"You!" Robin growled pulling out of Chrom's grasp. If he was here, then the Risen King would be close by.
"Me." Hierophant Robin grinned holding out his arms.
"You're a little late. Validar is dead and with him, so is the release of Grima."
"You may have altered the course of history, but not its destination."
"What do you mean?!"
Hierophant Robin ignored him leisurely strolling towards Validar on the floor. The couple took several cautious steps back. "Are you actually dead or just pretending?" He shook the man's shoulder with his foot. "He's actually dead this time. Saves me the trouble of doing it later." He eyed the still protruding sword. "Patricide. I'm impressed. I didn't think you had it in you. It seems I didn't give you enough credit."
"Grima has been stopped." Robin insisted.
The other Robin shook his head. "I can be so dense sometimes. It's called destiny, fate, whatever. Struggle and cry all you want, it doesn't matter. All of you are going to die one way or another. 'When' is all that changes." He snapped his fingers and a bluish wall materialized separating the Ylissen royals from the rest of the army.
An arm snaked around both of Morgan's trapping them at his side. A dagger was pressed against his throat. It was the Risen King.
"Morgan!" Lucina cried making a move towards him.
"Take one more step and he's dead." Hierophant Robin warned. "That goes for any of you."
Nobody moved.
"It's nice to see you're obedient worms." He strode forward. "Now then, Robin, why don't you do us all a favor and finish this little drama. Accept Grima's power like you were meant to."
Robin glanced over towards Morgan. "And if I refuse, you kill my son, is that it?"
He tapped the side of his nose.
"Don't do it, Mother." Lucina hated herself for saying it, but the world would be doomed otherwise.
Hierophant Robin scoffed. "How noble you are, Lucina, when the choice is not yours. You couldn't kill Robin to save the word, but you expect him to kill Morgan? Typical human hypocrisy."
"How, how do you know about that?"
"Because every Lucina in every time line faces that dilemma. Sometimes they don't do it." He held up a hand palm up. "But they usually do." He held up his other hand higher than the other. "Congratulations, you're a minority. The Lucina before you had the guts to do it. Her mother was Sully if I remember right."
"Then it doesn't matter what I chose." Robin cut in. "If my predecessor was killed without accepting Grima's power, but Grima was still unleashed, then that means there's another way." He pointed at his double. "And I'm guessing since we're the same, you can do it too. The real question is, why do you want me to do it?"
Hierophant Robin dropped his arms. "I'm not going to answer that. Are you going to accept Grima or not?"
"Mother would never!" Morgan declared.
"How are Morgans related to Robins when they're always this stupid? I'm thankful I never had one. I'd be embarrassed." He turned to the boy. "Don't you get it? Robins are either killed by a Lucina or they accept Grima. There's no other options."
"That's because the Robins that aren't killed by a Lucina are actually you." Robin theorized. "I'm not seeing the future in my dreams. I'm seeing your memories, aren't I?"
"Oh? And why would you say that?"
He pointed to Risen King. "He came here with you. Why would I, as Grima, create another one? I don't know why, but I have your memories instead of my past memoires."
"It's good to know you're not a complete idiot. Yes, those are my memoires. You're welcome, by the way. Unlike everyone else, we Robins have the ability to become one." Hierophant Robin interlocked his fingers. "Thanks to our connection to the fell dragon. Our level of success depends on how strong the Robin of that timeline is. You, sadly, were too weak and the process wiped your memoires. The same thing happened with her." He gestured to Lucina. "Real mother."
"Who was killed by a Lucina born of Sully."
"Wait." Lucina had to know. "If, if my biological mother was killed by another me, then who betrayed my father?"
Hierophant Robin's lips curled into a predatorial smile. "I may have killed him, but it was Lucina." He chuckled. "You should have seen the look on the poor man's face when he found out the woman he treated as a daughter killed his beloved wife. I wish I had some kind of magic to review that scene over and over."
"So that proves destiny can change." Chrom cut in. His daughter was becoming distraught. Another reason to hate this false Robin. "You two are still separated and this Lucina didn't kill Robin."
"Don't get your hopes up, prince. I can still take Grima's power with or without your Robin. I just prefer with." He sighed. "Look, I'm getting bored and I know you are pathetically stalling for time, why I don't know, but I'm done talking. I'm going to say this one last time. Accept Grima's power or your son dies. Pick one."
"Father, don't let Mother do it!" Morgan pleaded. "If the world is doomed than I'd rather Mother not be a part of it. Please, Father."
"Mor…gan." The Risen King spoke. His voice seemed to echo.
All eyes turned to him.
Slowly, he withdrew his arms letting them hang at his side.
Morgan took the opportunity to sprint away into the waiting arms of his sister.
"Morgan…Lucina." His glowing red eyes were fixated on the siblings.
With his son out of danger, Chrom went for Hierophant Robin. However, he was cut off by the Risen King. He'd come out of his bizarre stupor and raced to his lord's aid. Their swords clashed together. Chrom could feel the force zing up his arms.
"You won't hurt my Robin." Risen King shoved the prince back giving his sword a familiar spin.
Chrom narrowed his eyes. "Who the hell are you?"
There was no answer. Just a pair of glowing red eyes boring into his.
"Now I'm bored and angry!" Hierophant Robin pointed at his other self. "I gave you a chance. I've been more than generous, but my generosity has reached its limits." Purpilish black vapor started to gather around him. "You were supposed to choose godhood over your pathetic band of servants. But if you'll not claim the sacrifice laid at the Dragon's Table then I will take it in your place." The building around them started to shake. "Though my journey through time has diminished my power, the life force here shall renew me! I will destroy this timeline as I have destroyed countless others!"
Pieces of ceiling started to brake off and crash into the floor.
"We have to get out of here!" Lucina shouted over the noise.
Morgan clung to her waist. "How? We're trapped."
Robin eyed the bluish wall. If It was created using Grima's power and Falchion was designed to rival the fell dragon then…
"Lucina, use your sword to cut an opening through the barrier! Quickly!"
Risen King moved to stop her, but Chrom interjected himself. The two swords met again. The king's great strength caused Chrom's arms to buckle slightly.
With all her might, Lucina swung Falchion towards the barrier. The blade cut in and she had to put all her weight behind it. It was like trying to move her arms through thick swamp water. A part of the barrier vanished creating an opening.
"Run!" Robin shouted grabbing Morgan's hand.
Chrom twisted from under Risen King's assault causing the king to stumble forward from his own momentum.
Together, the family raced through the opening to rejoin the rest of the army.
Everyone hurried from the Table. The injured being carried. There were no Risen or Plegian people to be seen.
Black bolts of lightning struck the ground at random intervals. In the midst of running, Chrom tackled Lucina just as a bolt crashed down to where she'd once been. The two scrambled back to their feet and continued running.
The triumphant cry of the fell dragon was deafening.
The group spun on their heels and looked back to witness the massive creature.
"That's Grima!" Lucina's whole body started to tremble. "That's the demon who destroyed my world and now he is among us."
"That's, that's the monster that killed everyone?" Morgan clung to his sister's arm. "Luci, what're we gana do?"
She turned from the sight to her parents. "Facing him in a straight up fight is useless. Many have learned that the hard way."
"What about Naga?" Robin asked.
Chrom shook his head. "We need the Fire Emblem to receive Naga's power and that's lost to the Dragon's Table."
"What, you mean THIS Fire Emblem?" Robin grinned revealing said emblem with a flourish.
"Alright, Mother!" Morgan pumped his fist into the air.
Chrom took his family heirloom. "The Emblem! But how?"
"I stole it from you once, remember? The least I could do was steal it back."
"Robin, you sly cat. You never cease to amaze!" He kissed his husband's cheek. "We have the Emblem and the five gems, but I don't know where Naga is."
"I know!" Morgan cried out cheerfully. "I read it somewhere." He started digging in his coat pockets. "I brought the book with me."
Robin furrowed his brow. "Why would you do that?"
"So Uncle Frederick wouldn't have to say the line."
"What the hell are you…"
"Found it!" The boy shouted loudly holding a tattered old book aloft. There were several ribbons sticking out as markers. "Let me see." He flipped through the pages at an alarming speed without damaging a single page. "Here is it! The first exalt went to an alter at the peak of Mount Prism and paid tribute to Naga which led to the Awakening." He snapped the book shut. "It goes into more detail, but it's boring stuff."
"It seems we are headed for Mount Prism then. It might be a long shot, but." Chrom eyed the spot where the massive dragon once was. "A small hope is better than no hope at all." He turned to his collective army. "Hurry, everyone!"