Take One Life to Save Another

by PinkRose0106

What she did could not be forgiven; perhaps there could have been some way other, but this was her path and she walked it without regret. [Oneshot. A "what if" scenario for Lucina's judgement of Robin in Awakening. No specified gender for Robin nor Morgan, but it does assume that the latter has already joined the army. This is not related to my other stories in any way.]

The waning moonlight reflected off of Falchion, although the sword itself did not glow. Even the moon seemed to be considering hiding, calling the clouds to conceal it so it didn't have to watch the dreadful scene. Robin stood inches away from Falchion's blade; Lucina held it towards the tactician, although it was already beginning to waver. She knew what this meant, but for the sake of the future it had to be done.

"If you hold any love for Chrom," Lucina began, "then let this be done..."

Robin only looked at her for a few seconds, then took a knee. "…Very well. I forfeit my life."

Lucina took another step towards the tactician. "Godspeed, Robin." Falchion was moved and positioned to pierce the heart. Robin drew a sword solemnly before Lucina could strike.

"Use my sword instead," the tactician offered. "Then return to camp and rest. They'll notice I'm gone by morning; try not to say anything, but tell Chrom if it becomes too much. I know that you will protect everyone—and I hold nothing against you."

"…Thank you," Lucina said quietly. She put Falchion back in its sheath and picked up Robin's sword. "I will let this sacrifice be in vain; I swear it." Robin gave one last smile before the sword met flesh, ending a life. Robin collapsed when Lucina released the sword, and she walked away as her actions sank in. She went back to the camp, and sleep came easier than she had expected.

The camp was in a state before the sun rose. For a single moment upon waking up, Lucina had forgotten the night's woe; it came back as soon as she heard the dreadful words, "Robin is dead." She wanted to stay in her tent and ignore the anxious feeling she had, but she knew no one could stay asleep with such news being carried by every whisper, conversation, and shout. The worry Lucina expressed was genuine as she sought Chrom.

Her father appeared just as shocked as everyone else. He was looking at something—or rather, Lucina realized as she got closer, someone. One of the soldiers had brought Robin's body to camp; judging from Morgan's horrified expression, it had been Robin's own child. Chrom was scrutinizing the body for any signs of life, checking and ignoring Robin's nonexistent pulse and fatal wound. Lucina could barely hear him say, "Come on, Robin…you can't be dead. I refuse to let fate win."

Lucina hesitated for a moment, then remembered why she took a life—to prevent Chrom's death, and the resulting deaths of so many more people. Robin wouldn't want her to falter now. "Father? What happened?"

"If only I knew," Chrom replied. He looked at her with hidden worry and fear, something Lucina wished would disappear for the whole army's sake. "The morning patrol found Robin like this; no one knows how to react to the news. Robin went out last night and hadn't been seen since. Murder seems to be the most believable scenario, but…" he looked back at Robin, speaking a little quieter, "There's no one of struggle; that's what bothers me. Whoever killed Robin, it almost seems like it was by consent—gods, but why would Robin ever die without a fight?"

"…Perhaps it was to protect someone," Lucina said. She looked at Chrom, then Morgan, then down at Robin. "Someone that Robin loved and admired—someone worth dying for."

"I still find it hard to believe," Chrom admitted. "I've lost a friend to causes I will never understand. The best I can do now is honor Robin's memory and continue on with this damn fighting."

"As loathe as I am to say it, lingering around a dead body could damage morale to an unrecoverable state," Lucina pointed out softly. "We're too far from Ylisstol to bury the body there; a crude grave will have to suffice."

Chrom sighed. "We can't linger here," he agreed. "Whoever killed Robin may take more lives if we stay. Morgan"—as he said it, the young tactician looked at him—"will you come with me to bury Robin?" Morgan nodded wordlessly, and several others joined them. The soldiers worked together to dig a grave, gently placing Robin inside of it and burying the body. It was decided that a gravestone would be made and placed at Ylisstol; nothing would be buried beneath it, but it would still be a monument to the late tactician.

Nothing was the same after that day. Victories were harder to achieve, loses felt all the more bitter. Morgan and anyone else with suitable experience stepped up as the tactician, although Chrom never laughed or smiled quite the same as he had before. Lucina protected everyone, making more personal risks along the way, and never forgot what she had done. Every day of the last battles against the Grimleal, Robin was remembered and mourned by the whole army. Eventually, they came to the Dragon's Table, where Chrom and Lucina fought against Validar.

"Are you so eager to die, little Prince?" Validar asked with a laugh. "You WILL die here; fate has it written! Just like how dear Robin suffered at the blade of—"

"Don't act like Robin's death doesn't effect you!" Chrom replied before Validar could finish his sentence (much to Lucina's relief, as she feared whose name Validar would speak). He brandished Falchion, which Lucina did as well. "Whether you cared for your child or not, I know Robin had a grand role in your plans. But I already see a flaw in your damn 'fate'—you are the one who will die here. I won't accept anything else!"

Validar smiled as a twisted invitation, and the true fighting began. He focused on Chrom, but Lucina made sure her father wasn't hurt. Soon enough, the haze separating them from the others and Validar fell. "This isn't over… Damn you BOTH!" He sent magic towards Chrom, who Lucina pushed out of the way; it was Lucina that bore the attack. She was pushed to the ground as Validar staggered to stand. "Foolish girl. Don't you know you don't belong here? Ah, but Master Grima calls… I've no time to waste on a trespasser." He disappeared, and Lucina saw him reappear among the Grimleal. She tried to stand, but her wound wouldn't allow it.

"Lucina!" Chrom said, hiding none of his worry. He came to her side and examined the damage. "Don't try to move; you'll make the wound worse."

"But Father—" Lucina began.

"No, Lucina," Chrom replied firmly. "The only people dying today are the Grimleal. We'll stay here until the battle is over, then Lissa can patch you up. If anyone tries to attack us, I'll get rid of them."

Lucina still wanted to protest, but she quickly lost interest in arguing and nodded. Chrom's expression softened slightly, and he stood while Lucina sat next to him. It was hard not to move—although the pain when she did move reminded her to stay put. Several soldiers kept glancing at them, perhaps wondering why they were just standing there. Lucina watched the whole battle, and Chrom helped her stand once the enemy was routed. There was no time to celebrate, however, as someone spoke from behind Lucina and Chrom.

"Damn Validar… Although, since he was so willing to fight, death was inevitable."

Lucina didn't want to look at the person behind her, but Chrom already had. "…Robin?"

The person laughed. "No, not Robin; I've introduced myself before. Perhaps this will ring a bell—I am the wings of despair. I am the breath of ruin. I am the fell dragon…"

"Grima," Lucina said quietly. She and Chrom both turned, since she was dependent on him for staying upright. "Damn you for taking the form of someone we lost."

"I think this form rather suits me," Grima mused. More seriously, the fell dragon continued, "Your pathetic tactician died before accepting the meal set at the Dragon's Table. I will not allow this time's Grima to remain asleep. As such, I will claim the offering laid before me in place of my late counterpart!"

Grima smiled, and Lucina looked at Chrom. "We need to go—now." There was no protest; Chrom wordlessly helped Lucina out of the falling building. The whole thing was a horrifying sight; most soldiers who hadn't been injured during the battle now bore wounds from falling debris, many of the wounded soldiers were missing or near death. Perhaps the worst part of all was Grima rising from building, his very being foreshadowing the end of all life.

"Everyone fall back!" Chrom called to the soldiers. "We need to regroup and rethink strategy; we can't fight this thing in normal battle." With so many injured soldiers, it was a slow march—but Grima seemed to enjoy watching their attempts to stay alive, for he made no move to stop them.

The army marched for as long as the wounded could handle it. Despite Chrom's urging against it, Lucina continuously told the medics to tend to the other's wounds first. She stayed close to the campfire and spoke quietly to Chrom. "I can't think of what we can do to defeat Grima…"

"Without the Fire Emblem, our options are limited," Chrom replied. He looked around and continued, "We've lost a few soldiers, too. But Morgan—wait. Where is Morgan?"

The question brought panic to Lucina; she tried to sit up to look around better, but it only caused pain from her wound. Fortunately, she didn't have to worry long. "Everyone! I got the Fire Emblem!" Lucina turned as best she could towards Morgan's voice, and the young tactician presented the Emblem.

"How did you find this?" Chrom asked.

"It was my parent that took it," Morgan pointed out, happily giving Chrom the Fire Emblem, "the least I could do was take it back! Call it my way of honoring Robin's memory."

"Thank you, Morgan," Lucina said. "This gives us ways to defeat Grima; now we can ask Naga for help. We should then be able to defeat Grima with her power."

Morgan smiled, then frowned and said in an almost jokingly serious manner, "Now, Lucina—you really shouldn't be doing much of anything until you're patched up. Let me help you to your tent so you can rest; it's been a long day for all of us, anyway." Lucina didn't protest, and they went to Lucina's tent. Morgan bid goodnight, promising that they would talk and plan as they traveled. Just like the night of Robin's murder, sleep came easier than Lucina had expected. A medic came in the night, healing her but telling her that the wound could reopen and cause more damage. Lucina couldn't accept the advice; if she weren't fighting alongside everyone else, she couldn't protect them as Robin thought she could.

Morning came and they left for Mount Prism to perform the Awakening rite. Lucina didn't tell anyone about her wound so they couldn't stop her—although some, like Morgan and Chrom, seemed to be aware of it but didn't say anything about it to her. They let her fight the Risen at Mount Prism, and the Risen blocking their way to Grima. They even stayed at Ylisstol for a few days—before they left, however, Chrom pulled Lucina aside.

Lucina noticed that he seemed lost in thought; he came up to her without a word, and waited a few moments before actually speaking. "…I've been thinking about a lot of things," Chrom began, not looking at her at first. "About Robin, about Grima, about this blasted unending struggle…about you and little Lucina. I wouldn't be able to bear it if something happened to either of you, which is why I…" He paused for a moment to sigh, although Lucina feared what he would say next. "I think you should stay here at Ylisstol. It would be safest—"

"No," Lucina said firmly. "I'm not staying here; I'm not staying behind while you fight for me."

"Everyone's already agreed that it would be better than you fighting Grima as you are now," Chrom argued. "You're still hurt—you could get killed. At least in Ylisstol, you'll be better protected."

"But then I can't protect you!" Lucina protested. Silence fell for a few moments as Chrom tried to find the best way to respond and Lucina debated on whether or not she should say more. Finally, she said, "I…have something I must confess. I saw Robin leave that night and…I was told to return to camp. Sometimes I wonder…had Robin struggled, would we still have a tactician? Would refusal to comply lead the murderer to think their actions? If I…"

She trailed off only because she needed all her strength to hold back tears. Chrom seemed a bit surprised, hesitating a few moments before placing a hand on her shoulder. "It's all right," he said softly. "None of us could have expected Robin to die—especially when it was cowardly murder. We all thought, if Robin were to die, it would be alongside the rest of us. We would die together or not at all." He turned her towards her, saying firmly and kindly, "Not just one person is responsible for Robin's death—not you nor the one who did the deed. Don't let the past to cloud your judgement; Robin would hate that. Focus on the future, what Robin always strived to protect."

Lucina nodded without a word, but Chrom's words failed to reassure her. She didn't quite believe him—if it weren't for her, Robin could still be alive. She killed the tactician and, if anyone were to find out, she would explain her reasoning and gladly take the murder charges. Nonetheless, Chrom wasn't quite done. "You can come with us—but you have to promise to stay behind me. All right?"

She didn't answer for a few moments. "…I can't agree to that, Father," Lucina replied. "I will protect you and this time, or I will die in my pursuit to do the same."

Chrom, albeit looking a bit conflicted, accepted her answer. The army left Ylisstol with newfound determination, set on finishing Grima once and for all. Lucina knew her opinion was shared among everyone else; they all knew that they would kill Grima or die trying. Morale was higher than it had been since Robin died, but it still wasn't as assuring as when the tactician was among them. Morgan in particular was determined, and Lucina believed that most of the army thought that Grima was the ultimate murderer—perhaps, in some way, that was true, although she wouldn't correct them if they said Grima had disarmed and killed Robin without any struggle from the latter.

Lucina prayed that Naga, Robin, and all her fallen comrades would help her in the coming fight, so that if she were to fall the Ylissean army would never back down until Grima lost breath. Naga told them as they approached, "There is no true way to kill the fell dragon. Grima can only be slain with his own hand—there is no other Grima save those from the present and future. Your late tactician, perhaps, would have been able to attempt to slay him and ending both of their lives, but there is little hope for Robin's revival. The tactician's child does not have a strong enough connection to Grima, and therefore the only solution is to put the fell dragon into a deep slumber, shouldering the task on future generations."

"So be it," Chrom had replied firmly. "At least if we do this, there would be a future generation; we can provide all that we need and ensure they're ready." No further discussion had been made, although the news was mentioned as they grew closer to Origin Peak. Chrom turned towards the army as Grima roared behind him. "Listen up! This will be our last chance to talk strategy; we'll be at the fell dragon soon enough. I won't lie—it's possible that not all of us will return home after this. Much of our army is injured or ill, yet I admire your determination and dedication. That being said, I don't want anyone to be unsure of whether or not they wish to fight. I will not charge anyone who decides to leave with desertion; all I ask is that you will protect this realm should we fail. Once we start making our way up the mountain, there's no chance of coming back unless we defeat Grima." Not one person laid down arms and walked away; no one even seemed to consider it. Their loyalty gave Lucina the bit of hope she needed. Chrom smiled, and said, "Very well. Come! We march towards Grima's end!" He was met with cheers and they pressed on.

After defeating a few Grimleal and Risen, Naga sent them to Grima's back so they could attack his weak spot. Lucina and Chrom where the two that blazed ahead, while the others supported them by dispatching all of the Risen that Grima spawned to stop them. Thanks to the other soldiers, they were able to make it to the future Grima (in Robin's form) almost unscathed. "WRETCHED CHILDREN OF NAGA…" Grima said darkly. "If only you had just….DIED. DIED like all of those BEFORE YOU. DIED like your precious TACTICIAN in a VAIN ATTEMPT to STOP FATE. YOU can't DEFEAT ME, for I AM THE FELL DRAGON, GRIMA. MORTALS CANNOT COMPREHEND MY POWER!"

"I won't allow you to prevail!" Lucina replied, brandishing her blade. "Let battle test whether fate exists or is a thing of man's creation."

"I…am ABOVE MAN," Grima said, "I…will KILL YOU, CHILD OF NAGA."

"We have come to end you, Grima!" Chrom said. He took out Falchion just as Lucina had. "My sword will be the last thing you see until you next wake!"

Grima seemed to laugh, or at least made a sound reminiscent of it. All it did was inspire Lucina to attack quicker. She defended Chrom and he did the same for her, while the Risen around them were dispatched by everyone fighting alongside them. Grima wouldn't easily fall, sooner resorting to tricks that still didn't manage to kill the father and daughter. Still, they fought on; it was as the Risen began to overwhelm the other soldiers that Grima was finally at his end.

Both Falchions were close enough to strike Grima and kill a normal man. Chrom looked down at the dragon who took the form of his closest friend. "I have one question to ask of you before I send you to sleep." Dark and cold, he asked, "Who killed Robin?"

Once again, Grima grimly laughed. "Such a trivial question, for the answer stands close to you. Validar mentioned it, I believe? 'Robin suffered at the blade of.' Of whom? Look around, mortal… The murderer is ready to strike, as if one tactician wasn't enough! Both of these vessels will be slain by that child's blade!"

Something in Chrom's expression changed—confusion, perhaps, or thoughtfulness. Whatever it was, Lucina feared it; before Grima could say any more, she drove Falchion through Robin's chest as she had done earlier, dealing the final blow to the fell dragon. The dragon himself began to fall towards the ocean below them, and Chrom looked at her. "Lucina—"

"Not right now, Father," Lucina replied without meeting his gaze. "I can explain if you have any questions, but we need to assess the soldier's wounds and get off this damned dragon before he sinks."

Chrom nodded, collecting all the soldiers as the Risen disappeared. Naga transported them safely back to Origin Peak, where everyone began to celebrate—except for Chrom. He pulled Lucina aside, looking directly at her even though she refused to do the same. "Please tell me that Grima was mentioning someone else—that I don't know who killed Robin."

Lucina debated lying, but knew that it would make it harder should her actions ever become too much to bear. With a sigh, she admitted, "For once, the fell dragon spoke true. I—"

"Don't. You don't need to say it," Chrom replied. "I don't have any words. You… What did you hope to achieve with the deed?"

"Robin would have killed you," Lucina explained quietly. "I fear that I have no better reason."

"We had changed fate before, Lucina—we could've done it again," Chrom insisted. "Robin didn't need to die so that I could live; Robin didn't need to die at all! There had to be an alternative—some other solution aside from murder!"

"I know…believe me, I know," Lucina said. "Had I seen any other option, I would have gladly accepted it. I confronted Robin that night, and Robin heard my reasoning and accepted death."

Chrom was mumbling to himself at this point. "Gods…I had seen you both leave camp. I should have followed you and stopped this idiocy."

"Don't blame yourself, Father," Lucina replied, finally meeting Chrom's gaze. She took out her Falchion and placed it between her and her father, then knelt down. "I'm prepared to face the consequences of what I did. You are alive and Grima is gone…that's all I needed."

"…Stand up," Chrom said firmly. "You might be a murderer, but I won't kill my own daughter." Lucina did as he asked, looking at him all the while. "What you've told me will not be shared—although from now on, knowing what you did I don't think I can let you back in Ylisstol without needless worry. You will be free to do whatever you wish as long as you don't go to the capital; that is your only punishment."

"Thank you for your mercy," Lucina said, entirely honest. Chrom gave her Falchion, and she took it. With a weak smile, she added, "I won't bother your family again, milord." After that, she left—Chrom only watched her before eventually returning to the celebrating army. Lucina didn't know what the army was told, nor did she worry herself over it; her priority now would be to live the life she never could in a Risen-infested world, as Robin and Chrom would have wanted, or perhaps she would find a way to return to her own time.

It would be a lie to say that Lucina thought that, in some aspects, this punishment was worse than death. She didn't hold it against Chrom, however; she did what she had to in order to protect her family, even if she was now separated from them. She had expected to be punished, but she dared to hope that perhaps the single city she couldn't enter would become available to her again. At least it was only Ylisstol, and not all of Ylisse—granted, Ylisstol held all of the people she would wish to visit. Lucina still found herself grateful as she traveled to a familiar site.

Night had fallen, as it had that day. It felt so long ago, when really it had just been a matter of months. This was where Lucina had killed Robin, and where Robin was subsequently buried as evidenced by newly-planted flowers. She sat down next to the gravesite, looking up at the starry sky. "Well…I protected them, Robin. You said that you knew I could—although I will admit, I doubted it a few times myself. Chrom, Morgan, and everyone else are safe. Only Chrom knows who killed you… I think he's a bit disappointed. Are you, I wonder? You both believed in changing fates, saying that destiny can be overridden. Yet you died willingly, without any sign of anger or sadness towards me or the situation. Ah…perhaps it's a bit discrediting to speak of your death, rather than your achievements in life. Apologies; although I suppose I should go. Worry not, friend—I will not be far. Flowers and a stone will mark your grave soon enough."

Lucina stood back up, nodding to the grave and leaving. As she promised, she never went very far and visited often. She still visited her friends, and she remained in the army; when they would meet outside of Ylisstol, Chrom would never seem to hold anything against her but disallowed her from seeing her younger counterpart. It was a bit of a lonely life, but it was one she was sure in—she could never be unsatisfied in this world, where Grima did not threaten people unaware of his might. When Grima did return, humanity would be ready and prepared; Lucina was sure of it. Robin did not die in vain, even if the circumstances could have been different.