Sands of Plegia…
The shepherds set up camp as soon as they got to a small oasis that was far enough from Castle Dolhr. However, no one wanted to address the elephant in the camp. Instead, everyone just left Robin alone. Even Morgan, who had wanted to go cheer her father up, was stopped by Chrom, who told her it was best to just let him be by himself for now. Reluctantly, Morgan obeyed her grandfather and instead spent some time with Sumia.
And Robin didn't mind. He knew that this would be one, or even the most likely outcome when the plan was being made with Chrom and Frederick. He knew there was nothing he was truly guilty of, but at the same time, he had to seem sorrowful in order for people to believe he was genuinely under Validar's control. For that very reason, he resisted the urge to read and instead acted like he was in shock. During dinner, he had gotten his food without saying a word, and ate it alone at the edge of the camp. When Chrom snuck a look at him, Robin quickly flashed him a thumbs up to let him know that the situation was completely under control. He noticed Chrom sigh in relief. Although things didn't seem too good for him at the moment, Robin knew that there would only be a couple of days before he could reveal his grand plan to everyone. For now, he could only endure it and be patient.
The older generation of shepherds didn't want to make a fuss about the whole deal. A few people had approached Chrom in hushed whispers, asking if Robin was fine, but no one wanted to actually go and provoke the guy. They didn't really understand what was going on, after all. And since Chrom wasn't acting, there really wasn't a need for them to act either. However, they couldn't deny that their faith in Robin had been shaken. Most of them still believed, or still wanted to believe in him, although one or two of them had begun to have a suspicion or two.
It was a completely different matter for the younger generation shepherds. Lucina, for one, was freaking out. Although she knew it was one of her father's allies that had killed him in their timeline, Robin would be the last person she would have guessed. And the more she thought about it, the more it made sense. Even if Chrom were suddenly backstabbed, if Robin wasn't the culprit, he would've probably tried to save the lives of as many shepherds as possible. If this were the case, he would have utterly failed considering almost no one made it back to Ylisstol alive. And if he WERE the culprit, it would have been one of the least likely suspects, on par with Frederick. It would make perfect sense, however, if there was a force that controlled Robin. Because to their allies, it would look like betrayal, but Robin wouldn't have known any better if his mind were under someone else's control. She didn't want to believe it, but unfortunately, Lucina knew better than anyone that what you want is often what you can't actually have. Or so it seemed to her.
She didn't object when Cynthia informed her that the children were going to have a meeting after dinner to discuss what had just happened to Robin. If Cynthia of all people was getting serious about something like this, Lucina had better treat it seriously too.
As soon as dinner was finished, Everyone gathered in Laurent's tent, which happened to be the one furthest from where Robin, and really any of the adult shepherds, were. They had decided that it was for the best if what they talked about stayed between themselves and only themselves.
"So I'm not crazy am I?" Cynthia asked as soon as all of them were gathered. "You guys all saw Robin fight Chrom for the Fire Emblem and throw it at the Plegian king, right?"
"MY question is…" Kjelle gritted her teeth. "Why hasn't Chrom done anything? Robin clearly betrayed us just now, and he's treating it as if nothing even happened."
"It was scary!" Yarne added. "It was as if he was possessed!"
"Wait a minute!" Brady protested. "Y'all know as well as me. Uncle Robin'll never do somethin' like that! He's always been on our side!"
"I don't think he did it of his free will." Gerome nodded. It was rare for him to speak at all, which indicated how much he really agreed with Brady.
"While most of us don't sincerely believe that Robin would betray us and the shepherds, it also cannot be denied that what he did today was most definitely an act of betrayal." Laurent pushed up his glasses with one finger. "However, we can clearly see that Robin was not in control of himself today."
"A...and that's dangerous." Noire finished, nodding.
"Exactly!" Cynthia agreed, pointing at the older, but shy girl. "While all of us know and love him dearly..."
"Some more than most…" Nah muttered, earning a couple of smirks and giggles as they all turned towards Lucina. However, the princess was not laughing.
"...we also can't forget that we were sent back to fix the past in order to save the future." Cynthia explained. "So we need to, as a group, figure out what we can do in order to help Robin with this problem. If there is some way we can help him overcome the mind controlling spell, we can do our part and save the future."
"B-but… how do we do that?" Noire asked. "Do you have any ideas, Laurent?"
"I have no idea what that Plegian did to Robin." Laurent shook his head. "Suffice to say, my estimate is that it would take a minimum of several years before the enigmatic spell is completely understood. We simply lack the time to do so."
"So what can we do then?" Nah asked. "For all we know, the guy wasn't even using his full strength. He just wanted the Fire Emblem. Next time, he might make Robin actually kill Chrom. It's possible that Robin was the one that killed him in the first place."
"We can't let 'im do that!" Brady exclaimed. "Maybe we just hold 'im back in the next battle! Knock him out if we 'ave to!"
"Brady makes a decent point." Laurent nodded. "Perhaps, he will not harm Chrom if he isn't physically capable of harming him. Perhaps this is the solution we have been searching for."
"Still…" Noire mumbled. "One of us has to go suggest this to Chrom. And he might not listen."
"If we knock him out, who will command the battle? Whatever we do, we'll need to be careful about it." Yarne sighed. "We only get one chance, after all. "
"That's what I'm worried about too." Nah agreed. "We really can't mess it up this time."
"You're right." Lucina said. Everyone paused. This was the first thing Lucina had contributed to the conversation. Everyone wanted to hear what she had to say. "So the option that secures the future the most is killing him. Right here, right now."
Silence filled the tent.
"You can't be serious!" Brady finally exclaimed. "Yer mad!"
"Y-yeah…" Cynthia chuckled nervously. "Is the desert heat getting to you, sis? There's no need to go straight to killing him!"
"A-after everything he's done for us and our parents, doesn't that seem… a little ungrateful?" Noire asked.
"Look, I know this may sound a bit harsh, but…" Yarne began, "If this is the option that gives the rest of us the best chances of survival, then I'm all for it."
"He also clearly betrayed us!" Kjelle pointed out. "I agree it would be the safest option."
"The safest option may not be the BEST option." Laurent pointed out. "I firmly believe there is a way to resolve this issue without resorting to cold blooded murder. However… if there is no other option, then I concur that we at least have this extreme option to fall back on."
"Laurent!" Cynthia exclaimed. "Did you forget? Robin was the one that taught you magic when your mother was too busy! How can you be so ungrateful towards him?"
"I never forgot." Laurent counted. "But we also have to take into consideration the lives of everyone in the world. When weighed against Robin's, it really is no contest. As much as it pains me to say so, it is also the truth."
"I agree." Nah sighed. "I don't LIKE the idea. But it would work."
"Y'all are crazy!" Brady protested. "Don't forget that he 'as a daughter now! How would y'all feel if we suggested killing one of yer parents? How could the lot of you be so… so friggin' heartless?"
"Did the pleasantries of this timeline get to your head, Brady?!" Kjelle demanded. "Did you forget how destructive Grima was? None of us stand a chance against him if we allow him to come back. ALL of us will die if Grima is resurrected."
"Yeah, an' what I'M saying is that killing Robin would not prevent Grima from coming back!" Brady exclaimed.
Laurent nodded at this. "There is not enough evidence to suggest that the events of killing Robin and resurrecting Grima are disjoint."
"But you also can't deny that the chances of stopping Grima are lower if Chrom is dead." Yarne pointed out.
"Yarne!" Noire exclaimed. "H-how could you!?"
"Enough." Everyone stopped arguing as soon as Gerome, the other mostly silent one spoke.
"What's your opinion Gerome?" Cynthia asked.
"Actually, I'd been considering the same option Lucina proposed for a while now." Gerome said.
More silence.
"However, I didn't want to be the one to suggest it, which is why I'm glad Lucina was the one to bring it up." He looked at their leader, to see that her eyes were downcast, clearly not feeling good about the decision. This was a quality Gerome had always admired in her. She could make a decision based on what was good for everyone, even if it meant it hurt herself. It was something that made her an excellent leader, and one of the reasons why he followed her lead willingly. "The truth of the matter is, killing Robin would be a substantial sacrifice for all of us. For me personally, I'd feel worse seeing him die than my own parents from this timeline. And I know that while that may not be true for all of you, every single one of us would feel SOMETHING, and it definitely isn't happiness."
All the younger generation shepherds nodded in agreement.
"But the truth of the matter is…" Gerome continued. "The one that would be harmed the most, by far, is Lucina. I am probably the least sensitive person in our group, and even I can notice how much of a difference Robin's presence has on her mood. And if I can notice how happy he makes her, I'm sure you all noticed as well."
More nodding from his friends.
"So what I think is…" Gerome sighed. "We leave this decision up to Lucina. If she decides to kill… or if she wants one of us to kill him, we go through with it. But if she decides against killing him, we'll support the decision as well. Is that a fair plan?"
"An astute decision." Laurent nodded. "You can count on my support for this proposal."
"That seems fair." Kjelle nodded.
"Yeah, you're right." Nah agreed as well.
"I think there's no reason for me to object to that." Yarne nodded.
"...Fine." Brady finally conceded.
"...But!" Cynthia protested. "Aren't we just putting all of the pressure on Lucy then? I can't imagine she wants to be the one to make-"
"It's fine." Lucina responded coldly as she got up and picked up her sword. "I don't want any of you to get your hands dirty anyways. If he's going to die, then I have to be the one to do it."
As she began to walk towards the exit of the tent, Gerome stopped her by grabbing her shoulder. "Remember, whatever you choose to do, the rest of us will support the decision. Just think about it, and do whatever you deem is right."
Lucina finally made eye contact with him, and Gerome could see tears beginning to well up in the princess's eyes. Finally, she nodded in conviction and left the tent.
No one wanted to leave as they sat around the tent in relative silence. Brady held Noire in an embrace as the archer began to sob.
With Robin…
The sun was beginning to set. Robin found himself at the edge of camp by himself, gathering his thoughts. He wasn't a fool. He understood that many of the others were conflicted over what had just happened. But Robin knew that all he had to do was endure this treatment for a day or two, and he'll be welcomed by the shepherds once again. At least, this was the plan.
He didn't expect anyone to come seek him out, especially since he was relatively far away from the camp. So when Lucina suddenly approached him, he was pleasantly surprised.
At first.
"Beg pardon, Robin." The princess began. "Might I have a word?"
"Lucina!" Robin turned towards her, but his face fell when he noticed the sorrowful expression on her face. "What is it?"
"I...it's about my father." Lucina explained. "I have memories of him… from when I was little. Back when he used to work himself to exhaustion along with you… Before he… died."
"I… see…" Robin replied cautiously.
"He was courageous… and kind." Lucina continued. "And everyone always spoke fondly of him… and people say he was brave up until the very end. But he was always so busy… I always yearned to know him better. And now that I do… I can see that not only would the world be robbed of a great man with his death, but it could also allow for the resurrection of the Fell Dragon Grima. Without father, his Falchion and the Awakening ritual, this war would be lost. I won't allow him to die."
"I understand." Robin smiled. "You love him… we all do."
"Robin…." Lucina seemed to be choking back tears as she reached for her sword. "P-please… forgive me…"
She drew her sword and pointed it at Robin.
"Lucina?" Robin asked. He seemed more concerned than startled.
"St-stay where you are, Robin!" Lucina exclaimed. "I have no choice! I must kill you!"
"Get ahold of yourself." Robin consoled her. "Whatever is bothering you… we can talk it out. No need to point your sword at me."
"In my future…" Lucina shook her head. "You were my father's murderer!"
"What!?" Now Robin became even more concerned. "Are you sure? Why would I want to kill Chrom?"
"I was not certain myself…" Lucina continued. "Until now. I knew that he had been killed… betrayed by one of his allies. But I never in my wildest dreams would have believed it to be you. But seeing what happened today… I know it must have been you. You were at Validar's mercy. I suspect that it was him who forced you to take my father's life."
"Lucina, wait." Robin insisted, but the future princess ignored him.
"I-if my father is right, then we can change our fates." she continued on. "If this dark future is to be avoided, sacrifices must be made. I'm sorry Robin! I know this is murder… I… I know that…"
"Lucina... " Robin sighed. "You don't have to do this."
"Don't make it any harder!" Lucina demanded. "If you wish, draw your weapon! But please, if you hold any love for Chrom, then let this be done…"
Robin made eye contact with Lucina for a few moments, thinking things over.
Her gaze never wavered. Finally, Robin closed his eyes and sighed. He reached out with his right hand and pulled his scythe out from an astral plane. He then held the weapon directly in front of him, horizontally.
Lucina tightened her grip on Falchion as she expected Robin to prepare to fight. Instead, Robin only let go of the weapon, allowing his scythe to drop to the ground.
"Wh-what are you doing!?" Lucina demanded. "Pick it up!"
Robin only smiled and held his arms out to his side. "No. My life is yours. Do with it what you must."
"D-don't look at me like that! I… I love you!" Her confession came out a lot easier than she would have expected under normal circumstances, although the mood certainly wasn't perfect. "Don't you know how hard this is for me?"
Robin looked startled for a second at the confession.
"Hearing you say that makes me so happy." Robin smiled as he closed his eyes. "I would give my life for Chrom. And for you."
Lucina was at a loss for words. Didn't Robin care that she was about to kill him? Wasn't he afraid to die?
"Just… promise me you'll find someone else who cares for you." Robin eventually said. "Promise me you won't be alone… I want you to be happy Lucina. I truly do."
"N-no…" Lucina finally couldn't control her emotions anymore, and tears began to trickle down her face. "I...no…"
"...I'm ready now." Robin sighed. "Do what you must."
"I...I…" Lucina had felt so sure that she was going to kill him in order to save the future just mere moments ago. So why couldn't she find the strength or conviction to do so now? "Damn me! I… I just can't do it! I love you too much! I'm…"
Lucina fell to her knees. Instead of just a few stray ones, tears began to cascade down her face. "I'm so sorry Robin! I'm s-so sorry! Please… please forgive me!"
Robin finally opened his eyes. Seeing Lucina on the ground in front of him, he knelt down as well and wrapped his arms around her. "Easy now… it's all right…"
"I hope you're done now, young lady." Chrom sighed as he approached the two of them. Lucina paled when she heard her father's voice. "I heard every word Lucina. And I know your heart is in the right place. But I trust Robin, and you cannot shake my faith in him. Robin and I… we've held fast through good times and ill… and we swore to be two halves of a greater whole. And you underestimate the strength of those ties… the bonds we share. I believe them far more than some foretold 'destiny'."
"That's easier for you to say when you haven't looked death in the eye yourself." Lucina mumbled as she wiped away tears from her eyes.
"Lucina, aren't our ties stronger now than in your timeline?" Chroma asked. "You said so yourself. In this flow of time, we seem to be bound tighter than ever. And not just Robin and me. The two of us as well. Not just as father and daughter, but as… friends. And isn't that the entire point? You came back so that you can change the future, and you already have. And we can certainly do it again. Even if something happened in the past, it's still possible for us to change the future now that we know what will happen. We can change the future through other means. You don't have to kill him in order to achieve your goal."
"I...you're right." Lucina finally conceded as she pushed Robin's arms away and stood up. "P-please excuse me."
Lucina ran away towards her tent, not wanting to admit to herself that she had almost taken Robin's life.
"Who would've thought she would act this way?" Chrom chuckled. "Maybe it wasn't a good idea to keep her from knowing the plan."
"No." Robin shook his head as he picked himself up. "This type of thing is exactly why we don't want her to know in the first place. It shows that she is prone to act irrationally based on a sudden change in feelings. And the fewer people know of these things, the better. There's no reason for us to tell Lucina if we are also withholding information from Sumia and the others as well. Although it pains me to say this, but we really do need to keep her in the dark on this one… until we reveal the plan that is."
"And what if she had actually killed you?" Chrom chuckled. "What then?"
"That… would have been truly unfortunate." Robin admitted. "Although… I was being serious. If she wanted my life… she can have it. And what she was saying certainly did have its merits. If I were really your murderer in her timeline, then the safest way to prevent your death is if I were dead before I can get to you. Although I'd certainly prefer to be alive when we save the world too. But even if I were killed, I've already outlined the entire plan for you. I have faith that you'd be able to get the Emblem and the gemstone and perform the Awakening."
"Robin, Robin, Robin…" Chrom shook his head. "Well… at least I can put all my concerns to rest… at least… the concerns about you not treating her well."
"What does THAT mean?" Robin asked.
"Don't you realize what the two of you just admitted?" Chrom burst into laughter. "Setting aside for a moment that she straight up told you that she loves you, you also said that she can have your life if she wanted it. That sounds like you two just admitted to loving each other."
"Chrom…" Robin growled as he began to blush furiously. It was even more awkward considering that he was Lucina's father.
"Someday when all of this is over…" Chrom continued, ignoring his friend's threatening tone. "I think you should marry her. You both would clearly be happy about it." He began to walk away. "Just something to think about."
Robin sighed as he watched Chrom walk towards his own tent. "Yeah, I suppose you're right."
With Lucina…
Lucina stormed towards her tent as fast as she possibly could without causing alarm to the other in the camp. She barely had time to register Laurent's question of 'did you do it?' as she moved past her friends. However, she was able to shake her head so profusely that they understood her.
Noire fainted out of relief. She had begun to prepare herself for the worst upon seeing the look of despair on Lucina's face, and the accumulating amounts of stress finally got to her. Fortunately for her, Gerome caught her falling figure before it hit the ground.
Once she reached her tent, Lucina quickly tore off her armor and dove onto the bedroll. She was so glad there was a pillow for her to cry into.
'What have I done?' Lucina thought to herself. 'I almost killed him! After everything he's done for me, I almost killed him! After all this time, I finally was able to… *sob* get close to him… but I just threw it all away in one day because I overreacted…"
Lucina felt miserable, that much was for sure. Even after her eyes became puffy from crying, she still couldn't stop. She debated finding Robin so that she could apologize, but every time she almost gets enough courage to do so, she imagines all sorts of negative reactions he might have to her apology, which stops her in her tracks. Then she'd cry some more until she gains a little more courage, repeating the cycle.
In the blink of an eye, several hours passed. However, to Lucina, it had felt like 15 minutes. Needless to say, she was surprised when the tent flap opened.
Robin walked in, and began to shed his coat.
"R-robin!" Lucina exclaimed in alarm. "Wh-what are you doing here?"
Robin furrowed his eyebrows. "What do you mean? This is my tent, isn't it?"
"Oh… right." Lucina blushed in embarrassment. She was so distracted that she had even forgotten that they'd been sharing a tent for quite some time now. She avoided his gaze while Robin made his way over to the bedroll. He sat down next to her on top of it.
"...Listen…" Lucina began. "...I… I'm…"
"Don't worry about it." Robin wrapped one arm around her and pulled her in. "I know you just lost the ability to think rationally for a little bit. We all have our moments of weakness. Please don't let it keep you up. For now, let's just get some rest."
"But aren't you at least a little bit concerned?" Lucina asked as the two of them laid back. She rested her head on his chest. "I tried to kill you! You're not even scared that I'll kill you in your sleep tonight?"
"You're not the only one that's been after my life." Robin chuckled. "And, quite frankly, I should be as scared about you taking my life in my sleep just as much as you should be worried that I'd murder you in yours."
"Yeah, except you'd actually have a good reason to do that…" Lucina mumbled.
"Well I'd never do something like that to you." Robin responded. "But you're the first person that I would let kill me. If that's what you think needs to happen, then I won't stop you. I meant what I said. And after all, dying in my sleep is probably one of the nicer ways to die anyways."
"H-how can you even say that?" Lucina asked as she began to tear up. "Aren't you afraid at all about dying?"
"Strangely, no." Robin admitted. "Don't get me wrong, I think it'd be a waste if I just got killed for absolutely no reason, but if my death means I'll get to protect your future… then I don't think I'd really mind. And… I've already been nearly there once before, so I'm not really afraid of it."
"Why!?" Lucina asked, hitting Robin lightly with her fist. "You can't just… how can you say that so nonchalantly?"
"I can say that because it's how I feel." Robin replied. "You're probably one of the most, if not the most important person in my life right now. And I know if my death can secure you a happy future, I also know that it would secure everyone's future as well. Chrom, Sumia, Frederick… Gaius, Gregor, Stahl… Brady, Cynthia… everyone, really. And when you look at it that way, one life is a very small price to pay."
"I… I don't deserve you." Lucina lamented. "I thought all of the Ylissean noblewomen were fools when I was a child. I thought that I would not take you for granted… and that I could treat you better than any of them ever could… but the truth is, I may be even worse than them."
"Stop…" Robin sighed. "Please, don't say that…"
"But it's true…" Lucina frowned. "None of them ever threatened to kill you. They might have seen you as just an opportunity to advance in society, but that's nowhere near as serious as attempted murder. What I did today is far worse than what any of them had done in the past."
"Lucina…" Robin growled.
"Honestly… I don't think there's a single woman in all of Ylisse that deserves someone like you." Lucina sighed. "You're so kind and gentle and smart… you can win a war without leaving any of the shepherds to die… meanwhile all I can do is swing around a sword… and I can't even do the simple task of pointing it in the right direction…"
"Lucina!" Robin finally lost his temper, tightening his grip around Lucina suddenly. Her eyes shot open in surprise. "I don't care whether or not you think you deserve me or not. I just know that I WANT to be there for you. I WANT to be able to take care of you. I WANT to keep you safe and happy. So there's no use for self deprecation… someone like you shouldn't feel bad about all that you've already accomplished." Robin sighed. "I don't have any idea exactly what you had to go through. But I know that whatever you saw and experienced… it scarred you forever…"
Lucina silently sobbed, his words ringing true.
"And so I understand why someone so stressed and so emotionally broken might have a sudden moment of weakness." Robin continued. "It caused you to act based on your emotions, and your emotions happened to decide that the way you'll save the future is by killing me. And so I don't blame you for it. However, if you ask me, I think that it's possible to have a beautiful future without me having to die."
"I know…" Lucina mumbled. "I was wrong. And although I feel like I can't even justify it… I'd like to ask for you to forgive me."
"I already have." Robin replied almost instantly.
There was silence in the tent for a few minutes, save for the occasional sniffle from Lucina.
"Lucina… there's something that I need to ask you…" Robin finally said, breaking the silence.
"Wh-what?" Lucina asked.
"After all of this is over…" Robin sighed as he braced himself for what he was about to say. "What would you think about getting married?"
Lucina was shocked speechless for a moment. "A-are you s-serious!?" she finally stammered.
"Yeah." Robin replied. "Well? What do you think?"
"Even though I almost killed you earlier today…" Lucina sighed. "Yet you still are willing to give me a chance…"
"So…" Robin waited expectantly.
"I think… I think I'd really like to get married." Lucina finally replied, biting her bottom lip. "And regardless of what you say, I really don't think I deserve it. But since you're so generous… I really can't say no. But I promise… I'll do my best to rightfully earn your forgiveness. From now on, I won't doubt you ever again. I'll love you with all my heart."
"And I shall return it to you tenfold." Robin chuckled. "And… I'll be sure to ask you properly at that time too. And I'll have a ring ready. I… really didn't expect to be bringing this up tonight. You'll have to excuse me for that one."
"I'm pretty sure I'm not allowed to be mad at you anyways, considering the circumstances." Lucina giggled for the first time that evening. Even though she still felt remorse for what she had attempted to do, there was no way she could hold down all of the happiness that was welling up inside of her.
"Then I'm extremely happy." Robin sighed in relief. "Now I really HAVE to live until the day we secure our future. But… in order to do that, we'll need a good night's rest. Tomorrow will be a very important step in that direction."
"Yeah…" Lucina agreed. "And Robin… thank you… for everything. Thank you for forgiving me."
Robin nodded. Once again, the tent was silent, and both its inhabitants gradually fell asleep.
'Robin, you are so much stronger than me…' was Lucina's last thought as she began to drift off. 'While I may have brushed by death, you dove straight into its stomach. And not only did you emerge alive, but you're not even afraid to go in a second time… if only I had that sort of strength…'
The Following Day…
Chrom appeared to take charge, and decided that the shepherds were going to march back to Validar and take the Emblem back. Robin figured that the shepherds would be anxious about receiving orders from him considering the previous day, so they set things up to make it look like it was all Chrom's idea. To be fair, Chrom was a pretty decent actor, and Frederick was an even better supporting role. They didn't do or say anything out of the realm of their capabilities that would have made anyone suspect that Robin was the real puppet master pulling on the strings.
Their original plan was to rush back to Castle Dohlr, but they had found that the Plegians had completely abandoned their castle. Some quick reconnaissance by Sumia and Cordelia made them realize that most Plegians were all moving towards a location in their Southeastern direction. If it weren't for the fact that there was a war looming between the two nations once again, the sight of the vast number of pilgrims might have been remarkable.
The shepherds began to move in the same direction as well. Along the way, they reached a small town where the streets were packed full of Plegians attempted some eerie looking pilgrimage.
"Um, excuse me sir?" Lissa asked one of the Plegians. "Is there a reason why everyone is moving so slowly?"
The Plegian didn't even look up at her. "...the appointed time… to the Dragon's Table… our prayers… Lord Grima…"
"Riiiiight…." Lissa began to slowly back away from the seemingly entranced Plegian towards where Chrom and the rest of the shepherds were. "Well, thanks for your time, but I gotta go! Bye!"
She quickly rushed into a startled Lon'qu's arms.
"Sire!" Frederick called.
"What have you found?" Chrom asked.
"It seems Validar has moved to a great altar to Grima known as the Dragon's Table." The Great Knight responded. "What's more… it seems all of the Grimleal in Plegia are headed there as well. It's almost as if they're being drawn by some unseen force…"
"Any idea what their plan is?" Chrom asked.
"Who can say, Sire?" Frederick shrugged. "They speak only gibberish and plod on as if possessed."
"The cataclysm in Lucina's future…" Chrom muttered. "This shows all the signs of leading up to it. Shepherds, we make for this Dragon's Table! Quickly, come everyone!"
The shepherds quickened their marching speed and even began to shove the entranced Plegians out of the way if they prevented their progress. After getting out of the small town, they were once again able to have room to freely move around and march towards the Dragon's Table.
As they began to near the Dragon's Table, a sandstorm began to brew. This slowed down their progress, but didn't completely stop it.
Eventually, a large building that resembled a temple appeared in the distance. On the steps leading towards its interior, the shepherds could make out two figures.
"Validar!" Chrom spat. "We need to stop him!"
When the shepherds reached within earshot of Validar, the sorcerer turned to face them.
"Fools!" Validar smirked. "Don't you know where you have come?"
"Return the Emblem now, and we can end this!" Chrom retorted.
"End this?" Validar laughed. "My dear boy… we both know exactly how this story will end! And yet you still rush here… are you really that eager to meet the Fell Dragon yourself? Or perhaps your own fatal destiny… you would have that realized first?"
"To hell with your destiny bullshit." Chrom spat. "I'm writing my own ending."
"So you believe you can change fate?" Aversa asked, amusement dripping from her voice. "And here I thought your exalted sister had illusions of grandeur…"
"We've done it already." Chrom retorted, sneaking a smirk towards Robin, who gave him a small nod in response.
"Your victory towards Gangrel?" Aversa snorted. "Or perhaps Walhart's defeat? Those were meant to be. They were preordained. You are just another fool in motley, capering on the stage!"
"B-but… Emmeryn!" Lissa pointed out.
"You changed the method of her death." Aversa shrugged. "But in the end, she was firmly planted into the ground."
"But that was Gangrel's will." Frederick countered. "Not yours, not Validar's."
"All of this has been orchestrated." Aversa raised her arms. "Gangrel certainly wanted to be alive for this day, but in reality, he is something extremely significant. His death did more for the Fell Dragon than in life. It caused despair among the commoners, driving the masses towards Grima. Now their life force can all be fed to the Great Dragon en masse!"
"You don't mean…" Chrom paled slightly.
"It is called a Table for a reason, you naive little man." Aversa chuckled. "It is where Grima feeds! The Grimleal have gladly offered themselves to him for ages! Even now, they pray for his return. Today, his table overflows with bounty, and their prayers will be answered!"
"How could anyone willingly give their life to that… thing?" Lucina exclaimed in disbelief. "How could anyone willingly give their life to that monster?"
"I'll never allow that to happen!" Chrom shouted.
"But it WILL happen!" Validar cackled. "This moment was set in stone over a millenia ago!"
"I will stop you!" Chrom declared. "I will stop Grima!"
"Goodness!" Aversa fanned her face mockingly. "Now you're starting to sound a lot like Walhart. That big bully… he intended to destroy Grima as well. Our thanks. You managed to take him off the stage for us."
"So that's why you gave us gold and ships, but no soldiers…" Chrom said in realization, a lightbulb seemingly went off in his head. "So that you could have us get rid of him, while saving the loyal Plegians and setting your god's table!"
"Aversa, it is time." Validar said resolutely as he began to walk inside the temple. "I must prepare. Take good care of our guests for me, will you?"
"Of course." Aversa purred before turning back towards the shepherds once he had completely disappeared inside. "Master Validar is not to be disturbed. But fear not, I have brought the Deadlords to keep you entertained! These twelve generals were great warriors in life, and even greater now in death!"
As she spoke, Aversa raised a purple colored crystal, prompting the sand in front of her to violently swirl up. After several moments, the small tornadoes of sand settled down to reveal twelve menacing looking Risen. Even from a slight distance, Chrom could tell that these Risen were far more dangerous than the ones they had faced so far.
"Is that all!?" Vaike scoffed. "They're only twelve of them. Even if they're strong, they'll be no problem for the shepherds!"
"I wouldn't be so sure…" Aversa chuckled. "After all, what would a general be without their army?"
As if on cue, each of the twelve deadlords seemed to led out a battle cry. The sand in front of each of them began to sink into the ground, and after a brief moment of delay, dozens of Risen began to claw their way out from the sand. As soon as one batch of soldiers crawled out, another group began to claw their way up as well. It didn't look like there was an end in sight.
"Naga above!" Frederick cried out in alarm.
"Do you really think this is the first time Grima has used this table?" Aversa asked. "Below the sand is the largest necropolis in the history of our continent! Willing or not, the dead here all can be reanimated for the purpose of serving Grima. What do you think, young Exalt? How do you feel about your chances now?"
The shepherds began to feel some sweat beginning to form as Chrom seemed to be speechless. If what Aversa was saying was true, doesn't that mean they stand little chance of being able to make their way inside? And even if some of them do, won't there be swarms of Grimleal in there to protect Validar anyways? Had they lost?"
A Wyvern's cry could be heard from behind them.
The majority of the shepherds turned to see a large number of soldiers marching towards them, as well as a large platoon of Wyverns soaring to their location as well.
"Reinforcements!?" Ricken complained. "Why now?"
Chrom, however, snuck Robin a glance. Seeing Robin give him the thumbs up, he began to let out a chortle.
"What's wrong, Exalt?" Aversa returned the laughter. "Have you gone senile?"
This was just on the outside, however. On the inside, she was just as confused as the shepherds. Validar didn't mention any reinforcements to her, so in reality, she was just as confused about the identities of the soldiers approaching.
"I remember you said something about Walhart being a hindrance to your plan." Chrom taunted Aversa. "So we've simply set up the opportunity for the two of you to get acquainted."
Sure enough, as the soldiers began to draw near, the shepherds were able to notice that they were not wearing Plegian armor. In fact, it was extremely easy to notice the rider leading the pack. His crimson red armor was extremely difficult to miss, after all.
The shepherds let out a cheer when they began to realize that these people were not Plegian reinforcements, but were actually their allies. In fact, the Wyvern platoon, being able to travel the fastest, arrived first, reuniting the shepherds with two of their closest friends.
"My, my." Cherche giggled as Minerva landed. "This is quite the welcome party you have for us. I've been sharpening my axe for a while now, and my darling Minerva has been eager to come out and play as well."
"Salutations, friends!" Virion exclaimed as he dismounted from Minerva. "Rosanne is here to show our unwavering support!"
"Your timing could not have been more perfect." Robin chuckled.
The shepherds began to look around, and found that aside from Robin, Chrom and Frederick, everyone seemed bewildered by what was happening. It was safe to conclude that no one else but these three knew that this would happen.
"You planned this." Lucina said accusingly, staring directly at Robin. This only earned her a shrug from the tactician.
"Well, we would have arrived even sooner, if it weren't for Walhart." Virion pointed a thumb over his shoulder. "The big lobster insisted that we all march together. His calvary moves across this sand slower than a dismembered turtle. Truly unfortunate, really. I suppose that arriving right now should suffice though."
"We brought some of Rosanne's finest, even though our numbers are few." Cherche smiled. "But we also have Walhart and his best men, as well as Say'ri and the best warriors among the Chon'sin."
"How long…" Lissa breathed in awe. "I mean… it must take a long time to get here, right?"
"Oh yes!" Cherche agreed. "Robin and Chrom gave instructions to everyone it would seem. For us, we began preparations as soon as you all left Rosanne. I imagine it was the same for everyone else. It did slow down repairs and reparations, but saving the world DOES have priority…"
By now, Aversa had begun to shake from nervousness.
"Attack!" She ordered.
The Risen began to swarm towards the shepherds like some very, very angry bees.
"Mages prioritize the sides!" Robin called out. "The armored units can block the ones charging directly at us, but we're all in danger if we get surrounded."
As a result, their magic users were able to prevent them from being encircled by hitting the Risen with unrestrained area of effect spells wherever they tried to go around their defensive line. They didn't need to be worried about hitting their allies after all. Why not wipe them all out in one spell if you were able to?
With their morale at an all time high, the shepherds, along with the Rosannese, met their charge. At first, it seemed like the battle was at a standstill. While the shepherds' side clearly had an advantage in skill, the Risen had the advantage in numbers. Every Risen knocked aside was immediately replaced by another, and then another, and then another. At the same time, the Risen couldn't properly injure or kill any of the frontline shepherds either. They could only keep up the assault and hope that one of the shepherds makes a mistake.
That mistake never came. The shepherds managed to hold on until the Valmese and company arrived. Cherche wasn't exaggerating. Compared to Valm and Chon'sin, the Rosannese force was extremely small, comprising of only a platoon of Wyvern Riders. In contrast, Valm and Chon'sin had come prepared to fight an entire war, it seemed. Their soldiers integrated smoothly into the already formed defensive line.
Once Walhart's axe touched a Risen, Aversa knew that it was only a matter of time. Most of the soldiers from Chon'sin and Valm immediately ran to help maintain the defensive line, but Walhart charged directly into the Risen without regard for safety. Every stroke of his axe felled half a dozen Risen, and many more were trampled under the feet of his great warhorse. Arrows, swords and axes failed to even scratch his bright, red armor.
Frederick didn't think he was weak by any means. In fact, he always took pride in being one of the strongest, even among the shepherds. However, he couldn't help but stare at Walhart in awe.
"He is strong." Lon'qu agreed, noticing the Great Knight's gaze. "Really glad he's on our side this time."
"Almost makes you wonder how we even defeated him in the first place." Frederick chuckled to himself. "That man was made for war. He even looks like he's enjoying himself."
After taking another moment to appreciate Walhart's skill, Frederick shook his head to clear it, and returned to butchering some more of the Risen himself.
After a few moments of fighting, Chrom began to realize that they were fighting back the swarms of Risen. With the addition of reinforcements, they could cut down more Risen than the deadlords could summon. The small injuries that the Risen were able to deal to them were quickly wiped away by the skilled healers among the shepherds. Many of them had time to spare between treating injuries as well. Maribelle was able to launch an Arcwind or two at some of the grouped up Risen, while Lissa was able to get some live practice with her Bolt Axe.
Things began to change as Walhart closed in towards the deadlords. When he drew near, two of the deadlords, a Paladin and a Ranger stopped summoning Risen. The ground closed back up in front of the two as they pulled out their weapons to engage Walhart.
For the first time in a long time, Walhart began to feel the thrill of challenge. These deadlords didn't mess around. He could definitely take the Paladin in a one on one duel, but the problem right now is that said Paladin had an expert Ranger backing him up. Many times, Walhart tried to take advantage of an opening to finish the Paladin, but he was forced back by a well timed and well aimed arrow every time.
Eventually, he realized that he was getting nowhere in this fight. After knocking aside the Paladin, Walhart charged the Ranger. To his dismay, the Ranger didn't attempt to flee. Instead, it just drew its own sword and charged Walhart. Even if the Ranger's first choice of weaponry was the sword, it still wouldn't have posed a challenge for Walhart, but now we also had to deal with the fact that the Paladin was breathing down his neck as well.
"Nephew!" Walhart roared as he found himself stuck in deadlock with the two deadlords. "Ya gettin' this?"
"Loud and clear!" Walhart heard the voice of Robin call back.
Due to the fact that two of the deadlords had to stop summoning Risen, the stress on the rest of their soldiers had been greatly reduced. Furthermore, Robin was able to surmise that they could stop the Risen from being summoned by fighting the deadlords directly. He quickly barked out orders, and many of the best shepherds began to slowly fight their way towards him. The Valmese and Chon'sin soldiers caught on quickly, and began to fill the gaps left by them.
"What's the plan?" Chrom asked as he ducked behind Kellam's figure. The General was busy holding back a group of Risen, and was taking up the duty of two frontliners in order to buy the Exalt some time to speak with Robin.
"We need to break through the Risen with some of our best." Robin explained. "If we can occupy the deadlords, they won't be able to keep summoning Risen. Walhart is currently fighting two of them at once."
"Sounds good." Chrom nodded. "I'm assuming the ones you want for this operation are the ones you called over?"
"You know me too well." Robin smirked. "Shall we then?"
"After you." Chrom politely gestured towards the Risen.
"Stahl, Sully, Frederick, carve a path for us through them!" Robin ordered. "The designated shepherds will follow in their footsteps. Valmese and Chon'sin soldiers, fill the gap we leave behind. Wyverns of Rosanne, help cover them from the air while they're getting into position!"
A chorus of affirmations far louder than anything Robin had ever heard rang in his ears. This time, it wasn't just the calls of two nations, but that of four. And he knew that soon there will be a fifth. It caused adrenaline to course through his veins.
The three best riders among the shepherds separated the sea of Risen in their charge, allowing Robin, Chrom, Lucina, as well as several other shepherds to run past the swarm of Risen in the path cleared by their cavaliers. It was tricky for the riders to go fast enough to maintain momentum, but slow enough for the people behind them to follow closely enough so that the Risen could not converge around them again fast enough. Fortunately for them, Sumia was in the air, clearly away large swathes of Risen with her spells, and not letting any of her friends be overwhelmed as they ran through the sea of death.
When they finally cleared the Risen army, the shepherds charged straight towards the deadlords.
Chrom engaged in the closest one to him: a Swordmaster. However, to his dismay, Chrom found that the Swordmaster was both faster and more powerful than himself. He was slowly being pushed back. Fortunately, time was on his side. All he had to do was stay alive, and the Risen army would not be able to replenish itself.
Despite being stronger than Chrom, the Swordmaster had trouble keeping up when Lucina began to help him. Together, the two of them were able to slowly turn the tides on the Swordmaster. However, it was still very back and forth. Neither side seemed to be able to completely overwhelm the other.
After a minute or two of intense exchanges, the two sides finally broke apart. Chrom and Lucina were standing shoulder to shoulder with their backs facing the army of Risen. They were both panting hard. However, the Swordmaster didn't seem to be very fatigued at all. It seems that this was one of the perks of being undead.
"We just need to hold on." Chrom told his daughter encouragingly. "Just buy time for the others."
Lucina grunted to show that she understood.
Chrom took the opportunity to take a glance at the others. It would seem that these deadlords were extremely powerful. Shepherds in teams of three were still having some trouble fighting a single deadlord. There were only three people on their side that seemed to be doing fine against the deadlords.
The first was Walhart. Although he couldn't defeat the two deadlords he was fighting, he wasn't losing against them either. Considering the combined might of Chrom and Lucina was just enough for a single deadlord, this was an extremely astonishing feat in and of itself.
The second was Robin. He seemed to be fighting toe to toe with one of the deadlords just fine. Chrom could even see that Robin held the advantage. However, his opponent was a War Cleric, so while he wasn't denying Robin's strength, Robin probably also had a fairly easy opponent. At least in terms of a one on one.
The third, and the one that gave Chrom the most hope was Morgan. She had managed to get into slashing distance of the deadlord Sage. Even from a distance, Chrom could tell that the young girl's knife work was like a blur: the actions were too fast to be distinguished by eyes. He witnessed the final moments of the fight as Morgan slashed the deadlord to pieces, before darting towards her father to lend a helping hand.
"Father!" Lucina exclaimed as she shoved the still dazed Chrom out of the way of the next strike. As soon as Chrom picked himself off the ground, he saw that Lucina was struggling against the Swordmaster in a deadlock.
"Just hold on a little longer." He told himself. "This is a won battle. We just need to hold on a little longer."
Chrom picked up Falchion and rejoined the fray…
Moments Later…
After Morgan and Robin had defeated their two deadlords, they went over to help free Walhart from the two he was currently fighting. After these four deadlords fell, the battle was pretty much decided. With every deadlord that fell, a portion of the pressure on the rest of their allies disappeared. Eventually, all of the Risen in front of the temple had vanished into purple smoke.
The shepherds and the rest of their allies took a moment to regroup. Everyone was panting or short of breath. Some chose to rest by sitting down, despite the scorching sand, while others chose to lean on their weapons or mounts for support. The important part was that they had managed to defeat the deadlords. However, Aversa was nowhere in sight.
"Did Aversa go inside?" Chrom wondered out loud.
"I think so." Robin replied. "And that's not good news for us. She wouldn't leave Validar unless his preparations are complete."
"We have to stop them!" Lucina exclaimed. "Our future is almost upon us!"
"Right." Robin nodded grimly. "I know we're all tired right now, but we really need to go inside. There's still a chance for us to stop him. Just hold on for a little bit longer everyone."
His allies nodded in understanding and began to pick themselves up one by one. Chrom made a gesture, and they all headed for the temple.
Author's Notes:
It's been a fairly long time since the last upload, but unfortunately there has been some things called "midterms" that I had to deal with recently. The important thing is that the chapter is finished now!
This chapter featured one of the most iconic scenes in Awakening, and is honestly one solid piece of evidence that indicates to me that Lucina/Robin (regardless of Robin's gender) is canon. If M/F Robin had little/no relation to Lucina, then this scene pretty much loses its meaning. But if Robin is her spouse or mother, then all of a sudden the scene is one of the most significant in the game.
As I had mentioned in the summary, much of this story had been inspired by Cold Tea by dualbloodlines. That was the first story I have read in which the deadlords were able to summon other Risen. And I agree completely: The level with just 12 opponents doesn't make sense, which is why the deadlords in my story are also able to summon Risen.
Also, unless I'm mistaken, with the addition of this chapter, this story has crossed the 300k word threshold (numbers can be difficult sometimes). Back when I started writing this story, I certainly didn't expect for it to reach this point, but it is also definitely a pleasant surprise. Thanks to everyone who reads/follows/reviews this story. It has definitely inspired me to continue writing.
Awakening is almost over, but there's more in the works. :)