Warning: Major spoilers for the game. Do you like Aversa? Plenty of her in here as well..
Summary: Robin has a twin he left behind.. in Plegia.
Disclaimer: Nope, sorry, I still don't own xD!
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Ch.7
(Raven)
Time passed by quickly. Soon, Chrom possessed the Exalted Falchion, having passed Naga's trials. They were ready to face Validar and Grima, once and for all.
But first, they needed to deal with Aversa.
Aversa stood in the middle of the empty castle grounds, presumably to earn time for Validar to perform the ritual. She was alone, and it was obvious she was going to die. Raven knew it was foolish to feel anything for her enemy, and yet...
But the feelings soon died, as Raven realized that Aversa had summoned the Deadlords into the fray. Aversa wasn't quite foolish, after all.
"What are they?" breathed Chrom. Surprise, and a trace of disgust lingered in his voice as he watched the almost corpse- like enemies.
"But only twelve, against us all?" questioned Robin from behind.
"Do not underestimate them, Robin," answered Raven evenly. "They are the Deadlords."
"Deadlords? Is that so?" Robin said lightly, still observing them. "The terrain is mostly without obstacles, only few destroyed buildings remain. They're confident enough in a straight-forward battle," mused Robin.
"They are stronger than most you've ever faced, each very skilled in their own class," Raven added.
"Since we have the numbers, I suppose the best option would be to isolate and overwhelm, one by one," he concluded.
"That would indeed be effective," agreed Raven.
Robin gave her a playful smile. He gracefully swept his hands in the general direction of the Deadlords.
"Well then, shall we?"
The plans were executed well. Under Robin's command, the Shepherds and Raven did not approach any of the enemy directly. Raven especially opted for shooting them with Mire time to time from a distance.
When the Deadlords were taken down, and all grouped again to face Aversa, Raven lingered behind.
It couldn't be helped.
She was a coward.
Raven watched from the distance as Chrom struck Aversa down with his shining Falchion. An involuntary gasp escaped Raven and she abandoned her position. She ran, ran towards the fallen Aversa.
Helping her die.
Raven knew this end was inevitable, just like she knew Aversa loved Validar. Raven had always planned to kill the one Aversa held dear, and so Aversa was an enemy. Because no matter what kind of relationship they shared, Aversa would always choose her Father. That was the bitter truth, and Raven knew that all too well.
Raven panted, breathless, hands on her knees and bent down, more because of the emotional turmoil rather than exertion. In front of her was Aversa.
Fallen.
A hand landed on her shoulder.
"Are you alright?"
She looked up, to find Chrom's worried face in front of her. She straightened immediately, brushing away his hands. "I'm fine," she said stiffly.
She involuntarily glanced at Aversa's still figure.
"It's alright for you to mourn those you cared about," said Chrom.
She glared at him, and looked into his eyes, to catch a glimpse of proof that he was lying through his teeth. To see the proof of judgment, and distrust, make way.
She found none.
So Raven snapped, so unused to this sort of treatment, so unused to a person like Chrom of Ylisse.
"Hurry, or will you loiter here all day? Validar is performing the ritual, Aversa has bought him time, and she is still accomplishing that deed by being dead." She winced inwardly. She sounded like, no, she was a brat.
Robin took a moment to glance at her pointedly. "You're right. Chrom, let's go."
Chrom nodded, and the two entered the castle. The rest of the Shepherds followed.
The last one that passed was Henry.
"If this turns out to be a trap, no matter who you are, I'll have you killed." he stated calmly.
"What, no giggles or hexes for me?" Raven retorted, she could swear that her mind just in the edge of loosing sanity.
Henry threw back his head in mad laughter. "Caw- caw, you're hilarious." He tapped his tome lightly with his fingernails. "I always have plenty of hexes in my supply. I'm just giving out friendly warning- you are Robin's little sister after all."
Raven froze. 'Does he know?' she thought, frantically. But then the sorcerer left, leaving her with an awful taste in her mouth. Just when Raven herself was about to follow the others in, she felt a stirring behind her.
Aversa had awakened, and was watching her.
"Aversa."
"Princess."
There was silence as they both gauged the other. Aversa spoke first, in eerie calm.
"Are you going to kill me Princess?"
Raven shook her head slightly, mouth in a straight line.
"Am I too weak to kill?" Aversa continued softly, and her voice grew steadily louder and more passionate. "And what about Master Validar? Will you kill him personally as well?" Aversa demanded, almost crazed. "Your own Father? Answer me!"
Aversa snarled, lunging for Raven. Raven raised her arms to block. Then, her arms wrapped around Aversa's own limbs like a snake, and pushed the weakened Dark Flier down to the floor. Aversa's back hit the sandy ground, and Raven climbed atop of her, preventing her from escaping.
Aversa did not lose any of her anger even in this vulnerable position.
She snarled. "I said, are you going to kill me, Princess?"
"Leave." Raven hissed.
"What?"
Raven leaned in close, so that Aversa could hear every single word and every single breath that she took. So that Aversa could feel that Raven meant what she said. Aversa thought Raven was a pitiful lier. It couldn't be more further than the truth.
Ravens eyes flared, though not in anger. Anger probably was the furthest from the emotion she was feeling right now. "I can't be bothered to deal with you, of all things, right now, especially after that spectacular failure." Cruel words, meant to hurt. If Aversa thought she was out of character.. well, she never really knew Raven in the first place, now, did she?
"Father had once told me that he thought you were... worthy. But look at you now, you're in a pitiful state, in this position you'll only distract my Father from his goals," Raven lied to Aversa, told her things she had always desperately wanted to hear. That she mattered to Validar that Aversa could actually distract Validar. What a hilarious notion. Valdiar wasn't beyond killing his wife and sacrificing his children for his goals.
"You should leave. You've only been a burden to my Father, and look, completely defeated by a handful of Ylisseans. Don't you remember, Aversa?" She echoed the words she spoke previously, months ago, when they were "on the same side". Words rolled off her tongue smoothly. "Unlike me, you're.. expendable."
Raven added the finishing touch with faked relish. "Useless," she sneered derisively.
Aversa fled. Raven looked at her disappearing figure.
Leave. Leave, and don't come back, Aversa.
... for all it's worth, I'm sorry.
Raven ran into the castle, to see that Validar barricaded Chrom and Robin from the rest of the party. They were continuing their fight viciously. The Shepherds had killed almost all the Grimleal, and Validar looked ready to be taken down.
Raven felt the familiar rush of blood as she saw Validar.
Destroyer. Killer. Fanatic. Father.
And Raven would not mourn his death. There never was any love between the two, after all. Father was merely a title, a title that held no value or respect, in her eyes.
Raven repeated the single mantra in her head.
'Nothing. He's nothing.'
He fell, by Robin's tome. And things began to blur after that.
Possessed Robin. Robin killing Chrom. Lucina's agony in another failure. A dead man, Basilio, happening to be not so dead after all. Chrom coming to life, and Robin never having been possessed in the first place. Plans upon plans, deception after deception. Or as Robin would say, simply good tactics.
Raven couldn't help but be impressed. Even now, with no memories to speak of, her brother was the same tactical genius as ever. One could grow to admire that mind.
And then, when it seemed to be over, Grima. As good as Robin was, he hadn't been able to add that to his calculations.
But that was okay. That was the reason why Raven was here, after all.
Author's Note: Mid-term exams are finally over! Ah~ It seems like it has been forever! And now we can see the final arc finally revealing itself! ^^ Well, hope you enjoyed! Oh, and I wrote an alternative summary in chapter one. It explains the story more, but not by much. You can check it out if you want, but it is also totally unnecessary to do so.
