The Dark Light and the Challenger of Fate
Author's note:
This is my first fanfiction, so I don't expect it to be perfect. I was inspired to write this story for two reasons. One was from the deviantart of Morgan V Lucina (here's the link art/Morgan-V-Lucina-469227770) and I thought that this could've easily have been Robin instead. The other reason was because I like having choices that matter and affect things in video games. I love FE: Awakening, but I hated how the choices you make mean nothing except for in the end. Constructive criticism is always welcome (I know I may need it because I have hard times writing dialogue) and hey, if I did well, I may make another fanfiction for FE: Awakening.
Anyway, the story begins at the end of Chapter 21: Five Gemstones, and focuses on Robin and Lucina. I stayed true to the script of the chapter while adding in a few more things. The weapons and some moves they'll use will be from Super Smash Bros 4, along with some creativity from yours truly. Obviously, Robin won't be using Nosferatu since he's… well, not a dark mage (btw, Robin is male in this story).
The soldiers of Chrom's army were too exhausted from the battles in their escape from Plegia castle to retreat any further than the oasis they found and agreed to take refuge there for the evening. Validar, the king of Plegia and leader of its religious sect, the Grimleal, was successful in stealing Ylisse's sacred treasure, the Fire Emblem. To make matters worse, it was Chrom's trusted tactician and best friend, Robin, who gave Validar the Fire Emblem. In actuality, his mind became manipulated by Validar, only for a short amount of time, but long enough to further Validar's plan for Grima's resurrection.
Despite Chrom and Frederick telling him not to beat himself up over it, Robin just could not trust himself to be close to his friends and loved ones. "I'm sorry Chrom, but I think I just need to be alone for a while, I can't risk hurting anyone else I care about." Turning away, Robin began walking through the woods. "But Robin, you can't just…" was all Chrom could get out before being stopped by Frederick. "Let him go, milord. We can only imagine how much dread young Robin must be feeling after what happened. Let's just give him his space for the evening. Right now we need to focus on getting the Fire Emblem back."
"Father, Sir Frederick, if I may?" Lucina treaded towards the two from across the camp, eyeing the direction Robin had gone. "Yes Lucina, what do you need?" "If it's no trouble, may I follow Robin to make sure he stays safe?" "Sure Lucina, just be careful." Frederick interjected, "Just don't alert him of your presence unless something happens, it may drive him further away." "Yes, Sir Frederick, and thank you father." Lucina then began travelling the same span of woods Robin went, clenching the sheath of her Falchion against her hip tightly. "I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me father, but this may be my only chance." Lucina's thoughts were determined, the Brand of the Exalt in her left eye glowing a bright blue as she moved.
Robin was sitting by the cliff edge off of a clearing from the woods watching the clouds go by. Countless thoughts ran through the Grandmaster's mind. "How could I have been so easily manipulated? This cursed blood, this sigil on my hand, these visions of the world engulfed in flames, even that guy who looks just like me. I know they are all connected." 'inhale… exhale,' "No. I won't let him win. Validar's plan must somehow hinge on me; and father or not, I have to stop him… in one way or another." Robin stood up, eyeing the bottom of the cliff as his thoughts ran.
"Beg pardon, Robin. Might I have a word?" Lucina surprised Robin out of his thoughts. "Lucina! What is it?" The Exalt's daughter slowly closed her distance to him. "It's about my father. I have memories of him, you know. From when I was little... before he...died." Robin's gaze sunk to the ground after being reminded that Chrom's fate could still come to fruition. "… I see." Lucina continued, "He was courageous, and kind, and everyone spoke fondly of him. People say he was brave right up until the very end. I always yearned to know him better. And now that I do... I can see that the world will be robbed of a very great man. I can't allow that to happen." Robin looking back up, "I understand. You love him. We all do." Lucina felt her heart begin to beat more fiercely, "Robin, I... Please, forgive me..."
With a predatory glare that a Wyvern would envy, Lucina drew her Falchion and pointed it directly at Robin. "Lucina?!" "Stay where you are, Robin! I have no choice. I must kill you." As Robin looked at Lucina's Falchion, he could swear that the blade was faintly glowing red. "What?! What madness is this?!" "In my future, you... you are my father's murderer!" Despite what could be true of Lucina's words, Robin still found them hard to swallow, "No! Tha… that's insane! Why would I kill Chrom?"
"I was not certain myself. Until now... I knew he had been killed by his closest friend. Having witnessed your bond with him, I doubted it could be so... but today's events made it clear. You are at Validar's mercy." Robin tried to interject, "But Lucina…" "I saw your eyes when you were possessed!" Lucina began shivering but remained standing her ground. "I will never forget those eyes. They are the same ones that Grima has! I know that it has to either be Grima or Validar that will compel you to take my father's life, and very soon..."
"Lucina, please wai..." "If my father is right, then we can change our fates. If this dark future is to be averted, sacrifices must be made. I am sorry, Robin! I know this is murder, I... I know that..." Lucina now holding her Falchion in both hands tightly. "Lucina, you don't have to…" "JUST SHUT UP! Don't make this any harder than it has to be, Robin! Don't resist, and your death will be swift and painless! If you hold any love for Chrom, then let this be done!"
Lucina finally lunged forward and thrusted her sword, aiming right at Robin's heart for a quick kill. Thinking fast, he unsheathed his Levin Sword and blocked Lucina's attack. "Please Lucina, Chrom is my best friend, I love him as if he were my brother! I can't just let you kill me over this!" "Fine then, I will challenge my fate here and now! We shall let battle have the final judgment!
Sparks flew as the two blades clashed throughout the battle. Robin knew how much his Levin sword had been worn down while escaping Plegia Castle, and stopping Lucina's first strike had left a large crack on it. He was able to repel Lucina's moves well enough, knowing full well how similar her fighting style was to Chrom's, but her more lithe frame allowed her to move much faster and attack more often. After she knocked Robin back with a quick upward sword thrust, he brought out his Elwind tome, slamming it to the ground to summon a tornado to encircle himself within. Awestruck by the size of the tornado despite coming from an Elwind tome, Lucina almost didn't notice the blades of wind shooting outwards from it towards her. Lucina steadfast dodged as much as she could, taking a few hits before jumping into the tornado, continuing to ignore whatever cuts she got from the wind magic, ready to attack Robin again. What she didn't expect to see was Robin having already prepared an Arcfire spell. She used her Falchion to brace herself, but the Arcfire was still powerful enough to push Lucina backwards, through the tornado and onto the ground.
Dispelling the Elwind as dark clouds loomed over their battle, Robin tried appealing to her again. "Please Lucina, stop this now! Don't make me hurt you!" Lucina getting up, "You still don't you get it, do you? You're not just going to hurt me; you're going to hurt my father! You're going to hurt our comrades! You're going to hurt House Ylisse! You're going to HURT EVERYTHING!" With tears flowing down her cheeks, Lucina ran forward and began attacking Robin again, never showing an iota of letting up. "You don't know what it's like at all! Losing your father at a young age, becoming the leader of a war torn nation, being expected of so much by so many people, keeping a straight face in front of everybody while innocents die day after day after day! And it all stems from you, Robin!"
After knocking Robin backwards a few paces, Lucina jumped high up, somersaulting in the air four times before slamming her sword downward. It was so fast, that Robin barely had enough time to react. He brought his sword up to defend himself, but it wasn't enough good enough. Robin's Levin sword broke. After slashing through the Levin sword, Lucina's downward momentum allowed her to slash right into Robin's left shoulder. "Garrrgghhh!" The cut felt more painful than anything Robin was used to in his past battles, leading to a bloodcurdling scream. It felt as if a blade shaped Bolganone spell cut through his body instead of a regular sword or axe.
Dropping his destroyed sword, Robin grabbed the Falchion in a vain attempt to pull it out of his bleeding shoulder. Doing this surprised the two warriors as they noticed the blade burning his hands and the Mark of Grima beginning to glow on the back of Robin's right hand. He also noticed that his vision was turning purple and became clouded in veins. Robin then realized that there was never a moment before where he had to actually fight against the Falchion before. He and Chrom have had their sparring sessions from time to time, but the closest he came to the business end of the Falchion was two years ago when the Shepherds were pitted against Lucina back at Arena Ferox when she went by "Marth;" and even then, Chrom was the one who fought her. Robin's cursed blood must have reacted badly coming into contact with Lucina's sword, proving his connection to the Fell Dragon.
Rain began to fall as Lucina saw Robin the way he was, outright confirming her suspicions. "Do you see now, Robin?" She pushed her sword down, forcing Robin down to a knee, "Do you see the demon god you will become. You and I both know this has to happen. Please, just let me end this now." Struggling through the pain, Robin grabbed his Elwind tome again and enclosed it around the Falchion, summoning more wind magic to propel Lucina away from him. Robin was freed from the searing blade of the Falchion; his eyes and brand stopped glowing, but the pain on his shoulder still burned and that last move shredded his Elwind tome.
"No, Lucina. You said yourself that WE can change our fates. That should mean that I can change my own fate and not kill Chrom, right?!" With Robin weakened, he knew he had to end this battle fast. He unsheathed his Bronze sword and Arcfire tome, ready to continue. Lucina got back to her feet, "I can't risk that, Robin. Even though we've managed to change some things for the better, others' fates still came true. Look no further than Lady Emmeryn. We saved her from assassination, but she still died anyway. But that doesn't matter anymore; the time for talk is over."
The two warriors clashed blades again. Despite its durability, Robin's Bronze sword was nowhere near as strong as Lucina's Falchion. Each attack Robin managed to get in barely scratched the Great Lord; while Lucina's attacks left cuts that continued to burn into his skin, putting him in a heavy disadvantage. Lucina continued on her advance before thrusting her sword towards Robin's chest once again, only for him to surprisingly block her sword with his Arcfire tome. Her sword stabbed through the tome, shocking Lucina, right before Robin backed away. She then noticed the tome begin to glow a bright red and expand. Thinking fast, she spun around, swiping her sword across the air; the force of it launched the Arcfire tome away, exploding far from the two.
"Damn it," thought Robin. "I really thought she would've thrown her sword away. I could've subdued her then and there. If I don't stop this now, she's sure to kill me." Robin brought out his last tome and he began charging his Thoron spell. The Grandmaster went on to distance himself from Lucina as the lightning bolt in his tome grew bigger. Lucina charged after him, slashing at him to stop his most powerful attack. She's seen how easily his enemies have fallen to this move. Despite his wounds, Robin held fast as he used his sword more defensively, leaving a good deal of his focus towards charging his spell.
Robin finally completed the Thoron spell, but his wounds began to take a toll on him. Blood was running down his left arm, coating his tome, his eyes continued to glow purple, the cuts he sustained slowed his movements, and the Mark of Grima shined brightly on his right hand. Lucina, ignoring her own wounds and the rain matting her hair against her face, stood stalwart, ready to finish him off. "It's now or never," thought both fighters as they charged towards each other again. Their swords clashed one last time. Lucina managed to push Robin towards the edge of the cliff. With the Brand of the Exalt shining in her eye, she swiped the Bronze sword from Robin's hand down the cliff and held her Falchion against his neck.
"Put… down… that… tome." Robin, with a sword to his throat, blood running down his left arm, disarmed of his own sword, and his back against the cliff, looked down at the tome he could barely hold onto; electricity surrounding it to signify the charged Thoron, waiting to be used. With a face that looked like utter defeat, Robin's last tome slipped from his blood-coated hand. It was then that Lucina noticed that the Thoron spell was still active on Robin's hand. He stepped forward as the electricity traveled across his body to his right hand, ready to end this fight. Lucina pulled back her sword and thrusted forward. Her face showed utter shock as a huge lightning bolt drilled through her body. Robin felt content that he finally stopped her assault, only to cough up blood thanks to the Falchion piercing his stomach.
Pulling the sword out of his body, both Lucina and Robin fell to the ground, their bodies destroyed from the battle. All Robin could do was turn himself around to face the falling rain as he lay in a pool of his own blood; almost feeling calm as his eyes reverted from their purple tint. "How am I gonna explain this to Chrom," thought Robin as he almost laughed to himself, only to wince from his wounds. "But could I really blame her for what she did? Her home was all but destroyed, thanks to… me. I can only imagine how she felt after learning she can travel to the past to right the wrongs of our timeline. Could true peace really be attained with my death?" Robin's eyes grew heavy as these thoughts went through his head. But the sound of the Falchion being gripped snapped his eyes open again. He looked over to see Lucina using her Falchion as a makeshift crutch to pull herself back to her feet. Her resistance must have been strong to get up after a point-blank Thoron spell.
The young warrior stood over the bleeding Grandmaster and held her sword right above his neck, panting and shaking over the residue of the Thoron. "It's no use, Robin. You can't move anymore. You've lost." Robin stared back at her before calming himself and looked away. "You're right. I concede." Lucina nearly dropped her sword over Robin's reply. "I can see you're not going to give up on this; and even if I do stop you, I'm sure you'll find some way to try to kill me again when you get the chance." "How do I know this isn't a trick?!" Robin looking back at Lucina, "You're just gonna have to believe me." Lucina almost couldn't believe the words she was hearing. "I never told anyone this, but when Chrom named me as Ylisse's new Grandmaster after we defeated King Gangrel, that was when I felt that I had an actual family. I couldn't remember anything before he and Lissa found me in that field. I never knew who my parents were or if I had any siblings. But Chrom took me in and treated me as if I were his brother; and I thank the Gods every day to have known your father." The rain just about stopped as Lucina gripped her sword with both hands, ready to plunge it into Robin's heart. "If my destiny is set in stone and I am to truly kill Chrom and become Grima, then I forfeit my life now, Lucina. I'd rather die than kill any one of my friends. Just promise me that you'll look after Chrom and the others."
Lucina raised her sword up, "I will. Godspeed, Robin." They both closed their eyes as Lucina plunged her sword downward, but a hand gripping her arm kept her sword from piercing Robin's heart. "That's enough!" The sound of Chrom's voice surprised the two as Robin saw him holding Lucina back, with Fredrick a few paces back on his horse. "F-father, you don't…" "Lucina, put away your sword..." "But, father…" "PUT AWAY YOUR SWORD!" Lucina knew well than to disobey her father, even if it's a younger version of him. "A-all right." She put her Falchion back in its scabbard, afraid to look at her father after what she had done. "Frederick, get Lissa and Libra here. These two need to be healed up, and fast." "Yes, milord." Frederick headed back into the woods as Chrom began confronting Lucina over what happened.
"Father...I can explain 'grrn'." Lucina began to speak, only to cringe from her chest wound. "There's no need. I came as soon as I saw Robin's Thoron blast. I thought you two had encountered more of the Grimleal, except I find my daughter holding a sword over my tactician's neck." Chrom continued. "I heard what he said to you, and that doesn't matter, Lucina. I know your heart is in the right place... But I trust Robin. You cannot shake my faith in him." Lucina began to tear up again. "This is not about trust! He'll be the death of you, father!"
Robin then grabbed Chrom by the leg with his bloody arm. "Sh-she's may be right, Chrom. Validar could still control me. It's still tough for me to believe, but if my death can save thousands of lives 'cough,' then I can die with a smile on my face. We can't let Lucina's journey here be for nothing." Chrom smiled down at the master tactician. "You sound just like Emm. Robin, you and I have held fast through good times and ill... We swore to be two halves of a greater whole. Validar underestimates the strength of these ties, the bonds we share. I believe in them more than some foretold "destiny." "Always the trusting one aren't you, Chrom," said Robin with a smile on his face.
Lucina interjected, "But father… that is easier to say when you haven't seen the catastrophes yourself." "Lucina, aren't our ties stronger here now than they were in your future? You said so yourself. In this flow of time we are bound tighter than ever, you and I. Not just as father and daughter... But as friends. We can change things—we already have...and we will again."
Lucina looked down, convinced of her father's beliefs to never give up hope. "...Very well, Father. I-I would ask your forgiveness, Robin, but I cannot expect it." Chrom picked Robin up to a sitting position. "I do forgive you, Lucina. I can't blame you for what you believed. You needn't speak of it again. 'chuckle' Now I'm gonna have to get some new tomes and swords from the convoy." Robin always did like to put joy back into a situation when he could. Lucina, able to smile from Robin's comment, managed to look him in the face. "I pray... That is, I trust the both of you will prove me wrong. And that this future will fall to pieces before your bond ever would."
The trio turned to see Frederick, Lissa, and Libra arriving from the forest clearing. "'gasp' Oh Gods! Lucina! Robin! What happened?!" Frederick had only told the two that Robin and Lucina were attacked and nothing else. "They were attacked by some of the Grimleal, Lissa. Come here and heal Robin. Libra, you heal Lucina." "Yes, Lord Chrom." "Okay, Chrom." The three silently agreed not to reveal what happened. Despite how strong she's become over the years, Chrom couldn't bring himself to tell Lissa that it was her own niece that tried to kill Robin. He knew she wouldn't believe it for a second.
After healing Robin and Lucina's wounds, Frederick sat him on the back of his horse as everyone traveled back to their camp. Robin's wounds were more severe, so he needed to rest so the heal spell would set in. Night fell in at the camp. Lucina couldn't sleep, thinking about what the future may hold. Chrom's major priority was getting the Fire Emblem back from Validar, but she still couldn't help but feel uneasy, knowing that a major threat was asleep right across the camp. She heard the rustling of someone moving near her tent and thought nothing of it, thinking it was just one of the other soldiers on their nightly patrol, before seeing her tent open up to reveal Robin.
"Robin?!" She instinctively went to grab her sword but held herself back. "I'm surprised you would even come here. Shouldn't you be resting? " Robin's left arm was left in a sling and his stomach was wrapped in bandages as the healing magic continued to work through him. "I'll be fine; but we need to talk, Lucina." "About what," Lucina obviously knowing what Robin's talking about but didn't want to bring it up. "What I said back at the cliff side wasn't a lie. Chrom is like a brother to me, and I would gladly give my life if it can save him and many innocent lives. But at the same time, if I can make a difference for the better while I still draw breath, I would." Lucina didn't know what to say. The person who becomes the catalyst for the destruction of the world is sitting right in front of her, telling her of his intentions for good.
"But I want you to promise me one thing, Lucina." "What is it, Robin?" "Promise me that you will be the one to end my life if I do become the Fell Dragon. I can't stand the thought of forcing Chrom to do it, or worse; his death at my hands. So please, promise me this, Lucina." Lucina nodded, "I will, and thank you, Robin."
Lucina went back to sleep as Robin left her tent to head back to his own, not noticing Chrom leaning against a tree, having overheard their exchange. He figured it would be a good idea to watch over his daughter's tent for the night, but didn't expect to hear the words his best friend just said. He decided to head back to his own tent and worry about it later on, as it was going to be difficult come the next day's skirmish. His wife was probably worried sick all evening for him.