The sky continued to grow darker as Cordelia swooped towards the north mountain. The air was crisp and light, and the view of the Ylisstol in all its majesty and beauty was right behind her. She looked back on her home, but felt slightly empty. The only way to even see this gorgeous view was from the back of a flying mount. Oh, how she had longed for someone to share in the splendour with. To bring someone else up here with her would be her only desire. She wondered if he'd ever even ridden a pegasus before. If she could just manage to get her approach right, maybe she'd be able to show him.

She directed her focus forward. Maybe she could talk to Sumia about it tonight, she seemed to know her way around men awfully well, she thought. Well, well enough that she'd managed to be in four different relationships over the course of Cordelia's training alone, that is. She sighed. If she even gets back tonight, that is. Chrom, Sumia, Vaike, Lissa, Robin, what was taking them so long? The last she'd heard of them was that they were marching to the border to bring Lady Maribelle home when she was kidnapped. She wondered if they'd been successful in their attempt, although with Chrom at the helm, she wasn't worried at all.

Suddenly, she heard some voices off in the distance. From where she was, she could see a band of soldiers and their convoy travelling across the mountain. Cordelia flinched in terror, as she was unarmed and on a frail pegasus without any armour. If they were brigands that had snuck their way into the country, she'd be shot dead as soon as they saw her. Instinctively, she ducked her head. She'd only just begun to calm down, the threat of a nasty death was NOT what she needed at this present moment.

But then, as she focused further, she could make out the blue flag that was flying from their supply wagon. On it was the unmistakable crest of the Halidom, waving proudly in the mountain wind. She exhaled in relief, and continued on her way. As she approached, she realized just who these people were. She gasped in excitement, and swooped down to greet them.

"Hey!" she yelled.

"Cordy!" shouted Sumia. There she was, safe and sound.

Cordelia dove down and landed right next to her as she trotted along the road. "Sumia, where on earth have you been? Phila and I have been worried sick about you!" Her friend's expression changed from gleeful to startled.

"Oh, gosh, I must've forgotten to tell anyone that I was leaving..." She recalled. Her eyes shifted to the ground.

"Oh gods Sumia, you need to pay more attention next time. I can't believe you would do this! What if something had happened to you?" Sumia had a pained expression.

"I... I'm sorry. Tell Phila that I said that I was sorry, too." she said.

"Oh Sumia, I'm just so glad to hear that you're all right." Cordelia responded. "So, what did you all do, anyway? I see that we have some new recruits."

"Oh yes! It's a pretty fun story." She put on her dramatic narration voice. "We'd made our way to the west border without much in the way, and we came face to face with the Mad King himself! He certainly lived up to the title, cackling like an imbecile with his unkempt red hair making him look uncannily insane. He was about to execute Lady Maribelle, and I thought all hope had been lost. Not even Chrom could get to her in time. But then, from right out of nowhere, a little mage kid showed up and saved her! It was pretty heroic, and adorable as well. So we chased the bad guys up the cliff and took down their commander. Wyverns are pretty tough things, almost impossible for someone like me to take down alone, but Robin had the fantastic idea to send me up ahead with... Chrom."

She dropped the stint briefly. "Ah, those wyverns. They were no match for him and his Falchion. In the end, we saved the day. Together. And in an incredibly strange way... it was actually pretty romantic. "

"...Oh..."

Cordelia was sweating bullets at this point. She could feel the heat rising to her head as something in her chest dropped, leaving a cold, dry feeling in her throat. She looked over. He walked along, leading his army, talking to his tactician and his lieutenant. Her limbs felt weak, her breathing grew shallow, she blinked rapidly to fight back whatever reaction was coming up

"Uh, Cordes? Are you okay?"

"... I'm... fine. It's just the wind."

"Oh, all right then."

Bless her. Bless her for being so goddamn dense. She couldn't let her see her like this, she was supposed to be her rock, she always had been. But now she was starting to crack.

"What happened in the rest of the story, Sumia?" Her voice was monotone and drab.

"Well, we marched to Ferox the next day, Chrom thinks that Plegia might try and invade soon, so he went to go ask the Khan for reinforcements and help. Invading a castle was a doozy, but I actually saved Chrom from the Feroxi soldiers that were trying to kill us!"

Cordelia didn't respond.

"Cordy, they were trying to kill us! Isn't that the slightest bit disturbing to you?"

Cordelia was gazing up at the sky.

"Sheesh, all right. Anyway, once we got in we somehow managed to be fighting in an arena under the East-Khan, Flavia. Oh, Flavia was great, you should meet her, I think that you two would get along. But, one of the opposing people was a dark, mysterious swordsman, a man of few words, and he was the West-Khan's champion!"

"Oh, really?"

"Yep! And Chrom took him down just like that! I don't think that I've ever seen him so passionate before about anything! It was amazing..."

"...Really."

"Absolutely. In fact, we actually managed to recruit him once he was defeated! There he is, over there. His name's Lon'qu."

Sumia continued to talk all about her adventures with the Shepherds the whole way home, being sure to mention Chrom every two minutes. Cordelia tried to shift her gaze away, but she still had the same instinct to look up whenever she said his name. The painstaking cycle had gone on for almost half an hour.

"And then after that, I went into one of the villages where we camped nearby, and I bought some food. And then, I made him a pie."

"... A pie."

"Yes, a pie! And I could tell that he loved it. Oh Cordelia, I think I'm in love! I think it was just meant to be! I can't believe it, I'm so happy! Oh my gosh did you see that? He just looked back and smiled at me, Oh gosh Cordes, I... I think he likes me, too! What do you think?"

What did she think? She'd just gotten her heart stomped on, she didn't have the capacity to think! But then, she saw something that she hadn't before. Sumia was smiling as she usually was, but he look in her eyes was one of pure ecstasy. She was finally confident in herself, it wasn't a nervous smile, but she was just plain happy. She was never even this happy when talking about her past lovers. She was committed to this notion, of being in love and not caring what curveballs the world threw at her.

And... although it pained her to say it, it really seemed as though Chrom would be happier with her, too.

"Oh... Sumia... I think... that it's wonderful."

It wasn't a lie in the slightest sense of the word, but something inside her felt really wrong when saying it. Shivers flooded throughout her body, she felt like she was going to throw up. But she didn't. She was a soldier, she had to stay strong. Especially for the ones she loved the most.

She looked up ahead to see him gazing into the distance. If only she'd taken a chance before, but he'd slipped from her grasp. If only...

She shook her head. No. There was no time to think about this. She had to move on. There was no choice.

But then when she made it home, even she couldn't stop herself from locking herself behind a locked bathroom door in the barracks, quietly sobbing to herself throughout the cold, lonely night.

Robin wandered into the castle courtyard. It was two days after thay had come back from their expedition to the border. The night was dark and peaceful, with a torch being the only source of light in the dark garden. The same wandering and occasionally intrusive thoughts flooded his head. Someone with no memories wouldn't have an awful lot to think about, but unfortunately, that was all he seemed to do. When he wasn't talking to the others, he would attempt to pick up a book, on strategy or other subjects, but the interest in the texts had never seemed to match the throbbing curiosity for his past.

Suddenly, the sound of footsteps caught Robin's attention. He looked up. It was none other than Chrom, pacing throughout the courtyard.

"Chrom?" He tried to get his attention. "What are you doing out so late?"

He turned around. "Oh, hi, Robin. Just... dueling with some unpleasant thoughts. There's something you should know, though ...Not everything Gangrel said was a lie. The last exalt, my father, waged war on Plegia for many years. The violence... It was a brutal compaign, ending only with his death 15 years ago. Plegia rightfully remembers their suffering, but his war was no kinder to his own people. As the fighting dragged on, out army became more and more diminished. Farmers who could barely wield a pitchfork were conscripted and sent to their deaths. Soon there was no food at all, and the kingdom began to collapse. I was young, but I remember those dark times... I know how they affected Emmeryn."

"Such an experience would change anyone." he responded.

"Indeed. When our father died before her 10th year, he left her quite the legacy... Plegia's desire for vengeance, Our own people's unbridled rage, My sister became a target for blame on all sides. Her own subjects began to hurl insults-and stones. She still bears the scar from one... But she never let them see her pain. Only Lissa and I understood."

"It must have been so hard..."

"I cannot claim to know how she does it, Robin. I could not greet such hostility with warmth and patience. While our people mocked and vilified her, she reached out and healed them. She brought soldiers home to their families. She ended the war. And when Ylisse's spirit was mended and the people "forgave" her?"He paused. "She never resented them for it. She represents the best part of the halidom-the part most worth protecting. She IS peace. But some men would take advantage of that. Men like King Gangrel. The day he understands peace will be the day death gives it to him. ...So perhaps I must be death's agent. Emmeryn would never order him killed, nor would I wish her to."

Robin nodded grimly.

"Chrom... I-"

"Wait! Did you hear something?" There was a faint rustling sound coming from the bushes.

"...I'm... not sure..." Robin looked around. There wasn't any sign of suspicious activity around. Nothing except...

"Look out!"

But it was too late. An assassin had made its way inside, and stabbed the prince in the side before he was able to draw his sword. Robin brandished his own sword and lunged forward. The assassin was incredibly fast. He tried to dodge, but the assassin managed to slice Robin's left arm. He could feel the blood trailing out of his body, and felt his arm go limp. But then, as his opponent prepared his killing strike, Robin rolled out of the way and cut him down from the rear, leaving his lifeless body to slump onto the stone. Robin was sweating. He clenched his arm, trying to stop the bleeding. He could hear a second one getting away, making his way to the castle. His heart raced.

"Chrom, are you all right?"

He grunted in pain. "...Get Lissa..."

Robin nodded frantically. "I'm on it."

And then he ran, desperately trying to cover his wound with the cuff of his cloak. Little did he know that the mysterious invaders' army kept drawing nearer towards the city's walls.

Author's Notes

Hot damn, shit's going down, isn't it? There's something that seems to be missing from this story, though, I wonder what it is...

Yes, "Marth" is very much MIA, as was shown by this chapter, which means that this is in fact the doomed timeline where she originally came from, just 20 years earlier. I had dropped some subtle hints throughout such as the Shepherds not talking about the Risen attacks because, well, they didn't actually happen, as well as some events happening out of order. Almost the entire story from now on is going to involve playing around with the bad timeline, which should be tons of good fun.