DISCLAIMER: FIRE EMBLEM AND ITS CHARACTER BELONG TO NINTENDO.
Words are Weapons
On the way back to Port Ferox, the Shepherds had decided to set up camp outside a nearby town after 3 days of almost nonstop travel. They would stay the night for some much needed rest, then proceed on the journey and arrive at Port Ferox the following night.
Although time was of the essence given the Valmese were slowly but surely preparing to send another much larger invasion fleet, Chrom thought it best for their morale to give them a small break before they set out for what would surely be a long, grueling war.
Lucina, having finished pitching her tent, strolled through the campsite.
Various Shepherds were scattered around going about their business. Cordelia and her mother were tending to the horses and pegasi. Libra was in the mess hall, waiting for a fire to be started in order to begin preparing meals. Some others had gone into town to enjoy their last free day before beginning their arduous journey.
She observed Frederick trying to start a campfire and decided to approach him. Frederick had long been a trusted family friend, and had been given the task of watching over Chrom and aunt Lissa by her late aunt Emmeryn. Taking his duty to heart, he had devoted himself to their safety with almost eerie gusto. His skeptic nature and constant paranoia over the Royal Family had earned him the nickname 'Frederick the Wary'. Lucina knew his overprotectiveness led to a habit of running background checks on newcomers or anyone trying to associate themselves with her father, so she figured he might be able to provide some insight on a certain someone.
"Afternoon, Frederick."
The man usually clad in blue armor looked up, " Ah, good afternoon milady. How can I be of assistance?"
"Oh, I was just on a stroll. Although I do plan on doing some training with my father after he's finished with his duties." she replied.
"Ah, very nice. I'm glad to see you're taking measures to maintain and improve your well being." he said with a smile, as he continued placing blocks of wood into the fire pit.
"...Actually, I was hoping to ask you about some things." she started.
"Of course, I'd be glad to be of any help," said Fredrick, giving her his full attention.
"Well you see... it's about.. your tactician," Lucina said.
"Don't you mean our tactician?" he smiled.
She returned the smile. She was still getting use to being a member of the heroic Shepherds, whom she admired so much growing up. To think that'd she'd one day be able to fight alongside them and her parents in the same (possibly?) battles she'd heard about in countless bedtime stories was like a dream come true.
"Oh, yes. I see I've still some adjusting to do."
"So, why the interest in Robin? He hasn't done anything to bother you has he? His words towards you a few nights back were... quite brash of him."
"No, no. It's not about that. While I do agree , I must admit I am a bit... grateful to him," she said quietly, with a hint of embarrassment.
"Grateful, milady?"
"It's nothing." she said. "Rather, I wanted to, well... know more about him. I mean, he does seem to be on good terms with my father and he's got quite the responsibility."
She had added that last bit to mask her suspicions of the tactician.
"Hmmm, well let's see." Frederick began, a contemplative look upon his face. " At first glance, Robin appears to be the gentle type, but don't let that fool you."
Lucina leaned in closer. Had she already found what she'd been searching for?
"As of late, he's become more outspoken and he's picked up quite the habit of poking fun at people. I blame it on his time with the others, namely Vaike and Gaius. Fortunately, he rarely steps over bounds with his japes, as he does care greatly for the Shepherds. He listens well to what everyone has to say, and much like myself, tries to be of as much as help as he can. In turn, the Shepherds respond warmly to him, putting up with his small jokes as they know he's just being friendly. Besides, we've all found a few ways to get him flustered ourselves." he said with a smile.
Lucina's shoulders fell slightly. Perhaps Robin truly had nothing to hide.
"Much like the rest of us, I consider him a good friend. Thinking back to the days when we first met him, I feel rather guilty. Because of his peculiar origins, I mistook him for some assailant, dispatched to bring harm to your father. Eventually I found his actions to be genuine an-" Frederick was abruptly cut off.
"Peculiar origins? Do you mind going into detail? for example, when you met?" said Lucina, a bit too enthusiastically.
Frederick shot an odd look at the blue haired princess. Her apparent fixation with Robin was a bit strange, but he complied.
"*ahem* Yes of course. You see, your father, Lissa and I had been on our way back home when we found a young man on the side of the road."
Lucina nodded, leaning in once more.
"It was Robin, and he appeared to have been sleeping for some time. After your father and Lissa woke him up, he addressed your father by his name. Now take into consideration that we had never met him prior to that day. What more, he seemed to have no idea where he was, claiming to not even know about our country of Ylisse. He was afflicted by a condition you would call amnesia."
"Amnesia?" Lucina echoed in surprise.
"Yes, and quite a bad case if I might add. He had no recollection of any events before we had woke him, taking a few minutes to even remember his own name. At this point you can clearly see why I considered him to be a threat. But knowing the man your father is, he warmly offered him aid. After a brief introduction, we noticed smoke rising from the nearby town. It had been attacked by a group of bandits. Your father, Lissa and I headed over to town to put a stop to them, bringing Robin along, much to my displeasure." Frederick paused to look up at her.
She nodded, urging him to continue.
"It was there that we discovered Robin's skill in battle. He had on him, a simple sword and a magic tome. They were hidden within his plegian coat. Had I seen the weapons earlier, I might've cut him down where he stood. However, the situation with the bandits demanded as much help as we could get, with us separated from the rest of the Shepherds at the time. So, your father requested that Robin fight alongside us. It was evident that he had some experience wielding a sword, but his true strength lied in his adept skill at magic. Vastly outnumbered, the battle was rough to say the least. It was only when Robin had pleaded to take command of our small squad that the flow of the battle began to slowly tip in our favor. He claimed to have noticed small behavioral details and patterns in enemy movements and informed us that he would be able to put the knowledge to use. Your father putting his trust in him once again in the small time we had known him, agreed to the idea. We eventually won the battle thanks to smart use of cover and outmaneuvering the enemy in the many small alleyways. With not a single innocent life lost and the only damage being some pillaged shops and a small fire, we were, needless to say, impressed with his results. Although I too shared your father's admiration for Robin's skill, it gave me only more to suspect him of. But those are days long gone. I do feel slightly ashamed for having been so hard on him, but I was only doing what I believed was best for your family's safety. Now that I think of it, it was that very night in which we had our first encounter with you, still going by the name Marth. I'm sure you know of the rest after that." Frederick finished.
"Do you really believe Robin can be trusted? ...errr, as our tactician I mean." she saved last second.
"I have no doubts. There is none other we Shepherds would rather trust our lives with than he."
Lucina thought over everything Frederick had told her. 'Apparently Robin has no memories from before the day he met my father. He was found armed and wearing the clothes of an enemy country, not to mention he somehow knew my father's name. Like Frederick, I was definitely justified in being suspicious of him. But even Frederick trusts him now...'
It seemed the story had brought Lucina more questions than answers. She feels that it only fed her suspicion of Robin. The fact that she, her father, and he had all crossed paths the very same day seemed almost too convenient to be a simple coincidence. However, if Robin was able to earn the full trust of even 'Frederick the Wary', he was either a master deceiver, or genuine in his claims. She didn't know what to believe anymore. She decided that despite Frederick's honest testimony, she would try to find out just what kind of man Robin was for herself.
"I see. That was quite the tale. That's all I needed for now. Thank you for your time Frederick," she said.
"Not at all, I'm happy to have helped. Now if you'll excuse me, I've a fire to start and I fear I've kept Libra waiting for too long."
Lucina left Frederick to his duty and continued her stroll through camp.
"Ughhh," Robin groaned as he lifted his head from his desk.
He had just woken up after he had fallen asleep going over some possible strategies he could employ against the Valmese forces.
From what he's heard from Virion, Basilio and Flavia, the Valmese were fierce fighters who prided themselves in their cavalry, known to be the world's best. It was for this reason he suggested that they take the fight to them and intercept their invasion force at sea. On board ships, their cavalry's power would be severely limited, evening the odds a bit. Unfortunately, another problem was the sheer number of troops that they possessed. No matter how skilled the Shepherds were, he knew this war couldn't be won through brute force alone. Faced with the stress, he quietly decided. Trickery, underhanded tactics and sabotage weren't dishonorable, but vital. Too many lives depended on him to even concern himself with his pride. He wasn't pleased at all with his conclusion, but war is ugly. He knew that very well.
His thoughts focused back to thinking of ways to gain the upper hand.
'...'
'...'
'Wait... even aboard ships, the Valmese are sure to have more soldiers than we do. Cavalry is their strength, lots of soldiers means plenty of horses. But at sea, they'll be dismounted... meaning they'd have to keep their horses below deck somewhere...'
But before Robin could continue his train of thought, "Robin. You up?" Chrom said as he peeked his head through the flaps of the tent.
"No."
"Ha Ha. Anyways, I was wondering if you were up for some training."
"Right now? I was in the middle of discovering a chink in the Valmeses' armor. And didn't we stop over to get some rest?"
"Compared to how much strain you've been putting on your head the last few days, I think getting your body moving for a bit does count as rest. Besides, you gave me permission to execute you if you didn't join me for training remember? Hahah," Chrom chuckled.
"Fine, fine. I suppose you're right, just give me a second."
"That's the spirit, I've been meaning to see how much progress you've made with your swordwork after Lon'qu's training."
Robin turned over to his desk to jot down one last note. 'Naval Battle: Horses?'
He grabbed his sword and followed Chrom out.
The two walked to corner of camp where the training grounds had been set up.
"So Chrom, ready for a beat down? I'm not the pushover I was 2 years ago," Robin said with a smug expression.
"Haha, give the guy a sword to swing around for a couple years, now he thinks he's ready to play with the big kids."
"Hah, oh I did a lot more than just swing a sword around. You wouldn't believe the training regimen Feroxis go through. I'm proud to say I've made quite the transformation. I think you'll at least be on your toes this time around" Robin chuckled.
"I see you've grown quite sure of yourself, but who said I was the one you'd be facing off with?"
"Huh?" Robin asked, as the training grounds came into view.
At the end of the field, he saw Lucina mercilessly destroying a practice dummy with a flurry of hits.
"You've got to be joking" Robin said, almost pitying the wooden dummy.
"Hahaha, she'll make a fine opponent. Besides, I've sensed some tension between the two of you. As one of my best friends and my daughter, I want both of you to get along. And what better way to forge bonds than to trade cold hard steel?"
"A sit down over a cup of tea would do the job just fine." Robin muttered.
"I hope you're not suggesting I let you take my little girl out on a date now, are you?" Chrom asked, pretending to look accusatory.
"Very funny. By the way Chrom, how's your back feeling?"
Chrom turned red at the jab at his age.
"...T-this father business doesn't really make me look... old does it?"
"I wonder. Now that you mention it, is that a white hair I see growing on you?"
After she decided the wooden dummy had been punished enough, Lucina turned to see her father, who was clutching at strands of his hair, and Robin walking up to her.
"Hello father, and Robin," she added. "Are you all set for our sparring session?"
"Change of plans Lucina. Turns out filling out all those documents for our campaign left my hands a bit sore." he lied.
Lucina gave a disappointed expression.
"However, Robin over here has volunteered to fill in for me." said Chrom with a grin on his face.
She shot Robin a quisitive look.
"I'm looking forward to it." Robin said, trying to sound enthusiastic.
"Very well... as am I" she said.
"Oh, and Lucina? Robin's become quite the master swordsman recently, so there's no need for you to go easy on him."
Robin's eyes bulged slightly then shot to Chrom," What are you doing? Are you trying to get your tactician killed?" he whispered to him, hoping that name dropping his title would get his friend to reconsider.
Chrom smirked, "I'll have you know, I plan on staying in my prime for years to come," he replied, clearly still hung up on the 'age' pun.
Lucina spoke up, "Fine with me. After all... only the finest is worthy of taking my father's place." she said, still rather unsure if Robin had lived up to her father's claim.
"Then you shouldn't be disappointed." Chrom finished.
With each word out of the two's mouth, Robin could feel himself slowly begin to die inside.
After both having put on proper protection in the form of light, yet sturdy armor, they moved to their battlegrounds.
Robin took a deep breath and moved to the end of the field a few paces opposite Lucina.
He drew his favored bronze sword, which had been specially reinforced by an esteemed Feroxi blacksmith, courtesy of Lon'qu.
"You're still lugging that thing around?" Chrom asked from the side of the field, unaware of the special customizations the sword had undergone. "It seems a tad unsuitable for a swordsman of your caliber" Chrom finished, driving his joke home.
"Lon'qu taught me a sword must have a special bond with its master. What finer sword than the one I began with?," Robin replied, eyes now glued to the blue haired princess across from him.
Lucina unsheathed her Falchion then got into the same iconic stance her father often took. Her eyes focused intently on Robin, awaiting any movements.
Robin decided that in spite of his previous attitude, he'd go all out during the fight. Lucina was a formidable opponent, and he needed to see how far he'd come after all of his hard work.
After a few seconds of staring down one another, Robin took the initiative and rushed forward. Lucina followed suit only a split second after.
Robin swung his sword down, but Lucina blocked it with little effort. Sliding his sword to the side, she followed up with a spinning horizontal swing.
Robin flawlessly dodged the slash, and then another.
Chrom was impressed. Robin's agility and footwork improved quite substantially. Perhaps his gloating held some merit after all.
After a few more dodges, Lucina seemed to have grown tired of the little game, her swings beginning to pick up speed at an incredible rate.
Robin quickly decided that it was much more practical to block and deflect such a flurry rather than attempt to dodge.
Between blocks, Robin couldn't help but notice how much her fighting style resembled Chrom's. To say she simply emulated him would be an understatement. From the angle of her strikes, to the way she'd move about the opponent. They all had belonged to Chrom. It was then Robin thought of just how much she loved her father. She lost him in her future, but it was apparent she carried his spirit within her blade.
"Gyahh" Robin grunted blocking another swing.
And although her style was almost identical to that of Chrom's, it was hard to explain, but it felt different as well. Chrom fought with a sense of purpose. He swung his blade precisely, and kept his emotion well under control, never underestimating the enemy.
While Lucina's blows still carried that same sense of purpose and caution, he felt something else from her. She gave off the same air as that of a cornered animal. Her strikes carried desperation. He understood the reason behind this from what info she gave about her past. Living in such a hellish future, she knew any moment could be her last. She gave each strike her all. It was kill or be killed. She must have felt the burden of an entire world on her shoulders, and it showed in how she fought. However, she was not just some cornered animal fighting for its life. Such an animal would act erratically with no sense of thought. Lucina showed none of that. Her strikes while desperate, carried lots of grace. Whether she was aware of it or not, it seems as if she was able to channel a portion of that burden into her blade, and she struck like that of a woman refusing to let victory slip her by. Rather than stay as the prey, she used her desperation in such a manner that she had turned the situation around and become the predator. Robin quietly admired what he believed to be the young woman's resolve.
The sounds of metal clashing fired off.
Lucina was overpowering and forcing back Robin who could do nothing but continue his guard.
With her speed, he could find no openings in her form. He had to be patient. He slowly waited for her to make even the slightest change in her pattern.
The moment Lucina had slowed down for just a second due to strain of keeping up such an assault for so long, Robin quickly ducked under her blade as it came ripping across.
He kicked his right foot backwards, spinning himself across the floor, attempting to sweep her leg.
Lucina had jumped back just in time to avoid it.
Although he had failed to topple her, Robin was successful in ending her barrage and creating some space.
Although partially out of breath, he knew she also must've tired herself out and he sought to take full advantage of it.
He rushed her once again and let out a series of slashes of his own.
Lucina, still catching her breath, blocked his attacks, albeit with less ease than before.
Robin's blade danced with great speed in small but abrupt intervals. The lag between each quick swing was meant to leave the enemy moving to guard against the next slash a moment too early, which he punished them for.
Lucina felt Robin's determination. His blade had almost perfectly mimicked that of a Feroxi myrmidon such as Lon'qu himself. She recalled not ever having observed him fight on the front lines much during the war in Plegia, preferring to use magic at a distance. Considering what her father was saying, he must have undergone immense training during the time following Gangrel's defeat.
"Hyah" she yelled, fending off a downwards chop.
She didn't want to admit, but she herself was a bit astounded at the level of skill he had reportedly achieved in only 2 years of presumably interrupted practice. She felt that it was due to his lack of memory that caused him to learn at such an incredible pace. It wasn't that he learned quicker because his memory had more room to spare, it was far different from that type ofreasoning. She suspected that as a man with no past, he was desperately gripping onto anything he could in order to forge an identity for himself. It seemed a bit pitiful to her. A man with nothing to lose, but everything to gain.
"Hagh!" she yelled, reflecting his strike with more force than before, attempting to throw off his balance and disrupt his offensive.
She felt his unbridled determination with every swing. The man had certain look to his eyes. His eyes were definitely those of one ready to strike down any who got in his way... yet they were not those of a man who had the sole intention to kill. She felt his blade clash onto hers with tremendous speed and purpose. And then, she had come to a certain realization about him. She was beginning to suspect that the formation of identity was not the reason behind his taking up of the sword. He was already established as Yliss' premier tactician, his name having spread throughout the halidom. No, she was beginning to believe the man had taken such measures to better himself for the sake of the Shepherds rather than because of some identity crisis. As the company's tactician, he held his lives in their hands. She could only imagine how he must have felt always standing at the back, while having to watch his friends put their lives at risk on the front lines. He longed to stand beside them in the heat of battle. A man with such determination, who had spent his time honing skills only to knowingly put himself at risk for the sake of knowing he could be of even more aid to his comrades than he already had been. He was a true force to be reckoned with. She felt that even though her opinion of him had only budged by just a bit, she found a small bit of admiration for the man who'd go to such lengths for her father and everyone else.
However, she had burdens of her own. She could not allow her sentiment to cause her to drop her guard by even an inch. And as good as Robin may have seemed, she knew he still had a long way to go.
Having caught her breath, she began to shift to the offensive. She began slipping in attacks of her own in between blocks.
The one sided assault had now grown into an even exchange.
The princess and tactician went at it with all their might, trading attacks at a staggering pace, both slowly trying to circle around the other.
Robin thrust his blade forward at the blue haired woman.
She side stepped the attack and spun to bring her blade down onto his side.
Robin ducked, the speed of her missed swing slightly throwing Lucina off. He took the opportunity to push her with his plated shoulder, once again hoping to topple her.
Lucina was knocked forward, but rather than allowing herself to fall, she used the momentum and dove into a roll. She quickly spun around and launched into the air with tremendous power.
As she fell, she swung her blade down in a vertical motion, causing her to repeatedly flip forward, blade out, in a deadly display of the trademark Royal Ylissan Swordplay.
Robin just barely blocked the extraordinary attack leaving the two standing in front of one another, blades locked and fighting for dominance.
Lucina pressed down hard on her blade, trying to take control.
Robin knew he was in trouble, he felt fatigue slowly working its way across his body, while she still looked as lively as ever.
And for the first time since the match had begun, she spoke up, " I must admit, you're much better than I had made you out to be."
Robin grinned," Thanks.. , you're just as strong as... that monster of a father of yours..." Robin said in between breaths.
"Don't let it get to your head though, you've still a long way to go. And judging by how you can barely speak, this fight's end is near." she said.
Robin let out a smirk," Heh... you forget princess," A look of displeasure formed on Lucina's face. "even right now... I'm not merely a swordsman."
Lucina looked at him suspiciously, putting down more force onto her blade.
"A tactician's always... got to have... something up their sleeve.."
'what's he babbling about now? Is this some ploy to get me to back off and create space?' Lucina thought to herself.
They continued their struggle for a moment more, Lucina slowly pushing him back further and further, until...
"You know I must admit... You've grown up quite well..."
'what?' Lucina quietly thought, redness spreading at the words' possible implications'.
"I would've never guessed... during all those times your parents had me... change your diapers.."
With that, the fight had come to a close.
But not how one might think.
Robin felt the force from Lucina's blade die immediately as the words left his mouth.
The very thought of this dastard changing the diapers of her infant self was too much for Lucina to handle.
Lucina's pale face had flushed bright red in a split second, every negative emotion imaginable plastered upon her face.
Robin was about to use the opportunity to seal the match, but the look in the eyes that were currently burning holes into his, had paralyzed him.
If it were possible for looks to kill, then Robin would have surely just failed his mission to defeat Walhart.
As he slowly lowered his sword in stupor, Lucina slapped him with such ferocity, that the ensuing clap could have surely been heard from the afterlife.
She immediately turned around and left, leaving the tactician to wallow in the stinging pain across his face.
"You get points for using your head but... I don't blame her. That was a pretty dirty tactic. Effective, but dirty." Chrom said, scratching his head nervously.
"Ughhh... just leave me... here for a bit" said Robin, fatigue consuming his body.
"Although, I don't ever remember having you ...errrr change her diapers"
"I didn't. Tacticians... have to to be able... to think quick on their feet."
"Well, your quick thinking just earned yourself a world of troubles"
The Following Morning
The Shepherds were almost finished packing up and were about to continue their trip back to Port Ferox.
Lucina had just the left the mess hall. A soft smile of content on her face. She deeply enjoyed the simple things, such as breakfast with her mother and father, that she had so long missed. Having already decided to have dove head first into the fray and fight alongside her parents, despite what this means for the future, she figured she would make the most of the situation and experience everything she had missed with them in the past years.
She suddenly felt a pang of guilt. She had just thought of her sister, whom had gone missing with the rest after arriving here. Why should she get to enjoy their parents company, while her sister, who fought through every bit as much as her, had yet to be found? Before the thoughts could swallow her, she shook her head.
She wouldn't let these thoughts pull her down any longer. She made the decision to stay and she would stand by it. She had to have hope. She needed to believe her sister and the others were fine. She had spent the last 2 years scouring the entire continent of Yliss, trying to find any hint of where the others could be. Alas, the search ended in bitter failure.
However Naga had assured them that they all would be sent back here. The fact of the matter was that they were indeed somewhere in the world, and she had a feeling she knew where. After searching all of Yliss and coming up empty, there was a place she'd yet to have the opportunity of visiting. Valm, and as luck would have it, the current destination of the Shepherds, where they sought to put an end to Walhart's conquest. The continent of Valm was just as massive as Yliss. All things considered, it was almost certain that they were there. They would find them.
With faith renewed, Lucina headed back to her tent to finish packing up.
"Lucina!" someone had yelled.
She looked over her shoulder, to find Robin, jogging towards her.
Remembering their bout, she snapped her head back in disgust and sped forward to her tent.
"Lucina! Wait!" she felt him gently grab her arm, to which she instinctively pulled away.
Figuring he wouldn't let up in his pursuit, she turned around to face him, arms crossed.
"What?" she spat sharply.
Robin spoke, eyes cast down, "I-I just wanted to apologize"
He finally looked up at her to see her incredibly annoyed face.
"Lucina, I'm sorry about yesterday, truly. I'm very, deeply sorry. I-I overstepped my bounds and had said something incredibly distasteful. I didn't wish to upset you as much as I did"
"So you mean to tell me that you did mean to upset me though, correct?" she quickly retorted.
Robin mentally kicked himself for his poor wording,"No! I didn't! It's just that in the heat of battle, it just came up."
"..."
" If I had known..."
"..."
"What I mean to say..."
"..."
"...nevermind."
'nevermind?' Lucina looked at him, puzzled.
"There's no excuse for what I did. It was incredibly rude of me, and you have every right to be angry. I realize we've just met, and that I shouldn't have gotten too comfortable. I justed wanted to let you know how sorry I am..."
"..." Lucina thought it over.
"If it makes you feel better, my other cheek remains untouched..."
She slapped her forehead softly and let out a sigh.
"...Fine".
Robin smiled,"Thank you! I promise something like that won't happ-"
"Tell me something." she cut in.
Robin looked up at her
"Why did you feel the need to resort to that? You put up quite the fight, I can tell you were giving your best." she asked.
Robin thought about it for a moment, Lucina staring at him, waiting for an explanation.
"Well, because..." Robin started, trying to find the words to explain.. " I guess it was because what I said yesterday rang true.."
"Please explain"
"On the battlefield, I wasn't just a swordsman. Before any other role, I'm the Shepherd's tactician. You tell me I gave my best... and I did. That was me. If it it were a real fight and it meant ensuring victory and everyone's well being, I'd have to have taken it..."
"But to stoop to something so.. so low? so.. personal?"
"I guess it's just... preparation for things to come.." Robin continued somberly, after a long pause.
Taking note of his hurt expression, Lucina decided to ease off a bit. "...What do you mean?" she asked, a bit gentler.
"The war.. Valm.. Their forces massively outnumber ours. As much as I'd love to hope the 'good guys' will always be there to save the day, I've seen too much fighting to be so naive..."
Lucina let him continue.
"Given the odds we have, and how important it is for us to win this, there may very well be a time where I, as our tactician, may have to resort... to some very terrible things." he finished, dead eyes cast towards the distance.
It seems she had vastly understated the burdens that he wore upon his shoulder. She knew very well herself just how corrosive that type of thinking could be. The man not only troubled himself with ensuring the Shepherds were all safe, but to some extent, he showed some compassion for the enemy. The two ideas were completely conflicting. It was enough to tear apart the psyche of even the most resilient of men.
Of course, it seemed foolish to even care about those who were coming to take away your homes. But for once, putting herself in his shoes, she figured the blood that could end up on his hands from even the most brilliant strategy was enough reason to second guess. As much as she'd like to slap him out of it and remind him of the consequences of such thought, she too could not say for sure if she'd be able to live with such guilt.
Unsure of what to think, or to say, Lucina remained silent.
Without thinking, and surprising even herself, she lifted her hand to rest on the sullen man's shoulder as she looked down at her feet.
It was the only form of comfort she could offer given the situation.
Robin perked up a bit at the gesture, softly smiling. Choosing to leave behind the depressing atmosphere, he spoke," You know, problems aside, I'm glad we had a chance to fight it out yesterday."
She looked up at him, finally removing her hand from his shoulder. "Do you now?" she asked.
He nodded," I guess what Chrom said was right."
"...and what was it that he said?" she questioned.
"Well, He told me you were able to get to know one another by fighting. It sounded like some muscle headed nonsense at first, but it's exactly how I felt during our fight."
Lucina was a bit taken back,"So... what is it you believed you learned about me?" she asked.
"I felt.. I felt like you were desperate. No! Let me finish!" he said before she could shoot him a glare," I meant that I could almost feel how... terrible the future must have been for you. Each time you struck at me, it felt like it could've been the last. You must have an incredible burden with your mission and all, but I felt that somehow, you were able to turn that grief into hope.."
Once again Lucina had been taken back by his words. To think he'd pick up on such things through a mere fight. She felt a small wave of relief after hearing him acknowledge her struggle. For that moment, that pain on her shoulders became just a bit more bearable. Of course, he might understand. After all, he's got quite the handful himself.
"Interesting, " she began, attempting not to lose face. "Would you like to hear what I learned of you?"
"...yes." he replied, surprised that she had apparently gone through the same thing as he.
"The blade of a man who doesn't know who he is, or what he wants to be. He accomplishes what he must in order to fill the hole inside him, and to blot out insecurity..."
Robin felt his heart sink. At one point in his journey, he had actually come across such feelings. He had cast them away long ago, and decided to live life for not only himself, but his friends. But considering the turmoil within him ever since Validar had paid him a visit... perhaps these feelings weren't as gone as he had imagined... and what more, Lucina had sensed them...
"is what I thought at first..." she continued, as Robin's eyes shot up. "What I... truly felt... was someone who'd throw himself away for those he cares about. Someone who would take upon himself the burden of others, if only just to ease their pain.." she finished, unsure if she said too much.
Robin's eyes began to slightly tear up, "Thank you.." was all he could whisper to her.
Lucina nodded, unaware of what Robin was currently thinking.
"..."
"..."
"..."
"..."
"...I was joking. About the the diapers, that is..." Robin said nervously, feeling the need to clear the air.
Lucina turned red as she remembered the image, but was relieved to hear.
"Lucky for you..." she said firmly.
"..."
"..."
After a moment of silence, "Ahem. Well, now that we've got all this out of the way. If you don't mind, I've got to go finish packing."
Robin smiled, " Yes, thank you Lucina. I'll see you around."
"I'll see you later... Robin." she said softly before walking back to her tent.
On the trip back to Port Ferox, Lucina thought long and hard about everything that transpired. At the end of the day, she still couldn't figure out exactly what to think of him. She still believed that there was something largely off about the man, but maybe, not all of it was bad.
A/N: Okay! So we got a lot more interaction between our two stars. Lucina still has her doubts about Robin, but she's starting to open up a little bit. If only to find out whether or not he could be Chrom's murderer. Contrary to what Frederick say, Robin's mouth lands him in a another vat of hot water. And Frederick gets some screen time as well. This chapter takes place in between Chapters 13 and 14 of the game. Next chapter will cover the naval battle. What's our tactician got cooking up?
Again, thanks for the reviews! I'm grateful for any feedback and I take everything you say into consideration. So far it seems Inigo will end up as a support role and/or forever alone.. But at this point I feel okay with that.
Thanks again for reading! Til next time.