Chapter 25: Timeless Memory
Location: Regna Ferox, the Western capital.
A sacred blade swiped the air, its owner taking a deep breath before analyzing her striking pose.
"... Ever since that fight in Plegia," Lucina observed Falchion closely. "Strikes I concentrate on immensely, get coated in light; Luna has awoken inside of me."
Her feet shuffled in the ankle-deep snow, shaking off the cripplingly cold for just a bit longer. The crew had just arrived a day ago to the fairly large establishment of Basilio's territory, in other words, the heart of where the West-Khan lives.
Lowering her weapon to the side, Lucina looked up at the cloudy sky, her frosty breath obscuring the view slightly; until the princess glanced around at the nearby trees; adjusting her scarf before sheathing Falchion.
"Those two left me behind..." A sigh escaped the princess' mouth, one of annoyance due to the feeling of betrayal.
Robin and Severa left early in the morning, Lucina caught them both in the lobby – of the place they were staying in – which certainly was a surprise.
Upon asking the unexpected duo, Severa simply left the answer vague and ran off with the tactician before any further questions escaped Lucina's mouth.
This of course left the bluenette alone to train in the nearby forest.
Of course, Yarne was still there, but the taguel was simply too busy helping Holland and Aruba; two individuals that were brought along out of fear that the Grimleals would attack them once more.
"Best if I don't dwindle too much on it..." Lucina took a pose once more – while closing her eyes – and concentrated on a single blow once more.
Just like before, Falchion emitted a pale blue light. Lucina felt her power reach its peak, giving her the signal to open her eyes and slashed the air with great force.
The precise strike rang out a unique sound that echoed through the forest. As the sound dwindled, Lucina's breath left her lungs; loosening her muscles.
"Best if I retrieve myself from these woods.., perhaps Severa and Robin are back."
…
Meanwhile, Robin and Severa walked alongside each other; each focusing on different stores and window displays as they explored the market area.
"Seriously, Robin," Severa decided to continue scolding him. "How could you forget about her birthday?"
"For the last time, I didn't forget... Lucina never told me her date of birth."
To this, the swordmaster scoffed. "If I recall, you said something about being reborn after knowing all of us and what not. So that means you did forget about us and Lucina's birthday, there, I'm right."
Not sure as to how he could counter said argument, Robin decided it was best to accept the loss.
"Alright, alright... Any ideas what we're going to buy?"
"We?" The red-hair looked at him with raised eyebrows.
Robin returned the gesture with a confused look. "Aren't we going to share the gift? We'll say everyone contributed."
"... I suddenly feel bad for Lucy," Severa muttered while shaking her head.
This motion simply amplified the tactician's confusion and curiosity. "Mind elaborating?"
"Either you're acting ignorant, or you're far denser than I thought you would be."
In the back of the Plegian's mind, he knew the meaning behind those words. But has Severa seriously come to such a conclusion?
Once more, the tactician decided to keep his lips sealed for the time being.
Of course, this made Severa put both hands on her hips and look at him straight in the eyes. "So you do know."
"You are not refusing," A sly smile appeared on the maiden's face. "Look, this trip is not only for us to find a gift – and by us I mean Yarne and me – but also for you to stop playing with Lucina's emotions."
"Who says I'm fooling around? Plus, we're just friends.., I doubt she looks at me like that." He uttered the latter to himself.
Unfortunately, the proximity between the two wasn't helping, so Severa overhead it. "I don't know if you couldn't tell, but she has been constantly stressing herself out by making sure you're alright, despite almost a week after that incident happened."
Yes, the overwhelming attention he has been receiving was off-putting, however, you could easily just say that a friend was concern about one's health.
"Still not convinced, huh?" Severa easily read his doubts. "What about the nights Lucina didn't slept through, or the days she went unfed just to keep you in check while unconscious."
These weren't questions, but mere facts, information Robin couldn't easily discard. He would be lying if he said he didn't have feelings for the princess, they honestly started appearing after Lucina returned from her trip to Regna Ferox.
"I'm not so sure, Severa..."
Gripping the hilt of her own blade, Severa grumbled out her next words. "You're as incompetent as he was..."
Looking at the swordmaster, Robin saw that she was definitely frustrated. In order to ease – or redirect – that anger, the tactician made his next words count.
"What I meant is; what if she takes it the wrong way?"
Almost instantly, Severa's eyes eased up. "Just trust me on this, okay? Lucina wants a gift from you, so think up of something while we continue our search, we don't have much time left."
...
Time did indeed pass, enough for Severa to find a gift of her own, but not enough for the tactician to formulate a decent strategy for the matter at hand.
Soon enough, they had returned to the dorms they were staying at; Robin's heart was racing as they were greeted by the others, especially when his eyes met Lucina's.
The princess didn't hold eye contact, opting to speak with Severa instead, a conversation about the shopping bag.
"Oh, this?" Severa lifted the bag in mock surprise. "Just some items I bought for myself, nothing special."
She wasn't exactly lying, for Severa did indeed make the tactician buy some extra clothing for the swordmaster.
'She even blackmailed me for it!' Robin thought to himself while glaring at the back of her head.
Either way, they got away without Lucina knowing their exact reasoning behind their small trip. Deciding it was best to retire for the night, Robin excused himself and headed straight to his room.
However, it wasn't due to the need for sleep, such a thing was the last thing on his to-do-list. Pacing around the small dorm, the plegian had his mind racing to find a solution.
"... Gah, the gift I wanted to buy was taken by Severa..!" He soon realized he was doom to fail, he only had a few days left with zero options. "She even said it was repayment for the advice when I complained... Like, seriously? What advice! I am utterly confused now."
As if he was performing a skit in front of an audience, Robin kept doing exaggerated gestures of annoyance and discomfort while speaking to himself.
A sudden knock on his door surprised him. "Are you alright?" The voice belonged to Aruba surprisingly.
Not wanting to be rude, the tactician went over to open the door. "Sorry, I didn't wake you, did I?"
"Not at all, I was walking back to my room when I heard you speaking to yourself."
Slightly embarrassed from being caught, Robin stuttered while speaking. "Please forget about that, I was simply expressing some conflicting emotions."
"Would you like me to lend an ear? Speaking out your thoughts is important."
At first, he wanted to reject the offer; mostly due to being concerned about the woman's health, but maybe he could be selfish this once and receive important advice.
"Sure, but please, enter and sit down; don't exhaust yourself."
This nets him a small laugh from the villager. "That's very considerate of you." Aruba soon made herself comfortable on a chair.
Before speaking, Robin collected the right words. First, he started with a few past experiences, specifically about the relationship between Lucina and himself, then he admitted to a strong desire to keep her safe.
To his defense, however, Robin included the excuse - albeit fake - of him simply having those feelings because Lucina was a close friend. In the end, he explained the situation at hand and even the advice Severa offered earlier that day.
"Sounds to me like you're lovestruck," Aruba smiled and continued. "Have you truly never experienced this before?"
Those words made Robin turn beet red. "W-Well, not that I recall..." The plegian villagers didn't know about his amnesia. "... It can't be love, right?"
He received a very confused look. "Why wouldn't it?"
Memories of him not getting along with the previous princess resurfaced. '… No, they aren't the same; they're completely different persons... But, why am I so against the idea now?'
"Seems like to me, that you have quite a few knots in your heart," Aruba added upon seeing the tactician lose himself in an endless maze.
"... I'm afraid." He spoke out without warning.
"Afraid? About being rejected? Well, that's normal-"
"Not only that, Aruba," Robin cut her off before explaining. "I'm scared of losing her, we are soldiers, we risk our lives daily..."
He didn't want to be hurt again.
Astonished by how fast the tactician's mind worked, Aruba simply sat in silence and allowed Robin to collect his thoughts further. This was honestly the first time the two had a drawn-out conversation, but that made it easier for him to express his emotions in a way.
Once a sigh escaped the shepherd's lips – as he held a downward gaze – the woman spoke up in kind.
"Go for it."
Robin lifted his eyes with a slightly gaped mouth, a confident smile was on the woman's face, from an individual that has gone through many hardships concerning this matter – no doubt similar ones he has faced in the span of a few months.
Aruba stood up and excused herself with a small nod, unspoken words were left in the tactician's mind.
Robin thought to himself what the meaning of those three words meant; one simple conclusion was the fact that being soldiers was the main reason to confess, for their lives were fragile, it could end tomorrow or years from now.
Losing Lucina without confessing his feelings would devastate him, just like the memories that haunt him. While on the other side of the spectrum, was blinding himself – risking his position of being a tactician – due to investing in a relationship.
He breathed in sharply and narrowed his eyes while glancing at his right hand.
"I won't forget my purpose... There is no need to be scared, for I won't ever allow such an outcome to occur, I'll repay her with my life if needed."
His eyes glanced at the nearby window, the sky was illuminated with a sea of stars. Only three days remained, he couldn't afford to mess this up, for it will be an enormous stepping stone towards the direction his heart wants.
Three Days Remaining.
The next morning was a busy one, Robin spent most of his time alone at the town's market. Searching said section as best as he could, but nothing caught his eyes once again.
Flowers were an option, but that was far too romantic for the occasion. He wanted to give the princess something special, something that was unique and different compared to your usual gifts.
Minutes soon turned to hours, and it wasn't long till the sun was already setting. Robin found himself at the harbor of the town; military activity was rather high in that section for some reason. They seemed to be preparing for an attack; Robin made a mental note to approach Basilio about the situation.
Before dusk arrived, the tactician turned himself in and returned to the hotel they were resting at for now – utterly defeated.
Two Days Remaining.
This time, Yarne was helping the white-haired man decide on something. However, the Taguel was rather nervous with the idea of walking around in public, so admittedly, Robin didn't receive that much aid.
Lucina was growing suspicious as well, but Severa reassured that the princess probably didn't even remember that her birth date is approaching, no one celebrated it back in their time.
Either way, the two Shepherds – Robin and Yarne – approached many different subjects, such as Yarne finally breaking out of his shell – albeit somewhat – by fighting bravely against the Grimleals.
In the end, they visited a shop dedicated to presents related to anniversaries. Their tactician decided it was best to ask the shopkeeper, a young – but energetic – maiden.
"You can definitely present yourself in this wonderful suit-"
"S-Sorry, but I'm not trying to purpose for a wedding..."
The shopkeeper glared at him with a specific look, eyes that called him lame. "Well, one's presentation is important in the eyes of a lady ya know."
'I doubt Lucina would care about such trivial things...' Robin thought to himself patiently. "Sorry, but anything less.., you know, dynamic?"
Once more, this resulted in returning to the hotel empty handed, yet another day has gone to waste and his luck with Lucina was starting to get a bit shaky.
She was starting to ask questions, and even suggesting that they should go to town the next day if he truly needed help with whatever he was looking for.
Obviously, this was avoided at all cost; Severa would distract the royal tomorrow, giving Robin one last chance.
One Day Remaining.
Over the past few days, the snow was starting to melt, Regna Ferox had finally had a few days of clear skies with no snowfall. Spring was starting to bloom beautifully in the area, even if the season was known for being short in the region.
"I'm going to die from embarrassment if I don't find anything!" Robin shouted at the top of his lungs while standing in the middle of a forest.
Robin's voice echoed as he gasped for air; frustration was high; he couldn't understand why he was trying so hard, and why he wouldn't accept anything generic.
Giving up, for now, the tactician fell to his knees and stared at the open sky. His ears soon picked up the sound of many critters, mostly avian.
For some reason, it reminded Robin of the time he trained with Frederick at the knight's hometown.
Granted, it was weird watching the Stalwart-Knight dive into the lake, but they did share a small moment of peace when the sun was rising over the horizon.
Yes, he remembered how he came to the realization of how important the world was to the princess. The natural beauty that it held was greatly increased in her eyes.
Only the Shepherds who returned from the future truly understood how precious life was, small or big, to them everything held an equal value.
And then, as if a wave crashed into him, an idea occurred to the tactician – alongside a faint memory – while a smile slowly appeared; one of excitement and success.
Robin needed to tell the others before it was too late.
Zero Days Remaining: Lucina's Birthday.
Awakening just like usual, Lucina got out of bed as she stretched and yawned.
Given how it was still dark outside, she came to the conclusion that it was just before dawn, a usual occurrence with her daily schedule. Taking full advantage of her free-time, the royal decided to gear up and head towards the nearby woods just to train a small bit.
Due to being on auto-pilot, Lucina failed to notice a certain swordmaster in the lobby – hiding from plain sight – waiting for her to leave the building.
Severa did a small fist pump. "We have an hour or two now..!"
She then proceeded to decorate a naked table, ranging from a small cake; to the gift they bought.
The next person to wake up was Holland, who greeted with a smile before sitting down. After that, Yarne and Aruba joined; leaving only one person absent.
Although, Severa already knew he wouldn't present himself anytime soon if things went accordingly to plan – the tactician's plan to be exact.
As expected, the princess returned after an hour or so, Lucina opened the door fully before the group of friends shouted in surprise; wishing the shocked Lucina a happy birthday with laughs and smiles all around.
"... I didn't remember it was today..." Lucina managed to utter out.
Severa simply smirked. "Of course you didn't! But I'm your childhood friend, so I gotcha covered." She then proceeded to get behind the bluenette and push her towards the table. "C'mon we have a cake to slice, and you better give me extra for organizing this."
"You shouldn't have bothered-"
"No excuses! Just be happy, alright." Severa voiced out everyone's opinion.
After a short grace period of everyone enjoying the dessert, Lucina started to notice that Robin wasn't there with them.
Everyone at the table noticed the princess' searching eyes, they needed to distract her further.
Quick on her feet, Severa took action by showing Lucina a bag. "By the way, we got you something, a collaboration between everyone here."
Upon being handed the gift, Lucina looked at it, then back at her friends; they encouraged her with a nod.
Not sure what was inside, the princess treated it with care and caution before feeling a smooth fabric inside. Her hands gripped the piece of cloth and pulled it out, revealing a light blue cape that held a slightly different design than the one she wore.
The main difference was the tail of the cape, which ended in three separate ends.
A warm smile appeared on the princess' face. "Thank you, everyone... This is more than I deserve."
"Nonsense!" Severa cheered.
"Y-Yeah, you needed something like this!" Yarne added.
"Go on, put it on, we're curious to see," Aruba said in a sweet tone, while Holland nodded in agreement.
Doing as she was told, Lucina took off her old cape and held it in one hand, her eyes giving it one last look.
While her old cape held sentimental values, it was still rather old, and was sporting a few holes – and stitches – now.
Not wasting any more time, Lucina proceeded to put on the new one, gaining a few gasps of awe from the others.
Aruba complimented her, saying it was a perfect fit.
While Severa prided herself on picking the right one.
Time went on; waiting for none; needless to say, the princess enjoyed her time with the others, even if the idea was still alien to her due to not celebrating such things for many years.
After a short while, Severa decided to take the princess to a little walk around town, specifically around the shoreline.
They both hanged around a railing that overlooked the sea. Standing next to each other quietly, until Severa decided to speak out. "We never had time to relax back then..."
"Mmm," Lucina hummed out a sound of agreement. "Such an odd feeling it is as well."
"Sorry if you're not comfortable with it.., the celebration that is."
"Don't be," Lucina paused, proceeding when the sound of a crashing wave died down. "My gratitude cannot be expressed with words."
"... You don't owe me for this," Severa rested her arms on the wooden rail. "Think of it as my own thank you message."
Upon hearing this, the bluenette didn't speak right away, which prompted the swordmaster to continue talking.
"Out of everyone in the future, I'm pretty sure you suffered the most, yet you still led us."
Shaking her head – cobalt locks swaying – Lucina disagreed. "We all suffered, big or small, we share that pain."
A sigh escaped the swordmaster's lips. "Fitting of you to say that... Ever since we were little, you showed the signs of a great leader. Surviving in that hell hole was already near to being impossible, it isn't hard to imagine what would've happened to us without you taking charge."
Their mothers were great friends, so Lucina spent a great deal of time with Severa; practically sisters you could say. Any further words between the two weren't exchanged, there was simply no need for it, for there was a strong mutual understanding between the two.
…
Dusk fall soon arrived, and everyone had turned themselves in for the night. This included Lucina, who was enjoying a small read before getting ready for bed.
The subject of her book was related to stargazing, something she was always fond of since being a child.
Lucina's mother would always take her to a balcony in one of the watchtowers, just to observe the stars whenever she couldn't sleep.
A knock on the door was heard, startling the princess. "Who's it?"
"Just me, Lucina,"
Upon opening the door, Lucina revealed a tactician. "Robin? I haven't seen you all day."
"..." He didn't say anything, but he held out a hand.
Not exactly understanding what Robin wanted, Lucina stared at it with questioning eyes.
"Do you trust me?" He finally asked.
The princess looked into his eyes. "Of course I do..."
"Come with me then."
Maintaining eye contact, Lucina took his hand, all while noticing how serious and nervous he was. Despite all of this, Robin didn't waste any time, leading her down the hall and then outside of the building.
His steed was waiting for them, packed lightly with some supplies.
"Mind if I ask where we're heading?" Lucina asked once the tactician got on and offered a hand to her.
Once the two were seated properly, Robin answered with a simple; wait and see. He then commanded the steed to advance down the empty road at a fair pace.
Their travel time was rather remarkable, despite being dark, Robin knew the way perfectly as they sped down the forest roads.
Lucina resigned herself to holding him tight due to the speed they were going at; curiosity as to where they were heading was starting to peak.
However, it wasn't long till they reached the desired location, an area that the princess didn't even know existed.
Location: Regna Ferox, Ruins of Time.
Upon arriving at the ancient location of old, Lucina couldn't help but let out a small gasp of awe.
Robin – who dismounted their horse last – soon joined her as well, a smile plastered on his face. They both stood at the entrance of a large bay, the calm waters seemingly sparkled underneath the moonlight.
However, that wasn't the only thing that contributed to such a beautiful sight.
At the center of the bay were ancient ruins, to be specific, some sort of platform that was made out of transparent material – possibly made out of glass – and a dome-like temple that overlooked it all.
"Follow me, Lucina," The tactician led the way, walking over to a wooden bridge that led to the temple's grounds.
As soon as they took a step onto the platform, the pair could sense a different kind of atmosphere altogether; serenity; was the closest thing they could describe it with.
"This is utterly gorgeous..." Lucina uttered out, her eyes glued to the water underneath the glass flooring.
Due to the clear night sky, the light provided by the moon and stars was amplified by the ruins, making it illuminate with a gentle emerald glow.
"... I couldn't think of an item for your gift, so I decided; why not give us a happy memory?"
Robin's sudden reveal behind his motives led to the princess to look at him for a couple of seconds, face shifting from confusion to an earnest smile that was considered rare – even to the tactician.
She didn't say it, but Robin understood her. 'Thank you, truly.' Was what Lucina said with mere looks.
Resuming their exploration, the pair walked over to the nearby temple; there was a location that Basilio – out of all people – recommended to the tactician.
Unlike outside, the interior was pitch black, forcing Lucina to cast a small wisp of light before Robin continued to advance.
"Are we truly allowed to enter, Robin?"
"Of course, I asked Basilio; said we had permission as long as we didn't litter the place."
"You spoke with the West-Khan?"
"Yeah, but that's a story for another day."
They both went silent upon approaching a set of stairs not too far into the temple, which led them to the top floor, and into a balcony. Said area was overlooking the vast sea. A sight that was further enchanted by the moonlight and stars.
Robin took in a deep breath as a cold breeze blew by, his lungs enjoying the fresh air greatly. "You know, this will be one of the few memories we are like this."
His words received a quizzical look from the bluenette standing beside him.
"A memory that doesn't include practice for an upcoming battle," Robin continued. "Or some other stressful business."
To this, Lucina smiled and proceeded to stargaze. Many would merely get over the feeling of awe fast, but to the princess, the view felt like a childhood dream just came to life right before her eyes.
She soon remembered how Robin was absent during the day. "So the reasoning behind your absence earlier today..."
"Yeah, it was due to me planning this out," Robin smiled and looked at her for a small moment; his gaze returned to the sea. "I wanted you to be happy, and I wanted to be by your side while doing so."
Lucina's face started to heat up. "... One would get the wrong impression from such words."
Swallowing his saliva, Robin tested his luck. "Maybe that was the idea." He glanced at the princess; Lucina's eyes were wide and her cheeks were red.
"Are you joking? You're fully aware of my inability to-"
"I'm not joking, Lucina," The tactician fully turned to face her. "Recently, I've come to terms with some emotions; that protecting you is what I truly want..."
"Please, don't push yourself so..." She looked down in shame, for Lucina still felt guilty for the incident that occurred back in Plegia. "Robin, seeing you injured deals a great amount of pain to me."
In response to those words, the tactician decided it was time. "There are a couple things I wish to confess tonight; mind if you hear me out?"
A lump appeared in the royal's throat, but she nodded in agreement, prompting Robin to explain a long tale that slowly formed itself with each passing day they spent together.
He started with the day they first met in the forest, how he felt a strong sense of guilt towards her, while strongly believing that a debt was needed to be paid.
Those odd feelings were soon discovered to be from one reason alone; Lucina – from his timeline – did something for him that was inexplicable at the time. The princess – despite never getting along – sacrificed her own life, saving his in the process.
Finally, he explained how those feelings of debt have increased greatly upon getting to know the Lucina standing beside him.
"However, there is another reason as to why I wish to keep you safe..." Robin's heart was beating rapidly, he felt the entire world spinning around them. "Something I have been fighting back for over a while now, sometimes without even realizing it..."
Lucina felt tears fall down her cheeks as the next three words left his mouth.
AN: Happy birthday, Lucina!
And yes, we have reached that point it seems... I can only hope that the 24 chapters before this scene were well built for it.
One last thing before I end it here; next chapter won't be on Monday, this one is technically the next one in line, but due to being dated by Lucina's special day, it was posted today.
So I'll see all of you next week! (April 30th to be exact)
Until we meet again, in the next chapter.