Fire Emblem: Awakening

The Realm of Memories

written by Kurosu.

- Prologue.

The weight of the sword ripped through the decayed flesh of the Risen warrior, and the creature dispersed into nothing, leaving a direct line of vision to the one that could end it all. Dark eyes met, one pair inviting the other, to accept one's destiny, to become a god. Through all their struggles and sacrifices, two huge wars, Robin did not come to destroy what she had strove to protect: a future of peace for her children and all her loved ones.

Grima smiled, an expression of arrogance. The rest of the world faded into the darkness when all the Fell Dragon, in human form, could see was the heart that would return, and a new era would rise from the ashes of destruction, under the reign of a god.

"Return to me... Come..."

The voice boomed in her ears, and Robin clutched the hilt of the sword tightly in her hand, blocking an ax from swinging down upon her. She gritted her teeth, struggling against the strength of the Risen, but from the corner of her eye, she saw a dark flash from her right side. She blinked and growled, and with a sudden burst of energy, she let out a battle cry and pushed forward, her right leg kicked her opponent in the gut, retreating just as Chrom dashed in to the space between her and the Risen.

With Falchion in his hands, he sliced the undead across its body, from the waist upwards to the shoulder, cutting through the ax. Robin watched the destroyed weapon, in two pieces, fall to the ground. With another opponent down, she still had to be wary of others targeting them, yet at the same time, she had to make a path towards Grima. She stared ahead, already formulating a plan, a direction to take the battle. Her breath was ragged, adrenaline still pumping through her veins, and when she had decided on the course, she felt a familiar gentleness take hold of her forearm.

She remembered he had saved her and jerked her head to Chrom, whose face was a mixture of sorrow and graveness. He met her eyes with firm resolution, a surprise within her own at his expression because it was something she rarely saw when it was just the two of them. He had always relied on her to make the crucial decisions, on and off the battlefield, but here he was, giving her the choice that he had made, that he had promised himself.

"We do this together, Robin," he stated, his voice strong and steady as if telling her he was not changing his mind nor could she convince him otherwise. He was her general, and she, his chief tactician. She had spoken those words to him before, but now, it was only right that they end this war together.

She nodded her wordless reply. Even though she agreed to the collaboration, deep down, she knew she had to end this battle her way. She had already decided, without consulting him at all, since the moment Naga spoke to them on Origin Peak.

"We will end this."

His final words brought her back to the present time. He finally saw the lit determination in her eyes, the beautiful image of her when she barked out orders to their comrades or an ingenious plan had surfaced from her mind. He smiled, finding it difficult to ignore in the middle of battle, not that he ever wanted to overlook her, period, but there was a time and a place for that too.

He mirrored her expression, both resolved to face Grima together, and with a nod to each other, they charged forward, side by side. Any opposition in their path was cut down, with him handling those on the front lines while she picked the walking corpses from behind with her magic. They fought, together, in step, bodies slipping by one another to cover the other person's vulnerable side. It was like a beautiful waltz between them, a magical moment in the heat of battle, and none dared to disrupt the harmony, less one wanted to be cut down like the fallen Risens.

The sound of their ragged breathes, the pulse of their beating hearts, all echoed in a timeless vacuum, but it happened in mere seconds, toppling the Risen soldiers around them. Even battling through the undead army, an ever observant Robin still kept her eyes nearby, taking note of their comrades fighting too. Her mind working non-stop, plotting, strategizing and processing every second of the battle, not even the shadow passing overhead was missed.

She recognized the large form belonging to Minerva. The wyvern dove down, and she caught a glimpse of the rider, a javelin in hand, ready to be thrown at the enemy, but what her surprised her more was the second figure leaping off the animal's back into the crowd of Risen below. Lucina had somersaulted to the ground - more specifically the Fell Dragon's scaly back - and began attacking while Gerome had given her support from the air. She had quickly dispatched the undead archers before it could bring any harm to her partner and his wyvern companion.

On the other side, Morgan had rode a transformed Nah into a group of Risen soldiers, where the latter destroyed many of them with just her fiery breath. The young boy followed the charge with his own fire magic, roasting the leftover Risen. He saw Robin and Chrom below, in their pursuit of the path to Grima, and realized they were trying to make the shortest and quickest route.

"Nah!" he called to her, "We need to help mother!"

The young manakete understood his intentions, even the 'mother' that he referred to was his own since he always called her so, and made her way to the Risens protecting Grima. They had to clear the route for Chrom and Robin, and everyone knew that the two were the only ones who could defeat the Fell Dragon, and Robin's plans had centered around it, though they did not expect the endless amount of Risens to be dealt with.

Lucina stabbed a Risen and kicked it off her sword before turning to the right side, cutting the next one in half. She glanced periodically towards her father and frowned at the amount of Risen in that direction. "Gerome!" she called to her partner.

At the shout of his name, he guided his wyvern around and flew lower to a running Lucina, who then took a huge leap into the air towards him. She landed on Minerva, and Gerome quickly grabbed her hand to secure her footing on the moving wyvern. She sat down behind him and wrapped her arms around his torso, telling him, "We have to help them through."

Gerome nodded and turned Minerva towards Grima. The pair could see that Morgan and Nah had the same intentions and smiled. "You two really take after your parents," the solemn wyvern rider spoke quietly, and that only made Lucina's smile widened, proud that she and her little brother took after the two greatest parents in the world.

Both wyvern and manakete neared the front lines, and when they were close enough, Lucina and Morgan leapt from their respective rides. The siblings regrouped together while their companions took care of them from the skies. Like their parents, they found their similar fighting styles to fall into sync with each other, though Morgan wasn't adept with the sword like the rest of his family - something he would have to catch up on after the war was over - but that didn't stop him from being an asset.

The sibling pair did their fair share of bringing down the Risen army, and a few of the Shepherds were able to catch up and push back the undead as much as they could. When there was a break in the circle of Risens, Lucina shouted, "Father! Mother! Now's your chance!"

Chrom had just pivoted from the strike of a lance, allowing his wife to send a lightning bolt at point blank to the enemy's disgusting face. At the urge of their daughter's voice, he grabbed Robin's wrist and broke into a run for the gap. They ran by a smiling Morgan, who gave them a thumb's up, before sending the nearby Risen ablaze. Several arrows and javelins flew overhead and landed into a mass of Risen warriors, and the sounds of magic being cast, but it was the many voices of their friends supporting them from afar that brought smiles to their faces and the promise of a peaceful future for everyone.

Robin couldn't let Grima succeed, and she swore she would wipe the arrogant smirk off the Fell Dragon's human form. She hated that it took her own appearance, but at the same time, she was glad it was deeply connected to her. The flash of lightning left her hand, targeting the prideful god, but the magic dispersed against an invisible barrier.

Grima narrowed her eyes at Robin, like her rebellious nature truly offended the dragon god. "Return to me," the god growled, "Come... We are one... and the same..."

"Never!" came Chrom's voice, "Robin is different!" Grima, shocked, finally saw the Ylissean ruler come from a blind side, wielding the magnificent blade of Falchion. He swung the holy weapon, the metal glistened, matching the fiery eyes of its owner, "I'll never let you have her!"

With a single arc of the blade, it sliced through the magical field protecting the god, shattering it, and the very tip of the holy sword nicked a layer of skin across the torso, drawing blood.

Grima gaped at the red wound, appalled that a god could bleed so easily. The vessel of a mortal was fragile indeed, and her arrogance had paid for it dearly. Like a child having lost her toy, she screamed in frustration, "Why have you forsaken your destiny?! You are a god!"

She eyed menacingly at Chrom, the champion of Naga, the source of all her problems, the reason Robin refused to accept godhood! She couldn't let him continue to exist, and she would show Robin that any who defied the Fell Dragon would perish, no one was an exception - not even her, though she would prefer the heart to be intact. Her fists began to glow with enormous power, and a sense of deja vu crept down Robin's spine.

Wide-eyed, the tactician sprinted towards Chrom and shoved him to the side, just as the bolt of magic skimmed right by them. Chrom braced his right leg firmly on the ground, along with Falchion next to him, supporting his and Robin's sudden weight thrown at him. His left arm wrapped around her waist securely as she pressed a hand to his chest and pushed back slightly from him. She returned her own magical attack to Grima, who took a direct hit but managed to remain on her feet.

She shared a brief knowing look with Chrom, and he nodded before giving a squeezing hug and darting away from her. She charged up her spells again and ran in the opposite direction, casting several thunder spells at the dragon god, while evading Grima's own power. Chrom deflected the magic with Falchion, and both were able to divide the attention of the angry god, whose magic was all over the place, unintentionally zapping nearby Risens.

Magic against magic, both neutralized each other's attacks, and Grima wondered how the female vessel had grown so powerful, practically rivaling the god's powers. She had initially been weak when they first met, and she was only a container for Grima's heart, nothing more. It was impossible for a mere human to bring a god's downfall, and she would not have it either.

She attacked again with a blast of golden light, missing Robin by inches, and instead of getting a similar thunder spell in retaliation, the blade of the Falchion appeared again. Chrom's eyes promised a better reunion between sword and dragon god, this time, making a deeper slash across her abdomen. The crimson liquid began to soak around the cut fabric, but there was not a second to react when Robin followed the attack with a straight blast to Grima's chest, aimed at the spot where the heart of the god laid beneath the flesh.

Gasping heavily between breaths, Grima crumbled to a heap on the ground, knees fallen in defeat, at the hands of mortals. An embarrassment to one belonging of godhood, she wallowed in her humiliation, staring wide-eyed at her hands. She had been truly brought down from her throne, the goal of destruction was no longer within grasp.

Robin knew that the god had fallen, physically and mentally, and their lives, their future rested on this moment of weakness. It was because of them, her family and friends, that she wanted to end the nightmare. Her hand twitched, coming to terms of the consequences her action would cause, but she had already decided. She would take the path of sacrifice. Her hand glowed of magic once more, and she lifted it up towards Grima.

In the few seconds of staring at a defeated Grima, Chrom was ready to find closure from the madness. He clutched the hilt of Falchion and looked over to his wife. He found her gazing at the dragon god too, but there was something in her expression that worried him. A look of pain, sorrow but finality of acceptance at one's own duty for the sake of others, and he realized what the expression meant and could imagine that his beloved sister, Emmeryn, had worn it too.

Chrom couldn't accept it. He refused to accept a decision she made alone. He jumped in between her and Grima, caught both off guard, lifting the glowing Falchion above his head. With one final strike, he swung the holy blade upon Grima, a faint smile upon the god's lips, and the Fell Dragon gradually faded away, being sent back into a deep slumber for another thousand years. The many Risens around the Shepherds soon followed, disappearing into dark clouds.

The Falchion returned to its sheathe as the young Ylissean ruler stared at the woman who was everything to him, from good friend and comrade, a magnificent tactician, to a devoted, loving wife and mother. He could not allow Grima to rob him, them of someone so special, so wonderful from the world. He looked at her with such soft, loving eyes, watching the magic light fade from her hand, and all he wanted to do was take her in his arms and reassure her that it was the right path.

The chance to end the Fell Dragon permanently was gone, and Robin wasn't sure what to make of it. Half of her relieved that she still stood before her husband, yet the guilt ate at her conscience, for allowing her selfishness to deterred her will. She looked at him, unsure of her own voice and eyes silently apologizing. About making the decision to destroy Grima without him or about not sacrificing herself to end it all, she wasn't sure. Maybe both.

She opened her mouth to speak to him, "Chrom, I-"

"Father! Mother!"

The voices of their children brought them out of their daze, and they found the two kids running towards their parents, but the solid form of the huge Fell Dragon that they were still on became unstable. After the essence of Grima disappeared, the whole creature was turning to stone and began crumbling apart and falling out of the skies. The last ounce of power from Naga had sent Grima back into slumber, but it left everyone stumbling upon the shattered remains of the dragon.

Those that had a pegasus or wyvern or could transform into a manakete picked up as many of their comrades as they could. Chrom had grabbed Robin in the chaos, and the two made their way towards the siblings who were in each other's embrace, but in the end, those left on the dragon's back plummeted into the ocean below.

Chrom and Robin, whose hold on each other remained, came up to the water surface for air, with the salty ocean spluttering from their mouths. They quickly looked around, searching for their children and the rest of their friends, and one by one, everyone popped up safely from the ocean, even Lucina and Morgan where the latter was laughing and insisting that they do that again.

"Morgan!" his sister gave him a scolding look, "You are too carefree in this situation!"

He pouted, "Isn't it okay? I mean we just defeated Grima!"

Robin sighed, relieved that the two kids were all right, but then she thought about their future, and the far future of their descendants where Grima could return. The arm around her gave her a tight squeeze, and she looked to her husband, whose smile reassured her of the path that they took.

She shook her head, "I should've destroyed Grima. I wanted a peaceful future for our children, our friends... and those who will be born hundreds of years from now..."

"There is no future without you," Chrom spoke to her gently, brushing the wet strands of hair from her face, and cupped her cheek within his hand.

She placed her hand over his and closed her eyes, enjoying his warmth, but the guilt tugged at her heart, which he noticed pained her delicate features, "Our bonds are strong. I would've return to you."

He cupped her other cheek with his other hand, telling her, "Look at me, Robin."

She slowly opened her eyes and met his lovely blue orbs. She could feel herself drowning in them as he gazed lovingly at her. Even though he was smiling, she could tell he had been worried too. He leaned his forehead against hers, speaking softly, "It's not that I don't believe in the strength of our bonds, but I couldn't take that risk.

"All that I've sacrificed, since Emm," the steadiness in his voice faltered a bit at the mention of his sister, but he continued to meet her eyes, almost pleading to her, "let me be selfish, just this once."

Robin couldn't believe the words that left his mouth. The man who was kind, gentle, a bit clumsy at times, strong and most of all selfless, the man she loved, would risk her life to protect, was unwilling to let her die because he was selfish. The thought of it was just absurd, and she wanted to laugh, but instead, the tears trickled from her eyes. He kissed her forehead and wiped the tears away.

She sighed, slumping her shoulders a bit, "Chrom, I concede."

He blinked at her, in confusion, "What?"

"My first loss against you," she explained, with a hint of irritation and a blush across her cheeks, giving into his request to be a greedy person just once.

Chrom laughed and hugged his wife, "Thanks. I think."

Lucina and Morgan swam over to their parents and joined in their familial embrace, both supporting their father's decision. "Don't worry, mother!" Morgan piped in with his overzealous persona, "We'll find a way to make things right! I know it seems crazy, but look at all you've accomplished! Right, Luci?!"

The girl nodded, matching her brother's bright smile, and echoed Chrom's earlier words, "I cannot imagine a future without you, mother. Not anymore. You need to live - for me, and all those who love you. Everyone would agree!"

Robin looked at her children, then to her husband, and around her, in the waters and in the skies, her friends were all smiling warmly in agreement. They were happy with the results, not having to sacrifice a precious comrade to save the world. They believed in her and in the future, where their descendants would defeat the Fell Dragon just as they did, because their was nothing greater in strength than the bonds they created.

"Thank you, everyone," she smiled. She hugged her two children tightly, placing a kiss on each of their crown, and leaned into her husband's embrace.

"Don't you see?" Chrom began, and she lifted her eyes to him, "You belong with us. We want you here to share our present." He brushed his thumb lightly over her lips, admiring the alluring beauty of his tactician against the orange hue of the setting sun, and leaned towards her, his warm breath upon her lips, "And help create our future."

Notes: Finally got around to writing a FE:Awakening piece. I've adore this series for a long time now, especially this particular game, and as you can see, Chrom-Robin are my favorite pairing, followed by Lucina-Gerome because of their support, lol. I have no major preference for the others, as long as I get my favorite one, lol.

Anyway, this isn't a one-shot. Hmm, well I really want to explore Robin's past and the reconstruction of Plegia and the idea of the Grimaleal in the aftermath. *shrugs* I haven't gotten too far in my brainstorming. My attention has been divided among several stories that I must continue, lol... so you get this in the mean time.

It's my first FE story, so any criticism is welcomed. Thanks. -kuro