Author's Note: Flying Chariot and I have been attempting to adhere to a biweekly update schedule, but because of finals, we missed it, and for that I duly apologize. We will likely not be able to get an update out before the new year, so Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, everyone!
I attempt to unify Fire Emblem canon starting in this chapter. I've only actually played 3 games of the series, so let me now extend an invitation to correct me if I make a mistake at any point in this story.
Obvious spoilers for nearly every game in the franchise, but especially Awakening.
"Haha, I can't believe we got away with that!" Larry Koopa cackled as they entered the large room they shared with their father.
"Of course we would, when my intelligence formulated the attack plan," Ludwig boasted.
"Your so-called 'intelligence' didn't account for him chasing us, Ludwig," Lemmy grumbled. "And you had to drag me into it to save yourselves."
"Well, it doesn't matter, we got away with - " A knock at the door cut off Bowser Jr.'s sentence.
"Go away!" Bowser bellowed from the end of the hall, where he was assembling the last of the Koopa Clown Cars. Whoever was at the door just knocked again and again despite the Koopa family's continued ignorance of it.
"Alright, fine! I'll answer the damn door!" Bowser roared in frustration and threw his tools down, stomping towards the entrance once the knocking came for a tenth time.
Outside was Master Hand, with a livid Ike behind him. One look at the Radiant Hero was enough for the Koopa king to understand why.
"Oh...uh, good afternoon, Master Hand! Nice weather we're having, isn't it?"
"You should consider yourself lucky that I do not punish language around here, Bowser. Consider yourself off the hook today. However...Larry, Ludwig, Lemmy, and Bowser Jr., I require a word with you."
"Yeah, yeah, what paperwork needs to be done this time?" The Koopa heir complained.
Master Hand swooped into the room with alarming speed, causing Bowser to throw himself to the ground instinctively, plucked the four Koopalings from their siblings, and deposited them outside.
"It seems," he began coldly, "...that you do not have the respect for others expected of Super Smash Brothers members. Do not play innocent with me; even without Ike coming to me, it takes a simpleton to figure out it was one of you. Ike merely helped me identify everyone involved. Now, since this is your first infraction, I will let you go with a warning. But...if you are causing trouble again for other Smashers, there will be punishment. Your father can attest to the times he has previously run across my ire."
"Is that all?" Junior complained loudly.
"That is all from me. However - " he flicked his hand and the door to Bowser's room slammed shut " - I've decided to let Ike do as he pleases, within certain limits, as a reward for your cheek. Perhaps you will learn respect then."
Ike heaved a frustrated sigh. "You are only children, and it is in the nature of children to do such things. As such, I will not harm any of you further. Do not, however, mistake my mercy for forgiveness. You will find no sympathy from me once this tournament starts." He swung Ragnell inches from their faces to prove his point; the four of them yelped and jumped back. His demonstration complete, Ike hefted the golden blade back on to his shoulder and turned to leave. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have to clean myself up."
Master Hand watched the Radiant Hero retreat down the hall before turning back to the Koopalings. "If that was excessive, I apologize; however, you must be aware that just because you are children does not mean you won't be held responsible for your actions as adults here. With a place in the Smash Brothers comes a responsibility and moral code to abide by. Do you four understand that?"
They nodded. Satisfied that they had been properly chastised, Master Hand floated down the hallway back to his office.
Lucina picked up one of the mysterious "aspirin" tablets lying on her bedstand and examined it suspiciously. Peach recommended them when the former mentioned she had a headache, and despite Lucina's protests that she could manage someone dropped them off.
While the cerulean swordswoman trusted her newfound friend, the habit of examining anything before consuming it was very deeply ingrained in her. Water and food sufficiently contaminated with the dark dust that Risen emanated was toxic and would usually result in death or direct conversion to a Risen, something Lucina witnessed herself at a young age. Thus, any food she and her allies scavenged while they were on the run was always closely scrutinized to ensure it wasn't contaminated or inherently poisonous.
Not knowing whether to make head or tail of this strange consumable, Lucina set it back down despite being sorely tempted by the prospect of relief from her headache. Instead she just drank some of the water that came with the tablets, saving the rest for later in case she changed her mind.
With a sigh she lay down, hoping it would go away of its own accord. Inevitably what thoughts she could formulate through the haze of pain focused on Chrom.
She should have been overjoyed to be reunited with her father, but all she felt was a sense of disbelief. Maybe because of the setting in which their reunion had occurred, and Lucina had barely known her father when he died in her time. It was when she was very young, just past her fifth birthday.
She felt her eyelids getting heavy. It must be near midnight in Ylisse. Lucina tried to think of something else: if she fell asleep now she would almost certainly have another nightmare. They almost always happened whenever she was thinking about...anyone she'd lost, really, so they happened frequently. She tried to shift her focus but she was already drifting into sleep...
"Mommy, can I have my sword back?"
Not even a few minutes after she'd gotten herself hurt and the little girl was already over it. "Sweetie, you just got yourself hurt. Perhaps it's best if you take a break?"
"I promise I'll be more careful this time. Can I please have it back?" Lucina stared at her mother with puppy eyes.
Sumia pretended to ponder her request. "Do you promise to be careful? Your father would be very worried if he find out you hurt yourself." She teasingly lifted the wooden sword, modeled after her husband's weapon and given by Robin for Lucina's fourth birthday, out of her daughter's reach.
"I promise, and Daddy doesn't need to know, you told me so before! Can I please have it back?"
Sumia chuckled. "Alright, just stay near me, okay?" Lucina practically yanked the toy out of her mother's grasp before continuing to hack at a training dummy with it. The queen watched her, trying to be happy but only managing worry about Chrom's whereabouts. He'd told her it would take a few days at most to reach the Dragon's Table, and it had been more than a week since his departure. Suddenly a servant rushed over and whispered something in her ear.
"Take Lucina back to her room," she ordered. "And send them here."
"Mommy? What's going on?" Sumia didn't answer, and was staring skywards. "Mommy?"
"Come, Lucina, your mother wants you to go to your room." The servant took the little girl's arm gently and tried to lead her away, but she resisted.
"Mommy, what's happened?" The servant tugged a little more forcefully this time, but Lucina wrenched her arm out of the former's grasp. "Is Daddy back?" The servant tried to pull Lucina away again. "No! I don't wanna go!"
"It is your mother's orders, child - !"
"Let her stay if she insists," Sumia said quietly, still gazing skywards.
"But, milady - "
"I fear the time for shielding her may have passed. You are dismissed." The servant considered arguing before turning around and walking inside.
A small group of badly-battered Shepherds soon entered the courtyard. Sumia roused herself abruptly. "Are you all that returned?"
Cordelia nodded. "For now. The Plegians are likely still hunting the rest. We...we were betrayed. Most of us managed to escape, but because we had to retreat quickly we were scattered. Most of the standard army was caught by surprise, too. The Shepherds still behind enemy lines have command of over half of our remaining forces. Lon'qu pulled off a miracle somehow."
Flavia, leaning on her sword as a crutch, spoke next. "I should have known...not to trust that bastard Robin..."
"Flavia, watch your language, Lucina is here!" Sumia scolded.
"You should send her away before we discuss anything further, milady," Frederick advised.
"If what has been relayed to me is all true, then I fear the time for innocence has passed for her. She will need to learn the realities of the world she lives in. It pains me to force her to at such a young age, but she is Ylisse's future. We cannot afford to wait. It is only a matter of time before the current line of succession is killed off."
Lissa stepped forward. "S-Sumia...I managed to take this off of Chrom before we had to flee." She unfolded Chrom's cape to reveal Falchion in its scabbard wrapped within.
The pegasus knight gazed at it and put one hand on it before withdrawing it with a sigh. "Then all hope is not yet lost. The Fell Dragon can be sealed by the Awakening, and as long as we have the Falchion and Fire Emblem, there is a chance of it happening, however remote."
"Milady, Validar seized the Fire Emblem from us as well. All we have is the Falchion," Frederick informed her.
Lucina, who had heard all of this without understanding a word of it, suddenly tugged on her mother's leg. "Mommy, I see Daddy's sword, but why is Aunt Lissa holding it? Where is Daddy? And the rest of his friends?"
A tense silence filled the air. Nobody wanted to speak, for any words said at this moment would scar the little girl far deeper than any sword could. She would never again be a child after that.
Eventually, Sumia broke it. "Lucina, please go to your room. I will explain later."
"But you just said I could stay!"
"Lucina," her mother repeated more firmly, "Go."
"Fine." Lucina pouted but obeyed, walking unsteadily back into the castle. The lurking servant went over to help her. The Shepherds watched her go, very much aware that this would be the last time they would ever see Sumia's child a child.
Lucina lay in bed, feigning sleep so as to not rouse the servant. It was a common tactic that she used; wait until the servant had fallen asleep and then she could do as she pleased as long as she wasn't caught.
Suddenly the door opened and Sumia entered, holding the remains of Chrom's cape with Falchion wrapped inside. "I had a feeling you were still awake. Are you alright, sweetie?" She tried for a smile that Lucina's young mind interpreted as genuine.
"I wanna see Daddy," Lucina complained. "I thought he was back, where is he?"
"Sweetie..." Sumia sat down on her bed and took the little girl's hands in hers. "Your father is...gone."
She stared back at her mother, not understanding. "But he came back! His friends are here, so he should be too!"
"Lucina..." Sumia's grip tightened a little. "He's...not coming back this time."
"But he's unbeatable! He's the best there is!"
"Not anymore, it seems." Sumia let go of her daughter's hands. "I...I was told...he wanted you to have this, as his last request. He thought about you until the very end." She unwrapped Falchion and it sprawled onto the bed between them.
Lucina looked up at her mother, tears welling in her eyes as she finally understood. Her father had always kept his weapon at his side in war and peace, according to what her mother told her. If it was in front of her right now, then he was truly gone. But she just couldn't accept it. "I-Is he gone, Mommy?"
Sumia moved Falchion out of the way and embraced her daughter. "I...I'm afraid he is, sweetie."
There was nothing but the sound of Lucina crying for a few minutes. Sumia herself was in such a great state of grief that she couldn't find words to soothe her daughter. And really, what was there she could say? Her children would grow up without their father's love, raised by nursemaids and servants more than their actual parents. With Plegia all but certain to invade and the Fell Dragon himself leading it, she wasn't sure she would survive long enough to see her children mature, let alone be able to spend time with them like a parent should. The same would probably happen to majority of the Shepherds, and at any rate she wasn't going to burden them with her familial duties. Cynthia, who was only a few months old, would grow up without beholding the sight of her father once.
Then there was the matter of Robin. He'd always been a favorite of Lucina's. He always had some way to fascinate the little child with either magic displays or stories. How was she going to explain to her daughter that her self-proclaimed best friend had turned out to be a spy working to bring doomsday upon the world? That he had personally murdered her father and slewn his friends as they stood in shock? That he was now one with the Fell Dragon that their religion proclaimed as the most evil being in existence and was out for their blood?
"No...better that she never have a chance to know about that. I will see to it that his name is isolated from the full extent of his actions. I do not wish to burden my daughter further; hearing news of her father's death is hard enough. She will soon learn Robin went the same way...of sorts."
"M-mommy, c-can you s-stay with me?" Lucina begged in between sobs.
She passed her daughter her hankerchief. "Of course, Lucina. A mother is always there for her daughter. But I have things to take care of first. I'll be back soon, I promise." Sumia stood up to dismiss the servant, passing on her order to keep Robin's name out of the history books to the latter before sending her out. As soon as she was alone with her daughter Sumia lay down next to Lucina and put her arms around her.
"It's okay. Mommy has you now. You're safe."
Sumia drifted off to sleep soon, but Lucina lay wide awake, her gaze alternating between the door and Falchion laying at the foot of the bed. Had it been lighter, she would have noticed the material the blade was wrapped in was her father's cape, and seen the hole burned through it by Robin's magic.
Alas, it was dark, and Lucina's hopes to see her father again persisted throughout the sleepless night. For a whole five hours, she managed to cling to the hope that he was still alive, only for them to be crushed when daybreak came and revealed the truth laying at the foot of her bed...
Lucina's eyes snapped open and she instinctively snuck a glance around before moving. The unfamiliar surroundings around her made her panic for a few seconds before she remembered where she was.
"I made it back into the past. Things are under control for now. I'm in a tournament called the Super Smash Brothers. There's no enemies here."
Her hair and face were wet in places and she realized she'd been crying while asleep. The princess sighed and wiped her eyes of the residual moisture. While it was reassuring to know that she had a chance to change the fate of her family and country, that only made her nightmares increase in frequency and vividness, reminding her of how much was at stake if she failed.
She sat up and reflexively raised her arm as the sun shone its last rays through her window and onto her. It must be past dinnertime already. Remembering what she had promised Marth earlier, Lucina took a minute to tidy herself and grabbed the map of the mansion grounds that Peach had given her before leaving her room.
"Hm," she mused, tapping her lip with one finger. "There's more than one lounge in this mansion. Perhaps I should head to the cafeteria and see if I can't get any clarification. That's probably the most likely place for anyone to be, and anyway, it's been a while since I've eaten."
There were a number of people eating, but she didn't see any of the Fire Emblem representatives. Nor did she see Peach, Zelda, or Link anywhere. Lucina sighed and resigned herself to sitting alone as she examined the menu.
Several of the other Smashers passed by on their way to various locations as she ate, and though they all acknowledged her by name, none joined her. Captain Falcon's greeting stood out, as he gave her a casual wave and a smile, which surprised her given that she'd tried to attack him mere hours ago. She tried to apologize about the earlier incident, but at the moment her mouth was full of food and he'd moved on by the time she'd swallowed, leaving her to question whether he had genuinely gotten over it.
"Hello, Lucina." A new voice made her look up.
"Hello...Link and...Zelda, right?" They nodded to confirm that Lucina had gotten their names right as the sat down. "My apologies, there are a lot of names to remember."
"Don't worry about it," Link said dismissively. "It's only if you can't remember it a year from now that you should start worrying."
"Um...thank you...?"
He just laughed. "We'll need to work on that sense of humor. Anyway, Falcon wanted me to pass a message. He says he's sorry about what happened earlier, though he did conveniently leave out that Chrom forced him to at swordpoint. For just finding out he's a father, he's being quite protective of you."
"Link! Don't embarrass her!" Zelda scolded.
Lucina shook her head. "It's alright. He was always willing to put his trust in others dogmatically..." Her voice trailed off as she pondered a thought that occurred to her.
"Is something wrong, Lucina?"
"Oh, it's nothing. I was thinking. Anyway, everyone here seems to know about me, but I don't know about you. What's your story?"
"Well...that's a bit difficult to explain - " Link began.
"There are numerous incarnations of us," Zelda explained. "Some are descendants of others that bear the same name, others come from alternate worlds, there are many sources."
Before Lucina could respond there was a splat followed by yelling. The two voices sounded very similar, and, indeed, their owners looked similar too save for the fact that one of them was wearing black and the other white. Behind the two boys stood two women, one with green hair and the other with blonde, both of whom were watching the argument unfold with amusement.
"What're you going to do about it, Pittoo?"
"Grr...Don't call me that!"
"Pittoo, Pittoo..."
"Shut the hell up!"
"Are you really letting such childish taunting get under your skin, Dark Pit?" the green-haired woman asked with amusement.
"Augh! Not you too! That's it..." he stormed towards them and dragged Link and his chair away. Lucina stood up and reached for Parallel Falchion to defend the Hero of Hyrule, but Zelda stopped her.
"Relax, Dark Pit means no harm. You'll see."
"Oh?" The white-clothed one raised an eyebrow as his counterpart returned.
"Do not make me use this on your face, Pitstain," the latter snarled. "On second thought, there's no harm in it. Master Hand won't be able to tell the difference; your face is fucked up to begin with!"
"Hey, by extension, that means yours is too!"
"Ah...Dark Pit, might you reconsider?" the blonde-haired woman asked. "It would be such a waste of a handsome boy if you did..." She stared at Link fawningly, earning an eye roll from the latter.
"Erm...thanks, Viridi?" Pit asked, having missed the subtle exchange between the Goddess of Nature and the Hero of Hyrule.
"Oh, I wasn't talking about you, I was talking about Link!" She cackled at the expression on Pit's face. Many of the others were following suit, while Dark Pit crossed his arms and threw a smug look at his counterpart.
Zelda put a hand over her mouth to contain her laughter while Lucina looked horrified.
"They can just insult him like that and get away with it here? Why doesn't he do something?"
"Calm yourself, Lucina, they're only teasing - Lucina, wait!" But it was too late to stop her from marching into the crowd.
"That's enough! If you do not mind, I would like to finish my meal in peace!"
"Well, well," Dark Pit sneered. "If it isn't the clone."
Lucina's eyes narrowed. "Excuse me?"
He rolled his eyes. "You're just a ripoff of Marth, nobody's scared of you."
"Correction: a flat gender swap of Marth," Viridi taunted from the sidelines.
Thankfully, Pit intervened on her behalf, having finally recovered some semblance of composure. "Like you're one to talk, Pittoo! You're literally a copy of me!"
Before he could round on Viridi, Dark Pit snarled and took a step forward. "That's it!" His Electroshock Arm suddenly appeared on his left hand. "I'll make you regret every instance you used that term!"
"Yeah, real mature of you to get physical," Pit taunted.
"Grrr -!"
"Alright, you've both had the chance to blow some steam off, now break it up!" the green-haired woman stepped forward, catching Dark Pit's arm as he swung it, causing him to lose his balance and fall as the former let go. Pit stuck his tongue out; unfortunately for him the gesture was not missed. The green-haired woman tipped her staff forwards and Pit's wings suddenly glowed, whisking him out of the room against his will, if his yells were any indication.
She turned to Link and Lucina with a sigh. "I hope these two haven't left too poor of an impression of us upon you. I am Lady Palutena, Goddess of Light and ruler of Skyworld. Behind me is Viridi, the Goddess of Nature. I trust you already know which of the two children before us is Dark Pit and which is Pit."
"Well, it seems you two already know a bit about me, miladies," Lucina bowed to Palutena and Viridi. "I am pleased to make your acquaintance, however I cannot stay long as I have to be somewhere soon." The princess started back to her table.
"Alright, farewell for the present, then, Lucina."
"Viridi, I think you owe her an apology and a thank you for forgiving your insults so quickly," Link growled as he turned to follow. "Also, that was rather rich of you to call her flat when you don't look a day over ten."
The goddess of nature went red at his comment, but as Link was already gone there wasn't any point to retorting.
"Lucina...I don't want to say it, but - "
"You told me so. I get it, Zelda," the princess said flatly as she returned.
"Ah, can't be all bad, at least you have Pit as another friend now, Lucina," Link surmised as he sat down. "Besides, Viridi won't be nearly as bad as long as I'm around."
"What? How can you be sure of that?" Link rolled his eyes again while Zelda sighed.
"It doesn't matter, just know that it won't happen again," the former said.
They ate in silence for a few moments before Lucina spoke. "Um...Marth asked me to meet him in the lounge, but there's multiple in the mansion. Would either of you happen to have some insight into which one he meant?"
"Probably the one on the second floor," Link replied. "You leaving now?"
"I'm sorry, but I have to. See you later." They muttered goodbyes and Lucina sighed with relief as she took her plate to the dish return. At least she didn't seem to be hopeless at communicating with others.
Lucina arrived at the location Link specified five minutes later and almost ran into Marth at the entrance.
"Oh, hello, milor - Marth. My apologies for being late."
The Hero-King waved it off. "The fault is mine. I was about to find you to clarify where we were, but it seems there is no need now." He gestured inside. "After you, Lucina."
Ike, Robin, and Chrom were seated in a semicircle of chairs by the fireplace. Lucina sat down at one end, on her father's right, while Marth took the last empty seat directly across from her.
Her father spoke first. "Lucina - "
"Father, if it's about what transpired this afternoon, was that really necessary? I appreciate that you are looking out for me, but I am a grown woman."
"While I would like to have a word with you later about it, that is not what I was about to say." There wasn't the slightest hint of admonishment or irritation in Chrom's voice, but Lucina felt her insides twist with guilt and she lowered her gaze.
"...Anyway, Lucina, you delivered a warning to me the night of your arrival in our time. Something about a 'horrible calamity' - "
"Hold on, there has to be more to you than just your relevance to Chrom's timeline," Ike interrupted.
Robin spoke up. "I heard from some of the veterans that you guys have an archive that includes history of the contestants, wouldn't such information be included there?"
"Well, Master Hand wasn't exactly specific - "
"Ike, do you think she returned to the past for some sort of leisure trip? Obviously terrible things happened in her world, otherwise she wouldn't leave it, let alone travel back in time to change the course of destiny! And if you had actually read the bio in the archives, you would have discovered that it was among the most dire of circumstances!" Lucina felt a rush of gratitude towards Marth for coming to her defense.
Ike raised his hands in apology with a sigh. "Guilty as charged. Please continue, Lucina."
"Marth's description of events would not be incorrect. In the future, the Fell Dragon Grima is resurrected. His roar is a death knell for mankind, a scream that silence all hope."
"What became of us?" Robin inquired.
"From what I have gleaned, the Shepherds lead four divisions of the Ylissean army into Plegia to stop the resurrection, but they were betrayed and the force thrown in disarray. Less than half that entered returned, and many of them were lost in the war that followed."
"All of us...dead?" Robin repeated in disbelief. Lucina nodded and continued.
"After the dragon's resurrection, Plegia launched an invasion, one that Grima lead personally. Between the struggle to fell Gangrel and the Holy War waged by my grandfather, their armies were still smaller than the ranks left behind to guard Ylisse, but the Fell Dragon's power more than evened the odds. Not only could he raze entire companies in one strike, according to one battle report, but he could resurrect fallen warriors from both sides using dark magic, turning them into mindless slaves bound to his will. We called them Risen."
"Lucina, were these...Risen akin to the creatures that attacked us when you arrived?" Chrom asked.
She nodded. "They preceded me into the portal, there was nothing I could do to stop them without risking my friends. I'm sorry, father."
"It's nothing to be worried over. At the very least, we have some prior knowledge."
Robin nodded in assent. "If Grima's return is imminent in our time, and these are his soldiers of choice, we will need that knowledge to combat him. For all we know, he could be building Plegia's ranks with them."
Marth spoke up. "If Grima is a dragon, then he should be no different from the others. Since he has no physical form at the moment, I doubt that he would have the strength to summon any of these Risen. Though how he came to be is beyond me; only Degenerated Dragons were hostile to mankind in my time, and all of them were sealed or killed off by mankind."
Lucina shook her head. "Legend has it that Grima was a human/dragon hybrid, born of the power of the dragons themselves. I have heard it said that depends upon a human form for existence in the physical world, but I have only seen him as a dragon, so I assume that his human and dragon forms can act independently, which makes him even harder to subdue."
Chrom nodded. "I have heard of these legends, too. Should Grima arise the only thing that could stop him would be the completed Fire Emblem in tandem with the Falchion to perform the Awakening."
It was Ike's turn to chime in. "Chrom, Marth's existence precedes yours by several millennia, but you live in the same territories. When you say 'Fire Emblem,' would you perchance be referring to the Shield of Seals? If you are, I must warn you that it is quite dangerous to attempt to reunify the gems with the Shield due to a curse on the latter. Marth has told me that it dooms the wielder to ill fortune, hence why he did not bring the Shield here."
"The Fire Emblem was reforged a thousand years prior to our time by the first Exalt, specifically to purify it of the curse," Chrom explained. "The Falchions that Lucina and I wield are also of differing appearances than yours due to the original design being lost to history at around the same time. The blade itself is the same, and the hilt and scabbard are also blessed with high durability, however because of the nature of the Awakening and the power that it imbues upon the sword, they suffer extreme wear and hence the design was altered to an easier-to-replicate one."
Marth looked impressed. "I see. Well, it seems that I have sidetracked the conversation. Lucina, I apologize for interrupting your narrative, please continue."
She took a breath before continuing. "With endless amounts of Risen at Grima's command, we could not hope to make a stand, even after a draft had been issued and Regna Ferox joined the fight. My mother managed to form an alliance with the nations of Valm, but Grima discovered the alliance and began to ravage Valm instead. As Plegia was the only country on the Ylissean continent with ships left and large armies of Risen continued to assault us after Grima's departure, we were not able to travel to Valm to aid them, and few soldiers of any nationality managed to escape to Ylisse. Fortunately, Grima's attention had been diverted to Valm before he could devastate either Ylisse or Ferox completely, so we were able to build up our armies."
"What of the nations of Tellius?" Ike inquired. "I find it hard to believe that Crimea would sit on its hands while the apocalypse rages."
"I do not know what befell the other continents, however Grima spent several years abroad, presumably ravaging them. Many refugees came to Ylisse seeking a safe haven from his wrath, and after a few years the Risen armies had been largely wiped out. Once we had rebuilt our forces, we began to focus on how to defeat Grima. As the Fire Emblem itself had been left in Plegia due to the betrayal of the Shepherds and already had four of the five gemstones, the plan was to muster all forces for a push into Plegia to recover it and search for the last gemstone, and perform the Awakening once that was done. I was drilled relentlessly on how to perform the Awakening in preparation as I was the oldest member of the Exalted bloodline alive that could wield Falchion."
"It seems like a feasible plan to me. What happened?" Robin asked.
"We recovered the Fire Emblem, but one of the gemstones was destroyed. In addition, Grima discovered our plan."
"What? How is that possible? The gems are imbued with the power of Naga herself, they are indestructible!" Marth exclaimed.
"I know not how, Marth. Without any hope of performing the Awakening and Grima's wrath refocused upon us the end came quickly. All our preparations were for naught; though most of the Risen on the Ylissean continent had been exterminated during the Interbellum, as the period after Grima's departure became known as, the Fell Dragon brought legions of them with him upon his return. We were overwhelmed. Naga spoke to us and said there was only one hope: to travel back into the past and alter history so that Grima's resurrection could not come to pass, and that she had spend the Interbellum devising a ritual that would allow us to do so. The four gems in the Fire Emblem would be able to channel enough of Naga's power through an incomplete Awakening to open the portal to the past. I studied the events of the past in as close detail as possible so we would know when to intervene and what to do."
"Wait, so what of the assassins in the palace that you saved me from?" Chrom asked.
"You would have survived the attack, but you would have been left gravely injured. And those injuries would play a part in the tragedies that followed."
"Then you have already changed history, it seems," Ike spoke for the first time in a while.
"If things have indeed changed," Lucina surmised grimly. "I was only able to forestall Emmeryn's death, not prevent it. It seems the river of time favors its original course. Perhaps I did not intervene enough...or the task is simply too great..."
"Don't dwell on these things, you did your best." Chrom gently squeezed her arm.
"Information is the most valuable weapon of war, Lucina. Now that we have prior knowledge of what awaits us, we can aid you in reshaping the future," Robin added. "And you mentioned that there are others who might have made the journey with you. Perhaps we could seek their aid as well; every additional hand we can enlist in our struggle will make the task easier."
She shook her head. "While what army we had left was traveling to Mount Prism so that I could perform the Awakening, we were attacked. My mother, along with all of the other Shepherds with children, held off the Risen long enough for me to complete the ritual and for Naga to open the portal, however they...th-they refused t-to accompany us." She took a minute to compose herself before finishing her narrative. "Only the children entered the portal. I went through first and ended up where we met, but the others entered behind me and I know not of their fate save that they have not shown as of yet. We must fear the worst, especially since none of them have a weapon as robust as Falchion to defend themselves."
"The last thing to die will always be hope, Lucina," Marth said as he stood. "If you have given up hope, then there is no chance of finding them as you will not exert the effort to. But so long as hope remains, so too does the chance that they are alive. Think on the positive side: you have a chance to erase the world you fled from reality. Despite all that you have been through, Lucina, I have faith in you."
"Robin is quite correct in that the forewarning you have given is vital. " The Radiant Hero put a hand on her shoulder, causing the princess to jump slightly at the unexpected touch. "You did the right thing, even if it was hard for you, Lucina. I am honored that such a strong-willed woman has decided to trust me," Ike proclaimed.
"Th-Thank you f-for the advice, Ike," she stammered, still slightly flustered by the contact. He returned her thanks with a brief smile before he left the room with the Hero King.
"Unfortunately, I cannot stay. Tomorrow the veterans have affairs to attend to, and I want to make sure that I am prepared. Goodnight, Lucina," Ike said over his shoulder as he left with Marth.
Robin left with much less wordplay shortly afterwards, leaving Chrom alone with his daughter.
"...Father, about earlier - "
"It's alright. I understand that having people look out for you in this way is a bit of a new thing for you. I just have a question to ask: do you want me to?"
She looked up. "Wh-what?"
"Lucina, I...I feel obligated to make up for the times I wasn't there for you when you were young. For making you go through everything. But if it makes you uncomfortable -oof!" He grunted as she lunged at him and embraced him with a vicelike grip.
"F-father, th-thank you!" she cried into his shoulder. Once she had calmed down, she continued. "I-I'm grateful you feel such an obligation to protect me. But I would prefer that I learn for myself. Experience is often the best teacher."
Chrom chuckled. "I would certainly agree with that sentiment. Very well, Lucina. I shall respect your wish, within certain limits." His eyes narrowed slightly. "I want you to look me in the eyes and listen closely: you are not to date anyone or have intimacies with anyone without my permission, understood?"
"Yes, Father." She wasn't worried about the restriction; this was a tournament after all, not a social event. She was more worried about what her father might do to people like Captain Falcon, although mostly because it would likely land Chrom in trouble with Master Hand.
"Good. I trust that you wouldn't do such a thing behind my back anyways, but I want to be clear where the line is drawn."
"Very well. Goodnight, Father."
"Lucina, before you leave, I have one other matter to discuss. Since the tournament doesn't start for a week, I was planning on returning to Ylisstol until then. Would you like to return with me?"
"Of course I would, Father. I don't think either of us wants to keep this news from Mother." There was a trace of longing in her voice.
"Very well, I will talk to Master Hand and see if we can arrange that after the welcome ceremony tomorrow."
"I appreciate it, Father. Goodnight." Lucina left the room, leaving Chrom to ponder her story. If she had studied recorded events in detail there was bound to be more. Oh well, if Master Hand had taken precautions to ensure that the tournament wouldn't be disrupted by events in Ylisse, he would have time to extract the full story from her. The tale beggared belief, yet he knew with a certainty he rarely felt that it must be true. There was only one Falchion; even Marth's weapon was just an older version of his. And he'd remembered seeing her emerge from a portal in her disguise...circumstances surrounding her arrival were too strange for him to suggest any alternatives, and besides, why would she lie to her father?
"Father..." he sighed audibly as his train of thought switched tracks. "If this is how things have turned out for her, then I failed her just as my father failed Em, Lissa, and I. I vowed never to make the same mistake with my own children...but it seems fate had other ideas."
Lucina didn't blame him for anything that had happened. That alone was more than he could have asked for. Chrom lowered himself to one knee and drew Falchion, holding the weapon by the hilt with his right hand and the flat of the blade in his left. While he considered himself in-line with Ylissean religion, he wasn't one to pray to Naga often outside of public ceremony. But he felt that this was one of those rare times.
"Naga...if you are listening, grant me but one selfish request. Give me the strength to change fate. To give my daughter, both the yet-to-be-born and the woman she will become, a better future than what is in store for them. I may have been a father for less than a day, but I love my daughter more dearly than anyone save my wife. Naga, in your name I pray, give me the strength to protect those dear to me..."
He repeated his prayer twice before standing and heading back to the room he shared with Robin, sheathing his weapon as he left.
Lucina closed the door behind her and removed the fastener for her cape. She then loosened the strap that held her weapon to her and removed it, though she held the scabbard in one hand. The removal of Parallel Falchion's strap was followed by the rest of her attire as she changed into a tunic. Grabbing one of the historical scrolls from her rucksack, she sat down at the desk in one corner of the room and looked around for a candle to light.
There weren't any, but there was a strange-looking device on the desk with a switch of some sort. Remembering something Peach had told her earlier, Lucina flipped it and the desk was bathed in yellow light. Satisfied, Lucina began to study its contents despite having nearly memorized them word-for-word.
"There must have been something overlooked here...the future can be changed...it must be changed..."
Suddenly rather loud and off-key singing came from outside in the corridor. Lucina recognized the voice as Kirby's.
"Hey, shut the hell up, puffball!" Another voice yelled from down the corridor. She wasn't sure, but Lucina guessed it was either Ganondorf or Bowser by the language. Kirby paid no mind and kept singing. A few moments later there was a yell of frustration and a door slamming. The princess couldn't tell what melody the pink creature was singing, but she had to admit he wasn't doing a very good job, which was only making her more distracted.
This continued for a number of minutes until she heard Master Hand's voice ordering Kirby to practice whatever he was singing inside his own room. The two sounded like they had gotten into an argument before Master Hand finally relented and agreed to get him a sack of tomatoes from the kitchen and the hallway had quieted. Relieved that she could get back to her task, Lucina returned her attention to the scroll on the desk in front of her, but her mind was hazy and her eyes read the words without comprehending them. It didn't help that the room was rather warm.
Giving up after a few moments, she rolled the scroll back up, carefully placed it back in her rucksack with the others, turned off the light, and climbed into bed. Despite her weariness the guilt of shirking her duty tugged at her mind. She tried to push it away and get some sleep, but it was a while before her exhaustion overcame it.
"What I wouldn't give sometimes to live as carefree as Kirby..."
Author's Note: I can relate, Lucina.