The dream always begins the same. The dream begins with flames. Fire spreads everywhere as men and women scream in terror for mercy and peace. They find none as the hordes of the undead trapple over bodies and debris alike. The outer walls are not much more than rubble now, the Gate of Dragons a ruined pile of stones, a thousand years of engineering and history are gone and what little remains is coated in blood. The city is burning, quickly turning into naught but ash and dust. Though the castle still stands it will not hold for much longer. What little soldiers available to defend the palace are sorely outnumbered, exhausted, and with morale so low many desert in hopes of living just a short while longer. It is often fruitless in the end, they usually lose their lives the same as the rest, but people can hope can't they? But hope dies a slow and painful death as the shadow of the Fell Dragon reaches even this last bastion of humanity. She fights with her men in the thick of it, as the soldiers that remain struggle to hold back the endless tide of monsters with the points of spears and the edge of swords. It's not enough, the enemy is simply too many and the living are quickly being out numbered by the dead. Another barricade collapses and it is becoming clear there is no hope for defending this place any longer.

But now the dream has changed

The screams of the people fill the air even above the noise of battle, and the wafting smell of corpses and blood fills her nostrils with their pungent odor. She has failed, failed her parents, her friends, and failed her people. The thousand year legacy of her house ends with her unable to prevent the slaughter of her subjects and the final victory of the Fell Dragon over the servants of Naga. Despair gripped her heart before she suddenly found herself in the middle of Arena Ferox. Standing on the other side of the ring is a cowled opponent dressed in dark robes who attacks with blinding speed. She can't recognize the foe she's facing, but from the way they strike they are highly skilled. The blows come so suddenly she can't even make out the weapon her opponent is using. But she gets in a lucky strike after several seconds of light fast blocks and parries and manages her opponent.. As Lucina's attack sends the blade flying off she suddenly recognizes the blade in the corner of her eye, it's Mercurius. Her training kicks in and instinctively she knocks her opponent's legs out from under them. Before she knows it her opponent his on their knees and Lucina hastily throws their cowl back to find the battered and bruised face of Owain.

"What are you waiting for?" He asks as Lucina suddenly finds herself on that windblown field with the cherry blossoms in the wind.

"Wha-"

"What are you waiting for!?" Owain questioned.

"I-"

"You swore nothing would stop you from saving the world and your father! So do it!" For a moment Lucina thought she saw her own face on the body.

"How-"

"I guess you're just not strong enough to save everyone!" Somehow she feel her arms raised ready to end this with one simple downward slash

"No I-"

"I guess you just weren't good enough to stop this from having to happen!"

"That's not true!"

"KILL ME!"

"NO!"

In a panic Lucina's eyes truly shot upon and she bolted upwards. That was a mistake as a jolt of pain spasmed through her chest and sent her body down and her eyes shut almost as quick as they sprang into action. Gods everything hurt, her sides hurt, her arms felt as though they were on fire, and her legs felt as though hot irons were raked upon them. That wasn't even including her head which felt ready to split upon at the slightest bit of force. She was still conscious though, for now at least, the world of the nightmare gone and replaced by a pull pain. Though willpower and immense discomfort Lucina opened her eyes once more. The first thing she realized was how much the light hurt when she opened her eyes and her immediate reaction was to shut her eyes back shut as tightly as she could. However after a little bit of coaxing Lucina was able to gain a field of vision once more, and found herself covered in bandages inside the medical tent.

With no small amount of effort Lucina craned her head to the left to see an unconscious Owain laying in a medical cot. He too was covered in what looked to be a thousand strips of cloth, though at least he was still breathing. However he did not have the look of someone who was recovering well, his breaths were ragged and shallow and even from across the tent Lucina could see the color drained from his skin. He might be at death's door, and it was all her fault. This, all this was her fault... She had caused all this for what? And in the end she didn't even have the drive necessary to accomplish what she'd set out to do. She wanted to get up and hit something, break something or just move and stop sitting around in this bed, but every time her body would remind her she was covered in wounds and moving might reopen some cuts.

Lucina wanted to yell but found her voice parched, she wanted to smash something but found moving her arms nearly impossible, and going back to sleep wasn't an option either as millions of thoughts formed in her mind. What was she going to do? What was she going to say? Nothing seemed real, this was another part of a nightmare, any moment she was going to wake up. It would be just another day with the morning pitter patter of the long roll would summon for battle or gear inspection.

But no, nothing of the sort happened. She did not awake in her somewhat cold and drafty tent to the hollers of officers and the groans of soldiers, Shepherds and common. She was not shaken out of her morning stupor by Cynthia nor was woken by the clamor of Kjelle's armor clanking back and forth. She was here, bandages everywhere and sitting just a few feet away from the man she'd been given these scars by. For several moments Lucina simply lay there, conscious but too weak to really perform anything related to movement. The smart thing to do would be to try and go back to sleep and recover, but doing that would be easier if everything didn't hurt so much! In the between exhaustion and pain, and restlessness, restlessness did win a small victory however difficult it was. With great effort Lucina managed to pull herself upright against the curving structure of the cot, sitting herself upright with a better view of her surroundings. While she wasn't up and walking yet, getting a wider field of vision was a welcome improvement. However, this did end up rustling some bandages that probably were best left alone. She tried and failed to stifle and groan of pain, and almost as soon as the noise left her mouth, who else but Frederick the Wary stormed into the tent.

"Milady Lucina! You should be resting! What are you doing? You have to regain your strength!" The royal champion of the Halidom urged hurriedly with an expression that could only be called extreme worry, "Are you comfortable? Are you in need of food? Do your bandages need adjusting? Should I call for Lady Maribelle or Lord Brady? Should I-"

"Frederick!" Lucina managed to interrupt, "Please! Slow down! I- I just want to know, what's going on outside this tent, what's going on with everyone else?"

The knight's expression darkened, and at once Lucina began to worry at what news he would bring her. Her father's oldest companion sighed deeply and clutched his face with his hand for a moment before continuing.

"Milady, I shall be frank with you. The entire camp is in a state of confusion and questioning at the moment. I must confess myself I'm deeply concerned and have a thousand questions for you and Prince Owain as to what exactly transpired. All the army seems to know is that one moment it is business as usual and the next Prince Robin is rushing you and Prince Owain to the hospital tent."

"Lady Maribelle and Lord Brady spent hours applying their healing magics to you and Prince Owain. The wounds you two incurred were grievous, and had Prince Robin brought either of you but a moment later..."

Now sitting upright, Lucina's eyes trailed over to the right to see a large pile of used healing staves sitting in the corner.

"Milady, what happened to you and Prince Owain?" Frederick asked in an earnest and worried tone. "Did someone attack you and Prince Robin? Your father has sent out parties all throughout the area but we have found no trace of Risen or Grimleal for miles. If there is a traitor in our ranks then-"

"No! No! It's nothing like that it's..." Lucina deliberated carefully her next choice, there was no way around it there would have to be a confrontation eventually. "Please, just, I need to see my father, and my mother too if you can..."

"I- Of course my lady. As always my service is yours."

"Sir... Frederick... a word..." A new voice wheezed.

Turning her head in the direction of the voice Lucina saw Owain with his eyes barely open, struggling to move up out of his bed.

"Sir Frederick, bring my parents too, but not my little sister. I can't let her see me like this, a hero can't be seen like-" He coughed with what definitely sounded like pain, and Frederick rushed over to his side to try and calm him.

"Rest easy Prince Owain," The dark haired knight ordered as the young man stopped trying to sit up. "I will do as you ask, but I must ask you in turn to rest yourself. You will heal in time, but only if you let yourself heal. I will bring your parents along with the king and queen, you have my word."

"Thank you sir." Lucina managed to say, hoping to save Owain the effort.

Cordial as always Frederick bowed to both the royals before exiting the tent, leaving Owain and Lucina alone once more. A dreadful silence reigned for several minutes, the only sounds being the heavy breathing of the two wounded combatants, and the normal bustle of the camp outside. Eventually it was Owain who broke the quiet in the room, his normally loud and boastful tones quiet and strained by comparison.

"27..." He breathed out, almost gasping with his words.

"What did you say?"

"27, that's how many times you've beaten me. It used to be 26."

He was talking about what had just happened as if it was just another match, when it was the farthest thing from it. It was a life or death struggle for the both of them, and heaven help them when their parents had to hear the whole story from them.

"You fought well." Was all she could say in response.

Silence reigned again until once more Owain broke it, his voice coming out as if he was coming out of his sleepy delirium fully.

"You couldn't go through with it, in the end." Owain pointed out, "You had your chance at the end there, but you didn't take it. What stopped you?"

Lucina didn't really have an answer that jumped out at her as the question hung in the air like the stench of dried blood. That was the truth, at the conclusion of their climactic encounter Lucina did have the opportunity to kill Robin without any interference. Yet even after all that effort, all that time, all that deliberation, did she throw away that chance to ensure the safety of the world. Before Owain had appeared to stop her she had resolved to kill Robin, she had fought her cousin nearly to the death to once more be in that position. Was it all for nothing now? Would the future be once more doomed because she once again wasn't strong enough? Was this Fate saying it would not be cheated of its due like with Auntie Emmeryn's death? Words and thoughts failed her and in the end a stammering confession left the Princess-Exalt's lips.

"I... I don't really know. I just... At the end suppose, I just lost my nerve."

"That doesn't sound like you."

Lucina didn't quite know what came over her in that moment, but perhaps a combination of frustration, confusion, and maybe a little bit of hanging out too much with Severa caused her to respond with somewhat uncharacteristic snark.

"Well, you being serious and talking like a normal person doesn't sound like you either."

Owain for his part didn't seem to mind, and without breaking stride responded thusly.

"Beh, contrary to popular belief I know when to be serious and when to let my inner heroic spirit shine."

"You certainly know when to take combat seriously."

Owain laughed a bit before he spoke again, it sounded like he would've done more if it didn't hurt so much.

"Heh! Look at us, just a little while ago we were trying to beat the crap out of each other, and now we're talking like nothing happened..."

Lucina also couldn't help but be hit with the absurdity of the situation, though if all was taken in equal measure their lives in general were rather absurd.

"You should have every right to hate me." Lucina remarked, "And yet you're still like I've always known you."

"How could I hate my cousin, my captain, my queen? You who led us in our darkest hours through the fire and death of a future most grim." He announced with his trademark gusto, then her cousin's face grew solemn and serious for a moment again and he shifted awkwardly in his bed.

"You know what I was most afraid of when I was fighting you?"

"Hmm?"

"I wasn't afraid of losing, or even dying... What I was most afraid of was that you could be right."

"Owain..."

"I've been prepared to die for a long time now, but I've always fought for something I believed in, just like the heroes of old. What if you were right about this being the only way to stop Grima? What if it still is the only way to save everyone else? What if I just killed us all? What if-"

His voice was truly trembling now, and his whole body appeared to be shaking, as if unable to contain the soul it housed.

"Stop!" She finally commanded, her tone brooking no argument with its commanding zeal.

"What?"

"Don't talk like that...Please... It's over now... The matter is done."

"But it isn't done though is it? Our parents will no doubt have a thing or two to say about it."

Lucina breathed deep, as if preparing to make a speech like the ones she would give before a major battle or after a great defeat. But it hurt too much to speak too long, so that was out of the question. However, given time to think, time to examine what she had done and why she and done it, and to what ends it had all come to, Lucina had only this much to say.

"And the fallout will be my burden to bear. I started this and I will see it to whatever end." She smiled sadly at her cousin and she felt a weight seemingly lifted off her chest, "I think in actuality, you won that match Owain, because you accomplished your goal of stopping me. You don't have to say anything, cousin, this has all been my fault."

There were no more words between the two after that, and in the next few moments members and consorts of the royal family of Ylisse walked into the tent. Well, more like three people walked in, Lucina's mother stumbled on in and fell onto the floor.

"Ohmygods are you two alright?!" Lissa asked franticly as she took in the sight of Lucina and Owain, "They wouldn't let me see either of you and no one would tell me anything and-"

A little scream escaped her as she really allowed herself to really gaze upon her son and niece's wounds.

"Who did this? Or what did this? I mean how- what- I mean who do we have to hunt down to get back at them for this! Huh? We won't let them get away with this, I'll get you fixed up and-"

"Hey I'm gonna need an explanation too!" Sumia protested as she lifted herself up off the ground.

Looking at all the eyes upon them Lucina noticed the dark circles around them. Another wave of guilt flooded into her as she realized they all must've stayed up all night wondering at their fate.

"What exactly happened?" Her father asked as calmly as he could, even so Lucina could feel the myriad of distress, anger, and worry that bled into the Exalt's voice. "Start from the beginning and take as much time as you need."

How does one explain something like this? How do you tell your father you were going to kill your uncle and almost ended up killing your cousin?

Lucina and Owain explained from the beginning the entire series of events. Lucina did her best to keep her voice steady even as her father's gaze remained fixed firmly on her at all times. The most unnerving thing was that none of the four parents in the room spoke as Lucina and Owain described the series of events that led to them both ending up wounded in the field. Robin kept his hands folded with them covering his face as if deep in thought, Lissa gripped her staff tightly enough for the wood to start creaking, and Sumia bit down on one of her knuckles while Chrom folded his arms and listened.

The parents waited until Lucina and Owain had spoken their entire stories, and then the dam finally burst. It was the mothers who

"DON'T YOU EVER DO ANYTHING THAT STUPID EVER AGAIN!" Lissa yelled at the both of them while Sumia grabbed the hands of both her daughter and her nephew.

"You won't ever have to even think about anything like that ever again," The Queen of Yilise promised tearfully, "You've both been through so much, here and back where you came from."

It looked like both of the mothers wanted to hug both of the wounded scions but knew that too much movement and action would be bad for the two of them at that stage. In contrast the two fathers simply shared one of those famous "looks" between the two of them that seemed to communicate a plan without so much as a word. That famous talent of lord and strategist to seemingly know exactly what the other might be thinking at times was useful on the battlefield, and terrifying when used in their capacity as fathers.

"I know that terrible things happened in your future, and I know I can't imagine what it was like to live through it," Robin finally spoke up in a steady and even tone, "But I can imagine the things that a person might do to prevent it."

He walked up to Owain's cot and Lucina saw that her cousin seemed to be on the brink of tears. His parents were so much younger and full of life here than either of them had ever been in the timeline they had come from. Yet all the same, it was clear that no matter how much younger the first generation of Shepherds were, there was the spark in each of them that made them the Heroes of the age.

"But whatever happens, I won't have you dying just to protect me Owain. Time travel is one thing, but I'm still your father. I understand things happen in war, but it is always a father's duty to protect his son," Robin declared seriously.

The graveness in his voice underscored the fact that all of them knew that in the original timeline the last thing Robin did with Owain was protect him during the final battle. When you shared an experience with Robin you would know it would eventually get to his wife and then to his best friend, and if Chrom knew there was nothing he wouldn't tell Sumia either.

"You tried to kill each other to protect either of us," Chrom summed it up simply, "You both gave everything because you thought you had to stop the other."

"No matter what, we're not about to start fighting like this amongst ourselves when there's still a battle ahead. Being down one fighter is bad enough, but being down two of our strongest? That could mean a world of difference and lose us the battle regardless of whatever the enemy has planned for Robin," Chrom scolded the both of them in a manner generally unlike himself.

"I trust in myself and in my friends, and I trust whatever magics compel Robin to act can be overcome with the right means and will. Our talents are strong and our bonds are stronger, they seen us through battle and they'll see us through this challenge too," Chrom uttered with the resolve that inspired his men through countless battles.

There wasn't much Lucina could do or say in response, she had already done enough. At that point she caught a glimpse of blue and blonde hair peeking around the tent flaps. The two younger siblings had been watching everything probably, leaving the current moment for their older siblings and their parents. Up until this moment then when two blurs crashed through the cloth and fabric to almost tackle their respective brother and sister. Pain shot up through Lucina's arm and torso but she couldn't help but ignore it in order to hold on to her sister tightly.

"Luci you're okay, you're okay!" Cynthia's eyes were shut tight as he shook and hugged her sister like she was about to disappear, "Auntie said you'd pull through but I was so worried."

"I always knew you were the coolest brother ever, but you really had to go all out didn't you?" Morgan teased Owain.

The fathers shared another look and then seemed content to let the children from the future have more of the talking time. These families and these moments, it was things like this they were supposed to be fighting for. To live in a time of peace where things like this would be normal instead of exceptional, what would a person become? Lucina thought she knew, but now she wasn't so sure. Fate and will were funny things, and family could make you do crazy things as well. There would be other battles, the threat of Grima still loomed over them as well as the curse on Uncle Robin.

All the same, now it was time to trust others and work together. To look on what they could build rather than what they could lose. Lucina and Owain had nearly killed each other, Lucina had nearly killed her uncle. If she truly felt that she and her family could change fate, then maybe she had to believe that there was a way other than more death for her family. With a deep breath Lucina let herself smile and share a glance with her cousin. Owain gave a nod that spoke of many things, maybe forgiveness and maybe regret, but always that they would be family unshakeable. In the end this family would forge its own destiny, without turning on itself or losing who they were. The future was not in stone, the battle ahead not decided. In the end they had to trust in this simple phrase that carried both young and old through the sands of time.

Nothing is written.

And so went the rest of the day.

The End


A/N... well... Seven years better late than never? The majority of this was sitting on my computer for years, but I never found the will to wrap it up and finish it. This was my attempt, a mix of new writing and old to give something to finish up with. It's not much but I hope it can at least be among the fanfics I actually finished rather than leaving in the dust. I loved these characters back then and I think I still really like them now. Thanks for reading.