No Sacrifice Too Great
"You ready for this?"
"No time like the present, Father."
Chrom watched the clouds move swiftly underneath him as Grima's form rocketed through the Plegian skies. All over the dragon's body, Shepherds were locked in deadly combat against the most brutal legions of Risen the dragon of death had to offer. His tactician offered to cover his back as Chrom and Lucina were teleported right behind Grima's human form. Not even phased, the Robin-lookalike turned slowly, cackling maniacally as he raised his free hand, conjuring dark clouds and unnatural fire that darkened the skies above.
"So... the two heroes of Ylisse against her destroyer. Two fangs of Naga versus Grima in the flesh. Shall I murder you in front of your loved ones once more, child of Marth?"
Chrom gulped, his determination unwavering but the adrenaline and nervousness showing in the slight quiver in his hand and perspiration on his brow. Beside him, Lucina had a much different approach to the monster in front of her. Gone was the fear and hesitation that plagued her these last few years. Her conviction was fueled only by the hatred and animosity towards the demon in front of her.
"Lucina," Grima droned, laughing as more and more lightning and fire danced overhead, "I hope you're ready for Ylisse to fall a second time-"
"Not while I draw breath!" Lucina cried, charging forward with her father right behind her. Grima expertly ducked underneath the blades and countered with lightning from his hands, blasting Parallel Falchion out of its owner's grip and embedding itself on the behemoth's backside, far out of reach. Snarling, Lucina drew her bow and fired off three arrows before Chrom joined in, sweeping underneath Grima's legs with Falchion even as his daughter's arrows whistled over his head and towards their foe. In an inhuman display of agility, Grima contorted his body in midair over the first arrow, before grabbing the next two out of the air and stabbing them into Chrom's ribcage. The prince recoiled from the twin wounds he had just suffered, backing away a few feet to free up space.
"Gragh- Not like this!" Chrom ignored the burning in his chest and struck once more, only for Grima to grab Falchion by the blade, staring Chrom in the eye even as Lucina drew another arrow.
"H-how... are you not hurt?" Chrom gasped, the dragon just inches away from his face and still maintaining control over the glowing blade.
"I am hurt," Grima whispered threateningly, "but I can take it!"
For emphasis, Grima watched passively as Lucina released her shot, the arrow careening with such force that the arrow; head, shaft, flight, and all, pierced through the dragon's chest and out the other side, clattering with a hollow sound before the wind swept it away. Chrom could only stare helplessly as blood ran down Grima's chest, along with both palms as Falchion was locked firmly in his grasp.
"H-huh?" Lucina hesitated, before knocking back another arrow for what would be her fifth shot.
"Don't bother, little girl," Grima laughed, kicking Chrom in the face and flipping Falchion so that he now wielded the only weapon that would harm him. The weapon seemed to complain as an unworthy hand gripped the blade, but with his own blood staining Falchion's hilt and handle, Grima felt even more empowered holding his adversary's weapon. Just as Lucina released the shot, the cloaked god twirled Falchion expertly around him, splitting the arrow in half by either side of his head. With that, Grima threw Falchion into the distance, where it landed next to its counterpart from the future.
"Ah, the bite of combat! Such a rejuvenating sensation... One sting is all it takes to bring you back to a better time..." Grima announced, the blood from his hands running freely down his fingertips onto the dragon's back below.
"I guarantee you this will more than just sting."
Grima turned to see Robin, unarmed except for the lightning crackling by his fingertips. The tactician had bested the foes that befell Chrom and Lucina moments before and had now rushed to their aid, not a moment too soon.
"So, we're not to beat each other with pointy metal sticks then?" Grima mocked, before alighting with magic of his own. Kicking the groaning Chrom aside, Grima and Robin stood each other down before Robin unexpectedly turned his hands towards himself and let loose.
"W-what!?" Chrom gasped, struggling to a crawl to aid his friend who was in the process of incinerating himself.
"R-robin..." Lucina whispered, knowing exactly what Robin was doing. But... she didn't think he would do it.
The sheer volume of lightning streaming from his hands set his beloved cloak ablaze, not to mention the skin underneath. Burning on the outside and being fried alive, Robin couldn't help but scream in agony as he felt his vitals failing, one by one.
"W-what are you doing, you idiot-" Grima screamed, taken aback and feeling his own essence fading.
"W-wh... what I should have done... f-from the s-s..." Robin wheezed, falling to the ground in a charred heap. By the time his eyes closed, what was left of Robin's face was contorted into a cocky, victorious grin.
"Robin!" Chrom yelled, finally reaching the tactician's corpse and feeling for a pulse. Clutching the limp wrist in despair, the Exalt of Ylisse could only shake his head at the bitter victory that was just won.
"That fool... got the best of me..." Grima said in defeat, bowing his head and accepting his death without struggle. "I'm... impressed..."
Grima faded, with one last scoff to the mortals beneath him, before disappearing into nothingness.
And the war was won.
"The war... is ended."
Chrom stood atop the Fell Dragon's corpse, Falchion plunged into Grima's draconic skull, with his... no... Robin's Shepherds standing below him.
"Never again will Grima plague this world." He paused again, looking at Falchion, the glow having subsided and the edge back to its steely grey color.
"I owe you all far more than words can repay, my friends..." Looking again, this time to his Shepherds, Chrom felt a pang in his gut when a certain cloaked individual wasn't present.
"Especially Robin... who gave his life... to secure victory one last time. To save this world, and every other..."
Chrom bowed his head in eulogy, before Lissa's quiet sobbing reached his ears. Aside from Frederick, she was the only one next to Chrom on Grima's skull, for obvious reasons.
"Poor Robin... after everything he did..."
"Don't worry Lissa," Chrom assured, looking towards the sunrise in the distance. "He'll come back to us. Our friendship was strong enough-"
Chrom stopped when someone tapped his shoulder. Wait. Everyone else was below him on the ground, right? Right? Lissa had her face buried in her hands, and Frederick was too far away... so-
"Yep. Hey everyone! I'm back!"
Lo and behold, Robin stood as if nothing was amiss, fresh as ever, and none the worse for wear as he patted Chrom's back and threw back his head in joyful laughter.
"W-what?! Already?" The somber mood of the Shepherds disappeared almost instantly as Robin waved to his Shepherds below. "Grima died literally an hour ago!"
"No thanks to you, useless swordsman," Robin laughed with a chuckle. "And where's Lucina!? Useless future princess..."
"Robin's... back?!" Lucina gaped, hiding behind another Shepherd in the crowd. "And I am not useless..."
Robin smiled mischievously over his flock below, each of the eyes looking back at him still in shock at his sudden return.
"Now that the war's over... let's get to the serious part," he challenged, his smirk only amplified by killing a god by killing himself, only for Naga to dump his ass back where he died after a brief conversation.
"Now what?" Chrom wondered, seeing how Lucina's future had been averted. "What could possibly be wrong now?"
Robin's cocky smirk didn't budge an inch.
"I am still abhorrently single."