Chapter Text
-Raven’s Pledge-
Robin was quite for the long voyage back. And that made Lucina nervous. He already wasn’t the same man that she remembered back in her doomed timeline. Sure, the man kept mostly to himself, friendly enough, but the Shepherds never really developed that close of bonds to him, Chrom excepted. And it was through Chrom’s exception that Lucina had grown to know Chrom, especially through his adopted daughter Ravena. And he was rarely quiet for long periods of time, even though it was usually him talking to himself in a low undertone. But he'd usually talk to Lucina whenever she talked to him.
“Dueling with unpleasant thoughts?” Lucina asked him.
“Hmm?” Robin was staring out, watching the ocean, resting on the guard rail. “Not particularly, no. I was keeping a lookout for the number of ice floes we passed.”
That’s odd. Lucina frowned. “You know, this is my first time on a ship.”
“Oh, is it?” Robin blinked. “Huh, I figured – Well, that clears something up by way of absolutely nothing. I figured your team were Ylissean black ops, but you don’t have any training for the water? It’s not like Ylisse is land-locked.”
“We only share hostile borders on land, though.” Lucina pointed out. She remembered too late that Robin assumed they were a special team put together as an off-the-books Shepherd. She wasn’t sure if she minded him thinking otherwise, so long as he didn’t know the truth, but it never hurt to keep him guessing.
“Right, forgot about that.” Robin laughed. “Yeah, ordinarily, I’d be hunting you down and shaking answers out of you or giving you long elaborate plans.”
“So, why aren’t you?” Lucina turned around and leaned against the guard rail, letting her blue hair fly free in the wind. She felt it was only right, keeping it cooped up while she was Marth.
“Because you don’t want to. I don't think you want to be deeply involved in my machinations, or that you'd appreciate an interrogation.” Robin said, shrugging. “Trust is a two-way street, after all. And I must admit, that Valm hasn’t really given me a good avenue for exercising trust, seeing as most people there are backstabbing roaches.”
“You’re going to honestly admit that?” Lucina asked. “What happened to national pride?”
“Sure, why not? It’s not like anyone would believe you if you said that, and everyone I’m currently planning to backstab is already working on the assumption that I’m already planning to do it.” Robin said. “I almost got assassinated a few weeks back because I was manipulating political marriages to my benefit. Also, it’s kind of a point of national pride that we’re like that.”
“You were manipulating a political marriage?” Lucina raised an eyebrow. “You know, for some reason, you seem like entirely the sort of person who would manipulate marriage for his own selfish benefit, but I’m going to assume there was a good reason behind it.”
“Your benefit of the doubt is appreciated.” Robin said. “I’m pretty sure even Walhart knows that I’ve got every intention of double-crossing him. Makes you kind of wonder if it’s betrayal when everyone knows you’re going to do it.”
“Pretty sure it’s still betrayal.” Lucina frowned. “What a depressing way to live.”
Robin shrugged. “So it is.”
“You’re going to double-cross Walhart?” Lucina said. Robin hadn't told her the full plans, and he was right that she didn't want to be involved in his machinations. She'd help him get Tiki involved, so long as the Voice of Naga wouldn't be involved too much skulduggery.Actually,any at all. But she was still curious as to what the basics of the plan was.
“Something to that effect.” Robin shrugged. “He assumes that I’m going to do it through the Wolfguard Initiative, and he’s used his spymaster to infiltrate it, to the effect that I can’t use them to do anything beyond what I publicly stated they’d be used for. Of course-”
-Lucina (Age Eight)-
“There’s nothing I enjoy more than an opponent who knows exactly what I’m thinking. It’s only when I don’t know what I’m thinking when I start getting nervous.” An image of Robin, clad in dark purple robes, lecturing Morgan, while young Lucina was sitting, restless, appeared in her mind. She’d been taking lessons while growing up.
“Why’s it good if they know what you’re planning?” Lucina blurted out.
“Good question.” Robin tapped his head. “It’s because under those circ*mstance, the enemy becomes predictable. And predictable, young Lucina, is a defeat condition in the field of tactics. In combat, your tutors will tell you that using set forms doesn’t matter, so long as you’re stronger or faster than your opponents, or simply know more forms, and have the capacity to do them better. And that’s true for them, to be sure, because combat is life of death balanced on a knife’s edge during a handful of seconds. But in the hours, days, months, years, however long a tactician has, you have all that time to formulate a counter strategy. Understand?”
“Huh?” Young Lucina blinked as she turned the idea over in her head a few times, trying to understand it. Ultimately, it was something she learned from fencing. “Oh, it’s like a feint. You’re tricking them!”
“Well, yes, and no.” Morgan corrected her. “You see, unlike a feint, what we’re talking about can only be done by committing enough of a force so your opponent is forced to respond. A feint is the illusion of a threat, but here is an actual threat. To be fair, obviously you’re going to employ other methods to counter, so I suppose it’s like a feint, but one where you actually thrust and have another sword waiting to perform another thrust. Which is where the fencing metaphor either breaks down or goes Chon’sin.”
“So, why is that good?” Young Lucina frowned. “I mean, just because you know what they’re going to do isn’t that good if you had to force them to do it.”
“It is, and it isn’t.” Robin said. “Honestly, a lot of tacticians would consider it wasteful, when you know that you’ll be countered. But, if you can make the first move effective, then it’s all worth it.”
“And that’s why Father’s the greatest tactician ever!” Morgan cheered. “But don’t worry, Little Sis Lucy. When you grow up and become Exalt, I’ll be there, like always, to bail you out with my cunning master plan. One day, I’ll be a better tactician than Father!”
“Keep believing that.” Robin said, sighing. “I know it’s the status quo for apprentices to want to surpass their masters, but you have a lot of work do it if you want to get there. And as for you, little Lucina. I know you’ll surpass Chrom one day, but no matter how far you get, remember that I’ll always have your back. And even if I don’t, Morgan will.”
“Absolutely!”
-Raven’s Pledge-
“You always planned it that way.” Lucina said, slowly. “You knew Walhart would respond like that, and the real thrust of your plan is through an entirely different set of actions, ones which come from an entirely different direction, but no doubt incorporate the Wolfguard somehow.”
“That was fast.” Robin blinked. “Glad you’re on my side. Because we already established that we aren’t killing each other, and that was the only other option once you knew that.”
“Valm doesn’t know?” Lucina blinked. “Of course they don’t, they aren’t familiar enough with you, and I doubt you mentored them in tactics. Or, at least the only ones you have are loyal to you.”
“You, on the other hand…” Robin trailed off. “Seriously, who the hell are you people?”
The last remnants of a dying world, sworn to save this one. I am the Ylissean princess Lucina Lowell, daughter of Chrom. Lucina shrugged. “I told you, I’m a foreseer. It’s my job.”
“And that answers nothing.” Robin sighed. “Might as well tell you the plan, if you know that much. Well, as much as concerns you obviously. But I’d like something in exchange.”
“There are some things I cannot tell you.”
“And I’d like to know the reason why.” Robin said. “The reason why you won’t tell me. That’s what I want. Now, I’m no fool. I know that if you told me the reasons why you won’t tell me, that’s a hop, skip, and a jump away from the reasons. But I want some explanation for why you won’t tell me all you know.”
Why don’t I tell him? Lucina thought about it. Honestly, I don’t think he’s a bad person, even though he’s allied with Valm. And the fact of the matter is that I really doubt he’d ally with the Grimleal to bring about Grima if I told him. In fact, he very well could bring the full might of Valm down on Plegia, and destroy the entire damn country, all without having to set a foot on Valm soil.
And even if he chooses to rule the world, is that really so bad? Lucina frowned. Robin caught it, but she was too lost in her thoughts. I mean, sure, a duplicitous and double-crossing Robin is bad, but not end-of-the-world calamity bad. But even the worse of Robins would have the rationality to not want to sacrifice his soul to a dragon. Hopefully. So why keep it from him? At the least, I should tell him about Plegia’s ritual.
“The reason I'm doing all this to prevent Plegia. They are planning a dark ritual-”
“-involving the Fire Emblem.” Robin finished. He waved his hand. “And, yes, I’m working on a way to stop that. And if you’re wondering how I know, keep doing so, I can’t reveal my sources on the matter. But I’m impressed, I didn’t expect you to know that. Though I suppose you didn't get the moniker 'Foreseer' for nothing. Even if you won't tell me how it works.”
What the-! Lucina blinked. He shouldn’t know that with amnesia, and he shouldn’t reveal it if he was faking! So I suppose Valm knew, but they never told us. Walhart is even more of a fool than I thought.
“When there is a larger threat, fighting amongst yourself is not only useless, it is counterproductive.” Lucina sighed, reciting. “So said my old mentor, anyway. So I suppose we’re on the same side.”
“Your mentor seems well read.” Robin gave a glance askance at her. “That’s not quite word-for-word, but it’s from an old tactical text. Sounds like you had schooling from an old-fashioned tactician.”
“I did, what of it?”
“Don’t suppose we studied under the same master? Because that would explain a lot.” Robin said. "Alot."
“No.” Lucina said. I studied under you directly. I know how your mind works better than anyone, except for Morgan.
“Just adds to the mystery, I suppose.” Robin said. “Regardless, I hate to be this way, but you haven’t answered my question. You didn’t tell me anything new, and even if you did, I would only learn more of your ‘Foreseer’ knowledge, and right now I trust you to be holding back information if you deem fit. I want to know why you can’t say all you know.”
“Oh. I misunderstood.” Lucina blinked. Why don’t I tell him I’m from the future where he’s an evil dragon? That’s obvious. “It’s because you either won’t believe me or you will.”
“Come again? That wasn’t really an answer there, you just stated a binary outcome.”
“It’s because you either won’t believe me or you will.” Lucina said. If Robin thinks I’m lying about all this, then there’s no telling what conclusion he’ll reach. And if believes me, well, I’m not sure how any sane man would react to being told they’ll cause the apocalypse that will destroy humanity. I’d certainly have gone mad from what I just experienced, if not for my friends, and Naga’s guidance. “And I cannot say any more. I apologize.”
“So you can’t tell me more than that. Fair enough.” Robin sighed. “So, your story is fantastic in some nature, possibly more so than even what happened with Alm and Celica in Valentia, or even Chrom’s ancestor Marth.”
“…” Lucina blinked. In the sense that we failed when they succeeded. “I can’t say anymore. Now, what’s your plan?”
“How do you feel about assassination?”
-Lucina (Age Fourteen)-
“Assassination? Really? I thought we were better than that.” Lucina frowned. This memory took place six years later. Her rapier was loosely held in sheath by her waist, and she was arguing with Morgan. “Look, Morgan, nothing would justify something like that.”
“Well, we ruled it out, because most of the people worth assassinating in Valm are incredibly capable in their own right, and they’d be hard to kill.” Morgan coughed. “Excellus excepted, of course, but that stupid toad teleports everywhere.”
“It’s not right to kill people in cold blood.” Lucina protested. “What would Father say to such a thing?”
“The Exalt?” Morgan raised an eyebrow. “Gee, I don’t know, maybe… oh, wait, he’s the one who suggested it. So there’s that.”
“Father suggested it?” Lucina shook her head. “Try again, Morgan.”
“Well, more precisely, he said, ‘Are there ways we can get this done without as many people dying?’ which, sure technically isn’t a suggestion, but since he has no qualms against it when my father brought it up, I’m considering it the same thing. How to put this gently…” Morgan sighed, clutching her temple. “Look, I get that you think assassination is immoral because it involves killing someone in cold blood, especially since Exalt Emmeryn suffered that kind of a fate, and Chrom got wounded during the attack.”
“So you admit it’s wrong.”
“That was wrong, sure.” Morgan said. “But killing some in cold blood isn’t a universal wrong, you know.”
“Really.” Lucina adopted a belligerent pose. “Try me.”
“Let’s see.” Morgan adopted a pose in response, tapping her chin. “Oh yes, I remember. Last week, a man in Ylissotol was caught attempting to stab a woman to death for rejecting him. Thankfully, he was caught in time, and we executed him. Was that wrong?”
“I mean…” Lucina stammered. “We’re the authority, and someone needs to take charge.”
“And next I ask you why being in authority gives us the right to kill people if It’s wrong.” Morgan raised an eyebrow. “Go on…”
“I get it.” Lucina scowled. “You’re saying that when crimes are so heinous, it’s alright for the perpetrator to be killed in cold blood, and it falls to those who have power to make sure it’s done. And I suppose you’re right. But what they’re doing isn’t so wrong, is it?”
“In the grand scheme, no.” Morgan said. “If you want to get philosophical, then you could say all war is evil, because all the ones fighting have no cause to hate each other personality and have committed no injustice. The battlefield is just a circular loop of logic justifying the murder, as each side wants to kill the other to stop the other side from killing the other. Such could be said, I suppose. And is, by pacifists. But that’s not what I say.”
“What do you say?”
“We’re right.” Morgan gave the young lord a hard stare. “At the end of the day, we’re fighting them because we are good, and they are evil. And that justifies things. Not everything, mind you, but a lot of things. And without that belief, you won’t be able to function. Never forget that.”
“So assassination is allowed because we’re the good guys?”
“No, it’s allowed because they’re the bad guys. Once they stop being evil, we stop being good for trying to kill them.” Morgan said. “As long as they’re willing to unquestionably follow the orders of someone who is unquestionably, they are indistinguishable from that person, and deserve the punishment all the same.”
“I understand your point.” Lucina scowled. “But I don’t have to like it.”
“No, you don’t. That’s one of things I like about you.” Morgan agreed. “I’m really going to hate the day you become a jaded cynic.”
“Never going to happen.” Lucina said.
-Raven’s Pledge-
“I’m not a jaded cynic.” Lucina scowled. “But, yes, I’m fine with assassination, assuming the target deserves it. And before you ask, I’m not telling you how experienced we are. For obvious reasons.” Mostly because we don’t have any.
“I’m going to assume there was baggage behind that response.” Robin said. “Anyway, assassination is on the menu for your squad. Your target is going to be the spymaster of Valm. No witnesses, which means you’ll have to kill everyone. Understand?”
“Shouldn’t be a problem.” Lucina said. “Who’s the spymaster?”
“I, uh, don’t know.” Robin winced.
“Well, that’ll be a problem.” Lucina commented. “Why are we killing him? Aside from the obvious.”
“I did say I’d tell you the plan.” Robin began. “Well, it’s like this…”
-Robin’s Secret Base, Location: ???-
“Nothing!” Vermil scowled, staring at the board that he and Ravena had put together in the secure basem*nt. Beside him, Robin’s adopted daughter was staring at the board with a thoughtful expression and the maid Chantage was preparing a pot of tea in the corner of the room,a Rosannean blend. “This whole thing’s a wild goose chase. And normally I like those because roast goose is delicious, but we’ve hit a dead end.”
“I wouldn’t say that.”
“This is the sum total of all the information you’ve gathered.”
The board wasn’t the one Ravena was using the two months prior to gauge the Wolfguard traitor. Instead, they’d taken the list of everyone suspected, and were charting them according to their reasons and motives. It turned out that a number of them were clearly cat’s paws. But no one was the spymaster. According to Ravena, she was sure that once the information was assembled, they’d be able to determine the spymaster, but now that wasn’t the case.
“This isn’t fair.” Ravena scowled. “I know we had enough information. We should have had him. No one’s good enough to not lead a trail. This can’t just be a dead end.”
“We found a few trails.” Vermil offered.
“Yeah, but those are just lackeys. There’s no way they know who the spymaster is.” Ravena said. “They were indirectly recruited. There’s got to be an answer here somewhere.”
“We’ve got suspects, just everyone’s got an alibi.”
“Alibi?”
“Yeah, alibi.” Vermil yawned. “Is that the wrong word? The thing in detective plays which is why the suspect can’t have done the crime.”
“An alibi, Vermil, refers to a reason why you couldn’t have done a crime.” Ravena sighed. “These people don’t have alibis, exactly, just … no, wait, that’s actually a good way of thinking about it. Tell me, Vermil, in these dramas, are there people who lie about their alibi?”
“Usually, the criminals do.”
“Of course.” Raven looked back. “That makes sense.”
“I believe you already took that into account, Miss Ravena.” Chantage smiled and offered the girl a cup of tea. “Didn’t you say that you looked deep into these incidents, and implicated those you thought may be hiding, even if you didn’t have proof.”
“There’s one thing I didn’t consider.” Ravena said. “Vermil, did anything seem out of place to you with regards to the Wolfguard traitors?”
“No, why?”
“There was that one thing.” Ravena said. “I suppose the real question is how far you’re willing to go to feign innocence. But that means – well, if that’s true, then…”
“Something in your mind?”
“Vermil, let’s take out all the incidents that fit a very specific criteria.” Ravena narrowed her eyes. “Every bit of evidence that was only confirmed by a single group of agents is going to be removed.”
“Will that prove anything?”
“I think if we do that, we’ll find that there is, in fact, one fat hairy spider in the center of this spiderweb.” Ravena set about, removing pieces of paper seemingly at random after giving them a brief read with Vermil coping her. It took them about half an hour, and then a pattern started emerging.
“Um…” Vermil stared. “That’s … not who I think it is, is it?”
“I knew it!”
“Liar!”
“Fine. But I knew there was something fishy going on.” Ravena huffed. “Jeez, believe me, why don’t you?”
“Have you solved it, then?” Chantage smiled at her.
“I think so, yes.” Ravena said. “At the very least, gotten us a target.”
“Your father instructed me to give you this. He gave it to me shortly before he left for Valm, in the event that you solved the spymaster puzzle.” The wyvern rider turned maid produced a small envelope. “Read it.”
Ravena took the envelope, cracked open the seal and read the short message. “Wow.”
“Good news?”
“Light it up for me?” Ravena folded the note and held it out to Vermil, who obligatorily lit the paper on fire. Ravena dropped it, waited for it to turn to ash and then stomped out the flame before scattering them with a blast of wind magic. “It’s my first mission. Chantage, I’ll need the cravat dandy.”
“Is that a code name?” Vermil raised an eyebrow.
“No, just an insult. I’ll fetch him for you.” Chantage laughed. “Anyone else?”
“Say’ri, I think.” Ravena said. “Oh, and Vermil?”
“Yes?”
“Talk about any of this, and you’re dead.”
“Figured that out.” Vermil said. “Want me to lock myself in my room and don’t come out for the next year or two?”
“Weren’t you already supposed to be doing that to work on the Flare tome?”
“STOP REMINDING ME!”
-Valm Harbor-
“We seem to have a welcome.”
“Hope its better than last time.” Robin said. When Lucina looked at him, he grinned. “Assassination attempt. Well, Ravena’s there, so that’s starting the same as last time. And … oh, why him of all people? He’s supposed to be at the Mila Tree!”
“General Cervantes?”
“You know the rankings and positions of Valm?” Robin looked at her. Lucina just shrugged. “Of course you do. At some point, you’re going to say something and I won’t have this kind of reaction to it at all. He’s really good, and helped out during the rebellion. The man just never understands anything I say.”
“Does anyone?”
“Not in that sense.” Robin scowled. “He mishears me. Which is weird, because he’s got a thick mustache, not thick ear hairs. I think he does it deliberately.”
“You mean he’s mocking you?” Lucina hid a grin. “I can’t imagine why anyone would do that.”
“Hey. That was mean.”
The ship docked with the port.
“Battlemaster! So glad to have you in Valm!”
“It’s nice to see you too.” Robin sighed.
“Ice tea?” Cervantes stroked his magnificent mustache. “Actually, that sounds perfect for my bristles. Not sure why you’re discussing drinks of all things, but I’m glad to see you all the same. I’m sure you’re wondering why I’m here.”
“Yes.” Robin said flatly.
“No, no one needs to die today.” Cervantes said. “You should careful, saying ‘death’ in that kind of tone would startle most normal men. In fact, I’m here because your daughter asked me.”
“That I did.” Ravena said. “Remember last time? Assassins. So I asked for an escort. Anyway, you’ll want this. And this.”
“Will I?” Robin took hold of the envelope, and then the tome she gave him. “I suppose so. Does that mean you’re taking the ship?”
“It does.”
“Have fun with that, I guess.” Robin said, noting the glances he got as Lucina and her team got off. “Oh, let me introduce you. This is Marth, and some of her companions. Kind of a diplomatic exchange, if you will. Cervantes, can you do me a favor?”
“Savor?”
“I give up.” Robin threw his hands up.
“He’s asking you to keep quite about us.” Lucina said to him. “It would be best if no one learned of this, alright?”
“I see.” Cervantes nodded. ‘The Battlemaster’s plans are complex indeed. I won’t speak a word.”
“And he can understand you, but not me.” Robin fumed. “Ravena, there better have been a good reason for this besides to just irritate me.”
“I think I’ll let you figure this out, for once.” Ravena winked. “But it’s definitely not to annoy you – I promise!”
“Alright.” Robin bent down and gave the girl a tight hug. “Stay safe, okay?”
“It’s only a scouting patrol, and you gave me some of your best soldiers.” Ravena laughed. “And in case you’re wondering, Say’ri stuffing her face with chips as fast as her chopsticks will allow.”
“Really?” Robin rolled his eyes.
“Nah, she’s getting some good oilskins to hold her swords in.”
“Yeah, thought so.” Robin walked to the waiting carriage, stepping inside and inviting the rest to join him. Lucina and her companions did so. Robin opened the letter and read it quickly, then rolling it up and swallowing it. “Ugh. I need better tasting ink. That was nasty. Does Laurent have any better ones?”
“What happened?” Lucina co*cked her head. "Also, no. He was working on it but... how do I put this? He likes this no one else does, so his success just made it taste worse."
“It began.” Robin said, hefting the tome. “What else? I have to say, I’m glad Vermil finished this beforehand.”
“What’s that?”
“Seems for all his protesting, he’s finally finished.” Robin grinned. “My secret weapon. Hopefully, I won't need it. But, it's time to begin. You paid attention to what I told you, correct?”
"It's my job to kill the spymaster." Lucina nodded. "And make it look like normal assassins. I'll have my team ready at your command."
Report: This missive is sent. By the time we’re through, all of Valm will be at our knees, and power will be ours. You are each given your objectives, and they must ALL succeed for us to be successful. Good luck to you all. There is no fallback, that is not to say all is lost if we don’t succeed, except under these specific circ*mstances, if we plan for failure, we may not give it everything we have. So our back is against the wall. It is time to strike. And don’t worry. The hardest job is mine.
