Invisible Ties.
The time had come. The heroes had defeated Validar's forces, which left only Validar himself. If they can defeat him, then Lucina's horrible future would finally be stopped for good. They had lost much during their journey to this moment, and they would loose even more if they failed to stop Validar. It would not be easy, the dark power inside was enough to make their blood feel cold. Cassandra had to take a moment to calm her nerves, or she would be a wreck before the battle even begins.
"Are you ready, Robin?" Chrom asked.
"Chrom, first I have a favor to ask..." Robin said.
"As long as it's not a request to leave you behind" Chrom warned.
Robin shook his head "It's not...though I did consider it. I can't hurt you if I'm not there in the first place. But...I can't run from Validar forever. And if I'm going to overcome him, my best chance is with you by my side".
Chrom smiled "That's more like it".
"But therein lies the favor... If Validar somehow does gain control over me... Promise me... Promise me you'll cut me down" Robin said.
Chrom looked shocked at his request "You can't mean that. You can't ASK that!".
"I'll resist him with all that I am. I promise you. But there are other people involved here— too many people to ignore... You have a duty to protect them as well" Robin said.
"You're right. The words burn my tongue, but you're right. But you mustn't let Validar seize control! Whatever it takes. Whatever the cost!" Chrom ordered.
"I'll try. You know I will" Robin said.
"No, don't try" Cassandra spoke as she walked up next to Robin "Don't say you will try, because that only means you don't really believe you can succeed. You will resist him, you will stop him from controlling you. And you will help us end all this once and for all".
"Cassandra..." Robin whispered.
"Now come on, we got some serious arse kicking to do!" Cassandra declared, her voice full of confidence.
Chrom smiled in pride, every moment he spends with Cassandra further proves he made the right choice when he married her, and Robin smiled as well, happy to have such a strong willed friend. They head deeper inside and soon all three of them confront Validar,
"Validar!" Chrom said with venom.
"Chrom... Cassandra... Come to witness the glorious culmination of your failure? How nice. I have the Fire Emblem, and the Dragon's Table is set for a feast. I will return Grima to this world!" Validar said.
"You'll DESTROY the world! Lucina has seen it!" Chrom shouts.
"That's right! Grima brings nothing but death and ruin!" Cassandra added.
Validar only smirked "Then I pray today's spectacle lives up to her nightmares! The Awakening rite is not only for exalts and Naga, you know. With it, I'll arouse Grima! The fell dragon needs only a mortal vessel, which you so kindly brought along...".
Robin looked shocked when he realized what Validar meant "...Oh, gods. He means me".
"You ken quickly, Robin. That's my boy" Validar said in twisted pride.
"No! Never! I'll die first!" Robin declared.
"You carry my blood, the blood of the fell dragon. His soul slumbers within you. And now the time has come to awaken you both!" Validar said.
"...Wh-what?! I'M Grima? I'M the fell dragon?!" Robin asked in even more shock.
"The Grimleal have worked for generations to create someone like you... A vessel worthy of our master. Simply having Grima's blood in your veins is not enough... My father was not worthy, nor was his father before him. Even I was not able to accept Grima's most sacred gift. But you? You had all the makings. You were perfection!" Validar explained.
"N-no..." Robin said silently.
"If your damnable mother hadn't been seized by weakness and fear... She betrayed us, stole you from your crib, and fled with you in the night! I know naught of your life thereafter; but all that matters is your return. That you are here is PROOF of your purpose! It is why you still draw breath!" Validar said, his insanity clear as day.
"You've proven nothing but your own madness. Robin... We are going to stop this. This can be stopped. YOU can be stopped!" Chrom said.
Cassandra grabbed her sword and shield "You believe you know the future, but your mind is clouded by Grima's lies. Ou future may be uncertain, but your future is very clear: You die here, today!".
Validar smirked arrogantly "You may have killed me in some future past, but I am stronger this time! With the power of the Dragon's Table flowing through me, I am unstoppable".
"You're not the only one stronger this time! Right, Robin? ...Robin?" Chrom looked at his friend who was struggling "Stay with us, Robin! You're not beholden to this fiend! You can fight it! We've all seen how strong you are! We've seen what you're capable of! Don't let him shake your resolve!".
"C-Chrom, I... I don't know" Robin said in fear.
"Enough! This sorry display ill befits the heir to our master's power. And you, Prince and queen, your sad poem sounds lovely, but it will not alter destiny" Validar said.
"They're more than just words!" Robin finally spoke up.
"Be still now, my son..." Validar said.
"My life did not begin with you. It began the day Chrom found me in that field. I have been all over this world, and I have helped change it for the better. I have fought and laughed and bled with my friends, and THAT is what matters! The ties we forged, the bonds we share, they are of a power greater than Grima" Robin said, earning smiles from his friends.
Validar scoffs "A ludicrous idea, as you will know better than anyone soon enough...".
"We do agree on one thing: my life so far has all been in preparation for this moment... When I kill you or die trying!" Robin declared.
"Heh heh heh. You have your father's courage, but your mother's judgment... Very well, pup. Come! Do your worst! Come at me with all you have! There is no damage I can do your body that the fell dragon cannot repair!" Validar said as his power flares up.
"This is it! Our final battle! You're one of us, Robin, and no "destiny" can change that. Now let's kill this dastard and be done with it!" Chrom said.
Cassandra got ready "Right! Today, we defy our fate!".
Validar summons a dark barrier "So long as the dark barrier stands, no other soul can reach us. You must face your grim fate alone!".
"Our allies will hold strong, and we will defeat you and return to them!" Cassandra said before she charges at Validar.
She blocked an blast of dark magic before trying to stab Validar, who blocks the blow with a magical barrier. This repeats a few times before, Cassandra was forced back, but before Validar could follow up with another attack, he had to dodge an attack from Chrom. The prince glares at Validar for daring to even try to kill his wife. He will pay for this.
"Heh ha, are you so eager to meet your end, little Prince? You WILL die here. Your future is already written" Validar said.
"I tell you again: I make my own future. And it's one you'll not live to see!" Chrom attacks with Falchion while Validar counters with his magic.
Robin fires magic at Validar but misses as he warps back to where he fights Chrom. Validar stuns Chrom and prepares a killing blow. Robin intercepts the attack with one of his own; after the smoke clears, Validar grunts, impressed
"Robin, why insist on these games? You only delay the inevitable. And besides, the alternative? Have you considered what happens should I fall? These followers of Naga will spurn you now that they've learned what you are. Kill me, and you incur the wrath of the Grimleal as well... Would you truly choose to be so utterly alone?" Validar asked, and when Robin did not answer, he continued "Humans are weak, pathetic creatures... Your "bonds" with them will bind you. You are destined for a greater purpose! The GREATEST purpose! You are to be a GOD!".
"...Not your god—not today" Robin declared.
They enter a duel of magic, and they seemed evenly matched for a time. But Validar's willingness to go all out without any fear of what might happen gave him and edge. But before he could overwhelm Robin, Cassandra got in the way, blocking the attack with her shield. This gave Chrom the chance to charge the distracted Validar and slashed him across the chest. Validar collapses, seemingly defeated.
"This isn't over... Damn you ALL!" He fires dark magic at Chrom, but Robin shoves him out of the way and takes the blast.
Chrom rushes over to the wounded Robin "Are you all right? That's the end of him. Thanks to you we carried the day. We can rest easy now. At long last..."
Robin's vision grows red and bloodshot
"...What's wrong? Hey, hang on!" Chrom said.
Robin stabs Chrom with a bolt of Thunder magic. Robin's vision returns to normal. After that, he looks at his hand, crackling with electricity, in horror.
"This is not your—your fault... Promise me you'll escape from this place... Please, go..." Chrom collapses, dying, while evil laughter resounds.
"CHROM!" Cassandra screamed in horror.
"N-no... Father! No!" Lucina said in horror and despair.
Validar smiles evily "With the five Gemstones in hand, my magic knows no bounds. Robin is powerless to resist me. Do you see now, Son? Human bonds are leaves in the wind. They offer you nothing".
"You, heartless, soulless, MONSTER!" Cassandra screamed in fury at her husband's death "You will pay for this! You hear me!? YOU WILL PAY!".
"This can't be happening. We were supposed to change this! Everything I have done is...worthless" Lucina said, having lost hope.
"No, it wasn't" Came an familiar voice.
"Huh? I know that voice..." Lucina said as she looked along with her mother and saw... "Siegfried?"
Sure enough, the brave knight walked up, his large sword on his shoulder "Destiny is not written, Lucina, you should've learned that by now".
"What!? You were supposed to have become Nightmare by now!" Validar said in shock and anger.
"Figured as much, and it almost happened. After my battle with Walhart I was approached by a dark figure who offered me Soul Edge. I almost took it, but then I remembered Lucina telling me about Nightmare. When I saw the blade, I knew I was the one who became Nightmare. So instead of taking it, I rammed my sword straight in to it's hideous eye" Siegfried said.
"Impossible! I was told Nightmare was on his way!" Validar said, his anger growing "My scouts-".
"Scouts? You mean me?" Validar looked and saw one of his scouts... glowing before changing in to another familiar face.
"Lady Taki!" Cassandra said in surprise.
"What?!" Validar said.
"Your dark god failed to warn you about the Fu-Ma Ninjas clan. We have many tricks, and they fooled you perfectly. You never suspected it was me" Taki said.
"Taki kept feeding you false information that I had become Nightmare. And you never realized it" Siegfried said.
"How!? How did you manage this!?" Validar demanded.
Siegfried smirked "Simple: Robin predicted everything that would happen here. He saw it in his dream. Saw this very fight with you. He saw The five Gemstones. When Flavia gave Basilio's stone to Chrom, Robin saw what was going to happen. He knew Chrom couldn't bring the real Gemstones here to Plegia, that would've been a massive mistake, and we would've just handed you everything you needed to win".
"Gya ha ha! A worthy bluff, fool, but ridiculous all the same. I've had your merry little band watched since Carrion Isle. Your every move! So I know Robin hasn't touched the stones he hasn't been near them!".
"You watched our party, yes the members your men knew about. But they weren't watching me because they believed I was already being watched by someone else. And I was. But you already know who's been watching me" Siegfried said.
Validar's confidence began to fade "I... No, that's not—".
"So you finally get it. The Gemstones are fake" Siegfried said.
"That is not possible! These have to be... They must be..." Validar said before looking at the Gemstones and realized they were indeed fake.
"You lost the moment you believed you had won, Validar. We played you when you believed you were playing us. Though the soul credit is not ours" Taki said as a young girl warped inside next to her.
"Morgan!?" Lucina said in surprise.
The girl named Morgan smiled "Sorry I took so long, Lucina. Had a lot of work to do, to make sure Nightmare did not interfere".
"Damn you! Damn you to all the hells! None of this matters! Chrom is dead! Your fates sealed! Grima will— ...Eh?" Robin attacks Validar as Chrom stands up "No...".
"Father! You're alive!" Lucina said in relief.
"Robin...spared me... He weakened his magic...just before the strike..." Chrom said, alive but stille a little messed up.
"You stupid arse head! I thought you were dead!" Cassandra said in both relief and anger.
"Sorry, I'll make it up to you once this is all over" Chrom promised.
"You better" Cassandra said.
"GRAAAAAAGH! Damn you all, and your stones! I won't need them to kill you!" Validar shouts in fury.
"Ready to end this, Robin?" Chrom asked.
"Let's do it. I'm ready to see what our true future has in store" Robin answered.
"We will. Now. Together" Chrom said.
The barrier shatters, and a healed up Basilio and Flavia enters.
"Chrom! Cassandra! Robin! We're yours to command!" Basilio said.
"Let's put this dastard down, for good this time!" Flavia said.
"Keep the rats away. This demon is ours" Cassandra declared.
"Go get him girl" Flavia said with a smirk as she and Basilo joined the rest.
"Die, Validar!" Lucina shouts as she attacks Validar who blocks her strike with his magic.
"Impudent meddler! You have failed to change the future at every turn. What makes you think this time will be different?!" He demanded.
"Perhaps it won't... But either way, it's no reason to spare your miserable life!" Lucina declared as she forced him back.
Before Validar could retaliate, Siegfried came in with a powerful sword strike. Validar blocked with his magic but the force of the blow sent him stumbling back... allowing Taki to stab him in the back.
"Rrgh... F-fools... Destiny cannot...be...unraveled...!" He said as he tried to call on more dark magic, only for Morgan to hit him with a fire spell.
Cassandra bashed him in the face with her shield before stabbing him in the gut. He coughed up blood, but his rage and hate would not allow him to die... until Cassandra's magic activated once more and she blasted a hole through him. He stumbles back, and Robin delivered the final strike with his sword.
"No...nngh! All...wrong... Why... Why would you squander your birthright... Robin...my son..." Validar said before he falls over, he was finally dead.
"We did it! We did it, Robin! We've altered our destiny! We... We've won" Chrom said.
"Siegfried!"
"Dad!".
Siegfried looked and smiled as his lover and daughter ran up and hugged him, and he hugged them back. They were all relived that he didn't become Nightmare. Taki and Morgan shared a smile, almost looking like there was a secret between them.
"Strange... Validar is dead, but I still feel uneasy" Cassandra said.
A shadowy figure warps in, and assumes Robin's appearance.
"You!" Robin said.
"You may have altered the course of history, but not its destination" The Lookalike said.
"What do you mean?!" Robin demanded.
The figure smirked "It is still written that Chrom died here at your hands. Or, perhaps to be more precise...mine" .
"Who are you, really?!" Chrom demanded.
"I told you, I'm Robin. The Robin that murdered you and became the fell dragon, Grima. When this "Marth" of yours decided to come back in time...I came with her" The figure answered.
"Another version of me? But how...?" Robin asked.
Future Robin sighed "I can be so daft sometimes... It's really quite simple. I am you. Our only difference is the decisions we've made... Those vivid dreams you have—those are my memories. We share those memories because we share the same heart... Grima's heart".
"Th-the headaches... The voices... It was you!" Robin realized.
Future Robin nods "Your recollection begins the day I entered this world. I intended for us to unite then, the first moment I found you. But your heart was still too weak to contain Grima's power... The shock of my attempt wiped your memory clean".
"That's why he didn't remember his past" Cassandra realized.
"I knew if Lucina managed to rewrite history, Grima would never be resurrected. And I, in turn, would cease to exist. So I had to step in, now and again, to keep my future secured. Like when Validar was killed in his attempt to assassinate Emmeryn... But that is the past, now. We have our future past to think of. All that remains is for you to become Grima, as I did. Then you and I will become as one, and we can reclaim my power" Future Robin said.
"We are not yet the same?" Robin asked.
Future Robin shook his head "...You were supposed to choose godhood over your pathetic band of servants. But if you'll not claim the sacrifice laid at the Dragon's Table... I will claim it in your place!".
A dark aura forms around the Grima-possessed Alternate Future Robin.
Robin backed away "What?!".
"Myeh heh ha ha ha! The fell dragon and I are one! And though my journey through time has diminished my power...the life force here shall renew me!" Future Robin said... But he was no longer Robin, he was Grima.
"It doesn't matter! You couldn't make sure I was injured by that monster, and Siegfried didn't become Nightmare! We've already changed history!" Cassandra said.
"You think breaking Soul Edge means Nightmare is gone for good? No, his power will never fade completely, as long as one shard remains, he will return. And he can easily find a new host" Grima said.
Cassandra growls "Well, he won't be killing me this time!".
Grima looked confused for a moment before he laughed "Kill you? You think Nightmare killed you? HAHAHAHA! No, he did not kill you. Want to know what really happened?".
Cassandra looked confused... Until someone showed up which made Cassandra's blood run cold. She saw... Herself... But hair turned nearly pure white and her skin became an unnatural, ashen-brown tone. Her eyes have also become bright red.
"That's..." Cassandra trailed of, struggling to process what she was seeing.
"Mom..." Lucina said in horror.
The Dark Cassandra looked up with her blood red eyes "Lucina... my... daughter...".
"Mom! No. No this can't be true!" Lucina said, unable to believe that her mother was turned in to... that.
"But it is" Came a dark voice and another terror revealed himself.
"Nightmare!?" Lucina said in terror.
"But, we stopped his return!" Taki said.
"That really is Nightmare... But he looks different" Morgan said as she noticed Nightmare was like a walking armor, no human underneath, just pure evil energy,
"You fools. Did you really believe I needed a host to form a body? No, it just makes it easier to keep my power under control. And now, I will claim what is mine! YOUR SOULS!" Nightmare roars.
Robin runs off, presumably to take the Fire Emblem back, as Grima glows brightly, forcing everyone to run. As Grima awakens, a pillar of dark energy bursts into the sky from The Dragon's Table. Cassandra, Chrom and Lucina flee; then Chrom saves Lucina from a lightning blast. Grima has been fully awakened and roars.
"All right. Now what?" Chrom asked.
"Grima. It's all over..." Lucina said, loosing hope quickly.
"Lucina..." Cassandra said.
"That's Grima! That's the demon who destroyed my world. And now he is among us..." Lucina said.
Frederick grimashed at the sight of such a monster "The terrible size of it...gods! For once the legends spoke true. We can't face him, not in a straight battle he'd kill us all!".
"If only we still had the Fire Emblem, we could ask Naga for her power. Then at least we'd have a chance" Chrom said.
"But Validar took the Emblem!" Lissa reminded.
"And it was lost inside the Dragon's Table... I know" Chrom said in frustration.
"What, you mean THIS Fire Emblem?" Robin said as he showed up with the Emblem.
"The Emblem! But how..." Chrom asked.
"I stole it from you once, remember? The least I could do was steal it back" Robin said.
Grima floats above the area, preparing to cause chaos and destruction.
"Robin, you old dastard. You never cease to amaze! Quickly now! We must complete the Awakening before Grima catches on!" Chrom ordered.
"It's said the first exalt paid tribute to Naga at a site on Mount Prism" Frederick said.
"Do you know where, exactly?" Chrom asked.
Frederick nods "Yes. There is an altar at the peak of the mountain. If milord would perform the Awakening, it must be done there".
"A small hope is better than no hope at all. Hurry, everyone!" Chrom said.
Cassandra looked at Lucina "It's ok Lucina, we still have a chance".
"Mother... You saw..." Lucina trailed of.
"Yes, I did. But I refuse to lay down and become that thing. Now come on! We can still change our fate!" Cassandra said.
Lucina looked at her before nodding and everyone hurried towards the Altar... They only had one more chance. If they fail, the world is doomed.
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