This chapter was shorter than I would've liked, but I wanted to update the story as soon as I could. I decided to switch up and experiment my writing style between first and third person but I hope it doesn't get too confusing.
- Disclaimer: Fire Emblem characters do not belong to me.
- Notice: May contain spoilers. Storyline may deviate from original video game. Contains fantasy violence, mild language, and suggested themes.
Accepting my fate wasn't as difficult as it was before. In truth, I was more than willing to sacrifice my life for the others sake.
As we neared the brink on Grima's back, I had two choices - Chrom's final strike or my own. The answer was as clear as day and I wouldn't have had it any other way.
"Robin don't!" Chrom yelled out from afar, he was too far back to reach me. This was the final stand and more Risen popped up to defend Grima's back.
This is how it has to be. It's the inevitable truth.
I looked back at the Shepherds, my comrades, my friends fighting through the sea of enemies. I wish I had more time to spend with them. That was my only wish.
"For once, I'm glad you and I are the same." I direct my words to Grima, the other half of me. "Now I can give my life to those I care for."
"You wouldn't dare!" Our blades clashed, sparks flying in every direction as we exchanged a series of blows.
"I would and I will!" Grima managed to hit me directly at my arm, the mettle piercing through my robe, the pain surfacing and red beginning to seep out. "The evils you would visit on this world are unthinkable!"
"It's your destiny!" I parried his strike and spun on my heel pushing him back as our swords connected.
"In some way I-we share the blame." He countered back with equal pressure causing both of us to retreat. "It's only right we meet our end together." Despite the damage taken, I'd never felt so sure about the outcome of this duel. It was as though I knew the ending, the result that would come about this battle.
"No!" Grima, now angered and determined to strike me down broke into a sprint, his eyes narrowing with unmistakable fear.
I took a quick moment to look back at Chrom, still barred against a wave of heavily armored Risen. "Thank you, for everything." I mouthed to him with my deepest sincerity and faced Grima, rushing at him with a grin.
It's silly to think that I would be smiling at my own demise, but nonetheless, I welcomed it with open arms. With a hand extended before me, I chanted a spell in his direction and he staggered for a moment. When our bodies collided I pushed him to edge of the Fell Dragon, sending both of us plumetting down.
The spell wasn't enough to kill him, so we ended up brawling as we spiraled down from the sky. With the wind blowing in all directions, it was difficult for us to see much of anything. I clung onto him before he kicked me back and threw a barrage of spells in my direction. He was running out of tricks but I still had one more.
"This is how it ends!" Using the current to my advantage, I flew against Grima and set my hand directly onto his chest. It glowed into a violet hue as I released all my energy and magic.
"You...fool!" Grima winced and dissipitated into purple sparks. I shielded my eyes for a moment and heard the dragon above me roar in agony.
Up above, the Risen withdrew and collapsed into purple smoke. "Robin!" Chrom bellowed out and fearlessly jumped down.
"Chrom!" Sumia rallied the others and flew to their Ylissean King.
I could hear them calling out desperately, but I knew there was nothing they could do to save me from my impending death. My hands were sparkling the same way as Grima's before he disappeared and I knew it was only a matter of time before I met the same fate.
"I'm not giving up on you!" Chrom cried out and steadied his hands agains his sides, plumetting down at a much faster rate. The other wyvern riders, pegasus knights and manaketes chased him down, all eager to save him from his death wish.
"You're so reckless Chrom!" I faced myself toward him and cupped my hands, my voice echoing out effectively. "Just let it be!"
"It doesn't have to end this way!"
We were nearing the ocean and the impact would be sure to kill him if the others didn't get to him on time. Purple sparks glittered from my body brighter than before. He extended his hands out to me and I plastered the happiest smile I could manage. I reached out to him in reply before everything went dark and I ceased to exist.
There was no up, down, left or right as I fell into a bottomless darkness. My body felt like lead and I had no energy to lift a single finger. Perhaps I would be doomed to stay like this for all eternity.
What a fitting end. Well, it's not like I expected it to be bright and sunny on the other side. Time seemed to pass a lot slower as I continued to plunge into the dark abyss. And with so much time in my hands, my thoughts drifted back to my deepest memories, most of the time in which I spent with my valued friends.
It made me question if I truly had no regrets.
What would life have been like if I were able to settle down and have a family? Perhaps my resolve wasn't as strong as I thought.
Then, just as I looked above, there was a blinding light that started out as a small spec which seemed to be coming towards me. Maybe it was a deliverer sent to bring me to the afterlife. Whatever it was, it grew brighter and brighter at a rapid pace until it came at me with full force and captured my entire body.
"Robin!" Chrom reached out a moment too late as his master tactician dissipitated into shards of purple. Moments before hitting the ocean, Sumia took his hand and helped him up onto her Pegasus. She had seen everything and was wise enough to hold her tongue until they landed safely onto the ground.
Defeated, Chrom jumped off and landed on his feet, nearly falling onto his knees had it not been for Sumia's aid.
"I-I couldn't save him."
"You did your best. Chrom, there was nothing you - or anyone of us could do to save him."
The other Shepherds rendezvoused with Sumia and Chrom, all desperate to find Robin.
"Where is he?" Lissa ran up to her brother, eagerly waiting for an answer.
"He's gone."
Lissa dropped her head, the tears welling up in her eyes as Maribelle gave her a quick embrace. Chrom's words struck everyone, leaving a bitter note as Grima's remains began to disappear from a distance.
Air
My lungs were desperate to draw in breath as I gagged and coughed the seawater away. It was freezing cold and the waves crashed relentlessly, but from a few meters away I luckily spotted land.
How I ended up in this state was completely foreign to me. The strangest thing of all was accepting the fact that I was alive once more.
"How is this even possible?" I shook my slick, blonde hair back and began to swim towards the shore.
I found the sun setting, mapping the horizon in a blood orange hue. The day would end within the next few hours and nightfall would surround the entire land. I knew better than to stay idle and wait for help, so with my clothes dripping wet, I set out to find shelter.
"Ow! Severa, must you hit me so hard?" Inigo winced in pain as the crimson haired mercenary walked along the woodlands.
"Then stop being such an idiot! I swear by Naga's name, if you don't shut up I'll peg you down with my blade." She rolled her eyes and pushed through some bushes. "Out of all the other guys, why did I have to run into you?"
"It wasn't my fault. Well, not entirely. I mean-there was this one very charming woman-"
"Inigo!" Severa stopped abruptly and spun on her heel to face him.
"What?"
"I told you-"
"Shh-" Inigo clamped his hand onto Severa mouth, cutting her off as he stared into the path ahead. "Did you hear that?" He kept his voice low and slowly released his grip on her.
"What? All I heard was your idiotic rambling."
"No, listen." Inigo scanned the now darkened woodlands, hearing the faint trail of footsteps heading towards their direction.
"You think it's an enemy?"
"Maybe he's just some traveler." Inigo suggested. "After all, it's been years since Grima's demise."
"I'm going on ahead to find out."
"Wait, Severa don't! It's too dark and dangerous!"
"Oh please, I've lasted this long on my own. I can handle this myself." Without another word, she marched into the darkness leaving Inigo behind.
"I would've thought these past three years would've changed her, but boy was I wrong." Inigo huffed and trailed after Severa.
Once the footsteps grew louder, Severa paused in her tracks and stealthily hid behind a tree. Her eyes had adjusted to the darkness and she could make out a single figure standing several yards away. It was too soon to tell if he was a friend or foe.
Robin trudged along the path, his shoes and clothing still wet from earlier. It had grown cold quickly and he masked himself with his robe to keep warm. If he didn't find shelter soon, he'd be sure to catch a cold. "Ah!" He winced in pain and fell over, landing on the ground. Someone had tackled him without warning.
Inigo caught up by then and found his partner with what seemed to be another man. "Severa, what are you?-oh."
The red haired mercenary checked Robin's pockets and sides immediately. Surprisingly enough, he didn't have any weapons at all, no sword, axe, or even a dagger. Once she deemed it safe, she removed herself from Robin's back. "Are you stupid? Who goes alone into the woods without a weapon?"
"Well that's certainly strange." Inigo stood beside Severa as both waited patiently for the man to get up.
"And who goes around tackling random people passing by?" Robin dusted himself off but didn't face the two. With his clothes still wet, the dirt clung onto his robe. It was going to be a chore cleaning it up tomorrow.
Severa huffed and turned away. "You're clothes are wet." She pointed out.
"You should find some shelter soon. It's getting dark out. You'll catch a cold." Inigo added.
Robin nodded slowly and threw back his hood.
"I take it you're not from here." Inigo tilted his head to the side before Robin faced both mercenaries. It took some time for them to realize the familiarity of his face. "It can't be..."
Severa stood stock still, her eyes widening from shock. "This...You..."
"Uh," Robin replied unintelligently as both mercenaries opened their mouths in unison.
"Robin?!"
"So that's how I ended up on land again." Robin finished his mug of beer as the Shepherds circled around him.
"But why didn't you tell anyone you were alive?" Cordelia asked. "Severa never told me she ran into you."
"Because I asked her and Inigo not too." Robin gripped the handle of his mug tightly. He was waiting for them to scold him and they did just that.
Everyone was hurt that Robin would do such a thing. "Why didn't you tell any of us?" Chrom was affected the most and he wanted a straight answer.
Robin dropped a heavy sigh. "Because by then, nearly 2 years passed." He stared into his mug, which was now completely empty.
Robin paced around the Ylissean castle's garden. Night was upon him and the moonlight shone over the flowers nicely, giving the field a magical feel. Was it right for him to return after so long? He was sure that most of the Shepherds had settled down and started their own families. "Is it right, for me to have come back?" He plucked the closest flower, one in the purest of all colors, white. "Sumia?" Robin didn't have to turn around to know it was her. He just knew.
"How did you-?" Sumia was taken aback by Robin's question.
"You never were the best assassin, or at least when you tried to be." Robin openly joked and ran a finger through the flower's petals.
"That's not true, I snuck up on you once."
"Because I let you." Robin cracked into a grin.
"What? That can't be, you even screamed."
"Then I take it that my acting skills are a lot better than I thought." Robin took a step forward and held her hand. "I know that everyone's disappointed with my decision, that I chose to remain away from the group." He released her hand quickly and stepped past Sumia, his eyes settling onto the castle. "But once I found that years had passed, I just couldn't bring myself to face all of you."
"But Robin, what does it matter? If time has passed, it still doesn't change the way we feel towards you. We all wanted to believe you were alive, that Naga was right and you were somewhere out there."
Robin remained silent, unable to cuonter Sumia's words. After sharing his story at the table, many of them were disheartened that their tactician would choose to keep his existence a secret.
"When were you planning to return? To come back to Ylisse?"
"I wasn't going to come back." Robin stared intently at the flower in his hand.
"What? But why?"
"Because I didn't think I deserved a second chance." Robin felt his heart ache with guilt. "As Grima's vessel, I nearly destroyed the whole world. I was a danger to all of you."
"But that was in the past-"
"It doesn't change the fact that I put all of you in harm's way, especially Lucina and the others." Robin contemplated on one idea. "What if Grima isn't gone? What if he still resides inside me?"
"That can't be possible. We saw you defeat him, defeat your counterpart years ago."
"I thought the same thing too, but nothing's impossible. Not when I know I came back from the afterlife."
Slowly, Sumia began to recognize the reason why Robin chose to keep his secrecy. "You wanted to distance yourself."
"I wanted to be sure that I wasn't going to endanger any of you a second time." Robin turned to Sumia, his eyes reflecting the sincerity of his words. "So after I came back, I set out to find some answers to my questions." He paused and held the flower carefully in the palm of his hand. "I can't be completely sure, this is just my theory, but I think it's safe to say that Grima is gone for the time being." He rotated his right hand, the very spot where his former Grimleal tattoo was.
Sumia took his free hand to examine it herself. Surely enough, his purple tattoo was gone. She hoped with all her heart that Robin's theory was right, that Grima was gone for good.
Little Lucina wandered the castle grounds, looking around desperately for her mother. She searched every room, but didn't find any trace of Sumia. "Maybe she's in the garden." She ran as fast as she could down the steps until Cordelia caught sight of her.
"Lucina!" The former Pegasus knight stood between her and the door which led out to the garden. "Everyone's been looking for you."
"I'm sorry. I just wanted to know where mother was." Lucina shied away. "I think she might be in the garden."
"It's not safe for you to go out into the dark." Cordelia bent down to her level.
"But I really wanted to find her." Lucina looked worried, but she did her best to stay strong.
"Here, hold my hand and we'll look for her together." Cordelia suggested as they both walked past the doors and into the garden.
"Lucina's growing up so quickly." Robin walked beside Sumia as they continued into the labyrinth-like garden.
"Yes, she's already started playing with wooden swords." Sumia bit her lip. "It frightens me to know that she'll wield a real one within a few years."
"At least she won't be fighting any Risen." Robin added. "That's one thing you don't have to worry about."
"I'm sure all of us are happy to know that." Sumia paused in her tracks as they reached a dead end.
"So I take it that the others now have children as well?" Robin assumed as they both spun and returned to find an exit.
"No, Lucina is the only one."
"Oh," Robin was surprised by Sumia's answer. He would've thought that the others had settled down. "I see."
"But what about you? What of Morgan's future?" Sumia blushed lightly for discusing such matters.
"Well, I...I'm not too sure about that." Robin scratched the back of his head nervously. "I would've thought that she'd have some memory of who her mother was."
Sumia smiled gently at Robin who stopped to look up at the stars. "If you're wondering how she's doing, I'm sure she's alright. Severa's visited us a few times with Cynthia. It seems that they've run into each other quite often as they searched endlessly for you."
Robin felt terrible for neglecting Morgan after his revival and abandoning her after Grima's demise. He felt as though no amount of apologies could make up for the time he lost with her.
"Lucina, don't run off too quickly!" Cordelia cried out as the little Ylissean heir ran into Sumia and Robin.
She stood there quietly, observing the tactician that she'd heard many stories about. He didn't look that special, his clothes were oversized for his stature and his blonde hair was unruly as ever. Was he truly the legend everyone talked about?
"Lucina, you know better than to run off in the dark. You could get seriously injured." Sumia scolded her with an authoritative tone.
"I'm sorry mother. I just wanted to find you. Everyone in the hall looked busy, I didn't want to bother father and his group of friends." She ran into Sumia for an embrace as Cordelia came into view.
"Well, I'm here. I was just talking to an old friend of mine." Sumia picked up Lucina and smiled at Robin.
He offered out his hand to Lucina who greeted him back shyly. "You don't look that special." She knit her eyebrows together.
Cordelia covered her mouth to hide her smile. Lucina never held back what she truly thought.
"Oh really?" Robin felt a need to charm the young Ylissean heir so he put on a quick show. "I'm sure your parents can't do this." He grinned coyly and stepped back, converting the energy at the palm of his hand into magic. Using a series of complex orders, he manifested a single electrical spark and blew it at Lucina's direction. She touched it with a single finger before it burst into multiple shining colorful shards.
"You're a magician!" Lucina cried out happily.
Robin grinned with enthusiasm while Cordelia and Sumia exchanged smiles. "I'm more than just a magician Lucina, I'm a master tactician."
Weeks passed by since Robin's return and word spread rather quickly. Standing atop the highest peak overlooking the Ylissean castle were a set of young heroes.
"It's about time we came back to Ylisse." Inigo crouched down as he took in a wisp of fresh air.
"I wonder how Ma's been doing" Brady thought aloud out as he stood next to Inigo with staff in hand.
"I can't wait to tell mother about all my adventures!" Cynthia gleefully jumped around, pulling Noir into an embrace.
"R-Right." Noir attempted a nervous smile.
"Hmph" Severa whipped her hair outwards.
"I'm just glad I made it back in one piece." Yarne figeted with his fingers.
"I'm sure mother and I have a lot to converse about regarding my research." Laurent shut the book in his hand. Gerome remained silent beside Minerva.
Nah sighed in defeat. "I hope mother hasn't gotten into too much trouble."
"Once I've bested her, I'm sure she'll be proud of me and my accomplishments." Kjelle stuck her spear on the ground while Owain nodded approvingly.
Morgan pushed past her group of friends and set her gaze on the Ylissean castle below them. "So you're finally back, father."
...To be continued
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