The trio felt their seat jump from them as the cart's wheels hit a bump in the road. Clearly Frederick missed a pebble on his journeys as the wooden wheels collided with it. With three bags of supplies and a backpack carrying their armor, the three sat in the back of an open cart as four horses galloped across the dirt road. It had not rained for the last few weeks which made the roads easier to pass, but usually meant the ride was bumpy as well.
"I still say we should have rode horses." Morgan groaned as she felt seat leave her again. It felt like she was being tossed around like a salad in the back of the cart.
"This is quicker." Robin replied as he accidentally crashed into his wife. However, she didn't seem to mind, and she was secretly using him as a cushion from the sudden jolts. "None of us are exactly masters at riding a horse at full sprint."
"So how do you plan to joust if you can't ride a horse the right way?" Morgan asked curious.
"I don't." He said as he braced himself for another bump in the road. "I'm dropping out."
"What?!" Morgan cried surprised. "But you were supposed to win the trophy for me!"
"More like get my ass kicked." He shuddered as he said, "I can barely hold a lance standing still, so whoever I faced would murder me."
"But I thought you and mom were practicing." She asked wondering where the month went.
"Well um, let's just say we had a habit of getting distracted." He rubbed the back of his head and said, "I fear we spent more time talking than training, and even when we did focus most of it was fighting with the sword."
"So I will compete in the arena and he will serve as my coach." Lucina replied while leaning her back on her mentor.
"My strength has always been in advising and tactics anyways." He said picturing what it would be like to have a lance crushed into his stomach while his opponent rode at him at full speed. He didn't need to be an expert to know how that would end.
"But I thought you could do anything dad." Morgan grumbled disappointed.
"Heh, well I'm afraid even I have limits. I would've entered the sword tournament, but considering that I've never beaten Lucina in a fair fight, I think I know how that would turn out too."
"So I can take comfort knowing you have my back." She replied ready to face the competition. Sure, it was a one-on-one duel, but she knew she was stronger when she had him helping him in any way possible.
"Still, that means we are bringing home only one trophy, not two." Morgan frowned.
"Morgan, these are some of the best fighters in the world. They've trained their entire life for this moment, and many are double my age." Lucina replied trying to be realistic. "I'll be lucky just to win my first few matches, but I am very curious to see where I rank with other great warriors of this time."
"I don't know. I think I am with Morgan on this one." Robin chirped. "I've never seen anyone with your grace or speed."
Lucina blushed embarrassed and said, "I fear you always overstate me dear. My strength came from you and a determination to protect the world. Without the second, I'm not sure how well I will match up."
"Are you doubting my skills to help you?" Robin asked pretending to be hurt.
"What? No! I would never. I'm just not sure if I am strong enough is all. It has been some time since our last real fight."
"You'll do great. You are a stunning sight to watch with that sword in your hand." He proclaimed proudly which made her smile.
"Gah!" Morgan grimaced as the cart bumped again and sent her up into the air before she came crashing back down. "Stupid bumpy road." She grumbled. "If not for my leg, I would have ran this distance myself without needing these horses."
"Just hang in there Morgan. Soon we will reach Plegia and the roads will be softer there."
"They better be." She crossed her hands hoping that the driver of the cart could be more gentle on the road, while also going faster. "I'll just have to settle for your story while we wait."
"Well sweetie ... Maybe we should skip the story today." Lucina hesitated unsure looking back at her husband.
"Huh? How come?" Morgan asked horrified at the thought of missing her daily dose of her parents past.
Lucina sighed and said, "Well, it's just that-" She felt Robin grab her shoulder and say he was okay with it.
"Morgan, remember what I said about both of us having regrets?" He asked with a calm demeanor.
"Uh huh." Morgan nodded.
"Well, we are at mine." He sighed and took a deep breath. "And it's a big one."
"Dear, at least let me tell it so you don't need to think about it." Lucina pleaded fearing he would blame himself again.
"Are you sure? I don't want you to relive it either." He frowned back.
"Positive." She replied firmly and said with a passionate cry, "I want you to hear me say it again. I want to remind you about the good things."
"...Alright." He gave a weak nod and did not dare challenge his wife when she was like this.
"Mom, dad?" Morgan asked curious.
"Sweetheart." Lucina replied softly as she said with great care. "I'm sure you know by now what happens, but there are somethings that we probably never told you either. It is important for you to know that even the strongest and most courageous people have doubts about themselves, but that doesn't change who they are."
She looked back towards her husband and rubbed her thumb against the palm of his hand.
It all started the morning of our final battle against Validar. The day we would stop him for good. I was polishing my sword before the fight when my mother came searching for me.
...
"There's my beautiful daughter!" Sumia cried as she approached me.
"Greetings mother." I said respectfully as I put down my cloth and placed Falchion back in its sheath. "Are you ready for today?"
"Yep! No one is going to hurt my precious girl with me in the way." She cried enthusiastically while raising her spear in the air. "I know it is not the best way to have a mother and daughter moment, but I hope that you can see how committed I am to protecting you and your father!"
I smiled back and said, "I'm sure I will be most impressed."
"Of course, I know who you'd rather fight next to." She winked back at me. "And while I cannot pretend to be him, I shall try my best to fill the hole."
My face reddened with embarrassment as I said, "It's still an honor to fight with you mother. Cynthia is right when she says you were a true hero, and a renowned fighter to the end.
She grinned with her smile reaching both ears. "Thank you Lucina. It means a lot to know that both of my daughters still respect me so highly."
"Right." I nodded back politely.
My mother looked at me curiously for a moment before saying, "So how does it feel to be married?"
I shook my head in disbelief and said, "I'm afraid it still hasn't hit me. It felt so strange waking up with Robin next to me today, and for a moment I feared I was in the wrong tent."
"Hehe, well with time I am sure you will get use to it. It's a pretty big change of pace."
"Was it for hard for you to adjust as well mother?"
She smiled warmly and said, "I wanted to marry him for a long, long time. So long that it seemed like I was married the day he got engaged to me."
I blushed again and said, "I suppose I feel a little similar then. I did only get engaged a day before I was married."
"Hehe, yeah. I'm surprised your father didn't have a heart attack." She laughed happily as she seemed to be okay with the quick proposal.
However, I still felt guilty and said, "I am sorry though mother. I know you always wanted me to have a grand wedding, and for everything to go perfectly."
"Oh, it doesn't matter what I wanted Lucina. It was your wedding day, and what's important was you were happy with it." She beamed and moved closer to hug me. "It would have been nice to throw you a lavish wedding and make you feel like a true princess, but I think Robin is already taking care of that."
"He has always been such a gentleman around me." I replied while thinking fondly of the past. "He's always wished to help me through my problems, and he has this charming way of making things seem okay. He even has a habit of making me laugh. It's strange, for a long time I didn't really understand his jokes, but lately they've made me smile. To make things worse, I no longer worry so much about worst case scenario, and that scares me. I fear he is changing me into a more optimistic person."
"Eeeeeeeee!" My mother squealed in delight and squeezed me with all of her strength.
"M-mother. I … I can't breathe" I coughed as I gasped for breath.
"Hehe, sorry. I'm just so excited you found someone who will treat you like you deserve to be, and I know you two will be happy together." She cried overjoyed. "As a mother, that is my greatest dream and it fills me with so much pride. My baby girl grew up so fast, but what a wonderful and beautiful woman she became"
"You are too kind mother." I lowered my head not knowing what else to say.
Sumia stared at me for a moment before frowning and said, "Is something troubling you Lucina?
"Huh?" I asked surprised at her statement. "What would give you that idea?"
"Well, you were very formal when you greeted me, and you tensed up when I complimented you." She told me with a motherly concern.
"I did?" I asked surprised.
"Plus I'd like to think I know how my daughter is feeling. I know I haven't had the chance to be with you as much as I would've liked, but I can still sense when something is wrong. I am a mother after all."
I played with my hands and said, "Right. I should have known you would notice, and I am sorry for hiding something from you. I'm just a little ashamed."
"Of what sweetie?" She asked concerned.
I grimaced and said, "I know you have always seen me as your sweet little princess, but I am afraid that is no longer the case." I closed my eyes and said with regret, "Mother I … I've been with Robin, and I enjoyed it." I blushed heavily embarrassed and uncomfortable. "I'm so sorry mother, but I'm afraid I am no longer your innocent daughter anymore, and that I have crossed a point of no return. My hope is that you won't think too less of me because of it, but I understand that things have changed."
"Eeeeeeeeeeee!" She cried in excitement as she squeezed me again. "I'm so proud of you!"
"Mother?" I whispered bewildered.
"You've grown up so fast I can hardly believe it anymore." She said cheerfully. "But you are still my daughter! Nothing could ever change that. I'm thrilled you've had the chance to experience such a special thing with him, and you should know it gets even better too! The first time is always the toughest."
My face reddened at the idea and said, "M-mother, I am not sure if this is something we should discuss."
"Hehe sorry, I'm just so happy for you!" She replied enthusiastically.
"...So you are not disappointed in me?"
"Of course not!" She yelled ferociously to make her point. "Lucina, as your mother I love you unconditionally. Being innocent had nothing to do with how I feel, and even now you are still so adorable to watch. I want you to know that no matter what you do, you will always be my baby girl, and just because you grew up doesn't change that. "
I smiled back and said, "Thank you mother, that means a lot."
"Hehe, just don't tell your father for a while, okay? I'm not sure how he would take it."
"Right, I'm sure it would catch him by surprise." I bit my lower lip. "Speaking of which, where is he?"
"Oh, he is with Robin. Our tactician was a little nervous about the plan so Chrom tried to reassure him."
"I see." I replied wishing that I could have done that for him as well. "I hope they stay safe out there."
My mother grinned back and said, "No need to worry Lucina. They will keep each other safe. They did that long before either of us joined them on the battlefield."
"Indeed, I am envious that my father knew him from the beginning."
"Hehehehe." My mother started giggling and I was not sure why.
"What is so funny?" I asked fearing I misunderstood a joke. It had been a three days since that last happened.
"I'm picturing what it would've been like if you found him on the field first, while he was sleeping completely defenseless. I know you would have taken such good care of him, and nursed him back to health."
My mind began to wander as I said, "Indeed, I don't think even my old self could resist such a face. He's looks so precious when he is asleep. I just want to scoop him up and protect him. As long as he is with me, I won't ever let anyone hurt him."
…
"Hi-yah!" I cried as we stormed through the temple. Robin and Chrom managed to charge ahead of us while I focused my attention on keeping the archers away from my mother. Because of that, Sumia and I were trapped behind a barrier while Chrom and Robin faced off with their target.
"Validar!" My father roared in anger. Although we could not reach them, the sound of their voices pierced through the purple spell with an echo-like ring.
The sorcerer laughed manically and said, "Chrom ... How nice of you to come. I have the Fire Emblem, and the Dragon's Table is set for a feast. I will return Grima to this world, and your pathetic attempts will be put to rest!"
"You'll destroy the world! Lucina has seen it!" He cried back as I felt a hollow feeling in my stomach.
"Then I pray today's spectacle lives up to her nightmares! The fell dragon needs only a mortal vessel, which you so kindly brought along."
"Vessel?" Robin replied confused for a moment but then his eyes widened in horror. "Oh gods, he means me."
"You ken quick Robin. That's my boy. You carry my blood, the blood of the fell dragon. His soul slumbers within you, and now the time has come to awaken you both!"
Robin turned pale as he cried out in horror, "No, that can't be right. Are you saying I'm Grima? I'm the fell dragon?!"
"Mother, I don't understand." I cried in disbelief as I brought my sword down on a Risen barbarian. "What does he mean by that?"
"I don't know Lucina." She whispered unsure. "But we need to focus so they have a clear path."
"R-right." I nodded back.
…
"This process would have been so much easier if your damn mother hadn't been seized by weakness and fear." He spat out in disgust. "She betrayed us, stole you from your crib and fled with you in the night! I know naught of your life thereafter, but all that matters is your return. That you are here is proof of your purpose! It is why you still draw breath!"
"His mother? She has helped us as well?" I asked myself as I focused on my next opponent.
However, Robin managed to strengthen his resolve while I was lost in thought and said, "We do agree on one thing Validar, my life so far has all been in preparation for this moment... Where I'll kill you or die trying!"
"Heh heh heh. You have your father's courage, but your mother's poor judgment... Very well, pup. Come! Do your worst! Come at me with all you have! There is no damage I can do to your body that the fell dragon cannot repair!"
...
What came next went exactly according to plan. Validar would attack Chrom with dark magic and Robin would be there to break it apart with his sword. My father would then charge forward and slice his blade across Validar's chest with the intention to kill. It looked like it hit him as his dark aura seeped from his body, but in his last breath Validar resurfaced and sent an unavoidable attack towards my father before the mage collapsed to the ground.
Robin would then push Chrom out-of-the-way and take the attack himself. Thankfully, Libra placed an increased resistance spell on him moments before we began our attack so it would not hurt too much.
"Are you all right?" Chrom called as he looked back at the dead body of our foe. That's the end of him. Thanks to you we carried the day. We can rest easy now." My father replied trying to remember his lines. "At long last..."
"Nnnngh!" Robin winced in pain.
"Robin ...What's wrong?" My father asked concerned as Robin started shaking uncontrollably. "Hey, hang on-"
Then, as painful as it was to watch, I saw Robin jab his hand through Chrom's chest, and my father fell to the ground with a lifeless stare.
"Heh Ha ha ha ha!" Validar laughed uncontrollably thinking he had won as his body re-materialized. "Ha ha ha ha ha!"
"N-no... Father! No!" I yelled loudly to get their attention.
Validar then gave a smug grin towards me as he let his guard down and said, "With five Gemstones in hand my magic knows no bounds, and Robin is powerless to resist me. Do you see now, son? Human bonds are leaves in the wind. They offer you nothing."
"This can't be happening!" I shook my head with a desolate and haunting look. "We were supposed to change this! Everything I have done is...worthless."
"That's not true Lucina! Chrom wouldn't go down so easily." My mother cried to reassure me, however, she had not be informed of our plan. Unfortunately, we couldn't tell her which made it look like I was sobbing instead of trying to hide my joy that things were finally ending.
Validar laughed with a bone chilling tone and said, "With everything in place, it is time to begin. The world will be swallowed into an abyss and all will see the true power of my-" *Clink* His eyes rolled towards the back of his head as his hand started twitching uncontrollable.
"Don't you put any stock in this destiny hogwash!" Basilio yelled as he sent his axe straight into the back of the mage.
"W-what?" Validar gasped unable to believe that someone had snuck up behind him. "What madness is this?"
"How does it feel to be on the other side of a trick?" Basilio laughed heartily as he pushed his axe deeper into the mage's back. "Robin predicted everything that would happen here. He saw it in a dream. Saw this very fight with you, and the look on your face make all those months of hiding worth it.
"Arghhh …That can't be-"
"Care to guess what else was in the dream? The five Gemstones. When Flavia gave my stone to Chrom, Robin saw what fate had in store. He knew they couldn't bring the real Gemstones here to Plegia. That would be like swinging a big, juicy steak right in front of destiny's choppers!" Basilio laughed again triumphantly and ripped his axe out of the dying man's corpse. "You thought you had all the power of the Fire Emblem, but in reality, you've only held the shield itself while we carried the stones."
Chrom then slowly rose from the ground with a hand placed across his chest and smiled back to his friend.
"I-impossible!" He muttered as he clung to the last of his moments. "I saw you die!"
"Another trick." My father curled his lip with great pleasure. "Robin made sure to strike where I would not bleed out. You see, some bonds are stronger than others. Not even blood can break them. "
Robin gave a silent nod then walked over to Validar and said, "To be honest, I'm surprised you didn't see it coming. As a tactician, there is nothing more satisfying than letting your opponent get everything they want, only to crush them." He reached inside of Validar's cloak and reclaimed the Fire Emblem that he stole a few days before.
Grarh, I do not understand." He coughed out more blood and said with his last words, "My son, why did you squander your birthright?"
"Because if killing everyone I love is my birthright, than I will gladly forsake it." He yelled back in a fury.
Seeing Validar collapse, Chrom yelled in joy, "We did it! We did it, Robin! We've altered our destiny! We... We've won!"
...
Suddenly there was a bright flash of light, and a mysterious figure appeared in front of Robin. "Nothing more satisfying than letting your opponent get everything they want, only to crush them." The dark man replied intrigued as I could not get a good look at him yet. "What a great phrase. I think I shall use it more often."
"You!" Robin cried out surprised as he saw a reflection of himself. It was the twin that he described to me before, and he look identical in every way.
"Ha, yes me." The second Robin laughed.
"Who are you, really?!" Chrom shouted back as the resemblance was too close to believe.
"I told you before. I'm Robin. The Robin that murdered you and became the fell dragon, Grima. When this "Marth" of yours decided to come back in time...I came with her."
"Another version of me? But how...?" Our Robin murmured at a loss for words.
*Sigh* I can be so daft sometimes... It's really quite simple. I am you. Our only difference is the decisions we've made. Those vivid dreams you have, those are my memories. We share those memories because we share the same heart...Grima's heart.
Th-the headaches." He thought it over and said alarmed, "The voices. It was you!"
"Your recollection begins the day I entered this world. I intended for us to unite then, the first moment I found you. But your heart was still too weak to contain Grima's power... The shock of my attempt wiped your memory clean."
"...So that's why I can't remember anything." Robin said with wide eyes.
"Indeed, you were supposed to choose godhood over your pathetic band of servants. That was your destiny from the start just like I did."
"Wait a second, you chose to do this?" He asked not able to understand.
The other thing shook his head and said, "But if you'll not claim the sacrifice laid at the Dragon's Table... I will claim it in your place!"
The second Robin glowed a bright flashing light, and I felt the temple shake and tremble as he vanished from our eyes.
...
He was in his true dragon form, and it was just as haunting as I remembered. His many red eyes glowed evilly as his body stretched across the desert sand. I couldn't believe it. I just couldn't believe what I saw. That was him, that was Grima who I ran from for my entire life.
And we were running again. Running away from his incredible power. Only this time with the Fire Emblem in tact. As much as I wanted to fall into despair, I had to remind myself that it was not over. We still had a chance. While Grima waited to reclaim all of his power at the dragons table, we escaped and headed towards Naga's altar with all haste. We had to get there before Grima could stop us or else it was all over.
…
During our march there was an incredibly long silence and low spirits. Even Robin seem to be severely down which had me worried because he wasn't willing to talk about it. Many saw for the first time what a colossus threat we were facing, and how unbelievably powerful he was. It made our little band of shepherds seem so weak in comparison. Not to mention, we were all incredibly tired. We had marched for a day and a half without rest after our grueling fight at the temple, and we still had a long distance to go to reach Naga's shrine. So Chrom decided we needed to get some rest and said we would march again in six hours. Many were so tired that they did not bother making camp, and some just fell asleep on the sand.
However, there was one tent set up, and it was at the far edge away from everyone else. Even worse, it was the tent that Robin used before we moved in together. Once we got married, we used a bigger tent so we could share it, but for some reason he chose to set up his old one to cover himself tonight. At first I didn't understand why, but it would become clear very soon.
…
"I SAID GET OUT!" A voice cried out in immense pain. Its source came from inside and it felt broken, miserable, and in severe pain. Moments later Chrom exited the tent in a hurry with great sorrow in his face. His expression was of one that looked seriously wounded, and it was not because of the bandages around his heart from where Robin hit him in our battle."
"Father!" I called out alarm. "Has something happened?!"
He lowered his head not willing to look at me and said, "It's Robin. I tried to talk to him, even when he asked me not to say anything, but I fear I only made it worse."
"With what? What's wrong?!" I asked scared. When he didn't respond I rushed forward to enter the tent, but my father quickly grabbed my arm to stop me.
"Wait!" He called back alarmed. "You can't go in there yet."
"Why not?!" I asked very worried. "If something is bothering Robin than I need to be there for him!"
He shrugged and still refused to look at me. "I don't think he wants to see anyone right now."
I thought about it for a second, but quickly shook it off and said, "But if he is in pain, then I can't ignore him. He's my husband!"
"I know, but it might not be a good idea." He added very delicately. "If we were to give him some space than maybe-"
"I'm sorry father." I said with a determined look. "I can't abandon him when he needs me. I know things didn't go according to plan today, but we will stop Grima. We have the Fire Emblem now, and despite everything, we made it out alive. I know we can defeat him if we can keep trying. Surely, if I tell Robin he will see that we still have a chance. We are still closer to stopping Grima now than we have ever been in the past."
He grimaced one more time and said in low tone. "I won't stop you, but before you go in there is something you should know."
"What is it father?" I asked not wanting to waste any more time away from Robin.
He paused as a small gust of wind blew against my face. It felt cold, just like how he was acting. "… A man holds very special memories and dreams in his heart. He rarely likes to show them, but when he does, he will speak about them with great passion and vigor. These dreams not only represents who we are and what we want to be, but how we look at the world as well. For us, these ideas mean everything to us, and it defines who we are. We guard them close to our heart because they mean so much."
I shook my head in dismay and said, "I don't understand, what does this have to do with anything?"
"Robin has always held big dreams." He took a deep breath and looked back at me with a gloomy and grim stare. "But despite how impossible they might be, he always pursued them in a hopes of making them come true. That is one of the many things that we had in common and why we are such good friends. Unfortunately." He balled his hand into a fist and said with great importance. "It also hurts in the most painful ways when they are crushed. I know, losing Emm was the greatest loss I have ever experienced, and in that time I felt worse than all of other bad moments in my life combined."
It was my turn to lower my head and said, "I'm sorry, we did everything we could. She was a wonderful person with the greatest spirit, and someone I would've liked to know better."
"Yes, she was." He trailed off, but then looked back and said melancholy. "Lucina, I'm afraid you won't recognize the man inside there. When dreams are shattered they can always be picked back up and put together, but I fear something else broke inside Robin today. Even after facing such extreme devastation, I honestly don't think I can understand how he is feeling now."
"Is he really that bad?!" I asked scared out of my mind. My desperation to see him only increased further fearing how much pain he was in. It was worse because I didn't even know what could bother him so much. Normally I was the one to worry, but I knew we still had a chance. If Robin was worried about things failing, then I should be the one to reassure him.
He covered is face and said, "Just, don't give up on him. Okay?"
"I would never." I swore with all of my heart.
…
When I entered the tent, I was greeted with an awful sight. Robin was in the back left corner of the tent and he was huddled in the fetal position. Even worse, he covered his head with his hood so I couldn't make out his hair. Every part of him was concealed in his tactician's cloak, and I could hear faint whimpering as I slowly approached him.
"Robin?" I called out softly. My father was right, I could hardly believe what I was seeing. Especially not from the man that was always confident and optimistic around me.
He raised his head realizing my voice and stared blankly at the linen wall in front of him. I was hoping he would turn around to look at me, but instead he was more shaky as he sat there trying to close himself off from the world.
"Robin." I tried again while I stepped closer to him. "Care to tell me what is troubling you?"
He shivered like he was freezing and I heard him gag as he choked in response. "Nothing is wrong."
My fears grew as he lied to me. That wasn't like him at all. "Robin, you clearly are not okay. Won't you tell me what is wrong?" I whispered concerned.
"I am fine. The current disposition I am in will not interfere with my duties as a tactician." He replied back without any hint of emotion. Instead, his words were calculating and devoid of any life. Like his soul had been taken from him. "The Risen will most likely try to intercept us on our way towards Mount Prism. Considering the stakes, it will also be an elite guard. That is why we do not have much time. Even stopping here to rest is a risky endeavor, but necessary to the stamina and morale of our troops."
"And it will work, we will stop Grima." I claimed trying to ease his worries.
However, he ignored me and said like a machine, "Be it pincer movements, defensive shells, flanking maneuvers, sheer numbers, or sabotage, I will not allow them to reach Chrom. My ability to perform tactical decisions and strategic offenses is not hindered by the state I am in. Therefore, as the tactician to this army, I am fine. There is no cause for alarm, because I am able to fulfill my duties without fault."
I knelt besides him and my heart ached as he replied so callous to me. "I'm not concerned about your ability to lead us. I am more concerned about you." I whispered praying he would open up.
"I … I" He lowered his head so it was touching his knees again and I could hear him trying to fight back his emotions. "What's important is stopping Grima. Nothing else matters."
"Now you are sounding like me." I whispered and reached out to hold his shoulder, but even that seemed to cause him great pain.
"P-please don't touch me." His voice cracked as he couldn't hide it anymore. "I … don't want to hurt you again."
"Hurt me?" I cried horrified. "Robin, you are scaring me, but you could never hurt me."
"P-please." He begged as I felt him waver. "S-stay away. Please, just, don't get near me."
"Robin." I trailed off as he yanked his shoulder away. I could feel the pain in his voice, and so much sorrow. "Won't you let me be there for you? I love you." Despite his attempts to stop me, I removed his hood to reveal his face. I was tired of talking to this masked figure, and I wanted my husband back.
"No. I. I'm an abomination! Someone that deserves misery and pain. Because of me you've had to endure a world filled with nothing but suffering. A world far worse than I can ever imagine."
"You can't blame yourself for-"
"But it IS my fault!" He yelled in anger and pounded the ground with his fist. If it was not made of sand, I feared he would've broken his wrist from the sheer force. "Don't you see! Didn't you hear him?! My body is what resurrects Grima in your time. MY existence is a threat to the entire world."
"That's not true!" I cried desperately trying to look at him in the eyes so I could talk some sense into him. Unfortunately, he covered his face with his arm before I could make contact.
"I've caused you so much suffering. So much pain. I've taken everything from you. Gods, I've even taken your innocence." He spat out in hatred of himself. "You should hate me for what I've done! You should be so full of rage that the mere sight of me disgusts you!"
I scooted next to him so that our shoulders were touching. I couldn't bear to see him in so much pain and I wanted him to know I was there. "What have you done other than protect me and my family? We never would have made it this far without you."
"I've ..." He paused unable to answer. His mind was racing with so many things that finding an answer seemed to escape his grasp.
"Don't you see?" I whispered with a compassionate and loving tone. "You've helped us ever since you got here. You've always been kind and there for others. The Robin I know would never run when his friends were in danger, and he always cared for them. Even a lost and stubborn princess like me."
"You were only lost because you had to suffer a world I created." He replied weakly.
"No." I shook my head calmly and said. "You could never do that Robin. You proved that today. It's Grima who did such awful things."
A tear ran down his eye as he said with great pain, "But I am him."
"How? How in any way could you ever think you are like him?" I asked more sternly.
He paused as he closed his eyes. "I've killed so many people, I've hurt so many families. Not just in your time-line, but in this one too. I made choices on who lives and who dies, and I did what was necessary to get my way." He gritted his teeth and yelled, "I even tried to manipulate and seduce you! You were a prize, and I arrogantly thought I could have you. So how does that make me any different?!"
I wrapped my arms around him and said, "Because I saw you grieve for them. The people we fought were not nameless warriors, and you treated them all like human beings. Grima would never do that." I whispered feeling how rigid and tense he was. "Besides, I'm the one guilty for wanting to be with you."
"Still I..." He tried to squirm away, but I would not let him. "Grima has destroyed the world, and he will do it again if we don't stop him. All of this could have been prevented if I was strong enough in your time. Or better yet, if I never existed."
*Slap*
I smacked my hand square across his cheek and yelled at the top of my lungs. "Don't you ever say that again!" It was my turn to tear up, and I suddenly found water running down my cheeks without warning. "Don't you dare!" I cried.
"Lucina..." His eyes awoke for the first time from his dead stare.
"How can you not see it?" I asked as I weakly beat my hand across his chest. "How can you think for a second that you could ever be like him? I just don't understand." I dropped my fist and instead shifted my body so I was sitting on his thigh with my legs straddling him. Then I used my open palm and hovered it over his cheek while I guided his eyes to mine. I wasn't going to let him turn away again.
"Because he wore my face." Robin replied feebly as he was forced to look at me. "And we share memories."
"He doesn't share our memories." I reminded him as we sat together.
He gritted his teeth and said, "But you saw the same thing as I did. I represent everything that ruined your world. My hands were meant to destroy, and darken everything in their path."
I knew that was not true, and I had to show it to him. So I used my free hand to hold the back of his head and gently pulled him towards my chest. He seemed afraid, but he did not resist as I rested his head near my heart. "Do you hear it Robin?" I asked as I embraced him.
He remained motionless for a long time listening to the rhythm. He would hear my heart beat rapidly, as it always did when we were this close. Even now I felt a great warmth surround me as he lay there in my chest. Normally I would've been embarrassed, but he needed me and it felt good to know I could give him some comfort.
"Do you understand now what you've put me through?" I smiled as I closed my eyes. "Never in my dreams did I imagine that my heart would be taken from me. It was always so cold and reserved, but it has new life. A life that you restored to it."
"It's a lovely sound..." He murmured blankly.
"And it belongs to you Robin. So I could never hate you." I whispered gently. "I know that the fake person in front of us today was nothing more than another one of Grima's deceptions. He could never be you, because he could never understand what makes you so special."
"But ... my body was used to resurrect him. I made the choice to-"
"Shhhh." I held him tighter and said, "How could you make a choice when you were being controlled against your will? I know my Robin would never willingly do something that went against everything he believed in. That's just not who you are."
He sighed and said, "It's still my fault for not being strong enough to resist him. I was so damn weak."
"No, not at all." I replied sweetly as I ran my fingers through his hair. "You were never weak Robin, and the fact that you were my father's best friend in my time-line proves that as well."
Reluctantly, I let him raise his head and he looked at me with a curious gaze. "Then how do you explain what happened to your world, and what happened back there?"
I closed my eyes not understanding why someone would commit their life to destroying others and said, "An evil man thought he could destroy my time, so he stole away the freewill of his child who wanted to protect it. Thankfully, he is dead now, and soon Grima will be too."
"But your future, and all that suffering." He whispered clutching his hands again.
"My future is yet to exist." I replied softly and looked at him carefully. "I traveled back in time, remember? I've had a chance to think it over the past few months after you insisted I stay, and I know now that there is nothing to go back to. If I was to travel back I would find myself still in this world, only many years ahead. So no one has suffered, because my world has not happened yet and your hands are still clean."
"B-but you." He reached behind my back and held me not wanting to let go. "You did suffer. I am so sorry. So incredibly sorry for the world you had to live in. I never wanted it to be this way. I dreamed about helping people, and that in some small way I wished I could make this world a better place to live, but to know I made your life so miserable. To know that-"
I put a finger on his mouth to stop him and said, "I'll admit that my future was not a great one, but that doesn't mean it was completely barren. We adapted to our situation, and no matter how bad it got, we always found some small moment of happiness that kept us going. I had wonderful parents, and friends to support me as we fought off Grima. In those moments when I had my family I found some hope and comfort in the few things that did go right.
His eyes lowered as he wanted to return to his self loathing, but I shook him off and leaned closer to him.
"My mother used to say that as long as a human heart beats, then it can find something beautiful and worth living for. We can find a flower standing tall in a field of tar, because it has the strength to live and thrive despite the place it was put into."
"... Then you are the most beautiful flower I've ever met." He said with a dry voice.
I grinned while resting my weight on him, "And I have you now too. These past few months you have made me feel more alive than I ever thought possible. Together, I know we will get through this."
"R-right. I won't let him ruin our world twice." The tactician said a little more determined, but still with mixed emotions.
"Honey." I whispered feeling a little strange. That was the first time I ever called him something other than his name. "Do you think that the little Lucina back at home is the same person as me?"
He looked at me strangely for a moment, but then shook his head and said. "No, of course not. If that was the case, all identical twins would be the same person as well."
"So why do you keep comparing yourself to a person that is different from you?" I questioned making sure he could see past this.
"Because I ..." He trailed off as he tried to find an excuse, but the look of concern in my eyes seemed to capture his attention more.
"I know you well enough by now. I married you after all" I hummed as I smiled back. "You are not to blame for what happened to me, and resisting Validar took a lot of courage. We would have won if the Grima from my time had not showed up. So please don't blame yourself."
He shrugged and said lowly, "Only because of you."
"Hmm?" I asked while I felt him gently rub his hands across my back.
"You are what made me stronger. That is the only thing that changed. Meeting you, and seeing how hard you've fought is what kept me going. I'm afraid that without you I would have gone down the wrong path again."
"If that's true, then I am sorry I wasn't there for you before." I said sweetly as I kissed him on the cheek. "You've had to handle so much, and you had to do it alone. Sure my father was there, but you also had to endure many hardships beyond your control. So I regret not being old enough to support you at the time, and I count myself very blessed to be with you now."
He stared at me for a long while before he said, "Even after everything, and knowing what I am. You still wish to be with me?"
"That's what I keep saying" I rested my head on his shoulder and closed my eyes while we held each other. "You are my husband, and I will see through everything with you. I know you will get us safely to the altar, and I know we will find a way to stop Grima. We can finally end it all Robin. We can finally see the future we both want, but I need you there with me. I can't do it alone, and I want to do it with the person I love, not the person who hates himself."
"... Okay, I'll try." He whispered, hugging me tighter.
I smiled in response and promised to myself I would help him through this. He helped me so many times before that this was the least could do. As long as he was with me, he could not fall back into despair.
"We should probably get some sleep too. We have a long day ahead of us." Robin commented as his mind began to focus on his duties just like it always did.
"Right." I nodded and dug my legs into the ground while pushing him down towards his bed. He fell over like a tree with me on top of him as we managed to hit the edge of his bedroll. "I've already got my pillow." I whispered content as I burrowed myself into his chest while using his tactician's robes as a blanket.
"You know, I was only joking about the part where you used me as your own personal bed" He laughed lightly. There was still some hesitation in his voice, but at least part of him was back.
"Well I wasn't." I replied firmly as I wrapped my legs around him as well. "I can't have my husband wander off in the middle of the night without me."
"You know I would never do that."
"Still, you are comfortable. Like a giant teddy bear that feels warmth" I cooed back.
With those words, he could not find a way to argue back but instead shrugged and said, "Very well princess. I promise you I will find a way to get through this."
"I know you will." I nudged my head trying to get more comfortable on my mattress. It could be stubborn at times, but it provided comfort and a great place to sleep on. I would even say I had the best mattress ever, and one that I could always carry with me. Even better, sometimes it carried me.
...
Morgan saw her father close his eyes half way through the story, and even now Lucina entangled her arm around him to make him feel better. "It's a good thing mom was there for you. "
"Yeah." He nodded a little somber. "I owe her a lot for that."
"And mom is right!" Morgan declared passionately seeing the unsettled look on her father. "You could never be a monster dad!"
"So your mother keeps telling me." Robin said as his wife held his arm tighter. "Even now she refuses to let me think about it. Every time I bring up Grima or the old me she pounces on me and tells me I'm being silly."
"Because you are." Lucina stated adamantly.
"I know." He nodded back and looked over to Morgan, "But I swear your mother can read my mind. When the thought pops in my head she immediately latches to me and tries to calm me down. To be honest, I don't know what I'd do without her."
"And I don't know what I'd do with you." She replied feeling the same way.
"You'd probably need to find a new place to sleep." He muttered pretending that he did not enjoy waking with her next to him, or sometimes on top of him. "It seems like every night you are holding on to me one way or another.
She smiled back and said innocently, "Not every night, there are some days where I give you space."
He smirked knowing that those days were few and far between, "What are you going to do in the summer when it gets too warm?"
The princess lowered her head to think it over for a moment before finding a couple of solutions. There were a few problems that would make it difficult, but she did have an idea cross her mind that she liked a lot. "I suppose we will worry about that when the time comes."
Not wanting to be left out of the conversation, Morgan jumped in and said, "Mom also used to say you could cure any bad nightmares" To which her mother nodded readily in agreement "But I always used to get mad at her because she wouldn't share. She said that is was more important for me to face my fears, and she always knew how to bribe you better than me."
"I see, so I really am just an object for you two to sleep on." Robin frowned as he felt used.
"Don't be silly love." Lucina grinned as she tugged on him. "I use you for a lot of other things too."
He laughed this time and said, "Well, at least you're finally being selfish for once. Heaven knows you deserve to be."
