Chapter Thirteen: The Return to Three

"But it could work! Mother, if we can assume that-"

"Lucina, we cannot assume anything. Any plan worth even thinking about should run off of the least amount of 'coulds' and 'maybes'. Very few plans hold up once the lines hit each other, after all. I will, however, agree that we need a way to draw him out. You're still up for that, I presume?"

"Absolutely. I would give that responsibility to no one else."

"Good. I have a better idea."

"Are you really sure that my idea won't work?"

"Lucina, it's not that I don't think it will work, but rather it's an inefficient use of resources. Besides, stabbing a boy is much like getting married. You should probably ask the parents first, and I think Olivia and Lon'qu would like to have their son in one piece when she meets him for the first time."

In the end, Lucina's original plan had been dismantled past the first phase. Inigo still needed to be drawn out, but once he was in place the objective would become one of extraction and then defeating the opposing army. Stabbing him to fake his death, while capable of inciting the other army into moving out of position, meant that they would be diverting combatants away from the battlefield, something her mother vehemently stood against.

Still, after a night of drafting, it was time to begin the plan. Checking her make-up kit for any last notes, she spotted none and began her final preparations. The first was always Laurent's cape. It was easiest to put on, but still needed to be out of the way. It didn't serve much function in battle, but it was something she had grown accustomed to for so long that not having the particular light weight upon her shoulders. And while it had grown frayed during her time here, she was finally able to have it mended and it was as good as new.

Next was Gerome's eye patch. It was small and easy to put on, but it required just a little adjusting to ensure that Lucina kept her full range of sight. Sliding it over her left eye, she blinked once, twice, checking that her eye was unimpeded and letting herself get used to the two-toned vision she had become accustomed to. Her mind drifted to how it was once a mask that covered her face and how it was broken. But more importantly she remembered how it was saved and repurposed to something just as valuable.

Her eyes fell to her bedroll, tracing the final piece that was given to her from on that morning.

Inigo's shield. It was the one thing that she was unable to part with, even at her mother's insistence. She kept up on its maintenance, making sure that straps and whatever other pieces were replaced as necessary.

Some parts, however, were unable to be truly fixed. The edges of the shield, places where the metal was the thinnest, showed uneven chips from the numerous blows that had slid off the shield. And whereas a dent could eventually be undone, on its face were many deep cuts and scratches. For some of them, she could remember how it had happened despite doing her best to not think about such things.

Picking it up, her fingers traced over a particularly deep slice, one that ran from one side of the shield to the other. This one she could not forget - she had earned it on the day she saved her father on that dam. Chrom and, by extension, she herself might not be alive if it were not for his gift.

And now, after almost three, going on four years, Lucina would see Inigo again.

With one final check up and ensuring that her Falchion was safely tied to her waist, she stepped out of her tent and into the light. It was only through discipline that she was able to command herself to sleep even for a few hours, and they were restless at that. They would finally be reunited with Inigo, and she would have her three back with her.

As she blinked the light away, her eyes settled on the ones gathered in front of her. It was those from her time, the other children who had followed her. She felt her eyes scan around her, taking in their determined gazes, all ready to fight and win not just here, but in the battles that have yet to come. She felt her lips thin when she reminded herself that they were still two short, but another would be re-joining her circle soon.

Severa was still unaccounted for, and for a moment Lucina felt ashamed that she was so anxious over the fact that Inigo would be with her again. As trying as she was at times, Severa was just as vital to their team as all the others were, not to mention that she was a witness to their little game. But unaccounted for was not the same as dead - there were a lot of possibilities, and she would just have to wait. One Shepherd at a time - her Shepherds.

Lucina's gaze fell on Laurent and Gerome.

"As your mother has planned, we are ready to move out," Laurent gave her a quick nod, pushing his glasses up his nose. "We await your orders."

She returned his nod. "Then let's get started." Everyone hummed and murmured in agreeance as they began to handle their own roles. As planned, Lucina, Gerome, and Laurent would take a visible position partway down the hill, exposing themselves to enemy vision. More importantly, there was a small and particular flat plateau that was just open enough to be seen, but high enough that any projectile would be easily reacted to.

And of course, with such a position, being seen was the plan. With those around her, Inigo would realize that she was specifically calling out to him. With any lucky they would draw him out, meaning that afterward they would able to attack freely without fear of accidentally killing him.

But just as her mother detailed, a plan could fall apart just as easily through particular circumstances. While Say'ri was able to provide a basic profile of her brother, even Lucina could tell that the woman was particularly upset at the thought of him. There was also the lack of context as to why Inigo was on the other side of the field as a part of the Valmese force. She highly doubted that he would purposely choose to side against them, yet her curiosity still lingered. Perhaps he was simply obeying due to circumstances?

Once more her mind drifted to the enemy forces. Even now, after several confrontations with the Valmese, Say'ri admitted that she still did not know why her brother sided with the Conqueror. Walhart had taken away their liberty, their dignity as a nation. Were they just following circumstance as well? Had the man's conquering glory won out over everything else, creating such a firm image that even the defeated looked to him as a savior?

Still, as the three of them crested the hill and approached the Chon'sin camp, she shook the thought away. Should things go well enough, she would have plenty of opportunities to discuss these questions. The walk to the particular spot had been silent. Yarne and Kellam were trailing their sides, making use of their unusual talent. Gerome was on edge as he was not with Minerva yet, and while she could hear a light muttering from Laurent, it was for the purpose of keeping his magic about him as opposed to conversation.

As they approached the plateau, Lucina could clearly see that they had been spotted. Enemy lines were beginning to form up, and frantic calling could be heard. It was time to begin. Slowly drawing out her Falchion, she fiercely slammed the tip into the stone beneath her, sending deep cracks through the front of the stone.

With one final breath, she hardened her glare and let her eyes fall onto the soldiers in front of her. The waiting game had begun.

"I am ready, Master Yen'fay."

The words left Inigo's mouth with more anxiety than he hoped to exude. His body swirled with a multitude of emotions that he fought to quell, both joy and fear seeking to dominate his mind. Joy that Lucina lived, but fear in what would happen once he went to meet her. How much had she changed? The last he saw of her was that she had a mask, but now she wore an eyepatch over where her brand was. Her form seemed just a little more full, a little more muscular, a little more feminine, but she still emanated that strong impression from her stance upon that stone.

He bit his lip. How much had he changed, though? His clothes weren't the same, he had grown a little taller and stronger, and he could speak the local language like a native. Even the way he fought with a sword had changed, as Yen'fay had personally drilled and trained him, stamping out any bad habits that he had accumulated under his lack of tutelage. Would Lucina still recognize him as who he was? Would she still see him as the slightly bumbling and shy fool, or would he be an entirely new entity, a mysterious man that looked a little like the boy she once knew?

Raising his head from his kneeling position in the dark command tent, he watched the back of his master rise and fall with a deep breath. "Then let us be on our way. With the flow of the field, it is time to begin our contingency plan."

Everything that they had been building up to was leading to this moment. Inigo had arrived shortly after Chon'sin was conquered by Valm and Lady Say'ri had already fled. After he had told Yen'fay of the expected war, the man began to implement small changes to the nation's military might, things that would not weaken them but rather delay their mobilization. Extra steps in the chain of command, changes in supply routes, weapons development, anything that kept them from joining Valm for a day longer was considered.

And though it was impossible to determine how the war would turn out besides the endpoint, the changes had paid off. While the Valmese forces were able to approach from the northwest and converge onto Fort Steiger, Chon'sin was 'unable' to cut off the Ylisseans in time and now they had a strong position in the current battlefield. Having the high ground, this meant that ranged attacks would have a harder time reaching their forces while they would be at a severe disadvantage against the same tactic. The Chon'sin soldiers would also have to expend more energy into climbing the hill. Even Inigo knew that this would be disastrous of their forces were to stage a frontal attack, even if they had a superior-sized force.

And that was the original plan that the two of them were building off of. After attempting to strike the first blow, Yen'fay was to be pushed back and put into an exposed position, where he would be felled or otherwise rendered objectively obsolete on the battlefield. This would allow the Ylissean forces to obtain victory not just on the battlefield, but also over Chon'sin, effectively removing the nation from the current war. Ylisse would also be able to utilize the nation as a stronger foothold against Valm.

But because of Lucina's opening gambit, that meant that their plan had to change to adapt to the situation as well. But with her positioning, it was clear that her intent was not to fight, at least not yet. And while Inigo was very sure that in this particular case she was calling out to him. The way Laurent and Gerome were positioned around her screamed to him about their original game. A part of him was secretly elated to know that she still remembered.

"Indeed. There are no facts pointing to how Lucina knows I am here, but I am willing to take the risk to meet her," Inigo solemnly replied. "To do otherwise right now feels like it is the wrong course of action."

Yen'fay continued to pace, the metals of his armors sliding against each other with muted clicks. "We have been presented with a unique opportunity. If we play our cards right, Chon'sin shall fall into the right hands."

"And with this particular development," Inigo trailed off. "Would you still choose to have your end be today?"

It was a question that he always asked Yen'fay. No matter how many times they went over the plan, the man seemed set upon his own death. His master explained it time and time again, and each iteration left Inigo bitter and dissatisfied. He was a good man, and talented at that. While he could understand what Yen'fay was hoping for, he felt as though he could not rationalize with it. And now that their sources confirmed that Say'ri was among them, there was no reason to let his blood spill upon the earth.

Another deep breath, another rise and fall of heavy shoulders. "Do you truly wish to have another discussion over this?" His voice was tired, as if troubled by Inigo's refusal to accept his answer.

"It's just…" Inigo let his head fall again, "You've done a lot for me. You've treated me like a son during my time here. Is this really want you want? Your abilities would be well-needed by the Ylissean army. You know this land, you know its customs, you are a man that could be vital to the downfall of Valm. If you were to live-"

"We may be alone in this tent, but Valm has ears. Be careful of what you say," Yen'fay cautiously said. "Still, I will repeat what I have said to you countless times before. To live would be a boon, but I will lay my life down if I must."

He growled in frustration. It would be a waste for this man to pass into history so soon. Even if he was never allowed to wield a sword ever again, the sheer brilliance in him was invaluable. "Atonement does not have to end in death, master. I know you said your sister sees you as an enemy, but that does not mean you must die. We can speak to her. We can explain everything to her."

"And even if I were to explain everything, would she believe me?" Slowly turning to Inigo, Yen'fay set his level gaze upon him. "She has spent the last several years believing that I betrayed Chon'sin as a leader. Simple words will not cure such hate so quickly."

"But won't you at least try?"

Finally, Yen'fay sighed. "Do you remember when I asked about how you arrived here?"

He cautiously nodded, suddenly unsure of where this was all going. "I do. That is not something I could ever forget."

"You had shared everything with me on that day." Yen'fay began to pace once more. "How the future was ruined, and how you had come back to change it. But what I recall the most, though, was how you described Lucina and your devotion to her, that you will walk on water for her."

"And that devotion still stands, master," he felt his own gaze narrow against him, still not understanding what the man wanted to show him. "I can understand that you would do no less for Lady Say'ri, but I'm unsure how this relates to my question."

"Think about the context that you are under, Inigo." The older man stopped his moving, letting his arms fall to his sides. "You would do anything that Lucina might ask of you. If she had full confidence in your ability to bring the head of the enemy to her feet and she asked you to do so, you would do it. You trust and love her so implicitly that you believe she would never willingly throw you away on a fool's errand, not without raising hell herself. She repays your devotion with a level of her own."

"But that is not how the brothers in the story had it. While one brother was happy to give, the other had become embittered by the advisors around him. Distrust and anger replaced the love he had for his brother. For him, not only was it easy to ask his brother to end his life, but he expected his brother to lash out at him, to spill forth with all his hate and dissatisfaction."

"So I ask you this, Inigo. If Lucina were so angered that she demanded your life, would you give it? Or if she were so desperate, with death imminent and the situation so hopeless that she cowered in fear and begged that you stay with her, would you remain by her side at your own expense?"

Inigo's first reaction was to push back, to say that Lucina would never do such a thing. But as his mind churned for memories, he found that no matter how many times she had looked down upon his old habits, she had never really approached the level of animosity that Yen'fay was describing. She had known how valuable he was, even if he seemed foolish at times. He only knew of the confidence and kindness she continued to extend. He did not know its opposite.

Yen'fay must have taken his silence as understanding, as he continued to speak. "This is not just about right or wrong. It is not just about atonement. This is about me as an elder brother caring for his younger sister, no matter how she may feel about me in the end. Just as you will walk on your own water for your Lucina, allow me to walk on mine for Say'ri."

"Then… if it pleases you, allow yourself that. But I have one request," Inigo responded. "If the opportunity were to present itself, where a choice between life and death is available to you, I ask that you choose to live."

A low chuckle permeated the tent, and he looked up to see a wide smile on his master's face. "Even after all that, still you would make such a request from me." Taking another deep breath, he gave a slow response. "I suppose I can consider it." But the man blinked and any sign of humor left almost instantly. "Prior stipulations, however, may ultimately force my hand and take my life."

At that phrase, Inigo felt his jaw set in anger as well, nearly forgetting the conversation he just had. 'Prior stipulations' was just a nice way to mention Excellus, one that he had no patience for. With the way that the toad used Yen'fay's familial bonds against him, it was easy to hate him.

Another low laugh echoed through the tent. "A mere mention of that man, and your countenance changes entirely."

"I am from a time where man could ill afford to conspire against his fellows. Forgive me if I refuse to understand him."

"Don't forget," Yen'fay gently said. "To his knowledge, you had fallen from a portent of Naga, a sign that he cares not for but is required to respect. He knows of you as Tien Sen, but he does not know of you as Inigo."

His master said nothing afterward, but Inigo understood the choice words his master used. To the best Excellus' knowledge, Inigo was just some magical boy, not someone from the future who held the truth to the end of the war. Had the man known that, there would be no doubt that he would have done anything to get his thick fingers around him.

"Still, I think it is best that we begin our contingency plan."

While Lucina was placed in what was visually an exposed position, her mother had done everything to only create the illusion of it. Kellam and Yarne, with their stealth skills that not even she fully understood, were already flanking the sides of the makeshift pedestal that she stood upon. Further back, Cynthia, Sumia, Cordelia, and Gerome's wyvern were in position to pick up the three of them should the enemy attempt to attack. Cherche offered her own air support for evacuation as well, but surprisingly Yarne turned it down, stating that he would be faster running back up the slope itself.

Afterward, those with artillery capabilities were placed closer towards the front than usual to provide a first-strike response while also granting them a clear view of priority targets. Robin had marked what appeared to be the new location of the supply tent, clearly indicating that it was to be the first thing to be destroyed. That way if they fought a prolonged battle they would have lesser tools to work with.

And finally, heavy infantry was placed just behind the crest of the hill. Should the enemy rise to meet them at the top, this meant that after expending all of their energy to reach it they would now have to expend even more to push back a shield wall formation that was fresh and hellbent on pushing them back down the rocky earth slope. And as this was looking to be their third major confrontation, all greenhorns were either no longer fully green or no longer with them. Only experienced troops would meet them at the top.

And finally, Robin and Chrom had disguised themselves among the front of the line, ready to let their pair of swords cut through the air should anyone come to even try and harm their daughter. And while Lady Say'ri may not have shared their parental concerns for her, she was expecting to see her brother be among those at the front of the line, hoping to be the one that ended him for his betrayal.

For all intents and purposes, Lucina felt very well protected despite standing alone upon the rock. And yet her own heart beat madly. Battle always brought a certain fear to her, one that she had grown used to quashing down after a deep breath. Having been trained to fight when she was young and then forced to fight since the middle of her teenage years, combat was something she had grown used to.

It troubled her that she found war and death more commonplace than bringing herself to sort out her feelings regarding Laurent and Gerome. She had spent the most time with Laurent and she appreciated his thoughtfulness, but Gerome was beginning to slowly grow past his shell, letting his guard down and she enjoyed watching his growth. Both served loyally under her, and proved themselves to be more than satisfactory in the eyes of her mother.

And now that Inigo was hopefully going to present himself to her, questions sprung up in her mind, questions that she had put off for gods know how long. How much had changed since then? Was he still a little boyish in his looks? Did he still flirt with women, even after he proclaimed that he wished to court her? Why was he on the other side of the battlefield when everyone else tried to locate her?

Did he carry a scar from that arrow, all those years ago? Had he been in this world for years of time for him, just as it was years for her?

She had to stop herself from fiddling with the strap of her shield a total of six times since she had taken her place atop the stone outcrop. And if Gerome had not spoken, she would have had to stop herself a seventh time.

"Their lines are parting."

She felt a deep breath swell beneath her chest as Laurent adjusted his glasses. "As expected, it's Inigo, though it would appear that Yen'fay is walking with him. It would appear that the two of them may share some form of relation. But what's strange is that they come alone. They have no supporting forces traveling with them."

"Are you sure?" she cautiously asked? "Do either of you see any movement within their ranks?"

"No," Gerome replied. "It looks like they've been ordered to hold their position."

"Then it's just those two…" Lucina trailed off. She closed her eyes, gulped, and reopened them. She didn't know why, as it did nothing to delay the oncoming pair, and neither did it quell any of her fears or concerns. All she could do was stare out of her eye patch as the two men grew larger and larger in her vision. Her eyes traced them as the drew closer, and soon she could hear the rocking and rolling of the red pebbles beneath their feet. The sound of slightly labored breath, controlled but deep breathing, reached her ears.

Inigo's hair remained the same, a deep off-black color that matched that of Lon'qu's hair, like dark smoke. His body frame remained the same - tall and almost just a little wirey. And while Lucina had no way to tell if he was all muscle behind his clothes, she noted that the Chon'sin-style garbs hung well from his shoulders. And he was still just a little boyish.

But that was the extent of the similarities. The immediate difference were the clothes he wore. While she had seen him in mercenary gear in the Ylissean style, these were traditional soldier clothing of the Chon'sin region without its armor. Straight pants tucked into medium length boots, a long-sleeved robe held in place by a wide belt-like cloth.

Perhaps what was most glaring, however, was the way he held himself. As he had walked towards her, his left hand always rested upon the pommel of his blade. His back was straight, like he was confident in himself that was unfamiliar to Lucina. And finally his weapon was different. Gone was the chipped and scratched straight sword that he nicked from a deceased soldier all those years ago. In its place was a katana with a gentle curve. And while he was no slouch when it came to weapons maintenance, there were some things that just couldn't be fixed in their future. Uneven edges, blade sizes too large or small for the particular wielder, a tattered sheath leaving the metal exposed. But here, every part of his weapon was immaculately kept in shape.

It was the image of a perfect soldier. While Inigo was skilled prior to their return, he never appeared this capable. Where she previously knew that he stood no chance against Kjelle in a match, it was now something she was tempted to see. At the very least, Lucina knew that if the two of them were to square off the difference between the two of them in terms of skill might not exist anymore.

By the time she was done appraising him, Inigo had already drawn close. Looking down at him, she looked at his angled head as it swiveled from side to side. She wanted Laurent or Gerome to speak first. Or hopefully Inigo would take that leap and begin their conversation. Just standing and waiting was not her expertise. She was a woman of action, but here, surrounded by the trio in a silent duel of the hearts, hesitation reared its head.

But she was saved. With a heavy yet light-hearted sigh, more theatrical than necessary, Inigo extended his hands and playfully shrugged.

"What, no smile for old Inigo?"

His voice was still the same, and she couldn't help but smile.

A/N: Oh boy, where do I begin? I think I'll start with a thank-you for everyone that has been patient and still following this story. Over the past eight or so months since when this was last updated, I was drawn away by my RWBY story, "A Harsh Lesson". And it probably seemed unfair - how could I write thirteen chapters for a new story in the span of eight months when I struggled to do the same amount in almost three years? I'll be honest, I'm mad at myself over that as well.

But I think I know the answer - poor planning. For my RWBY story, I had decided to plot as much as I can. I would plan chapter one all the way to the end of the story. Then I would fill in the gaps in between, write notes to myself, dive into the characters more, and develop my groundwork. My end result was that I knew what I was going to write for about eight percent of my story, and for the remaining twenty percent that was easy enough to either visualize what was needed to connect two points in the story together. This meant that at every point in my story, I knew exactly what I was going to do next and what needed to be done to get there. The only changes really were just additional scenes to flesh out the characters. Very few major alterations needed to be done.

For this story, while I did do as many notes as possible, I had only gone about halfway with the planning, if even that much. I had an endpoint, a few key events in the middle, and a start, but nothing else in between. This meant that I had nothing to work off of past the first few chapters, which made it increasingly hard to update at times. When I think about it, I did the exact same method of Planning for "True Grit" and "Letters for Cordy" but it worked in those stories because the former was the last twenty percent of the game while the latter followed its own timeline. I didn't have to tie my character's growth into a canned timeline and make it match up with what was happening. In here, I'm going off of maybe half of the in-game story, meaning I have to adapt even more and should have planned more. And it didn't help that I was taking the characters through Valm, which is definitely one of the weaker points in the FE:A story line.

As a result from my poor planning, I ended up altering quite a few things, especially for this chapter. For example, I was originally going to have Lucina stab Inigo, which was meant to reference what she learned while she was on her boat ride over, all the way from chapter five. This would then cause the Chon'sin forces to attack. But then I realized how dumb of an idea that was, and I rightfully make fun of it in the opening of this chapter. But perhaps the real headache to this chapter was Yen'fay. Lucina would still get Inigo to come out, but then in the back of my mind, Yen'fay's true objective isn't survival, but to protect Say'ri. If he could guarantee her protection, then he would never have continued to obey Valm. But then if Yen'fay lives, that's another character I have to think about writing, as he plays a strong role with Inigo.

I guess it just goes to show how important planning is. And if it helps, here's an image for you. For the past eight months I've wondered quite a bit about this story as much as I have others. Last week or so I finally sat down and did at least some minor mapping for the next upcoming chapters. And because I knew what the upcoming events would be about, I was able to get this out in three days. I can't guarantee that my focus will be on this story, but I can say that proper planning helps make it easier to write for it.

Anyway, reviews!

Guest: Owain has a tendency to be in the spotlight as himself and not so much a supporting character to another, so I definitely know what you mean. The way I'm writing the children in here make them all feel a lot more involved with each other instead of one-off mentions. I think I'm still guilty of that at times, though, but ultimately I think it's enjoyable to have Lucina observe them and establish who they are in relation to each other. It's a bit more dynamic and makes their interactions carry more weight.

Acqua Sole: I think I agree with you that chapter twelve really was good. I'm not too sure if this chapter is on par with it, however, as it's more of a set-up chapter. There's not as much character development as a result, but it opens the way for more later.

Anyway, a lot of set-up for the next chapter. Hopefully it won't take me as long to put up the next one. But again, a lot of fanfic projects are on the table. I literally go to work, then come home and try to write and then it's suddenly 9pm and I remember that I still need to eat dinner. Sometimes I wonder if I still play video games...

Regardless, leave a review! Numbers are my friends and a constant source of encouragement. And as usual, cya around!

I do not own Fire Emblem.