Lucina was just seven years old when she started sneaking out to watch her parents train. Lucina heard stories of how her father was a sight to behold on the battlefield, but the young princess would quickly find herself captivated by the grace and agility that her mother and her mount embodied inspired the girl. The queen could also use her lance flexibly for defense and offense, switching between the two seamlessly. When she grew up, Lucina wanted to be a ruler like her father, and a warrior like her mother.
—
Chrom, Robin, Lissa, and Frederick had set up camp after an unexpected battle in Southtown. Lissa complained about "roughing it" when they could have rested in town, while Frederick dodged Robin's attempts to share some bear jerky. Chrom looked upon the group and smiled. Even though he wasn't the oldest, he imagined they weren't far off from what having kids would be like. After a while all four had fallen asleep and were resting peacefully, that was until Lissa heard a very unusual noise coming from the nearby woods. She walked towards it, with Chrom following close behind after Lissa tripped over him while she was still half asleep.
Before long the two felt the ground shake, and before they knew it a chasm was opening up right in front of them. Chrom told Lissa to run as balls of fire began to shoot from the wounds in the earth, and what looked like a strange glowing eyeball in the sky suddenly appeared and from it two masked figures making sickly noises emerged and fell to the ground with a loud thud each. Chrom thought for sure they were dead, but in mere moments they both stood up and rushed the two with an axe in their hands. Chrom ran Falchion through the first one, however the creature was unfazed and quickly resumed its attack. The prince eventually knocked it down and stabbed it through its back, defeating the creature as it dissolved into a cloud of smoke. A cry for help from Lissa caused Chrom to miss a third figure exit the eye. The second creature was running towards Lissa, axe ready to strike, when suddenly a white and blue blur swept in and skewered the monster.
This new figure was not like the other two things that had emerged from the portal. She rode a Pegasus adorned with blue armor, but with no identifiable markings. The steed looked to be exhausted already, and couldn't have been groomed in the past month. The rider sat atop the beast clad in a deep blue armor that protected her chest matched the color of her short hair, while wearing only light protection on their limbs, and a mask obscuring most of her face. The woman looked just as worse for wear as her steed, however that didn't stop her from doubling back to the prince and princess to warn them that more of what she called "Risen" were coming, and flew off in the direction of more tremors and fire.
By this point Robin and Frederick had woken up and found the latter's two charges, and the four prepared for another battle. With the timely arrival of Sully and Virion, they managed to rout the group of Risen and even met up with the mysterious rider from earlier. Chrom asked her who she was and she introduced herself as Caeda before warning that what had just transpired was just merely a prelude of what was to come, and flew off before anyone could respond. Frederick insisted they pursue, but Robin reminded him that unless one of them could fly, they had no way of chasing the mysterious Pegasus Knight. Chrom also told Frederick that she had saved his sister, which was enough to earn the prince's trust.
As Chrom and the others made their way back to Ylisstol, Caeda flew north towards West Ferox. In addition to seeking favor from its Khan, it would provide shelter and resources for Esther, her pegasus, while Caeda planned her next steps. There was so much to do; finding her sister, the gemstones, changing history, she felt like just the logistics of it all would give her a migraine, and she couldn't bring Esther everywhere she went. If Esther got injured or killed it would make the rest of Caeda's mission next to impossible, so finding a safe haven for her pegasus took precedence. While the skirmish with the Risen gave her an opportunity to join the Shepherds or even Ylisse's Pegasus Knights, she knew that staying near the prince and his allies would only increase the chances of them learning her true identity. Going to West Ferox was the safer option, and if she was lucky she could talk their Khan into an alliance with Ylisse in case the events of last night had tired the Shepherds out leading up to the tournament.
It took all night, but Caeda and Esther made it to the fortress city that served as West Ferox's capital. She overpowered the guards and requested an audience with Basilio, the West-Khan. Intrigued with the stranger who showed up and bested some of his finest warriors overnight, Basilio said she was welcome in his guard and city, but would only promise to aid Ylisse if she bested his champion and won the traditional tournament for power held every few years. Caeda agreed, and after she got her mount situated she found herself squared off against a swordsman named Lon'qu. It was a fierce duel but the masked woman came out on top, securing her spot as Basilio's champion in the tournament as well as guaranteeing that Ylisse would get a powerful ally no matter which Khan won.
It would be a few days until the duel with Chrom and the Shepherds, which gave Caeda plenty of time to prepare both physically and mentally. She spent plenty of time training while also debating with herself how she would approach this fight. Seriously injuring any of her opponents was out of the question, except for one; Robin. Caeda was sure it was the tactician who would betray Chrom and the Shepherds at their most pivotal battle, every way she looked at it for the past dozen or so years left Robin as the only real suspect. She wasn't going to kill him… yet, just wound him badly enough that the so called "High Deliverer" wouldn't be in fighting shape for the rest of his life. Aside from her little side mission the blue haired pegasus knight had to admit she was a little excited to have a proper duel with the prince of Ylisse, and if things played out as expected he'd have a certain pegasus knight of his own fighting alongside him. They would be a perfect chance to see how far Caeda had come since she started training as a girl.
In addition to preparing herself, Caeda also took the time to make sure Esther could finally get some long overdue TLC. Cleaning her body, brushing her mane, and all the CLEAN food she could want. It was only until the final day before the tournament that Caeda took her out for combat practice. Once the rider was confident her mount hadn't let the past few days of pampering slow her down, she returned her to her stable. Basilio took notice of this Caeda's dedication both to her skills as a warrior and her utmost care for her pegasus. They were all he needed to know that she was a good and trustworthy person, but he felt like she was hiding something from everyone. He would leave it be until after the tournament, the Khan didn't want to give Caeda a reason to dislike him going into her battle tomorrow.
That night Basilio summoned Caeda to the barracks and gave her a choice of his best fighters for support tomorrow. The pegasus knight chose Lon'qu, two knights, and two mages to accompany her into the arena. Lon'qu had proved himself an excellent warrior in their duel, and the knights and mages would put pressure on the Shepherds to send in Robin and their pegasus knight to deal with them respectively.
The last day and a half seemed to fly by as Caeda found herself minutes away from entering the arena where the match would be held. Even though she had effectively secured the support Ylisse would need in the coming war, the pegasus knight couldn't help but feel nervous about the coming battle. Perhaps it was anticipation of facing the Prince and his own faithful pegasus knight, or maybe it was worry that tactician might pull off some foul play that would maim or kill her, her mount, or even them both. She couldn't let these feelings get the best of her though. Caeda had a mission to accomplish and this was only one step of it, she would complete it and move on to the next part regardless of today's outcome. Before the blue haired woman knew it, Lon'qu had motioned towards the doors which began to open. The battle had begun.
As expected; Chrom, Robin, and the other pegasus knight were all here, as well as the knight that accompanied the former two when their paths last crossed, another mage, with a red haired cavalier rounding out the group. Caeda cursed to herself, in her zeal to force the Shepherds' hands into sending in those three she had neglected to ensure her side had the mobility necessary to react to her opponents' movements throughout the battle. Only she had a mount and her knights and mages weren't known for their speed on a battlefield. The rider had to rely on both Lon'qu and herself to provide support as needed. Caeda ordered her knights to split up in order to draw their mages apart so she could isolate Robin and take him on personally. While she was excited to duel the other two key opponents, the pragmatic side of her knew that crippling Robin would prove more beneficial in the grand scheme of things. Caeda would be in luck, as when the Shepherds split into two groups Chrom, Robin, and the gray haired flyer separated from the other three and moved towards a knight. Caeda called to Lon'qu to take the two mages and move in and assist the knight as her mount charged towards the other knight in her group.
Caeda arrived first to see the tactician dismounting from the pegasus that was flown by the Shepherds' own flyer. Robin yelled for this 'Sumia' to get Chrom and return, saying he could hold his own against the masked rider. How wrong he was. Esther sped forward as Caeda raised her lance to strike. Robin barely had time to ready a jolt from his Thunder tome, the weak blast was barely enough to save his left shoulder from being impaled. Caeda pulled on Esther's yolk for her to circle back for another strike, but this time the white haired tactician had his own blade ready to parry her attack. The blue haired knight grit her teeth and willed her arm to ignore the vibration from the tactician's strike. Remembering how she bested Lon'qu's superior swordplay less than a week ago, a fresh surge of adrenaline shot through Caeda as she prepared to dismount. When she leapt off her pegasus she could see Robin was caught off guard, but he was quick to resume the fight. Fighting him was more risky on foot than being mounted, but it also let Caeda attack with much more ferocity, due to Esther being further from harm. The blue haired warrior launched a flurry of lance strikes at her target. Robin was struggling just to fall back safely, pain shooting up his arms as each blow seemed more painful than the last. The barrage only lasted a few seconds before Caeda wretched the sword from her opponent's hands. Robin tried to ready his tome but he lost his grip on it as he was smacked in the gut by the rear end of a lance, he fell to the ground struggling to regain the air that just got knocked out of him. Caeda gave him no such chance as she instinctively raised her lance for a killing blow, ready to bring it down across his chest and end the would be traitor's life once and for all…
Suddenly her spear was intercepted by another, and as she tried to overpower her new assailant Caeda felt a punch across her face that dropped her to the ground like a ton of bricks. The taste of blood in her mouth wasn't enough to keep her down as she swept the prince's legs out from under him before jumping to her feet. The blue haired pegasus knight whistled for Esther to her side while Sumia helped Chrom off his feet, the two then stood between her and Robin as he was regaining his footing. Caeda backpedaled towards her ally as Esther swooped in to pick her up. It was now two against three, Caeda had faced much worse odds. She raised her lance with a battle cry and her mount dove at the trio that stood against them. Sumia's lance was the first thing she made contact with, and Caeda was pushing both her and Esther's weight as possible into her attack. The opposing pegasus knight looked as if she was being overwhelmed, but wouldn't back down. Her determination was rewarded as Chrom THREW a sword up to knock Caeda back. The masked rider was almost in shock at how reckless a move that was, she knew her father could be a bit too brash at times but that was pure madness! Sumia took advantage of her opponent's shock to land and pull Chrom on the saddle with her. As mad as Caeda wanted to be, she found the turn of events to be exhilarating. The tactician may have made it out of their duel relatively unscathed, but now she was face to face with the two Shepherds she had always dreamed of sparring with.
Both pegasi rushed each other at breakneck speed. This time Sumia was ready and met Caeda's lance head on in a lock that neither was willing to concede. That was until Chrom went in for a strike of his own, Esther pulled back to protect her rider as said rider disengaged to look for another opportune time. The other pegasus knight wouldn't give her any breathing room as she commanded her mount to close the gap between both steeds. Chrom and Sumia struck hard and fast, pushing Caeda further away from the fight, one her side was losing badly. The knight Caeda had tried to support had fallen to Robin at some point since she first engaged with Sumia, and on the other side of the arena Lon'qu looked to be moments away from being bested like the rest of his group to the other group of Shepherds. The Shepherds had won the tournament. Even if Caeda somehow bested the prince and his partner, there was no way she'd have enough strength left to defeat the other four. The pegasus knight in blue motioned her beast to land, and when it did she dropped her lance and yielded. She still had much more room for improvement.
What followed worried Caeda more than any part of the fight that had just concluded. Basilio told her that after he finished speaking with the prince he wanted a word with her alone. The masked rider had expected some form of punishment for costing the West-Khan his power, but this sounded more serious than she'd imagined when weighing the cost benefit of being his champion. All she could do was take Esther to her stable and await Basilio's summons in her quarters.
On her way to Esther's stable Caeda could feel her pegasus gently nudging her with a sad look on her face. Sensing Esther's concern Caeda removed her mask and looked her trusted companion in the eyes, reassuring the winged creature that no matter what consequences awaited they'd survive and carry on with their mission no matter what. She'd need to find a new spot to regroup with the others though, most of all her sister. The now unmasked rider arrived at the stable and saw that Esther had all the food and water she could want for the next few hours, she kissed her pegasus goodbye and went straight to her quarters to begin packing what little she had together for her presumed departure.
It felt like only an hour had passed before a servant had informed Caeda that the Khan wished to see her. Having put her mask back on after leaving Esther, Caeda arrived at Basilio's throne room in a calm and collected fashion. The young woman was surprised to find that not only was she still welcome to stay with the West Feroxi, but was also offered Lon'qu's spot as leader of the Khan's personal guard.
Caeda was honored but said she couldn't due to her preexisting loyalties. Basilio knew she would, which led to him questioning who she was and what she really wanted. Caeda was assured this was not an interrogation, rather the West-Khan was curious about who exactly she was. The masked woman tried to dodge the question saying that he wouldn't believe her if she told him, but the old Khan was persistent. Seeing no other way out and also feeling as she owed the Khan for his hospitably and grace towards her, she said that she'd show him once the two were alone. The rest of the room grew anxious at the request but Basilio assured them she was no danger to him. Once everyone else had left, Caeda removed her mask and Basilio's jaw dropped. In her left iris was the Brand of the Exalt, a mark only carried by Ylisse's royal bloodline. "Caeda" said that her brand was the MOST believable thing about her story and wished to leave it at that, what she did share is that her first loyalties were to the Halidom of Ylisse and the Exalted bloodline, as long as Basilio acted in favor of them he would have no concern for who she was or what she wanted. Basilio assured her that he had Ylisse's back, having just sent Lon'qu to join the Shepherds after the tournament as an act of good faith. He the explained that she'd be welcome to stay in his keep, so long as she revealed the whole truth to both the Khans and their Ylissean allies should an appropriate time ever arise. Caeda was happy to agree, but felt bad for requesting one last thing of such a kind man…
—
Things proceeded mostly the same as they did normally in the following two years. Caeda saved Emmeryn's life on the night of her would be assassination, only for the Exalt to lay down her life at a later time to show how devoted she was to peace. It was a quick war that ended with Ylisse as the victor and Gangrel dead. In the meantime Caeda continued serving under Basilio and with the arrival of some new guests she'd told the West-Khan about, she was starting to form a small unit of her own. While not all of them had reached the territory of Ferox yet, a little more than half her group had assembled. Kjelle, Severa, Yarne, Laurent, Noire, and Nah were all new and somewhat strange additions compared to the usual warriors in West Ferox, but Basilio had faith in Caeda's word that they were good and trustworthy people. She just hoped that Cynthia was safe, wherever she was. The mystery pegasus knight knew her sister was tough, but as the older sister she couldn't help but think about her younger one.
In the meantime Caeda had taken to sparring with Basilio not long after the tournament where she had dueled the Shepherds. The blunette refused to accept that she was the best she could be, so she pushed herself nonstop to improve as a warrior for the sake of the world. While she warned Basilio to keep an eye on Robin, the Khan had only told her how he was an honorable man who remained at Chrom's side through thick and thin. Robin was a tactician though, so he could very well be playing the long game in service to the Grimleal and Caeda couldn't afford to risk that. Kjelle and Severa wanted to kill Robin as soon as the opportunity presented itself, but Caeda's other four friends were hesitant of not only changing history too much but also killing a man for something he hadn't even done. Lucina was still on the side of the former opinion, her father's safety was too important to leave to chance. Killing the person who would betray him was the most consistent course of action they had left at this point. A part of her sympathized with the argument that this Robin hadn't done anything malicious yet but that was just the way things were. Life wasn't fair, they knew that better than anyone, so if one "innocent" man had to die to save the future the blunette would gladly make the trade.
The most recent debate among the seven warriors was interrupted by a summons from Basilio. He told them that the Shepherds were heading to Carrion Isle to meet with Validar; the new leader of Plegia after an attack by the Valmese Empire. The whole situation reeked of trouble, so Caeda requested that herself and her friends take leave for Carrion Isle immediately. Basilio not only approved but had weapons and provisions prepared in advance for their departure. The pegasus knight thanked the Khan for everything and left with her unit.
While the others traveled in a convoy Caeda herself flew ahead just in case the Shepherds needed help sooner than later. Sure enough when she arrived Chrom was moments away from being stabbed in the back by a Risen assassin. Forgetting to reequip her mask, Caeda screamed out for her father as Esther flew over the prince and trampled the walking corpse to the ground while her rider severed the head from its body. The relief from seeing Chrom safe was immediately replaced with panic as he questioned her about what she had just said. Realizing that there was no explaining away who she really was after her slip up, the pegasus knight showed him her brand and revealed her true name and origin. Lucina had finally told her father the truth about herself and her mission to avert the resurrection of Grima. Instead of shock or denial Chrom was quick to comfort his daughter from another world, who began to cry as she was hugged by her father for the first time in over ten years. Robin and Sumia, the latter now Chrom's wife, rejoined Chrom and were brought up to speed by the two other royals. Sumia and Lucina would share a similar reunion with her mother as she did her father, the only difference being both of them cried this time around. Another shock came when Lucina told her mother that her pegasus was the very same one Sumia herself had ridden in her world. The Esther from this world was stunned as the Esther who traveled here with Lucina slowly approached her former person. Sumia hugged the steed that was once hers and thanked her for taking care of her little girl. Robin had also tried to formally introduce himself but Lucina just coldly bowed her head before returning her attention to her parents.
Lucina had officially joined the Shepherds afterwards, and led them to her friends who were still rushing to meet the Shepherds. The princess introduced the others to the Shepherds and revealed that they were also children of several members of Chrom's allies. There were many emotional reunions to be had that day, but they couldn't last long with news that the next generation of soldiers were still looking for more of their companions. Lucina explained that among their number would be her sister Cynthia, who had taken up Falchion in Chrom's stead after he fell in their world. It had been their hope that after losing the final gemstone of the Fire Emblem in their world, they hoped to save another by altering history to prevent Grima's return or failing that, that the combined power of two Falchions could end the monster's wrath before it devastated the world. Chrom and Sumia vowed that they'd find the rest of the future children, especially their other daughter, and stop whoever tried to resurrect Grima. Lucina had told them privately that she suspected Robin was the one who killed Chrom and resurrected Grima in her world, but they assured her that even if it were true the Robin they knew was incapable of committing any such acts. Lucina was forbidden to tell anyone else about these accusations, she agreed but told them that she wouldn't take her eyes off Robin until the future was secured.
Their daughter's animosity towards Robin was troubling for the crown prince and his consort. Chrom didn't want his own daughter and best friend at odds and both he and Sumia hated to see Lucina so distrusting and fearful of such a stalwart ally and friend. Her parents wanted to reassure Lucina that Robin was no threat. At the sime time Lucina herself couldn't help but feel guilty of her own doubts towards Robin. She wanted to trust him, but her duty to her parents and the future prevented her from such kindness. Soon the three reached an arrangement that would hopefully satisfy all parties: Lucina would train with Robin to better learn magic so she could become a formidable dark flyer. They were able to sell it to Lucina when they told her it would still let her "keep an eye on" Robin while not drawing any suspicion.
Lucina and Robin began the former's training that night while the final preparations were still being made for the journey to Valm. The tactician started by offering Lucina her choice of Thunder, Fire, and Wind magic to start with and Lucina immediately picked Thunder before Robin could explain the nuances between the three main families of Anima magic. Robin was a little annoyed, but he kept it to himself if it would give Lucina less reason to dislike him. The time traveling pegasus knight would be an important member of the Shepherds on and off the battlefield going forward so Robin wanted the two of them to at least be on neutral terms with each other. The blunette immediately went to cast the spell before Robin could stop her, and it exploded in her face. No real damage was done thankfully, but Lucina's hair had stood up in all directions with a few strands even had small embers on their ends. Most of her face was black with soot and when Robin asked if she was alright all she could do was cough, sending out more smoke and even a spark of electricity before falling over.
When Lucina woke up she was in a medical tent. Her aunt Lissa was tending to her and explained that Robin rushed her over just after the accident and his speed had saved her from any internal damage the miscast Thunder spell may have caused, no amount of speed could have spared her the new mark on her face though. Lucina was given a hand mirror and saw the red mark with numerous tendrils branching out that ran from her left cheek to the middle of her forehead, almost like half her face was covered in a discolored spider web. A closer inspection revealed that the skin where it looked most severe was a little raw and hot. Lissa told her that most of it would fade away in a day or two, but she'd likely have a scar at the damage's point of origin for the remainder of her life. The information didn't panic Lucina as much as it embarrassed her, the first real scar she'd gotten and it was from a training accident. Her aunt asked if she was up for some visitors and Lucina just nodded her head without really thinking about what was just said, then Chrom, Sumia, and Robin all came in relieved to see she was alright. The latter member of the group made her feel somewhat ashamed. The blunette let her desire to best the tactician get her injured, and it was only because of the man she had distrusted for so many years that she didn't end up permanently injured or worse, finally to top it all off he looked like he was blaming himself for this whole thing. Lucina tried reminding herself that Robin was little more than a traitor, but that line of thinking had gotten her hurt while everything she'd seen so far told her the opposite.
Robin moved to leave when Lucina spoke for the first time since she had awoken, asking him not to leave. She asked if she could speak with the white haired man alone, to which only the man in question seemed to be worried. Sumia kissed her daughter before leaving with her husband and sister in law, leaving Lucina and Robin alone. Robin almost immediately apologized but was silenced by Lucina raising her hand to stop him. The injured pegasus knight told him that it was she that owed him an apology, and it was thanks to him that she was in as good a shape as she was right now. Lucina admitted that she had trust issues with Robin and they weren't likely to just go away overnight even after his help, but that she was willing to start fresh with her father's right hand man if he would give her the chance. Robin was all too willing to give her that chance, and promised he'd make a spellcaster out of her yet.
A week had passed before Lucina recovered, and her friends were elated to see her back on her feet. They'd all visited her at some point during her bedrest to check up on their de facto leader, but seeing her out and about was another level of relief. What surprised them most of all was her insistence that Robin was in no way at fault for her injury, and was even defending the man she had been planning to kill not so long ago. Lucina made the case that if Robin had actually wanted her out of the way all he had to have done was take his time in getting her help, but her more stubborn friends still suspected foul play.
Regardless, the Ylissean army was set to rendezvous with their allies and depart for Valm the following day. Lucina knew that as soon as she reunited with Basilio she had a lot to finally tell him. The first day of their journey across the sea was spent talking to the West-Khan about who she really was and where she stood now, which was at her father's side. Basilio respected this and vowed his full support in addition to letting the blunette know that once this was all over, she would always have a place in Ferox as one of his most trusted warriors should she be interested. Lucina hadn't really thought of what she'd do if she actually completed her mission, Basilio was trusting and kind to her, and staying in Ylisse would inevitably cause confusion at least once this world's version of her grew up. Basilio told her she needn't decide right now and left her to get a good night's sleep, or as good as he could get in the middle of the ocean.
The next day Lucina began her magic training with Robin in earnest. A part of her was still wary of him but she was ignoring it as the two spent time together over the course of the next few weeks. The princess had attempted to practice with Thunder magic once again, but this time she listened to Robin's warnings and instructions. The amount of concentration needed just to manifest the spell's energies was astounding to Lucina, and mages had to achieve such a state in the middle of battle? It gave Lucina a newfound respect for warriors who made it look effortless. Robin had told her that wielding magic effectively was like any other weapon, and that over time her "mental muscles" would be built up to make casting feel much more natural.
All the time the two were spending together also led to them getting to know each other better. Robin asked Lucina of what she remembered before Grima, while Lucina was fascinated by what Robin had gleaned from working so closely with her father the past two years. Lucina was surprised at how pleasant talking with Robin was, and even more surprised when he admitted one day to not knowing what he ended up wanting to do after there were (hopefully) no more wars to fight. The restoration effort had kept him busy in the two year hiatus but Robin knew that towards the end of it he was feeling more and more out of place. Against her jaded feelings towards the tactician, Lucina suggested that he take up a clerical role in the Ylissean government and officially be Chrom's right hand man. The white haired man wasn't too keen on it though, saying as great as working with his best friend all the time sounded it would confine him to Ylisse when he was still very curious about the rest of the world. An explosion rocked the boat before their conversation could continue, and frantic shouting could be heard above deck. It was time for the pair to put Lucina's magical abilities to the test.
Robin stayed by Lucina's side in the ensuing battle. Lucina was thankful for Esther's years of battle experience because her mount was the only reason she hadn't been impaled several times over the first few times she fired a bolt of lightning whilst fighting the waves of Valmese trying to board their ship. Luckily a good number of the enemy fighters were armored knights, making them great for Lucina getting her feet wet with combat spells. Every now and then a cavalier would test their luck by trying to strike the dark flier up close, only to be skewered before they knew what hit them. The Valmese assault wavered for a moment giving Robin and Lucina an opening to push for the enemy commander, his bulky armor offering only an easy target for the duo's magical offensive. With their target dead, Robin hopped on Esther and fired a jolt of Arcthunder in the air to signal their victory. Lucina cued her pegasus to fly like no tomorrow, because the ships filled with their surplus of oil were barreling towards the enemy vessel they just left.
Following the Ylisseans' victory on the sea, it was an uneventful journey to Valm's shores. Lucina had progressed beyond proper techniques and simple target practice, now she drilled live combat exercises with Robin who took it as an opportunity to work on his swordplay. The blunette's suspicions of Robin had been gradually fading over the course of their few weeks at sea. The tactician fought with no hint of malice or ill intent and he was fairly popular among the Shepherds, Lucina admired his dedication to her father and the soldiers who trusted him with their lives. It reminded her of the years she spent rallying survivors of Grima's initial assault on humanity, he wasn't hard to look at either… wait, was she falling for him? For the rest of the journey Lucina threw herself solely into practicing her magic while spending the unavoidable free time she had during things like meals with her friends or parents.
Thankfully it wasn't long until they reached land, and found the Chonsin princess Say'ri on the run from the Valm empire. After a skirmish in the port they were surprised to hear Say'ri refer to them as more Ylisseans. Chrom questioned this as no forces had been sent ahead of their group, and Say'ri explained how around a year ago a group of warriors appeared out of seemingly nowhere and started harassing the empire by raiding supply lines and striking minor economic targets, all while flying a banner brandishing the Brand of the Exalt. The last Say'ri had heard that they were planning to liberate the Mila Tree from a Valmese occupation force, the first big move they had made since they began their campaign. It was at this time that Lucina arrived and asked about what they were discussing, when she was brought up to speed Lucina insisted that this group had to have been led by her sister Cynthia she'd told them about.
The Ylissean army wasted no time in traveling to the Mila Tree where they saw a battalion of imperials laying siege to the roots of a massive tree that seemed to stretch into the clouds. Soldiers presumably under Cynthia's command were holding impromptu choke points made of wagons, stones, and any other obstructive items they could gather. It was clear they wouldn't hold so the Shepherds had to act fast, Chrom turned to Robin for an idea who in turn asked Lucina how her sister would likely conduct the battle. The pegasus knight said Cynthia was a lot like her in many ways, but where Lucina carried herself with a stoic demeanor Cynthia was one to announce her presence with Falchion raised high, inspiring allies and intimidating foes alike. Robin was amazed someone so closely related to Lucina could be so bold… until he remembered Chrom was her father half a second later. He thanked the blunette then turned to Chrom and the other commanders and told them they were charging the enemy's flank to trap them in a pincer attack. The plan was simple but effective. The Valmese rearguard were quickly routed by the Shepherds who were galvanized when they heard the rest of their time traveling children were on the other side of the imperial force. Chrom finally made it across to see a behemoth of a man adorned in heavy armor and an absurd amount of facial hair facing down an opponent less than half his size, but one good look at her was all Chrom needed to know she could handle herself. The man was knocked down in shock as his Pavise and his adversary's Armorslayer both cracked upon impact, and while proclaiming his defeat in the name of justice and the future, the warrior beheaded the Valmese commander with the same blade that Chrom held in his hands.
With her foe dead and his army defeated, the young woman was able to take in just who was looking at her across the giant root they both stood on. Calling out to her father, Cynthia ran over to him with tears in her eyes and hugged him much like her older sister did a month or so ago. When the moment was over Chrom was finally able to get a good look at his second daughter; she had the same dark blue hair he and Lucina did, only she wore it in a ponytail that ended at her shoulders. Her clothes consisted of a light blue sleeveless tunic that enabled swifter movements with her blade in a fight, and a few belts for her to sheath her sword as well as store a spare weapon and Vulnerary or two, finally she wore long gray stockings that rose up to her thighs to meet a matching pair of small pants. Chrom told Cynthia that the battle was over and how her sister and mother would be overjoyed to see her.
The exalted family had a tearful reunion as Sumia met her other daughter and Lucina finally knew her sister was alive and well, with the Esther from the future even nuzzling Cynthia. All celebration stopped however when Cynthia wiped the tears from her eyes and saw the scar that marked Lucina's left cheek. The younger sister demanded to know what had happened, all she heard was something about a miscast Thunder spell as Robin approached the quartet and Cynthia reached her own conclusion. Cynthia drew Falchion and charged at the tactician who only survived by just drawing his own blade and intercepting her's before it struck, but the attack knocked Robin's sword from his hand as she readied for the killing blow. Cynthia heard a spell being cast and rolled to her side before she could finish Robin off, and to her surprise it was Lucina that had come to the white haired man's aid. The younger sister asked the older what she was doing then accused Robin of brainwashing Lucina, but Chrom and Sumia defended their friend and assured Cynthia that this Robin was a good and trustworthy ally who'd already helped them and their nation through a great crisis. Cynthia relented and excused herself to go and check in with the rest of her forces.
Cynthia returned and introduced Inigo, Owain, Gerome, and Brady to the rest of the Shepherds in a similar way that Lucina had with her group previously. While their parents got acquainted with them, Robin asked to speak with Chrom alone. The tactician confided in his best friend that he was scared of who he actually was, both Lucina and Cynthia were openly wary of him with the other future kids seemingly avoiding him at all costs. Robin saw this as damning evidence that he was a wicked man before he lost his memories and met Chrom, but the Captain of the Shepherds wasn't having any of it. The way Chrom saw it was even if Robin was someone who wanted to do him harm before they met, that Robin died the day the two men became friends and brothers in arms. 'That Robin', the tactician couldn't help but focus on that part for a reason he didn't understand, but after a minute it clicked and he finally got it. Robin thanked the prince for his faith in his character and the two went their own separate ways. Luckily for Robin, Chrom hadn't noticed his cheeks flush when he added how Lucina was getting closer to him.
After meeting with Tiki and storming Fort Steiger, the Shepherds were in a bind after the southern dynasts betrayed them for the Empire. With Walhart himself leading the northern forces and Say'ri's brother Yen'fay leading those in the south, they were in between a rock and a hard place. Splitting their forces evenly to attack both was suicide and they didn't have the time to overpower one before the other arrived to trap them. The leaders of the joint army were hesitant to send anyone on such a dangerous mission, but Basilio stepped up to lead a small strike force into the northern army to buy time for the rest of them to charge through the southern one. Lucina immediately objected, warning that in her timeline the West-Khan had been slain by Walhart himself enacting this exact same plan.
Basilio wasn't deterred though, confident that he could just avoid the Conqueror himself and cheat death but Lucina wasn't convinced. It was at this point that Cynthia volunteered to take her brigade with a few other of the future kids to backup Basilio. Chrom and Sumia were both concerned alongside their oldest daughter now, afraid to lose the youngest member of their family. Cynthia countered that she had Falchion as well as more experience fighting the empire than anyone else in the war room (besides Say'ri). The only one who agreed with her was Robin, who agreed that Cynthia could be the ace up their sleeve that changed fate today. While many of them were unhappy about it, they nevertheless agreed.
Cynthia was preparing her troops to move out when Robin approached her. The young woman was still apprehensive of him, but still extended her thanks for voicing support for her plan. The tactician replied that he was actually hoping her maneuver would work in favor of his own machinations against Validar and the Grimleal. This caught the attention of Inigo, Owain, and Severa who had been eavesdropping out of suspicion of the white haired man. Robin showed Cynthia the Fire Emblem with Argent, Azure, and Gules inserted into the shield. He handed the emblem to Cynthia and told her what she was to do with them, and Cynthia agreed on the one condition that Robin tell Lucina about the plan. Robin agreed and Cynthia smirked at him, telling the tactician to take care of her big sis.
The Shepherds rallied a victory against Yen'fay's forces, but were met with the news that Basilio had been killed by Walhart. Not only that but Flavia also told how Cynthia's group were missing and presumed dead. This news devastated the exalted family, Chrom and Sumia just having gotten to know their younger daughter and Lucina finally reunited with her little sister. But war didn't stop for them to mourn. Yen'fay's death gave the Ylissean League some momentum to take the fight to the Emperor himself, and with the help of Say'ri's people their forces stormed Valm Castle where Chrom put an end to the Conqueror's ambition himself. Say'ri thanked the prince, gifted him Vert, and pledged her help for the threat that grew ever closer.
—
The Shepherds made it back to Ylisse and sent out search parties for the final gemstone needed to perform the Awakening. In this downtime, Lucina made frequent visits to Western Ferox to make sure Basilio's territories remained in order. Flavia assured her that she could handle it, but the pegasus knight felt she owed it to her mentor to keep watch over his people. Robin would also accompany her from time to time, as the two had been steadily growing closer since Valm. They both had come to terms that they had feelings for the other, but neither would speak about them out of nervousness until one fateful day when they came across a blue haired girl riding a wyvern and wearing the same cloak as Robin fighting off some Risen in an abandoned temple. After the battle she introduced herself as Morgan; Robin's daughter. This caught Robin and Lucina off guard but ultimately it was the push they needed to finally confess their feelings to each other while Morgan and Esther watched with excitement. It was an awkward story to explain to Chrom when they returned, but he was very supportive of their relationship, it also helped that Sumia was very happy to learn she had an adorable granddaughter before she had wrinkles.
It wouldn't be long after Morgan's arrival that Chrom received word that Validar had offered to give the final gemstone under the condition that the prince come to Plegia to retrieve it. Chrom agreed but was also no fool, he had the Shepherds arrive armed and ready for combat in the very likely chance that this was a trap, and a trap it was. They fought their way out, but Validar possessed Robin to take the Fire Emblem from Chrom. Robin was overcome with guilt and demanded that they have him restrained for the group's own safety, Chrom wasn't having any of it though.
These recent events had the rest of the Shepherds from Lucina's timeline outraged. They saw it as proof that Robin couldn't be trusted and that Lucina had to act to preserve this world's future, with Kjelle and Gerome saying they'd kill Robin themselves if the pegasus knight had gotten cold feet. Lucina herself was on the fence until her "friends" made these threats, and realized that she would never harm her new family. A fight nearly started between the three until Chrom heard the commotion and broke them all up. Lucina left with Esther while her father spoke to the other two, they flew to where Robin was but instead found Morgan looking for him. The pegasus knight told her daughter to mount up and help her find the man who meant so much to the both of them.
After a couple hours of searching, mother and daughter found the father of their family sulking in a field far from camp. To have gotten that far by himself he had to have left right after his talk with Chrom. Lucina landed first and approached slowly but Morgan rushed ahead and tackled her father into a hug. Robin just silently returned it but was surprised to see Lucina had joined their daughter. He told her she had no obligation to him and that she was right to suspect him from the moment they met, but Lucina wasn't having any of it. The blunette told him that she didn't care about what Validar made him do, the Robin she'd grown to know and love the past year was a man who lived for his friends and allies with every last part of himself, and she could never bring herself to harm an amazing man like that. Robin burst into tears as soon as she said she loved him, and told her he loved her too as she joined him and Morgan in a family group hug.
Once the family made their way back to camp it was time to prepare for the most important moment of their lives yet. Validar had moved the Emblem to the Dragon's Table, where he planned to resurrect the fell dragon. It was now or never to stop him. The first leg of their battle was to get past Aversa with her twelve Deadlords defending the entrance. It was a gruesome battle that nearly killed several of their seasoned warriors, but they ultimately prevailed with no casualties. Chrom tried to reason with Aversa, but the flying witch's devotion to her master was absolute, and she nearly landed a killing blow on the prince before being struck down by Morgan. With the entrance clear, the group made their way inside.
Robin was still hesitant to involve himself, but Chrom, Sumia, and his family insisted he should stand with them for their future. Chrom took Robin to confront Validar while the women led the army against the high priest's minions. Validar boasted how their defeat was preordained moments before Chrom struck him across the chest. Victory was short lived however, Robin seemingly lost control of himself and blasted Chrom with a jolt of electricity. Validar rose and gloated how his son had no chance of resisting his control with the Fire Emblem at his command, but a familiar voice countered that he didn't have the Fire Emblem. Basilio then revealed himself and helped Chrom to his feet as Robin turned to face Validar with a defiant look on his face, who was horrified at what he was seeing. Lucina approached and explained how the real Emblem was with her sister who had faked her death along with the West-Khan, and should be disposing of the other Robin who was hiding away during this whole fight. Validar devolved into rambling how this all changed nothing but it was quickly put to an end when Robin struck him with a Thoron spell, ending the wretched man's life.
Not far off, Severa, Owain, and Inigo had dispatched the rest of the hierophant's guard, and were assisting Cynthia in killing the other Robin. These four had no idea that they were fighting the Grima from their world, and with his powers diminished from traveling to this world it hardly felt like this was the fell dragon either. The Robin who came up with this plan assumed that this enigmatic figure was the one who killed Chrom in Lucina's timeline, which was true, just not in the way he had thought. Grima fought with all its strength, but was ultimately extinguished by Cynthia wielding the Fire Emblem and her world's Falchion.
With the battle over and crisis averted, Cynthia reunited with her sister and parents. The young lord learned about her sister's engagement to Robin and quickly gushed about her own engagement with Inigo. The combined forces of Ylisse and Ferox returned to Ylisstol for a hero's welcome. Later that night at a feast, Lucina reunited with Basilio to thank him for all he had done for her and her family, while Basilio congratulated her on her new family with Robin.
Lucina told Basilio that she wanted to take him up on his offer in Ferox, but that she couldn't separate herself from Robin and Morgan now that they could finally live peaceful lives together. Basilio actually had an answer to that. The West-Khan revealed that he had spoken to Chrom and Robin on the way here about what came next for the pegasus knight, and it was agreed that if Lucina wished to remain in West Ferox that Robin would be made Ylisse's official ambassador to that half of the nation, with the excuse of it being an overdue symbol of goodwill after dethroning the West-Khan three years ago if any bureaucrats gave them grief over it. They were even appointing Frederick as the ambassador to the Eastern half since his wife Sully got along with Flavia so well, and Lissa to Chon'sin due to Lon'qu's desire to help his homeland rebuild. Lucina was overjoyed to accept and begin a new chapter of her life with new friends and family.
Later at dinner, Cynthia also announced her plans to start a mercenary company with her fiancé, Owain, Severa, and any of their other friends who wished to join, though they all ended up with dreams or plans of their own. They would take a few jobs before going missing for a while, but soon reappeared with stories of three nations in another world they had helped out with their own conflict. Severa and Owain even came back with partners of their own; a scruffy wolf-man for the former, and a grumpy dark mage for the latter. The quartet announced they'd be moving to this other world to begin lives of their own after making good connections with one of said world's royal families.
Chrom would become Ylisse's new exalt, and Sumia its queen. They went on to father this world's Cynthia and even a third child, a boy named Joseph who would grow up to adore his older sisters. Chrom would also establish a new government in Plegia where the people could elect their own leaders, to ensure no tyrant would seize power and make them suffer again. Say'ri rebuilt Chon'sin and established a lucrative trade agreement with the countries of Archanea and Valm. She could be a little awkward with some of the formalities, but her wife Tiki helped her unwind and be more causal with others over time. Many other Shepherds would disperse across numerous countries and territories and lead their own lives in them.
Lucina returned to West Ferox alongside Basilio, taking Lon'qu's old place as Basilio's champion with Robin and Morgan at her side. The blunette would establish her new country's first division of pegasus knights as well as becoming one of West Ferox's youngest military leaders, though she used her old Caeda alias to avoid confusion with this world's Lucina. Robin even pitched in with his own academy for magic, while Morgan began a movement to create a new type of wyvern rider that wielded tomes, inspired by the stories of Severa's new leige. Lucina was overjoyed with how her life had turned out, she and Robin had recently conceived a little Morgan of their own, friends and family were never far, and the world finally knew peace.
The end.