The End, or Just the Beginning...
“…NNGH…AAAAUGHHH…”
Grima stumbled and fell to his knees. The dragon, separate from its human host, showed signs of weakness; its wings were slowing, but it remained in the air.
‘These humans…How are they…Why am I LOSING!?’ The dragon mentally shouted its frustration.
This lapse of strength did not go unnoticed by Chrom. The prince, Falchion in hand, finished off one of the deluded worshippers barring his way. He charged toward the avatar of Ylisse’s destruction. His soldiers fended off the other followers of Grima, who seemingly teleported onto the dragon’s back in endless numbers. But there was an opening, a crack in their defenses, straight to the human that was Grima. This could be the only window of opportunity Chrom had if he didn’t want to lose any of his soldiers.
“Now, Robin! This is our chance! I’m going to finish it!”
This was it. This was Chrom’s chance to end it all: the suffering, the pain, and the destruction that the future supposedly held. It could all be avoided. Using the Falchion, a holy blade empowered by Naga, he could slay the dragon and finally bring peace to Ylisse. He could save everyone.
Robin had similar thoughts. He shoved Chrom out of the way.
Chrom stumbled, “…Robin?! Wait, what-“
Grima looked up in his stupor. He saw himself, the foolish man who chose friendship over godhood… The man who now stood over his stunned figure with a hand raised, ready to strike. Grima roared in anger, but also in fear, “…WHAT…WHAT ARE YOU DOING?”
Robin closed his eyes, and breathed out. He focused his magic into his raised hand, and prepared to end it all. He spoke, “For once, I’m glad you and I are the same. Now I can give my life to protect those I care for…” He knew what must be done. Grima knew what he intended to do.
“…YOU WOULD…NOT DARE!” He was flabbergasted. ‘Humans are weak – this man is weak; he wouldn’t have the strength to sacrifice himself... These bonds, this friendship, they are NOOOTHING! So why would he – I… do something, like THIS!?’
Robin opened his eyes and sharpened his glare. “I would and I will. The evils you would visit on this world are unthinkable… In some way, I-we share the blame. It’s only right we meet our end together!” He poured more magic into the growing ball of energy he commanded. Its essence was darkness: the same essence that Grima was composed of. This energy was the only thing that could destroy Grima for good. Robin refused to save himself in place of the lives of others: in place of those who would be forced to fight the dark dragon. He would save everyone, and all those in the future!
Grima realized this. “…NOOOOOOO!” The dragon roared at the injustice of it all. ‘I AM A GOD; THIS CANNOT HAPPEN TO ME! A GOD CANNOT BE SLAIN!’
Robin shouted, understanding exactly what Grima was thinking at that very moment.
‘BUT A GOD YOU ARE NOT!’
He launched the darkness at the one and only target it should ever have: Grima himself.
It made contact and shattered the last of the dragon’s power. Grima stumbled back, stunned at how this could have possibly happened. The dragon roared and weakened; its human counterpart began to fade… both human counterparts. Robin was enveloped in the same darkness that signaled Grima’s end. He felt his senses begin to fade; surely, this was the end… But he still felt it: a glimmer of strength, with which he would share words with the closest friend he had made during his time on Ylisse, Chrom.
Chrom ran to Robin’s fading form, and cried out to him, “Robin! No!” For once, Chrom didn’t know what to do. He didn’t know what he COULD do. ‘Is this it? After everything… Gods, Robin! Why did you have to defeat Grima yourself!?' His thoughts raged, but he refused to share harsh parting words with his best friend and greatest ally.
Robin weakly smiled. “Thank you, Chrom. For…everything…” Robin closed his eyes. He felt his strength draining… “Tell the others… my last thoughts were of them…” He whispered his last words with a tone that summarized their friendship. “May we meet again, in a better life…” He used the last of his strength to wave to Chrom as he faded into darkness.
Chrom cried out, “Robin! No!” His voice resounded with the frustration and pain of losing a friend... a best friend. “Ah gods, NO!” There was a flash... and Robin was no more.
The weakened dragon began its descent; its body fell towards the coastline. Naga sensed the fall of the dragon, and, with a flash, teleported Chrom and his friends to another location that would overlook its corpse. Chrom looked at the fallen dragon, and gazed upon it with an air of regret. After a few moments of silence, he turned back to the soldiers that had fought alongside him. He spoke with a noticeably softened, but nonetheless commanding tone.
“The war is ended, my friends. Never again will the fell dragon trouble our world. I owe you all far more than words can ever repay… Especially Robin, who gave himself to save us all. To save all the worlds to come.”
Lissa, Chrom's sister and an able healer, teared up at the news.
“P-poor Robin… *sniff* After everything he did for us…”
Chrom made his tone firm. “Don’t cry, Lissa. We’ll see him again. I’m sure of it. Remember what Naga said? That Robin would survive if our ties were strong enough. This isn’t over. I believe Robin is out there… somewhere… And I’ll find him. If it takes me the rest of my days, I’ll find him…” He stared back out at the sunset. 'Robin, I know you're out there, and we WILL meet again, some day...'
The rest of the soldiers proclaimed their faith in both Robin and the friendships they shared with him. They all agreed that they would meet him again; surely, there was no way that Robin could fall when lent strength from all of his own friends. Chrom turned back to his soldiers and continued speaking in the tone of a successful leader.
"Robin has secured for us all the most precious gift: a future. Now it falls upon our shoulders to protect what was given. I vow to give my all to healing the damage this war has wrought upon the realm. When Robin returns, I want him to see what his sacrifice bought."
Chrom turned back to the sunset, and spoke in a softer tone that all his friends could hear.
"Robin…if you can hear me… You will always have a place here with us. Remember that. Always.”
~~~
'So dark…
A sea of black…
Ah… I c-can’t see…
I can’t hear…
I feel… nothing…'
.....
'Wait… I feel something… grass?...
I hear something... someone... familiar?...'
A familiar voice echoed in my ears, “…We have to do SOMETHING.”
'I'm regaining my senses... can I... open my eyes?
This situation... it seems... familiar...'
My brain was pounding, I felt disoriented, and it was a struggle just to breath, but I opened my eyes... and up to then, everything pointed to me being in a field, one not dissimilar to where I first met Chrom. I inwardly sighed in nostalgia. 'History has a weird way of repeating itself.' The sun would normally have blinded me at the flat angle I was lying on the ground, but two shadows blocked its rays. The contrast in light stopped me from seeing them clearly, but I felt I knew who these two were. I sat up slightly so I could see them.
.....
I am greeted by two faces that are definitely unfamiliar. They stared back at me.