Hey, everyone! Another update! Yaaaaaaaaaay!

And it's longer this time!

So, is anyone else super pumped for SSB4?

I just had to ask. I mean, my favorite pairing ever is in it.

Maybe I'll even have a chapter based on it… hint hint…

Oh, this chapter is third person, but you can see inside Lucina's head.

Just to clear up any confusion.

Also, I'm feeling not so sick! WOOOOO!

Enjoy!

A Good Tactician Always Has a Plan

It was a quiet afternoon in Ylisstol.

Grima was defeated, the future saved, and the war over.

And best of all, Robin had been found and was happily reunited with his friends and family.

On this afternoon, Robin and his daughter Morgan were locked in a heated battle.

That is, they were playing chess.

Lucina, always attempting to get better at strategy like the Hero-King Marth she respected so much, was watching them like usual.

And, also like usual, Robin had backed Morgan into a corner.

Eyes scanning the board, Morgan quickly realized that her army wasn't going to make it out of this one alive…

So, she decided that mental warfare was her only way out.

"Father," Morgan began. "Have you ever been wounded enough to the point where you've been forced to leave the field?"

Robin blinked in surprise. Morgan always asked him questions when she was losing, that part wasn't new. However usually they detailed (much to his and Lucina's embarrassment) when they were going to "get started on making Morgan".

And Robin even had the perfect comeback today, too…

"Well," he said, sharing a look with Lucina. "No. But there was one time that I nearly did."

Morgan's eyes bugged out of her head, eager to find out what opponent had been so powerful as to almost take Father off the field of battle.

"Was it Gangrel? Walhart? Grima himself!?"

He laughed. "No," he replied. "It was actually—"

"Me," Lucina interrupted.

"You, Mother?" Morgan asked incredulously. "Why!? Did you see Father with another woman!?"

"H-hey," Robin protested. "Your mother has always been the only woman."

"As far as you remember," Morgan shot back. "Perhaps it was one of your past lovers back for your heart!"

Robin looked to Lucina helplessly, who was busy stifling laughter (albeit not very well) behind her hand.

"Actually," she said after a moment. "It was before your Father and I had confessed to each other."

Attention immediately diverted from tormenting her father, Morgan bounced excitedly. "Tell me!" she ordered.

Lucina and Robin laughed at their daughter's usual bubbly attitude.

"Alright," Robin said. "It was in the Walhart campaign. We had just met up with Say'ri and were on our way to the Mila Tree in order to meet with The Voice."

"The Voice?" Morgan echoed, confused.

"Tiki," Lucina cleared up with a smile.

"Ohhhhh"

"Anyways," Lucina continued. "The man in charge of defending the passage up to the voice was Walhart's most trusted general: Cervantes. Your father, ever the tactician, had insisted that he and I team up for the fight."

"Purely strategy," Robin innocently smirked. "I merely felt that her sword abilities combined with my magic and sword were second to none."

"And you had fallen madly in love with Mother," Morgan retorted back.

Robin grinned at Lucina's blush. "Like I said: strategy."

"Fine then," Lucina said. "Why don't you tell the story, oh revered and almighty tactician?"

"'My Love' works just fine, dear," Robin said with a wink. Lucina turned an even deeper shade of scarlet at his words, and Robin took that as a sign to continue.

"No!" Morgan protested. "I want Mother to tell it!"

"Fine," Robin relented. "I'll just sit over here and plan more strategies on how to beat you in one more round. I already have four."

"What!? Well I have—"

"Morgan, I'm starting."

"Yaaaaay!"

"What ho, insects!" the General boomed. "Bring forth your finest fighters! We shall see who reigns victorious in the end!"

Lucina cut down another Valmese soldier, giving an annoyed grunt as Falchion gleamed in battle. How many of these soldiers are there? She wondered. As she ran towards another barbarian, her foot caught in a gnarled root and she fell to the ground, Falchion clamoring out of her hands. She tried to get up, but her leg couldn't stand the weight—her ankle obviously broken.

The barbarian, noticing her situation, rushed at her. He raised his giant axe, a demonic grin on his face.

So this is how it ends, she thought. I am to die at the hands of a Valmese soldier.

Time seemed to slow down. And Lucina's final thoughts were clear.

Time… has always been my enemy. Even now, I wish for more time with Father. With Mother. With…

Snow white hair. Pure and untouched.

With him.

That dusty old coat, always around his shoulders.

With Robin.

She'd even begun to admire the way he smelled—like old books and battle.

I love you, Robin.

She would have loved to see the future through with him.

I'm sorry.

And, closing her eyes and accepting the fate she once challenged, she waited for the blow.

"Lucina!" A desperate voice screamed.

Robin!?

A shadow passed over her eyelids and a sickening sound—the sound of cold steel being embedded in flesh.

Opening her eyes, she looked up to see Robin standing between her and the barbarian.

And the barbarian's axe embedded in his back.

A well-placed arrow—most likely from Virion—found the barbarian's neck and took him out.

But his axe was still wedged in Robin's back.

"Robin!" she screamed, tears coming unbidden to her eyes.

"You're okay," he managed to say, sinking to his knees. "I made it in time. You're okay."

He coughed, blood running down the side of his mouth.

"Lucina," he said. "You don't have to be afraid anymore."

"No!" she screamed. "Why did you do this!?"

"I'm gonna end this fight right now," he said confidently, smiling. His face was pale, and he had blood matted in his hair and his coat was torn in multiple places.

"No…" she sobbed. "Just stay alive… Please…"

And that's when Robin knew he couldn't let this fight continue.

Summoning up all his reserves of mana, he called his most powerful thunder spell to mind.

"I call upon the thunder! May I use this power to smite any enemy that shall stand in my way! Smash, almighty hammer of justice! Mjölnir!"

A pillar of visible mana shot out from Robin's body, going up past the branches of the Mila Tree until no one could see it.

It didn't take a mage to sense that kind of power, however. At once, lightning came down and struck every enemy on the field.

They didn't even have time to scream.

Cervantes was the only survivor. But just before anyone could get to him, he was whisked away by a strange magic.

Everyone turned to look at Robin, in awe of the display of magical power he just showed. Already, Miriel was getting out her notebook.

Ricken looked like he just saw Naga descend from above.

Even Frederick looked on with a newfound sense of respect for Robin.

Lucina crawled over to Robin, still unable to stand, and let him lean on her as he collapsed—spent.

Chrom and Lissa rushed over, along with Libra and Maribelle not far behind.

"You stay with me," Lucina whispered through the tears. "You stay with me, damn you! Damn your kindness and damn fate! I love you, and you can't just leave me!"

Robin never heard her.

But judging by the flowers he gave her later that night, it didn't matter.

"Hello, Lucina."

"Robin? Fancy meeting you here."

"Actually, I followed you."

Morgan's jaw had opened about halfway through the story, and refused to shut for the rest of it.

"And he confessed his love for you that night!?"

"Yup," Robin said proudly, going over to Lucina and kissing her cheek. "Easily the best axe wound I've ever had."

Lucina flushed again before noticing something.

"Robin, I do believe Morgan has beaten you." She pointed out, stifling her laughter.

Robin whirled around, eyeing the board carefully before giving a long sigh.

"Playing while I'm distracted again, I see."

"Yup!" she exclaimed proudly, holding up a piece for her final move. "And with this next move, I shall claim my long-due victory!"

"Your mother is pregnant."

A lot of things happened at once.

Morgan, dropping her piece on the wrong space, sealed her loss in the match.

Lucina, turning so red that Olivia would be proud, shrieked "Robin!" in utter disbelief.

Chrom, who had just happened to walk in at that exact moment, shouted "What!?" before tackling his friend to the ground.

And Robin, accidentally admitting to his best friend that his daughter was pregnant, ended up with a few… minor injuries.

Let's go with that.

It would take hours of pleading for forgiveness before Lucina finally forgave Robin. But eventually she realized that her father had punished him quite enough, and agreed to allow Robin to earn his forgiveness through an unprecedented amount of snuggling.

And if that hadn't worked, Robin already had a few extra bouquets hidden around his tent.

After all, a great tactician always has a backup.

Especially in matters dealing with his wife.

Wow. This one was long.

Special thanks to all my reviewers! Also, apparently this story was greatly recommended on smashboards! And to that, I'd like to give a big thanks to TheWerdna and pokemon rhoades. Thanks you two!

So, I hope you liked the change of pace for this chapter. Still fluffy, but just a bit of awesome and comedy thrown in.

I really feel like writing this is making me a better writer!

Anyways, I really hope you enjoyed this chapter!

Thanks for reading! Leave a review if you can!