A/N FOREWORD
So you decided to stick around? Well this is what I feel to be the Attack of the Clones Chapter. In other words, the weakest of the bunch. This one has priority to be fixed, but it's no way nearly done. I rushed this chapter way too fast. Currently under revision!
The Shepherds were making the final preparations for the ascent to Mount Prism. The convoy handed out weapons and tomes to all members of the militia, with a few checking their older weapons for signs of fatigue and cracks. Robin and Chrom were walking towards the convoy, the tactician worriedly making last minute questions to the Exalt.
"Do the healers have enough staves?"
"Yes." Chrom replied, slightly annoyed at Robin's incessant pestering.
"Everyone has a fresh set of weapons?"
"Yes."
"Is morale high?"
"Couldn't be higher."
"Alright well how are you on staves?"
"You already asked that."
"Sorry, it's just that this will be a battle where I won't be able to guide you."
"Robin, relax. You sound like a mother who's sending off her kid to school for the first time" Chrom joked, trying to get the tactician out of his worried state.
Robin chuckled for a moment, briefly forgetting what his friends were going to get into, but then returned to his serious persona. "I'm pretty sure you people want to return alive, not as Risen."
"If you're that worried about about our safety, then why don't you join us? There has to be a way for both you and Morgan to get up there, maybe Tharja can cast a hex or something?" Chrom said with a last ditch effort to bring the duo along.
"I've already tried to no avail, Chrom. I still get these random migraines and feel awful in general. I'm sure she feels it too..." Robin frowned. Just knowing that his little girl was also going through his pain, filled him with guilt. "I need this short amount of time anyway. She needs to learn to use Ignis, or at the very least, not lose control."
"I understand, Robin. We'll be back in three days, four at the most." Chrom assured. Both men came to a stop when they reached the convoy, "Any last thing before I leave, Mother?" The Exalt smirked, at a clearly annoyed Robin.
"Just come back in one piece, 'Oh Mighty Exalt'." It was Robin's turn to snicker as Chrom cringed at his title. Robin offered his hand, which Chrom shook.
After their handshake both men went in opposite directions.
Morgan was still in her tent. A steady headache forming, she got up, hoping a walk could clear her head. As she pulled her coat on herself Lucina walked in the tent, no doubt she came here to say her goodbyes.
"H-hi Morgan" the princess began, "How are you holding up?"
"I'm fine Lucina. Um... How's your arm?" Morgan awkwardly asked.
"It was nothing, really. It's fine now." Lucina replied. "I just came here to check up on you and say goodbye." She then started heading out.
"Wait. Lucina, how did you know about... about... it?" Morgan timidly asked. The princess froze at that question, Lucina then faced her friend and gave a comforting smile. "Remember when we were on kitchen duty?" The tactician nodded "You reached to get a bowl from a shelf. So when you raised your arm, your sleeve just rolled back and... I saw it."
"O-okay, and Lucina?" Morgan held her left arm and looked away, unable to look at her friend. "Sorry about... yesterday, when I-"
"It wasn't your fault Morgan." Lucina comforted. "It wasn't you."
"But still-"
"Morgan, I know you, in the future you always smiled even when all hope seemed lost. You still have your father's determination in you to change the future. You never gave up, and I know that you'll get Ignis down, no problem." Lucina said.
Morgan looked at Lucina doubt written all over the tactician's eyes. "I-I don't know about this, what if I lose control again? What if I actually go through with killing someone? I couldn't live with myself if I hurt any of the Shepherds."
"But you won't." Lucina calmly assured her friend. The last thing Morgan needed was anymore stress. "Take care, Morgan. I know you'll get through this."
Morgan hugged Lucina, who was initially shocked, but embraced her friend in return, thankful that she was back to her normal self. "Thanks, Lucina. I needed that."
"Anytime." The princess responded, with that she left to join her father and start the trek towards Mount Prism's peak.
"What now, Dad?" Morgan asked, watching as the last wagon from the convoy was lost from sight. She looked at her father, who had started walking to their tent. He pulled out two practice swords, tossing one to Morgan.
"Now, we train." Robin lunged towards his surprised daughter. Swinging the wooden sword sideways, Morgan couldn't block in time and received a blow to her torso. She let out a pained cry, and soon tried to distance herself from her father.
"That was uncalled for! At least you can warn me before you attack!" Morgan yelled, clutching her now bruised side. Ignoring the pain, she readied herself for an a counter attack of her own.
"Always expect the unexpected, daughter dearest!" She heard her father reply, a cocky grin on his face as he waited to see what Morgan would do. His daughter started charging towards him at full speed, her sword low on the ground preparing for an upward slash. "Predictable! I would've thought that with Lon'qu's training you could get better!" Robin exclaimed, which just angered Morgan, who was still swinging the practice blade only for it to be parried.
Good, she's getting angry. I need to see how far I can push her until it happens, Robin thought I'll apologize later, but for now... "That all you got? Come now, Morgan I thought you were better than this! Lucina said something about barely her barely even able to block your attacks with Falchion. Yet here I am parrying all of these weak attacks." As he kept taunting, Morgan's swings became more and more erratic. "Shut up!" Morgan yelled, still trying to break through her father's defenses.
She's close! Just a little further... Robin then shifted from defense to offense, striking Morgan faster than she could block. With a last ditch effort she thrusted her sword at her father's chest. He blocked it with ease then grabbed Morgan's sword and shoved her to the ground. As his daughter lay there in the ground, Robin forced himself to push her even farther. "And you call yourself my daughter?" He dropped a real sword next to her, while drawing his own. "What a disappointment." Robin regretted those words as soon as her face fell downwards, dejected.
In a blur, Morgan got up, the familiar purple flames around her she charged lunged towards her father. With renewed vigor, Morgan let out a bloodcurdling scream while swinging her sword. It was once again Robin's turn to block. Whoa! I can see why Lucina now had so much trouble with her, she's relentless! Robin looked at his daughter, her eyes red and full of hate, lips pulled into a scowl, however what really bothered him was her cheeks. They were wet with tears, Robin knew he took the taunting too far.
"I'll show you!" Morgan yelled as she kept swinging wildly, Robin could only keep blocking. Yes! I have him on the ropes! He'll soon pay! Morgan thought she soon gained the upper hand when she swiped at her father's leg, causing him to step back and trip on a root and twist his ankle. Robin cried out in pain, fear began to set in once he saw Morgan loom above him a sadistic smile on her face. She raised her sword, ready to deliver the final strike. "I'm sorry Morgan" was all Robin could say as he steeled his nerves, ready for his death. She hesitated, a confused look on her face. Morgan started hearing a voice in her head. Kill him. No! He's my father, I won't do it! Is he? Yes! Then why did he deny it!? He didn't mean it! Kill him! No! Do it!
Robin opened his eyes looking at his daughter hesitate. Morgan's still in there Robin realized, I can still get her back to normal!. "Morgan! I'm sorry! I had to do it! Snap out of it! I know the voice is telling you to do it! Don't listen to him! Morgan!"
Look at him, pleading for his life. Pathetic. KILL HIM. Morgan heard inside her head, she knew who it was, but couldn't cast him out No, Grima. He's my father, I won't do it. My time here grows short, as does my patience, kill him NOW. NEVER! Now get out of my mind! Not only are you a disappointment to him, but also to your whole bloodline. With that she felt all of her strength fading away, Morgan sank to her knees, dropped her sword and clutched her head, Ignis' flames were dying down, much to Robin's relief. He crawled over to his daughter and gave her a hug. "I'm sorry, I'm so so sorry" Robin kept repeating at his daughter.
Recovering from his ankle, Robin ate the bear jerky rations the Shepherds left behind. Both were sitting at opposite ends of the campfire the smaller tactician made. Morgan picked at her portion, still feeling somber from her earlier episode. "Weren't you the one who demanded me to take better care of myself? You can lead by example you know" Robin sighed.
"I'm not hungry" Morgan said, putting away her ration in a small bag. "I'll go get more firewood."
"Listen, Morgan I'm sorry about all the things I said earlier. I needed to see if you could recover, without intervention, from Ignis, and you did; on your first try, I might add." Morgan looked back at her father, uncertain to how she should respond. "It was all going according to plan until this happened." Robin motioned towards his ankle, wrapped tightly in gauze and some concotion left in the first aid kit Lissa made.
"Dad, I-I need to know about Ignis. What is it?" Morgan asked.
"What is Ignis? Well, I guess its something passed down from our grimleal ancestors, Grima's raw essence." Robin recounted, sitting up on his log. "I've found out that it helps with both melee and magic, giving you an edge with both, at the price, of your humanity."
"How do you do it?"
"Do what, control Ignis? That's easy, I don't." Robin coyly replied.
Morgan looked shocked "What!? You don't?! What stops you from hurting any of us?"
"I just reign it in once all bad guys have been... eliminated. I know it's hard to ignore that voice, Grima, he won't go away, now, more than ever, but the more you use Ignis, the easier it is to get back to normal." Robin explained to his visibly relieved daughter, however she still looked troubled. "What's wrong, Morgan?"
"D-did you mean what you said earlier, about me being a-a disappointment?" She looked away, still reeling from her father's remarks earlier.
"Morgan, I couldn't be anymore proud of you. You rejected Grima's temptation on your first try. When I tried to handle Ignis, Frederick had to knock me out three separate times. I still have the scar on the back of my head, that Olivia won't let me live down when she cuts my hair." Robin grinned and pulled his daughter in an embrace. "I love you, Morgan. I'll be damned if I let some dragon take you away from me."
Off in the shadows of the trees, a lone figure stood. The Mark of Grima glowing on his right arm he looked at the tactician duo with red eyes. Using the trunk of a great oak to remain out of sight, he began to plan his next move. They'll fall soon, Master Grima, I'll make sure of it. He slipped away unnoticed by either of them into the darkness.
A/N
Guess who the mysterious figure is? Its not like its been done multiple times anyway. I really have no idea what I'm supposed to do here except for writing disclaimers and point out the obvious.
I don't own Fire Emblem, legal stuff, legal stuff, legal stuff.
