, everyone!" their teacher, a blonde, greeted them with a smile.

"Good morning, Ms. Smith!" their classmates chimed.

"We'll be starting attendance first," Ms. Smith hummed. "Kevin?"

"Here!"

"Maika?"

"Here!"

…

"Robin?"

The class hushed, looking around to see who Robin was until they deduced that it was the sleeping orange-haired girl. Some turned to Lon'qu, giving him a meaningful look that screamed 'Wake her up!'. He glanced at the people who sat near the girl, only to find them looking at him, as well.

He sighed and braced himself as he hesitantly tapped her shoulder. The small tap seemed to have worked, much to his relief, as he saw her rub the sleep away from her eyes. He saw her squeak slightly as she must have realized that the teacher was taking the attendance, and that it was her turn.

"S-Sorry! Here."

Ms. Smith, contrary to his expectations, didn't get annoyed. Instead, she seemed to give the girl an understanding smile instead.

"Lon'qu?"

"Here," he grunted out, earning the orange-haired girl's attention. He felt uncomfortable with her gaze – not just because she was a girl, but because there was something about the way she looked at him; it was like she could see into his soul or something.

He dismissed his thoughts as odd and probably brought about by a lack of decent sleep.

"Robin, Lon'qu, please come up to the front and introduce yourselves to your classmates. You can say anything about yourselves," Ms. Smith smiled at them as the two aforementioned students made their way to the front.

The girl – Robin – glanced at him curiously, but he remained silent. He didn't want to go first, and it seemed that she understood him.

"Hi. I'm Robin. I like reading books and playing the piano. Nice to meet you, all," she said with a polite smile on her face, though to him, it seemed a bit strained. She looked at him once more, and he took it as a cue for his turn.

"My name's Lon'qu. I collect swords," he said shortly.

Their classmates whispered to each other before several raised their hands.

"I hope you don't mind, but we usually allow a few students to ask transferees some questions." Ms. Smith informed them, a smile making its way across her face when she saw Robin and Lon'qu shrug. "Yes, Kate?"

"Do you play any sports?"

He noticed Robin tense slightly as she replied, "No, I don't."

"I used to," he replied vaguely.

"Yes, Aaron?"

"Would you guys be interested in joining the school orchestra?" That question earned some amused laughs from their classmates.

Robin let out a small smile. "I'll have to think about it. I used to play the violin, but it's been years since I last played it."

"I don't," Lon'qu responded shortly once more, earning awkward glances from the males, but glazed looks from the females. ...

"Lastly, Keren."

"I'm a little curious... From what schools did you come from?"

The question made the girl beside him tense further. He saw her open her mouth slightly before closing it once more. Before any of them could answer, the PA resounded, "Attention all sophomores. Please proceed to the school gym to view the clubs. I repeat: all sophomores, please proceed to the school gym to view the clubs. Thank you."

"Saved by the bell, aye?" Ms. Smith joked to them, but Lon'qu could see relief flood through Robin's face. "Well, please line up outside the classroom in an alphabetical order and bring a pen with you. There are sign-up sheets for each club. You aren't forced to pick a club today. You can still think it over as long as you have an answer by Friday."

The students all nodded and filed out of the classroom.

"Join the baseball club 'cos we rock!"

"If you want to get in shape, join the yoga club!"

"If you're into art, the art club is definitely for you."

"If you want real art, join the magic club!"

"Hey!"

"Maa, I want to enter so many clubs!" one of the female sophomores gushed to her friend.

"Me, too! I want to join the dance club, but the theater club looks good, too!" was the friend's response.

In the meantime, Robin was trying her best to seem interested in the clubs, but many of the clubs didn't interest her. The only ones that did were the art club and… another club.

She glanced briefly at the paintings and sculptures the art club displayed. They were made beautifully and were very detailed to the point that they almost seemed realistic. She was never able to make such things before, and she supposed she could try to learn.

"Hi, I'm Lissa! Are you interested in joining the art club?" an enthusiastic blonde appeared right next to her with a wide smile on her face. Her hair was in pigtails and she held a sketchpad on one hand.

"I was considering it…" Robin commented to the girl.

"If you choose it, you won't regret it! My sister was in it last year, and she really didn't know how to draw, but after a few months, BAM, she was so good!" Lissa babbled on excitedly.

Robin was a little taken aback by how hyper the girl was, but she supposed she shouldn't be surprised that people could be that hyper. Lissa was speaking as if she were on fast-forward, and it was only because Robin was used to her childhood friend, Gaius, that she understood what Lissa was saying.

"Sounds interesting," Robin said in response, letting out a small smile. "I'll think about it."

"Great! It'll be nice to know someone else who'll be in the same club as me! See ya!" Lissa said as she scampered off and attached herself to another blonde with curled hair.

Robin shook her head bemusedly at the freshman's antics before walking around the gym.

"Chrom, dude, we seriously need more regulars for the team. Not only that, but we need a manager, too," a senior named Vaike told Chrom, as he spun a basketball around his finger lazily. "I mean, the players are great, but really, once we graduate, who's gonna take up leadership?"

"Don't you mean, who would replace Chrom? You do nothing as a vice-captain, anyways," a redhead next to him named Miriel scowled as she pushed her glasses up.

"Hey, I so do stuff, like keep them in order and stuff." Vaike pouted, which was quite a sight, considering it didn't fit his 'tough' image.

"Really?" Miriel's voice dripped with sarcasm. "And who's the one helping Chrom write up the training menus? It's certainly not you."

"I'm not even a part of the club, but someone has to keep you in line, hmph," Miriel added with a scoff, as an imaginary arrow pierced through Vaike and mushrooms grew on his head.

Chrom chuckled at their antics as Stahl, their small forward, continued to hand out flyers and unconsciously charm passing girls with his cheery face. Vaike had a point, though. They did need more regulars, two of them, at least. With Vaike and Frederick graduating next year, they would need people to fill in their spots, and their current reserves just weren't there yet. If they wanted to retain their reputation and title as champions, they would need two new extraordinary regulars.

His eyes glanced over the swarm of sophomores and freshmen. They needed replacements ASAP.

"—oh, come on, Miriel, it's not my—"

"—you numbskull! No one can—"

"—still not much of an—"

"—a manager, you know—"

Chrom groaned, making Vaike and Miriel glance at him curiously. When he waved them off and assured them that he was fine, they continued arguing.

The team still lacked a manager. Miriel was a good fill-in as a manager, but she only did it part-time. Her main club was the magic club, which she was the vice president of. She only really helped out as a favor to Chrom and so someone could keep Vaike in check. No one, so far, had been an adequate manager, as most pining for the position were fangirls who were easily distracted, students who didn't know much about the sport, or people who didn't take it seriously.

Chrom didn't just want someone who could help him make training menus, organize practice matches, and the like. He needed a playmaker – a tactician.

And gods, he needed one fast.

Somewhere in the gym, Robin sneezed.

Me: So, that's the first chapter! I hope you guys liked it. Please review, as well! Reviews help me learn my mistakes and improve myself c:

(1) – Robin's initial assumption of Chrom is that he's your typical popular boy, but recall that she was on the second floor. She can't really see him clearly and just assumed because she was in a bad mood. C: