Hello again everyone!
A few things. Firstly, sorry for the absence of a few days. The only excuses I have are uni work and Fire Emblem Heroes Gauntlet. My deepest and sincere apologies, especially as this chapter didn't work out as well as I would like. I'm hoping to write the next chapter in the next couple of days, definitely before I get my copy of Echoes/SoV (which I will get in 7 days since I won't be making it to the game store on release)
Thank you for the follows, favourites and reviews! I'm glad that this story is getting some reads. There are some things that I would like to ask, however.
1. Not in this story, but in a sequel most likely I may or may not include a few characters from Fates (Mainly the Awakening Trio's children). I'm not sure if it's a good idea or not as there are 2 characters from Fates that I would like to bring over, due to the ending of Fates where (SPOILERS**) the Awakening trio and their spouses are said to disappear from the archives without a trace, which I interpret as them returning to Ylisse.
2. The title of this story, which I'm still unsure of, as it's a work in progress. If anyone has any ideas for what it could be, or if you want to suggest any, go for it!
As always, I don't own Fire Emblem, and thanks for reading!
Lucina parried the blade of the assassin, grunting as the man slashed upwards with his other arm, the dagger coming perilously close to her face. She jerked back, kicking out, and when the assassin fell back she threw herself forward, blade cutting him down.
"How are you faring, Sev?" she called back, keeping her eyes forward for any more opponents.
She heard a snarl from behind and a thud as something hit the wall. "Fine. Thanks for asking. Remind me why they're attacking us again?"
Lucina shook her head, about to deny any knowledge when she spotted a figure crouched by the shadows. She lunged forward, catching the man off-guard as Falchion embedded itself into his chest.
Making sure the area was clear, she turned to help Severa, but found that the girl had finished off all her opponents, her sword stained with blood, and several daggers stuck into their fallen bodies.
Severa returned her blade to its sheath, a scowl etched on her face. "When I said I would help you look after Robin, I didn't think I would be fighting for my life every second of my life. Reminds me of our lives."
Lucina knew that Severa was exaggerating, but she could not help but agree. The mention of Robin sent a thought into her mind, and she groaned.
Severa's eyes narrowed. "What?"
"Robin. His father must be sending people to capture him. Someone could have provided a description of me…"
Severa sighed. "Of course. You stand out like a sore thumb after all."
Lucina tilted her head. "Sore thumb? How does that stand out?"
She rolled her eyes. "Never mind," she muttered under her breath, adding in some colourful words that Lucina could barely make out. "Where did we leave Robin?"
Lucina's eyes widened. "The bookstore! They could have found him by now!"
She saw the panic that she felt reflected in Severa's eyes. "Well, what are you waiting for? Go!"
They broke into a run, hoping that nothing had befallen Robin at all while they had been occupied.
That morning, when Lucina had woken up with Severa lying on one side and Robin curled at the other, she had wondered what exactly they were going to do. While it was true Robin could not be left alone due to the threat that Validar posed, Lucina was unsure where they would travel.
Humming to herself softly, she carefully left her place and rummaged through her bag. Their first priority would be to leave Plegia. To remain in the place where Validar had the most power would be foolish. Maybe they would stop by a town for some supplies first. Lucina had some gold still; maybe they could buy food and something to occupy Robin's attention while they travelled.
She remembered Severa's words from last night. Teach Robin…
Maybe she could nudge him into the right direction after all.
Before she could continue her line of thought, however, a loud yawn caught her attention. She watched as Severa muttered to herself and turned over, nearly landing atop of Robin, who shot up in surprise, his hand hitting her in the shoulder and waking both of them up.
Robin seemed to shrink as Severa glared at him, the fierce aura seeming to flare up even more. Lucina was about to stop her when Severa stuck a hand and ruffled Robin's hair. "Watch yourself, kiddo," the ex-thief murmured. "You can't be cute forever."
Lucina coughed. "Robin, this is my friend Severa. You already met last night. She's going to help me keep you safe for the time being."
Robin stared at the mercenary, before he stood up and gave her a hug. "Thank you."
"Gah… stop that! It's embarrassing!" Severa scowled, but a faint blush could be seen across her cheeks. She hesitantly reached out and petted his back.
"So, Sev," Lucina continued to speak, kicking over the smouldering fire. "How does heading into a town for supplies sound? Plus we can buy some things for Robin as well."
"Shopping?"
"No… I mean, yes… but no clothes for you Sev. I barely have enough gold as it is."
"Huh." Severa crossed her arms. "I was waiting for so long to do this. Go into the past, be able to buy clothes and keep up to the latest trends."
"And kill Grima."
"That too. Of course that's what I want. Geez, Lucina, can'tyou allow me some respite? I can't be as perfect as you are. I can't wait to see you and mom get along. The two perfectionists of The Shepherds."
Lucina kept quiet. She knew that Severa didn't really mean anything she said, but she did so to cope with the loss of her mother when Grima awoke, and the eventual death of her father, one of the last few Shepherds to die, safeguarding Severa in his last moments.
To say that Severa blamed her mother and Lucina's father for everything was a bit much. But Lucina was privy to the anger that Severa held towards her mother, whom she had parted with heated words, especially when Severa learnt of her mother's past infatuation with the past Exalt.
However much Severa barked and complained, Lucina had known her friend for most of her life. It had become nearly second nature to see past the snarky comments and rude gestures, peering deeper into the façade to see that, with almost everything insult she hurled, Severa cared for whoever was on the end of her abuse. To Lucina, she was a friend that she could count on for her unwavering honesty (when it didn't come to emotions) and loyalty.
"Aunty Severa," a small voice called from behind them. They both turned to find Robin shuffling his feet, hesitation in his eyes.
"Aunty? Gods. You make me feel old," Severa huffed, but Lucina saw the small curve of her lips betray her.
"So-sorry. But… what's her name?"
Lucina flushed as she realized that she had never introduced herself to Robin properly. Severa raised an eyebrow. "She never told you her name?" Robin shook his head. "Well, that there is Lucina. Don't worry, I'll give her a proper earful when we go on our way about proper manners."
Lucina shook her head, preparing herself for the walk ahead.
They arrived at the bookshop, breathless and adrenaline running rampant in their systems. "Robin!" both of the girls yelled, causing several glances of disapproval sent their way.
"Yes?" A small voice answered them, and they rushed towards his location. The boy was sitting amidst piles of books, one opened on top of his lap.
Lucina stopped, a look of dread on her face. "Robin…" she began, not wanting to break the news that they couldn't possibly afford all of the books, nor carry them along.
"Yes?" He looked at her with wide eyes, and she couldn't bring herself to squash his hopes.
"Pick three that you want us to buy," Severa told him. "Maybe later on we'll buy more. But for now choose wisely."
Robin nodded, his expression one of intense joy, and started to look through his piles. "Make sure you replace them back where they belong too," Lucina added. She smiled as his face fell, but only for a second before he was back to sorting.
Severa beckoned to her. "Do you have enough money for this?"
Lucina checked, grimacing as she only found several silver pieces. She had spent most of what she had on obtaining a pony for Robin to ride on while they travelled, some supplies, and a small, bronze sword and thunder tome, the last two items for Robin to practice his fighting skills. Both Lucina and Severa had agreed that, above all, teaching him how to protect himself was of utmost importance.
Severa huffed. "I thought I told you to watch how much you spent. You're lucky that I'm here with you; not that I care too much about it at all."
Lucina hid a smile. "Severa, would you please buy Robin his books?"
Severa sighed, about to agree, when she felt a tug from beside her. Robin clutched at her tunic, his eyes wide as he looked at her with innocent eyes. In his other hand he hugged three books close to his frame. "Aunty Severa," he mumbled. "Here."
He showed her the three books, struggling with the weight, as all three were heavy tomes. Both of the girls were surprised by his selections, but looking over the titles, they realized that it would have been obvious that Robin would have chosen strategy books.
"Alright, pipsqueak," she grunted, before protesting as Robin threw himself at her, arms wrapped around as he thanked her. Severa rolled her eyes at him, but Lucina saw the smirk that played across the other girl's face.
"You better hurry and pack the rest up while she pays then," Lucina butted in. When the boy disentangled himself and started the task, a thought struck Lucina. "Severa…"
The other girl looked at her worriedly. "That tone means you have an idea, and usually it involves us nearly dying countless times."
Lucina blinked. "They aren't all that bad!" Severa continued to look at her with a disbelieving look on her face, until Lucina admitted defeat. "Well, not all of them."
"Lucina, you once thought that if we disguised ourselves in those outfits you call dresses, nobody would be able to discover us."
"It would have worked if everyone didn't disagree."
"Lucina. Green dresses with orange polka dots and pink stripes. I don't want to know how you found it, or where, but there was no way any of us would have worn it. I think we all would have rather been killed and rose as Risen then to wear it. We would have stood out a mile, been mocked and embarrassed and made more memorable."
Lucina sighed. "It wasn't that bad."
"And this is you need me as a fashion sense," Severa muttered. "Gods, if anyone willingly allows you to buy a dress without having me around…"
Lucina coughed to try to bring her attention back. "Anyways. Like I was saying… what if we kill Validar now?"
Severa frowned. "What do you mean?"
"Think about it. Validar is the one who steals the Fire Emblem after the Plegian Civil Unrest. If we remove him, there's a good chance that our parents could survive."
"Aside from mentioning how I told you that we shouldn't change anything major, how were you planning on reaching him? He's a high authority figure and a Grimleal leader."
"If Robin was to be bait-"
"No."
Lucina cocked her head, confused. "No?"
"Stop repeating me!"
"What do you mean, no? It's a perfect opportunity and we might never get the chance again."
"Our job, right now, is to protect Robin until Naga finds a way to return us to the timeline we were meant to arrive in! Like you expressed yesterday, what if killing Validar changes events that could spell even worse danger! Use you head, Lucina! You'll have a chance to be Daddy's little girl once again when you see your father again. At least there you can physically protect him whilst changing events."
Lucina flinched at her words. "But-"
The orange haired girl held a hand out. "No arguments. Go find Robin and get him ready. I'll pay for the books and we'll leave." The girl strode away, her back straight and hairs bristling.
Lucina sighed. Sometimes there was nothing to do but to wait out and take the brunt of Severa's anger. "She's a true friend at least," she mused aloud to herself, searching around the establishment.
"I wonder how the others are faring."