I'd like to thank the un-named guest who gave the really long review on the last chapter. I'll have a full reply to his/her/their/its review typed out at the end, so read that if you want. Anyhow, I hope you enjoy this next chapter.
Chapter 13
Lucina stepped out of her tent, taking care not to knock the dew off of it and onto her. While Robin continued to sleep, his soon-to-be wife moved to the center of camp, where Basilio and Flavia were talking.
"Ah, Marth! Good to see the stellar swordsman once more!" Basilio shook Lucina's hand as the three sat down.
"I see you two are back from your scouting expedition. Was your mission to locate Priam a success? Who else did you find?" Flavia laughed in response to Lucina's inquiries. "My, you talk fast when you have something to say. But yes, we located Priam. I tell you, warping specific parties to the locations and back will not be cheap- those tomes don't come easy. But besides him, we figured out where Gangrel is, and we found a few interesting other locations." Flavia casually flipped her sword in the air before continuing, "There are reports of a swordsman whose description matches the appearance of Yen'Fay, brother of Say'ri. We have not informed the future ruler of Chon'sin yet, but we'll get to that soon."
"It must not actually be Yen'Fay. I distinctly recall Lon'qu impaling him with a Killing Edge. How can he have survived that as well as the volcano?" Basilio laughed. "I don't know that answer, Marth, but hey, what DO I know? We've just met up with two celestial dragons in the last two days!" This warranted a chuckle from Flavia but failed to crack Lucina's inability to understand humor.
"Why, chop up a duck and call it a chicken! Good to 'ave ya back, Basily!" Donnel stuck his sword in the ground as he shook Basilio's hand. "Why, even now that yew returned from yer scoutin' trip, it's still like speakin to a ghost!"
"Good to see you too, Donnel!" Flavia slapped the ex-farmer on the back. "By the way, how's the wife and son doing? I haven't seen Olivia in a long time, and I only briefly saw your son once, but from what I saw, you raised a fine son! His skill with the sword is formidable, and I think Olivia and you can take credit for that!"
"W-well thank you, Flavia," Olivia walked up to them and set one hand on her husband's shoulder. "I've been very much enjoying the company of my family, and while he has his share of flaws, I am very proud of my son."
"Why, if it isn't the best dancer in all of Ferox!" Basilio bowed with flourish, but he did so rather sloppily. He was still the same old West-Khan. "If you only stomached your stage fright, you could be famed across all the kingdoms!"
"Basily is right, darlin'! Ah told yah already, I'm willing to go along if yah wanna do a touring show! We don't have to go back to my village right away before going to the Shepherds' village! I'd trade anything to make the world's most beautiful woman happy!"
Olivia's face was scarlet red now. "Donnel, I get embarrassed when you compliment me! And besides, we went over this already." Turning back to face Basilio, Flavia, and Lucina, she continued, "We're going to visit Donnel's hometown before joining the other Shepherds. I still haven't gotten to meet Donnel's mother, so needless to say, I'm a little nervous."
Lucina turned to see Robin rubbing his eyes as he walked over to them. "I've been to Donnel's hometown. It's great! You'll fit in well there. In fact, if you can muster up the courage to do a dance at a campfire dinner or two, you could be one of the town's most popular residents!" After Robin spoke, Lucina was about to add something before she heard the sound that indicated people warping behind her. They all looked to see Chrom and the other Shepherds materialize beside them.
"Guess who we found in a graveyard behind Valm!" Lucina looked behind her father and shuddered at the sight of the Conqueror. Even though she knew he was going to return, the sight of Walhart again gave her chills. His red armor, while badly damaged, still remained on him, still scarred from his battles at the castle. The other Shepherds who had fought him just a little bit earlier were still glaring at the towering figure as he stepped off of his horse to see the people who had been conversing nearby.
"So… you survived our duel." Walhart's eyes locked with Basilio's as they stood still. "I would not have thought the Khan of West Ferox to be a coward."
"We had bigger fish to fry, as I'm sure you've been made aware, Walhart." Flavia shot him daggers with his eyes. "The only coward among the Shepherds of Ylisse, as of a few minutes ago, is you."
"So just by joining with you, I have become a Shepherd? Better to be Shepherd than sheep, I suppose. And if this man is a Shepherd," Walhart pushed past the Khans to stand before Donnel, "Then there is no shame in that."
"Wally. Gladta see ya." Donnel was poker-faced as he stood before the towering Conqueror, while his wife had her hand on her sword. "Figured you'd come to yer senses sooner or later."
"I am the Conqueror, and the ruler of Valm, and I will not tolerate your continued reference to me as 'Wally.'" Donnel started laughing, while the Conqueror's facial reaction forced the Khans' to cover their mouths to keep from cracking up.
"Ain't you the one who's always talkin' bout 'earning respect?' If so, I think yer fergettin' who won that duel back out front of yer castle." Walhart scowled for a moment, then replied, "Fair point, uh…"
"Tinhead. Donnel Tinhead." Olivia spoke for her husband before he could reply. "I-I'm his wife, Olivia, b-by the way…"
"Yes, I distinctly remember you two single-handedly taking down half of the battalion of Paladins and Wyvern Lords under my command. You clearly possess great skill with a sword. I look forward to dueling with all of you."
"Mr. Walhart, sir! Allow me to be the first to duel you!" In his Dark Knight armor, Ricken marched up to Walhart, sword in hand. "Make no mistake- you are by far my superior. But everyone around here can't help but take it easy on me while training- something I know for a fact you will not do."
Walhart pondered the young man for a moment. "Wise words from a man of your age. And take that not as an insult. You are smarter than most men who have served me- including Excellus and Cervantes- damned cowards." Walhart seized the Wolf Berg from his back, examining the axe an additional time. "I wish to have a word with Robin before we train."
The Shepherds slowly began to disperse, leaving Walhart alone with Robin and Lucina. "I see you wear the Grandmaster's shoulder-guard that I left for you. There's more pieces to the Grandmaster uniform, however- there's a sort of chest sash, as well as a chest-plate and leg plates. I brought them with me- take them when you'd like."
"Thank you, Walhart… Is that all?" The Conqueror nodded. "Then you're dismissed. I have a battle with Grima and my wedding to plan."
"And you are the bride in question, correct?" Lucina nodded, giving him a cold stare. Working with Walhart was not something Lucina would ever get used to. "The two of you working together will strike fear almost as well as me. I'd say good luck, but luck is a concept created by the weak to explain their failures in comparison to the strong." Then the Conqueror walked away.
Robin chuckled. "I guess Walhart hasn't heard about Armsthrift."
"Put more power into your swing, boy. Your speed is considerable, but that means nothing without power. Don't just use your arms, use your whole body in your attack." The Dark Knight grunted and charged again, clashing his sword with the Wolf Berg a couple of times before the Conqueror knocked him to the ground once more.
While training with Walhart made Ricken the happiest he had been in a long time, Say'ri was in a mixed mood after Robin and Lucina told her of the Khans' discovery. "Could it be? Could my brother be alive?"
"We cannot be sure, but it is worth checking. Chrom expressed his wishes to check out the area himself, so we'll go in about an hour." Say'ri's eyes went wide in response to Robin's explanation. "One hour?! I must prepare for battle, since Risen will probably be everywhere." And at that, Say'ri rushed away from the young couple, leaving them to admire the gift from Walhart.
"Would you say that this new gear, along with my Grandmaster gear and my cloak, is nice enough to be wedding garb?" Robin's statement earned him a smack to the head. "What? It's not like we can get wedding garments made on such short notice, seeing as the wedding will be…" Robin removed a pocket-watch from his cloak, "In eleven hours."
Lucina rolled her eyes. "I guess you have a point... you know, this is why we use Class Seals to make and put on bridal gowns." Lucina sighed in resignation and leaned her head against Robin's shoulder. "You had better wear a really good shirt. And not like the one you're wearing now that barely covers your chest."
"I thought you liked these shirts. And besides, why should I wear a good one? Not only am I going to be wearing a heavy coat and chest-plate, but you'll just rip it off afterwards anyhow."
"I may not act like it, but I am still royalty, and you need to at least take a little effort to keep up to that standard. And yes, I am going to rip it off afterwards. I don't care." Robin sighed in resignation and wrapped his right arm around Lucina. "Anything to keep you happy on our wedding day."
"Ah yes, is Lucina being a demanding bride?" Sumia chimed in from nearby. "Just know that you got it good. Remember when my wedding happened?"
Robin shuddered. "Don't remind me. I still have a scar on my back because you decided to vent your stress by throwing a candlestick at me!"
"Wait, that was from a candlestick? Thrown by my mother?" Lucina pulled down Robin's cloak and shirt to see the large circular mark on his back. "Wow. I kind of spied on you and Father throughout the wedding week, but I must have missed that."
"Sumia! Robin! Time to go!" Robin, Lucina, and Sumia went to join Chrom by Tharja and Noire, who teleported Chrom, Sumia, Robin, Lucina, Tharja, Vaike, Laurent, Ricken, Nowi, and Say'ri, along with themselves, to strange catacombs in Valm.
"Ah, these catacombs." Say'ri gestured towards the main area of the tomb. "Therein lie the warriors who built Chon'sin up from the earth. But not with stone or mortar did they work. They founded our country with steel! Any true child of Chon'sin knows their titles like family. The Holy Sword... The Demon's Edge... The Red Hilt... They struggled all their lives and found respite only in the grave." Then the Chon'sin princess saw the Risen roaming about. "But now, it seems to be a place overtaken by Risen, and neither living nor dead can know peace."
"Other than the Risen, though…" Lucina held up her Falchion, using its glow to provide them with light. "It seems like that's all there is here. No ghost of a Chon'sin blade here." They stayed there in silence until they faintly heard the clashing of blades. "Hold on. Who else is in here with us?"
"BEGONE!" Say'ri jumped in alarm as she heard the shout. "That's my brother! I'd recognize that voice anywhere! YEN'FAY! YEN'FAY!" She ran towards her brother in a mad charge.
"If we don't help her she's gonna get herself killed… come on." Chrom led the group of Shepherds towards the center of the catacombs, following Say'ri as she sought out her brother.
Say'ri leapt at the Risen, slashing madly with total disregard to her own safety until she spotted the gray ponytail that she knew meant that Yen'fay was with them.
"Brother!" Yen'fay turned and staggered slightly as he recognized the figure that stood before him to be his own sister. "Mercy, but this cannot be! How are you alive?!"
Yen'fay paused for a moment, then swung his sword towards Say'ri's knees, much to Chrom's alarm. But Say'ri knew what he was doing and jumped towards him. The Risen berserker behind her fell to Yen'fay's blade, while Say'ri jumped over the ducking Yen'fay and decapitated an enemy near her 'brother.'
"Forgive me, dear sister…" Yen'fay turned to face Say'ri once more, slashing out behind him to fell a Risen. "I am not the Yen'fay that you knew."
"I don't understand!" Say'ri blocked a Risen assassin's blade before Ricken stuck a sword through him and Nowi ate him. "How can you claim you are not my brother when you stand here right in front of me?!"
"He's from another future. An alternate timeline." Lucina walked over to them and nodded to Yen'fay. "We've met before, I believe, though I was much younger then. You refused to serve Walhart, if I'm correct, and the cost of that was your sister's life- right before she intended to confess to Robin."
"I'm pleased that the Yen'fay of this world was made of sterner mettle."
"Damn his mettle!" Chrom and the other people with them had just killed the last of the Risen and were shocked to see Say'ri strike her fist across her 'brother's' face. "He had no right to make that choice for me! I wish he'd made the same choice you did. I wish he was still happy and free."
Yen'fay spat out blood as he turned to reply, "A sentiment I know all too well. Had Grima not taken over my world you would have been on the receiving end of that blow." Rubbing his face to try to ease the pain of the blow, Yen'fay continued. "Say'ri, I am not your brother. And nor are you my sister. But let me atone for the mistakes of my own past by dedicating my blade to you."
The dead man presented his sword for Say'ri to take: the legendary Chon'sin blade Amatsu. Say'ri responded by unsheathing the same sword in front of him. Her brother nodded grimly and sheathed his own. Then Tharja and Noire teleported them back to the base on Mount Prism.
"So you are Yen'fay, but… you're not my Yen'fay…" Say'ri sat down, rubbing her forehead. "This is painfully confusing. And no matter how much I tell myself it's not really you, I can't help but see the brother I've always known- or thought I knew."
Yen'fay nodded and replied, "I feel the same way. I've traveled here specifically to find you, to repay a debt to someone identical to my sister, but now that I see you…" The gray-haired sword-master shook his head.
Robin finally chimed in to say, "I… think we should leave the siblings here alone." The others nodded and scattered. While Ricken and Nowi went to check on their daughter Nah, Robin tugged on Lucina's sleeve, quietly leading her to Morgan's tent.
"Robin? What are we doing?" Robin shushed his fiancé before replying, "I think our daughter is currently in a love-induced stupor." Peering through the tent, Lucina saw her daughter writing something on a parchment with a quill pen. She had taken the time to curl her hair- something she usually never did- and after a moment, she stopped writing and leaned on one arm, staring off into space dreamily. Winking at his bride, Robin drew his sword and tolled on the bar holding the center of the tent up.
"I was wondering when you'd show up. Come in. You've kept me waiting way too long." Lucina chuckled and entered the tent with Robin in tow. "Expecting a visitor?"
Morgan whirled around, wide-eyed. "Ah! Hi, uh…" Morgan seized the parchment she had been writing on and stuffed it in the middle of a tome. "Yeah, I was, uh… gonna… get singing lessons from Nah! Isn't that nice of her?"
Robin smirked while Lucina sat down next to Morgan. "Yeah, nice try, but you still can't outsmart your father. Nah is with her parents and will be until the wedding tonight. They intend to spend time discussing her life after her parents' death for a while. So would you like to explain to us what you were doing? Perhaps…" He went to grab the tome, but Morgan hid it away. "You were… planning to meet a certain someone, true? I don't know, perhaps… Inigo?"
"N-no!" Morgan's face was bright red as she stammered for a way out. Lucina wore a content smile on her face as she put one hand on her daughter's shoulder. "During the four or five days of peace between the Valm campaign and the meeting with Plegia, I took a strategy lesson or two with your father. I barely learned a thing, but do you know what the one thing I did learn was? You have taken many lessons with your father, I'm sure, so what was the first thing he taught me?"
The young tactician smiled slightly and quietly replied, "I learned what Father called a plan that the enemy could see." Robin chuckled lightly and sat down to the other side of his daughter. "And what did I call a plan that the enemy could see?"
Morgan giggled. "A pile of bullshit!" This got a laugh from her mother and father, and it took them a minute or two to settle back down. Then Robin placed both of his hands on his daughter's left hand.
"Lucina and I have lived extremely inconsistent lives, your mother especially. I don't know her entire story, but I know that my first memory is that of a young woman with blonde hair tripping over me. Then I saw a man with blue hair help me up. He seemed nice, so I decided to help him, and the next thing you know, I'm the tactician for a Prince's army. That was nice and all, but excluding Chrom, I had nothing I could see as a constant in my life That is, until I met Lucina, and soon after, well… you."
Lucina was already touched when she saw the tears welling up in Robin's eyes. "Much of what I thought was true about me was lies. Things were hidden from me for a long time. So just… when the few good things happen in the midst of all the bad, be sure to tell the people you care about when you can. And who care about you. And…" The grandmaster wiped tears off of his face, "J-just know that we will always be ready and waiting to hear that good news." Morgan smiled back at her father, content at this.
"…Inigo and my fist are still going to have a lengthy conversation though." Robin laughed as Morgan whirled around to face her mother. "UGH! I thought I had gotten you to forget about that. Darn."
"Morgan," Robin chimed in, "You still need to work on misdirection some more if you want to be a tactician." The daughter rolled her eyes and replied, "I'm doing my best, father! I'll outsmart you one day." Suddenly Robin heard footsteps coming towards their tent.
"My apologies for being late, my-" Inigo pushed open the tent flap to see Robin and Lucina looking at him, while Morgan buried her head in her hands. "Er, is this a bad time?" Lucina was about to chew him out, but then she got a better idea.
"No, certainly not!" Robin smirked. He knew exactly what his soon-to-be wife was doing. "Go on, we'll just stay here. Don't worry, we'll be very quiet- like we're not even here." Lucina's interesting response caught Inigo off guard. "Um, no, I merely-"
"Inigo, you've done such a good job in the last few battles, it would be criminal for me to refuse you some sort of polite request." Robin joined Lucina in the scheme and slapped Inigo on the back in a friendly manner, but with enough force to make him stumble. "Go on- what did you have to say?"
"FATHER!" Morgan stood up in aggravation and grabbed Inigo's arm. His eyes grew wide as he glanced from Robin to Lucina to Robin again, hoping he wouldn't be attacked while Morgan continued. "Would you two quit it?! Grandpa wasn't like this when YOU two first started dating!"
"Relax, Morgan. We're not going to do anything. In fact, we're going to leave now. But DON'T GET ANY IDEAS." Then the couple left the tent, leaving a very bewildered Inigo in their wake.
Lucina and Robin were laughing hard. "Do you think we should try to get Inigo away from her?" Robin shook his head. "We need to let Morgan make her own decisions. Besides, if we interfere, she'll call us hypocrites, thanks to Chrom. Besides," Robin said, "I think there's a wedding happening tonight that we should prepare for."
"Yes, I hear the groom is a very handsome man." Robin laughed and shrugged, replying, "Oh, but have you seen the bride? She's stunning. The most beautiful woman to ever live."
"Well, I'm not so sure, but I'll trust your judgement." With little more said, they walked away from their daughter's tent to prep for the big event.
"Yen'fay, hold on!" Say'ri ran to stop her brother before he walked around a corner to see Walhart still training with Ricken. The Conqueror turned as Yen'fay approached him, Amatsu in hand. They stood in silence for a moment, staring each other down as Ricken quickly backed away.
"A dead man walks." Walhart rested the Wolf Berg on his shoulder as he walked towards Yen'fay. The sword-master stared back, an icy glare in his eyes. "One could say the same of you, Conqueror." For a moment longer, they remained silent. Then Yen'fay slashed out towards Walhart.
Neither moved their feet more than a yard from where they started, dueling with a more consolidated style. Yen'fay used thrust-style attacks, while he used the prongs on Amatsu to redirect the Wolf Berg. Walhart was still the stronger man, however, and pushed back Yen'fay's attacks with brute strength. The sword-master did manage to find an opening to strike Walhart's head with the hilt of his sword, while the Conqueror kicked Yen'fay back.
"Enough!" Chrom marched up between them. "I need you both to be in top condition when we battle Grima. I understand that you may have a score to settle, but Amatsu and Wolf Berg are hardly training weapons!" Walhart and Yen'fay were silent, staring down each other. Then the Conqueror walked away, leaving Yen'fay and Say'ri alone with Chrom.
"Yen'fay, there was no need for you to take on Walhart now!" Despite Say'ri's statement, Yen'fay remained silent. Nodding to Chrom, Yen'fay walked away in silence.
"Well, he is Yen'fay. Of that, I can now be certain." Turning to face Chrom, she continued. "Do you know where Kellam and Phila are? I have not yet seen them today." Chrom shook his head. "They're still recovering from losing Yen'fay, I think. They've eaten, but they've basically been training ever since."
"Aye, I know all too well what it is like to lose someone close to me. As do you, Chrom." The exalt nodded, staring out into space. "Indeed I do. I envy your chance to reunite with your sibling. I'd give anything to talk to my sister Emmeryn just one more time."
"Chrom! You MUST come see Lucina! She just put on her dress!" Chrom jumped up and followed Sumia to their tent, where Lucina was trying on her dress.
"Ugh, I can't move in this thing!" Lucina wore an elegant dress with an almost swan-like design to it. It widened significantly below the waist (much like the dress of a war cleric), making it very difficult for her to navigate in it. A blue sash hung over the front of the dress, while four of what looked like swan wings reached around the dress: two over the shoulder, two around the waist. A daffodil was pinned to one shoulder of the garment, while a bluebonnet was pinned to the other.
"But it's worth it! You look great! Not like you did in that hideous dotted dress…" Sumia visibly shuddered as Chrom entered the tent- and was basically rendered speechless.
"Mother, can we not discuss that dress now? I was just excited to have that opportunity to spend time with you!" Sumia laughed at Lucina's embarrassment until "Marth" saw that Chrom was there. "Well, Father, what do you think?"
"I think Robin's going to need an armed escort just to keep him in line." Sumia thought this was hilarious. Lucina did not. "Father, I swear to the gods, if you-"
"Relax, Luci. I'm just messing around. We managed to land that venue you guys wanted, by the way. In exchange, we just need to defeat the pirates that are tormenting that town. Gangrel's pirates."
Lucina raised an eyebrow. "You know, I really didn't want to celebrate my wedding by fighting pirates and a mad king."
Chrom shrugged. "From what I understand, fighting has kind of defined you and Robin. I know you'd rather escape it, but you're strong. You can do just one additional fight. Besides, the pirates probably won't raid until dawn."
Lucina hesitated before replying, "Yeah, I guess so. I'm just looking forward to being able to settle down after all of this is over. And to think- we still have the final battle coming up…"
"We have three magic swords that can take Grima down. That battle is not what you should be worried about on your wedding day. I'm sorry."
"Well, I shouldn't have to worry about Gangrel and some pirates on my wedding day either, father." Lucina's last statement got a laugh out of Chrom. "I suppose so, Luci. But you should at least focus on the wedding now. Which reminds me: I doubt Morgan wants to miss it." Nodding, Lucina left her father and walked/ran/shuffled to Morgan's tent.
"Why, Lucina, you look positively divine!" Lucina rolled her eyes as Inigo walked by, until she noticed some interesting marks on his face.
"I have a few things to say to you, Inigo. First of all, given that my wedding is tonight, I'm very much taken." She held up her right hand, which still had the engagement ring on it. "Secondly, I don't think you need to philander anymore, given the presence of mouth-shaped makeup marks on your mouth and face." Inigo stammered and immediately began wiping off his face while Lucina continued, "And thirdly, I want you to know how angry I would be if I had some kind of Cirque-de-Soleil dancing grandchild before I even have a true daughter of my own. I would murder that guy so fast..."
"Er, y-yes of course, I'm v-very aware, L-Lucina…" Face turning to a deep red, Inigo quickly shuffled away, leaving Lucina to go see Morgan, very pleased with herself. She pulled up the flap of the tent to see Morgan admiring her own curled hair. Her coat hung down behind her, identical to Robin's coat- just a lot more beat up, with holes in it and dirt/bloodstains all over the back. The tiara that Lucina always wore was on a case next to her daughter. Initially she thought that Morgan had stolen hers, until she realized that her own was still on her head, meaning that Morgan had her tiara from the future. The young tactician placed the tiara on her head before grabbing a mirror and looked at herself in it, then promptly dropped it with a sigh. "I can never do it. I can never look beautiful enough."
"I think the problem is that you're trying to be someone you're not." Morgan jumped up, surprised to see her mother in the tent. "I can tell. You hold yourself to such high standards, Morgan. Whenever you have any slight imperfection, you beat yourself up over it, even if nobody else notices. If anything goes wrong, you see it as your own fault, and if you lose a comrade," Lucina paused, thinking of Kenshin, who was still in Grima's service, "Then you never let go." Morgan was rendered speechless. "Morgan, I'm your mother. You inherited more from me than your hair color and Falchion. And let me say to you what your Grandfather told me when I met him-"
"You deserved better from me than one sword and a world of troubles." Robin entered the tent, wearing the shoulder sash and armor, then promptly gasped as he saw Lucina's dress. "Lucina, you look… stunning."
"Thank you, Robin. It's wonderful to hear that from you. If you came in here to get Morgan, I'd say our daughter is ready." Morgan leapt up and threw her arms around her father, who laughed and returned the embrace. Kissing his daughter's forehead, he said, "I sure am lucky to have the two most beautiful women in the world in my life."
"Don't get mushy on me!" Morgan laughed and began pushing him out the door. "Go to the wedding site! You guys aren't supposed to be seeing each other right now!" Robin chuckled again, leaned over and kissed his wife's cheek, and proceeded out of the tent.
"He's gotten awful sentimental lately, hasn't he?" Lucina was puzzled by this. He seemed to have great matters weighing on his mind. But she didn't want her daughter to worry. "But it is our wedding day, I suppose."
"Duh! Don't worry, Mother!" Lucina was right, though: Robin did have something on his mind. Something very important. While the two blue-haired, falchion-wielding women talked, the grandmaster spoke to a conqueror and a sword-master.
"It would be wise to run this past Chrom first." Yen'fay leaned on his sword as he spoke with Robin and Walhart. "I know, but I'm not sure how to tell him. Just like, 'Oh, by the way, I can kill Grima forever, but it will kill me too, widowing your daughter and leaving your granddaughter without a father! Let's go!' Yeah, that'll work great."
"If Chrom does not understand this line of thinking, then he is a coward." Walhart scoffed as he spoke and sharpened his axe- an eerie shadow of an emperor. "To sacrifice yourself to kill a God? Your name would forever be remembered as the greatest warrior of all time. The Conqueror's name will last for a century. Yours will last for eons."
"I couldn't care less about the fame. I want to keep my descendants safe. I don't want my daughters' grandchildren, or their grandchildren, to have to deal with Grima. Keep the glory, Walhart."
"That is why you failed, Walhart." Yen'fay spoke up again, staring coldly at the Conqueror. "You may have fought to destroy human faith in the gods, but your true fight was for the sake of fighting. Do not lecture us when you have never fought for anything."
"Well this has been fucking useless. I was hoping for some actual advice, but instead I get two bickering old men. This must be how my daughter feels when she's listening to me and Chrom have a conversation. I've got to go to my wedding now, though. I hope you two will show."
"I will not." Yen'fay stared at the ground. "I don't think I can bear seeing you marry anyone other than Say'ri. She was smitten with thee to her deathbed."
"I understand, Yen'fay. Thank you."
"Weddings are all flash and no substance."
"I expected as much, Walhart."
Since his best man could not be Chrom, Gaius accepted the job and stood by Robin as he waited for Lucina and Robin in his full armor and the coat that he had worn every day since. But getting Gaius to do it for him wasn't easy. "I'll let you do the slicing, but I get the first slice of cake. I did make it after all."
But he forgot all about that when he saw Lucina walk out looking absolutely stunning. Morgan was walking behind them holding the rings. Chrom was actually smiling as he walked his daughter down the aisle to marry his best friend, but Robin was still watching for the death blow. However, it wasn't coming, so he flashed her a smile as she walked up to Libra, while Cynthia stood as her maid of honor.
"Almighty Naga, today I call upon your power to unite these two lovers in holy matrimony. In the interest of time, we will skip directly to the lovers' vows. Proceed when you are ready, Robin." At this cue, Robin took a deep breath.
"My life only began about five years ago, when your father found me in the middle of a field with no name, no friends, and no purpose. I once told him that fighting for him was what gave me purpose, but that was a lie: I fought for the sake of fighting. So when the Plegian campaign ended, I didn't have a purpose. At least, I wouldn't have, if it wasn't for this 'Marth' person." The other Shepherds, who were standing nearby, laughed a little.
"There was nothing more important to me than to find out who Marth was. I was utterly hell-bent on finding out who this beautiful woman was. But you out-witted even my best plans on catching you without knowing it was even me. And while I stopped searching when the Valm campaign started, I got my answer soon. But that only made me even more mystified by you. And as I got to know you, I saw how… perfect you were, and then it was easy to fall for you. You went through so much, yet you could still smile every once in a while. And even when you found out what I was, you were still willing to marry me. How could I not want to marry you?" The Shepherds clapped while Lucina smiled, her face slightly pink.
"Robin… when I first came to this world, I told myself to interfere as little as possible. I didn't want to get to know anyone, much less get married. Of course, then I got to know the cloaked tactician named Robin- much more cheerful than the Robin I had met. And no matter how hard I tried to close myself off to people of this time, curiosity led me to you, and love made me stay. And then you posed the idea of living here. Staying in this world, leaving mine behind… I would never have dreamed of doing that. But for you… and for our daughter, whose existence was a surprise in itself, I'd go anywhere." That got more clapping and nearly brought a tear to her father's eye. Nearly. Not in front of Robin.
"Given the strain on time, I'm going to go ahead and make the declaration. By the Divine Dragon's power, I hereby pronounce thee, Robin and Lucina, lawfully wedded partners!" Lucina didn't waste any time grabbing a hat or anything like Olivia did. She just took hold of Robin's collar and pulled his lips to hers as his hands fell to her waist. The Shepherds shouted and cheered as they pulled apart. There were actually tears in Sumia's eyes. Cynthia was just really loud. A smile on her face, Lucina tossed her bouquet high up in the air as they turned and slid their rings on- gold rings with half of Naga's Tear in each.
Suddenly all noise stopped around them. Puzzled, Robin and Lucina turned around, and then their eyes went wide.
Standing in the middle of the aisle with the bouquet, wearing a dazed but happy look on her face was Emmeryn.
Sister to Chrom and Lissa.
Exalt of all of Ylisstol.
Admirer of Frederick the Wary.
Sorry that I haven't uploaded in forever, I've been busy. I live in a town built around a college, so life was just thrown back into turmoil. Anyhow, I owe a certain guest a reply.
To the guest that gave that long review:
In retrospect, I still rushed quite a lot. However, yes: I'm going to slow down for the postgame and for Fates. I do definitely intend to flesh out relationships and other characters' reactions to them a lot in the Fates one- especially for Kaze-Mozu and Hinata-Peri. (Read their supports- you'll see what I mean.) Thank you for the compliments and the very good advice. Consider making an account and logging in- I'd love to be able to reply directly.
Anyhow, thank you all for being patient! We're getting to the nitty-gritty soon!
