The loud clanging of steel clashing against steel...
The sickening sounds of a blade tearing through flesh...
The desperate cries of friend and foe alike as they struggled to gain the upper hand...
He could hear all of these sounds oh so clearly, and yet his mind wandered off somewhere else. There he knelt on the giant dragon's scales, his hands clutching tightly onto a worn tiara until blood began to trickle down its golden sheen.
Was this all just a bad dream? He wondered, barely registering the cries of the Shepherds as the risen pushed them back. A lone risen mercenary soon caught sight of the tactician in his near-catatonic state, raising a steel blade as it approached him.
If this really is a bad dream, then please...
The risen then swung its blade downwards, poised to strike at the tactician's neck.
just let me wake up...
suddenly a loud clang was heard over his head, catching the familiar sight of the Falchion's regal design as it parried the mercenary's blade. Chrom then quickly landed a sweeping blow across the risen's neck, watching as its head fell off its shoulders.
Knowing his opponent was defeated, the blue-haired lord turned to his dazed tactician.
"Robin!" He called out to him, "you need to get up, the Shepherds are going to fall like flies if you stay like this!"
Robin's eyes widened slightly in response, before slowly raising his head to meet Chrom's gaze. "But... she..." He trailed off, before Chrom quickly grabbed him by the arm and dragged him back to safety.
"I know" he lamented as they continued making their way back to the Shepherds. "But we have to keep moving forward, we need to get to Grima so we can end this once and for al-"
With that, Robin's brows began to furrow deeply, before jerking away from his best friend's grip. "Damnit, Chrom! Don't you see!? Lucina DIED!" He cried out as tears began to swell, "My friend, your daughter, is dead! Am I the only one who's shaken up about this!? It's like you don't even-"
Before he could finish, he suddenly heard a loud smack! ringing through the air, followed by a searing pain that manifested on his left cheek. Chrom gritted his teeth as he dropped his outstretched palm, before taking an interest on the scales they're currently on.
"Damnit... Robin..." he growled dangerously, before jerking his head back up to face the tactician. "Who said I wasn't affected by what happened to Lucina!? A parent losing their child is a pain you cannot even fathom, Robin!"
The fury in his face began to break, before gripping onto Robin's shoulders for support. "And when I..." he trailed off, before taking a deep breath. "When I... caught wind of what happened, never in my life have I wanted anything more than to just... hack that flying, scaly dastard into pieces... To just... collapse onto the ground and do nothing..."
"But..." he continued, "I remembered the future Lucina told me about. The future where Grima won. The people of this world, the families below us, they'll all suffer if Grima wins again..."
Robin opened his mouth to protest, but no words could come of his mouth.
"And baby Lucina?"
The tactician's eyes suddenly widened.
"If Grima wins, she'd have to face the atrocities her future self has seen" Chrom pointed out, "Robin, I know you and Lucina became close friends, and I'm thankful for that. But this was Lucina's main goal: once Grima is defeated, then the future is saved. So please, Robin, guide the Shepherds through this battle..."
"Let's fight as two halves of the same whole once more"
With a newfound resolve, Robin gave a curt nod, before staring at the battlefield that stood before him. After analyzing the battle for a bit, the strategy soon popped into the tactician's head.
checkmate!
"Melee units, form an arrowhead and begin pushing through!" Robin ordered, "Range units, stay behind and provide support! Lon'qu and Gaius, keep watch on our backs if any new risen spawned!"
The Shepherds soon went into formation and began fighting their way through a sea of risen. And thanks to Robin's instructions, they were gradually getting closer to Grima with just cuts and bruises.
"Chrom!" The Exalt in question turned to face the tactician, "It's time. Everyone! I'm about to use the most desperate tactic known to man"
"Oh don't tell me you're going to-" Sully began, but was soon cut off by Robin's shouts.
"All Shepherds, KILL CIRCLE FORMATION!"
Those who fight up-close suddenly form a ring around the long-ranged units, forming a nigh-impregnable shield that prevent the risen from coming close. Robin and Chrom soon broke away from the formation, tearing through the risen ranks as they made their way to Grima's human vessel.
"So only the two of you are to face me" He chuckled eerily in Robin's voice, "honestly, there is a fine line between bravery and foolishness, you know?"
"whatever we are, matters not, Grima" Chrom declared, "because either way, your end has come!"
"ARROGANT WORM! YOU CANNOT SLAY WHAT MAY NEVER DIE!" Grima roared, before the massive dragon head finally turned to face the Exalt and his tactician. Energy began to form on the fell dragon's gaping maw, before releasing a large, shadowy, ball of fire at the two, killing them in the process.
Or... so he thought...
Two blurs of blue and white jumped out of the fire, one holding a brilliant sheen above its head. And the other, a flashing yellow. Grima jumped back as he narrowly avoided the Falchion's awakened blade, but staggered as a fell-infused arcthunder spell managed to hit its mark.
"Told you learning Aegis from Frederick was a good idea" Robin remarked, a smug grin forming on his face.
"Don't..." Chrom muttered, "the last thing I want to see is Frederick looking mighty proud of himself"
"Well, you're gonna see that anyways once we're done"
"yep..."
Chrom continued to swing the fang of Naga without so much as a second thought, only for the fell dragon to nimbly dodge each swing. Grima feigned a yawn as he continued to evade the Exalt's onslaught, only to jump out of the way once more as he saw a flash of light from above.
"Forgetting your own vessel, Grima!?" Robin called out, electricity fizzling out of his hands. The fell dragon in question clenched his teeth as he dodged another lightning bolt, only to get grazed by the Falchion's blade.
Great. First, the little lord, then the treacherous vessel. Just what he needed before destroying the world.
Sometimes, fuck you, Naga...
He soon snapped out of his thoughts as he felt a sharp pain onto his stomach. Chrom twisted the divine sword deep into the vessel's body, before forcefully separating the two with a pull unbefitting of royalty. Grima's dragon body roared violently as his vessel fell on one knee, clutching tightly onto the bleeding wound.
"This is our chance, Robin!" Chrom exclaimed, "I'm going to finish it!"
The Exalt raised his blade overhead, ready to strike down the human vessel of the dragon. Robin looked on anxiously, his brows furrowed as he watched the scene unfold.
This was it, Grima was going to be defeated and the world would be saved. And yet, why does he feel so apprehensive about this? Is it because he chose to not land the killing blow himself? Could it actually be that he could feel what Grima is feeling currently?
Ashes to ashes...
Robin's eyes widened when he heard it, before making a mad dash towards Chrom and Grima. He reached with an outstretched hand as Chrom brought down the blade. And as he got closer, he saw it:
That sneer etched in Grima's face.
"Dust... to DUST!" Grima cried out with outstretched hands, before spikes protruded from his scaly back. Robin watched in horror as his The Exalt, his best friend and brother in all but blood, was impaled throughout his body, only to sputter out wheezes and gags as a spike was caught in his throat.
But despite that, he still clung tightly onto the Falchion. Grima watched as the near-dying Exalt weakly swung at him, before casually swatting his sword arm away like it had little significance.
"Even if I'd have gouged his eyes out, this little lord would still refuse to die" Grima clicked his tongue, before laying his gaze upon Robin. "Now then, shall we go watch the best part, vessel?"
With a simple gesture of his hand, two columns of spikes began making their way towards the white-haired tactician. Robin quickly braced himself for his impending doom, was this really the end?
...
...
Nothing?
Was his death really that quick? Just what happen-
He heard dozens of screams echoing behind him, realizing what had just happened: the spikes Grima sent had gone past him, and instead went on to thrash friend and foe alike. Robin attempted to run back to the Shepherds the moment he saw the kill circle fail, but Grima soon latched onto him and locked him in place.
"Can you see it, Robin?" He cackled, making the tactician watch his friends fight back desperately. "THIS is where your bonds are measured up! The ties you share with these mortals... the memories... All of them are futile against a god like me..."
Robin shut his eyes tightly, but Grima forcefully opened them. "Now..." he began, "let's watch your ties sever!"
Robin attempted to wriggle and writhe out of Grima clutches, but to no avail. He watched as one of the Shepherds began to lose stamina, unaware of a risen fighter creeping up on them.
"No..." he muttered, failing to wriggling free once more. "NO!!!"
His body writhed in a frenzy as he heard the pained cries of his friends, but once again, Grima's grasp on him remained steadfast. Damned his life, damned everything! If he was permitted to save the Shepherds, then he'd gladly give up everything!
And yet, here he was, powerless to do anything as his friends were butchered like livestock in the slaughterhouse.
Eventually, his body went limp. Grima soon left him in his own despair once he was satisfied with his work, before staring off into the horizon as he continued his way to Ylisse.
"Remember that all of this happened because of you" Grima emphasized the word "you" as much as possible, "but worry not, for I am not without compassion, you'll see them soon enough-"
A loud cry rang through the fell dragon's ears, before Robin suddenly tackled him off of his back. He quickly grabbed his doppelgänger by the collar and slammed a fist onto his face, before reeling it back to slam it down again.
"you insane buffoon, you'll kill us both!" Grima roared, only to see Robin's darkened gaze.
"Good" he replied, slamming his fist down on him again. "Let's drift in the abyss together, monster"
As the sight of land had begun to grow clearer, Robin clasped Grima's head in-between his hands. As bits of lightning began to crackle at his fingertips, Grima attempted the wrestle his hands free from his head.
But in the end...
"Thoron!"
the outcome was decided...
Robin felt Grima's blood splattered across his face, hearing the large dragon's dying howl as he was blown away from the impact. He stared up into sky until he caught Grima's dragon body falling limply, until finally...
his vision went black.
...
...
...
ugh... my head...
...
...
What was I... doing again?
...
Ah... right...
Lucina looked sad... I was supposed to bring her flowers to cheer her up...
...
Nah... Gerome's got it covered now...
Robin smiled faintly, Happy for the two to find solace in each other.
I'm tired, hopefully when I wake up tomorrow, it won't be Sully who's cooking for the entire camp...
Drip!
he could've sworn he felt a drop of water falling onto him, but that's impossible. After all, he's sleeping in his tent.
Drip!
Okay, maybe there might be a little hole on his tent? Eh, he'll just fix it later.
Suddenly, thousands of raindrops began to fall on him, causing him to jolt upright.
"Leak! There's a leak in my tent!" Robin cried out, only to realize his tent was nowhere to be found. He rubbed his head in confusion as tried to understand what was going on: did he pass out without setting up camp? No, anyone would've let him know. Did Lissa get Vaike to help her with a prank? Actually, that seems likely.
And then he looked down, and found himself in his birthday suit.
His face flushed a deep red as he hid behind a large rock, attempting to cover his lower body as much as possible.
"Lissa, you have gone too far this time!" He cried angrily, "where the hell did you put my clothes!?"
"They're not here, Fellblood..."
Wait a minute, that voice...
"Naga?" Robin asked, "what's going on?"
"You are in a world that is teetering on the brink of destruction" Naga replied, "In order to stop Grima from rising again, I've sent you here to stop him before he does"
"But... me and Chrom were still planning on how to defeat Grima..." Robin pointed out, "my world is still on the edge of life and death, why did you bring me here when the Shepherds still need me the most?"
While her form was not there, Robin could tell she was shaking her head woefully. "Don't you remember, Robin?" She asked the white-haired tactician, "you've already defeated the Grima of your world..."
"I... already- GAH!!" A violent ringing rung through Robin's mind, causing him to clutch his head tightly. The memories of that battle finally returned to him: The Shepherds battling on Grima's back, the kill circle, him and Chrom taking on Grima himself...
And... the atrocities that occurred during that battle...
"I... didn't die..." Robin muttered, his voice breaking slightly. "you said that.. because Grima and I... are intertwined too deeply... I would die if I landed the killing blow..."
he clenched his teeth tightly like a steel trap as tears began to swell. "So why... why am I still alive!?" The tactician cried out, "Naga, if you saved me, why!?"
"Like I said before, it is to stop Grima from rising in this world"
"I didn't even agree to this!" He sobbed, "please! Just let me be with them..."
He could practically hear Naga sighing, before finally responding to his request. "I'm sorry, Robin" she said, "but what we have to do is far too important"
"I... see..." he muttered, suddenly taking an interest on the ground. His eyes then stumbled upon a small rock, and picked it up as he got an idea.
"If you won't let me see them, fine..." he relented, a terrifying conviction now plastered over his face. "I'll do it myself..."
He swung the rock as hard as he could, closing his eyes as he hoped that it was enough. Even if it wasn't, even if it only hurts like hell, he'll just do it again until he succeeds.
...
Nothing...
He felt nothing: no dizziness, no pain, nothing at all. Why?
He opened his eyes to see what was going on, only to realize that hand holding the rock stopped just inches away from his head. He attempted to swing his hand once more, only to see that it didn't budge.
"I'm sorry for this, Robin, I really am" Naga apologized once more, "but you must understand the stakes of what we're dealing with, and why I can't let you do that"
"What did you... do to me?" The tactician asked.
"Look down"
Following the divine dragon's words, Robin looked down and, soon enough, saw a strange glow on his abdomen. He ran to a nearby puddle to see what was on him, and despite its slighty murky water, he could see it clearly: a brand. It had some resemblances with the fell brand he knew, but at the same time, there were even aspects of the Exalted brand.
"So I never even had a say in this matter to begin with, huh?" Robin lamented, before a quiet laughter climbed out of his throat. "Oh that's rich! Despite being Grima's opposite, you're also just using me as a means to an end"
His quiet laughter soon grew louder, before slamming a fist onto the puddle. "Godsdamnit..." he chuckled wryly, feeling the dirt water splashing on his face. Once more did he feel tears beginning to swell, before suddenly attacking the very ground he was on.
"GODSDAMNIT!" He roared, violently tearing away at the dirt. Who the hell does this dragon think she is!? What gave her the right to dictate what he should do!?
He eventually stopped as blood began to trickle down his fingers, before quietly whimpering to himself as he curled into a fetal position. Why is the world so cruel?
"If I may? Why don't we work out a deal?" Naga suggested, snapping Robin out of his trainwreck of a thought process. He slowly poked his head out of the fetal position, prompting the divine dragon to speak further:
"All I ask for is that you prevent Grima from rising in this world" Naga explained, "if you can uphold your end of the bargain, I will then grant you the peace you desperately want. Do we have a deal?"
All that could be heard was the sound of the rain.
"...Robin?"
"On one condition" Robin requested, "if I were to be stopping Grima, I'd rather do so with a clear mind. So let's limit our conversations unless I have something to ask about"
He could tell Naga was smiling at his response. "Good" she said, "First things first, head back to the spot where you woke up, I left something for you there"
Doing as he was told, Robin returned to the area, finding a small box closed by a thread.
"when you are in a situation beyond your control, open this box" Naga explained.
"oh, so you gave me an emergency box rather than a set of clothes..." Robin muttered, "speaking of which. Naga, why the hell am I naked? What were you doing earlier when I was unconscious?"
No response
"Your silence speaks volumes, and I hope my thoughts are incorrect" he mumbled, before staring off into the rows of trees. "I guess the first thing I need to do now is find a village..."
AN: if anyone could remember, the very first fic I've ever made was for Fire Emblem: Awakening, though I deleted it because I hated how the story went and was ashamed of it.
Now I'm remaking it, hopefully I work better on it