So...remember when I said that I'd try to have the next Chapter of this story up soon and the only reason it may have been late was 'Echoes'? It turns out apparently...I lied. xD Not only am I releasing this Chapter way after I intended but I wasn't really a big fan of 'Echoes' in the end so...I didn't play it anywhere near as much as I thought I was gonna. In the end, I became distracted by other games.
So...why am I back with this now? Well first of all I love writing this story! I really do; I get to write about my second favourite couple in the world, it's a dream come true! Also- whilst I am listing all the songs that inspired this story at the end, one song in particular made me want to write this and that was 'I'm With You' by Avril Lavigne which- as you'll no doubt find out when you read this Chapter- I have no idea why as it has nothing to do with what I ended up writing about. xD Finally...I may not own 'Warriors' yet but there's a Support conversation between Chrom and Ryoma...fully voiced...by my favourite voice actor Matthew Mercer...and he voices them both. I cried with laughter the entire time and it made me want to write about my husband Chrom again! =D
I really aren't sure whether I need to change the age rating of this story to Mature or not due to some content that has turned up in this Chapter but I guess I'll let you guys be the judge. =)
I hope you enjoy!
*Spoilers Warning* Definite spoilers about the 'true' end of 'Awakening'. Also spoilers about other elements of the plot throughout the game.
Disclaimer: I own nothing to do with 'Fire Emblem [Awakening]', its locations, characters etc. All rights go to their respective owners.
Rated T. (*Warning* Contains brief references to torture in a 'dream' sequence and themes that some people may find distressing.)
Together Again?: The Mystery Deepens
For the next few days that followed, the Exalt of Ylisse spent much of his time bed-bound in order to recover with maids loitering around him and attending to his every whim but for once he didn't mind the fuss as for the first time since that fateful day, he finally had some time to talk with Robin.
Obviously due to the fact she hadn't recalled her marriage with him, there was still much he was avoiding telling her but for now luckily, she was curious about all the 'minor' things like their dates, funny conversations they'd had, the meetings they'd attended and the like. Chrom found himself truly enjoying the small talk he was sharing with her and seeing her reactions to events they'd already lived through reminded him of the emotions he'd felt when certain events had happened; the amusement he felt when Robin wasn't paying attention to where she was walking in the gardens once when it was raining and she slipped and fell in a puddle, the nerves that tightened up his gut when she was in labour or the raw pain he'd felt on the first anniversary of Emmeryn's sacrifice. He'd never quite realised just how many memories he'd made over the years- both bitter and sweet and everything in-between. He'd also never realised just how many of his memories related to Robin in one way or another; they really were two halves of a greater whole.
During his final evening of being bed-bound at a medic's request, he'd just finished having a nightly discussion with his wife who had now left the room to go to wish Lucina goodnight and he was about to make the most of this final chance to rest when he received an unexpected visitor to his room.
"Tharja?!" He exclaimed upon seeing her. He wasn't used to interacting with the Sorceress much especially since she made him uncomfortable. Her obsession with stalking Robin who was- you know- his wife was rather infuriating but also the fact that she made no secret of the fact that he'd suffer some rather...peculiar punishments should he ever break Robin's heart was more than enough of a reason to force him to try and avoid her as much as possible in an attempt to keep his head.
"How are you feeling Milord?" Her narrowed eyes met his and despite the polite way she delivered her question it was clear that she wasn't at all interested in his answer.
"I'm okay, thank you."
"That's...good to hear."
After she said that an awkward silence filled the room for what seemed like forever until Chrom couldn't stand it anymore. "Was there something you were wanting, Tharja?"
"Why yes, I have something to discuss with you." She then moved from her position leaning against the door frame and stood at the end of his bed gazing at him in a way that was making him rather uncomfortable.
He waved his hand in a bid to relieve some of the tension in the atmosphere. "Go ahead."
After a brief moment of silence, she finally spoke up. "How has Robin been since her return?"
Chrom's eyebrows knitted together in confusion at this line of questioning but he chose to just indulge her for the moment. "Robin is doing as well as can be expected all things considering. It's difficult for her...being here when all she can really recall is her daughter and so we're all virtually strangers to her, give her some credit Tharja!"
"That's not what I meant." Tharja growled in exasperation at being misunderstood. "I mean how has she been?"
"...You've lost me." Chrom admitted.
"Ugh forget it, I'm clearly wasting my time." She stormed towards the door but froze before completely leaving. "Not like I really care for your well-being but Robin is my world and so I'm giving you this warning- watch your back because not everything is how it seems right now."
After she was no longer in sight, Chrom sighed and relaxed back against his pillows, a hand coming up to rest against his forehead as he contemplated Tharja's words. Could there be something wrong with Robin? He couldn't think of anything apart from the obvious but he hadn't seen much of her outside of this room so maybe her behaviour was questionable in other situations?
For the moment- he decided- there's nothing I can do so I'll let it drop but I'll keep an eye on her...for now.
The sand was being violently swept across the desert by the strong winds that howled through the night. The moon hung overhead and the stars twinkled in the night sky, their calmness a stark contrast to the weather but not to the rest of the scene which appeared normal and serene.
The desert was home to a single town which was hidden behind a huge brick wall and protected day and night by a sea of guards, spies and trackers all of which were best avoided if you wanted to cross the sands with your head intact. A strong, well-built castle loomed above the people who lived there like a shadow with spires, impossibly tall towers and a dark, ominous presence that warned not just strangers to the town, but the people who occupied it to stay away unless they had an invitation...and even then, only if they were brave enough to dare enter its grounds.
Within the walls of the castle there was a menacing secret: a dungeon chamber lurking far below the ground and a torture chamber that looked as if it'd had come straight out of a horror story. The only light was provided by torches lining the walls; making the place more disorientating and nerve-inducing.
The torture chamber was currently home to one figure who was being strung up by chains hanging down from the ceiling with two others holding their legs apart. The person was unsure as to how long they'd been left there like that; all they knew was that they'd be left alone in this position for a long time and- like the name of the chamber implied- the experience was indeed torture.
After an undisclosed amount of time the prisoner heard the sound of approaching footsteps which made them tense up with fear. "What do you want with me?" They rasped as the figure got within earshot.
The figure studied their victim for a moment before grinning like the Cheshire cat. "How much do you remember?" They asked cryptically as they walked towards some sort of lever.
Their eyebrows pulled together in confusion. "What?" They responded, unsure as to what their captor was referring to.
Just then, the figure grabbed the lever and pulled which tightened the chains that clung to their victim like spider webs, causing them to cry out in agony; their limbs no doubt burning from the feeling of being stretched to their limits.
After some time had passed, the quizzer repeated their word. "How. Much. Do you. Remember?"
*Gasp. Gasp* The prey couldn't control their breathing, tears streamed down their face. "I don't know what you mean!" They pleaded. How were they suppose to answer this question? They remembered what they remembered! Their family, their friends, their life before they ended up here, what exactly was this person referring to?! Did they want to hear their entire life story or was it something more specific? 'I have to get out of here!"
"Wrong answer!" The sing-song voice which left their torturer's mouth was at odds with the horrific circumstances.
The person pulled the lever again and this time they prolonged the torment even longer. As this was going on, the sound of another set of footsteps echoed around the halls. A hooded person froze metres away from the person pulling the lever who- without turning- addressed the new arrival. "You're late."
"Heh, my sincerest apologies, I was held up covering our tracks; it turns out that somebody is determined to follow us to the ends of the earth in order to find out what we're up too."
Finally releasing their grip on the lever, they turned to face the person talking to them. "Hehe well...they won't get that far and besides, we'll be extending an invitation to them anyway in due course."
"Too true." The hooded person then turned to look at their captive who was sweating profusely and refusing to look up from the ground. "How long before they convert and join us?"
That caused their head to shoot up. "Convert?!" They exclaimed.
Without acknowledging that their victim has spoken, the original arrival grabbed what appeared to be an iron rod and began to heat it up in a furnace. "Hmm..."- They began, admiring their work.- "Well, they haven't bothered to tell me what they recall of their time spent there yet so we can't start to brainwash them without at first knowing what we're even removing from their grey matter now, can we?"
The hooded figure's shoulders shook with laughter at their words. "You've always had a clever way with words."
Their prisoner realising that the hooded figure's voice sounded distinctly familiar began to talk to them. "Who- who are you?!"
Cocking their head to one side, they replied, "So you don't remember me?"
Shaking their head, they tried to get through to them. "No I...I know you but...I can't place you. Will you remove your hood?"
The sound of the other person strolling back towards them began to fill their ears and they knew that time was running out to get the answers they so desperately craved from the hidden person.
After what seemed like an eternity, they gave a brief nod. "Very well. It was always the intention anyway."
In what appeared to be slow motion, they slowly lifted their gloved hands to grasp their hood as the prisoner watched, their stomach tying itself up in knots of unease and they didn't quite understand why...
...Until the hood was finally removed revealing a face that was oh so familiar and yet- at the same time- oh so different. Gasping, their captive started to pull against their chains as their expression became enraged. "No! What's happened to you?! What have they done to you?!"
They didn't reply and instead turned to accept the iron rod from the other figure who was sniggering like this was all a game. They turned back and started to approach the person in chains. "Shh...it's okay...eventually you'll learn that this is the way it's supposed to be and you'll soon grow to accept it."
"W-what?!"
...And as the heated metal made contact with the flesh on their arm, the excruciating screams echoed through the otherwise peaceful desert night as the scene began to fade to white and the nightmare gave way to a brand new morn...
"...Dear Father,
I am sorry to burden you with this correspondence as I know there is a risk of it being read before it reaches you which would cause you many a problem however, there are things that urgently need to be discussed with you and unfortunately I am unable to meet with you in person at this time.
It feels strange not being able to be by your side, we spent so much time fighting to save your world together and whilst it wasn't the nicest of circumstances to find ourselves in, being a part of the Shepherds was the greatest time of my life. However, whilst you are my father, I do find myself remembering that the man who actually helped to give me life has long since passed in my original world and I can't help that; I have to remember him no matter how much it hurts...
...Heh, sorry, I got all sombre on you there. You have always been there for me and you give me an opportunity to get to know the man who I admire so much and for that I will always be grateful; little Lucy is lucky to have you Father as am I and Morgan.
I heard that you found Mother. I hope she is doing well since her return and I truly hope to be reunited with her again sooner rather than later. Although...I do know that at the moment she is suffering from amnesia and can't remember all that much. It's difficult to come to terms with, she made the ultimate sacrifice for us on that day and she can't even recall just how much of a hero she is! Mother was always a difficult one to place, when I came to this time I sort of had an idea of the kind of person you were but I had no idea how boisterous, confident and feisty Mother was capable of being, she was always so kind and gentle when she was around me whilst I was young. But...for all of her strength, she was always rather vulnerable and prone to over-working herself so I hope you take good care of her until she's back to her usual self and after that as well.
On the subject of Morgan however, I've come across some rather troubling news concerning him which I am currently investigating further..."
*Knock. Knock. Knock.*
Chrom looked up from the letter sighing to himself inwardly since he'd gotten to an incredibly important part and stuffed it in the top draw of his desk before welcoming his visitor into his study.
"Milord, just to let you know that I am still having no luck encouraging Tharja to meet with you, are you sure you don't want me to use force or coercion to get her to cooperate?"
Chrom stood up and rested a firm hand upon Frederick's shoulder. "I've told you a thousand times that that won't be necessary. I thought I told you to let this thing with Tharja go already?"
Frederick scowled at Chrom, his ever-serious expression making it perfectly clear that he wasn't going to give up no matter what. "No, she's being disrespectful to the Exalt himself! It is my duty to deal with such acts of blasphemy regardless of who commits them!"
"But...Frederick...it's honestly not a problem."- And besides I don't want to get cursed again nor do I want it to happen to you for the tenth time in a fortnight...- He thought. "Please my friend, it's late and I'm retiring to my room after I've gotten Lucy to bed so go and get some rest if not for your sake then for mine."
Frederick didn't respond for a moment before he finally sighed, resigning himself to agreeing to his Lord's request. "Very well, I shall see you in the morning."
"Goodnight my friend." Chrom murmured as Frederick left the room, closing the door behind him.
After that, Chrom let out a breath as he returned to his desk in order to resume reading the letter from his daughter. The letter hadn't turned up at the same time as the usual post and had apparently turned up separately much to the bemusement of the maid who found it. Luckily it was addressed to 'Chrom' rather than 'Father' otherwise she'd have been even more surprised! However, it did explain why he was reading the letter for the first time shortly before bed.
It had been about a month since the events the occurred with the strange woman just outside of Ylisse and for some reason, she'd decided not to travel through Ylisse in the end although Chrom had no idea why since she didn't seem like she was afraid of the concept after facing his Shepherds...and completely thrashing them! However, she hadn't fatally injured anyone much to his relief but also to his confusion.
"That pathetic Exalt was supposed to be my message but I suppose you'll do." She'd snarled after striking Frederick instead. She'd meant to injure him as a 'message' but to who and why? What 'message' exactly was that supposed to deliver.
To top it all off, there was this thing with Tharja and the warning she'd given about Robin. Since she'd visited him whilst he was recovering, he'd tried to contact her multiple times himself without much luck (and a couple of curses to show for his efforts). After what had happened with the mystery woman, Frederick had felt unnecessarily guilty about not being able to protect all of the Shepherds, his lord and Ylisse even though he'd done more than enough that day however, ever since He'd gone out of his way to aid him with everything and when he'd caught wind of Chrom's desire to meet with Tharja, he'd taken it upon himself to try to make her cooperate without much any luck and numerous hexes to show for it as well.
As he removed the letter from his desk, he read with deep concern what Lucina had to say about Morgan.
"...Apparently he's not been sighted for months. I had been keeping tabs on him so that when Mother returned, I could contact him however, his trail went cold a few months ago. I asked the other future children to keep me updated which seemed to work up until shortly after we met the night before you found Mother at which point, he hasn't been seen since. I've now started to investigate spots he seems to have been seen hanging around frequently. I'm not sure what your advice is especially since you're rather tied up on your end but if you're able to help out then meet me in three days time at the spot where we last saw each other.
All my love,
Lucina. xxx"
Chrom leaned back in his chair. Still taking in the words. "Morgan is...missing?!" Of course there was no way that he wouldn't aid Lucina with the search for her brother but...what about Lucy and Robin? Also, what about Lissa and Frederick? They weren't really in the best shape to go on quests at the moment. He decided to call a meeting the next day in order to discuss the plan of action.
After that, he tried to control his desperation to go and search for his son immediately. When he'd found out that he had a son as well as a daughter and that he had the brains of his mother but the clumsiness of his father, he'd realised that he had to keep an eye out for him despite his tactical prowess and so not being able to do anything about his disappearance made him uneasy to say the least.
He locked up his study for the night and proceeded towards Lucina's room but he froze outside of her door when he heard a voice and the distinct sound of Lucy giggling. He peaked through a gap in her door and saw Robin there telling their daughter a funny story.
"-And what happened next, Ma?"
She chuckled lightly, "I'll tell you..." Robin moved her head from side to side, a finger pressed against her lips as she contemplated but Chrom noticed her spot the time on the clock. "Well...I will do but...not tonight."
"Wha?!" Lucina asked incredulously, her bright blue eyes going wide as she pouted. "Why?"
"Because it's already way past your bedtime." Chrom murmured as he entered the room.
Robin who had been about to say the same thing- smiled guiltily at Chrom's words. "Your Daddy's right. I'm afraid I've already kept you up too long with my stories."
"Aww..."
"Hehe." Robin laughed making Chrom's heart swell with love. They'd made some progress since they'd first found her and they now conversed a lot and spent time together comfortably. She bent down to press a kiss to their daughter's forehead and Chrom strolled towards the bed to follow suit. "Goodnight Lucy."
"G'night." She whispered as she rubbed her tired eyes.
After both Chrom and Robin had left the room, Robin closed the door and turned to Chrom. "She really is lovely isn't she?" She mused.
Chrom felt his mouth form into that silly, proud grin he often made when talking about his children. "Yes, she's amazing."
"...And we made her...right?"
Chrom's cheeks flushed with heat at that. "Y-yes...yes we did." My voice cracked, how embarrassing!
"Hmm...that's...not a bad thought."
Chrom tried to ignore the implications as he cleared his throat. "Well...I'm turning in for the night. It's been an exhausting day."
Robin nodded to herself. "Of course. Goodnight...Chrom."
"Goodnight Robin."
Or at least...it should've been a good night but things were about to go very wrong for the House of Ylisse.
As Chrom was sleeping soundly in his bed, the peaceful night was suddenly interrupted by a piercing scream echoing throughout the castle which he instantly recognised as Robin's.
He bolted out of his bedroom, grabbing Falchion as he went and traced the sound which led to him finding Robin collapsed outside of Lucy's room. Just as he approached her, Lissa and Frederick came running and joined them.
"Milady what's wrong?" Frederick inquired.
Robin looked up and made eye contact with Chrom, her own gaze filled with tears. "Lu-Lucy she...she's..."
"She's what?" Lissa asked, her voice trembling with fear.
Dread made Chrom's body freeze. He approached his daughter's room and reached a shaking hand out to open his door...
...and found her room completely empty, her bed devoid of his daughter's small frame and the window completely open; the wind blowing the curtains the only sound filling the otherwise silent room.
"She's gone." Chrom whispered.
"What?!" Frederick snarled.
"No!" Lissa cried as she crumpled to the ground besides Robin, wrapping her arms around her.
"I went to check on her in order to make sure she was safe like mothers are supposed to do but...she was already gone! Someone's taken my daughter from me!" Robin's agony was obvious in her voice, her pain was raw and plain for all to see.
Chrom's fists clenched at his side. First my son and now my young daughter?!- He thought- This can't be a coincidence, they must be connected somehow.
Just then the hall was filled with the sound of numerous sets of rushing footsteps as both the Shepherds and castle staff arrived and the place because busy with activity, Frederick called an emergency meeting of the Shepherds which all of them- including Chrom and even Robin- agreed to attend. Eventually Lissa left the hall to go get a glass of water for Robin before being convinced to get some rest. Everyone eventually dispersed leaving only Chrom and Robin in the hallway.
He couldn't bear to see Robin in pain and quite frankly, he needed some comfort as well and so he went up to her and took Lissa's place, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her hair out of her face. "We'll find her." He whispered into her ear. "You have my word we will find her." Chrom looked over his shoulder and caught sight of Tharja who had just returned to the hallway, she met his gaze for a moment before shaking her head at him which caused his eyebrows to pull together in confusion as he looked back to his wife who was wrapped up in his arms sniffling at the thought of their missing daughter.
So...what did you think? I really hope you liked it and that this Chapter gets your brains working overtime trying to work out what's going on. xD Until next time. xXx