So I had the first, maybe...20 paragraphs done for a while now, but ended up getting stumped on the fight scenes I had to write later. In the end I decided to skip them, because even though they were sort of important it was easier to just tell the basic outcome afterwords instead, which allowed me to finally finish this chapter for you all! Sorry for the wait, read and review (it gives me the will to write when I get reviews), hope you enjoy!
She had spent so much time trying to keep her emotions in check during the divide that everything began to fall out of her control, and that's something she could never forget.
"Could you explain this plan of yours again Robin?" Virion stood outside the camp with the tactician, who was holding a stack of scrolls...easier to carry.
"T-to put it s-simply...I-I give you plans a-and you tell th-them to I-Inigo." Robin explained in the simplest way she could, getting a thoughtful nod.
"That way they have some sort of tactics, since they will not listen to you right now." It was her turn to nod. "I am neutral in this internal feud."
"I-I...I can't let a-anyone die b-because of this."
"This won't save them." The orange haired teenager ignored her pessimism, she didn't have the time to think like that. A hand was slowly held out to her, snapping her attention back to the owner.
"Than I shall assist as best I can." Black eyes widened before a smile stretched across her face.
"V-Virion...thank you." The scrolls were handed over, words dripping gratefulness, before the smaller one ran back into the camp.
¬NF¬
"Was thine plan successful Robin?" Owain questioned as she stepped into her tent, seeing she looked weary.
"Part o-one was, a-at least...if I-Inigo listens or not is u-unknown." This whole thing was quickly taking it's toll on Robin, in less than twelve hours her life had been uprooted in one of the worst of ways, her breathing was shallower than normal and she looked exhausted.
"You still aren't healed yet, you shouldn't be pushing yourself." Henry reminded her, though she merely gave a weak smile.
"You will lose your precious control."
"I-I can w-walk now, tomorrow I-I should be able t-to fight...that's a-all that matters." He responded with a slightly agitated sigh.
"She wouldn't be Robin if such could dissuade her." The blond pointed out, smiling despite looking worried.
"This is trivial to Mother." Morgan agreed, giving a smile of his own.
"H-Henry, Owain-"
"We shall keep watch around camp mine friend." The prince cut her off with a reassuring smile.
"You just rest Robin." The two left the tent, leaving only the boy and his mom.
"Night Mother." The black eyed boy said, crawling into his bed as she moved to her own.
"Good night Morgan."
¬NF¬
Robin wasn't supposed to wake up like this, covered in sweat and a silent scream coming from her mouth...whether she was supposed to or not didn't matter though, one way or another she still had.
"Robin!" It was Henry who called her name first, hand pushing against her shoulder to try and bring her mind back from reality. Owain quickly followed the plegian's example, rushing to her side and giving a gentle shake as he repeated her name. Only her son stood on the sidelines, watching as their attempts only seemed to make it worse, a choked scream filling the tent and surrounding area.
"...That isn't going to help." Morgan pointed out, pushing the two other males aside. "You should know better." He chastised harshly, making sure not to touch his mother. "No enemies have entered the camp Mother. Your nightmare wasn't real...you know that. We are fine, we are safe." The horrible scream stopped abruptly, her breath coming out in panicked gasps. "...Dad is safe." A few moments and her eyes seemed the finally register what was around her, calmed as she slowly sat up.
"How did thou know that would calm her?" The blond pulled the barely teenager by the sleeve, question falling softly from his lips.
"Mother has nightmares about bad things happening to Dad all the time." The white haired boy gave a shrug before pausing. "...She used to, at least. It was the same symptoms, so I just tried what I always did back home."
"And telling her Henry is unharmed always calmed her?" A smile quickly slipped onto the black eyed boy's face as the tactician looked at him.
"It's the truth." It was rather simple logic, but clearly correct, the younger time traveller giving another smile to the prince before quickly moving to be sure his mother was ok. Henry left the tent for a breather, followed by the blue eyed boy.
¬NF¬
"...Did thine Robin also have such nightmares?" The question took several seconds of silence to ask, both making sure the ones within the tent wouldn't hear them.
"If she did she never told me." The dark mage's response was instant, getting an understanding nod.
"Can thou think on a reason this Robin would have them, mine friend?" Footsteps sounded, heading in their direction...people who were on their side and heard the scream, most likely.
"Grima hates me." The answer took a few moments, but the simple fact was important. "Giving her nightmares like that would still upset her here, make it easier to take over..."
"And allow the fell dragon to release some of its built up contempt for thee." The myrmadon finished, getting a nod. "We are lucky Morgan knew how to bring her back." Another nod.
"Owain!" The royal turned his head to see Cynthia, eyes wide in concern, her father mere few paces behind her...several others were behind them still, but it was the two at the front who drew his attention most.
"Cynthia?" He had forgotten how fast she was, always riding that pegasus of hers...but the theif's daughter was capable of surpassing even her father's speed, when she didn't...she tripped. "Cynthia!" The sword user dashed forward, helping his friend up once she was certain she hadn't been harmed.
"What are thou doing here Cynthia? Thine mother is with Uncle Chrom!"
"Father and I decided to help you, to help Robin! She didn't do anything wrong, she was just trying to protect us, like she always did." The pegasus rider explained. "But that's not the point, is she ok?! We heard the scream and went to get the others." His breath hitched, just a little...Sumia was one of the most loyal to his uncle, that had never been in question, and choosing to side against the king in this internal feud of Shepherds was bound to strain the family.
"Robin is fine...it was just a DAYmare." The closed eyed boy laughed at his own joke, though it certainly didn't seem to make anyone else even smile.
"What of thine mother?"
"All the stories I heard about Mother was of a great pegasus knight under the king, fighting to protect and help the innocent...and Robin is innocent, even if they don't all seem to see that." A slow, grateful smile was her reward.
"Thank you Cynthia."
¬NF¬
Fighting, fighting and more fighting...days blurred into one another, the fights between true enemies and one another all that Robin could remember of them...it may have an odd sort of beauty any other time. They had managed to defeat Pheros in Steiger, but it had only barely been achieved without a death among them (too many people not listening to her, too many she couldn't control, instead following the plans of a boy smart enough to realize the plans given by his father had been from her but not how to direct an army)... thanks to his current mistrust of her Sully and Lissa had to convince Chrom that staying in the fortress would only lead to death, an unnecessary waste of what was already precious time, Basilio and Flavia had taken a small group to hold off Walhart in hopes of giving the others a chance to take out Yen'fay. It had been their only choice, and many had disagreed...the thought that she was forcing them to their death was quickly eating away at her, hastally going to save them would only get the rest killed, just like Lady Emmeryn...just like Lady Emmeryn...
"Robin?" Owain stood at her side, though her episode over his aunt felt to the both of them like years ago he wasn't so naive as to miss the similarities.
"...I'll be fine Owain." A deep breath, a forced smile that cracked and fell as soon as it was seen. "...Control my emotions, right?"
"...Yes, that's right." His expression made it clear he hated hearing the words from her.
"Gather our group, we don't have much time." A nod and he left, careful of the streams of lava slowly pouring down the volcano...it was nothing less than a miracle that Chrom had the same ridiculous and, frankly, dangerous plan for a battle field. Nonetheless it meant all the Shepherds were here, so she could at least try and protect them.
"Are you ok?" The orange haired teenager looked up to see Henry now at her side, smiling despite obviously being worried.
"...Would your Robin have sent Basilio to his death?" The question seemed to catch the dark mage off guard.
"Lucina's tale sure makes it seem like it." He answered. "And it's not to his death!"
"Lucina's tale suggests otherwise." The Plegian frowned at his own statement being used against him.
"Robin-"
"He's here." And with but a few words yet another fight began.
¬NF¬
The battle was bloody, and had it not been for Maribelle and Lissa carrying a few Physic staves into the fight many of 'Group Chrom' would have died under Inigo's orders. Say'ri cried at her brother's death as they headed down the volcano, his sacrifice now known, but Robin left the Ylissian royal siblings to comfort her...one would merely get angry at her attempts, and it was more important right now to try and think of how to take down Walhart. With this battle and the last there was no way he didn't know they had been fragmented from within, and that knowledge was deadly in the hands of such a man...
"Mi'lord!" Black eyes snapped to the source of the call, a soldier that had been with Basilio...who now looked panicked...
Gods no!
"That little warning didn't save him...you knew it wouldn't...you already knew he was going to die. I told you that you would lose your precious control." Cruel laughter filled the tactician's mind, she shook it in an attempt to ignore it...but when her eyes fell on Flavia, hurt but clearly emotionally as well as physically, the truth of the situation hit her.
I sent Basilio to die. Their words and the very world around her seemed to fall away, as though her mind no longer knew how to handle what was happening.
"...Bin? Robin?" The pigtailed teenager turned towards the voice, absently noting that her eyes were closed.
"Did you hear her?" Henry sounded worried again, had probably noticed something was wrong.
"Say'ri wants my opinion." The answer left her mouth instantly, though there was a moment of surprised silence after it.
"That's right." The foreign princess agreed. "Walhart has-"
"Returned to the imperial capital." Another instant answer, though part of her wondered how she knew that...she didn't remember hearing them. "You shouldn't assume I wasn't paying attention."
"But you-"
"Didn't answer when you first asked and Henry tried to call me because I was thinking, Say'ri." More silence.
"...Well?" Chrom wasn't happy she was being asked, with him trying to make a point by ignoring her and dividing the camp, that much was obvious in his voice. But the cloaked teenager had never been calmer.
"We attack the capital and end this pointless war." The eyes that finally opened weren't their usual black, but a glowing bloody red that locked with the blue of the king.
First things first, ROBIN SUDDENLY DROPPING THE STUTTER WAS INTENTIONAL!
The transition here seems a bit confusing, since I cut out the battles and days between, but this basic sequence of events has been planned for months...I may come back and rewrite this chapter after the story is done. Encase it wasn't as obvious as I would like, Robin was trying to keep control of her emotions but could only do so much as Inigo proves useless as strategy (meaning around half her friends are nearly dying in each fight), the battles within the Shepherds become more and more often, the fortress turns from a win to almost certain death, and Basilio dying. Grima talks to Robin more frequently here because he knows she can't keep fighting him like this with everythin going on around them (there's a hint or two of him beginning to get to her, one of which being the aforementioned lack of stutter, not exactly subtle but there nonetheless). Next chapter will be a lot fun for me, and hopefully interesting for you all. Hope you all enjoyed, see you soon!