Tonight, The trio were all together outside on a small hill just outside the castle gates in the pitch black of the night. Morgan watched in awe as a shooting star illuminated the night sky and closed her eyes to make a wish.
Despite Robin's health, he insisted that the three of them brace the cold night so they could watch the spectacle that only happened once in a life time. On this special evening, a large shower of meteors would rain from the sky with tails of flames behind them as they were vaporized by the atmosphere. Everyone in Ylisstol was outside waiting in anticipation for the spectacle to begin, except for Lucina.
She was all too familiar with flaming rocks falling from the sky and it brought back the dark memories of her past. She tensed up when the first meteors started to rain down but Robin wrapped an arm around her waist to help comfort her. His touch reminded her that these rocks were not deadly and she calmed down.
"Dad its starting!" Morgan said excitedly. Five streaks of light glided through the black sky. This was just the vanguard as a moment later the entire sky was brightly lit with a whole array of meteoroids. Some had blue tails, others died out very quickly, and one meteor even collided with another. This created a small explosion that lit up the sky and left a small yellow and red glow like a firework
"Wow!" Morgan said in amazement as she watched the scene unfold above her.
"Incredible." Was all the tactician could mutter.
"Dad! Look at that one!" Morgan pointed to one that glowed a fierce yellow and proudly displayed its long tail.
The tactician chuckled watching his daughter captivation of the display. "Heh, if the tactician career doesn't work out than maybe you can be an astronomer Morgan."
"I don't see why I can't be both!" She grinned.
"Because you have to sleep at some point in time Morgan." Robin laughed.
"So you keep telling me, but I still don't see a need for it. I am always wide awake!"
"We know" The two parents said in unison. There was small pause before the three broke into laughter as the meteoroids continued to fall.
"You go to sleep so We can rest." Robin teased.
"Tee he he"
"Laugh all you want, but I don't think I've had a moment to relax since *cough* *cough*" Robin held his chest and held his breath to stop choking.
Morgan looked over worried at him, but Robin waved her off.
"Perhaps we should go back inside." Lucina said concerned.
"No, it's fine, just a small cough. I've been through worse you know." He chuckled to lighten the mood but there was silence as the two looked at him and it made him uneasy. "... Hey Morgan look at that one over there!" He pointed to a random thing in the sky to get the attention away from him.
...
After the shower concluded, Morgan found herself being tucked into bed. It was a busy day and surprisingly, she was genuinely tired. After the worrying about Robin, the running exercises with Frederick and the meteors, she could barely keep her eyes open, but she would endure her fatigue to listen to tonight's chapter.
*cough* *cough*
"Are you sure your are up to this dear?" Lucina asked as she patted him on the back.
"I'll be fine." He smiled warmly. "But if I pass out than I am sure you can finish the story for me."
Lucina looked at him in horror but calmed down a moment later. "...You are joking right?"
"Yes." Robin smirked and cleared his throat. He looked at Morgan and began the story.
...After Emmeryn, fell, morale could not be lower. The only thing we could do is march away from Plegia and regroup with the main army so we could fight back. It was a long and silent march of shame. ...Eventually, we had to set up camp during the night and I elected not to eat dinner. I chose to remain alone in my tent for the rest of the night and the vision of watching her fall replayed in my mind over and over again.
...
"Damn it. Damn it. Damn it you stupid moron!" I hit my pillow with my fist and it imploded as the straw fellow out of the sack.
"I should have come up with a better plan! I am the damn tactician!" I clenched my fists so tightly that my nails were cutting into the palm of my skin.
"If I could have had more time... Gah! I should have seen it coming! If I could of...I should have!...Gods."
I grabbed the sword in my cloak and unsheathed it. I didn't have anything to hit so stabbed the sand below me. It flew in every direction and bounced off of the tent and back into my eyes. Since it was only causing me more pain, I decided to drop the sword and punch the ground with my fists instead. "GRAWWRR! She is dead because I didn't think of the right plan!"
I couldn't take it anymore and I collapsed to the ground with my face covered in sand. I broke down in unbearable agony and wished that I could have taken her place. My voice was muffled because of the ground but my thoughts were screaming at me the entire time. Her blood is on my hands.
"I'm sorry Lissa. I'm s-sorry Chrom." I whispered and felt goose bumps on my arms as a tear fell from my red and broken face. . "I...I am s-sssorry Emmeryn."
...
"R-robin?" Someone called from outside of my tent.
My throat was clogged and I felt like I was choking on my tongue, but I gathered myself enough to call back. "I am a little busy right now Lissa. C-come back some other time."
"Please Robin! ...Chrom won't talk to me and shut himself up in his tent... andnow Iam allalonewith nobodytotalkto a-andmysister *sniff* and I am a Princess! So let me in!" She cried on the other side of the tent. "...Please."
*Sigh* "Just give me a minute." I breathed heavily trying to regain my composure and wiped the salt water from my face. I tried to brush the sand off too, but it wouldn't come off so I gave up on the futile effort. I hit the ground with my hands a couple of more times and then tried to relax so I could talk to her.
…
"You can-" She busted through my tent hysterically and tackled me sobbing.
"...come in."
"Oh Robin! WhydidithavetobeEmmmeryn? Allshe everdid wastrytohelppeople *Gasp* Why Robin! Whyyy!"
"I don't know Lissa, I wish I knew." I couldn't look at her directly or I would lose control of the fragile threads holding my soul together.
"It's not fair!" Lissa yelled. "She was my big sister. She was always there for Chrom and I..and now she is...she is... Waaaaaah!" Lissa covered her face and cried profusely.
It took every ounce of my strength not to join her in her grieving. "Lissa, I can't imagine what you are feeling right now. I don't even know what it is like to have a family. But I swear to you right here and now that Gangrel will pay for this. No one else will suffer because of him."
*Sniff* "R-right...we have to stop him... ...to end this war and the suffering...It's what she would want us to do." Lissa gasped for breath and removed her knee from my stomach.
"Yeah, so I need to get to work planning our strategy and you need to be there for Chrom."
"...B-but he wont let me in. Sumia tried too, but he shouted at both of us to leave him be."
"Than you will just have to barge into his tent before he can deny your entry. He needs you just as much as you need him."
"...Okay, you're right...Chrom needs me..and I have to be strong *sniff* I am not a little girl anymore." She got up and brushed the sand off of her dress. I watched her leave and waited a minute to make sure she was gone.
I kicked the sand in my tent and my sorrow turned to rage. "You Bastard Gangrel. You deserve to rot in the deepest pit of Hell for what you have done to Emmeryn's family, and I will make sure that you are sent there.
...
"I will not fail again."
…
The next day, Chrom was still distraught despite Lissa and Sumia's help, and I was not faring much better myself. Everyone in the group had their own version of anger and sorrow from watching Emmeryn die and we just wanted this madness to end. Even the two fighters we recruited while fighting the Gangrel guard were struggling with it. I didn't know who they were and I was too frustrated with my failures to care. All I knew was that a monk named Libra prayed constantly for us and Emmeryn when we were not marching, and a Plegian dark mage was within our ranks as well.
Unfortunately, fate was not kind to us. On are way back to the man regiment we encountered a small force of Plegian soldiers in our path. The general of the enemy called out to us on the ridge he was standing on and said.
"Ylisseans! I offer you mercy! Surrender to me now and live! Emmeryn would not have wished for this to come to bloodshed."
"DON'T YOU DARE SPEAK HER NAME!" Chrom yelled back.
"Your rage is justified, Prince Chrom. But the meaning of your sister's sacrifice was not lost on me. I suspect many Plegians who heard her final words would say the same. If you lay down your weapons, I vow to protect you as best I can."
"We will not lay down our weapon. Either get out of our way or face the consequences!"
"So be it. I shall endeavor to grant you a swift and dignified end."
The battle started with those words but oddly enough, the enemy seemed to be hesitant to fight us. I even saw a few men flee from battle before we started, but that did not stop the rest from attacking. I quickly ordered everyone to their positions and drew my sword ready to kill anyone in sight.
"Frederick, Stahl, Kellam, Sully, Gregor, you are with me. Virion, take the ridge and get a good sniping position, Vaike will defend you up there. Cordelia, help out anyone in trouble who is bogged down by the sand. Kellam and Lon'qu protect the healers. Sumia, make sure Chrom doesn't do anything stupid! ...Vaike, same thing goes for you. Everyone else, hold the line!
The Shepherds ran into the positions and it did not take long before the Brigands attacked us. We held off the first wave with ease and after that I broke out of formation with the five other soldiers behind me to start a counter attack.
...
The six of us plowed through a small line of mages and we headed into the heart of the enemy. We were all handling fighting behind enemy lines well, but we were not making enough ground to the enemy commander. All I could think about was every second we wasted here was another second that the Plegian King lived. It only fueled my rage and I had rushed ahead leaving the other five men behind me while killing anyone I saw in my way.
"GRAHHHH!" I cried and swung my sword with every ounce of my strength. I slashed an axe wielder's stomach wide open and moved on to attack a rogue bandit. There was nothing but anger flowing through my body when I stabbed him through the heart.
I was near the enemy general now and only two swordsman were in my way. I jumped in the air to attack the first one and my blade came crashing into his skull, but before I could turn to face the other, he drove his sword straight into my stomach. I instantly fell flat on my back and held my stomach which was now bleeding profusely. My hand dyed red and blood seeped through. My vision blurred and the world around me had turned black and white. I heard the sound of a sword cut through flesh while my body went numb as a blizzard of cold overcame me.
*Cling*
I heard the sound of swords clashing, but the life was being sucked out of me. "I'm sorry ...Emmeryn..." and everything went black.
...
"Erg..." I felt my head throb and my body was drained of all its energy. I slowly opened my eyes and stared at a green canvas above me.
Oy! Tactician is making with the waking up!"
"...Gregor?..ugh where am I?"
"Tactician is in high pitched princess' infirmary."
My eyes widened and I went to move, but my stomach violently yelled back at me to stay where I was. "Augh!"
"Oy! Be careful, young cleric needs to heal you before tactician can move around like wild bull again.
"Erg, how long have I been out?"
"Three days."
"Three days?! I leaned forward only to feel another surge of pain.
"Ha ha, Gregor make joke. Young tactician has not been here for more than twenty minutes."
"Erg" I groaned and wanted to hit Gregor but the pain would not be worth it.
"Lissa will be here soon to fix the nasty wound you had. Lissa was worried, but Gregor knew you would be fine, Gregor seen much worse live through cuts."
"How did the battle go?"
"Oy! Robin need not worry about nasty business. Robin needs to rest."
"I can't rest now until I know if everyone is okay or not."
"Everyone is fine. Only crazy tactician hurt himself in fight.
"Ah, good." I relaxed a little and felt my stomach sting. "Gregor how come you are here?"
"Gregor wanted to make sure fighting partner was okay. But Gregor will leave now to give Robin some rest."
"Thanks Gregor. I appreciate it"
"No need to be mentioning it. Gregor is glad that friend is okay." He said cheerfully and left the tent before I could respond. He left me alone as I waited for Lissa or Maribelle to come and heal me.
...
While Gregor left another figure came in behind him and I expected to see Lissa, but it was Chrom and he was furious. He entered the tent and glared at with a look that could kill as he saw me in my sorry state. "And you told me not to do anything stupid! I didn't know charging into the heart of the enemy like a mad man and leaving everyone else behind was considered a strategic move."
"Erg, not now Chrom. I am already in enough pain as it is."
"No, the last thing I need now is to watch you kill yourself. What were you thinking back there!"
I Wasn't!" I said angrily at him and then I froze dumbfounded. "... I wasn't thinking" I repeated completely shocked. Rule one of being a tactician was to never lose control of your emotions, but I let my anger overcome me. How could I be so foolish?
"Clearly!" Chrom threw his hands in the air. "I can't afford to lose another person to this war Robin. Especially not you!"
"Chrom, I'm ... I'm so sorry. I should have known better. I should have kept myself calm and thought it out... I should have known better." I turned my neck to look away from him and took a deep breath, "I should have saved her. If I had thought of a better plan than-"
Chrom sighed and the anger in his voice turned to a faint tone of sorrow. "You did your best Robin ... And you have my thanks. It's my own failures that haunt me now. Gods, I was just so powerless!" Chrom looked to the ground and kicked some sand. "...She did it for me, Robin. So that I wouldn't have to live with the guilt of either choice, she chose for me."
"She never wanted to see you hurt."
"Emm" Chrom whispered sadly
I turned around and looked him in his eyes filled with pain and anguish. "...Chrom, I promise that we will fix this. We will work together to build the world she fought for.
A world filled with peace
...
"Augh" Robin held his head and felt drained. "I think that is enough for tonight Morgan. I am a little tired right now."
She nodded and hoped that he was tired because of the story and not by whatever was plaguing him. "I never knew you took Aunt Emmeryn's death so hard."
"It was a dark time Morgan. It still haunts me to this day, but even now I can't think of a plan that could have saved her." Robin shook his head and moved on, "But that is in the past. We have to move forward or it will only consume us." He felt Lucina put a hand on his shoulder and he took a deep breathe. Recalling these events took a lot out of him.
"Good night Morgan."
"Night mom and dad." Morgan said quietly and closed her eyes a few moments later.
Robin and Lucina quietly stepped away from her and left the room; gently closing the door behind them.
*Cough* Robin covered his mouth so he wouldn't wake up and or worry Morgan. When his panic attack finally finished he saw Lucina look at him in fear, but she did not ask the question on her mind.
Robin sighed and tried to think of a way to explain the situation. "I am sick, but I am not sick." He paused unsure how to continue.
"What?" Lucina asked confused.
"As much as it haunts me, at one time Grima's blood ran through my veins. And in your world...I was..."
Lucina interrupted seeing him look so distressed, "You don't have to-"
*Sigh* "No, it's fine...As I was saying, his blood ran within me and he gave me that accursed mark on my hand.
"But its gone now." Lucina said and held his hand. She gently rubbed her thumb on the area where the mark once had been.
"Right, it's gone. The mark on my hand, and in my blood."
"...So what is wrong?"
"According to Lissa, my body is having trouble adjusting to this. Grima's taint was in me for so long that I adapted to it, and now that is gone..." Robin sighed. "Now that it is gone, my blood is not acting the way it should and my body is slowly shutting down."
"Robin!"
"I will be fine. Lissa has a couple of ideas of what we can do. "
"But what if-"
Robin raised his hand to stop her. "No ifs. We have overcome so much already and I won't let anything else keep me away from you or Morgan" He moved towards her and hugged her. "I promise."