Chapter 10: Goodbye

"EVERYBODY HOLD ONTO SOMETHING! NOW!" From the head of the Fell Dragon Grima came Chrom's voice, heavy with worry and urgency. Each Shepherd, understanding the urgency, quickly grabbed onto any anchor point on the dragon, spearing their own weapons into the scaly hide, grabbing hold of chinks in between the scales, or holding onto their comrades as the fell dragon itself began descending rapidly towards the earth below.

With a quaking impact; Grima crashed down. Luckily, and quite possibly with help from Naga, none of the Shepherd's had flown off the fell dragon as it made its descent. Robin and Chrom, both at the head had used their swords as anchors, and after making their landing, pulled them from the drake's skull and turned to their backs to make sure their allies were okay. Breathing a sigh of relief at not seeing any Shepherds thrown from the massive corpse, they turned back to the fell dragon himself.

Grima-Robin was breathing heavily and kneeling down on his dragon head as he gave a death glare to his failed vessel and the bothersome prince. "How dare you. HOW DARE YOU! HOW DARE YOU BUGS DEFY YOUR FATE! YOU!" he yelled, pointing to Chrom, "WERE SUPPOSED TO DIE! DIE BY YOUR MOST TRUSTED FRIEND! AND YOU," while pointing to Robin "...where does one even start with you?"

Chrom and Robin only returned Grima's rage with silence and glares. The two shared a look, and Robin nodded to Chrom. Chrom slowly made way for Grima, holding Falchion straight towards the god. "Your terror ends here, Grima. We won't let the future you want come to pass."
At this, Grima scoffed. "Quite the sad, cliche little speech there, prince. So you're going to end me, then? That won't solve anything. I'll be back. And, of course, then, I'll win."
"It's a temporary solution, but long enough for future generations to learn how to deal with you as well. We've all agreed to this. If it means an end to your terror for now... we'll take the risk." He raised his sword. "It ends now, Grima." But as Falchion was about to be brought down, a swift, surprising blow to the back of Chrom's neck sent him collapsing.

Catching a glimpse of a swish of a purple cloak gave Chrom a good idea of who had hit him. Robin stepped forward in front of Grima, and pulling out a red tome, created a wall of fire separating the two from everyone else on the dragon. Even Grima was surprised at Robin's unwarranted strike. "ROBIN!" Cordelia, Sumia, and the children of the prince and tactician came down on the head, though the heat from the wall of flames was too much for the pegasus to get near. "Robin! What are you doing?!" The yell from Cordelia caused Robin to pause, if only for a moment.

"I'm sorry, Cordelia. I decided long ago that this is what I'll do. I can't let Grima have control like this. Not again." Not even turning to face her, Robin raised his tome towards Grima, and electricity crackled into his hand. Grima, with a unlikely pleaing cry, yelled out, "Wait, Robin! You don't want to do this. If you strike me down, you yourself will also be lost. Your whole life. Your wife, your children!"
Without wavering or hesitation, Robin pointed his hand down to Grima. "I've made peace with my decision. What is one life compared to thousands who would ultimately fall to your hand in the future? I have two beautiful daughters, both here, and back at the castle. I don't want what my daughters and the other children went through in that future to happen to anyone else."
Knowing his own demise was imminent, all the fell dragon could muster was a scream in protest, but they fell on Robin's deaf ears. The superior in combat unleashed Thoron onto Grima, a vicious blue bolt of lightning tearing through him. In his eyes only, Robin witnessed not angry tears, but what looked like those of relief, or even joy, and saw the mouth on Grima… no, the Robin from the future, move to mouth a solemn "thank you".

Grima fell backwards, fully dead upon impact with the arcane missile, instead of simply sealed away. And, with his work done, Robin dispelled the fiery wall he erected, and turned to his friends. Only able to take a step before feeling his legs go weak, and falling swiftly towards the floor. At the moment before impact, he was caught, and, turning to see the face of his savior, the faces of his wife and daughters came into view, tears falling from their eyes.

"You idiot. You stupid,stupid idiot. Why? Why did you do that?" The desperate words fell from Cordelia's mouth as she pounded Robin's chest with a clenched fist over and over. Robin weakly reached his hand up and cupped her face in his charred hands.

"I'm sorry. I can't imagine your anger and sadness at this point. I couldn't tell any of you, 'cause I knew you would try to change my mind, and never let me attempt it besides. I battled with this choice for days." But Severa, not having it, soon interrupted him.

"But why you?! Why did it have to be you?! We were just getting along… beginning to actually be like a father and daughter! Why did it have to be you, dad?!" At the end, Severa finally broke down, Morgan quickly following suit, not able to even form a sentence. She was only able to cling her face to her father's chest.

"I'm sorry, girls. Like I said, I can't let anyone else go through what you two went through. I'm sorry. Sorry to leave you all like this. Before I… leave... I want every one of you to know. I love you… I love you all. You made my life, though I didn't realize earlier, the best life any man could have asked for." His breathing got rougher, more ragged, and increasingly difficult to get out. All the Shepherd were standing to the side, letting the family grieve. Soon enough, Robin started to disappear, Cordelia holding his head as close as she could to her heart, and Severa and Morgan hugged their parents, lasting until only three figures hugged each other, all crying over their father and husband's selfless act.