Chapter 57: Storm Vision
She was caught somewhere between torture and a nightmare… And Lucina didn't know which of the two was worse. The pain was close to overpowering, threatening to tear her shreds if she focused on it too much. But the nightmare-
The nightmare threatened to swallow her mind, the same way the ocean depths ate up all light. Lucina thrashed and tried to fight, for all the good it did. She wasn't looking at Validar any longer; instead fragmented visions of drowning waves, roiling skies… And two figures still caught between them.
'Mother. And Father-'
She could see them, but she couldn't reach them. Couldn't call out to them, couldn't even touch them or hold onto them-
'Just like before.'
And… She remembered. A part of her wanted to scream that this had to be more of the nightmare, another hallucination brought on by Validar… But another part of her mind recognized what she was seeing. And knew that she had experienced this once before.
She'd fought against shadowed waters like this before… And lost the battle. Seen her world drown, while praying that she could do something to stop it.
'I watched Ylisse drown once, saw my parents get swallowed by the ocean… And I told the gods that I would do anything to stop it. To change fate and future…'
Her thoughts gave one last whimper.
'To save them-'
-o-o-o-
Chrom stared down at his feet, wondering when he'd changed back, or when he'd been pulled onto dry land… Or how his clothes had been changed. He didn't wear the familiar navy of his own clothing; instead the dark colors were instead replaced with pale whites and teals, and a far finer weave than Chrom usually wore.
He recognized the patterns and the cut of these clothes as well; he'd seen them often enough in the carvings and paintings of the first Exalt. Chrom stared down at the bracers wrapping his hands… And at a familiar sword in his grip.
'Falchion.' He had an echo of the songs and tales; how the first Exalt had been blessed and gifted the sword by Naga. But they never talked about how the blade was so brilliant. It almost hurt his eyes, leaving him seeing spots as the world shifted around him-
And as the world shifted, so did a familiar, ancient city. It bled into the corners of his vision, before crowding around him. All brilliant stone, carved by the same hand that sculpted the lighthouses. The city seemed to almost burn and blaze, as a wall of storms and seawater descended on it.
He'd had this dream before, seeing the waves rise up to drown the city. Chrom almost faltered… But it was like his body was being pulled along by strings. Instead of flinching back, he stood his ground against the crushing waves. On its own his arms brought Falchion to bear against the calamity.
He slashed Falchion in an arc and slicing into the oncoming wave. The waves broke apart, like paper getting cut asunder. They crashed aside, never sweeping him away… And through the storms he glimpsed someone standing on the water.
-o-o-o-
She walked on the waves, and stood against a storm. A strange, dark city was at her back; all tall spires and faintly echoing Plegia… Only this time above water. Robin's skin prickled, wrapped in mesh and dark clothing. The fabric was almost black and bordered with gleaming metal. Gold jewelry shimmering and jingling against her neck, and wrists, somehow just as loud as the storm wind... But not as loud as the other sounds.
Overhead came a screaming, mixed with roars. Two gargantuan shapes twisted through the sky. One gleaming silver, one black as the ocean depths. The colors turned into a pair of dragons, their wings stirring storms as they bit and clawed. Their wings were torn to ribbons, blood raining down into the sea… And in response, the sea rose up, almost boiling with how it frothed.
It was a wonder she didn't drown where she stood, with how the waves churned. Sea cliffs were already dissolving under the pounding of the waves, and yet the storm seemed hungry for more. The sea kept trying to swallow a city beyond the dragons… And yet no matter how the waves fell up, they continue to get pushed and cut aside, courtesy of a bright clad figure.
'Chrom?'
Even at this distance, she could recognize him. And so, it seemed, could the dragons. The black dragon broke from the fight, leaving the silver to bleed; all the while the dark dragon glared at Chrom through six red eyes… And as Robin watched, something on the back of her hand burned.
The black dragon surged forward, and the Falchion looked almost feeble against so many fangs… And yet, the blade seemed to glow, and grow into almost being a spear. The weapon was bright, and shrieked through the air when Chrom swung. The blade bit into the neck of the black dragon, and the light lanced down the beast's throat. The six wings burned and smoldered, and the jaws clashed down on empty air instead of Chrom. The black dragon clawed uselessly at the cliff, as it went slack and fell into the waves.
She should have been glad… And yet, her entire body ached at the sight. Like it was Robin who had been torn asunder instead of the dragon.
Her vision tunneled, almost like she was looking through Virion's spyglass. The distance shrank between her and the figure, so she could see the brilliant gleam of his armor… And the blue of his hair.
'Chrom!' She tried to call out to him. He blinked away from his strikes, to stare at her, and she saw him mouth her name. One of his hands slipped from Falchion, trying to reach out to her. Her own bracelets shimmered as she stretched her arm out… Even though a part of her knew that there was no way she'd reach him.
Particularly not when the waves slammed down on her, hard enough to bring her crashing to the city ground. She was scrapped along the roads, dragged by the sudden swarm of tides. Her legs went dead, and her lungs all burned. Around her she saw other Plegians twisting in the waters, writhing in pain as magic sewed their legs together. Scales burned across her limbs, like she was getting the transformation yanked out of her skin.
She saw a flicker of red through the waves, the baleful scarlet eyes of the dragons watching her… And calling something from her-
Up until a hand plunged through the water, and grabbed onto her own. Even as the waters churned and grew murky, she recognized Chrom's grip. The dream changed, the waters becoming placid. Robin floated in them, feeling her changed body settle in around her. Her breath came in a low shudder, as awareness seeped back into her, and the waters cleared.
Far overhead was the rumble of a retreating storm, and much closer was a confused murmur from Chrom. They were floating in an empty blue void of a place; with no trace of nightmare, or Ylisse's harbor.
"I… It was like I was just viewing my body. That wasn't me." Chrom looked at his hands, and seemed almost relieved that he'd traded his legs for a sapphire tail. "Like I was someone else, in some other time. And that city was… Strange. I've heard it described before, but never seen it for myself."
"….I don't think anyone's seen it themselves, considering it was thousands of years ago." Robin said. "That had to be the cataclysm we've heard so much about-"
"The sea gave you a vision." Came Tiki's voice. When Robin raised her head, to see Tiki floating along with them. Morgana floated as well, close by… And doing curiously well, considering that she was submerged underwater.
"…Pretty sure we're still dreaming." Chrom said, when he saw how Tiki and Morgana lacked tails, and gills. Tiki gave a brief dip of the head at that.
"This storm has a lot of wild magic to it, to link minds like this." Morgana told them. "There might very well be others, watching the visions."
It was a chilling enough thought, and Robin fought back a shiver.
"But I… I saw it for an instant. How Grima fell beneath the waves." Robin stared up at Tiki as she spoke. The dragon's eyes had a sadness lingering to them, as she looked over Robin.
"You've seen the truth… And know what's unbalancing the world."
"Unbalanced…?" Chrom just managed. "I-I thought Grima was the source of the storms-"
"Grima's pain is the source of the storms." Tiki corrected him. "The dragon bleeds and has nightmares from the battle. And Naga grows weaker, missing her other half. This stalemate may have lasted thousands of years… But that doesn't guaranteed that it will last forever."
Morgana nodded at that, eyes looking ever up to the oceans.
"There's still storms lurking on the horizon. So that means Grima is stirring. On the verge of waking up." Morgana sighed out, shaking her head.
"…It's part of why I left. I didn't want to see Grima rise, because of my actions." Morgana hung her head at that. "Validar is mad, and I hoped that by taking the compass, I'd take the means from his hands. Even if I was wrong-"
Robin couldn't bring herself to answer, with the memories pulling and teasing at her mind.
"I'm sorry it's taken so long for us to meet. But now you have many of the gemstones and the Emblem gathered… And you know the truth of your heritage; that you're of old Plegian stock… And the blood of Validar."
Robin tried not to flinch at that; she had an inkling to all of that, but having it all laid in front of her… Was unsettling. And she hardly wanted to think about Validar.
Tiki thankfully interrupted those thoughts, as she solemnly intoned a verse of some sort.
"Blood of air and ocean depths, rouse the dragons from their rest. And the world will drown unless the lost city can be found."
Morgana frowned at that.
"…It's an old verse, repeated in Ylisse and Plegian scriptures. And it's precious little to go on… But since we've activated the light houses and their gems, with any luck the way into the lost city should be open. It's an old, ancient place… Going back to before the Calamity."
"Robin…?" Chrom spoke up. "What… Are you thinking of these odds?"
"I… I don't want Grima to wake up. I don't care if I'm the daughter of Validar. Ruining the world isn't my destiny. No matter what he wants… I'd like to think that I can be strong, like you." Robin looked to Morgana and Chrom.
"I think that you can be stronger than that." Morgana said softly. "Now you just need to wake up."
-o-o-o-
'So we lived.' Chrom thought to himself, as his eyes slowly opened up. His arms had wrapped themselves around Lissa and Emmeryn, even as they gave him a confused blink. And… There was something else resting against his arms, with an odd metallic chill clinging to the object and his scales.
Chrom tilted his head to better look down at the object. He found himself wondering over the shield that had materialized in his arms, and the bubbles still rising off the surface.
"You're back with us?" Lissa asked. "You were muttering out all sorts of stuff I couldn't figure out… Though Emmeryn sure found it interesting." Emmeryn gave a slight hum at that, a thoughtful look still in her eyes.
"And the energy of the storm… It appeared you tapped into it. I could feel a thrum as well, growing louder until that shield appeared in your hands."
Chrom could only shake his head at that.
"What… Happened exactly?"
"Oh, you know; we got caught in a maelstrom, almost got bashed against the rocks, and you passed out halfway through. Apparently Robin didn't want to be left out, because she conked out right after." As Lissa spoke, she nodded to where Robin was… And collapsed over Chrom's back, learning against his shoulder. She was slowly coming to, with how she didn't instantly jolt away from him.
"O-Oh."
"And then after that, Emmeryn was picking up on a hum in the water. Sounded almost like a song, but I couldn't pick out the words to it; not when it cut out once you summoned that shield."
'I… Called the Emblem?' Or it could have reacted to all three of the Exalted siblings, caught up in the same storm of magic. But even as he thought that, Chrom found himself drifting upwards to the surface. He pulled the others with him, eyes fixed on the now clear skies.
Even through the waves, the storm was little more than a fading bruise at the edges of sky. Lissa reacted to waves, breaking from his hold and swimming upwards as well, trailing Emmeryn close behind her. Chrom focused on carrying the Emblem and Robin before breaking through the surface at last, looking at the remnants.
The fleets looked more like match sticks, showing their wounds from the ship battles and the storms. The Ferox ships barely floated, and the commandeered Valmese were little more than broken parts. The Shepherd seemed the only thing that had its sails and hull intact.
"A relief to see you alive, sir." That got Robin finally jolting into wakefulness, with how she sprang off his shoulders. Frederick gave no comment on that, instead eyeing them up… And still hesitating at the shore's edge.
"Frederick… I'm still myself, remember?" Chrom watched his expression, his heart falling as Frederick's expression remained stony. He'd never seen that distrusting look turned towards him.
"I… Milord, my apologies. I'm afraid there's a lot I need to adjust to."
Chrom found himself pulling his way towards the shallows at that.
"And… If I looked more human?" Before Frederick could answer, he could feel his body already shifting, the change shockingly fluid; it was like the storm had left the air saturated with power, and ready to change things… And the Emblem had a faint glow of power in turn, that seemed to pull him through the changes.
"Ah, that…" Frederick took a step back, even as Chrom took a step forward. His feet were already forming, letting him fully stand up… And Chrom was relieved that the magic had at least provided him with a pair of pants. "You seem to have a knack for switching forms, milord… And for calling the Emblem to your side; I hope that means that you're still…"
His voice dropped to more of a mutter.
"Still the Exalt I know."
"But… Look." Chrom stuck his foot out, wiggling it for emphasis. "I came back. Emmeryn and Lissa might be able to do the same. I just need you to be patient for a little while longer; you and the rest of the Shepherd crew."
"Lady Lissa…" Frederick murmured at that, and didn't fully meet Chrom's eyes. "…Regarding her. I-is she… Well? She… Didn't seem to recognize any of us, or was able to stop us from… Making an unforgivable mistake."
The knight shook his head.
"Please do not misunderstand. While it… Will take some time to get used to, it is a relief to see you all well. Even if Lissa does not seem to-"
'Seem to what?'
As his retainer spoke, Lissa surfaced. Frederick all but flinched back.
"P-perhaps I should attend to the others, and let them know all is well." He gave a stiff bow, already turning on his heel as he spoke. And Chrom didn't have a chance to call after him, with how Lissa nervously cleared her throat.
"H-hey! Before you run off… Wait a second." She told him, with an uncertain note in her voice.
"Ch-Chrom…?" Lissa's voice shook a little. "You know, you're a funny person. It feels like I should know you, but when I try to remember, it's like I'm looking at a broken mirror."
And those words did a good job of stopping Chrom dead in his tracks.
"Is there a reason you're such a weird blank spot? And why I trust you still…? It's like you and Emmeryn are… Are like family or something." He thought that his heart couldn't hurt like that, anymore; that he'd spent all his grief when Emmeryn had forgotten him. He blinked his eyes, and dipped his head; whether he cried or had the lingering patterns on his face glow, he didn't want Lissa to see that.
"Y-yeah. 'Or something' like that." He said instead, trying to keep his voice even.
'Try not to sink into pain.' He told himself. Not when there was so much that needed to be done.
"Ah… Lissa. I fear that I don't have a lot of time to talk. O-or know what to say. There's still things that we need to do; places we need to travel. But… This should be a safe harbor, now that the Shepherd crew understands us. You could stay here, you know-"
"Not happening!" Lissa cut him off. "I want to figure out what's going on, the same as you. Besides, I'm pretty sure that I can keep up with that boat of yours-"
"Ship. The Shepherd is a SHIP, not a boat." He found himself correcting her again.
"…Now that's something that feels familiar." Lissa grinned, folding arms. "Well, boat or ship or whatever, I'm still going too! So don't even think of leaving without me, once you're done talking to the landwalkers."
-o-o-o-
It was easy enough to promise Chrom that she wouldn't stay behind. It was a little less easy to convince her own fins of them same thing. They felt oddly strange to her, especially after seeing the landwalkers on two feet. And especially when she saw Chrom give a mumbled goodbye, and walk along the shore. Lissa looked away from him and down at her scales, wondering if she was much of a swimmer. Or if she would need Chrom to pull her through most of the water-
"I'm relieved you have so much spirit." Lissa whirled around in the water to face the golden haired merwoman.
"Emm…?" The word slipped onto Lissa's tongue. And with it, a blinding sense of relief; so great that she found herself sagging deeper into the shallows, while Emmeryn swam up to reach for her.
"Emmeryn… I… I feel like I should know you?" She whispered, clinging onto Emmeryn's hands. Her arms shivered, like they were afraid Emmeryn would disappear if she dared to ease up her grip.
The contact of Emmeryn's hands on her felt familiar; that this was something she was well versed at doing, beyond getting pulled through the ocean… Even as it made something behind her eyes hurt, and sting.
'You never thought you'd get to hold her hand again. Because you were sure… Sure that Emmeryn was lost to you.'
"Oh gods, Emm… I was… I was so sure that you were…" It was like she was picking out faint strands of memory. Her mind itself was foggy, like she was shaking off a deep and stubborn sleep. But even through her confusion and muddled thoughts… She remembered one image.
She remembered Emmeryn, falling through sky and into waves, blood streaming from her wounds. Staining the sea red, turning sea foam into blood flecks.
'No one could have survived that.' And yet, she was seeing the opposite right before her. Still breathing despite everything… And giving her a questioning look. Like Emmeryn was just as lost, and trying to figure out where Lissa fit into her head.
"Lissa, I… I think I know you-?" Emmeryn stared at her, like her memories were muddled as well.
"That's supposed to be MY line…" Lissa said, and felt a little bit of that fog disperse. Her words came a little clearer, instead of being half mumbled and unsure. "I… I KNOW that I should recognize you. I remember-"
The memory played in her head again, and a sense of grief flooded through her that threatened to choke Lissa's throat with sobs.
"I remember seeing you die." She whispered. "I-I'm so glad that you're alive, Emm."
The woman before her tilted her head… And a slightly teasing smile traced her face.
"And that was what I was going to say to you." She gently prodded.
"So… What exactly are we?" Lissa kept her eyes between Emmeryn and the shore. "And what was up with that shouty guy?"
"You mean Chrom?"
"Y-yeah, him. And… Why exactly does his name seem so familiar? And why are YOU giving me that look?"
"I just… Feel like you shouldn't speak so harshly about him. He's a good person… I at least remember that much." She murmured, narrowing her eyes. "I… get flashes of him, almost like they were dreams from another life."
"D-do you think the same is going to happen to me?" Lissa asked, nervous. She looked away from the ship, and its humans. "I… Don't know about that. But I guess I was already confused, before. Maybe a few weird dreams and visions wouldn't be… Too bad."
"Well, I could try to shed some light on those visions." Emmeryn answered. "I have dreams and visions of walking with Chrom. Not swimming, but walking, and-"
She cut off, and gave Lissa a strange look. Like she'd remembered just a little more.
"I… Saw you fall into the waters, and was terrified you'd die before I reached you… But then, I managed to hold onto you. Because I knew I couldn't let you drown, or bleed out; I… Couldn't stand back and watch m-my… F-family… My sister…" Emmeryn put a name to what she felt, and Lissa instantly knew it was true.
'Like the blonde hair you share wasn't enough of a clue. Or the scale colors.' Her own were a slightly more teal mix of Emmeryn's emerald scales, but there was still another common line between them.
"Well, guess that explains why I should know you." Lissa managed, even as she tried to blink her eyes free from that odd ache. It made enough sense that Emmeryn was her sister… Even if it raised so many questions.
Questions that Emmeryn seemed to share.
-o-o-o-
Emmeryn took another careful glance at Lissa. She knew the worry was clear on her own face, and she felt it sharp in her own heart. Memories of that desperate transformation she'd worked on Lissa were still clear in her mind.
She'd seen the girl's body melt and reform, under her fingers. There'd been an almost blind panic in Emmeryn's motions and touch. A fear that the girl would drown-
'But now she won't. You saw to that.' Emmeryn reminded herself. A part of her shrank from that memory, and the realization she had the power to reshape people… Or that it was possible, for humans and Mer to switch their forms.
'Maybe that means the same has happened to you… Or Say'ri.' She glanced to her hands then, shifting them back and forth, looking at the melting between scales and skin.
She thought over Say'ri again. And wondered at the faint scars crisscrossing her flesh; things that could've been rope burn. She also hadn't forgotten the way she'd torn into Walhart, savage as any storm in her attacks.
"I… Want to speak with Say'ri. Will you come with me?" Emmeryn managed at last, casting around the harbor. Looking for the leader, knowing she'd be lurking close by and keeping an eye on Chrom.
"Sure! I don't want to be left out on anything." Lissa averted her eyes, adding in a lower voice. "Or being left alone with my thoughts. Or… Or the lack of those."
-o-o-o-
Chrom walked the docks, getting used to the press of something solid against his feet, and measuring each step. He'd been switching and shifting so often, he felt oddly off balance. It didn't help that his eyes kept drifting back to the waves, and there was still a pulling in his chest.
He tensed, worrying on what would happen if that pull became too strong.
'You've already left Ylisse adrift before. Are you really so cold that you'd jump into the sea again, and forsake the land?' He tried to look back to the castle and keep his focus on that. To find the curve of the stone welcoming and familiar… Instead, it felt empty to his eyes.
"You're hurting." Robin didn't phrase it as a question. She also didn't apologize for the way her voice pricked his shoulders, making him half flinch and half jump… Though she did put a hand out to steady him, and keep him from crashing over.
"…That obvious?" He didn't bother with downplaying it. Not with how direct Robin was, and how her eyes were almost piercing as she looked him over. Her attention had a way of digging out what was weighing him down, forcing Chrom to speak it… And confront it, in turn.
"Emmeryn and Lissa… I've lost them both now, to the waves." Chrom lowered himself until he perched on the docks, looking out into the harbor. Wondering where his sisters were in the endless blue. "I-I feel adrift, even though I've returned home."
Like a ship that had lost its rudder and crew, and then cast to the waves. His hand reached for Robin, and she took it up.
"Though… Having you nearby helps. That at least hasn't changed."
"The same is true for me." She answered, gently tracing her thumb along his knuckles. The motion soothed the worst of the restlessness out of him. "But… I would never have wished this on you-"
"They're not lost yet." The new voice was almost a jolt of lightning, from an otherwise clearing sky. Chrom turned to see a woman treading along the shallows, and gazing up at them. Her silver-white hair was cropped closer than Robin's, into a short bob. Her robe as well was similar, and she paid no mind to how the edges were soaking up the waves and foam.
He recognized her from earlier, as did Robin. Her fingers stilled on his hand, and tightened; there was a tremble in Robin's grip, and her breath shivered in and out. Something about this woman shot something through Robin… But he could tell it wasn't panic or fear, like when she'd frozen up in front of Validar. Her mouth moved, but she couldn't quite manage words.
Leaving it to Chrom to speak.
"M-Morgana…? That was your name?" Morgana nodded at that, prompting Chrom to continue. "What… Exactly do you mean, that they're not lost? How… Are you sure?"
"I'm sure from looking at you, it's clear that you've remembered a lot about yourselves; even with the veil between sky and sea trying to tear apart your memories. And if it happened to you, then there's no reason it can't happen to them."
Morgana rolled her shoulders as she spoke, before glancing at her feet.
"And… I know because the same has happened to me. I washed up on the shores of Ylisse, and was tended by the town. That was my first clue that Validar was wrong, and not all humans were as ignorant or flawed as he painted them… At least from what little I could remember him saying. Though I didn't want to linger, given the wanderlust happening with the Exalt. The last king was a restless sort; touched by the tides as well, but driven to conquer rather than explore. Plus, his unfortunate habit of killing anything that might have been Plegian."
"I… Can't say I agree with him on that." Chrom still lowered his eyes. "He used to say that he was conquering to unite all of humanity against the rages of the ocean… But he was going about it in the wrong way."
"It didn't help that in a roundabout way, I am Plegian." Said Morgana. "Still, we're straying from the point. The fact is, I used to be Mer… And I went to Tiki to ask for a way to escape to the surface."
"How did you remember? You seem more… Aware than I was." Robin said, voice low.
"There was something in the palace that helped me remember in a matter of days; a silver gemstone."
"Argent." Chrom provided.
"Yes… Though I may have drained some of its power, when I came in contact with it. To the point that it couldn't restore anyone else's memories. But if all the gemstones were gathered together, or if we could find where they originated from… I hope that might be enough to restore the memories of the others. Before the ocean's grip DOES become too strong on all of us. I fear we're running on a deadline, in many ways. Otherwise, I wish that I…"
She trailed off at that, and looked to Robin. And Chrom was stunned at the look in Morgana's eyes; it was a match for the loss, and the sorrow that still clung on to him.
-o-o-o-
Robin knew she should have been scanning the harbor. Taking in more of the damage, the state of the crew, or the fleet… But instead her eyes stayed fixed on Morgana, and that strange, searching look in the other woman's gaze.
"…I wish there was more time to speak, and reintroduce ourselves." Morgana said. "I don't know how much you even remember about me-"
"I… I know who you are." Robin answered, shyly looking up to the other woman. Even after the battle, and the sudden introduction, this still felt surreal. She'd never thought this would actually happen; never made any plans for what she'd say, because she could never imagine actually finding such a person… And now she found herself at a loss.
'She's not attacking you like Validar did. That's a step up at least.' She had to fight down a nervous laugh at that. All while Morgana hung back, leaving a gap between the two of them.
"You remember me-?" To her surprise, Morgana's voice was soft as well, and she gave Robin a desperate look. Wanting and waiting to hear Robin name her.
"Y-yes. You're my…" Robin forced a breath to steady herself. She looked over the stranger again… Only she was becoming less and less strange with each second. Robin knew those eyes; they'd given her a gentle look often enough, in bygone years. And if her fingers lacked the scales and webbing they used to, she could still faintly recall the touch as they smoothed out her own hair, or soothed her after a hard day.
"You're… My mother." As she said that, a feeling of things being a little more right finally clicked into place… Even while Chrom gave a confused, wheezing noise.
"Your mother!?" Chrom sputtered. "I… I didn't- I-" He forced a breath. "I didn't think I'd be meeting your mother. I- My apologies, my lady. I sh-should introduce myself. I'm Chrom, honored to be bonded to your daughter, Robin." He'd rushed everything out, going pink in the face. And the more he stammered, the more Morgana lost her own tension and smiled. "I… Hope with your approval, I might…"
He trailed off as Morgana laughed.
"Given how the two of you have survived everything, I don't think you need my approval… But I'd be happy to give it, all the same. It's… Nothing short of a miracle, that we've met again. Or that you have even a notion of who I am."
"I missed you; I remember that much." Robin whispered, a jolt of pain traveling through her. "But why did you leave me-?"
Morgana lowered her head at that, shame crossing her face.
"I wanted to bring you with me… But I…" Morgana ruefully shook her head. "For all my plans, I couldn't escape WITH you. I can't forgive myself for that. Validar's paranoia couldn't let me get close to you… And when I tried…" As she sighed out, some of her hair fell out of place; Robin saw the scar tissue crisscrossing the back of her throat. "He looked ready to kill me, and struck me hard enough to try. So I made my escape. And prayed that I set up a path for you to follow."
Robin thought back to that. To those half remembered secret passages, and her eventual escape from the drowned city… And even escaping the grip of the very sea.
"M-mother, I wish… That there had been some way I'd been able to escape with you. Though, I was able to find my way out thanks to you, and the clues you left." That got Morgana to raise her head, and give Robin a cautious smile.
"I've missed you, Robin. And I'm glad I finally managed to find you… And it seems you've managed far more than I have."
"Then you have-?"
"I've just been trying to keep nations afloat. You've found a way to mend them completely." She gave Chrom a piercing look, resting her eyes on his arm. Or rather, the shield he was wearing on his arm. Robin had almost last track of it over the hours, and the upsets… And so had Chrom, with how he blinked at the Emblem.
"It's almost complete." Morgana gazed at the treasure. Her fingers hovered over the golden surface, but didn't dare touch it… Almost as though she was afraid her fingers would sully the gleam of the metal. She lifted her eyes to Chrom, and Robin could already see a plan sparking behind them.
-o-o-o-
Chrom tried not to squirm under Morgana's attention, but it was a tall order. At least her focus was on the shield instead of his face, even as his arm suddenly felt as though he had a lump of lead fastened to it.
"When I found this, it was at the bottom of the sea, trapped in a wreck." Against his will, Chrom found himself picturing it; the former flagship of Ylisse, broken by storms and turned into a tomb. His father becoming trapped beneath the waves, his breath stolen away… And unlike Chrom, he wouldn't have had the help of a Merfolk, or a last minute transformation to save him.
'The sea collected its due, one way or another… This time by keeping him locked under the waves.' Morgana frowned as she watched his face.
"I'm afraid there weren't any survivors. Validar's raids… They were quite insistent on that. I don't know whether it was a raiding band of Mer scuttling the ship, or a wayward storm that smashed the hull on the rocks, but the result was the same." She drew her hand back, balling it into a fist. "But all that slaughter faded out, compared to the Emblem… Even the dimness of the cabin and the deep waters couldn't dull its glow. And when I picked it up, I… I glimpsed things. The briefest vision of the past, and the ages of antiquity."
"You saw a city? A-and the waves?" Chrom asked. Morgana nodded at that.
"Likely the same thing you glimpsed. And I've tried to study it, find records of it… But perhaps unsurprisingly, not much survives from such a calamity."
"…We need to find it." Robin filled in. "Or at least what's left of it. I wish I had a plan a bit more solid than that… But it feels like we're running out of options." Her eyes slid back to the harbor, where a glimmer of scales moved through the waters. The Mer still waited for them, but after that disastrous first encounter, also elected to keep their distance from the land walkers. "We've almost lost several people. I don't know how much longer our luck will hold."
He could almost glimpse his sisters through the waves, and Chrom found himself nodding.
"There's one more thing." Morgana added. "That city… It might have lost knowledge. Not just records of the past, but a better picture of what the first Exalt did."
"And how we can fix it." Chrom said, clinging onto that hope.
With that said, another candle mark passed as Morgana drifted away. But through it all, Chrom kept clinging to that hope, the same way he clung to Emblem.
'It saved you. And Robin… Maybe it'll give you one last miracle, before this is done. And help your sisters. That's worth sailing back out again, isn't it?'
Chrom walked along the shore, lost in his thoughts… Until he raised his eyes to see Frederick waiting for him. The other crew of the Shepherd lingered beside the knight. Flavia and Basilio stood further apart, and beyond them he could see Robin and her mother.
"You called us, milord?" Frederick asked. Chrom nodded, trying to pull himself out of his thoughts and remembering the last span; asking Morgana to gather the Shepherds, so he could give his last orders… And hope that they'd still listen to him.
"Y-yes. I know I left you all adrift the last time; and this time, I wanted to let you know what I need to do." Frederick shot him a worried look at that, but it was Vaike who spoke up.
"Whaddya mean, what YOU need to do? Don't we figure into it?"
"It's… I don't know if you'd want to throw in with such a quest. But it's become clear that the storms won't stop on their own, and they're wearing away at us. Emm and Lissa both need my help, and I think there's a solution to both those problems out there. Frederick… I need to go and find it. With or without the Shepherd. I'll swim if I have to."
"That will NOT be necessary, milord." Frederick sounded almost affronted by the idea.
"I-I know that it's hard thing to ask of you," Chrom fought to say. Words and memories both crowded his head making speech all the more difficult.
Chrom wondered and how strange he must have looked. A tide touched Prince, and now the closest thing they had to an exalt. He wasn't sort of leader that Chrom himself would have chosen. But he was also the only one that they had.
"But would you be willing to sail with me one last time? One last voyage to put this all to right? And then afterwards... well, at least then we'll all be alive and able to decide what to do next."
"Milord… I don't know if you have noticed this, but we are all still alive for the moment… And I feel we have you to thank for that. Tide touched, merfolk blooded, whatever you choose to be… It would be for the best to repay that debt, by following your orders. And following your ship, wherever it may go."
"…My ship?"
"Aye. We have one ship left that can battle the waves; the Shepherd herself. And I don't believe any of us would hesitate in crewing it."
"You're damn right about that." Sully backed Frederick up. "We've already had a shot at sitting around and waiting. I'm not eager to try that crap again." It was the same along the line of crew, all murmuring their agreement. And not shrinking from him, now that he was back on two legs.
It would do for now, Chrom decided.
"I… Should stay behind." Morgana murmured. "There should be one person here who can read the tides; I might be able to help with the ship repairs as well."
Robin frowned at that, but didn't move to interrupt.
"I'll try to catch up with you as swiftly as I can." She told them, before glancing to Flavia and Basilio. "I get the feeling the Khans will be eager to be out as well, so I shouldn't keep you waiting for long."
"Then… Can we set out on the morrow?" Chrom asked them all. And his answer was a chorus of shouts.