Chapter 21: Dark Memories

Lucina sat against the headboard, her knees tucked to her chest with her arms wrapped around her legs. She held a sad smile as she buried her chin between her knees. She sat in the dark, quiet house. Robin had taken the twins out to Ylisstol so that she could have a girl's day at the house. Unfortunately, nobody would arrive at their house for another hour. Lucina's greatest fear was being alone, as it brought back the painful memories of the years while Robin was gone. Recently, they had found out their daughter was pregnant, leading to a big rabbit chase between Robin and Yarne. When Robin finally caught him, he was able to be talked down by Morgan and Lucina, so all Yarne got was a warning about hurting his daughter before Robin resigned to congratulate them, letting out a sigh to speak the unspoken words of his daughter growing up too fast. Lucina smiled at the memory and the big hug Morgan had given both of them once the two had Robin's approval. But now it seemed so far away. A few months had passed since that day. Morgan's stomach had expanded much like Lucina's had, but that didn't stop her energetic nature. Yarne tried to keep her in the house as much as possible, but she still managed to get outside every day to explore Ylisstol, play with the children of the city, and do her duties as the grandmaster of Ylisse, even though Chrom had already given her time off. The spirit of her daughter made Lucina's heart swell with pride and she only hoped she could raise Megan and Marth to be the same as their older selves. But now, in the dark of the house, the same memory kept arising in her mind. A dark memory that would continue to haunt her whenever she was all alone. A memory of one of her darkest hours.

Lucina laid in her bed, surrounded by darkness. Judging by the moon outside her window, it was close to midnight. Morgan had left their room earlier that week to start training with Frederick and living temporarily in the barracks, most likely to get her mind off the disappearance of her father. Robin had decided to put himself behind the fate of the world and sacrifice himself so that Grima would never bring about pain and suffering again. Unfortunately the tactician made a blunder in that assumption. The disappearance of a man leaves ripples across their friends and lovers. The Shepherds were torn apart by his disappearance and all of Ylisse, Regna Ferox and Valm mourned his death for a month. After that, the effect varied by individual. Chrom had lost all playfulness he once had, Virion and Gaius resigned from the Shepherds, and Morgan spent every day either locked in their room reading or outside training. But nobody took it harder than Lucina. She stayed in bed all day, refusing to eat unless forced. She had cried until there were no more tears left in her. She was a broken figure compared to the stoic princess she was before. She couldn't stand having lost the love of her life. She had held hope before that he would come back, but as a year ticked by that hope began to die. By the end of the second year, she was sick of being where she was. She loved Morgan with all of her heart, but each time she saw her she couldn't help but think of him. The resemblance was uncanny. The same coat, eyes and facial features, as well as the high intellect of the girl. Lucina found she was starting to become unable to even look at the girl without her heart breaking. And so, in the dead of night, she decided it was time to take action. She had packed up all her belongings earlier into a backpack and placed it hidden under her bed. Now that night had come, she slowly rose out of bed and took up her backpack. She exited the room, turning at the door to give one last long stare at the bed that was supposed to be hers and Robin's. Life wasn't fair though, and would rip what you loved most out of your hands when you thought all was safe.

Tears filled her eyes as she shut the bedroom door for the last time, stepping out into the hallway and trying not to make a sound. She had left a note on the bed explaining why she had to leave, so she only had one thing left to do. She stepped silently through the castle, quickly approaching the door she was searching for. She turned the doorknob slowly and opened the door, anxiously waiting for any noise. When none came, she let out the breath she was holding and walked into the room. In the corner sat a small bed with a young three year old girl. Lucina walked over and gently scooped her into her arms. She stared at the sleeping form of her younger self and tears began to well in her eyes. She knew she had to do this. She would exile herself so that the younger Lucina could live a normal life, a life where her older self didn't interfere. She would find life elsewhere, likely in Valm, searching for Robin or at the very least leaving behind any troubles she had brought to her family. She always felt like a burden laying in her bed, not contributing at all. But here that would all end. She leaned down and kissed the young girl on the forehead. In a broken voice, almost inaudibly, she said only a few words.

"Yours….will be a happy future…."

And then she was gone. She ran through the castle, tears trailing behind her. She didn't care if anybody heard her now. She was going to escape, leave behind the burdens of the past. She may not be able to forget him in her heart, but she would do her best to make herself be more than just a burden in the castle. She ran through the front door, gasping in the cold night air. She was wearing her normal fighting gear and forgot a coat, so the chill seeped into her clothing and turned her skin cold. She brought her arms close to her chest in an attempt to warm herself. To make matters worse, a crack of lightning flew across the sky, signaling the start of a storm. Lucina stared at the night sky and decided it was best that she ensured her survival. She turned back and ran into the castle, flying through the halls. She emerged into her bedroom again. Scrambling to the closet, she threw it open and quickly found what she was looking for; one of Robin's spare coats. She had frequently held onto them during her time at the castle, so much so that his scent slowly faded from them, much to her despair. She had decided it was best to leave the coats behind so that she could try to forget the painful memories, but her heart wouldn't allow it. She threw the coat on over herself and drew the hood up over her eyes, sprinting back out of the castle.

She emerged back into the night air, this time with the absence of a chill and the presence of a downpour. The coat was specially designed to reject water, so she would not have to worry about getting soaked in the rain. She also knew the rain would mask her departure, allowing her to easily escape into the night. She ran and ran, all the while gripping tightly to the hood of Robin's old coat. Once she was outside the city walls, she stopped to catch her breath, stopping still when an old memory suddenly hit her. Robin's scent was coming from inside the coat, having somehow survived the years of being stuck in the closet. Lucina's eyes began to water again and tears dripped down her face, matching the rainfall around her. She sunk down to her knees, gripping onto the coat tightly, feeling a mixture of emotions within her.

"Oh gods….Robin…why!? Why did you have to go!? You….you promised! You promised we would always be together! I can't….I can't do this without you….you have been my strength in this world….please Robin…." Lucina's voice faltered and she simply sat there and cried to herself, her heart once again torn due to the absence of a certain tactician. She noticed a light making its way out of the city walls and scrambled to her feet, trying to get away but a familiar voice called out to her.

"Wait! That coat….father is that you!?"

It was Morgan. Lucina stopped dead in her tracks. She didn't want to run away and give Morgan the false impression that Robin had returned, but she also knew that she would never be able to leave if she looked at her daughter at this moment. She stood there lost in thought until she felt a hand remove her hood.

"M-mother? What are you doing out here? Why are you crying?" Morgan asked, her voice full of concern. Lucina tried to answer but found her voice wouldn't work, so instead she wrapped the girl in a tight hug. Morgan quickly hugged her back and the two women stood there for few minutes without a word.

"Mother….I miss father too….but we have to be strong, together" Morgan finally spoke up, her voice hoarse. Lucina knew she would figure out what was happening, Morgan was as intelligent as her father. Tears fell from both their eyes as they stood in each other's embrace. Lucina knew she wouldn't be able to leave now, not after what just happened. She could only hope her husband decided to return soon. She slowly nodded to Morgan as her voice still had not come back and walked back to the city walls, an arm wrapped around her daughter.

"Lucina? Are you okay?"

A voice and a warm embrace slowly brought Lucina out of the memory. She slowly began to get her bearings. She was still curled into a ball on the bed, but two arms were now holding her tight with her head pressed against their chest. The scent was all she needed to know who it was. She smiled slightly and proceeded to let the tears that were waiting to fall get their wish. She cried into his chest for a few minutes, with no words passing between the two. Robin held her close and stroked her hair, letting her know he was always there. When she had calmed down, he used one hand to tilt her chin up and the other to gently wipe the tears away from her eyes. He smiled warmly.

"It isn't becoming of a beautiful princess to cry while the poor boy is away" He said with a small laugh. Lucina also choked out a laugh, her throat sore from sobbing. Lucina shook her head and buried herself into his coat, laying on top of him and wrapping the cloth around herself. She listened to his heartbeat and breathing while he simply rubbed her back lightly. Before she knew it, she fell fast asleep.

Lucina was awoken by the sound of knocking on the front door. She was laying on the bed with no sign of Robin. She wiped all remnants of tears from her face and left the room, stopping only as she noticed flowers and a note on the bedside table. She picked up the note and couldn't help but smile at the message.

Lucina,

I hope whatever nightmares you were having have since disappeared. I had a strange feeling that something bad was happening while in Ylisstol so I rushed back. Please dear, I am always with you. Nothing will ever keep us apart again. I had to go again and make sure the twins don't burn down all of Ylisstol, especially since I left them with Frederick. Thinking on it, that probably was a poor decision. Enjoy your nap and please have fun tonight, you truly deserve it. If Yarne is there, give him a good smack on the head for me. I'll be back with dinner tonight. I love you my dearest.

Love always,

Robin

Lucina held the note to her chest and took in the sight of the flowers. Robin was always thinking of her and wanted the best for her, and she always wanted to reciprocate those actions. She made a quick mental note of making dinner special and set off to welcome her guests.

She opened the door to find Morgan, Lissa, Sumia, Olivia, and Cherche waiting for her. She welcomed them all in happily, but in the back of her mind she knew what was about to happen in Ylisstol now that the boys were left alone. She let out a silent sigh and went back to retrieve the tea she had made before her nap, listening to the happy chatter of the girls.

"Thank you so much, we will be back before sundown!" Robin said gratefully to the royal babysitter of the Ylissean castle. The twins were now being carried in her arms, meaning Robin was free to explore the city. More specifically, it meant he was about to get extremely drunk. He ran out of the castle to find Lon'qu, Vaike, Gregor, Gaius, Chrom and Virion waiting for him.

"Finally! Teach was getting thirsty!" Vaike yelled with a slight irritation. Robin snapped his fingers that sent an electric bolt at the warrior's feet, causing a yelp to escape his lips and everybody else to burst out laughing. Robin took the lead of the group and they all entered a bar they had frequented in their younger days called the Sword and Tome Tavern. The owner, a kindly old man with a thick black mustache that went by the name of Luigi welcomed them back after such a long absence.

"Gregor says we are making with the drinking!" Gregor yelled as he lifted four tankards of ale from behind the counter. Luigi had long since learned never to interfere when the mercenary got going, so he simply kept a tab going while he watched their antics.

"Easy there Gramps, don't want you passing out on us that early" Gaius said as he stuck a lollipop in his mouth. Gregor shrugged with a tired look.

"Who are you calling Gramps? Gregor is but young man, and young man can drink much ale without his lights going out"

"Ah, the most exquisite wines for me, I do not drink as these brutes do" Virion spoke in his flowery voice as he plucked two bottles of red wine from the shelved of the bar.

"Who you calling a brute!" Vaike said between gulps of Feroxi whiskey, each sip making him increasingly drunk. Robin shook his head as he picked up a tankard of rum that came from the Plegain coast and grabbed two mugs for himself and Chrom. Lon'qu had already grabbed them all a table and was busy shuffling cards. He himself settled for a bubbling concoction that had no alcohol but rather lots of sugar, as he didn't enjoy causing an altered state of mind. The rest of the men took their seats, with Gaius looking inquisitively at Lon'qu's drink. Robin swore that man could smell sugar from a mile away.

"So what's the game?" Chrom finally asked as he poured the rum into his mug. Lon'qu gave a faint smile.

"Strip poker. Loser has to run to the castle and back before they can put their clothes back on"

The other men groaned at the particular choice of game, but they knew they were getting drunk anyways so it was likely at least one of them was going to end up streaking even without the game.

"Alright, but each time you fold, you have to drain your cup" Vaike yelled, already slightly tipsy as evidenced by his slightly slurred words. Gregor let out a big laugh.

"Gregor accepts! Let the game begin!"

Many bottles of alcohol later, the seven men sat around the table. Robin and Lon'qu still had most of their clothes, but the rest of them weren't faring so well. Chrom and Vaike were down to their smallclothes, Gregor had decided to take his smallclothes off first, Gaius had stopped playing the game and started mixing the sugary concoction with different alcohols, trying to find a right mix, and Virion was in just his cravat and pants. Right now Vaike and Chrom were staring each other down, the rest of the men having folded. The glared at each other for a few moments.

"For all da marblessss" Vaike struggled to say. Chrom did a long, exaggerated nod. The two men threw down their cards at the same time. Robin peered over to see who the winner was and couldn't help but laugh.

"Looks like Ylisstol will get treated by their Exalt tonight" Lon'qu said as he looked at Vaike's four of a kind and Chrom's simple one pair. Chrom let out a big groan and walked towards the door of the bar, stopping to rip his smallclothes off and throw them at Vaike, hitting him right in the face. The Exalt then ran out the door with the rest of the men quickly dressing and following outside to watch. Sure enough, there were quite a few screams from the ladies and guards that looked confused on what to do as they watched their leader run by in the nude. They all burst out laughing as Chrom turned back from the castle and stumbled back to them. Robin felt he hadn't had this kind of fun in years, not since before the fight with Grima. He decided they would all have to get together more often.

As the afternoon wound down, Robin looked around the bar at the destruction they had caused. Most of the men were passed out on the floor with only Gregor, Robin and Lon'qu still standing. Robin walked over to Luigi and put down enough gold to cover their bill two times over and left, realizing he had to get back to Lucina soon with dinner. He stopped by a food vendor and picked up a large family meal, then left Ylisstol, hurrying his way to his home. He got there in time to see all the guests leaving. He gave them a wave and Morgan a big hug, then found his way to the couch after putting the food on the counter of the kitchen. He was ready to pass out when he heard a tapping noise. He opened one eye to see Lucina standing there, hands on her hips and tapping her foot with a very angry look.

"Huh?" was all Robin could get out. Lucina gave him a frightening smile.

"Robin, where are the twins?"

Robin's eyes burst open as he realized his blunder. He grabbed his coat again and sprinted out of the house, passing by the group of laughing ladies on his way out. Lucina giggled and shook her head as she looked out the door.

"See mother? I told you he would forget something" Morgan yelled back with a big grin.

"He certainly can forget his promises sometimes, though he always makes up for it in some way or another" Lucina said as she fondly remembered what had transpired earlier that afternoon. She shrugged and reentered the house, sitting on the chair as she once again waited for her husband to return.

A/N: Shout out to WhiteAxolotl for the idea that became this chapter. I thought it would be a short flashback but it turned into an entire chapter. It is a bit of a change of pace, but I hope you all enjoyed it just the same. In other news, I recently started a new story called The Exalt Bride, an adaptation of The Princess Bride featuring Robin and Lucina. You should go check it out, it is very insane but will have quite a few fantastic moments that I am excited for. I would say it has about the same amount of craziness the chapter 12 of this story has. It has started a bit dark, but it will brighten up soon. Thank you for everybody's support, and another shout out to Polar333 for being the 100th favorite for this story. Thank you to everyone who has followed or favorited this story! Reviews time!

Magnus- thank you, I hope my strange humor continues to make you laugh.

ODST-Don't feel bad, at least you followed it now. And there is still plenty to come, this story will not be ending soon, hopefully it remains as good as you have seen it as!

Guest-I can do that, though we will see if I ever actually get around to pairing Marc up. I suppose I can do a Dad/Son dating chapter with Robin giving date advice.

Nintend-He just went through some brief insanity, nothing too crazy. After all, who could stay mad at Morgan?

Legionary-He sure did, though he didn't have the same severe reaction. That promise he made to Chrom came back and helped ensure that.

Antex-Haha, don't worry I made sure he didn't. It was tough, that tactician has a lot of fight in him. But I was able to control him a bit. Thanks for the continued support and I'm glad I could answer some questions about the Future Past Arc.

Thank you everybody, I am really loving the increase in reviews, it helps to write these chapters more quickly. Again, go check out The Exalt Bride! Until next time,

Austin