Happy Easter Everyone
Morgan continued to sand her bow down until it finally had a nice smooth curve while her mother oversaw the process as saw dust fell down on Morgan's lap.
"It's looking good Morgan. Now you need to cut a slot in the middle of the bow. That way you have a space to rest the arrow as you take aim." Lucina said while bringing out a small hand drill out of her bag.
"Okay, but what is the drill for?" Morgan asked confused since it would be to small for the job.
"After that, you will need to drill a small hole at both ends. This way when the time comes you can tie a string on tight. Then with a few more adjustments, you will have made your very own bow."
"Awesome!" Morgan said excitedly. She couldn't wait to see what it would look like when she was finished.
Lucina looked at her ecstatic daughter and laughed, "Heh, I never thought you would have taken such an interest in archery."
Morgan smiled and said, "Well, dad always mentions how important archers are to preventing casualties. So I figured that it couldn't hurt to try it. Oh! But don't worry! I will alway train more with the sword just like you and dad!"
"You can do whatever you like Morgan. You don't need to master the sword just because we did."
"I know, but still. A bow is only useful at long range, and when the enemy comes charging at me, they will think I am an easy target." Morgan raised her fist in the air and said proudly, "But little will they know that they will be facing the daughter of the two greatest warriors who ever lived!"
Lucina smiled and put her hand on Morgan's shoulder. "Don't you mean that he will be facing the greatest warrior who ever lived."
Morgan grinned from ear to ear "Hehe, thanks mom." Morgan laughed and said with a gallant tone, "And with just the three of us combined, we could stop armies!"
"I don't know about that." Lucina laughed "But then again, Robin always has a way of getting us through the impossible."
"Yep!" Morgan said cheerfully. "And speaking of dad, how did he overcome his grief after the battle?"
Lucina paused for a second and then chuckled. "You want to hear more of the story? By now I thought you would have gotten tired of it."
"Of course not!" Morgan cried energetically.
Lucina shook her head and laughed one more time. "Alright."
After the battle, we returned to Regna Ferox and set up camp by the harbor. Over the next few days there was a heated discussion on what we should do. We knew that if we left Valm alone then they would come back again and with bigger numbers. The only question would be how long it would take for Valm to rebuild its fleet and try again. So ultimately we decided that our only course of action was to invade the country itself. It was a ridiculous idea and we knew it was impossible, but it was suggested by none other than your father so it had Chrom and Basilio's support.
However, mobilizing an entire army for war would take at least two weeks. Not to mention we needed to repair the ships and make sure they could travel such a long distance. With so much to do and such little time, I did my part and helped move some cargo from the port to our flag ship. I was just about to pick up a large crate when-
...
"Hellloo! Lucina!"
"Huh?" I turned around in surprise and was greeted by a smiling princess. "Oh, hello Aunt Lissa. How are you faring?"
"I'm doing fantastic like always!" Lissa exclaimed and rose her hands up in the air. "But can you just call me Lissa? I feel old when you call me aunt."
I nodded and said, "Very well."
"Great!" She smiled with her eyes closed until a thought came into her head. "Oh, but would you prefer that I called you anything in particular?
"Lucina is fine." I replied and Lissa nodded in response. However, this left an awkward silence as she stood there with her thoughts running wild like always. "Erm, can I help you with anything Lissa?"
"Hmm?" Lissa asked confused. "Oh!" Her face lit up and she smiled. "I have a message to deliver to you."
"A message?"
"Mhm. Chrom asked me to tell you that there is a special meeting today, and that he would like you to attend."
"Another meeting?" I asked bewildered. "But I thought all the details for the plan have been decided. What else is there to talk about?"
Lissa raised her shoulder and said, "I dunno. Chrom said something about it being important, but didn't want to explain."
"...I see, and what time is this meeting?
"Hmmm." Lissa pointed her finger on her chin and searched for the answer. "I believe he said when the sun is at its highest."
"What?!" I said shocked. "It is almost that time now!"
"Oh, hehe. Yeah I might have gotten side tracked on my way over here..." Lissa smiled innocently.
I shook my head and grimaced as I looked at the pile of crates in front of me.
"Something wrong? Lissa asked curiously.
"No, it is just that I promised Stahl to help move these boxes. He seemed relieved knowing that he didn't have to do it by himself."
"Don't worry." Lissa beamed with a huge grin. " I'll do it for you!"
"...You will?" I replied skeptically. "But there must be over fifty crates here."
"Wellll, in desperate times like these. Us princesses have to do our part." She balled her hand into a fist and raised it triumphantly in the air. "And besides, Frederick says manual labor helps build character.
"But Lissa-"
"Up bup bup, not another word! You don't want to keep Chrom waiting do you?"
"No but-"
"Then you let me worry about this. I am sure we need you more at that meeting anyways"
"Very well, thank you Lissa."
"Don't mention it." Lissa said enthusiastically and motioned for me to leave. So I slowly walked away, but looked back at the smiling princess a couple of times in confusion. "Oh KELLAM!" Lissa yelled at the top of her lungs.
"You don't need to shout Milady. I am right next to you."
"Hehehehehe, I know. I told you I would find a way to track you!"
"Huh? You knew I was here? Then why did you-"
"Anyways! Since you are here, I have a favor to ask of you."
I heard a faint sigh in the background and the knight reply. "... You want me to move the crates for you."
"Bingo!"
...
When I made my way over to the war tent I noticed something very odd. Both Frederick and Cordelia were on foot and guarding the entrance with spears at the ready. But they weren't just guarding, they were scanning the field to make sure no one was near. While it was not unusual for Frederick to be vigilant. Usually he was inside the war tent like everyone else. Even Cordelia seemed uptight and more alert than normal.
"Is everything okay Sir Frederick?"
"Yes Milady. We are just making sure that you will not be disturbed during the discussion.
"Disturbed?"
"Robin said that there could be spies still lurking around" Cordelia said while squinting her eyes at the hills to the left of us. "But don't worry, Freddiebear and I will make sure no one eavesdrops."
I almost thought I saw Frederick blush as he remarked. "Erm, yes. We shall stand guard without fail."
"...Okay then." I replied and uncovered the tent flap so I could get in.
However, when I entered the tent, I was surprised to find that no one was there except for Robin sitting at the side of a small rectangular table that could seat six. He was slouched over in his chair and appeared to be thinking about something, but once he saw me he immediately sat up straight and sorted a few loose papers on the table.
"Ah Lucina. Thanks for coming." He smiled and motioned to a seat across from him. "I trust you are doing well."
"I am doing fine." I moved over to take a seat and said for the twelfth time today "And you?"
Robin's smile turned to a frown and he hesitated before saying. "...I've been better. I have a few things bothering me, but nothing I can't handle."
Once again, he had lost a lot of his charisma just like he did back at the ship, and it appeared that the fight was still weighing as a heavy burden. "I take it the battle is still fresh in your mind.
Robin sighed and looked down at the ground "...I am sorry you had to see me like that. It was ... unacceptable behavior, and I promise it wont happen again." He grimaced and gripped his hand into a tight fist.
"You don't need to apologize Robin. ... It is a feeling I have felt many times before."
Robin sighed again and shook his head. "Chrom should be joining us shortly" He replied in a desperate attempt to change the subject. "... but you know him. He has a habit of being late."
"...I see...And what of the Khans?"
"They won't be joining us today." Robin remarked and searched for the right words. "This matter doesn't really concern them...Well at least not yet."
"Huh?" I asked confused.
"I'll explain it when Chrom gets here."
"Okay." I muttered unsure of what was going on. "So I take it that this is not about the war against Valm?"
"No." Robin shook his head. "We are pretty much deadlocked until our conscripts arrive. Until then we just need to get the supplies ready for the trip. Hopefully when it is all said and done we should have 152,000 men ready.
"Do you really think it will be enough?"
"..." Robin stayed silent for a moment, but put on a fake smile and said, "Yes, I believe it should be enough...It has to be. But lets not focus on that for now." He waved it off with his hand. "There are much more pleasant things to talk about to pass the time."
"Like?"
"...Liiike." Robin motioned with his open palm hoping that words would come out of it as he fumbled to think of something to talk about. "Um, well, if you don't mind me asking. How are you adjusting to being a shepherd?
I grimaced when I heard the question. It haunted me bitterly to think about if I had made the right decision or not, but I shook off the thoughts and guessed at what he probably wanted to hear. "Fairly well. Everyone treats me well despite the circumstances, and my parents have been very supporting."
"That's good." Robin muttered in a low tone. "I was worried you would be having trouble integrating like I did, but I am glad my fears were misplaced."
"You had trouble?" I said with extreme doubt. Robin didn't strike me as one who had difficulty being around people.
"Er, well yes. For a long time actually." Robin hesitated but continued after seeing my puzzled expression. "Don't get me wrong. The shepherds have always been friendly to me. Especially Chrom and Sumia, and I have always been thankful for it...But for a long time it felt weird to be around them."
I unconsciously lowered my head and felt my stomach churn.
"Granted I was very confused, and I had no memories. But... everyone just seemed too friendly. I felt like I was intruding on a private group of good friends that knew each other for years. And here I was a complete outsider who didn't understand any of the inside joke, the lifestyle, or the shenanigans that went on. Heh, and to top it all off they made me the tactician!" Robin laughed hysterically. "To this day I still don't understand how that happened."
"My father has always been quick to trust people."
"Heh, I've noticed." Robin chuckled. "Though that didn't help ease my discomfort. No matter how much time passed, and no matter how many jokes were shared, I still felt... ...Well, I felt like I...
"didn't belong." I whispered under my breath.
"...Yeah..." Robin said gingerly. "It wasn't until after the war that I learned about how silly I was.
"What do you mean?"
Robin smiled and said, "Throughout the war, I was trying to find a way to fit in. But I didn't realize until after the war that they accepted me the first time we met. It didn't matter about my past or who I was. They accepted me from the very start. I just needed to be ... me."
I paused and thought it over before saying, "Well, I am glad it worked out for you Robin. "
"...Lucina, it's the same for you." Robin said sincerely. "While I cannot imagine the life you have had to come from, I have a fairly good idea of how you are feeling. But don't make the same mistake I did. ...Instead of questioning whether you belong here or not. Just take comfort in knowing that you are surrounded by people who would have already accepted you, and that you DO belong."
I let out a large sigh and shook my head. "I appreciate your sentiment Robin, but we have other things we need to be more focused about. "
"...Of course. I just wanted to let you know is all." Robin replied nervously and scratched his head.
The next five minutes dragged on at a standstill as we both just sat there. Robin looked like he wanted to say something else and even opened his mouth a few times, but he closed it and shook his head.
It was not until we heard the clanking of metal boots coming towards us that broke the silence. However, in that instant. Robin's entire demeanor changed. It was almost like someone pulled a lever and gave him more energy.
...
"Ah, I am glad you finally showed up my noble king." Robin rose from his seat and bowed in front of him. "Did you have trouble finding this place or were you just too occupied kissing our benevolent queen" Robin said playfully and laughed uncontrollably as he saw my father's face twitch.
Chrom shook his head and said, "You know one of these I am going to order your execution."
"Haha, so you keep saying."
Chrom shrugged and took a deep breath before looking over to me and smiling. "Thank you for coming Lucina."
"No problem father, but what is this about?"
"It's about the future. Or I guess you could say the future we are trying to avoid." Chrom said nervously. "We were hoping you could shed some light on a few questions we have."
I gritted my teeth and braced myself so none of my bad memories would come back and said, "What would you like to know?"
"Everything." Robin remarked. "But first we need to make sure our research is correct." He shuffled through a few papers on the table and then brought a piece of paper out.
"Research?" I asked confused. "What research?"
"Heh, you didn't seriously think you could mention the end of the world and not expect us to look into it" Robin replied sarcastically. "Although at first I didn't truly understand what you meant. A few more meetings helped me realize the seriousness of the situation."
Chrom nodded. "Soon after that Robin started warning me about the threat of the Risen. That an anonymous but reliable source foretold of their dangerous destruction."
"...Anonymous?"
"You told me not to tell Chrom so I kept my promise...Well most of it." Robin laughed.
"...Yes, we will have to discuss why you didn't want to tell me at another time." Chrom said slightly agitated. "But ever since we have done our own research on these abominations."
"And we found three major things." Robin changed his tone and spoke seriously for a change. "One, that these things are easier to kill than we thought. While their skulls and torso are hollow and useless to attack because they are too well armored. They do however seem to value their necks. A simple slash to the throat and they will be sent back to the grave... Two." Robin extended two of his fingers and held them up in the air. "We noticed that there was a strikingly low amount of Risen attacking Plegia. Almost all sightings and reports of Risen attacks came from Regna Ferox or our halidom. The only time Risen were ever seen in Plegia is when Gangrel summoned them, and when a young Lord saved Chrom from an assassin."
I lowered my head and grimaced just thinking about seeing that zombie charge at my father.
"And three." Chrom said quietly and rested his hand on my shoulder. "These beasts were too mindless to have been summoned here on their own, and they were not coming from any type of time portal. So there had to be someone else pulling the strings. However, at the time we thought it was Gangrel who was responsible."
"...That is what I thought too." I whispered.
"But then things started to unravel." Robin interjected. "We could not find a reason why Gangrel would want to summon an undead horde of Risen. Yes, it could cause destruction and devastation to our towns, but overall they served no military purpose. They were too stupid to be used effectively, and too small in numbers to cause a massive panic. It also did not make sense why he wanted to destroy the world. So we dismissed him from being the cause."
"But after that all our leads ran cold." Chrom said disappointed. "...Until-"
"Until we went over to ask Plegia for ships." Robin replied without any emotion in his voice. " Upon meeting Validar we learned that his chief adviser was Aversa. The damn witch that killed Ricken." Robin balled his hands into a fist and tried to hide his anger in his voice. "And even worse..." Robin took a deep breath and tried desperately to calm down. "We met the hierophant. Validar's spiritual leader..And he...he" Robin gritted his teeth and struggled to finish his thought,
"And he is trying to convert the country into worshiping Grima." Chrom said quickly and looked over at Robin as if to ease his burdens.
"What?!" I cried in shock. "That can't be!"
Chrom lowered his head and said, "I am afraid it is true. And after you telling us that Grima is responsible for our future... It all makes sense now."
"Then we have to stop them!" I yelled in a panic and rose from up my seat.
"I agree." Robin said after regaining his composure. "But we need to find a few more answers before we can make any rash decisions."
"Like what?!"I yelled urgently
"Like why does Validar and his vassals intend to help us repel the Valmese invasion if he intends to destroy the world. Why not revive Grima now? And how do we perform the awakening if he does succeed. ... We were hoping that perhaps you could tell us."
I froze in shock as I heard the words echo in my ears. It seemed like over an hour had passed before I finally regained consciousness and muttered "... We can't perform the Awakening."
"What?!" The two replied simultaneously.
I shook my head and sat back down in my chair. "...The Fire Emblem. It needs five gemstones to have enough power to perform the awakening. ...In my world. We lost the Fire Emblem in a battle, and we never found the other four gemstones.
"The other four?" Robin questioned.
"...Chrom, can you pull out the Fire Emblem for a moment?"
Chrom hesitated and squinted his face in confusion, but then slowly pulled the Fire Emblem out from underneath his shirt.
...
"Do you see that white gemstone there on the top."
The two nodded and looked at back at me curiously.
"That is Argent... One of the five gemstones we need."
"...What happened to the rest?" Chrom asked.
"They were scattered across the world for reasons I do not know. But it was rumored in my time that we could find them in Valm."
The two looked back to each other horrified at what they had just heard and then Robin spoke up. "So the Fire Emblem is useless at this point?"
I lowered my head and frowned, "Yes."
"...Then why does Validar want the Fire Emblem if it holds no value?" Robin asked and grabbed his chin.
"I don't know. Maybe he sees it as a threat." I muttered
"No, that can't be it, because he would just unleash Grima now and-... "Unless...Unless he can't!" Robin rose from his chair and said hurriedly. "That is why is he helping us! He can't perform the resurrection yet and he needs more time to find what he needs!'
"If that is the case, then we need to stop him now!" Chrom smashed the table with his fist.
"No, we can't." Robin said angrily and kicked his chair.
"What, why not?!" Chrom yelled anxiously and with wide eyes
"Because he will see us coming a mile away and have his army ready to kill us at a moments notice." Robin shook his head and banged his hand on the table. "And even if we do succeed, what if we are wrong and kill the wrong person? ... Meanwhile the real summoner gets away and vanishes out of sight until he gets what he needs.
Chrom and I stayed speechless as we thought over what Robin said, but I broke the silence and yelled "We can't just do nothing though!"
Robin swore and cussed at Validar and paced around the table until he stopped and said. "We need to find the gemstones. ...We need to go to Valm."
...
"...So you knew before you even left about the danger?" Morgan asked stunned.
Lucina nodded her head and frowned, "Yes, but we had to keep it a secret. We couldn't' let anyone know about it or else the information risked leaking back to Plegia."
"Wow, that must have been hard."
"It was another burden I had to bear, but it was nothing I couldn't handle. I was all too familiar with hiding secrets."
"...I see."
...
"Done!" Morgan cried excitedly
"Hmm?" Lucina looked down to the bow and noticed that the final carpentry stage was complete. "Oh, well done Morgan. It looks amazing.
"Thanks!" She beamed, "But what do I need now?"
"Well, you could spend the next few hours collecting plant and twisting them together until you have a strong enough string.
"Or?"
Lucina smiled and grabbed something from her bag. "Or we could just use this string I brought with us."
"I'll take that one!" Morgan cried
"Heh, I thought you might say that, but just promise me one thing first Morgan."
"Whats that?"
Lucina chuckled and said, "Promise me that you will not shoot at your father with it."
"Awwwwww."