Disclaimer - I don't own Fire Emblem. All of its properties belong to Nintendo and Intelligent Systems.
Chapter 11
It's sometime well after midnight when I stumble through the halls to my room with the remaining Shepherds, barring Kellam. The guy felt it only proper to walk Raimi to her room. Cute.
Lissa, who had not told anyone the cups she was grabbing all night long were brimming with Feroxi rum, is snoring contentedly in Frederick's arms as he carries her behind us. His lecture about sibling responsibilities to Chrom is drowned out amidst the laughter of Stahl, Sumia, and I. The three of us joke about our awkward dancing adventures and take friendly jabs at each other. I feel disappointed when we end up reaching my door first.
With an unwilling heart, I bid everyone a good night and slip into my quarters.
The door closes with a soft click as I push the lock into place. My head is still fuzzy from the euphoric taste of careless abandon. I laugh to myself as I twirl in place. This night couldn't have gone any more perfect.
I pick my foot up and start to yank at the heel of my boot as I hop into the adjoining bathroom. I pull both off and immediately attack the wash basin. I hum some off beat tune loudly as I scrub myself up for bed. It doesn't take long. Soon, I'm skipping back out ready for what could be the best sleep of my life.
As I round the corner, my face is hit with a cool burst of air. The yellowed lace curtains that drape around the sole window in my room flutter from a draft of wind blowing in from the outside. That's odd. Did I leave the window open? When did I even open it?
I set my boots back down and walk over to the window. I push aside the curtains and see the flimsy latch pushed up. Curiously, I lean out and peer around. My view looks over the left side of the outer courtyard. As far as I can see, it's empty since all the guests are either still partying or sleeping. There's two guards standing at the building's entrance but they stand motionless as they vigilantly watch the street before them.
"Huh, weird."
I look back at the latch and poke it with my finger. It swings easily on its rusted hinge.
I grab the edge of the window pane and push it shut again. I relatch the lock and pull the curtain tightly back around the frame.
"Guess the wind did it," I say to myself.
"Not quite."
"Gah!" My shriek echoes loudly as I spin around in horror.
"Peace, Robin. It is only me."
It takes a minute for my reeling brain to process the stranger hidden in the shadows just outside of the candlelight. Marth leans up against the opposite wall watching me from beneath her mask.
"Holy pickle sticks," I sigh as I slump against the wall in relief. "It's you."
"You seem surprised by my presence. Did you forget about our earlier arrangement?" Marth asks, quirking an eyebrow.
"No, I just didn't expect you to enter like that. That's some grade-A nightmare fuel right there that you just pulled."
"What would you have me do?" she frowns. "I cannot simply walk up to your door and knock politely."
"Point taken." Sheesh, when did you learn to snark Marth? I hobble over to the bed and plunk down on it. Might as well make myself comfortable because the night is about to get a little longer. I point to the chair positioned near the desk opposite of me. "Want to take a seat?"
My visitor pushes off from the wall and walks over. She pulls the furniture piece out and twists it around so she can face me. She sits with her back straight and legs crossed, both hands resting on her knee. Her posture is enviable and an instant sign of her regal upbringing.
"Before we start, I've got a question," I say.
"Go on."
I pause and realize what I'm about to ask of her is really personal. I should probably approach this more tactfully. "I know we've called you Marth up until now and probably will for some time after. In private though, would you feel comfortable having me call you by your real name? Or, would you prefer I continue calling you Marth as we have been?"
Marth looks genuinely surprised by my question. "That's an odd request. I had not even thought of that." She stops and ponders for a long while. I can see her deliberating heavily with her thoughts.
"I suppose there's no reason not to. I have to admit that it's been a very long time since I've been able to hear my name." She lets out a dry laugh. "It did not occur to me that the first person to utter it again would be you of all people."
"Sorry?" I can't tell if she means that negatively.
She shakes her head. "Disregard my comments. I appreciate your attempt of courtesy. Seeing as you know of my identity, it would be silly to continue the ruse. So you may address me as such."
"Alright then, Lucina." Saying her real name out loud is strange. I feel like I'm breaking some secret code.
Lucina herself looks oddly out-of-place hearing her name. She tilts her head to the side quite similarly to her father. Her lips perse together and I can see her eyes flicker to the left as she registers each syllable of that single word that belongs solely to her. One of two lasting reminders from a lost father an era long past. Crap, here comes the wave of melancholy again. Jeez, and I thought playing the game made me feel bad for her. It's nothing compared to the sickening growth that festers in my stomach every time I remember the reason she's here and what she's been through.
My companion collects herself and returns to her earlier mood. "I suppose we should begin then. We have quite a bit to speak of."
I lean back on my arms and sink further into the bed. "Yeah. We do."
The silence hangs heavily between us as each woman takes in the other before her. The seconds tick by with each patter of a raindrop on the window. We both know that, after this moment, everything is going to change for us. For better or for worse.
"So," I ask, shattering the quiet,"where do you want to start?"
Lucina closes her eyes and exhales deeply through her nose. "A fair question. Where do we begin when there is so much to be said. Hm."
She's certainly right about that. A million questions are now swirling in my head but I don't even know which one to start with. Why does she know what she does? Why are all these new things happening? Is she even aware there are things occurring outside of the original plot?
Her fingertips drum idly across her knee and as she thinks. "Perhaps it would be best to start with you."
Okay, I'm cool with that. No doubt she's just as confused as I. My presence alone seems to have spooked her well enough.
"Where should I even begin? There's a lot that can be said."
"Start with..." her voice falters. "Forgive me, but there are so many questions that need to be answered. It's hard to pick where. I suppose the best choice would be the most obvious: Who are you really? Explain to me more on what you began in the Arena."
"Ha. Haaaaaa," I laugh weakly. Kid, you don't even know how badly I wish I could answer you properly right now.
"What is the problem?"
I scratch my cheek. "Would it be weird to say I'm still finding that out myself? I kinda-maybe-sorta am suffering from a teensy tiny bout of amnesia."
"You are?" Lucina responds, dumbfounded. When she sees my nod of response, she shifts uneasily in her spot. "But of course you are. Fate would not dictate it otherwise."
I try to look reassuring as I speak. "It's not as bad as you think! In fact, I'm getting bits back as time goes on. Not as fast as I'd like but enough to piece together a history."
She watches me intently. "And what is it you do remember if I may ask?"
And now the truth comes out. It wouldn't do to keep anything from her. Lucina may be the only person who can help me and I have nothing to lose when telling her the truth. So I might as well just come out with the blunt facts.
"So bear with me. Do you remember what I told you in the Arena. About, uh, not really being from here."
"Yes. From my understanding, you seem to be implying you are a displaced traveler from another world beyond the Outrealm Gate. Am I correct on this assumption?"
Now how the hell does she know about that? There's Lucina's weird knowledge kicking in again. Of course I have no idea how the Outrealms even work so who knows? Maybe it is common knowledge.
"Yeah," I confirm hesitantly. "Something like that. See my name is Robin. And according to you, barring a few differences, I look remarkably like this other 'Robin' you seem familiar with. I can assure you though that I most definitely am not. My life and where I call home are vastly different from hers."
I stretch out my right hand from under the sleeve of my coat and stare at the top of it. I can feel a phantom burning sensation in the same place as the brand. Yep. Some things are vastly different.
"You do speak the truth," Lucina nods. "The Robin I am familiar with is far more formal. And far less odd."
"Hey now," I warn in disapproval.
She smiles weakly. "My apologies but that is of no offense to your nature. It's merely an observation. But please, continue. You were describing your differences."
"All I'm saying is that we're two totally different people." I take a deep breath and then continue. "For example, I'm not really a tactician."
Lucina looks startled by my admission. "You're not? You are an apprentice then?"
"Yeaaaaah, not even close."
"What is it you do?" she asks.
"I'm a baker by trade," I admit guiltily.
Lucina stares at me. She's trying very hard to digest what I just said. "You are a...baker?" she says numbly.
"Baker, cake decorator, and occasionally dinner chef."
Lucina's perfect posture breaks as she suddenly slumps in her chair. She presses two fingers to her forehead and rubs it, still attempting to understand my words. "You are a baker," she says again, this time in disbelief.
"You got it. Flour pounder extraordinaire. That's me," I say dramatically as I point to myself with both thumbs. Gotta have some pride in my profession.
"Does my father know of this?"
"Nope. I really haven't talked all that much about my past."
"Naga's grace," she exhales. "A simple baker has led the Shepherds this whole time."
"Hey!" I protest loudly. "Give me some credit here! We're still alive at this point so that has to mean something."
"I suppose," she says while shaking her head. "This is so strange."
"You're telling me. Try waking up every morning to this and convincing yourself it's still real."
Lucina leans on the corner of the desk and balances her chin atop her hand. She still looks like she's having a hard time taking this in. "So you are a baker. What else do you recall?"
"What else? Jeez. I don't know. Let me think," I murmur.
I close my eyes and try to put together what's come to me so far. I collect the memories and dreams that leak in from daily reminders or, sometimes, without any reason at all.
I see myself running up the porch of the white two-story Victorian I lived in with my mother when I was younger. I can smell the sea in the air and hear the crash of waves somewhere nearby.
I finally remembered. Brown eyes are what she has. My mother looks at me with warm brown eyes and holds out her hand to welcome me home.
My early childhood is still lost but I remember a lot of the rest of my youth. The nameless face of a friend. A bedroom of my own composed of too many books and more video game posters than I could cram on the walls. Vacations over the border every summer where the old woman with squinty eyes would check my passport.
There's broken snippets of school. I hear my French teacher chastise me for the inappropriate use of Franglish, the band instructor promote me to first chair among the oboe players, and some boy named George asking me to dance.
College is a warped blur of strange faces and words. I moved somewhere far and foreign to learn how to cook. No, I didn't move on my own. I followed someone. It was a good friend, an exchange student from my French class. Her name is Julliet. The same woman I dreamt of a few days earlier.
We graduated together and moved into the same apartment to work in her mother's bakery. I was happy and content there. Sure, it wasn't glorious or flashy but that didn't bother me. A simple, carefree lifestyle was all I wanted. And then one morning...
"...one morning, I woke up here," my voice cracks in emotion.
I realize that I haven't been simply reliving these thoughts. I've been speaking of them aloud as I remember each one. I clamp my mouth shut as I feel a lump catch in my throat. Damn. Damn it all. I wince and twist away to hide my pained expression.
Lucina sits across from me with eyes downcast. She waits respectively in silence while she allows me to gather myself. I take a few deep breaths and calm down.
"Sorry," I mumble.
Her head shoots up and she gazes at me in surprise. "There's no reason to apologize. If anything, I should be the one to do so. I should know better than any that reliving one's past can be more difficult than imagined."
She would, wouldn't she? What's my homesickness to her fractured past. God, I feel like such a tool.
"Are you able to continue?" she asks.
"Yeah."
"You left off with saying that you woke up here. How?"
"That there," I moan, "is the biggest problem of all. See, I woke up one morning just like usual to head to work. I remember doing the typical routine but, as I left, something happened. Whenever I try to recall it I get only a blank space and one helluva headache. It's like someone trying to split my skull open."
"So you have no memories at all about how you arrived here?"
"You got it. Everything's gone out the window," I say while making a flapping motion with my hand. "The next thing I remember is waking up here."
I think I'll omit the part about braining her aunt in the face. "I was located somewhere outside of Southtown where I was found by your dad and the others. On the way there we found out that Southtown was-"
"-under attack," Lucina finishes for me. "Yes, that's how it always goes."
I find her statement unsettling. "You say that like it happens all the time," I say suspiciously.
"Mm." Lucina gives me a wry smile. "Tell me something. You also mentioned about having some foreknowledge of what is going on around you. Where you come from it is a story, if I recall correctly?"
You know that little feeling that starts growing in the back of your mind that alerts you something bad is about to happen. That sixth sense that goes off right before the punchline? Well mine's blowing like a bloody foghorn.
"Yeah, it's a bit like that," I reply.
"Tell me about it."
Lucina leans back again and recrosses her legs as she gets comfortable. She watches me with an unreadable expression. I start feeling the need to fidget under her intense stare.
Oh man. What do I say? Should I? Can't this screw things up big time?
Ha, what am I saying? This is already screwed up. So many things have started to go awry. At this point, I think anything is fair game. What more harm could I possibly do?
"Well, originally in the country of Ylisse the Shepherds discovered a tactician named Robin. The tactician's arrival ushered in a mix of events that led to war with Plegia over the current Exalt's assassination. Some years of peace occurred that then led to a brutal war with the neighboring country of Valm. Finally, there was the resurrection of Grima thanks to the Grimleal. The world went to shit afterward, excuse the blunt way of putting it."
"So the story continues that the princess of Ylisse and her friends went back in time thanks to the help of Naga to avert the events leading to Grima's ascension. Of course that douche bag of a dragon followed y'all back and ran up a tab in Plegia while the Shepherds and their allies worked hard to fight against fate. It says that they retrieved all the stones for the Fire Emblem and the Awakening ceremony was performed by your dad on Falchion to bless it in an attempt to slay Grima."
"And the ending?"
Shit. I was afraid of this. I'm trying to be vague here about things like customizable Robin or that Robin and every other Shepherd can pretty much bang each other. How do I get out of this though? There's two endings!
"Are you sure me telling you isn't going to cause some sort of rift in the space-time continuum causing us all to blink out of existence?" I push.
"Enlighten me."
Okay, don't say I didn't warn you. "The ending seems to vary based on who you talk to. Some say Chrom performed the killing blow and sealed Grima for another one thousand years. Others say Robin dealt the final blow, only to be erased together with Grima as they are one and the same. Some will also say that after an undisclosed amount of time Robin eventually reappeared thanks to a miracle."
I brace myself as I wait for something horrible to happen. Will my body start to disappear from breaking the timeline? Will reality itself begin to unravel?
Anything?
Nothing?
Alright then.
Lucina sits across from me, deathly quiet. She mulls over my words and then looks up at me with a blank face.
"Those are nice endings," she finally says. Her words hollow and empty.
"Sure. Who doesn't like a happy ending."
"It's a shame they're wrong."
And now I can officially panic.
"Looks like it's your turn to explain," I exclaim with mock cheer.
"Two cycles," she says simply.
What false enthusiasm I had managed to muster instantly vanishes. "Cycles?"
Lucina gets up swiftly from her chair and begins to pace. Her hand wraps tightly around the hilt of Falchion as she moves, another habit it seems she's picked up from her father.
"You spoke of only two cycles. That's not the truth though. Not two, not three, and not even four. The story keeps going. She made sure of it."
Lucina's voice may be calm and collected but there's a rising edge to my own as I speak. "I'm confused, Lucina. You need to explain this to me. What do you mean by cycles? And who is 'she'?"
"She calls every timeline a cycle. When she resets it, she considers it the end of one and the start of another."
My stomach is twisting violently with my growing fear. My hands dig into the sheets and begin to pull nervously at them. "Who, Lucina? Who?"
Lucina stops. For the briefest of seconds I can see her own fear. It softens the features of her face, reminds me that she's no older than some of the other Shepherds themselves. Another child fighting a war already lost. Like the mask obscuring her eyes, Lucina's guard comes up again and the emotion is once again lost.
"Robin," she states.
"What is it?"
"No. 'She' is Robin. My Robin."
My mouth opens and closes like some landlocked goldfish as I attempt to push out words. I try to think of something to say but my brain just can't seem to focus. I mean, she did just say what I think she said, right?
"Explanation. Please!" I rasp out, finally finding my voice.
Lucina reaches out and eases herself to a lean against the side of the desk. She can't meet my eyes, instead resting on the window.
"Something has happened," she begins. "I don't know how nor why. My own memories, much like yours, are lost in certain places. It's because that woman has been changing the events of the past over and over again at her leisure."
"Robin? The Robin? Loyal tactician to the Shepherds? That's...No. That's impossible," I protest. "That makes no sense. There's no way anyone could have that degree of control over all this. Look at you! Without the aid of Naga, you wouldn't have ever been able to return to the past!"
Lucina's hands ball into tight fists. "Robin isn't like us, don't you see? She doesn't just have the blood of a god in her. She is a god! She's capable of far more than any human I know."
My eyes widen in response to her statement. Robin may be the compatible container for that decrepit eldritch abomination but she's certainly still only human. At least, that's what the game showed. Is it possible though? Can there be something to Robin that no one ever knew?
"S-start over would you?" My voice is shaking as I speak. "You're moving too fast for me. Just explain to me what you know so I can catch up with your half of the story."
Lucina's gaze flickers to me briefly before diverting again. Her body is tense and she has her arms tucked tightly under her arms. "Forgive me. I should not have carried off in such a fashion. Allow me to continue."
A sharp intake of breath and then a nervous exhale. Then, she resumes speaking.
"As I said, something beyond my reasoning happened to her. I...I don't remember much of that second cycle. The one where I returned to the past for the first time. I think it happened then. I do recall that Robin became distant from us and instead spent many hour tucked away in her study. Perhaps she learned something there? Something that caused her to change, to twist her mindset and her heart."
"What I do remember is what happened on an unspecified day. I felt this tremor go through my soul. It felt like something had latched onto the fabric of my very being, like my soul was being dragged away. I doubled over in pain as my vision began to flicker. Just before the world disappeared into blackness, I felt myself enveloped in warmth."
"I found myself in a void of white light. Aside from myself, there was only a single presence beside me. "
"Who?"
"Naga."
Lucina looks more at peace now. "The Divine Dragon explained what she could to me. Robin had somehow invoked a power similar to her own. A power that could transcend any mortal's control of time. She distorted the very flow of time itself. Time had reversed itself to a prior point, erasing all and resetting the entire state of things. Everything the Shepherds and I had done were lost. Memories, relationships, even deaths. Reversed to the very start of it all on a spring day when a young woman wakes unassuming under a tree outside of Southtown."
"Oh. Okay then." I say this like I understand everything in perfect clarity. But I don't. I just can't seem to grasp the idea. How? How can one woman become so powerful that she can simply rewind time like it's a VHS tape. You can't just...Aren't there rules about this? You can't just break time!
"It is hard to comprehend, I know. I was in a suspended state of confusion myself. It truly never sunk in, not until Naga released me back into reality. When I saw that everything was as it had been and all our hard work wiped clean I..."
"Why didn't Naga stop this? She's a god right? Can't she intervene somehow? She saved you after all. Why didn't she save everyone else?"
"It is true that Naga is a God but she is not omnipotent. She resides in a place beyond all and it requires great power to commune with us without a direct source connected to her." Lucina raises a hand to the side of her face, fingers resting around her eye. "I fear that if I didn't have a connection to her blood she would never have reached me at all."
Her hand drops to her side again. "Naga was already weak from using what power she had to push my friends and I through to the past. The little she had left was only enough to summon me. She protected me from the effects of the time reversal, allowed me to remember. But even that wasn't enough."
"What do you mean?" I inquire. "You have the blessing of a God! What could go wrong?"
"Naga appealed to me to bring Robin back. To convince her that whatever it was she was seeking was not worth the risk of destroying the very flow of time. Even Grima's ascension is a lesser evil when compared to destroying the reality we inhabit. But that woman is a tactician of unparalleled reputation for a reason."
"She always remained a step ahead of me. There was always a plan. Always an escape route. I would close in on her only to be held back by something else. It didn't matter what would be in her way. As long as it could be of use for her escape, anything was fair game."
I blanche. "Okay, sheesh! I get it. Robin's somehow tapped her god blood and went full-blown villain. Great."
This whole thing just keeps getting better and better. There's another obvious elephant in the room and I hate the idea of bringing it up. But I have to. "I know I'm going to regret asking this but where has Grima been this whole time."
She looks confused.
"The one who followed you from the future," I explain.
"Ah. Up until this point, Grima had remained as predictable as the rest. They continued to appear at the same time and place they always did. Afterward, they retired to Plegia where they attempted to regain their lost power among the Grimleal."
Well that doesn't make any sense. "Why? Shouldn't it be immune to all this time travel crap too?"
"I wondered this as well," Lucina states. "My theory was that since Grima is bound inside of a human body as opposed to residing in their natural form, they are subject to the same rules as the rest of the world. I have tracked Grima countless times and never once had things ever changed."
"So why the 'until this point' thing?"
Lucina goes quiet. Her features blacken as she draws into herself. When her eyes flit to mine, they are dark and full of fear.
"When this cycle began, Grima never appeared. They've disappeared without a trace."
...
What.
The.
Fuck.
"How the HELLS do you lose a Fell Dragon!" I yell as I spring to my feet.
Lucina rounds on me. "Robin please! Your voice!" she whispers insistently.
"Excuse me if I'm not more than a little alarmed at the fact that an old God who's hijacked a walking bomb's body is frolicking freely somewhere out in the world. Let me go make a bleedin' cup of tea and maybe I'll settle down after."
"We don't know that. I said-"
"I know what you said and it means nothing," I argue. "This is a monster of old magic and thousands of years of cunning. If they wanted to go around undetected I'm pretty sure it would be no problem. Just because you didn't catch on to Grima this time doesn't mean jack."
My words rile her up. Her own voice starts to rise as well. "Grima's arrival has been predictable since the start. There's no reason for it to have changed now."
"Except it is! Nothing has been the same since I got here. More and more now, things are starting to break from the norm. I've got weird-ass Risen crawling out of the woodwork, people acting out of character, and a wyvern rider that won't stop stalking me. Nothing is the same anymore Lucina. Nothing."
Realization dawns on her face. "A wyvern rider?"
I nod wearily. "Yes. Maybe you saw them in the Arena. Big black wyvern with a white underbelly and its rider. I met them on the field right before you on the same night the Risen appeared. They actually saved my life, believe it or not. They kept addressing me really formally. Always 'My Lady' or 'Ma'am.' I haven't seen them since today though. Appeared in the arena and, uh, helped a little with my fight. Took off before the guards could get them though."
"Wyvern with a white...Oh Gods." Lucina's form straightens. She covers her mouth with her hand and slumps against the desk. "I knew I recognized that creature. I should have paid closer attention. How utterly foolish of me."
I immediately walk over to her side, curiosity welling up in me. "You know them?"
When she looks at me, her face is set dead serious. "Robin, you need to listen to me. That wyvern rider is dangerous. You must stay as far away from her as possible! She's-"
"It's a girl?" I interrupt. They did sound pretty girly when they laughed now that I think about it.
"Yes, or at least I think she is." Lucina shakes her head "That's doesn't matter though. I don't know how she arrived here but you must avoid her at all costs!"
"Why? Besides seeming a little eccentric, the rider seems harmless."
"She's not. That wyvern rider is one of Grima's most loyal, and most dangerous, generals in the future. She's destroyed countless allies and friends alike in the name of her dark lord. That rider knows nothing of remorse nor mercy!"
And there goes the last of my sanity. What is logic anymore? What is my life? Certainly someone else's joke, that's for sure.
"Wait, wait! Hold up here. Why would this wyvern rider save me if I work for the Shepherds? And why did she help us today at the Arena if she supposedly is an enemy to the Shepherds and all their allies? She should be trying to sabotage us, not aid in our victory. Didn't you say if we had lost we would have been severely hindered by losing out on the immediate aid of Regna Ferox."
"That's true," she says with apprehension.
"This is not the time to be holding back on me Lucina. If you know something, let it out," I say. If I have to, I'm willing to shake these answers out of her! Luckily I don't have to as she answers right away.
"It may be that she believes you to be...her master."
"The wyvern rider thinks I'm Grima?"
"Most likely. If you think back on your words, she is simply helping you, not the Shepherds. It's only coincidental that your successes are aiding them as you are currently allied with them."
"I don't know. I mean, still. Wouldn't she have said-" Something the rider had said comes back to me.
"Oh, come on! You know who I am!"
"Seriously," I snap. "I don't! "
Silence. Then they slap a hand to their forehead. "Oooooh. Right. Oops! You don't know me." They laugh again. "You don't remember anything." I imagine if I could have seen their face they would have winked at me.
"Oh crap."
"What is it?"
"I think you're right. They were surprised at first when I met them and claimed I didn't know them. Then they got all weird and started acting shady like we're sharing a secret joke or something."
Lucina starts to pace again, lost in thought. "I wonder..."
I watch her move back and forth across the small space in my room. "Lucina?"
"Give me one moment."
So I do. I wait and wait and wait.
"Any time now, kid," I finally throw out.
She stops in the middle of her pacing, still caught in some internal fight. "I don't want to believe this but perhaps my theory is right. There is a reason she may be thinking you are Grima."
"What theory?"
"Something happened in the last cycle, the one right before you arrived."
I throw my hands up in the air and groan in frustration. "Of course. What else is new. Let me guess, this isn't going to be good."
"No. It isn't."
"Great," I grunt.
"Robin acted far differently in this timeline. Things were going too well and her actions were far different than usual. She stayed with the Shepherds after Southtown and integrated herself into their group. It was too normal. She was actually making friends and trying to be a part of the Shepherds, much like you are doing now. I hesitated to intervene because I could not simply throw myself into their story so soon. I watched and waited for things but nothing occurred."
"And?" I say impatiently.
"And then the war with Plegia ended."
"That's good, isn't it?"
"It was," Lucina agrees. "It was until Robin revealed herself to be...to be Grima."
I make a face. "Well that's stupid. Why would she just up and blow her secret. That's better left unsaid."
"No, you misunderstand," Lucina's voice trembles. "Robin was Grima."
Is she saying-? "Robin was Grima? As in the future Grima. Big bad Grima?"
"Yes."
"Oh."
A freight train called "Realization" crashes into my logic membrane."Woah, wait! SHIT!"
I don't think my heart can take any more of these surprises. I feel like I've reached my daily limit. "What happened? I thought you said Grima was as predictable as clockwork. Why did this change? And where's the real Robin in all of this?"
Lucina's own words are strained and weary sounding. "I don't know."
"I'm beginning to really hate those words," I mutter bitterly.
"I wish I had an explanation, truly I do. All I know is that the woman I thought to be Robin had been Grima all along. As to where the real one went or how Grima suddenly found power, I do not know. Just as I don't know where either are now."
"I don't even know what to say anymore."
"There isn't anything to say on the matter," Lucina breathes. "Grima's rising played out no differently than before. It was difficult, and, without Robin's ability to reset time, it proved to be a long while before I was able to escape. At one point, I had almost thought it impossible and that I would be stuck with my dark past for good."
"How did that work?"
"Lady Tiki, Naga's mortal daughter. Her direct connection to the Divine Dragon is very similar to Robin's own with Grima. By invoking her blood in a similar way, we were able to replicate the process of reversing time."
That's an interesting turn of events. "Does that mean Tiki is in on this with you now?"
"There is a great possibility she is. Unfortunately, she has awoken in her own home in Valm making it impossible to find her at this point."
I find myself collapsing back onto the bed. I run a hand through my hair and stare at the floor. "So you reset time yourself and came back to the past alone?"
"Not quite," Lucina rebuffs. She points to me. "I found you."
"Congratulations. You really won the lottery with this prize," I gripe as I face plant into the mattress. I give up.
Lucina walks to my bedside and looks down at me. "I should apologize for the alarm when I first met you. You must understand my apprehension when I first laid eyes upon you. I was not sure what to expect. I wasn't even sure what I would see given Robin's disappearance and Grima's unexpected return. Things are not right and I'm not sure what to do any longer."
"You and me both kiddo. This is all sorts of crazy. Why couldn't things be simple?"
"Life is never simple, Robin."
"True." I just wish it wasn't.
So this is where things have come down to. I'm still here by some mysterious means, though at least I know that it's almost for sure the fault of the Outrealms. I've come into some time-warped version of Fire Emblem where the original Robin hijacked the timeline and started messing with it for her own hidden agenda. Then she disappears and Grima reappears in full glory, only for them to disappear as well. And then I happen and things continue to go bonkers. Lovely.
"So what do we do?" I mumble from the bed. "If Robin is missing, isn't that a good thing? You don't have to worry about her. It seems to me you have all the time in the world now to save your dad. Hells, just to be safe, do your own Awakening ritual. You have Falchion with you. Get the stones and perform it yourself so you can be ready in case Grima does show up somehow."
"Robin is missing, not dead. Until I know what her status is, I can't just rest so easily. I will attempt with all my power to do what I must for Grima but it will be all for naught if Robin once again appears and dissuades my efforts. And of course there's still you."
I flinch. "Yeah. I am kind of the odd loophole in this whole thing."
"That is what worries me most. How does an outsider bearing a striking similarity to our missing woman appear and simultaneously acquire all her same traits and heritage?"
I want to be smothered with one of those pillows right now. "And here I was hoping for some answers and an easy way out. Couldn't this have been just a simple supernatural body swap or something? Lord Almighty." I hoist myself back up into a sitting position and look to Lucina. "Let me make a proposition then."
"That being?" she asks looking both wary and intrigued.
"I need help, that's obvious. You want to get rid of any trace of Grima/Robin from your life. Seems to me that I can help you solve your problem if you help me."
"How so?"
"As far as we know, I'm the only thing still around that can cause a problem with Grima in the future. So if you ship me off to my home, I'll disappear and the Grimleal will lose any chance of resurrecting their god with me. Hells, I'll even be nice and do what I can to make sure things go right until you feel comfy with it."
"That...makes sense."
"I'd hope so," I sigh. "As far as I see it, we have an opportunity here. The two of us are in a similar predicament and have an abundance of advantages on our side to make things go right for once." My tone shifts and I sound as sincere as I can. "And, honestly, I want you to succeed. This story of yours was one I held very close to my heart. It was inspiring to be honest. I came to love the characters and felt for their troubles. Now, being here and seeing you all in the flesh has made my resolve that much stronger. It's gone from idol admiration to legitimate loyalty." I pause. "I, uh, hope that didn't sound too creepy."
"No, it's fine," Lucina says, a faint trace of a smile beginning to grow. "I grew up listening to many stories quite similar to you. There is one in particular that reminds me of your own. We have a story of a strange man who emerged from another world as well. The Radiant Hero they called him. His tales of grandeur left me wide awake at night dreaming of my own adventures." The princess emits a light chuckle. "I thought myself beyond this but I find myself believing you Robin. Strange."
"Thanks I guess. You know, it feels nice to have someone who knows what I'm going through."
"I would assume so."
I turn the conversation from lighthearted to serious. "What now though? Where should we start cause I have no leads nor ideas."
"You have done a fine job acting the role so far. Continue to do so for the time being until we can find more information on this. That is my suggestion for now," Lucina responds.
"You want me to just sit back and do nothing? What about Plegia and Valm? We have all the foreknowledge to take advantage of this. We can do a lot to change things for the better. Make things easy for when the hard stuff hits."
"No," she protests sternly. "If you attempt to deviate the events of time from its original course too much, things happen for the worse."
"It can't be that bad."
Lucina's face grows stone cold. "You have not seen what I have. Do not take my warning lightly Robin. I have seen what happens when you attempt to change things and nothing comes out as it should."
Goddamned time travel laws. "So I do nothing but stand here and look pretty?"
"That is exactly it. As a tactician, even an aspiring one, you should know how foolish it is to proceed forward without a plan. We both are blind to the situation and have no leads. To take any rash actions could potentially hinder any chances we may have in the future."
She's right of course. I'm just too stubborn and impatient to want to pursue that line of action. "Sitting idly by isn't that much of a help either," I point out.
Lucina sighs. "Fine, if you wish to be of help then listen. There is a library in the castle situated in the west wing. Located in the deeper confines of it is a vault filled with ancient texts and scrolls. Robin frequented those rooms quite often and would spend hours locked away in them. If you can find a way in then perhaps there is something you can find there of help. Will that suffice for now?"
"I suppose." I start to sulk. This is so unfair.
I notice that Lucina is watching me with a strange expression. "What's with the look?"
She startles from her thoughts and turns away. "I just find it odd is all. Here I have been hunting both Robin and her altered self for so long and now I find myself allying with the same person. It is odd to believe that we may be on the same side again."
"Hey, clear reminder that I'm not your psycho friend here. Whatever happened to her isn't what's up with me. Just remember that. I've got your back and all of the Shepherds. I own them and until I can get home, I'm going to do my best to protect them."
"I believe you and I'm thankful for that. Having an ally once again is comforting."
"You act as if you are lacking in support. Don't you have all your friends with you? What of them?" I ask her.
"My friends?" Lucina laughs bitterly. "Right, my friends."
Yooo, that doesn't sound good. "Well yeah. It was said you went back with a whole group of children from the Shepherds. There's Owain, your cousin of course. And then there's the others like Nah and Brady and Cynthia..."
"Those names. Some of them I haven't heard in a long time."
"You haven't? What do you...Oh." I feel the pit in my stomach drop.
"As I said before, attempting to alter the timeline can result in horrible ramifications for the future."
God damn. I better keep a closer eye on the other Shepherds or I may be lacking a few second gens some time in the near future.
From outside the window, I hear an owl hoot. It hoots three times actually, one after another.
Lucina perks up when she hears it. She jumps to her feet and immediately heads to the window.
I follow after her. "Lucina?"
"I'm being signalled."
"Signalled?"
She pushes the curtains aside and peers into the darkness. "Yes, the call you heard just now. It is how I communicate with the others when we are out of earshot."
She's using animal calls as a secret language for messages between her friends? How retro is that! "Nifty."
"Quite." She peeks quickly out the window. "I need to leave."
"O-oh. Right."
Another set of hoots, this time different they were before. They sound more muffled and course, like a rooster's.
"Blessed Naga, Owain!" Lucina grimaces.
"That's your cousin?" Holy shit! Owain's here? Where's some paper cause I need an autograph!
"Yes. I appreciate his attempts at authenticity but this is... I should go before he awakens the whole building."
"Hey wait! You're just going to run off without introducing him?"
Lucina frowns in annoyance. "Do your stories tell of my cousin at all?"
"Yes."
"Then you know what he's like," she says flatly. "Please. Now isn't the time to lose a window and alert all the Shepherds to our presence."
"Um."
"Just, trust me. A later time."
Lucina breaks into a pout when more forced hoots occur. "Blast it, can he not act his age for once?" She looks sheepish at her outburst and flusters. "I must leave. Remember what I said. Just continue as you are for now. Wait for me in Ylisse and we will decide further on what to do. There is much more to speak of, I'm sure."
Flashes go through my head. The black fingered Risen. Raimi's accusation. My bizarre other memories.
"Yeah, we do."
Lucina unlatches the window and leans out, searching for a clear escape. Seeing her opening, she starts to slide through. She pauses midway and turns to look over her shoulder.
"Stay safe Robin."
"You too, Luce."
I catch myself when I realize I just called her 'Luce.' Where did that come from?
There's a flicker of something in her eyes. She doesn't say anything on it, instead turning away. With a flap of her cloak, she is absorbed into the inky darkness beyond.
And with that, she's gone.
That night I dream.
A cavernous space. Alters and dark idols. A frightening man in priest robes. A confrontation between him, my dearest companion, and myself.
A battle ensued. A sacrifice made. A blow dealt.
A wan smile. Feeble words of forgiveness. A scream that breaks into maniacal laughter.
I bolt upright in bed, shaking. Cold sweat pours down my body as I shake off the tangled sheets wrapped around my legs. I roll off the bed into a heap on the floor and scramble to the chamber pot in the room over. I empty the contents of my stomach as the adrenaline pounds in my head.
It's a memory, the first of many ends.
A dark past where it all began.
The first cycle.
A/N: I apologize for the long wait but health issues are a lovely distraction from writing. Anyway, not much I have to say. I rewrote this a million times hoping to capture the right tone but I'm not sure it came across. This is one of those moments where, as an author, you hope your big twists seem epic enough or you answered just the right questions to keep everyone guessing. I have no idea whether I managed to make it too confusing, too boring, or just right. Time travel is such a bitch. So I'll wait here nervously and see what you all think.
This is pretty much the end of what I'd call Arc One of the story. I never thought I'd make it this far to be honest. Thanks to every one of you who read, reviewed, followed, made a favorite . I'm truly humbled to have been able to meet and interact with such a wonderful community of people. I've only grown stronger as a writer with your advice so I mean it when I say this. Thank you so, so very much!
Review Responses -
Luciz - I've kept a lot of Robin's information vague to leave up to the reader's imagination. I have specific ideas in my mind but if you'd like a range: think mid-twenties. She makes a lot of fun of her age considering most of the Shepherds are younger than her.
Guest - Thank you! I'm glad you're so excited about it! It means I succeeded with the feels. Mission accomplished!
Ensu - That's good to hear! I'm so worried about writing outside of action scenes so I was literally freaking out on what everyone would think. Thanks! You're awesome too!
OneShotMasta - Have no worries! Your reviews are always a treat to read! It lets me know I'm doing things right! And I'm glad I'm accomplishing my mission! If I can even change one person's view on a character, it means I'm doing something right as an author! Many thanks for sticking around so long :) And don't worry, I made sure to place some mattresses at the bottom to catch you!
Guesty - Aw, thanks for the read! That makes me feel amazing to know you binge read it all at once! Fantastic. And glad you found the references! It's always fun to throw them in as a little treat for the more genre-saavy readers. The Mulan one will always be my favorite!
Mark-Kris-Robin - Thank you for reading the thing! I'm pleased the thing was good!
CrimsonHeresy - Chrom and Robin are such nerds together. The people of Regna Ferox will forever know Ylisse as the country of people who cannot dance, not even if their lives depended on it.
A Shadow's Lament - Stahl and Sumia were requested waaaay back in the beginning and I bookmarked it just as an idea. Little did I know how hard it would smack me in the face. I don't know why I never thought of them before. Let's hope it works out! And thank you for always reviewing! Just seeing readers is enough but having a continued reader base is more than I could wish for. I'm sincerely grateful.
Raven Tsurara - Holy cow, never feel bad about pointing out anything to me! I have no beta so I rely on you guys to fix my stupid mistakes when I don't catch them myself. It's thanks to you that I found out my word processor has problems with uploading docs to the site. All those missing words and spacing errors happen when I upload it so at least I'm aware of it now. I'm always grateful for the advice, good or bad :D
Nahmouse - I suppose to be fair, Robin still thinks of them as nothing but friends. Nothing romantic has really come across her mind for anyone besides the obvious physical attraction for some of the cast. I'm real sorry :( This is one of the reasons I have such a hard time writing in romantic angles. I always feel like I'm going to let someone down and trust me, I know what it's like to watch a ship burn. I can't even tell you about the pain I went through when playing Mass Effect 3. That was traumatizing from an RO angle.
AmplifyinglyLoud - If I could blush through the internet, I would. Thank you!
If Stahl and Sumia work out, just think about how sugary Cynthia will be. We'll all fall into a sugar comatose.
As for poor, oblivious Robin, I had too much fun with that. I may or may not have had a mad cackle when writing it. Even the most perceptive people can be dense logs, ha ha.
In response to your questions, Robin will be baking when she gets back to Ylisse. As an author, I want her to have a full medieval kitchen at her leisure to explore as opposed to cold cuts and dry food rations. Also, I need to do a butt ton of recipe research. As for anyone dying...I won't rule it out. There's a chance depending on how the plot goes. I'm hesitant to touch the main cast though because I do want all the children involved but my plot is constantly being rewritten nowadays so...yeah. Maybe :\
Thanks for the energetic review!
Guest- You, my reviewer, are also awesome. Thank you! I'm super happy to see you like what you read! I like to think Robin's realness is also her best trait. It allows her to give a stronger range of reactions as well as really draw in the reader. So glad it's working! Much thanks for stopping by!
LeonPianta - Ha! Glad you approve of the Stahl and Sumia thing. Ya'll helped push it into gear so thank yourselves as well. As to your other comments, Vaike and Miriel are this thing I'm playing with as homage to my, like, only couple up to Chapter 11. I was support grinding like mad and accidentally S-ranked them while skipping cut scenes to read for later. So they have this little place in my heart for being my first marriage. Doesn't mean things will work out just like that though. In fact, you are right in your assumption. Some of the implied couples here may or may not work out. Is it mean of me to do so? Yes. But is it also realistic? Also yes. People don't always reciprocate or work out due to opposing interests. But in the end it helps characters grow strong and learn more about themselves too. Ooo boy, that got too deep.
DeathChaos25 - Aw, thanks for the compliments! It's always good to hear my writing is still entertaining! And cripes if that isn't a nice comment! It'll certainly be a journey to see where Chrom and Robin end up, won't it? ;)
Ruu - Somehow, in all of this, I started shipping Stahl and Sumia too. Never once occurred to me and now it's the most beautiful thing ever. I need fanart!
More new stuff? Done. More time with the guys? Even more done. Future pie time? Totes done! Robin didn't jump into the conversation because she was too busy admiring the two dorking off with each other but there will be cooking shenanigans later on. They just need a proper kitchen so, as I said before, when they get back to Ylisstol.
And thank you for always reviewing!
xX-Coventina-Xx - Wow, you pounded this out in two days! I feel honored! Thank you for the dedication to hang in there! It always makes me happy to see Robin being well received. And I'm even more happy that Miriel and Sumia are turning out so well! I don't often see enough love for Miriel in fanfics and Sumia is the victim of a lot of unwarranted bashing by some fans. So I made it a goal of mine to try and have them thrive as best they can in the plotline. That of course goes for every character!
Don't feel bad about skimming! I put a lot of work into chapters so I can appeal to all the different audiences that are reading this. So if you hate action and just want to get to the fluff, go right ahead! You want action but hate the fluff? Skim it! Heck, I'm guilty of it just the same, especially in romances. Screw the coy flirting and get to the confessions already!
Jenna Riedell - Hello! Thank you so much for stopping in! I love your user picture XD
I'm glad you like the changes. I agree with you that there's so much untapped potential with these characters! Hence why I've chosen to make this as character driven as possible! I want everyone to appreciate these wonderful characters Intelligent Systems created to the fullest! Of course in order to have a good story you need a decent protagonist. It took a loooong time to nail the finer points of Robin down so that she became relatable. Your stuck in her head for the ride so it had better be an entertaining voice. I'm glad she's been so receptive to everyone, flaws and all.
And thank you for the critiques! I wholeheartedly accept anything to help mold my writing into something better any day of the week. And that comma problem is certainly one of my finer problems. You're quite correct on adding them in more often and I'll make sure to pay closer attention to that. As for size, that's a stylistic problem. I've always wrote in a novel-ish style so I probably do fall into purple prose more often than not. I aim for ten thousand words at most but sometimes the action scenes get carried away. I'll try to curb it as best I can! Thank you again for your honest opinions!
Catoust - Ha ha! My evil plan to cause sleep deprivation among the world is a success! Really though, wow. That's certainly an honor to say my story was that interesting to keep you up that long. Thank you! I can only hope to write more chapters that are worthy of such late night reading (or I'll just post more during the day!).