Disclaimer: I do not own Fire Emblem nor any of the characters in the franchise. I am in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of such content. No copyright infringement is intended.
Prologue
Only silence remained as the last of the Fell Dragon's Risen was cut down by Chrom's blade. Most of the other Shepherds laid exhausted or unconscious behind them while both he and his Tactician were worn down due to the hordes of Risen they had faced and the barrage of spells fired from the Dragon's Vessel "herself". The figure that could barely stand stared at the group with fury, an expression unfitting of the kind exterior that that she once held.
"Y-YoU...hOw? tHis cAn't bE HaPPening! i WAs suPPOSED TO BE REBORN! I AM A GOD!" shrieked the figure as "she" channeled the little energy "she" had left, an image of the Fell Dragon's head materializing above "her", radiating desperation and anger as it prepared one final attack.
"I won't let you hurt my friends any further!" responded Robin as he readied his tome and channeled "Ignis", the very power the Fell Dragon was supposed to hold.
With an angered roar towards the figure that had used its own power against it, the Dragon shot it's dark breath at the Tactician just as he unleashed a strengthened Thoron. While The Fell Dragon's breath would have normally been able to overwhelm such an attack, the wounds that the Vessel got before from taking various attacks, among them a breath attack from a Divine Dragon proved significant, as the thunder spell sliced through the Breath attack and pierced through the the Dragon, causing the head to roar in pain and vanish.
"NNGH...AUUUUGH...!" the Vessel cried as "she" fell down, barely able to support "herself" with an arm. Before "she" could get up though, Chrom was already in front of "her" by no more than a few feet, with the Falchion pointed at "her" throat.
"Its over Grima. You'll finally pay for the pain you've caused us and that Vessel you hold." said the Exalt calmly, though his eyes shone with conviction.
Robin could only watch with sadness, as he looked at the unfolding scene. The "Vessel" that the Fell Dragon currently held was him, or rather an alternative version of him, whose fate ultimately ended in tragedy. That Robin had not been as lucky as he was, having succumbed to the Fell Dragon's will much earlier on due to the deaths of her version of the Shepherds and more specifically, her lover at the hands of the Conqueror. When he had heard this from Lucina, he felt nothing but pity towards the the figure that could have been him and he could only hope that this final attack may finally put her to rest.
"Over?...nO iTS NOT OVER!" "She" screamed, surprising Chrom as he jumped back and watched as the Vessel desperately tried to force "herself" up once more, blood dripping from the wounds that "she" had suffered.
"It wasn't supposed to be like this..." "She" muttered before her seemingly dazed eyes from before shot open as "she" pointed at the Tactician.
"YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO BE MY VESSEL, SOMEONE WHO KNEW THIS ACCURSED FEELING, BUT WHAT HAPPENED INSTEAD? YOU FOUND ACCEPTANCE WITHIN YOUR LITTLE GROUP OF HUMANS. YOU EVEN GOT TOGETHER WITH THAT ACCURSED DIVINE DRAGON, THE VERY ANTITHESIS OF MY, NO OUR EXISTENCE! YOU BROUGHT ABOUT A MIRACLE! Yet WHY?! WHY? wHY? wHY? whY? Why? why? why...?"
As "she" muttered these words, "her" strength finally gave way before "she" collapsed onto the floor. Despite this, "she" still stared at Robin, the intensity of "her" gaze did lessen at all. Her voice however calmed, almost as if "it" became a soft whisper instead of the monstrous shriek "it" had before.
"Why...must I be born with this...pain...? It...hurts...it hurts so..much... Why...was I born...? Why...?" whispered the "Vessel" as Chrom sighed and prepared to land the finishing blow.
"Exalt...you..." whispered the vessel as "she" looked defiantly at "her" would be executioner, "her" expression defiant. "know...know that I will...return... And...when I do...I will tear...your decedents asunder...this pain...they will feel it...in full."
As Robin heard these words, he remembered what Naga had told him before. The Fell Dragon was all but immortal, but there was one and only one way to permanently kill it, and that was with its own power. As he stared at himself, stared at the mark that laid on his hand, and finally at the pitiful existence before him, he sighed.
Just as the Vessel had said, the fact that he had made it this far was nothing short of a miracle. There were casualties of course, many among them, people he desperately wished to save but couldn't for one reason or another. Despite this, after they found out the true identity of the girl that had called herself Lucina and what befell their world, after they found out that the "Hierophant" of Plegia that presented "herself" as his sister's true identity, after they learnt that from the children of the future just how many did not make it, what could this situation be but a miracle?
As he tightened his fists, he could feel the blood coursing through his veins, the blood of the Fell Dragon yet despite this, he had made it this far. If Chrom ended the Fell Dragon with Falchion, it would only awaken again in 1,000 years, threatening a new generation and condemning another in his place. This scenario in itself was a miracle because in the Tactician's hands laid the ability to finally put this cycle to rest, at a cost. If he did not make the choice now, when would the next chance come, if ever? If he made the choice, he could ensure the safety and happiness of generations to come, he could ensure THEIR happiness and compared to that, how could his own happiness ever compare?
Tiki...Morgan...Chrom...I'm sorry.
With this final thought finished, he fired a weakened version of Thunder at Chrom which knocked him away from Grima. As the Exalt laid on the floor paralyzed, he could only stare at what his tactician as he began channelling "Ignis" once again.
"Robin...gods...what are you doing?" he muttered. As he said such words, Naga's Voice, the manakete that Robin had sworn the rest of his life with, got up as well as she struggled against her wounds.
"Robin...please...don't do this..." she said as well. This seemed to hold a larger impact on Robin, as tears began flowing from his eyes.
Tiki had been someone that Robin found solace in. Despite her being someone that was his bloodline's antithesis, she comforted him and saw him as any other despite his fate. While his mark pulsed with pain, he did not care, as Tiki was one of the biggest reasons why he was standing where he was now and not like the Vessel before him, someone that served as a reminder that he was not just the Fell Dragon's Vessel, but a person. Seeing her pleas, his resolution was shaken, but he could not let that happen. It was for those like her after all, that he was about to do what he was going to do. Even if it took an eternity for her to forgive him, it did not matter, he would wait.
"Sorry...But I'll finally put this pain, this bloodline to rest. For the first and last time, I'll act not as Robin of the Shepherds, but as the Vessel of the Fell Dragon." he said, stunning everyone present.
"No...no...no...no no no no no you wouldn't dare...!" muttered Grima as an expression of true fear slowly crept onto the Vessel's expression.
"But as Robin of the Shepherds, if there's one thing I'll say, I'm glad I can finally give my life to protect those that I care for..." he muttered before letting loose one final attack.
With a Thoron enhanced by "Ignis", the attack shot through the Vessel, shot through Grima. Surprisingly, there was no screams or shouts of pain, but a simple whimper before the Vessel and Grima fell over.
"I...it...hurts...it...it...I...its..." was all that was whispered by Grima before the Vessel began vanishing, trails of darkness whose components were long lost to the present flowing into the distance as it happened.
Before the rest of its body faded away, the expression worn by the Vessel was no longer a scowl, nor was it one of fear and anguish as it showed before. While the others didn't see nor hear it nor could it be more than a brief moment, Robin could have sworn he saw the Vessel's expression changed into that of a smile before she, it whispered one final time;
"...thank...you..."
With that, Robin fell to his knees as the same thing began happening to him, his existence fading away just as the Fell Dragon's had. It started down at his legs and cloak as it slowly progressed up, his expression changing from a pained one to that of acceptance. As he began to fade, the effect of the Fell Dragon's presence along with the effects of Robin's spell from earlier weakened, and both Tiki and Chrom ran to Robin and held him, as if they were trying to stop him from slipping away.
Robin's vision along with the rest of his senses blurred as he began to see the other members of the Shepherds begin to recover. He felt Tiki's tears drip onto his face along with the tight hold that his friend Chrom held him with, but even those feelings began to slip away. Off at a distance, he could see Morgan slowly forcing herself up, only to look in confusion and fear as she looked at what was happening to him. Before she could come though, his vision became too blurred and he felt everything fading away. With the last of his strength, he muttered the following;
"Thank you...for everything...Chrom...Tiki...everyone...may we meet...again...in a...better...life..."
At the final moment, the Fell Dragon's body vanished, and the Shepherds once again found themselves back on the rugged terrain of Origin Peak, their victory assured to them, and the generations to come. Despite this however, there was only feelings of sadness for now as the Shepherds mourned their lost Tactician, whom had sacrificed everything to grant them salvation.
As Robin hazily began to open his eyes, he found himself in the middle of an endless sea and to his surprise, he remained afloat despite such. Looking around him, the skies were clear and not even a breeze of wind could be felt. As the realities of such absurdities dug themselves into his consciousness, he saw a woman looking into the distance. She was a beautiful one, with a seemingly simple cyan dress and smooth orange hair. As he looked at her, the girl turned to face him and smiled a bit.
"It seems you're awake. When I found you, it was quite surprising. I had thought I separated myself from the general out realms so I didn't expect to see you here." she said.
"Where...am I...?" asked Robin weakly. Even now, he could feel his existence slipping away. As he took notice of this, it seemed that whatever this place was, he probably didn't belong here.
"You would be correct. Normally, you wouldn't even be able to remain as you are here, but it seems your will holds strong, though even that has limits." she replied, much to Robin's surprise.
Hearing what had happen, Robin would have normally be startled and then intrigued by the fact that this woman seemingly read his mind, but in his current state, all he could do was let out a light laugh. As Robin continued to look at the woman, he could see that there was a certain sense of wisdom...timelessness within her eyes. As he thought such, he was reminded of Tiki again.
"Tell me, do you want to stay here? If you do, I can promise you that your passing will be peaceful and painless. No one would blame you, and you could finally rest."
Such words were alluring to Robin as the tiredness he felt before, tugged on him. Despite this, the images of his friends, the Shepherds tugged at him. More so than this though, was the image of the woman he had sworn to be with for eternity, the one that he promised he would wait an eternity for if needed. He thought of what could have been if things were different, nothing but a glimpse of fantasy to him but he imagined him and her, along with their child Morgan playing together, in a remote village somewhere. He imagined them living their lives free from the burdens that they were dealt. As he imagined this, he smiled a bit. Even if it was a fantasy, he was happy that he could be permitted hold such a beautiful thought before the end.
"Do you want to see her?" she suddenly asked, which made Robin turn his attention to her.
"Do you want a chance to grab such a future?"
"Do you want a chance to fix these burdens? If not for yourself, then for those which may become who you are now?"
As he heard these words, Robin couldn't accept these words, this hope that was being presented to him as reality. Despite such though, he felt like he still had to take the chance. He had promised to wait after all, and as such, even if this woman was being cruel, even if such words were simply comforting lies, he would still take the chance.
"Yes...!" he muttered with as much energy as he could muster, and the girl let out a bright simile in response. As this happened, he suddenly no longer found his existence fading away, instead he began to slowly sink into calm sea, much to his surprise. Even though this would have been a scary situation for most, he could find no fear, but strangely, only happiness and more importantly, hope, he could only feel what she had promised him.
"Who...are you?" he managed to ask, as he sank further, his consciousness beginning to leave him. Before it did though, the woman answered.
"I had many names, but you can call me Ashunera. The path that lies ahead of you is riddled with conflict and perhaps loss, but I wish you luck in your endeavor."
As he heard these words, his consciousness finally faded as he drifted down to what laid ahead.
For a while, all Robin could see was darkness, all he could think about was darkness but all of that was blown aside as bright purple flames ignited his consciousness as he looked on ahead of him. He seemed to be in a cavern of sorts though what lay ahead of him held much greater importance. As the bright purple flames danced around him, flames that he recognized as those with the attribute of the Fell Dragon, his suspicions were all but confirmed when numerous dark spikes shot out from underground around him.
In front of the Tactician much to his horror, was numerous Risen as they began to crawl their way out of the rugged dirt of the cavern. At the center however, was the true concentration of his fears. An all too familiar dragon laid there, with four wings of feathers darker than the night sky, scales that glittered purple with the flames that surrounded it, horns with tips that would give even the sharpest of spears a run for their money, and finally the eyes. Six eyes that glowed with a purple malice stared at him all but confirmed who the dragon was.
"Grima?! No, how? I ended things with that attack, this shouldn't be possible." Robin yelled, but then he realized it.
The dragon before him had Grima's features, but it seemed...weaker. The most significant difference was the size. Though this dragon was big, no matter how big a cavern this was, it would not fit the monstrosity that was the Fell Dragon. That along with the overall less powerful aura the dragon gave off, indicated to Robin that it wasn't Grima yet it was at the same time. As he thought about it though, he suddenly noticed a bunch of humans that seemed to be fighting the dragon.
The two leaders seemed to be a male with green armor that seemed to symbolize leadership itself and a sword that seemed to radiate power while the girl was dressed in an outfit befitting of a noble yet held a certain aura to it, drawing out the power of flames through the tome she was using. The rest of their army got ready as they prepared to fight the Grima like dragon and its Risen. Before they did though, the dragon almost seemed to stare intently at the Tactician despite the two leaders and army not realizing he was there.
"Come..." muttered the dragon, whose words surprised Robin. Did the dragon know he was there?
"Come...Kill...Pain...!" was all he heard, before the flames around him erupted intensely, and soon after, his vision was gone again and back was the darkness from before followed by a loud *THUD*.
"Gah! Gods what was that?!" yelled the Tactician, crying out in pain. Seeing that he laid face up on the ground with a darkened sky above him, he slowly began to force himself up.
Guess that was a dream huh... he thought, before taking a look at his surroundings.
What lay before him was a cemetery, riddled with numerous gravestones big and small, new and broken. With thunder rumbling in the skies and not a person in sight, Robin wondered what kind of graveyard he was dumped in. As he thought such though, a few growls could be heard which made him look around.
Numerous rotten creatures faced him, their eyes glowing with an otherworldly energy as they stared at the newcomer with expressions that radiated malice. There were a variety of creatures, some humanoid, others having similar forms to dogs, but all one-hundred percent "dead".
"Ha...I guess that explains why the yard was empty eh?"
In such a situation, people would have a variety of different emotions. Most people would probably pee their pants in fear, others would crouch down and accept their inevitable fate, but few could click their tongue in annoyance, almost as if it was just another day of minor inconveniences when faced with such a threat.
"Looks like no matter where I end up...there will always be conflict." he sighed as he readied his tome, the energy in it crackling with anticipation at his fingertips.
In such a situation, the tactician known as Robin prepared himself once more for a fight just as he had not long ago.
Author's Note
And that's it for this chapter. Did you enjoy it? Did you feel things could be improved upon? If you have any suggestions, improvements, or questions that could be made, I would love to hear them. For now though, until next time.