A/N: So this chapter was a little later than I'd planned but...this chapter is, in fact, the last official chapter so I gave it my all. And yet...it is not the end of the story.
Robin (F) POV
I found Olimar in the courtyard. It seemed to be the general meeting place so it really shouldn't have been surprising. Despite that, I thought it so. If my hunch was correct than Olimar would have done well to hide himself. I had to be sure though.
I scanned the crowd. No sign of the Shepherds. That I was at least thankful for; I really didn't want to have to explain to them why my match had suddenly ended or why I'd suddenly vanished into thin air. Maybe after I was done here I'd be able to find them? They put their trust in me so often I almost felt obligated to return the favor.
Despite his small stature Olimar wasn't hard to pick out of the Smashers milling about, his Pikmin giving away his position. Were they ever not huddled around him? Even after everything that had happened they still gave me the shivers.
"So what's Olimar got to do with this?" Shulk asked, hanging back from the crowd. "I hope you're not just jealous because he won."
"I hope you're not just saying that because you're jealous." He frowned.
"Maybe I am." He crossed his arms. "This was a fighting competition, not a luck based one."
"Probability and luck aren't the same," I countered, watching Olimar strike a conversation with Little Mac from afar. I was probably a little late for a height joke but it didn't stop me thinking it.
"Depends on your angle. Still…not a lot we can do about it now."
"Agreed."
"But that doesn't answer my question. What does he have to do with anything?" I rubbed at the back of my hand where my mark used to be.
"If I'm right…everything." I made my way over without waiting for Shulk's answer. Maybe a little rude but he knew me well enough by this point to know I couldn't risk Olimar slipping away. At least I hope he did. Otherwise I'd have looked pretty full of myself. I digress.
"Ah, Miss Robin!" Olimar exclaimed once he'd caught sight of us. "It's so good to see you finally awake. We were all so very worried."
"I thank you for your concern. Much appreciated. Congratulations on your…well deserved win." If he picked on my careful phrasing he didn't let on.
"Yes, yes, quite the turn of events don't you think?" He said, bobbing his head enthusiastically. "I never dreamed I'd actually win one of these things! I'm just a simple man going up against heroes and gods and yet…here I am."
"Yes, here you are..." Shulk wasn't quite as good at hiding his sentiment as I'd hoped. Still, his face betrayed no disapproval even if his tone did.
"I suppose we'll all be going our separate ways shortly," Olimar said after a while. "It's been nice knowing you." He made as if to leave. Thankfully Shulk rounded on him.
"I don't quite think I'm ready to say goodbye just yet."
"Oh? Was there something I missed?" He asked mildly. "I know we know each other and everything but we're not exactly friends. Also I have somewhere to be." I was more than a little peeved. Though I didn't know the spaceman all that well I'd expected more from our goodbye than that. Leaving people behind and not knowing if you'll see them again is a serious business, let me tell you.
"Actually I think there might be." Shulk gave me a look. Had he worked it out? "We never did find out who stole those plants from you." He was half right.
"Oh that?" Olimar looked pensively away. "I can just grow more. It's no trouble."
"Still," I put in. "I think we better go and discuss it, don't you?"
"…" He looked up at the both of us, one at a time. I think he got the message. "Somewhere private I take it?"
"That would be preferred."
"Of course it would," he said shortly. "Follow me." He set off, Pikmin automatically obeying.
"…I hope you know what you're doing," Shulk whispered as we walked along. "Otherwise this is gonna look really bad on us."
"Relax," I reassured. "We're just going to have a normal conversation and then we'll be on our way."
"Why do I get the feeling you're not telling me something?"
"Because I am." Shulk rolled his eyes.
"Of course. This mysterious hunch of yours." Being taller, Shulk and I had to slow our normal walking pace so as not to trip over Olimar in front. That and I didn't want to get any closer than I already was to the Pikmin trailing behind. Though they were facing forwards I somehow knew they were looking at me.
"It's just a hunch, nothing more," I reminded, noting that Olimar was leading us back to his garden. "Either way we'll find out what we need to know."
"What you need to know," he corrected. "I don't even know what's going on yet."
"We're here." Olimar stated.
The garden hadn't gotten any less messy since the last time I was here but at least we could talk in private. The thick hedge walls and vines would keep any prying ears away. "Now…what do you want?" All that liveliness from earlier had evaporated. Just plain, simple words now. I cleared my throat.
"I want to know why you're working for Wario." Shulk did a double take, nearly stepping back into an open trench behind him.
"What?!"
Olimar's reaction was more subdued. In fact he looked distinctly unimpressed.
"Wario? Oh was he the one causing the dreams? I did wonder."
"Oh come off it!" I tried. "By tomorrow we'll all be gone so you might as well be honest with me."
"For what reason? To satisfy your curiosity?"
"W-well…partially," I admitted. "But come on…for me? We were roommates after all. That's got to mean something!" Actually it didn't really but he didn't need to know that. Olimar took a good long look at me.
"Blimey you are desperate! That's almost kind of amazing. Yeah I guess you've got a point. Not about the roommate thing because that's stupid." Shulk winced behind me. "But you're right that by tomorrow we'll all be back in our original worlds and dimensions. No reason to hide anything."
"…"
"Except you could tell Master Hand. It wouldn't really matter but I'd prefer him not to know."
"Why…would it not matter?" Shulk asked. "He's stronger than you in every way."
"Yes he'd like to let you think that wouldn't he? Oh the arrogance!" He took a step closer towards us. For once the Pikmin didn't follow. "But what he doesn't tell you is that his powers only extend to this dimension and this dimension only. That's why Smash is held here. He's the god of his own little mansion and nothing more."
"So you're saying if he leaves…"
"Then poof." Olimar made a waving gesture. "He'll cease to exist. This place is a tear in reality he can sandwich himself into but that's it. Sure he's learned to control its size and properties but he can't ever leave."
"How do you even know this? Why does this even matter?" I asked. I could feel my tomes pressing against me deep within my pockets. If Olimar tried to run I'd be ready but I got the distinct impression he wasn't planning to leave. In fact he seemed to be quite enjoying this whole thing.
"How? Master Hand isn't the only extradimensional here you know."
"Crazy Hand, "Shulk muttered.
"Exactly. He doesn't have the same restraint Master Hand does and lets things slip all the time. All you have to do is listen. As for 'why'…no real reason. Just letting you know that threatening me will get you nowhere."
"Is that so?" I said. We out number you. I don't want to have to fight you like I did Ashley."
"Ah so it was you who did that. Shame on you for hurting a child!"
"She tried to burn my face off." Olimar ignored me.
"Anyway. I've got no intention of getting my hands dirty. I never do. Look around." I did. That scuffling noise. It was here. From the trench behind us, the hedge, the pond at the centre…they were everywhere. There must have been at least one hundred pairs of eyes. One hundred Pikmin that had appeared from nowhere. Shulk stepped a little closer to me, hand on the Monado. "That won't be necessary," Olimar asserted. "BUT…I think you'll find that you're the ones outnumbered. Now if you don't mind could you say whatever it is you want to and then leave? I wasn't lying about needing to be somewhere." Shulk let his hand drop.
"Fine. Is what Robin said true? Are you working for Wario?"
"Working with, not for. I'm not some sort of slave drone you know."
"So you admit it?"
"Sure. Why not? You've come this far it'd be a shame if you left empty handed. Ask away!" I frowned.
"Are you…enjoying this?"
"Sure am! How often do I get to be the centre of attention? Like I said, I'm not some big hero or anything. I'm just a guy. How many people do you think watch the tournaments and root for me! I had you all fooled. It's only now, right when we're about to leave the mansion that you've worked it out. Hah…I had you walking by me unawares this whole time while you interrogated everyone. You even asked me if I knew anything. Classic."
"…You're a right piece of work, you know that?" Shulk said angrily. "People were made to re-live their worst fears because of you. Mental damage isn't something to be proud of."
"I think you're mistaking associate and perpetrator. I merely supported Wario and Ashley's scheme. Ashley was the one doing all the hard magic work. In case you haven't noticed I'm not magic." I rolled my eyes.
"So? You still knew this whole time what they were planning and didn't come forward. Think of all the pain you could have prevented!"
"Maybe they were a little vicious but the Smashers deserved it."
"How can you say that?!"
"Very easily. You lot think you're all so high and mighty just because you've saved a world or two? That gives you the right to walk all over the normal working man like Wario and myself. We've got families to support, you know! Saving the world really doesn't pay the bills! I supported him because it was the right thing to do. He can save his business and friends and I get to laugh at everyone's torment."
"…You're sick."
"And you're judgmental," he snapped, scuffing his shoes into the dirt. "It depends on your point of view. I've been walked over my whole life. Whether it be the company or my boss or the Smashers here, no one seems to care about me." He smiled, sunlight glinting off his helmet to give an almost ethereal appearance. "And I used that to my advantage. No one suspected my involvement." He frowned. "At least not until now. What gave me away?"
"Two things. Firstly, Shulk told me all of your Poisonous Gourds were taken. Call me sceptical but there's no way that that happened without you noticing anything suspicious. Also I checked the gate and side door a while back and the locks were intact. No forced entry and as far as I can tell you're the only one who comes here."
"Huh. That's actually sort of impressive. I'd clap except I'm not going to. Continue."
"Okay…" I was a little weirded out by what he'd just said but then again this was the same guy that took delight in others suffering. No holds barred as of right now. "Right. Secondly, something Wario said bothered me but I couldn't work out why until now."
"…" Shulk and Olimar looked at me expectantly.
"When we were leaving the vault," I continued. "…he said he was going back to the Battlefield stage with Ashley to pretend they'd been there the whole time…when that shouldn't have been possible. Ashley had drained all her magic and was unconscious so how could they teleport back up? There isn't a secondary system while Battlefield is floating so they had to get up there some other way. That's where you come in am I right?" Olimar shook his yet was smiling all the same.
"You really are gifted, Robin, I'll give you that. Observant to the point of annoyance. Ashley's dream clouds don't affect me, see?" He tapped the side of his helmet. "Sealed unit. No particles of dream dust can get through."
"That's why you were never affected," Shulk breathed.
"Right you are. And people seem to forget that unlike Captain Falcon, I actually have a reason to be called a captain. Sure he has a ship but he hardly uses it. Still…I'm no snob and don't insist people call me captain unlike him. Weirdo. Anyway, being a captain means I've got a ship. All I had to do was fly down from Battlefield once everyone was asleep. Then I waited for Wario to come back either having succeeded or failed. Either way I'd be there. Then I flew us back up. No one was any the wiser."
"So you acted the fool this whole time?"
"I didn't even need to act. For all your gifted observations, Robin, it never occurred to you I was helping him, did it?"
"…"
"Little old insignificant me. Ah it feels could to be on top for once!"
"But you still haven't explained why you're working with him at all," Shulk cut in. "Sure you want to stand up for the 'normal man' as you put it but there's got to be more to it than that. Surely?"
"Well since you asked so nicely," Olimar said, voice tainted with sarcasm. "I might just tell you."
"…"
"It started during the last tournament." Olimar's eyes clouded over. His lips turned barely turned up but I knew just how much he was enjoying it. "Wario and I were both new. While we weren't exactly the type to make friends we got into the habit of sticking together. We saw eye to eye. We could both see how stuck up and full of themselves the Smashers really were while honest hard working men like us slave away."
"Wario's hardly honest," I pointed out.
"A fair point but in the real world you have to cheat just to stay ahead of the competition. I respected him for that. We were only two competitors who weren't either a legendary hero or a nameless animal. Of course we got to know each other. We bonded over something else too. You see…the both of us had money troubles. Hocotate Freight risked going under and Warioware inc. faced competition from its new rivals, Diamond software. We were in the same situation."
"So you plotted to steal all of the winnings for yourselves?"
"No," he said. "At least not at first," he quickly added. "We paired up and tried to win the money legitimately but we quickly realised that was never going to happen. You see, as much as we hated the other Smashers for being heroes…that's exactly what they were. Heroes. We couldn't compete against the skill of world savers or monster slaughterers. So…we made a pact. If by the time we came to the next competition the both of us were still in debt, we'd form a new plan."
"…" This all sounded…pretty believable.
"I was better off than before but knowing Hocotate Freight they'd find some way to lose all that money I'd earned so I rolled with the plan. Insurance policy and all that. Wario wasn't so fortunate. Diamond Software had crippled him out of business. The rest you know. Wario tried again to win legitimately but lost early on once more. However he'd gotten Palutena under some sort of mesmerism so she'd work for him. Don't ask me about it. It's weird. Told her to say no to Pit and pair up with Game and Watch instead. That way even though he was out he'd still be able to win through them and claim the money."
"Hold on back up a second," Shulk exclaimed, frowning slightly. "How come Mr Game and Watch followed Wario's orders. Was he brainwashed too?"
"I don't think so," I said. "Wario told me he'd obeyed because he wanted to. He mentioned something about the Subspace Emissary too. Care to explain?"
"Oh that? Hah. It's almost funny really." Olimar wasn't smiling now. "What do you know of the Subspace Emissary?"
"Not a lot," I admitted. "Just that all the Smashers had to band together to stop some otherworldly force."
"Which turned out to be Crazy Hand all along," Olimar muttered. Though I was curious I let that information slide. I needed to focus on the task at hand. "But yeah. An entity called Tabuu tried to take over the multiverse using Shadow Bugs. The thing is we were all pretty shocked about where they were coming from in the first place."
"Mr Game and Watch?" I guessed.
"Right. And the thing was he wasn't being held captive or being forced to make them. He did it simply because Tabuu asked him to. Once we found him he switched to our side."
"What…just like that?"
"Just like that," Olimar echoed. "He switched from working against us to working for us. I think it was Peach's umbrella he liked."
"He switched…because of an umbrella?"
"I just said that. Turns out Mr Game and Watch doesn't have any concept of right and wrong. You tell him to do something and he will. The perfect accomplice. Does what you want no questions asked, can't tell anyone anything and is perfect for stealth missions. He's probably been watching you in the past and you didn't even realise."
I did remember on one occasion of seeing him simply fold into existence in front of me. Shulk tripping over him. Existing in only two dimensions had its advantages that was for sure. The perfect spy.
"How do you think Wario got the poison made from my plants into the milk vats? Game and Watch can slip under doors or through cracks no problem. He paired with Palutena not because Wario offered him a cut of the winnings or anything but just because he could…and that was good enough for him."
"Well that's one mystery solved at least."
"Good. Can I go now? You've gotten what you wanted, yes?"
"Not quite. There's another thing I don't quite get," Shulk explained.
"Well make it quick. I haven't got all day."
"Yeah. How come not everyone was affected by the nightmares in the first place? You weren't affected because of your space suit but what about the others?"
"Huh. I thought that would've been the first thing you worked out."
"Evidently not. Now, please go on."
"Or I could patronise you. How often do I get to say I know something that the 'great tactician of Ylisse' doesn't?" I sighed.
"Not very often I'm guessing."
"Right again."
"Oh leave her alone," Shulk said, stepping forward. "We're not asking a lot."
"Fair point. Still…it was fun while it lasted. Anyway, the spell reached into the minds of everyone and took the darkest fears to turn against them."
"But…what if they don't have any dark fears," I finished.
"If you already knew then why did you ask?" Olimar huffed.
"Just making sure. Continue."
"Yes, well, simple minds like that of the animal Smashers like the Pokémon and Yoshi have never faced true horrors like the rest of the Smashers. Either that or they'd lived such happy lives like Kirby has that there simply isn't enough darkness in them for the spell to work. On the other end of the spectrum are those that have trained their minds and bodies to such an extent that their mental fortitude was greater than Ashley's will to harm. Meta Knight, Lucario, the Wii fit trainer for example."
"And me," Shulk said. Olimar scowled.
"Your modesty could use some work. You heroes are all alike, I tell you."
"So I was affected because…" I began but was quickly cut off.
"Because there's still great pain in your life, Robin. Ashley could take hold of the slightest doubt and turn it against you. Your case was especially bad, courtesy of the male version of yourself."
"He was just scared for himself," I defended. "I might've done the same thing in his position."
"And yet you're the one that payed the price."
"While we're still talking about the other Robin, what was up with him?"
"How do you mean?"
"He was affected days before anybody else was. Was there a reason?"
"Oh that! Yes there was a reason."
"…"
"…Well? What was it?" I asked, growing tired of Olimar's deliberate games.
"For the same reason your nightmares were so bad. Ashley needed a test subject to see if she'd gotten her spell right. What better darkness to probe is there than that of the avatar of the Fell Dragon?"
"So…so it could just as easily have been me that was affected first?" That realisation was unwelcome. It was so close to being me tormented and alone. I felt bad for the other Robin, having to endure all that without support.
"Sure was. Just a 50/50 chance it was you or him. You got lucky."
"…For the record I'm not Grima's avatar anymore. I'm my own person." Olimar raised an eyebrow.
"In this timeline anyway. Who knows how it might've been?"
"The past can't be changed, "I said, slowly. I looked over to Shulk. "But the future is ours to decide."
"Couldn't have said it better myself." Shulk nodded, a grin on his face.
"Ugh…look at yourselves. So cheesy and heroic. And you called me sick." I rolled my eyes yet again.
"Maybe we are but I wouldn't change it for anything. Now…don't you have somewhere to be?" For the first time in our conversation Olimar looked genuinely puzzled.
"That's…that's it? You're not going to ask anything else."
"What else is there to say?" Shulk queried. A smirk crossed Olimar's features.
"Oh just one more thing I believe. That you failed and Wario got the money. Everything you tried to prevent came true."
"…W-what? How?!" I fixed Olimar with a glare.
"Yes…how?"
"Think about it. There were two pairs of contestants Wario used to enter and try to win. Himself and Megaman. Palutena and Mr Game and Watch. No thanks to your involvement both of those didn't work out."
"And then Ashley lost her temper and try to kill me," I put in.
"I'm not her babysitter don't look at me. But did you really think that was it? Their only back up plan?"
"What are you saying?
"I'm saying Wario had a long time to plan this whole thing. He's a lot cleverer than people give him credit for. Think about it. The both of us aren't too keen on the idea of heroes and the tournament was full of them. And what do heroes do? They try to stop 'evil plans'. Like you two did." He pointed a stubby finger at the both of us.
"Yeah…we did didn't we?" Shulk hummed. "So what's your point?"
"My point is Wario knew trying to execute his plan in an environment surrounded by heroes would lead to them trying to stop him succeeding. So…he planned for it. There weren't two pairs involved in the plan there were three."
"You and Pikachu," I realised.
"Exactly. Wario guessed Ashley would lose control of herself and initiate the plan mid match. If she defeated you then he'd take the money and if you stopped them then Master would've stopped the tournament anyway. Based on probability he'd pick a winner. Me. I'm free to do whatever I want with the money I won so I gave it to him. Either way he'd get what he wanted."
"A plan within a plan. I should've guessed."
"But you didn't so you lose! Hah."
"But how did Wario know Ashley would lose control like that? There's no way."
"Isn't there? If you lost to her when she was acting through Palutena then they'd advance to the next round and face me. Either way they'd win. If she started to lose…well you know what she's like…you've met her. Hot tempered to the extreme. Her hair literally turns white with energy! It was an easy enough guess."
"And Wario kept her in the dark on this?"
"He had to. You can't fake anger like that." That much was true. Ashley hadn't been acting down in the vault. No one would try to singe my hairs off with such ferocity and be acting at the same time.
"But this relied on you getting to the semis in the first place? How'd you manage that? Bribery? Match fixing?"
"Skill," he clarified (rather smugly I might add). "You just assumed I'd need to cheat my way through the ranks. Plus this time I wasn't landed with an oaf like Wario as a partner. I picked better this time?"
"Pikachu?" Olimar nodded.
"It's fast, agile and those thunder attacks really pack a punch. Plus what's a Pokémon going to do with money? It happily let me take its half. Now I've got double the dough. Do you know what the conversation rate of Smash dollars to Pokos are?"
"What's a 'Poko'?"
"Unit of currency in certain parts of the galaxy. Namely where I'm from. For context, 100 Pokos are more than a year of my wages. The debt Hocotate Freight amassed the first time was about 10,000. I've got millions now. And now…so does Wario thanks to me." He scratched the back of his helmet. "This time I'm keeping mine well away from the wife. I know what she's like." Olimar had a wife? I tried to express my disbelief that anyone would fall in love with…him. Maybe I was being too harsh. He had just given most of his winnings away to a friend (if they could even be considered that).
"…"
"Haven't got anything to say, huh?"
"I…" I honestly didn't know. I'd suspected his involvement but nothing on this scale. I'd just never imagined…well now I didn't have to. He was telling the truth, that much was clear. Shulk turned to me expectantly. Hah. He must've still thought I had some big crazy scheme to oust him. For once in my life I genuinely didn't have a plan. This had been my plan. Talk to Olimar and find out what he knew. After that…I simply didn't know. "I…we…you win."
"…I'm sorry?" Olimar cocked his head.
"I said you win. You outsmarted us. Well done, I guess."
"H-huh?" Yes? Yes! Yes I did didn't I? I win! I got what I wanted and you couldn't stop me! Hah!"
"But…" I added, clearing my throat again. "That was never really my plan." Shulk (who'd remained quiet up until now) spoke up.
"What do you mean?"
"Yes, Miss Robin…what was your plan?"
"I mean it was never my intention to turn you in. If I wanted to do that I would've told Master Hand immediately about Ashley and Wario's actions. Yours too."
"…I don't get it." Olimar stepped back in line with his Pikmin. They almost mirrored his perplexion in some strange way.
"When I first started this investigation I just assumed there was some malevolent force at work I had to destroy. But…when I found out who was really causing it and why…I understood. I'm not saying I agree with the methods involved but I understand. I knew what Master Hand would do if he found out so I offered to win the competition myself," I explained. "But it turns out Wario's plan accounted for that. By winning, Olimar, you've gone and done exactly what I was going to: Give the money away."
"…"
"You may have outsmarted me but in the end the result was exactly the same. Wario got what he wanted. I'm not sure what you're gloating about." I felt as if a weight had been lifted. A really, really heavy one. Like I'd…well I didn't really know but it felt good all the same.
"Yes well…I…" I must admit it was satisfying seeing him at a loss for words. "I…I still win! Hah! I've still got some of the winnings and you don't."
"Do you honestly think we care?" Shulk cut in, smiling sideways at me. "What would we do with it?"
"I don't know. I don't care either. You damn hero types are always so altruistic! You're…you're weird!"
"Maybe."
"Plus there's no point in turning you in without evidence," I added. The tomes in my pocket didn't weigh nearly so heavy now. Another weight lifted. And then the silence. I think both Shulk and I expected Olimar to say something else in return. Maybe another thinly veiled insult? He didn't. He just sort of…stood there. After a few more seconds it became awkward. The Pikmin weren't really helping matters either, just standing around aimlessly.
"…I still beat you. Just remember that." And with that Olimar walked purposefully away. The Pikmin remained in place. Once he was out of earshot Shulk spoke out.
"He's got a point, you know. He did kinda beat us."
"Fancy that? We both saved a world and killed the equivalent of gods and yet we were outsmarted by a fat Italian and tiny spaceman."
We tried to avoid each other's gazes but it was inevitable. I'm going on record to say that Shulk started it first. It began with the smallest tugging at the corner of his lips. I noticed, unable to keep myself from doing the same. A short burst of air quickly escaped them. I couldn't help it. Within seconds we both burst out laughing. Laughing at the sheer ridiculousness of it all.
"We…got beaten by," Shulk paused, gasping for breath "…a guy who…ALWAYS…smells of garlic!"
"I know! And a spaceman…who talks to his…vegetables!" We couldn't help ourselves and I could see Shulk was having a hard time even standing he was laughing so hard. I felt much the same. My lungs were actually beginning to hurt from the sudden requirement for air I'd landed them with.
"How did this happen?!"
"I don't know!"
"Hah…me neither!" It took us another good few minutes to wind down completely. My stomach muscles were aching so badly I actually had to take a seat in the dirt. I could worry about the mess later because right now…I felt amazing. I felt better than I'd done in as long as I could remember during my stay here. Now that hindsight was an option everything just felt so…well there was no other word for it than silly.
Silly because nothing we'd done had actually had any effect on anything. Whether we'd investigated or not the result would've ended up the same. At least by my reckoning. No use worrying about the past.
In fact, given our current states (as Shulk had collapsed beside me), worry was the furthest thing from our minds right now. We stayed as we were for another few minutes, just to catch our breath. We settled into (relative) silence. Relative because I could hear the Pikmin still moving around behind me. They didn't scare me anymore. In fact quite the opposite.
I had to try my absolute hardest to not break out into giggles again when I thought about their stubby little legs or the fact they came out of the ground. Oh how times change. Shulk was the first to speak.
"I…I think I needed that."
"I think we both did," I said, nodding in agreement. "I feel better than I've done in a long time."
"I'm glad to hear it." Neither of us made any move to get up.
"…I still feel kinda bad for not turning them in. They really hurt some of the Smashers."
"They'll recover. They're the Smashers, remember? The universe's finest." I sighed; Shulk did have a point. "We just have to hope."
"Yeah. The day we stop believing in hope is the day we lose it."
"…"
"…"
"…"
"…So…"
"So?"
"…So what do we do now?" Shulk seemed amused by my question. Thankfully he didn't start up again or I'd have joined in. My sides really didn't need that kind of extra exercise.
"I haven't really thought about it. All this time we were working towards a goal. Winning the tournament. Stopping the Nightmare Caster. I can't somehow help feel like we've been cheated out of both."
"Tell me about it. Though…" I paused, struggling to find the right words. "I wouldn't have had it any other way."
"Oh?"
"For starters I wouldn't have met you. At least not in the way I know you now."
"And I say the same for you." He turned to face me. "I'm truly grateful for that, Robin. I'm truly grateful that I met you."
"S-Shulk! You're going to make me blush!"
"Hah…" his face quickly darkened. "Though I suppose there's no ignoring the inevitable. I regret we have had to part so quickly."
"…Right." I hadn't wanted to think about it either. Once the tournament was over we'd all be dropped off back in our respective worlds. "We…we won't see each other again…will we?"
"…Probably not," he admitted, taking a handful of the dirt. I'm all for living in hope but we can't lie to ourselves. We live on completely different planets, Robin. Maybe even in different dimensions. We…we can't…it isn't possible." He let the dirt sift through his fingers and onto the ground.
The realisation wasn't so much of a sudden shock as a dull ache. One of the greatest friends I'd ever had, someone who really understood me, and…who I'd known for barely over a month. Now that was a little weird.
It had taken a lot longer than that to convince some of the Shepherd's (my mind instantly picturing Frederick) of my trustworthiness but Shulk…he'd believed in me anyway. By all standards I really shouldn't have been able to miss Shulk as much as I was going to…but I did anyway.
"We can't be sad, Shulk. We've had all this time together." He looked at me again, nodding slowly. "Let's not focus on what we could've done together but what we are now. And…we were pretty great together, right?"
"You don't have to tell me! We were great!" His face lit up. Suddenly the ache didn't seem so bad. "We fought together, puzzled together, won together…and in the end we lost together."
"Together…yeah. Together." I had a little bit of warning this time due to our positioning but that didn't make it any more surprising. The hug was a little awkward as we were both sitting but I didn't care. At least this time I could join in properly. We'd gotten even more dirt on our clothing from shifting around but I still didn't really care. The cloak had survived worse.
"…"
"…" The sun was starting to set now, the Pikmin finally leaving us alone as they made their way underground. It was almost a little cheesy given how poetic it was; Sun setting, light dying and taking on a more orange hue. Noticing things about your environment you didn't before such as the how the dirt felt under your palms. Or how your legs are starting to ache but you don't dare move them. Arms wrapped around someone you care about. Noticing features of said person are different because of the fading light. The way it caught Shulk's eyes was…mesmerising. The burnt oranges and yellows reflecting off of his electric blue…simply magical. This…this was a moment I wasn't ever going to let go of. Ever.
"What will you do now?" I asked. His hair was starting to look like the fires of my magic. All those golden locks shimmering and being caught by the dying light. Fiora was very lucky (and not just because I played for the other team). Just…lucky.
"I don't know," he admitted. "Same old life. I'll probably start building that cottage Fiora and I talked about. It'll be hard but worth it."
"Sounds like it."
"What about you?"
"I…I guess I'll continue to try to get that time-travel spell to work. Now that I actually believe in myself it might be worth a shot."
"If you can wield the Monado then you can do this."
"I had it for about twenty minutes," I said, not letting the sarcasm mar my tone. "And then I fell asleep for a week."
"Don't focus on the negative. That's what got you into that state you were in in the first place."
"…I know. I never did properly thank you for that."
"You did," he insisted. "By being who you are." I laughed at that. That was such a Shulk thing to say.
"I'm starting to see what Olimar meant. You really are pretty cheesy. Can you…can you not be the hero for just a bit?"
"…And what would you have me be instead?"
"Shulk," I whispered, wrapping my arms around him tighter. "My friend who saved me from myself. Who I'm going to miss very much." The ache seemed to agree and returned, stronger than before. "I…I…I don't want to lose you."
"There's always the next tournament," He began but I 'shh'd him.
"Once was enough for me. Besides…if…no…when I succeed in travelling to Lucina's time…if she accepts me then I'll want to build a life with her. Like you and Fiora. A cottage on the edge of the village."
"Then you don't need me all that much then," he said softly, though there was no malice behind it. "You've got all that to look forward to. And you're right. It isn't an 'if', it's a 'when'. And she will accept you. Trust me."
"…I trust you." It felt good to say it out loud.
"…"
"…Besides…I've got a plan now. A secret strategy."
"Oh? And what's that?" I smiled into his shoulder. The dying light wasn't that interesting anyway.
"Someone I've gotten to know very recently. I'll be sad to say goodbye to them, even after all that happened. We've got more in common than she'd like to admit."
"Ashley!" I called. Even over the immense din of all the people chatting around me I knew she'd heard. The way she'd scowled when I called her might as well have been 'yes I hear you perfectly well'. Granted she was scowling nearly all the time but it had never looked more intense, in stark contrast to scenes of merriment playing out all around me.
The closing ceremony certainly lived up to its hype. Everybody was here and I mean everybody. Master Hand must have widened the courtyard by at least several metres to accommodate the sudden influx of people.
As well as the Smashers, Assist trophies, and Pokémon, there were several (okay…a lot ) of faces in the crowd I didn't recognise. Master Hand hadn't lied when he'd said the future Smash hopefuls would be turning up. As such, the closing ceremony wasn't so much a goodbye for everyone but a celebration of the many talents Smash invited.
I had absolutely no idea who most of these people were, what species they might've been and even what language they were speaking; apparently Master Hand's translator didn't cover everything. The man to my immediate right, for instance, was speaking something similar to what Marth usually spoke in. He almost looked like Cloud what with his spiky hair except it was a deep shade of red, almost brown. That and his sword was a lot thinner.
I scanned the crowd. Everywhere I looked there were new faces intermingling with ones I knew. Just as Master Hand liked it. Both Link and Pikachu seemed to have smaller versions of themselves to talk to. Fox was conversing casually with someone who looked a lot like him, but grayer. Ness and Lucas were chatting animatedly to a couple of heavily clothed individuals wielding hammers. Due to the clothing I actually wouldn't have been able to tell them apart if not for the color coordinated outfits.
To the left, Marth was in deep conversation with Roy. On his left were two men in what appeared to be martial arts garb. One with a simple white uniform and black belt, the other with a more flamboyant red.
Talking wasn't the only activity either (and not just because Cherche was petting Charizard yet again). The majority of the noise was being generated by mini competitions between hopefuls and/or veterans. Special platforms were hovering above the courtyard almost like miniature versions of Battlefield where individuals (and a couple of spectators) were duelling it out.
I craned my neck upwards. The two closest to me had absolutely ridiculous looking swords (and the Monado wasn't exactly 'normal' so that's saying something). One of them was in full knights' dress, armor and all. For some reason, though, it was colored bright blue and the sword he was wielding looked more like a spade than anything. His (or her) opponent was using what looked to be an enormous key. I decided not to question it.
On another platform I could see a young child and their dog pitted against a man in a red trench coat. Said dog appeared to be very…flexible. The man's style looked awfully similar to Bayonetta's. Again…not questioning it.
Hovering above Shulk and Riki (who waved once they saw me looking) was a platform holding some sort of dance contest. I recognised Waluigi's distinctly gangly figure but the other (as usual) I hadn't a clue. Some girl a lot shorter than he was with darker skin. He looked pasty in comparison. Well whoever she was, she was giving Waluigi a run for his money.
Waluigi may lie about a lot of things but his dancing wasn't one of them and yet she was keeping up just fine. Well whoever she was…she really needed to put some clothes on. Given by how fast she was twirling maybe the heat was keeping her warm? Who knows? I was getting side tracked.
"Ashley!" I called again. She ignored me. Sighing I tried to make my way over to her. Easier said than done. Stepping out from the relative safety of the edge of the crowd, I was nearly run over by…something blue. It was too fast for me to see. Sonic probably. I felt a tap on my shoulder.
"'scuse me, love! Did'ja see a little blue guy run through here?" I turned to see a lady in an orange jumpsuit and jacket standing, very clearly out of breath.
"Um…sort of. He was a bit too fast for me to see properly."
"You're telling me!" She wheezed, leaning onto my shoulder. Talk about personal space invasion. "Man… and I thought I was fast!" That accent…I'd never heard anything like it.
"Why? Did he challenge you to a race?" She nodded, adjusting her goggles. Why anyone would tint them orange too was beyond me.
"He sure did. Speedy little pest, isn't he? See ya around, lady!" Before I could get another word in she'd already vanished. Not 'run off' but literally vanished. Short range teleporters weren't unheard of. I payed her no mind. I tried to set off again, only to trip forwards onto the ground. It was just one delay after another.
"What the…?" I looked back. Someone had left a box on the ground. A cardboard box right in the middle of the courtyard and…no one appeared to be noticing it. Whether they were too focused on the man in a white coat and his bulky friend who'd appeared form nowhere or were just ignorant wasn't clear.
Groaning, I picked myself up. I kicked the box for good measure. It seemed a lot heavier than it should have. Clearly it wasn't empty. Curious, I lifted it. To my surprise there was someone underneath. A man.
"You tryin' to blow my cover, kid?"
"…No?"
"Great." He yanked the box out of my hands and replaced it. I pick it up again.
"Why are you under there? In the middle of a crowded area wearing army uniform."
"Right. You think I'm dangerous, yeah?"
"You do look pretty suspicious," I defended, crossing my arms.
"Fair enough." He took a long, hard stare at me. Well one of his eyes did. The other was covered by a makeshift eyepatch. "Well don't mind me. I'm just on recon." He laughed lightly. "Believe it or not I actually used to be a Smasher." Now that rang some bells.
"You're Snake?"
"That's me. Duty calls meant I couldn't come back for this one. Fair play."
"Um…fair play I guess." He took the box back off me but didn't replace it.
"What's your name?"
"Robin."
"You've got a good eye, Robin. Most folks wouldn't have noticed me."
"I tripped over you!"
"It happens. Do me a favor and don't give away my position, yeah? Keeping a low profile."
"…Sure." He nodded, replacing the box once more. People still hadn't noticed despite our exchange. Maybe it was because of the commotion caused by the man in the white coat injecting his friend with something, causing him to yell out in…pain? Exertion? Rage? Whatever it was I was going to stay well away from.
Finally I made my way over to Ashley. Only now did she acknowledge me. Her bruises seemed to have healed nicely too.
"Took you long enough."
"I tripped."
"I'm sad I missed it. That would've been funny," she deadpanned. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes.
"I need to talk to you."
"Really now? I didn't get that impression at all."
"Why do you have to be so difficult?"
"Because I got what I wanted. I don't have anything to say to you anymore." She moved to turn away but I grabbed hold of her dress, pulling her back.
"Right you won! Great. I'm happy for you." She snatched her dress back.
"I don't need you to pretend you're happy. You tried to stop us but you failed. I win, you lose, end of."
"I never wanted to," I admitted. "Once I heard your story I just wanted Master to not…"
"Don't lie to me! Plus, Master Hand has nothing on us! And neither do you."
"That's not quite true." Finally I had her attention properly. She looked me dead in the eye. For someone much shorter than I was, she looked pretty threatening. Behind that (though she was trying to hide it) I could see the fear. Pupils dilating ever so slightly, expanding those blood red irises to the very edge.
"…What did you just say?"
"You weren't as thorough as you'd hoped. Some of the security footage survived."
"That's not possible," she hissed. "Y-you're bluffing." I was, kind of. The only footage we had was a still image which didn't show her but she didn't need to know that. I lowered my head to her level, lowering my voice accordingly. The din of the crowd melted away.
"I'm not. And even if I was do you really want to test that?" She seemed to consider this.
"…Then if you have evidence why haven't you shown Master Hand?"
"I told you, I have no interest in turning you in. I happy you got the money."
"I'm not saying I believe you but...Go on."
"In return for my silence, however, I need something from you."
"If you want a cut of it you can get lost. I'm not risking anything." I was getting tired of this so I decided to turn it up a notch.
"Listen, Ashley. You've not just treated me like crap since I got here but gone out of your way to treat me like crap. Your nightmares nearly ruined me and my future…"
"That's not my prob…"
"Shut up!" I snapped. Ashley looked genuinely shocked. In fairness that was probably the first time I'd raised my voice to her. It felt good. "It is completely your problem because you've annoyed the one person who can completely ruin you. I do want you to succeed but do you see Master Hand over there?" I turned and pointed. Ashley followed my gaze to across the courtyard. The Hand was currently in conversation with a man in a business suit. The black spiky hair didn't really go with it but that was beside the point.
"…"
"Do you see him?" I asked again.
"Yeah."
"Good. It's roughly forty metres between us. How long do you think it will take me to get over there and tell him everything?" Ashley froze.
"You wouldn't."
"I'm thinking ten maybe twelve seconds? And that's me walking slowly, savoring the moment. Twelve seconds for me to ruin your life forever. Like you so nearly did to me."
"R-Robin y-you can't do this! Whatever happened t-to being a hero?"
"Oh so now you want my help?" I think I was getting a bit too into character but I didn't really mind. Just having Ashley squirm for once was good enough for me. "I remember our conversation down in the vault. I remember your passion and pain when you said you didn't want to go back on the streets." I leaned in even closer. Her hair smelled of pineapples for some reason. "From what I gather you really don't want to go back there, do you?"
"N-no." She was actually trembling slightly now. Maybe I'd gone a bit far but I didn't drop my façade. All the more effective this way.
"Good. Because if you don't give me what I wanted I will END you. You tormented me for days and felt no mercy. Not even that, you enjoyed it! So…I'll very much enjoy doing the same. Only it'll be for the rest of your life. Clear?"
"…"
"I said are we clear?" I tilted her head up towards me. She had enough dignity not to cry but I could tell she wasn't far off.
"…Yeah. We're clear. What do you want?"
"That spell you used to freeze time around Battlefield. I need to know how to do it." We stood in silence for a few seconds (during which I realised just how close I'd gotten to her so I backed up). Ashley lowered her head. Was she actually going to cry now? I drew the line at making her cry and was prepared to drop my act in a heartbeat. Thankfully it wasn't necessary.
When Ashley raised her head again she was smiling. Ashley was smiling. I was taken aback but…in some strange way it actually suited her. She looked closer to a normal little girl than I thought possible. Pig tails, dress, and a smile. The stereotypical picture perfect child. She must've noticed my expression because she quickly dropped her own. So much for that.
"What? I'm perfectly capable of smiling you know. I just…don't choose to. That's all."
"And to what do I owe the pleasure?"
"It's just…I honestly thought you'd ask for something…harder than that," she explained, smile creeping back onto her features. "The way you built that up I thought you were going to ask for a lot more."
"So you can teach me then," I asked hopefully.
"Duh. Of course. It's actually pretty simple. I'm surprised you've never considering using one before." Her wand appeared in her hand. Giving it a small wave, a book 'poofed' into existence in a cloud of purple smoke. "Read the first three chapters and then skip to page 128. Then you're done."
"And I'll be able to stop time?" I took the book out of the air and into my pocket. It was roughly the size of one of my tomes so that was a little bonus.
"Depends what you mean. The effect is very limited. Plus it takes huge reserves of magic to pull off."
"Then how come you did it so easily?" I queried. "I saw you freeze Battlefield, which isn't exactly small, for at least twenty minutes, maybe more." She looked at me like I was stupid. There's the Ashley I knew.
"Why do you think we chose Palutena to be our spy? She's got incredible magical abilities of her own and when combined with mine, that time freeze spell was a piece of cake."
"…That's actually really smart."
"My idea too. And Wario says I don't do anything! Hypocrite."
"…"
"What do you even want that spell for? Granted it's useful but you could have anything. Why that?"
"…You've been inside my head. You know why." She looked away.
"Do you really think this will help? Stopping time temporarily and travelling through it are totally different branches of magic."
"I know. But if I master this simpler one I've got a much better chance at getting the other one to work."
"Maybe. You still don't even know if your Lucina's timeline exists. Since your goddess fixed everything she might not…"
"That's a risk I'm willing to take," I said, not letting her finish. I didn't want even the slightest doubt to creep up on me again. I had to be strong in my convictions to succeed. Chrom and Shulk had taught me that much.
"…It must be nice. Having someone to care about that much." Ashley still wasn't crying which was commendable under the circumstances. I got the distinct impression she didn't tell just anyone that.
"…"
"…My parents left me a long time ago."
"Left?"
"Left," she repeated. "I don't have anyone else really. Except for the Warioware employees like Mona. They were my family. When it went bust I…I…but now we can rebuild it. We can be a family again." She scratched the back of her neck with the long end of the wand. "I guess what I'm trying to say, Robin, is…thanks. Thanks for not turning us in."
"…No problem."
"And don't you dare tell anyone I said that! I've got an image to uphold. 'Cruelest girl you'll ever meet' and whatever." I felt one corner of my lips turn up.
"Of course."
"Take care of yourself. For what it's worth…I believe you can do it." Ashley melted into the crowd. Though we hadn't really said goodbye I still felt nice sense of closure. We were still far from friends but we'd reached…an understanding. That was miles better than I could've imagined the first time we met.
"Robin!" I turned to see Palutena coming towards me, Pit in tow. What were the odds?
"Palutena. Pit. Hello."
"Oh I should say! How've things been? Such a shame about the tournament, though." I nodded in response to her statement. It really was but I knew it was necessary.
"Yeah. All that training going to waste." Pit nodded vigorously.
"You were cheated, Lady Palutena! You too, Robin, but not so much because Lady Palutena was definitely going to win!"
"Um…"
"Hush, Pit," the goddess said, trying to waive him away. "Go and have some ice cream."
"You can't use that line every time you want to get rid of me," he protested.
"You know I can. Go on." Pit looked to me for support but I just stared blankly. That hero worship of his wasn't healthy and I had no desire to encourage it.
"Fine. But I'm not saving you any!" He stomped off into the crowd. Palutena turned back to me once she was sure he'd gone. Not hard over the din.
"He will. Anyway…sorry about him. He gets a little excited."
"It's understandable. His heart is in the right place."
"That's what I'm afraid of. But enough about that," she said, making a visible effort to brighten up. Literally. Her halo thing was starting to glow slightly. "I wanted to ask something."
"Ask away." I had a feeling I knew what she was going to say.
"Do you know what happened that day?" Trust your feelings. More often than not they're right. "One second we were fighting and the next…I woke up in a room nowhere near the stage."
"I'm in the same position as you," I lied. "Only I woke up in bed in the hospital."
"Yes…you did. Any idea why?" I could tell she was testing me. Those brilliant green irises judging me based on my response.
"None at all. I guess I was just unlucky."
"Well Master Hand seems to have calmed right down about whatever it was. One second he's barking orders at people and the next he's back to normal. What did you tell him?"
"I don't know what you mean. I'm just as in the dark as you are." She continued to observe me.
"Is that so?"
Well actually no. You were hypnotised by Wario and used by Ashley for several weeks to spy on everyone, collapsed part of the ceiling that left the male Wii fit trainer unable to compete, and then froze time during our match so no one could interfere.
Like I was going to tell her all that. I wasn't being malicious (at least I didn't think so) keeping this from her but the thought of the lengthy explanations I'd have had to have done made me want to drop off to sleep.
"Yes, that's so."
"…"
"…"
"…Okay. I believe you." The glowing died down and she smoothed down her dress. I breathed an internal sigh of relief. "I just wanted to be sure. I guess there are just some things we never find out."
"Yeah. It's going to annoy me for a while but it'll pass. It'll pass for you too."
"I guess it will."
"…"
"…Listen, Robin." She sighed, her staff lowering in time with her body. "I'm probably going to teleport out of this place with Pit and Pittoo after Master Hand does his closing speech. Avoiding the traffic and all. That means we're probably not going to see each other again."
"…Oh." She raised an eyebrow.
"Is that all you've got to say?"
"N-no I mean…"
"Relax, Robin. I know what you meant." She held out a hand to me. I shook it as firmly as I dared. Her skin was very soft and goddess or not I didn't want to break anything.
"…You were a lot of fun, Robin. I'm glad we made friends."
"So am I, Palutena. Take care of yourself."
"And you too." We parted ways, smiles on both our faces. Though Smash inevitably meant there were goodbyes, I was just glad there were hello's in the first place.
"…"
A group of two people (so not really a group actually) had caught my eye. Not that everyone wasn't in some way interesting but these two…they were special simply by being…not special. A girl even younger than Lissa's age by the looks of things with short cropped black hair and a white top. She was accompanied by a woman with Flavia's complexion, quite a lot taller than myself. She even shared the same blood red armor. her hair color was shared as me, however. White as the snows of Regna Ferox. That must've been what caught my attention. Something about them was…as unlikely as it sounded…reminding me of Shulk. They didn't teleport in with the rest of his friends so…
"Attention everyone! Might I have your attention please?" Everyone (including myself) turned to where Master Hand was standing…or floating. I could worry about them later. "Thank you all for being here. Smash is the spirit of…"
I tuned out. I was never really one for long speeches as I'd learned from Frederick's and I'd heard this particular one several times before. I didn't want to be reminded of all the goodbyes I'd have to do just yet.
Thankfully I was still on the relative edge of the gathering so was able to make my way quietly to the back and slip away into the mansion. It felt weird seeing it devoid of people. The fountain was still running, even though there was no one, save me, to observe it. I'd say it was a waste of water but knowing Master Hand it was just being created spontaneously.
I glanced up at the ceiling. The first time I'd seen it I'd imagined that it went all the way up to the heavens themselves. Now it just looked really far away. Perspective issues. The leader board in the centre of the hall was blank too, except for one word printed in gold.
"Congratulations," I said, reading aloud.
"Do you know what it means?" I didn't need to turn to find out who had spoken, for they'd done so directly into my thoughts.
"No. What does it mean?"
"…I haven't the faintest idea. How interesting." Mewtwo stepped into my field of vision followed swiftly by Lucario. "And yet here it is."
"If everyone is supposed to be watching Master Hand's speech then who is this for?" Lucario had a point. The word was just…here. Hidden in plain sight.
"…Crazy Hand's idea of a joke?"
"Quite possibly."
"…"
"Why are you out here, Robin, and not watching the speech?" It was a fair enough question.
"I…just didn't want to hear it again. Master Hand loves to talk about the values of friendship. I know how important it is first hand…heck I wouldn't even be here if it wasn't for that. Still…it gets on a bit."
"This is only your first tournament and you're already bored of it?" Mewtwo seemed amused by the idea. "Imagine having to listen to it in the last one and the next one."
"Right…the next one."
"Will you not return?" Lucario asked. "You have shown yourself to be a formidable fighter and ally."
"So is everyone here," I muttered. "That's the whole point of Smash."
"Then you will not return?"
"I…I don't know. I felt Ashley's book weighing down my pocket. "If Master Hand requests I do then maybe. Right now, though, I've got some things I need to do."
"Of course. I hope you succeed in your endeavours." I shot him a look.
"Did you just read my thoughts again?"
"Perish the thought. What do you take me for?"
"…A psychic." He laughed (a strange experience as it took place only within the confines of my mind).
"I suppose that's true. I give you my word I haven't looked. At least not recently."
"Mewtwo!"
"…But I may have peeked into the other Robin's version of Lucina."
"…"
"Just to confirm what she said in your conversation was true, that's all."
"…Eavesdropping," I muttered. He shrugged.
"I can't help what I hear. Why do you think I'm with you out here and not out there with everyone else? It's deafening with all their thoughts flying around. Much quieter with just the three of us."
"That…must be hard for you."
"Do not worry yourself, Robin."
"Mewtwo," Lucario reminded, tapping him with a paw to the shoulder. "We need to be going."
"Ah yes. I'd nearly forgotten."
"Why? What's happened?"
"Something back in our world", Lucario explained. "We can't risk waiting to long for the train to take us. We'll have to teleport."
"Train?"
"Come now, Robin, do you really think everyone will be teleporting out of here at once? The circuits would overload if everyone did. Plus the lines…too long."
"So you're…just going to leave?"
"Yes. Alola won't save itself. I'm afraid this is goodbye, Robin. I wish I'd known you better."
"You can read my mind, can't you?" He shook his head slowly
"What one thinks and how one uses the information to act are two separate things. I think you understand that."
"…Yes."
"I'm honored to have met you."
"As am I, Robin." Lucario held out his paw for me to shake. Surprisingly, the blue flames flickering around them didn't hurt at all. It actually felt quite pleasant. "May the aura be with you."
"The same to you. Take care of yourselves." The two of them nodded, before rippling out of existence.
"…He must be strong to overcome the seal surrounding this place," I said, wondering aloud. Though he'd initially seemed like a scary guy, Mewtwo wasn't all that bad. "Lucario was nice too." Now that there was no one to hear me…I quickly looked around me and behind the leader board…I felt no problem in voicing my thoughts. Neither did the rest of my body apparently. I concluded using the lavatory one last time would probably be best.
Having used it quite a few time already I knew the way fairly well. I passed mine and Shulk's dorm on the way. I couldn't resist a small peak inside. Bare, lifeless, beds neatly made. The bathroom where I'd walked out and Shulk had seen me…I blushed heavily. Not something I wanted to remember.
The bed on the other side of the room (now in darkness thanks to the drawn curtains) where Shulk had had his controlled visions. The other bed where I'd moped and felt sorry for myself. No more. I shut the door, feeling satisfied. Memories I'd hold onto until the day I passed.
The bathroom for our floor wasn't too far away. The interior was not unlike the pool area. Surprisingly modern given the marble architecture of the rest of the place. There was someone using one of the sinks. Their head was bowed so I couldn't get a good look but their clothes told me enough. Totally ridiculous. Was that a cape? Yes, yes it was.
I could see clearly one of the stalls was already occupied…and not just because the door was showing the 'locked' symbol. I looked above the stall to where a large diamond shape was rotating slowly. I'd never seen a diamond so elongated…or green for that matter. Was it…a person in there?
I guess? They came out shortly and walked straight by me and out the door with the blankest look on their face possible…and then some. Was that really a person? They moved so…oddly. That was the only word I could use to describe it. Oh well? Master Hand didn't place any rules on who could turn up so why not?
"Please excuse me, my Lady," the man using the basin squeezed past me and made for the door. Wait…it couldn't be. They'd tried to conceal their face behind their hand walking past but I could've sworn that…
"Owain?!" The figure froze.
"I-I…you must be mistaken. I know no one by that name though it is a VERY grand name indeed! I must be going." He quickly tried to open the door but I through myself in front of it, finally getting a good look at him.
"Owain? Is…is that really you?" He looked a little older than when I'd last seen him, accompanying the rest of the future children back home. I'd thought the hair had looked strangely familiar. No one else I knew had unruly hair quite as blond as that.
"I…"
"It's me! Robin! It is you, you're not fooling me, Owain. Lissa's son from the future!"
"I don't know what you mean…"
"Oh come on you kno…" I stopped, smiling. I was going have to do this Owain's way. "If you don't…then I'll just have to tell everyone about the manual of justice." His face paled but didn't break.
"…I…"
"When in danger his eyes glow red."
"…"
"…+5 critical if his allies are damaged within two spaces."
"…" I leaned in closer, right next to his ear.
"With Missiletainn equipped…he can a super ultra…special move."
"Alright fine you got me!" He said, wiping the sweat of his brow. "Just…no more."
"As you wish but on one condition." He looked at me hesitantly. "Tell me the truth." I could tell he was conflicted but in the end he leaned away from the door to give me more space, apparently content to stay. "I should have expected that marvellous brain of yours to decipher the many layers of my disguise."
"…What?" Owain looked absolutely no different. His hair was a bit longer, more lines creasing his face but it was still unmistakably him. He even still had Lissa's brilliant eyes. "What are you doing here?"
"I was told there was to be a great fighting tournament held here! Who better than someone of my skill? To protect Lord Leo I must train and this is as a good a place as any. Now…what are you doing here?"
"The same. I've just finished competing actually. Soon the Shepherd's and I will be back in Ylisse again."
"Wait the Shepherds are here? All of them?"
"Some of them, including your mom, Owain." He seemed to freeze at this.
"Oh no…I can't let her see me. It's bad enough you saw through my disguise but her…everything will be ruined."
"It really wasn't that hard to figure out."
"Maybe not for a master tactician like yourself but where I come from I am but a stranger!" He posed dramatically. Yep, definitely Owain. Those theatrics were a giveaway like his face never could be. "I am a legend…a wander from distant lands cursed by the darkest of Magics. Sworn to never reveal his true identity I am…Odin Dark!"
"…Oh. Why?"
"Huh? What do you mea…ah yes I see now!" He drew his hand across his face, another one of his many habits. "For you it has been mere weeks since you have seen me but for me…it has been many months. Stolen from time to serve a purpose…"
"Is that why you're dressed like that? You look awful." He folded his arms.
"No I don't! I look cool! This is my cool dark mage uniform!"
"Since when were you a dark mage? You were a sword master last time I checked…and a very decent one at that when you weren't clowning around."
"I do NOT clown," he scoffed defensively. "I'm just a harbinger of the greatest, most ancient, most deadly…"
"Owain can we skip the theatrics please? Just this once?" He looked like I'd offended his great ancestors. If Marth qualified then maybe I had, having beaten him before the semi-finals.
"Ugh…just this once. And it's Odin! You must never reveal my real name, here. Not ever. To no one. Especially Lissa. Paradoxes. Not my name, not my presence, not my anything." My head was starting to spin. Even when he wasn't being overly dramatic he tended to speak quickly.
"Uh…sure. Just explain from the top. Where are all the other future children? Why did you change your name? Why don't you use a sword anymore? How has it been months for you?"
"Ahaha! I shall explain, dearest Robin! Myself and the others arrived in the future without a hitch. But then several days later, such is fate, were we addressed by a mysterious stranger. He claimed to have knowledge of our victory over the Fell Dragon and wanted us to help him. Being the courageous soul I am, I went with him to the next realm and joined their army to fight against their evil…evilness."
"Right…so you abandoned the quiet life to fight another war?"
"Would you have slept easy knowing people were suffering and you could help?"
"…No."
"Then you understand why. However, being of royal blood and another time, I was forced to conceal myself lest anyone learn who I really was. I changed my name and rested my sword and used my mother and father's magic flowing through me to become a mage of my own making. I became…Odin Dark!"
He'd thrown his arms up in the air as if to emphasise that but I wasn't really paying attention. Sure it was surprising to see Owain (or Odin?) again so soon but it was actually something else that had caught my attention. By existing…Owain had inadvertently proven his (and therefore Lucina's) future still existed. My time travel spell would work! It would actually work!
"Odin, thank you, thank you, thank you!"
"Uhh…" Before he continue I'd already pulled him into a hug, lifting him clean off the ground in the process. It would actually work! All this time I'd been wondering if their future had survived but there were no 'ifs' or 'buts' anymore…just fact.
"Odin I don't know what to say!"
"Neither do I? What did I do?"
"Exist! You and your future exist!"
"…Yeah we do. Wait…oh! Oh! You were wondering if Lucina got there safely!" I pushed him away quickly.
"She did?!"
"She came a day or so after us. Said she had to say goodbye a while longer. To someone special." I felt my face heat up slightly but I tried to brush it off. She meant Chrom, her father. That was the reason and not anything else. Odin didn't share that train of thought.
"Do not attempt to hide your affections, Robin! We can all see them as plain as the stars!"
"Wait…you know…how I feel about her?"
"I may be many things but in the matters of the heart I am its keenest observer. Everyone else too."
"E-everyone?" I could feel the heat rising. "Just how obvious was I?"
"Pretty. In fact the only one who hasn't noticed is…"
"Lucina herself," I finished. "How typical."
"Very cliché," Odin admitted. "A fair damsel stricken by Cupid's arrow and yet her love notices her not! She pines and it is plain for all to see, save her."
"W-way to rub it in," I muttered. Another thought struck me. "Wait? So you're okay with it?" He gave me a quizzical look.
"Why wouldn't I be? Any of us?"
"Because…the law?" He laughed. A good hearty laugh only Owain could pull off.
"The law? Hah! That old thing was turned over years ago. Chrom apparently didn't even realise it existed and wrote it out!"
"…Right." From my point of view that conversation in the closet with him hadn't taken place all that long ago but from there's…it had been several years. Time travel can do things like that.
"And besides," he continued. "Inigo's daughter swings both ways so who am I too judge? She even makes advances onto my own! She'd make a fine daughter in law! Full of spirit!" I had so many questions just from those last two sentences alone.
"Inigo has a daughter? YOU have a daughter?"
"No need to sound so surprised! Theatrical as I may be I can still pull the moves."
"Too much information. Did Inigo travel with you?" He nodded.
"Under the name of Laslow with Severa taking on the name Selena. Both have found love, same as me. Lady Azura and Kaze are very lucky."
"And what about you?"
"M-me?"
"Yes you." He cleared his throat. Probably unnecessarily.
"I…she's called Elise. Lady Elise. She's…just wonderful. A shining light in the darkness of Nohr. She has gifted me life anew and a daughter who I could not be prouder of. Odin Dark and Ophelia Dusk, standing ready to face the world!"
"That sounds…nice." I really meant it. It sounded more than nice it sounded…incredible.
"And you too can have that, Robin. If I wasn't returning to Nohr I'd take you to our world myself. I trust you have another way of making the trip."
"Yes. Yes I do." I wasn't going to beat about the bush. I was confident but quietly so. I had Ashley's time freeze for practice. Shulk's encouragement. Motivation now that I knew Lucina's future existed. I had everything. "I'm ready."
"Excellent!" Odin seemed relieved at this. "Glad to be of service. I'm just thankful Lord Leo won that beach holiday to allow me time to come here."
"Prince Leo?"
"I'm retainer to him. In order to get close to the Nohrian royal family I joined the court there." Leo…why was that name familiar. It almost sounded like…
"Do you know someone called Corrin," I asked. His eyes bulged slightly.
"H-how do you know him? You're not supposed to know that!"
"He's here as a competitor for Smash," I explained.
"But that's impossible!" Just this morning I helped him fend off a pack of Faceless from a village we were passing.
"I think it's Corrin before he made his decision. An earlier version of his timeline."
"…I am so lost right now."
"That's a very un-Odin thing to say," I noted.
"Hey I have to drop the act occasionally," he defended. "It's hard being theatrical all the time!"
"Well at least you admit it."
"…Don't tell anyone I said that." How could I resist those eyes?
"Of course, Odin. Your secret is safe with me. All of them are." He bowed.
"Many thanks to you, Robin. Once my duties in Nohr are finished we shall meet again in Ylisse! Though…" He cast his eyes downward.
"Though what?"
"I just wonder if Elise and Ophelia will join me. Elise is a member of the royal family and Ophelia grew up there. It will be hard for them."
"If they love you…then they will follow you to the ends of the earth. Even through time."
"…Ha. Ahaha, yes!" I smiled. A sad Owain was just…sad. "A fitting parallel you have drawn there, Robin. I fear we must part now! I take it you have somewhere to be?"
"I've always got time for you, Odin." He seemed unfazed.
"Polite as ever! I shall not take up any more of your time with idle ramblings. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a decent first impression to make! What was the name of the leader here?"
"Master Hand?"
"That's the one! I shall yet be a Smasher…and even if I fail I have my loving family to comfort me! Until the next time, Robin!"
"Goodbye, Odin. I wish you the best of luck."
"And the same to you." He made as if to leave but kept the door open just long enough to say. "But to you…I'll always be Owain." He let the door shut, walking off down the hall with long strides. I just stood there.
So much had just happened it was hard to process. Who'd have thought Owain of all people would be applying for Smash? There weren't any rules saying he couldn't but…wow! Talk about a coincidence. Also Lucina's future existing! Now that I hadn't seen coming yet Owain was living proof. Wow.
"Wow." I needed to say it aloud. Just…wowowowow. Wow!" A noise from my stomach reminded me of the reason I'd come here in the first place. Right. Once I was done with my…business, I found myself looking into the sink's mirror. Was this really still me? I felt a pang of guilt. Reflet had said the same thing. The only casualty in my time here.
"Don't worry. I'll live a life big enough for the both of us. Just you watch me." I watched my reflection finish forming the words. No response after that. Just me. Well she's was me in every way so I had a feeling she knew. After all, she was still part of me.
I returned to the main hall. Master Hand was still talking. I sighed. No sign of Owain. Maybe he'd gotten lost; it was only after leaving that I was starting to get my bearings around this place so I wouldn't be surprised. Plus this was Owain we were talking about. My boredom was short lived.
The door at the far end of the hall had started glow weirdly. Some sort of…off purple. Soon enough it opened. The figure on the other side promptly fell forwards onto the marble.
"Stupid doors!" A male voice, a little younger than me. "Hey, Ramona, your subspace door took me somewhere else again"" I heard another, fainter voice come from the other side.
"I don't make them, Scott. I just travel through them."
"Figures."
"Are you okay?" I asked, hurrying quickly over. Now I was closer I had a better idea of what he looked like. Gangly, wearing the crudest t shirt possible. Some form of legwear I wasn't familiar with. Short, brown hair cut horribly. The boy in question groaned.
"Fine, just annoyed at how sucky this whole thing is." I helped him up, taking his arm. "Can you believe I tried to go out to buy BREAD and ended up here? Maybe I should just walk to the shops instead of using Ramona's doors?"
"…Okay. Uh. What's your name then?"
"Scott. Scott Pilgrim. You?"
"Robin."
"Like Batman and Robin? You look way different to the comics."
"Who's Batman?" He tucked a lock of brown hair behind his ear, trying to hide his yawn. Unsuccessfully I might add.
"Maybe not then." He seemed to notice the surroundings for the first time. "Whoa. This definitely isn't Canada anymore. Are we in Rome or something?"
"…I don't know where that is."
"Lots of marble everywhere, high ceilings, fountains? My money's on Rome."
"Not the same money I gave you to go shopping with, I hope", the voice called. The boy, Scott, sighed heavily.
"No, Ramona. It's a figure of speech."
"…"
"So where are we if it's not Rome?" I stared at him before finally realising he was talking to me. I'd just watched him appear from nowhere so it made sense he'd want to know. Stranger things had happened.
"…The Smash mansion. A meeting point for a fighting completion held every once in a while." This caught his attention.
"Fighting, eh? I'm good at that."
"Are you?" He clenched a fist.
"If I can defeat the League of Evil Ex's then I can give these suckers a run for their dough. Maybe I'll find this place again?"
"Well…I wish you all the best." He disappeared back through the door, the mysterious glow fading in his wake. I stepped through the door and into the hallway. Just an ordinary door.
A large round of applause sounded behind me. It appeared Master Hand had finally finished whatever grandiose address he was giving. Now that I thought about it I'd quite like to see Owain and Master Hand compete in that regard. Or maybe I wouldn't, who knows? I wasn't going to stick around long enough to find out.
I was going to have to find the Shepherd's again. Since we were all getting dropped off at the same place it only made sense. I turned back to where the crowd was starting to disperse. The Shepherds were a fairly large group so they wouldn't be that hard to…
"Robin!" Speak of the devil. Chrom and Lissa were coming towards me. People were gradually starting to filter into the hall. No sign of the Shepherds yet. "Are you ready?"
"…Ready?"
"Yeah, ready!" Lissa reiterated, curls bouncing slightly as she spoke. "Ready to go?"
"W-wha…?" Was it really that time already? I'd know for a while that today would be my last day here but it had just been a fantasy…me leaving. Now the prospect seemed very, very real. "I…"
"If you're not then we can wait for another train to depart," Chrom continued.
"Train?" Is that what we were going to be taking instead of the teleporters? I cast my mind back, back to my very first day in the mansion. Of course! Now it all made sense; the train had brought me here so it would take me back. Remembering the problem when the Shepherds had all teleported in, it made even more sense. Too many people in too small a space. The train could have as many carriages as Master Hand needed.
"Yes, a train. It seems…interesting."
"It sure does!" Was there nothing that didn't excite Lissa? "A big line of carriages but aren't pulled by horses. How weird is that?" I wanted to say it was fairly tame considering everything else considered but I held my tongue.
"Miriel has gone and cornered Master Hand, asking questions about the mechanics of it." Chrom looked back over his shoulder. "She…uh…might be a while."
Right. Miriel doesn't question how the magic teleporter works but the train? Sure why not? Makes sense. I checked myself. Miriel was by far our best mind and had given us some of our greatest scientific advances. Dedicating her life to understanding the finer things in life was what she'd chosen, for the good of all of us; who was I to judge?
"Right…so when does the train leave?" Chrom gave a quizzical look.
"Honestly, Robin, it's like you weren't even listening to the speech at all!" I tried to maintain an innocent expression but it was a lost cause. Chrom might not be the sharpest tool in the shed (in sharp contrast to the Falchion he wielded) but Lissa, being the army's prankster and general rule breaker, picked up on it immediately. Thankfully she just smirked and didn't say anything. I mouthed a quick thank you before turning away.
"So when's the train then?"
"Exactly thirty minutes." Right. Thirty minutes until I was gone. Thirty minutes until I was finally home again.
Oh gods it was finally time. After one of the longest thirty minutes of my life (though it didn't help that Lissa deliberately kept standing in the way of the sun so I didn't know its position), we were finally going home.
Behind me Gregor and Reyn were having yet another arm wrestle. Three guess as to won won (again).
"Oh come on!" Reyn banged his fist down on the table in annoyance. "I don't get it, old man. How do you keep beating me?!"
"Oy!" Gregor moaned in that odd accent of his. "Gregor not that old! Maybe is why you lose? Respect for elders and underestimation?" Reyn seemed less than impressed but Dunban nodded in agreement.
"Reyn, we've been through this. Underestimating someone is the first step to a loss."
"Oy! Finally Gregor meet someone who speak sense!" I shook my head, a smile creeping onto my lips.
It wasn't just me that had said (and was going to have to say) many goodbyes. Even the Shepherds who'd hadn't been here nearly as long as I had, had grown attached.
Maribelle was still sipping tea alongside Peach, in silence for once in her life. Panne (who'd gone completely unnoticed by me until now) was conversing with a small group of Pokémon in hushed tones. Cherche was affectionately stroking the back of Charizard's neck. Lissa and Fiora looked like they didn't want to part. Even Stahl looked unusually sombre.
I sighed, long and deep. Where there are hellos there are always goodbyes…and yet…I didn't regret it. Not at all. Life and experiences weren't beautiful because they lasted forever. As Gregor floored Reyn's hand for the umpteenth time, I knew the time spent here, though short, would be remembered for the rest of our lives. For the rest of all our lives.
"You know what old man?"
"Gregor is listening."
"…You're not half bad."
The train was already parked, ready and waiting to go. Kapp'n was inside once more, greeting and shooing people on board. Gods that accent was still as strange as ever! I saw Shulk make his way to the adjacent compartment, his friends in tow. The Shepherds had formed a (somewhat) organised line behind Chrom, Lissa, and myself.
"Ha-har! Robin, I could'a sworn I jus' seen you get on!" He shook my hand before I could refuse (which I wouldn't have done anyway but still…). "Wait a second I made that joke las' time, har har!"
"That was weird," Lissa remarked once we were inside and Kapp'n was safely out of earshot. "What does he mean 'seen you get on'? There's only one of you, right?"
"Haha…of course." It struck me that I might just have been extremely lucky in that Lissa hadn't run into the male version of myself. Or his Lucina. Or…actually that raised some interesting questions. The Shepherds piled in after me into the compartment, filling every available seat. Kapp'n gave us a bemused look before moving to a less…cramped one. Cherche was having to lean against the wall due to every seat being filled.
I was now squished between Maribelle (who'd brought her tea with her. I just knew if the train pulled off suddenly I'd get burned by the spills). I tried to inch away but ended up against Chrom. He smiled awkwardly, as if this was the most normal thing in the world. Hah. The whole day was a straight up inversion of that if I'd ever seen one. He picked up on my change in demeanour because he smiled too, this time genuinely.
Anyway, given the size of our group someone must've seen the other Robin and Lucina. Did they invite their version of the Shepherds too? They must've interacted somehow. Surely. Were the gatherings really that large that they never saw each other? Another possibility crossed my mind; maybe they had interacted but just didn't know it. That was scary.
If Gregor and Miriel had met up and started chatting how would they know they were both from my world? From what information I'd gleaned about the other Robin's world, the only difference was our gender so the other Shepherds would likely be the same. I raised an eyebrow. It was almost as if the whole world was centred around me. I shook my head, dismissing the idea.
I shouldn't be so self-centred, I told myself. The multiverse is infinite; Master Hand just picked opposite gendered versions of us to make the competition more interesting. Speaking of Master Hand: I could see him outside the window, giving a giant thumbs up. That must've been the cue for the train to depart because the whole carriage jerked into motion. Predictably Maribelle spilled her tea all over me. At least it was only on my coat, and not skin. The coat was waterproof and largely burn proof. The same couldn't be said for my skin.
I looked out of the window one last time. It looked a lot emptier with all the Smashers on the train, only the hopefuls looking back at us, waving. For a split second I could've sworn I saw the flash of Odin's cape but I couldn't be sure. If all went according to plan I'd be seeing him soon anyway. My face heated up at the thought but I quickly found it being replaced by another emotion. Dread. I couldn't put my finger on why.
It bugged me as we pulled out of the mansion, the world around us vanishing. So many worlds flashed by underneath as we soared above and yet I paid them no mind. Smashers were getting dropped off left right and centre and yet my mind was still plagued by this feeling.
"Robin!" I jerked myself out of my trance. Chrom and the other Shepherds were all looking at me, expressions conveying their confusion. "I've called you three time now but you seemed to be lost in thought. Are you feeling alright?"
"Y-yes I'm…I'm fine. I think."
"Are you sure? You're looking kinda pale."
"I'm fine, Lissa. Really." The cabin descended into a somewhat awkward silence.
"You sure you're sure? You can tell us anything. Anything at all."
"…"
"Oh I've got it!" All eyes turned to Stahl. "Is this because Robin doesn't think we'll accept her for wanting marry Lucina?" Chrom, Lissa, and myself froze on the spot. Maribelle (having now finished her tea) held her head in her hands. Miriel pretended that the book she was reading was suddenly incredibly interesting. Gregor was trying to look over her shoulder. In fact everyone seemed to be doing their best not to make eye contact with me.
"…
"What?" I could see the gears turning in his head. Stahl was…not the most focused person. "Ah I've got it now! You're not supposed to know that we know that because we're not supposed to know yet! I understand."
"I…don't?" I turned to Chrom and Lissa. "H-how do they know?" Chrom remained silent. "Chrom how do they know! I was keeping it a secret! I wanted to be sure that everyone would accept me first! How could you tell them?!"
"I…uh…"
"It's not his fault, Robin," Cherche explained, taking a break from leaning against the wall. "It was an accident. He let it slip in normal conversation."
"C-Chrom! Would it kill you not to be absent-minded for once in your life?!"
"I…ahem." He cleared his throat unnecessarily. "I messed up. Sorry, Robin. It just came out while I was talking."
"You know how bad my brother is at keeping secrets. Could you cut him some slack," Lissa pleaded. Those big eyes weren't going to work this time.
"I can't believe you. To think that, even accidently, you'd risk all of the Shepherds hating me and…"
"But we don't." I stopped mid-sentence.
"…Say that again."
"You did not mishear me," Panne continued, rising from her seat. "Why you thought we would hold such a trivial thing such as who you love against you…is beyond me."
"Gregor much agree! He travel to many land and meet many people, some of whom share same interests as you! Gregor not look down on them or treat them any different because of it. We are family, Robin."
"Y-you…you really mean that?"
"Of course! Gregor prove with big family bear hug!" Before I could argue Gregor had gotten out of his seat and was wrapped me into his arms (with surprising gentleness for one so strong might I add). The other Shepherds, though initially hesitant, joined in, chipping in with their own words of encouragement.
"We will always love you, Robin. Don't you ever, ever forget that."
"You've saved our lives more times than I can count! Why would this change anything?"
"It pains me you thought you had to hide this from us. Perhaps if I had been more open with you…" I shh'ed Chrom before he could finish.
"It's not your fault. It was just me and my stupid depressed mind warping things into things they weren't. Making my lifelong friendships seem like disposable acquaintances."
"Hah. We maybe be many things but disposable isn't one of them. We're with you to the end of the line, Robin."
"Thanks, Stahl." As my luck would have it, I was just starting to settle down again when Miriel put her words of advice in.
"Quite so. Though the scientific evidence for homosexual activities concurs impregnation is impossible, the postmodern view is one of acceptance no matter who the subject is. This is the view I have taken."
"…But that's just it," I said, feeling the dread resurface. I pushed myself out of the group, feeling only slightly bad for doing so. It was so very…crowded.
"What?" Chrom turned his head to me. "What do you mean, Robin? We already gave you our blessings."
"You…you did. And I'm very grateful for that but…"
"But what, Robin?"
"…Did you consider all of the implications of our marriage?"
"Of course."
"No, Chrom," I challenged, hanging my head. "You just blindly agreed to make me feel better. Miriel has raised a point I was trying so very, very hard to forget."
"…"
"I…I can't give you children. Ever." A silence descended onto the cabin. Like a blanket, it smothered us, trapped us even. I could tell the Shepherds (and by extension Chrom and Lissa) hadn't considered that aspect.
"If I marry Lucina the bloodline stops dead. Thousands and thousands of years of history will grind to a halt because of my…personal feelings."
"…So?"
"So? So?! Chrom do you understand what that means?!"
"…I…"
"The bloodline of the royal family you belong to dates back to before the great Hero King, Marth! I'd be destroying everything! The only reason the lineage has continued for so long is because no one like me has come along before to ruin it! Worse than that, maybe there were people like me but held their feelings in check because of this exact thing. …I guess that makes them stronger than me."
"Robin," Chrom said gently. "I have two daughters you know. "Cynthia can continue the bloodline."
"But she can't even wield the Falchion," I protested, refusing to give in. "I've seen her try to use it and it's like using a lance to cut steel." I heard Stahl mutter something about it being fine for him but I ignored it. Now wasn't the time for jokes. "Will her descendants be able to use it if she can't?"
"Grima was defeated, Robin. Please just…try to see sense?"
"But Grima isn't the only evil out there! Marth used the Falchion to stop other great evils and there are countless other stories throughout history of its power to vanquish demons. If another great evil rises up and we don't have the Falchion or the Fire Emblem to protect us…how many will die? How many will die because of my selfishness."
"…Do you not want to be happy?"
"I'm sorry?"
"You heard me," Lissa argued. "It's just been one excuse after another as to why this wouldn't work out. First ignorance, then the law, then our feelings and now this? I'm starting to think you don't want to marry Lucina after all."
"…D-don't you say that! I…I would give everything for her."
"Just as we would give everything for you," Chrom echoed, pulling me back towards him. "We've got your back no matter what."
"B-but…"
"No buts!" I turned to Cherche. Her face was…hard to read. "We fought against Grima not knowing if we'd ever beat him. Not knowing if the Falchion would be enough…but we fought all the same."
"We fought because we had hope," Stahl continued. "We had faith in ourselves and not some ancient sword or magical shield. That's why we beat him."
"Remember when Grima had taken you from us aboard his back?" I nodded, slowly, to Panne's question. "What was it that brought you back to us and defeated his power?"
"Hope," finished Gregor. "No mighty sword involved. Just belief in each other and in you." I looked from one Shepherd to another, trying to read their faces. They only showed one thing: absolute belief in what they were saying. Belief in…me."
"Even after I've told you this…you're still okay with me and her?"
"Of course." Chrom emphasised the words by bringing further back into the group once more. "And maybe one day there'll be another great evil we have to face…and maybe our hope and faith in each other won't be enough, like you say. But…we will go down together, as one." I was lost for words. Despite what I'd said to Lissa she'd been partially right. I didn't want myself to be happy…not if it came at the expense of others lives. I had tried every trick in the book to get them to see the reality of what I was saying but…they still, even after all that had happened, had the utmost faith in me.
"I…I…t-thank you. Thank you all. I'm sorry I tried to get you to cast me away again."
"Happens to the best of us."
"And…" I paused to look each and every one of them in the eyes. "If we do go down fighting, I'm honored it will be alongside you. Thank you." We linked hands once again, content to just…stand there. Gods knows how many Smashers we'd missed getting off but I didn't care. I didn't know them all that well anyway. My family…my real family was right here.
"So much talk of violence and yet so unnecessary. I do believe I might be of assistance." We sprang apart, the voice having not come from any of us. Our moment of intimacy gone, several pairs of eyes scoured the cabin for the source of the voice. Nothing. The strangest thing was…I knew who it belonged to.
"Rosalina…it's been a while." At this, the space at the end of the cabin started to shimmer.
"What the…?"
"Wha?"
"A localised warp spell?" Amidst all the confusion the Shepherds were displaying Miriel still managed to keep her cool. The rest of them had backed off slightly, ready to draw any hidden weapons. I held my hand out in front of them.
"Wait! She's friendly, I swear!"
"Who is, Robin?"
"I am." A rippled of light and there she was, the guardian of the cosmos. Standing at seven feet tall I estimated, it was rather funny to see her have to duck after such a grand entrance. "It's good to see you again, Robin."
"Same to you, Rosalina."
"Robin, you know this woman?"
"Indeed I do, Chrom. She's helped me more times than I can count during the tournament. Quite why she's here now…I don't know." I could practically see the stars in Lissa's eyes. She'd always looked up to strong women (in more ways than one) so it wasn't that surprising.
"Allow me to explain." The guardian smoothed a crease in her otherwise immaculate teal dress, before materialising her wand. "I may be able to help you with your…problem."
"…Come again?"
"Do you remember what I told you, Robin, about being able to help when the time was right? Well…that time is now." That…that was ringing some bells. Very faint bells but bells none the less.
"I…I think I remember that. That…that night on the roof." She nodded, bangs swaying slightly.
"That's correct. Do you remember specifically what I said to you?"
"You…you said," I racked my brains. Come on, think! She said…I…I know what she said! I remember now. "You said 'If you do somehow travel through time then I will provide Chrom with enough reason to let you marry'. I'm right aren't I? That's what you told me?" Again, she nodded.
"That's correct. I can't grant you the power to travel through time. Such would be an abuse of my influence."
"So…I don't get it? How can you help me?"
"I can give you a chance, and I must reiterate this, ONLY a chance for you to have children with Lucina." There was a brief second of silence before the whole carriage erupted into noise. Some of it was along the lines of 'Wait what?!' or 'Did I mishear that?' or even 'Shouldn't that be impossible?'. However, by far the most common response had to be 'That's amazing!' and 'I'm so happy for you'. You know what? Just for once…I was happy for me too. I could barely keep the tears out of my eyes, scarcely believing what I'd just heard was true.
"Are you serious, Rosalina?" I said once we'd all calmed down (for the most part). I tried to keep my voice as level as possible but I could hear the jubilation leaking through with every word. "Did I hear you correctly?"
"If you heard that I may be able to help you and Lucina have children together, then yes."
"…Oh."
"Oh?" She queried.
"Oh," I repeated dumbly. "How?"
"Once you have perfected your time travel spell and gone to the future…and once you have asked for Lucina's hand in marriage AND she accepts…"
"Which she will! Trust me." Lissa interrupted. Chrom nodded in approval (as did everyone else).
"…then you will find me. I will take you to a place where once every one thousand years, wishes are said to come true."
"Said to come true?" Echoed Chrom. "Isn't that a bit…well…vague?"
"I'll do it," I said immediately. "If there's even the slightest chance I'll succeed I must take it." Rosalina beamed at me, the holographic stars on her dress glowing faintly.
"And that is why you will succeed." I returned the smile. Yeah…I guess it is.
"But be warned, Robin, I can only offer you a chance, not a guarantee. The place I will take you too will be like nothing you've seen before. A cave of near infinite depth filled with the most terrible creatures and your powers drained on entry. If getting wishes was easy, everyone would do it."
"I understand and I understand the risks…but you know I will still go. How will I find you when the time is right?"
"I will find you," she clarified. "I wish you the very best of luck in your endeavours."
"And my thanks to you for giving me the opportunity." She made as if to leave, but there was still something that bothered me.
"Wait! You were here, invisible in the cabin, while I was telling everyone that I couldn't give Chrom and Lissa children. Why didn't you stop me earlier?" She closed her visible eye.
"For the same reason that you told them at all. I had to know whether these 'Shepherds' would accept you even if I hadn't revealed myself and still believed you couldn't have children. A test of the bonds of your friendship, so to speak."
"That…makes sense."
"Plus, the spell you were and still are trying to use to travel through time is only as powerful as your belief in it, magical abilities aside. If I had intervened, your doubts about your acceptance would have remained buried within you and not out in the open. You would have been held back by doubts and the spell would never have worked. Talking about your problems, even if it hurts, is always the best option. That way you know if your friends are really your friends, no matter what." A nod and a smile was all I needed. I knew the Shepherds were…and always would be my friends.
"Hold on miss…."
"Rosalina."
"Right, Miss Rosalina." Of all people, Chrom was now addressing her. "Any friend of Robin's is a friend of mine and I'm truly grateful for your help but…why? Why are you going to such lengths for her? Am I right in thinking you haven't known her all that long?" It was a fair point. Why was she going to such lengths to help me?
"…Because I can. It is often said that with great power comes great responsibility…and that is true. However, what is power when you can't share it with others?" She turned her lone eye directly onto me. "Up on the rooftop you told me that my cosmic protection doesn't extend to you. I hope…I have enlightened you? Farewell." Before any of us could stop her she was already gone, vanished in a ripple of starlight.
"…You meet the coolest people, Robin!" I smiled tiredly.
"Yes, Lissa. I guess I do." I hadn't even realised it but the train had stopped again. Lush green fields, sunny blue sky. Great rock formations coming out of the ground and…wait. This all seemed very familiar. Oh. Oh! I looked outside to see a small group of people getting off. Among…a young man with blond her and a red jacket. I hit the door release button, jumping out as quickly as I could. "Shulk, wait!" He turned, eyes wide but a grin still plastered onto his features
"Robin! I thought you'd forgotten about me for a second there!" Dunban gave me small nod.
"Reyn, how about you show me how the repair work is going in the colonies. It's been a while?" Predictably, it took a while for Reyn to catch on.
"Huh?" He eyed the two of us. "Oh. Oh yeah right this way. See you later, Shulk! The two of them walked off. Fiora smiled gently before plucking Riki off of the ground and running off to catch up to them.
"Riki not toy! Put down!" I tried unsuccessfully to supress a giggle. One thing led to another and soon Shulk and I were both laughing. Just like old times. The thought was very sobering indeed and snapped me out of whatever joy I was having.
"…"
"…"
"…I have no idea what to say."
"Me neither," he replied sheepishly. "You'd think we'd have more to talk about."
"Maybe we've already said all we need to each other?"
"Yeah…maybe…"
"…" The breeze was awfully nice out here. Not too gently, not too severe. Just perfect.
"…"
"…I…I'm going to miss you. I shouldn't have to say it but I do."
"Me too. We…we had a run though, didn't we?"
"We did. We had the best of times. Hah." No, I told myself. I wasn't going to cry. Not this time. Instead I remembered all the things we'd done together. The good, the great, the bad. Shulk walking in on me having a shower. Beating me in a singles match on Gaur plains. Having a controlled vision together. Everything…everything was so, so good.
"Will we see each other again?" Though his face was smiling, the façade was skin deep. The sorrow behind it was contagious and I found myself ready to cry again.
"In all likelihood? No. There's no point in lying to ourselves. We had a good run…and now it's at an end."
"But there's the next tournament," I said, still not letting my tears get the better of me. It was getting harder. "We can both come back, right?"
"Robin we've had this exact conversation before."
"But this time it's real!" I protested. "This is happening and it's happening now!" Shulk lowered his head.
"I know…but you said it yourself, Robin. You want to spend time building a new life with Lucina. I want to do the same with Fiora. The chances of us entering Smash again are…not good."
"You're talking like this is goodbye." A warning bell sounded behind me. The train was getting ready to leave again. Shulk pulled me in for a hug gently. One last time.
"Not goodbye, Robin. Never goodbye. Think of all the great times we had together and not the times we could've had, just as I'll be doing the same for you. That way…we'll never truly part."
"…"
"…"
"…Goodbye, Shulk."
"Goodbye, Robin. Live well."
"You too." I squeezed him one last time before releasing. One last look into those eyes…those sky blue eyes. A last time for everything. Like the old saying goes: 'don't look back'. I didn't.
Chrom was the first to speak once I was back on board.
"I'm sorry. That must have been hard. Losing a friend is always hard." Surprisingly, I wasn't feeling so sad. Not anymore. More…at peace. "Not lost, Chrom. Just…away."
"Of course." We settled into a comfortable silence as we pulled away. Actually the silence didn't just extend to our carriage but all of them: Shulk's party had been the last to get off. We were the only ones left. End of the line. It was about time.
Getting higher and higher above Gaur plains, I realised something. I'd seen this before. Not just because I'd fought there in Smash but because I'd actually seen it before. Sure enough, when I looked out of the window to the world below, I saw a young man in a red jacket with blond hair waving up at me, framed by perfect rolling hills and the brightest of blue skies. I waved back, not caring that he couldn't possibly see me. He already knew. We both knew.
I let myself smile again, wider this time. There was no pain behind it now; not that there was any to hide. What were the odds? Hah…no. Coincidences are what the worlds do for fun. And fun…it most certainly was.
"Come on, friends. Let's go home." I tuned out the Shepherds murmurs of approval. Home. I was going home.
A rollercoaster of emotions would be describing the day lightly. My heart broken and mended in so many old, new, different ways I counted myself lucky I was here at all. Yet here I was.
The train had left the skies of Gaur plains behind now. Just a memory…but one that would never fade. I closed my eyes, smiling one last time.
Let's see what tomorrow brings.
A/N: This chapter is over 18000 words. No I'm not making that up. As a thank you for being patient with me and sticking with this 'till the end I thought I'd make this last chapter extra special. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed writing it. However, I said this isn't actually the end of the story. What good would a story be without an epilogue?
Just a little something extra to say thanks to all my readers. ...I'm going to miss writing this fic. It's been an experience in more ways than one. I'll give anyone a cookie if they can name all of the character cameos referenced. Some are super easy, some are harder.
Yes what Mewtwo said was a reference to Pokemon Sun and Moon. He does have future sight as a move, after all.
I had a blast writing in the styles of all the different characters, hope you enjoyed it too! Here's hoping I got the characterisation down. Owain/Odin was especially fun to write as, even if it was for a short while. Rosalina's words apply to real life too, you know. Keeping your emotions hidden away inside won't do you any harm. If you're worried about losing your friends because of who you are...then they're not really your friends, are they? Be honest, be open, be happy. The secret to success, right there free of charge. Use it as neccessary.
I know lots of writers do this and I'm not different but...it's going to be one the last times I get to ask this so I think I'm alright. Even if you haven't ever review before I'd really appreciate one now, at the end. If you've stuck with this fic from day one then saying I'd love to hear your thoughts doesn't cover it.
Please...I know what it's like to be a lurker. I know how you think you can't be bothered or your opinion doesn't matter but that isn't true. I say this for myself and for all writers, not just on this site but in general. Your thoughts make our days. Even if it's just a quick short sentence saying what part you enjoyed the most or who your favorite character was or just some general ramblings...that's all okay.
More than that I welcome it. It'll take thirty seconds max. Thirty seconds of your day compared to the 2 years this fic has being going. I think that's a fair trade off, right? Even if you haven't done it before and never will again...please.
Dramatic, huh? Next time...the epilogue and...I'm sad to say...the end of a Tactician's adventure. Will you be sad to see this fic end? More importantly, will Robin succeed? Will Lucina say yes? What is this mysterious 'Wish cave' Rosalina refers to?
I'm PozzyP and I'll see you...next time!
