Author's Notes:

Welcome back!

Sorry this chapter took so long. College decided to pile up on me lately and to be honest this chapter was fairly difficult to write. In all my other chapters there was always something going on, something moving the story forwards. This one however, is more of a recovery chapter after last chapter's ending. It's a different change of pace from writing a chapter where shit was flying left and right to one where things are slowed down. This one is also a lot more light hearted compared to the last few. It seemed fair, they can't all be doom and gloom.

I really appreciate all of the views, reviews, favorites and follows fellas. It means a whole bunch to me that you all would take time out of your busy schedules to read my little story.

So thank you for your patience, and I hope you enjoy this chapter!

Oh and side note, how have I been spelling Basilio wrong the whole time!? I thought it had two L's. Whoops.

Disclaimer: I do not own Fire Emblem, nor do I own the cover art for my story.

Chapter 10 - From the Ashes

"Rob— plea— don't—"

"Ro— we ha— to— "

"Grab Ro—"

"Fath— you can't— yet!"

"— The life force— renew me!"

"Luc— loo— out!"

"We— to— ave!"

"Run! Go!"

Robin knew he wasn't dead yet. He was pretty sure being dead meant being completely free. Free of anything and everything that might have been bogging you down. That's how he knew he was still alive. The pain.

His whole body burned unbelievably so, it felt like his body was being boiled. It was impossible to pinpoint one area in particular as it felt like someone had flayed his skin off.

Open your eyes... Open your eyes... Open your eyes...

Robin repeated the same line over and over again like a mantra, slowly willing his eyes to open.

Open your eyes...

All Robin could see was white. White with a tinge of black. Maybe he really was dead.

"Ju— rest Rob— we're almost—" A voice told him.

Who was that? He could barely hear her. His ears just didn't want to work. She sounded so familiar but he just couldn't remember. Robin couldn't even remember why he was in so much pain in the first place. Was he lit on fire?

Wait... Cordelia... That's Cordelia.

If that was Cordelia, that meant he was on a pegasus. The white must have been the clouds. But what of the black? Where was he even?

"Wh-here am..."

"Robin don't push it," He could hear her just a little clearer. "We're almost home, you're going to be okay."

"..."

"Robin?"

"..."

Why was her voice getting quieter now?

"Robin!"

His name was the last thing he heard before he faded into blackness.

From the Dragon's Table the Shepherds hightailed it straight to Ylisstol.

The mood was incredibly somber. How could it not? The end of the world was on them and Robin was on death's door. Grima played them all like a fool. The black tint to the sky was only a dark reminder.

Other than Robin, no one had suffered any serious injuries. At least not physically. Lucina was almost hit by a blast of lightning, but thankfully Frederic was there to knock her out of the way in time. Other than that there was only a few scrapes and bruises from their encounter with the Risen.

Lucina and Mark sat by Robin's bed spread, watching the man intently. He hadn't regained consciousness except for once momentarily on the trip back. It broke Lucina's heart to watch him writhe in pain, the occasional whimper escaping his lips. They both saw what happened to him. Thousands of what looked like needles pierced his body clean through. Lissa had assured them that Robin would be okay, but watching him squirm like this made it hard to believe that.

The rest of the Shepherds had all come by to see the three, but mostly they were just checking in on Robin. Lucina was deeply grateful for their thoughtfulness, even if she didn't show it.

They were all clearly worried for his well being, but Mark had detected a trace of guilt written on their faces as well. Grima's words must have had a little truth to them after all. With Chrom gone, Robin was like the father of the Shepherds. He was always checking in on each and every one of them, and always pushed them to be better than they could be. More than anything else he believed in them, regardless of who they were, and that meant so much more.

"Ngh..."

Lucina frowned and reached for Robin's hand, squeezing it softly. His trembling palms were incredibly clammy in her hand.

"Aunt Lissa, isn't there something we can do?"

"I'm sorry sweetie," Lissa shook her head. "I've given him all I can for the pain. If we give him anymore it could seriously hurt him."

"More than this!?"

"Honey... I know you're scared. I don't like this anymore than you but I can't just give him a boat load of pain medicine. It could only make things worse."

Lucina sighed and nodded. "I'm sorry. I know you're just doing your job. I just... I don't like being so helpless."

Mark squeezed his mother's shoulder. "He'll be okay Mom. Dad's tough, he won't go down so easily."

"You're right..."

"Aunt Lissa, it's obvious he's in pain, but where are his wounds?" Mark looked his father over once more. "We all saw what happened, but there are no wounds."

"That," Lissa paused to wipe the sweat from her brow. "I do not know. I honestly have no clue. It must be the way that Grima's magic works I guess."

Lissa walked back over to Robin's bed and placed a damp towel on his forehead then placed her index and middle finger on his neck to check his pulse.

"Hmmm... It's fast but nothing out of the ordinary," Lissa mumbled to herself.

"How long do you think he'll be like this?"

"I... I don't know... I'm sorry."

Lissa walked over to Mark and Lucina's side, resting a hand on both of their shoulders.

"Why don't you two go get something to eat? I'll let you know if his condition changes."

"No," Lucina answered immediately. "I'm not leaving. Not yet."

"I'll go get us some food," Mark glanced at his mother and stood. "I'll be right back."

Lucina nodded absentmindedly and kept her eyes glued onto Robin. She absolutely hated this. Being so helpless, not able to do a single thing but wait. She wasn't accustomed to it. In her life there had always been something that could be done, something she could have done no matter the circumstances. Hell even going back in time had been an option for her.

But now? All she could do was sit. Sit, wait, and pray that Robin would make a full recovery.

Even though the world was on the brink of destruction, Lucina felt oddly calm about it. Of course she was worried, but this time it felt different. She knew she should be afraid, everything in her mind screamed at her to be afraid. Her future had come to pass. Grima had awakened and was threatening to kill everything and end all of humanity.

Lucina reached out and brushed Robin's white hair behind his ear, her hand lingering on his cheek.

But she wasn't afraid. Not anymore. She believed in Robin and in the Shepherds. If anyone could stop this terrible fate, it would be them. This wouldn't be the first time their backs were against the wall.

There was a weight on Robin's arm. He could feel the pressure pushing down on him. It was comforting, almost relieving.

It was the first thing he could actually feel that wasn't unimaginable pain.

Robin's eyes fluttered open slowly, taking in his surroundings.

He was back in his room at the Ylisstol palace. That was easy to tell because of the overly ornate bed he was lying in. It was a four poster bed made from a fine mahogany, and even had the railings at the top so you could bring a curtain around for privacy. Chrom had insisted that the Grandmaster of Ylisse be given the best of the best, and to Chrom that meant a fancy bed and a fancy room. Naga bless the man.

Robin carefully glanced to his right. Lucina was hunched over in her chair, her arms resting on the bed and her head resting on Robin's arm. He could feel the dampness from her drooling pool on his arm.

Slowly glancing to the left he could see Mark leaning back in his chair asleep. His head was lowered and his arms were crossed across his chest and a slight snore was escaping his mouth.

Robin let his gaze turn back to the ceiling above.

He wasn't dead yet. There had been times when he wasn't so sure.

Robin wiggled in place ever so slightly, testing the waters. The pain had all but resided, but he was still incredibly sore. He could barely even feel his limbs for that matter. It was not a pleasant experience to say the least.

Taking a deep breath, Robin struggled to sit upright, only making it a few inches before collapsing back on the bed.

Lucina immediately detected the slight motion, bolting upright in her seat.

"R-Robin?" Lucina whispered wide eyed, wiping the drool from the corner of her mouth.

Robin tried to speak, but his mouth felt as if he had swallowed a gallon of sand.

Using his eyes, he motioned to the pitcher of water on his bed side table.

"O-oh! Of course, of course."

Lucina reached for the pitcher, pouring Robin a glass and gingerly brought it to his lips letting him take a few mouthfuls.

Robin nodded softly, letting her know he was finished.

"Oh Robin..." Lucina reached out and took his hand in both of hers, letting her forehead rest against it. She didn't have any words for how she felt. It was as if Naga had reached out and answered her prayers.

Lucina brought his hand to her lips and kissed it softly, letting her lips rest on the back of it.

"Thank Naga," She mumbled into his hand.

Robin stroked her cheek softly with his thumb. The action alone brought tears to her eyes. He was going to be okay. Even if she didn't know what the future might hold, it wasn't over just yet.

Lucina half sobbed, half laughed and held his hand to her cheek, taking immense comfort in his touch alone.

"Thank you Naga, oh thank you."

Robin coughed weakly and winced. He moved to sit up but Lucina stopped him by placing a hand on his chest.

"Don't get up," Lucina wiped the tears from her eyes and stood. "Let me go get Lissa."

Robin shook his head slowly.

"N-no. S-stay... Please."

Lucina's eyes widened momentarily but she quickly settled back down in her seat, keeping her hold on Robin's hand.

"O-of course."

Robin closed his eyes and exhaled deeply.

"Th-thank you."

The two remained silent for a while, simply taking comfort in each other's presence after all that had occurred.

Robin closed his eyes as it all starting slowly coming back to him. The Dragon's Table, the fight with Validar, the confrontation with Grima, the discovery of Robin's true origins, his injuries.

He was Grima. They were one and the same. He was the one that ravaged Lucina's future. It was Robin that Lucina and the other children had nightmares about. If one or two things were different, could he even say he would be here right now? Or would he be the one that accepted the Grimleal sacrifices? It made Robin shiver to think about.

"I-I'm so sorry Luci-"

Robin was interrupted by a light touch on his lips.

"Don't."

Robin opened his eyes to see Lucina staring fiercely back at him, but underneath that stern glare was one of love and compassion.

"You have nothing to apologize for."

"B-but I-"

Lucina pressed her finger a little harder into his lips effectively shushing him.

"Robin. I told you, there is nothing to apologize for. Now just lay back and rest."

Robin sighed and nodded, letting himself settle back down into the comfort of his bed before another thought came into his head.

"H-how long...?"

Lucina frowned. "Five days."

"Oh gods," Robin whispered as he struggled to get up. "I-I need to get up and-"

"No you don't," Lucina gently pushed Robin back down. "Lady Tiki says we still have time to recover. Grima is still weak from his travelling back in time."

Across from them Mark began to stir, groggily wiping the sleep from his eyes. He stopped midway through noticing his now awake father.

"D-dad?"

Robin nodded and smiled softly.

"Hey son," He croaked.

"Ohmygoshyou'reawake!" Mark immediately dropped the tough guy act from earlier and jumped from his chair and to his father's side in the blink of an eye, tackling him in a bear hug.

"Gah!"

"Mark!" Lucina narrowed her eyes dangerously at her son. "What are you doing? You know he's injured!"

"Oh g-gods I'm so, so sorry Dad," Mark backed off, looking down at the ground thoroughly ashamed.

"Heh," Robin gave his son a pained smile and patted his hand. "D-don't worry about it son, I'm fine."

Mark perked right back up, giving his father a wide grin. "Oh! I'll go and tell everyone you're awake!"

Mark bolted from the room, shouting all the way.

"Hey guys! Father's awake!"

Robin's smile turned genuine hearing his son sprint down the palace hallways, yelling at the top of his lungs. It seems the recent events haven't put a damper on his mood.

"Sounds like you're going to have some company soon," Lucina laughed.

Thankfully Robin had a few hours to recover and adjust before his friends finally came by to see him. What he didn't expect however, was that they'd all come to see him. All of them. At the same time.

"Uh... you all didn't have to see me at once you know..."

Robin gulped and looked around the crowded room. Somehow, someway, they had all managed to fit in. Another bonus to the room Chrom had picked out for Robin, it was pretty large. He never thought that would come in particularly handy but he was clearly wrong.

"We're just glad you're okay Robin," Cordelia smiled brightly. "You really gave us a scare back there."

"Yeah," Inigo patted Robin softly on the arm. "You took quite the beating."

"Ya nearly gave ol' Teach a heart attack!" Vaike laughed and slapped Robin on the shoulder. Robin had to bite his tongue to stop himself from screaming.

Why do people keep doing this!?

"Sir Vaike," Lucina glared at the shirtless man. "I suggest you do not do that again."

"Oh... Err... Right," Vaike rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Sorry buddy."

Robin waved him off. "Don't worry about it Vaike."

Robin turned back to the smiling crowd gathered around his bed. There was one person missing however, a person he doubted any of the Shepherds would expect either.

"You guys wouldn't have... By any chance seen-"

"Where's that wily son of a bitch!" Robin could hear his door burst open from the back of his room. Basilio pushed his way through the crowd, garnering him a few annoyed stares. "There you are! Ha, I knew they wouldn't get you so easy!"

"Basilio!" Robin grinned. "I was worried when you didn't show up at the Table."

"Yeah," Basilio replied. "Me and Flavia ran into some Risen trouble on the way through the tower. By the time we were done you all had made a break for it."

"We ran into Basilio and Flavia on the way out," Lucina stared pointedly at Robin. "It was quite the surprise to say the least."

"Heh," Robin scratched his cheek and looked away.

"Oh! Before I forget," Basilio reached into his chest piece, pulling out a cloth sack. "Here are the gemstones"

"What!?" Lucina glanced rapidly back and forth between the two. "Are you saying Basilio had them the whole time?"

"Yep," Basilio nodded. "Robin here predicted everything that had happened to the letter. Well everything except Grima. He even had me switch out the gemstones for some fake ones."

The group stared wide eyed at their tactician, a mix of awe and surprise plastered on their faces.

"Is this true Robin?" Lon'qu asked.

"Yes," Robin sighed. "But it doesn't matter now. The Fire Emblem is lost."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that Bubbles."

Gaius pushed his way through the crowd, stopping in front of Robin's bed.

"I could get it for you," Gaius picked at his nails. "But it will cost you."

"What!? Are you seriously negotiating with me right now?"

"That depends. Let's say I could get you the Fire Emblem back. What would you give me?"

"All of the finest candy Ylisse has to offer," Robin rolled his eyes dramatically. "Not like it-"

"DEAL! You said it! That's a verbal contract!" Gaius reached into his cloak hastily, pulling out the Fire Emblem and plopping it down on Robin's lap. "And no take backs!"

The Shepherds all froze, staring at the sacred Ylissean heirloom laying in Robin's lap.

"G-Gaius..." Robin couldn't believe it. He couldn't even formulate a coherent sentence. "H-h-h-"

"How? Simple really," Gaius shrugged. "You guys took your sweet time talking, so I just did my thing and tiptoed my way up there and snatched the thing."

"I... I can't believe this."

"Well believe it buddy. Now I'll be taking all of that candy you promised."

"I can't believe it!" Robin dipped his head back and laughed. "We're not out of this yet! There's still a chance! There's still hope! We have to go! Now!" Robin pushed himself out of bed, only to collapse into the waiting arms of Lucina.

"Not yet we don't. You're still too weak."

"Lucina is right Robin," Tiki stepped forwards from the crowd. "Grima may have risen but he is still far from his full strength. While it would prove beneficial to strike now, we can't do so if you're not a hundred percent either."

"Alright," Robin sighed and let himself be placed back on his bed by Lucina. "How long do we have then?"

"A week at the very most."

"Fine. One week but then we're moving out regardless of how I am," Robin turned back to the mob in his bedroom. "I really appreciate you all coming to see me, more than you could possibly know, but I'm starting to feel a little tired, and well-"

"You heard him. Let's go," Lucina herded the group towards the door, making shooing motions with her hands. "He needs his rest now, but we thank you all for coming by."

The Shepherds filed out of Robin's room, giving brief farewells as they went. Lucina closed the door behind them on their way out.

"Wow," Robin smiled. "When did you get so protective of me?"

"What?" Lucina blushed slightly and looked away. "A-am I?"

"Thankfully so," Robin laughed and patted a spot next to him. "Sit with me?"

Lucina smiled and walked over to Robin's bed, sitting beside him and resting her back on the head board. Robin reached out and intertwined their hands, enjoying the feeling of hers in his own.

"Where did Mark go off to?"

"I think he went off with Severa somewhere."

"I bet he did," Robin smirked knowingly.

Lucina rose an eyebrow. "Do you know something I do not?"

"Of course not Lucina."

Lucina narrowed her eyes but let this one slide.

"So how are you feeling?" Robin's expression turned serious. "I know it couldn't have been easy for you the past few days."

Lucina nodded slowly and stared at their linked hands in her lap, slowly rubbing Robin's with her thumb.

"I know I should be afraid, deathly afraid. Grima has risen, my father is gone, you almost died," Lucina squeezed his hand softly. "But I'm not. I believe he can be stopped, now more than ever. I believe in us and the bonds that we share. Just like Father always did."

"He'd be happy to hear that Lucina."

Lucina gave Robin a wistful smile. "I hope so."

"I know if he's watching us right now, he'd be smiling that big goofy smile of his," Robin struggled to push himself further up the bed to be eye level with Lucina. "And he'd probably tell us never to give in, that no matter how great the obstacle there is always hope."

"That sounds like Father," Lucina's wistful smile turned genuine. Lucina snuggled a little closer to Robin, resting her head very gently on his shoulder. Robin looped his arm around her and placed his head on hers.

The two stayed like that for a good while, simply enjoying each other's company when another thought popped into Robin's head.

"What was it he always said in battle?" Robin rubbed his chin with his other hand. "Everything can change?"

"It was 'anything can change,'" Lucina corrected. "And he didn't say it that much."

Robin scoffed. "He said it every time we fought. I should know given how it was always right in my damn ear."

"And what about you?" Lucina smiled deviously and looked up at Robin. "You're always going on about 'tipping the scales.' What are these scales you speak of?"

"It's a strategic term," Robin mumbled sheepishly. "It's a tactician thing..."

"Ha! Checkmate!"

Lucina laughed loudly, clearly pleased with herself.

Robin couldn't help but smile at the laughing woman in his arms. He had always loved her laugh. It was one of the few times when Robin got to see the princess side of her disappear and her more relaxed side take its place.

He wished he could create a world where she could always be like this. A world where everyone could be like this, without having to worry about tomorrow, or worrying if there will even be a tomorrow.

He could start by taking down the fell dragon that now plagued the world.

"Robin?"

"Hmm?"

"You alright?"

"Huh?" Robin shook his head to clear his thoughts. "Of course. I just spaced out a little is all."

"Here," Lucina gently untangled herself from Robin so as not to hurt him and stood. "Why don't I go get you something to eat while you rest."

Robin smirked. "You know I'd never turn down a free meal."

Lucina returned the smile and nodded, then left the room to go to the palace's dining hall. Robin watched her leave, sighing wisftully. This was the life he longed for so badly, fell dragons and time travel aside. It was just so easy to settle into it, to imagine everyday with Lucina and Mark, just like this. Except maybe without the injuries.

Robin looked to the Fire Emblem that was lying on his desk.

You will not stop me Grima.

Author's Notes:

So a pretty short one compared to some of the others. But I didn't want to make this one too long, since it might have gotten a little stale if I did.

I know Gaius having the Fire Emblem may have seemed too easy, but come now. They do the same in the game and it was ROBIN of all people to snatch it. You think he'd be the least likely to be able to sneakily grab it.

I wanted to throw in a somewhat fluffy chapter before the end, and this will probably be as fluffy as it gets. Hopefully you all didn't mind a little fluff in your diet.

Next chapter we'll be getting to Mount Prism. Oh do I got things planned for that.

If I were to take a guess, I'd say we have about another 4-6 chapters.

Thanks again for reading!

Until next time!

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