Lucina stared out at a tumultuous sea. The smell of burnt flesh still lingered in the salty air. Bits of charred wreckage bobbed up and down in the rough waves; the smoke that clogged the sky made it difficult to discern, but it seemed that a storm was brewing across the horizon. Lucina paid little mind to that though; her thoughts lingered on the innumerable dead the clash with the Valmese navy had produced. How many men had died today? How many people had lost their fathers? Their husbands? Their sons?

"Excuse me, Princess. Can I have a word?"

Lucina sighed, and turned to face the person she least wanted to see at this moment: Her father's murderer, Robin.

"Is this a bad time?" he asked in response to her glare.

Lucina considered firing back the same question at him; his face was haggard, he had bags under his eyes, and he hadn't bothered to shave the stubble growing on his chin. This was natural, though, given the weight he must currently be experiencing for enacting a plan that had killed so many in such a merciless way.

She blinked. Wait, that's not right. Something like that couldn't possibly bother someone like him. Not given what he will go on to do.

"Say what you wish," she said tensely.

Robin looked away, as if trying to decide how to phrase what he was about to say. This was unusual; generally, the tactician knew whatever he was going to say long before he did so.

"Did... Did I do ever something like this?" he asked, gesturing to the sea. "In your time, I mean."

Lucina wanted to scream. She wanted to throttle him. This is nothing compared to what you did!

Instead, she controlled herself. "Nothing quite like this," she said in a measured tone. "You enacted many clever traps against the Valmese forces, but in my time you fought them ten years from now, in Ylisse, and did not have the means to execute a plan like this."

"...That so..." Robin murmured, going to place his hands on the railings as he looked out at the water. His back was completely exposed to her.

"I had hoped that the other me had experienced something similar, and that he had arrived at an answer that could justify what I did today. I had hoped that you could aid me with this."

Lucina said nothing.

Robin sighed, then turned to face her. "Hey, Princess, why haven't you tried to kill me yet?"

Lucina's heart leapt into her throat. "Wh-what?! I-I would never-"

"Drop the act. You've wanted me dead since the moment you arrived in this time."

The former exalt was now actively forcing down a panic. She had known Robin was a cunning man, and had been as cautious as she could both in her interactions with him and in her observations of him. She had accepted that it would be impossible to hide her intentions from the tactician completely, but she was not in the slightest prepared for a direct confrontation with him.

"How can you make such a claim?!" she demanded with all of the self-righteousness that she could muster.

"It's simple. In your time, I murdered Chrom."

Lucina stared at him for a brief moment, then drew Falchion before she could even process a thought.

"Don't," Robin warned calmly.

Lucina paused, becoming aware of what she was about to do. She struggled to reign herself in, realizing that Robin was already perfectly positioned in the event that he was forced to fight her.

"You can't beat me," Robin continued, unperturbed. "You're not strong enough. Kjelle is nearly your equal, and I'm sure you saw what happened when she challenged me. And I am far, far more intimate with your fighting style than hers. So I would suggest listening to what I have to say." He smiled a bit sadly. "Besides, think of how sad Chrom would be."

"You-" she hissed.

Robin held his hand up, cutting her off. "Settle down. Though I'm sure you'll reject these words, Chrom is my most important friend. My only friend. I want him to live just as much as you do." He looked at her with a sidelong glance. "For the record, I was just hypothesizing about having killed Chrom in your time. That reaction cleanly proves me right, though."

She glared at him, gaze full of hatred. "How did you come to suspect such a thing?"

"I have a recurring nightmare. The same scene plays out in my dreams over and over again. Chrom and I fight Validar at the Dragon's Table. We defeat him. But in his death throes, he launches a final attack. I push Chrom out of the way, and take the attack in his stead. Validar somehow possesses me, and using my hands, strikes down Chrom."

The former exalt bit down hard on her lip, nearly drawing blood.

"Lucina," Robin continued. "Did you never think it strange that I woke up in that field the very same day you arrived in this time? I still don't know what caused me to lose my memories, but I suspect it's somehow connected to you. And likewise, so is this premonition."

The woman's grip tightened audibly on Falchion's hilt.

"I believe that the me of your time did not kill Chrom out of his own free will."

"Don't think that you can trick me!" Lucina spat.

Robin held up his hand once more. "Allow me to explain. Just give me the chance. After all, the reason you haven't killed me yet is because that's what you wanted to do, right?"

Lucina stepped back, shocked.

Robin had to suppress a grin. "Ah, it would seem another hypothesis has been confirmed. The other Robin was always in full possession of his memories."

Lucina couldn't believe what she was hearing. "Wh-what?!"

"Am I wrong?"

"...You are not. As best as I can deduce, the Robin of my time never had amnesia, and initially approached my father as an ex-Plegian."

"As I thought," the tactician nodded. "Why else would you spare my life? It should have been easy to kill me that first night, when I was still new to the world and couldn't possibly defend myself. Killing me then would've been tantamount to both saving your father and the world in your eyes." He looked back up at Lucina. "Yet you didn't. You allowed countless opportunities to slip through your fingers. And why? That's the question I keep circling back to, the one I have no answer for. Why spare me, when you know what I will go on to do? Perhaps you remember me as some doting uncle? Could it be that some latent affection for that man was what saved me?"

Lucina grimaced. Indeed, she had been fond of her "Uncle" Robin for the short time that she had known him. He had always been a quiet and furtive man, but the way he and her father had acted together, like true and genuine brothers, had given the little Lucina no doubt that the man belong alongside their family in Castle Ylisstol. She could remember the books he was constantly reading, she could remember his blunt but not unkind answers to her questions about the world, but the things that Lucina remembered most about him were his eyes, soft and sad.

It had made her hate him all the more, once she had learned the truth, once Lissa had confessed the revelation left behind by a dying Sir Frederick, the sole witness to Chrom's death. It had caused her rage to burn, to think that it had all been an act, that Robin had deceived them all so that he might commit a most unforgivable sin.

Before making her journey, she had hardened her heart. For the good of the world, for the sake of her father, that man who had been like family would die. But what her heart was not prepared for was finding a young Robin devoid of memory, a completely blank slate. She had been ready to murder a murderer, but was that what Robin would inevitably become now? Surely, Lucina had felt, with her father's guidance, this Robin could be kept off such a path. And so, she had parted ways with them, before the experience of being in her now-living father's presence overwhelmed her rationality and forced her to do something rash.

Many times, she had questioned her decision. Many times, she had felt the nagging urge to run Robin through while his back was turned, to then flee into the night so that her father would never understand what had happened. Lucina could not say with certainty that Robin was a good man. He was callous, and he came to keep his distance from anyone other than Chrom as time went on. But he had kept all of the Shepherds alive so far, something the Robin of her time had failed to do by this point. Because of him, the parents of her friends lived still, and he had yet to exhibit any displays that made her be suspicious of him being a Grimleal. And without question, his loyalty to Chrom was unshakable, no matter what angle Lucina looked at it from. And so, on her orders, the other future-past children, with the lone exception of Kjelle, had held off on attempts at assassinating Robin.

"...Why do you think that the other you did not kill my father?" the princess asked after some time.

Robin shook his head. "No, I'm certain that he did; it's just that he had no agency in the matter. But to answer your question, I think the other Robin, naturally, must have been a lot like me. And if he was, then I would hazard a guess that Chrom was the only person he was close to."

"And what makes you say that?"

He smiled forlornly. "I... I don't allow myself to get close to others easily. I think I finally understand why that is, but..." He waved his hand. "Never mind. That's not important. My point is, the Robin of your time was without question loyal to Ylisse."

Lucina raised an eyebrow. "What are you saying?"

"Think about it. Why would a Grimleal side with Ylisse against Plegia?" A hint of maliciousness gleamed in his eyes. "Do you have any, any idea how easily I could have crushed Ylisse? And that would have been even more so true for the other me. But neither of us did. Why is that? Ylisse is by far the most direct obstacle to the revival of Grima. It makes no sense for one seeking his resurrection to aid her."

There was truth to his words, Lucina had to admit. But one thing bothered her.

"Why... Why would reviving Grima even be a possible goal for you? Why do you speak as if the other Robin was once a Grimleal?"

"Ah, right. I'm jumping ahead of myself a bit. Well, it's not like I intend to hide this from you. It's the point around which everything revolves, after all."

Lucina looked at him in confusion as Robin calmly removed the glove from his right hand. For a moment, Lucina could not breathe as she stared at the Mark of Grima.

"I'm sure you know what this is," Robin said quietly. "Just like how Naga's blood flows through your veins, Grima's does through mine. ...No, actually, it's completely different. I am the chosen vessel of Grima. I am his Heart."

Lucina stood still for a moment, then lunged forward, drawing Falchion in a blur with the intent of striking the tactician down. Having expected this, Robin drew his sword in an instant and locked blades with her.

"You!" she screamed, voice filled with fury and hatred. Before her was the monster that destroyed her world.

"Ah, I see," Robin said somberly. "You didn't know about this part after all. I myself only remembered after Validar, my father, touched my mind. All of my locked up memories came flooding back shortly afterward. I was raised to become Grima incarnate." He grimaced. "No, even before that, I was bred to be so. I never had anything resembling a chance at a normal life."

"Silence!" Lucina shouted. "You expect me to feel pity for you, you damn monster?! How long have you hidden this from us?! From my father?!"

"Chrom already knows," Robin replied. "I told him almost immediately after I remembered."

Lucina nearly stepped back in shock, but managed to keep her pressure on Falchion. "You lie...! It's not possible that he would know this and yet...!"

Robin offered no argument.

"Grima, huh?" Chrom said. He sighed and ran his hand through his hair. He was sitting on a crate in the supply tent, shortly after the events on Carrion Isle. Robin stood before him. The prince glanced at his tactician. "...That's a bit of a problem."

"A bit of a problem" was a mild understatement. Robin wasn't sure if he should be grateful that Chrom wasn't trying to run him through.

"And you're sure about this?" Chrom asked.

Robin held out his right hand and removed his glove, revealing the Mark of Grima. "Without question. Ever since Validar approached me here, my memories have returned to me one by one. There's no question that he's my father. And now, I know for certain that I was raised to be the vessel for this Fell Dragon your daughter spoke of."

"My daughter..." Chrom blinked, then shook his head. "Sorry. Matter for a different time. I'm still getting used to all of this."

Robin smirked. "Honestly, in retrospect, I'm surprised that you figured out her nature as quickly as you did."

"Hey..."

Robin chuckled, but his face became deathly serious a moment afterwards. "Chrom, you should kill me."

It took a moment for Chrom to process what he had just heard, but when he did, he shot to his feet. "Robin, what the hell do you think you're saying?" he shouted angrily.

"It's a simple, rational decision. If I die, the world is instantly saved. Grima cannot manifest without me. It would take centuries before the Grimleal could groom another heir."

"...What of the hierophant?"

Robin blinked, stunned that he had managed to overlook such a significant detail. He stepped away, hand on his chin. "...I do not have a twin brother, as far as I can remember. But it is possible he was kept in seclusion, locked away from the world... A spare vessel..." He turned back toward Chrom. "Well, that just adds an extra step to the plan. Kill me, then kill the hierophant. Oh, and defeat Walhart along the way. I suppose we should leave me alive until I help you take care of the Conqueror; I'm not sure you could handle a campaign like that by yourself. But after that-"

Chrom suddenly grabbed Robin by the shoulders forcefully. "Listen to me carefully, you bastard. I'm not letting you throw away your life like that! I don't care what you're supposed to become, you're my friend, dammit!"

Robin stared at him with wide eyes. "Chrom..."

"Promise me you'll live!"

Robin assessed Chrom quietly, then moved the man's hands off of his shoulders. "...Alright, alright. I promise. I'll try to think of another way. I'll do some reading on Grima."

Chrom gave a heavy sigh as his shoulders slumped. "Naga, Robin, don't scare me like that." He paused, trying to think of a way to lighten the mood. "Imagine how sad little Lucina would be if her favorite babysitter went away."

"Pity the bigger one doesn't care for me much," Robin said as the two exited the tent.

"Hey now, don't get any funny ideas," Chrom grinned. "She's still my daughter."

Robin gazed distantly at the horizon. "Don't worry. Something like that's the farthest thing from my mind."

"Why do you think I'm telling you all this, Lucina?" Robin asked.

"Why should I care?!" she retorted.

"It's because you are the one who has the most right to judge me."

Of all the things Robin could have said, this was not something Lucina was in the least prepared for.

Robin took advantage of this and knocked her back, creating a small distance between the two. "...In honesty, I wasn't even sure if I would go through with this when I came to you," he murmured. "I made a promise to Chrom, but... After today..." He gestured to the surrounding sea bleakly. "...Well, let's just say I've gotten a taste of what I might become, and I don't care for it. Chrom has been going on and on lately about how the future isn't set in stone, but I've never been as much of an optimist as him. Doesn't mesh particularly well with my line of work." He looked back towards Lucina, his eyes intense. "...Lucina, if anyone in this world has the right to decide whether I live or die, it is most certainly you. That is why I have told you everything that I know. If you decide I must die, I will die. If you decide I must live, I will live. Everything is in your hands now."

Lucina had no idea how she was supposed to react.

"So what will you do now?" Robin asked quietly. "Will you try to kill me?"

He dropped his sword. Its clatter against the deck seemed to echo off the sea's waves for an eternity. To Lucina, it was a clear and deliberate invitation. If she truly attempted it, Robin would likely allow her to kill him at this moment. But in her heart, she knew that this fact alone would not permit her to do so.

"...No," she said at long last. "Father believes in you. And you seem truly intent on not letting Validar have his way. And most importantly, I doubt that we will prevail against Valm without your aid. So for the time being, I will give you a chance."

"For the time being."

She nodded. "I will withhold judgment until after Walhart's fall. After that time, I will decide what must be done." With that, she sheathed Falchion.

"...I see. That is... troublesome."

Lucina blinked. "...What?"

He grinned. "Honestly, I had hoped you would kill me here and now. I figured you would agree I needed to die. I didn't think I would be given a chance to get up false hope!"

She could only stare at him, dumbfounded.

Robin laughed. "Well, I'm still waiting for the other boot to drop. No matter how I look at it, disposing of me after we finish off Walhart and the Plegian hierophant is still the most sensible thing to do. I trust you'll make the right choice in the end." He paused, pensive. "...I mean, it's not like I have a right to life, do I...?" He bent down, picked up his sword, sheathed it, and made to take his leave. But he stopped, then turned back toward Lucina. "Oh, one more thing, Princess... If at any time you suspect that I'll turn traitor, I want you to promise me that you'll kill me before I can kill Chrom. Then and there, Walhart be damned."

Once more, Lucina was left nearly speechless. "You... you have my word."

Robin gave a smile similar to a smirk as thanks, then turned and walked away.

Lucina rested her back against a wall, then sank to a sitting position, shaking. Had she made the right decision in granting this man—that monster—reprieve? Had she here and now doomed the world in a moment of weakness?

Robin... Just what are you?