Hello everybody, welcome to The Beginning of Life, the prequel to The Return to Life. For those unfamiliar with the latter story, that is okay! Since this is a prequel, you really will not suffer if you have not read the other story. If you have read the other story, then this first chapter may come as a bit of a shock compared to my other writings. Don't worry, this is one of the few super serious chapters and we will be back to normal hijinks soon enough. Please leave a review letting me know what you think! I decided to knock the story down to T, due to not feeling it is M material. At least not yet. Carry on!


Prologue:

"But Uncle Robin, why do you have to leave?"

"Your father and I have to go save the world once again. Don't worry, I will bring him home for you, I promise"

"Please just be safe Uncle! I don't want to miss out on any presents!"

"Of course not, I would never dream of causing you sorrow. Your dad would kill me if I did"

"Robin let's go! We don't have time, you can tell Lucina all about our adventures when we come back!"

"Alright Chrom! Lucina, I'll be back soon. Watch over the castle while I take your Father to win this war"

"Bye….Uncle Robin…"


The hooded man prepared himself to enter the throne room. Years of battle and preparation had brought him to be one of the best fighters in Ylisse. That, and his own thirst for power. Ever since he was a child, he found he wanted to be stronger than others. He would attack the neighborhood kids, but when he surpassed them, he went on to find older children from the local schools. He eventually found himself in underground fighting rings by the age of twelve, facing full grown adults. It didn't matter to him, his thirst for power was unquenchable, but he would do whatever he could to gain more of it. All of this came due to the treatment he received as a child. His father saw him as a weapon, not as a son. He was trained in combat from an early age and never shown any love like a child should. He despised it. His thirst for power stemmed from his hatred for his father and the fact that he knew not what love was. Maybe his mother could have shown some, but his father always kept her at bay. His father said he didn't want his son tainted. When he turned of age to join an army, he heard of a small elite group of humanity's best soldiers. He immediately decided he would join them to prove himself to be the best in the land. A personal quest to be more powerful than even his father. A father he disowned promptly after leaving Plegia, along with his past.

The man proved himself worthy in the Ylissean army, gaining the attention of various officers, eventually being brought before the prince himself to test his strength. Of course, he had won that battle. Nobody could match his fighting ability. The prince offered him a spot on the elite squad that he had been searching for; the Shepherds. The hooded man took the offer and made himself irreplaceable, using knowledge from his family's books to become a master in tactics. He sparred with every single one of the Shepherds, proving he was the best among them. However, he found something unexpected while in this army. He found companionship. He became best friends with the prince and the woman that would become the queen, as well as many of the other soldiers. He found he cared too much for these strong men and women to allow them to simply die in a battle, so he honed his mind and became the best tactician in all the lands. He found that the last remaining shed of compassion within himself was being kindled every minute he spend with his brothers and sisters in arms.

In three wars, not one comrade had fallen. And yet, though he was the best tactician, the best swordsman, and the best mage in all the lands, he still found that his want for power lingered. It was like a bad nightmare, always lurking on the edge of his mind. The want to surpass his father burned deeply in his heart. Which is why he found himself drawn to dark magic. He learned every trick there was to cause suffering in whoever was on the receiving ends of his spell. He wanted his enemies to quake in fear when they saw him approaching. He found himself in a curious situation during his time with the Shepherds. When he was around friends in a peaceful setting, he would joke and laugh and be a type of guy that nobody would guess could cause any harm. He cared deeply for each person and helped when he could. He desired to build a world of happiness where his friends could relax. But when he was on the battlefield, his desire for power would take over. He would scour the bloody scene, searching for more that he could test his power on. He was brutal, efficient, and had never lost a single match against a foe. His eyes would light up and a smile would plaster his face as a giddiness from killing caused a euphoric feeling to course through his veins. It was only a matter of time before one of these desires would take over, and the fate of the hooded man would be decided. Would he be a blood thirsty killer, or would he be a friend to all of man and end all wars? He could not fulfill both desires simultaneously.

The prince walked up next to the hooded man and placed a hand on his shoulder. There was a glance of knowing that passed between the two, a look that told each other to be prepared for what was on the other side of the door. This was a battle to prevent the resurrection of the Fell Dragon, Grima, and thus save mankind.

"Alright Robin, are you ready?" the prince asked. The hooded man allowed a sinister grin to plaster itself on his face as his blood thirst returned.

"Yes Chrom. Let's kill my father" Robin answered, a wicked laugh escaping his lips. He tugged his hood up further to cover his white hair and cast a shadow over his features, the way he liked to be while fighting. It kept the enemy from fleeing, as the look in Robin's eyes was full of malice and intent to kill. The two men kicked the door open and drew their blades. Across the throne room stood the dark mage Validar, the man that was Robin's father. He was the one in charge of resurrecting Grima and was the last obstacle to achieving peace. And he was the final test for Robin. The final step in achieving his dream of power. The sight of the mad caused his blood to boil. The man that had caused all of his suffering as a child. The man that had single handedly implanted a need to kill in a young boy's mind. A man that had never been nor ever would be a true father.

As Chrom and Robin approached Validar, a laugh escaped the sorcerer's lips.

"So come thee feeble men to die. Die then, as fate calls for. At the end of this day, Grima will be reborn!" Validar called out. Robin sneered at the cockiness of the old man, while Chrom tightened his grip on Falchion.

"The final battle is at hand, children of Naga. Now come see Grima's true power!"

All at once, Validar erupted into a purple flame, dark magic coursing through his body. His power had been amplified by the Fire Emblem and the sacrifices of the Plegians. He was serving as a temporary host for Grima's power, until his son took over as a permanent avatar. Validar outstretched his palm to send out a purple fireball straight towards the prince. Chrom made to block it with Falchion but Robin shoved him out of the way before the spell hit.

"Chrom, this is dark magic of a very high scale. Falchion can't block it" Robin stated, a bite to his voice as hatred pooled in him. A purple aura radiated from his body as the hatred of his father fueled his own dark magic. While it may not be enough to match Grima's power, it certainly was a force of its own right. Validar leapt into the air, seeming to float above them. He summoned forth a dense black pit in his right hand, aiming straight at Chrom. Robin quickly fired a mire spell to block whatever dark spell Validar was calling forth. Green slime covered where Validar's hand had been outstretched and the sorcerer reeled back in surprise. Chrom took the opportunity to leap up into the air and begin spinning. His sword outstretched and he used his momentum to send his sword through Validar's collarbone, a crunching sound accompanied with a spray of blood followed. When the two men landed, Validar laid slain on the floor, still covered in purple flame, while Chrom fell to a knee, panting and attempting to wipe the blood from his face. Robin rushed over to help his friend, feeling a slight disappointment in the back of his head at how weak his father had ended up being.

"Looks like that is the end. The day is won, old friend. Relax, you don't have to worry about your father anymore" Chrom smiled up to Robin. He knew of the tactician's struggles and how he had conflicting desires. He had hoped that by seeing Validar fall, the source of his wanting of power would falter. Better yet, he knew he had to be the one to kill the sorcerer. He had his suspicions that if Robin were the one to do it, he would only want more strength. As if he would not find satisfaction and only continue down the path of destruction. The two men shared a laugh as Chrom continued to wipe blood from his face, feigning disappointment at the stains on his cloak.

"YOU HAVE NOT WON YET, MORTALS" Validar's icy voice called out. Robin looked up just in time to see another dense black ball heading for Chrom's head. Instinctively, he pushed his friend out of the way and took the force of the blow head on. He fell back, noting in his mind that Validar's form was finally vanishing. He could find peace in death. He laid back, ready to accept his fate.

But death did not come, for fate is cruel. Instead he heard Chrom's voice, though it sounded so far away. Through tensed eyes he could make out the prince's face, but a searing headache kept his thoughts muddled and senses confused. Then he heard Validar's voice ringing through his consciousness for only him to hear.

"See, my child? There is no escaping your fate. I will take what I want to take and you will lay there and accept whatever pitiful excuse of a life I allow you to live. Because you will never be as strong as me. Because you are as weak as your pathetic wench of a mother" Validar's words bit deeply into Robin's soul. His eyes attempted to find a source to the words but found none other than Chrom.

"Chrom. There is nobody else talking. So why do I hear Validar's words coming from him? Is he Validar? This must be some trick" Robin's hatred grew as he continued to hear his father's voice in his head. He saw red flash before him. His mind turned into a blank. All he could hear was Validar as magic energy formed in his hand. He wanted to take out his anger on somebody. Anybody. So when he felt a hand lifting him up, he struck out with the lightning blade in his hand. And what followed was the familiar sound of striking a lung. The sound of its collapse and the spurting of blood as the heart continued to pump. Robin's focus came back and he looked to see what he had hit. A feeling of weightlessness ensued as he saw a figure draped on the ground.

Chrom.

Robin clutched at his head, dropping to his knees. He no longer knew what was happening. Had he killed Chrom? Or was it Validar? Had he just severed his link to happiness? His head burned, searching for answers, but he couldn't recall what had just occurred. As if his mind had already blocked it out. Then he heard the laughing.

His eyes averted up to see Validar send a kick to Chrom's side, sending the prince sliding across the floor and leaving a blood trail behind him. Robin's blood began to boil again as a rage he had never known before consumed him.

"See! I told you fate would have its way. Now come, accept Grima so we can end this foolish world!" Validar smiled a victorious smile at his son. Robin was quaking on his hands and knees. Not out of fear. Maybe not even out of anguish for the first comrade of his to ever die. What was consuming Robin now was pure hatred. He dashed forward, swinging his sword in a frenzy. Validar remained unfazed and simply weaved in between Robin's slashes.

"You are too slow. You can never beat me. Just accept it." Validar stated as he effortlessly dodged Robin's flurry of swings. Robin yelled in frustration, sending a horizontal strike at Validar's head. The sorcerer pooled dark energy into his palm and reached up to grab the blade of the sword before it struck. He then reached out his other hand and sent a small burst of energy into Robin's chest, sending the tactician flying backwards across the room, his hood falling back to show his face completely.

"Don't you get it? You aren't stronger than me. You never were. Now be a good boy and watch as I kill off the rest of your impudent friends" Validar snarled as he went towards the door in order to confront the rest of the Shepherds that were waiting out in front of the Dragon's Table. Robin attempted to pull himself up from the ground but found the dark magic his father had used on him rendered him immobile.

"Damn it! I can't save my friends! How could I be so weak? Isn't there something-anything I can do to stop this!?" Robin called out desperately to himself. He felt all hope lost. And that is when he felt the aura of power coming from behind him. He used all of his will power to turn his head so he could see. The power was coming from the Fire Emblem, which was glowing in a dark purple flame similar to the one surrounding his father. It called out to him. Told him it could grant the power Robin sought. Dark flames stretched out towards the tactician and engulfed him, giving the strength to stand. And in that moment, the hooded man's fate was decided. He stood and walked shakily towards the Fire Emblem.

"You can grant me the power I need?" He asked to the Emblem. It called out "yes" to him. Robin smiled a sinister smile.

"Very well, Grima. I grant you my body. Now give me your power!"

Lightning struck down on Robin and his body was engulfed in power he had never known. He felt invincible. Immortal. The power radiated through his body, tearing at his humanity. He could feel Grima taking over. And then he heard that icy laugh again. Validar had returned, looking ever so pleased that Robin had ultimately accepted his fate. Robin's vision began to blur as the Fell Dragon fought for control of his body.

"You can have this vessel when I'm done with it, Grima. For now, I have work to do" Robin used his will power to send Grima's soul into the recesses of his mind, instead using his own consciousness mixed with the harvesting of Grima's infinite power. Dark flames covered his hands as he smiled at his father. Validar's expression quickly turned troubled.

"What!? You shouldn't be able to control the Fell Dragon! What are—" Validar's words were cut short when Robin burst across the room in blinding speed, sending a flaming hand straight through his father's chest. He buried his arm in him up to the elbow, letting blood pool onto his coat until he felt satisfied. He finally pulled back and let what was his father drop to the floor. He let out a big sigh.

"Alright Grima. Have at it."

Then the world was shrouded by darkness.


A/N: And there is the first chapter of the prequel. We get to learn Robin's backstory as well as what happened in the future. Also note the relationship between Robin and Grima, where Robin has full control and can revert back into his own consciousness freely. That will be important. Please leave a review, and don't worry we will be back to less serious, goofy Robin starting next chapter! Thank you to everyone for reading this first chapter, hopefully chapter 2 will be out by next week! As stated in my other stories, you can find how much of the next chapter on my profile page. Have a great day and I will see you next update!

-Austin