| | thepokefan59 | | Hoo boy | | Membre |  | | 38 messages postés |
|  Posté le 19-04-2022 à 12:09:00   
| Through the Eyes of the Monster
“Chrom, we have to do something!” Lissa said.
“Well, what do you propose we do?” Chrom asked, trying to see if his sister came up with an idea since the first time.
“Uh, I don’t know!” Lissa admitted.
It was then that Robin finally opened his eyes.
“Ah!” Lissa exclaimed, having noticed.
“I see you’re awake now.” Chrom shifted his attention back to Robin.
“Hey there.” Lissa said, before chuckling.
“There are better places to take a nap than on the ground, y’know.” Chrom said, with a smile on his face. “Give me your hand.” He continued, extending his hand to the tactician.
Robin instinctively reached for it.
“Welcome back. It’s over now.” Chrom said, facing his friend, and looking at him in the eyes.
…..
“Are you alright?” Chrom asked, concerned for his friend.
He smiled when he saw that his friend was still breathing.
“That’s the end of him.” He said, watching Validar’s body.
“Thanks to you, we carried the day.” Chrom said, thankful for everything Robin did.
“We can rest easy now.” He continued, thinking that the fight was finally over.
At this moment, Robin’s vision turned red, and he started to lose the control over his body.
“At long last.” This time, Chrom’s voice didn’t sound right.
Robin was certain that something was happening to him, but he couldn’t warn Chrom, he was a prisoner inside his own body.
Finally, Chrom turned back to Robin. “What’s wrong?” He asked, noticing immediately that something was wrong with his tactician.
“Hey, hang on!” He said with a voice that sounded distorted to Robin.
Suddenly, his eyes opened widely. Robin was finally able to look down, only to see that he stabbed his friend. Chrom stepped back, panting. Robin looked at his hand, he could still feel the electricity that just came out of him.
Chrom understood what happened. Something was using Robin’s body, and attacked him. Realizing that he wouldn’t survive this wound, he sent a last look to the tactician.
“This is not your…your fault. Promise me…you’ll escape from this place. Please, go.” Having used his last words to ask his friend to run away, to try to escape from whatever was controlling him, he fainted.
After that the only thing Robin could hear was Validar, laughing.
…..
Robin shook his head. ‘ That nightmare will never happen, as Chrom just said, it’s over now. ’ Robin smiled, interpreting that memory as a reminder, what the Shepherds were able to avoid by fighting together, and trusting each other.
“Yes, it is finally over. I don’t know how much time has passed, but you two, I want you to know that I am glad to finally be back.” Robin smiled ear to ear. He was able to come back, and now, he could see his friends, and more importantly, his family, again.
“Aw, come on, we’re not the two who you should be saying that!” Lissa jokingly reprimanded him. Of course, she was happy to hear this, but she couldn’t stop herself from thinking about Lucina and Morgan.
Robin looked at the princess, smiling, he knew what she meant, and couldn’t wait to see the two most important women of his life, again.
But, suddenly, his vision faded again.
…..
“Owain… Lucina… Cynthia… I’m glad you were able to escape…” Lissa said, looking at the purple sky while smiling.
However, her smile didn’t last, she heard the Risen, who invaded the last safe place for humanity, and each passing second, they were getting closer to where she was.
“I’m sorry, I know that I promised to escape, too… But… From the beginning, I knew that I wouldn’t be able to… I think you also knew, Lucina… Otherwise, you wouldn’t have shedded so much tears…”
Lissa sighed.
“Maribelle, your son is alive, too… It often was close, but to all of the Shepherds, all of your children are alive…” She said, looking back at the sky. She was speaking to all the deceased Shepherds, the friends that left before her.
“NOT FOR LONG.”
Lissa turned, to see a monster wearing her friend’s face. She wasn’t scared. She already accepted long ago that her end was coming.
“WHAT? YOU’RE GIVING YOUR FRIEND THE SILENT TREATMENT?” The monster said, smiling ear to ear, the smile wasn’t beautiful, and anyone who could see it could tell that it didn’t belong to a human.
“… I don’t. You’re not Robin, Grima. And I doubt that any Shepherd thought you were.”
“WELL… YOU’RE RIGHT, I’M NOT THAT WORM, AND ALL THE SHEPHERDS THAT I COULD MET WERE ABLE TO RECOGNIZE ME. THE BEST WAS WHEN SOME THOUGHT FOR A MOMENT THAT I WAS THIS WORM, AND THEN REALIZED WHO I TRULY WAS, I NEVER GET TIRED OF HUMANITY’S DESPAIR.”
Lissa looked at Grima with disgust.
“ONLY TWO OF YOU ARE LEFT, SHEPHERDS, THE VOICE OF NAGA, AND YOU, PRINCESS OF YLISSE. AND IF I TOOK THE TIME TO START A DISCUSSION WITH YOU, IT’S BECAUSE I WANTED TO MAKE A DEAL WITH YOU.”
Lissa continued to not say anything to the dragon.
“IF YOU TELL ME WHERE TIKI AND THOSE CHILDREN YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT ARE, THEN YOUR DEATH AND YOUR SON’S DEATH WILL BE PAINLESS.”
Lissa continued to stare at the dragon.
“YOU SEE, MY DREAM OF A WORLD WITHOUT HUMAN IS FINALLY ABOUT TO HAPPEN, SO I WOULD LIKE TO GET RID OF THE LAST REMNANTS AS FAST AS POSSIBLE. OF COURSE, IF YOU REFUSE, I KNOW THAT EVEN WITH TORTURE YOU PROBABLY WON’T SAY ANYTHING, THAT WORM’S MEMORIES TELL ME SO… BUT I WILL TORTURE YOU ANYWAY, I HAVE NOTHING TO LOSE AFTER ALL. SO, WHAT IS YOUR ANSWER?”
“My answer is no.” She said, and as soon as she finished, a strong Risen was summoned behind her, and held her, so that she couldn’t escape, nor fight back.
“A SHAME, BUT NOT A SURPRISE.”
And as Grima promised, he started to torture the princess.
It lasted for hours The princess was now bleeding severely, she was covered with scars. She has been burnt, cut, electrified, punched, she lost almost all of her teeth, every nail she had has been teared out.
She was about to die due to her blood loss and pain.
But, she didn’t give to Grima the pleasure of hearing her scream. Not even once.
During her last seconds, she just looked up one last time, to defy Grima with her stare. She hoped that she was able to buy enough time for the children. And she breathed, for the last time.
…..
“Lissa is right, Robin. I would like to talk to you for as long as possible. But… I suppose I’ll get my chance another day. For now, let’s not make my daughter and my granddaughter wait any longer…” Chrom had his eyes closed while he was saying that, after he finished, he opened them, only to see Robin looking at his sister, as if he just saw something horrific.
Lissa noticed it, too, and since he was looking at her, she decided to be the one asking. “Is everything alright, Robin?” She asked softly, she was obviously concerned.
Robin shook his head. ‘ What… What was that? ’
The royal duo waited some seconds, and seeing that Robin was lost in his thought, the King put his hand on his shoulder, to interrupt him.
Once Robin realized, he shook his head again. “Sorry… It’s just that… I saw something weird…”
“What is it?” Lissa asked, obviously concerned because ‘something weird’ was apparently her.
“Something like… What Grima did to you in Lucina’s world, Lissa…”
The siblings looked at each other, not knowing what to answer. They were sure of something. The person in front of them was their friend, and not Grima.
Chrom suddenly had an idea. “Hey, Robin?”
The tactician turned his attention to the king.
“You know how you used to have this dream of you killing me?”
“Yes, I actually saw it again just after I got up…”
“This was a memory from Grima, right?”
“Yes. I got it after he tried to be one with me, before I met you, if I remember what he said.”
“Could it be that, after disappearing together, you got more of his memories?”
Robin considered the idea. And unfortunately, he came to a conclusion.
“I think I either hallucinated, or if not, then, you must be right…”
“Well… Let’s… Let’s wait and see if it happens again before we reach any conclusion, okay? Maybe you did hallucinate, as you said…” Lissa said.
“Lissa is right, Robin. For now, let’s go back home.”
The three of them agreed, and started to leave.
While they were making their way to the closest town, Lissa had to ask, she knew that it wasn’t going to do her any good, and that it will probably make Robin uncomfortable, but she wanted to know: What did he saw about her?
“Hey, Robin… Do you care telling me what you saw exactly?”
Robin grimaced, as he really didn’t like the vision of his friend being injured and slowly dying. But, he decided to answer her, because if it was not a hallucination, then she deserved to know what happened.
“You, being glad that the time travelers could escape, and then being tortured to death by Grima…” He said, not elaborating more.
“I… I see…” Lissa said. She knew that he didn’t say everything, but seeing the look on his face, she doubted that she wanted to know, or that he would be willing to tell.
Chrom stayed silent, but was concerned, too.
Robin let out a sigh, and looked at the sky. But he realized his mistake, when another vision hit him.
This time, there was no one, just Grima, surrounded by Risen.
Robin could see Grima ordering the Risen to pollute the air, turning the sky purple, and to poison the river, turning the water purple, too.
He came back to his senses when he bumped onto Chrom.
“What is it, Robin? You were dazing off, again.” Chrom asked.
“I… I think you were right, Chrom…” Robin said, sadly, and his voice filled with apprehension, wondering what will he see next.
He then explained to his friend what he saw.
“Robin. Do you remember who you are?” Chrom asked.
“Of course, I am Robin, tactician of the Shepherds. If you worry about that, no, I know that I am not Grima, and that this monster is dead.”
“Good… Then, I want you to promise me, no matter what you see next, remember that. You aren’t Grima. What he did isn’t what you did. And also remember, no matter who you see dying, what you see being destroyed, you already avenged everyone and everything, because you’re the one who put an end to this monster.”
Lissa nodded. “Yeah, you, you’re Robin, the guy everyone love!”
Robin sighed, then chuckled. “Thanks, you two, I’ll be sure to remember it.”
…..
When they reached the town, Robin got another memory. This time, it was this very town, being destroyed. Nobody was here, but Grima ordered the Risen to destroy everything, just to be sure.
Robin, in addition to being disgusted and horrified at every new memory, had a new fear. Will he be able to face his wife?
Lucina didn’t only see what he was seeing, she lived it. He wanted her to be able to forget everything, to enjoy her new life in a peaceful world, which she fought so hard for.
But now, Robin started to fear that if he couldn’t ignore everything, and act as if nothing happened, then he would be constantly reminding his wife of this nightmare she escaped from.
Chrom didn’t see that Robin got a new memory, as the latter was fast enough to come back to his senses, but Lissa saw it.
So she just looked at her friend, and when he looked back at her, she sent him a smile. The smile was filled with concern and compassion.
Robin smiled back at her, she was able to ease him a little, and for that, he was thankful.
…..
The trio reunited in the morning. They traveled together, and wanted to reach Ylisstol before the next morning, even if they had to skip a night of sleep.
At one point, Chrom noted that it would’ve been better if Frederick had come along with them today, as it would’ve been the reunion with the exact same quartet than the day they met. But at the mention of the knight, another memory came to Robin.
…..
The knight was fighting. He was the last survivor of his group. He had to come back, to warn the soldiers, and most importantly put his child and the royalty to safety.
He hated running away like he was doing. His chivalry instinct told him to go back, and to fight until the end, just like the men he brought.
But, if he died there, nobody would be able to warn the citizens of the nearest populated town that a calamity was on it’s way.
However, at one point, his horse stopped, and started running in the opposite direction of said town.
Knowing he didn’t have a lot of time, Frederick had to control his horse again, but before he could do anything, the horse was dead.
Something had been shot at the horse, dark, purplish spikes.
Frederick knew what it was, so he got off his horse, the same horse he rode for years, and started running with his own legs.
But before he could go far away, a familiar figure appeared in front of him.
“… You…”
“YOU KNOW, IT WOULD BE ANNOYING IF MOST OF THESE HUMANS COULD ESCAPE, SO I HAVE TO STOP YOU HERE AND NOW… I SAW THROUGH THAT WORM THAT YOU DIDN’T TRUST HIM AT THE BEGINNING, A CHANCE FOR ME THAT YOUR LORD WAS SUCH A FOOLISH ONE.”
“It is true that I didn’t trust Robin when we met… And I was wrong, he wasn’t a spy, nor a traitor. I have to ask you to take back what you said about His Highness, Grima! I won’t allow you to disrespect him nor Robin!”
“OH? WHAT WILL YOU DO ABOUT IT? I AM CURIOUS.”
Frederick tightened his grip on his lance, but when he tried to pierce the dragon’s flesh, but nothing happened.
“HA HA HA HA, OF COURSE.” Grima was amused by the human’s worthless attempt. “HERE, LET ME SHOW YOU HOW WE DO IT.” He said, taking the lance out of Frederick’s hand.
And very quickly, Frederick’s heart was pierced, and, as life escaped him, his last word was just the name of his child.
…..
When Robin came back to his senses, he saw that both of his friends were looking silently at him.
Lissa looked down. “I’m very sorry that you have to see all that, I cannot event imagine the horrors you must witness…” She said, sadly.
Robin felt guilty for worrying his friends. “Don’t worry, Lissa. What I see is what would’ve happened if we failed. We didn’t. While I would prefer not to see it, I am at least glad to know what we avoided.” He said, trying to reassure her.
It seemed to work, as she was able to look at him in the eyes, and to smile again.
“That’s right, Robin. I am glad that you’re able to see things that way. But, you know that I am your friend, and I hope you know you can tell me anything. If you have difficulties with these memories, and you want to speak about it, but not to Lucina nor Morgan, then you can speak to me.” Chrom said.
“Thanks, I’ll remember it.” Robin replied gratefully.
…..
It was night when they finally reached Ylisstol, and as he unfortunately expected, Robin could once again feel a memory coming to him.
…..
Fire. Fire everywhere. The beautiful and full of life Ylisstol was being destroyed.
Some people were running away. They were either burnt to death, or directly killed by the Risen.
Grima was flying over, directly heading to the castle.
Thanks to the Risen he sent, he knew exactly what wall he needed to destroy in order to get to her.
And he destroyed that wall.
Before the dust could dissipate, he talked. “SO ENDS THE HUMAN RACE!”
A figure very quickly got back up, and took a fighting stance.
“THE FUTURE IS BUILT UPON THE PAST, BUT YOUR KIND SHALL NEVER SEE IT!”
The figure from earlier looked around her, until she saw three giant glowing red eyes in front of her. She was panting, and was terrified.
The eyes focused on her. “YOUR MOTHER AND FATHER ARE DEAD, TINY ONE.”
The figure was Lucina, and once Grima said that, she took a step back, lifted Falchion towards the dragon after she gasped. She was looking at the dragon, scared, and angry.
Grima just laughed evilly. “AND NOW IT IS YOUR TURN TO DIE!” He screamed, opening he’s giant mouth, and moving toward Lucina, as if he was going to eat her.
Lucina kept her fighting stance, and screamed at the top of her lungs.
…..
“Hey, Robin!” Chrom shouted at his friend.
This got the attention of Robin, who was able to come back to his senses.
“You seemed even more distressed than you were with previous memories…” Lissa said, worried.
“Yeah… Sorry… It’s just that… This one, I saw Grima attacking Lucina directly… So…” Robin said, glad to be out of this memory.
Both siblings looked at each other. They understood Robin’s feelings.
“And thanks to you, neither Lucina nor anyone will be attacked by Grima ever again.” Chrom said, trying to comfort his friend.
Robin smiled at that. “Yes… You’re right. Thanks, you two. I don’t really want to bother you with my troubles, but I’m glad that you were the one to find me in this state. It would’ve pained Lucina and Morgan greatly to see me too distressed, but now, I know what to expect, so I will handle it better, and you reminded me enough times already that it wasn’t my fault.”
Now, the siblings smiled at each other, and Lissa gave her brother a thumb up, because he handled the situation greatly in her eyes.
Once they reached the castle, they were greeted by the new Queen of Ylisse, and as she made her way to the trio, the nightmare continued for Robin.
…..
Sumia was wounded. She panted heavily. She ordered to the soldiers who were with her to leave her here. All the healers already died, and even if she wasn’t fatally wounded, she would be a weight for the others.
So, with what was left of her strength, she stopped as many Risen as possible from following the fleeing soldiers.
And finally, the Risen stopped appearing. She fell on the ground, and turned to take a look at the sky.
Her pegasus came back to her. She smiled.
“Go! You see that I won’t be able to make it… Please, take care of my daughters for me… Cynthia dreams to be able to ride a Pegasus, help her, please…”
The pegasus, as if it understood human’s language began to leave, as well, in the same direction as the soldiers.
“Lucina… Cynthia… If only… I could see you… One last time…”
Sumia’s vision started to blur. It was then that a familiar figure appeared above her.
“Robin! What are you doing here? Where were you all this t- …” Sumia was happy, at first, to see her friend.
But then, she remembered the day of Chrom’s death, and how Robin also died that day. And that a monster was now using his body to unleash hell on earth.
Her smile vanished, and she started to cry.
“QUEEN OF YLISSE, IT IS QUITE A PLEASURE TO BE ABLE TO STEAL FROM HUMANS ONE OF THEIR MOST IMPORTANT FIGURES, YET AGAIN.” He said, smiling at the woman. “AT THIS RATE, YOUR DAUGHTERS WILL PROBABLY BE THE LAST LEADERS THAT I’LL BE ABLE TO CRUSH, BUT BE SURE THAT THEIR FUTURE ISN’T ANY BRIGHTER THAN YOURS.”
Before she could answer, Grima let a Risen kill her, and all it took, was a single axe blow.
…..
“Robin!” Sumia was smiling, and some tears of joy rolled down her cheeks.
“I’m happy to see you again, Sumia.” Robin smiled back at her.
Chrom looked at Robin questioningly. Robin deduced that he wanted to know if another memory appeared to him. And since it was the case, he nodded to his friend.
Chrom looked down for a moment, before shaking his head.
“Sumia, we haven’t rested for the entire day, because we didn’t want to make Lucina and Morgan wait for any longer. Where are they?” Chrom asked.
Sumia, still happy to see her friend alive, had to focus hard to think of something else than her friend being right in front of her.
“Lucina is sleeping in her room, and Morgan sneaked out of hers to go to the library and continue her studies.” She said.
“Sneaked out?” Robin asked, not understanding why his daughter would have to do that.
“Yes. Morgan promised to Lucina to get a better sleep schedule, but sometimes, she just can’t think of something else than her studies. Lucina is the only one who doesn’t know about Morgan sneaking out, and Morgan thinks that no one knows. We didn’t want to stop her from studying in the middle of the night, she’s so cute when she is half-sleeping and half-reading.” Sumia answered in great details to Robin.
‘ Well, at least Lucina isn’t worried about that… Can’t be worried about something you don’t know… ’ Robin thought, not about to argue with his friends, furthermore, he doubted that he would’ve been any better at trying to prevent Morgan from doing what she wanted.
“Since the library is closer than Lucina’s room, how about we go there first, Robin?” Chrom asked.
“Of course.” Robin didn’t really have a preference as to who he wanted to see first, because he just wanted to see them both.
Lissa had difficulties to keep her eyes open, but she absolutely wanted to see the reunited family.
…..
When the quartet entered the library, Morgan tried to focus on her book.
“So… If I send a knight… Knight? Pegasus knight?” She shook her head. “Focus Morgan! You can’t let yourself fall asleep.”
Robin decided to approach his daughter, while the three others were watching him.
“In my opinion, I think that going to sleep, and to continue tomorrow, would be a wiser decision.” He said, smiling.
He smiled even more when no bad memory came to him by looking at her.
“Come on, Father, I almost finished this book…” She answered, without looking up, before going back to reading.
It is only five seconds later that she realized what she said, and quickly turned around to see who said that, and who she called ‘Father’.
After identifying the man next to her, she pinched her arm, and let out a yelp at the small pain. She looked back at the man, and he was still there, smiling at her.
“F-F-… Fa-… I’m not dreaming! FATHER! YOU’RE FINALLY BACK!” She exclaimed, jumping out of her chair, and crying.
Robin caught the girl who threw herself in his arms.
“Father! I missed you so much!” She said, still crying out of happiness. “Please, don’t leave us ever again!”
“I missed you, too, Morgan. I promise that from now on, I won’t go anywhere.”
And for several minutes, they didn’t move, enjoying being able to be with each other again. But suddenly, Morgan thought of something.
“Does Mother know?”
“I was going to see her after you… Do you want to come with me?”
“Yes! Yes!” She said.
Morgan quickly turned to where the door was, and finally noticed the presence of the three other persons. Realizing that she was caught red-handed, she just smiled awkwardly, and was embarrassed.
But it didn’t matter, her father was back. They had to go to see her mother, right now.
Everyone was smiling, seeing the cheerful girl being even more happy than usual.
Chrom once again questioned silently his friend about the memories, but this time, Robin could silently answer ‘no’, which was a relief for Chrom.
Morgan took the lead, after grabbing her father’s hand, as if he forgot where Lucina’s room was. Sumia, Chrom and Lissa followed, giggling at the scene in front of them.
Once they arrived at the door, Morgan released her father’s hand, and when he was about to open the door…
…..
“AND NOW IT IS YOUR TURN TO DIE!”
…..
Apprehension filled Robin, Morgan saw it, and this time, Sumia didn’t miss it.
“What is it, Father?” Morgan asked, worry replacing her smile.
“It’s… It’s a bit complicated… But it’s nothing to worry about, Morgan.” Robin tried to lie to his daughter, but she wasn’t convinced, and Robin could see it. “To… To keep it short, I can see…not so pleasant…things about your mother’s world…”
Morgan, even while being sleepy, seemed to understand what her father meant. It saddened her, but he continued.
“Don’t worry, I know it’s not my fault, and that all this was prevented. And I promise that I won’t let it ruin our reunion.” He smiled at his daughter, who sent a soft smile back.
After that, he opened the door. Lucina was sleeping at one side of the bed.
She looked peaceful, and had a subtle smile on her lips.
Robin dreaded to see the memory of Grima attacking her, again, but he didn’t.
Morgan and Lucina, when he looked at them, no bad memories were coming. All he was seeing was their faces, and he could swear that a halo surrounded them.
They were his reasons to fight, be it at the war, or in his fight to come back to the living.
He closed his eyes for a moment, to smile.
He entered the room, followed by Morgan. The three others stayed outside, being satisfied with the role of spectator.
When he was about to reach his wife, she started to talk in her sleep.
“Hmmm… Robin… Flowers… Beautiful… Heavenly…” She said, while her smile grew bigger.
Robin knew what she was dreaming about. He was happy beyond words, to see that this memory was still something that could make her smile like that, despite everything that happened, everything they learned, and everything they’ve been through.
Morgan wondered what her mother was seeing, she just knew it was about her father. The three spectators couldn’t hear that she had talked.
Gently, Robin took his wife’s hand.
Lucina was easily woken up, the sensation that danger could surprise her in her sleep never left her. But, when she looked at who took her hand, she was silent for a while. And she put a sad smile on afterward.
“I guess I’m still dreaming… How many times will I dream about you coming back? … When will you come back?” She said, tightening the grip she had on his hand.
But suddenly, she realized something. Warmth. His hand emitted warmth. Just like in her memories, a warmth that her dreams never were able to replicate.
She opened her mouth, but no sound came out of it. She looked up again, and her husband’s face was now closer.
“I’m back, Lucina. I’m sorry I took so long.” He said, smiling at her.
Lucina immediately left her bed, not letting go of her husband’s hand.
When she got up, she could see her daughter not far from them, and her parents and aunt at the door, watching them.
“Robin…” She said. She still couldn’t believe that her husband was in front of her.
She finally let go of his hand, because she wrapped him in her arms, and dived her head on his shoulder.
In response, Robin simply wrapped her in his arms, while holding the back of her head.
Lucina cried. Tears of joy and relief. Her other half, the love of her life, her soulmate… Finally back.
After a few minutes, Lucina reached out to Morgan. Morgan happily took her mother’s hand, and joined the hug.
The three spectators left, they thought that they invaded their privacy for long enough.
Robin, Lucina and Morgan stayed silent.
The family was reunited, and nothing would tear them apart again.
After another moment, Morgan fell asleep while standing up. If it was not for her parents noticing, she would have fallen on the ground.
But instead, Robin was now carrying her, like a princess. The couple looked at each other, and decided to bring her to her bed.
…..
Once they put the blanket on her, they saw that she was smiling and crying at the same time. Knowing that it wasn’t because she was sad, they decided to leave silently, to not wake her up, and to go back in their room.
Robin changed, while Lucina was waiting outside of the bed. She didn’t want to risk falling asleep before they could talk.
Once he was done, they went in bed together, and went under their blanket.
Lucina glued herself to her husband, wrapping him in her arms again, as if she was trying to stop him from escaping.
And, once again, Robin returned the gesture.
“I missed you so much…” She said.
“I know… And I am sorry…” He replied.
“Thank you for everything… Thanks to you, nobody will ever suffer because of Grima ever again… And I rarely have nightmares… The only ones I had since it ended…were you…disappearing…”
“It’s alright, Lucina, now that I escaped death, the only place where I will stay is here, by your side. I promise that tomorrow, when you’ll open your eyes, I will still be there.”
They stayed silent for a moment, just enjoying the warmth provided by the other’s body.
Robin eventually tried to think about how to tell Lucina about the new memories he was getting, but Lucina interrupted his thoughts.
“Something is troubling you, Robin…” She said.
Robin wanted to object, but before he could, Lucina talked again.
“It wasn’t a question… I know that we just reunited, and that you don’t want to ruin this moment… But I want it to be a moment where both of us can be at ease, so please, tell me what is your problem.”
Robin didn’t say anything, but after a while, he laughed. “What betrayed me?”
“Your face. When you lose your smile, and frown, I know that something is on your mind.” She explained.
Robin smiled, the fact that his wife was able to read him so quickly and just with his face meant a lot to him. He was also able to do this with her, and since he acquired that skill by admiring her face whenever he had the chance, he deduced it was the same for her.
He sighed. “I… I regained memories, that don’t belong to me… And I certainly will be getting a lot more as time goes on.” He just said.
Lucina stared at him, and he knew that it meant that he needed to elaborate.
“I’ve been getting the memories of Grima… Of the atrocities he committed in your world.” He said.
Lucina looked at him, their noses were so close that they were almost touching.
“Are you sure that those aren’t creations of your mind?” She asked. She didn’t doubt Robin’s honesty, but she wished that he was wrong.
“I wish it was…”
“Can… Can you give me an example? To see if I can confirm or deny.” She asked.
Robin grimaced. Only one memory. There was only one memory where there was no doubt that she could confirm or deny.
“I have an example… But-” He started, but was interrupted.
“Robin, I appreciate you being concerned for me… But, while this won’t be a happy memory, I know that this all it will ever be. A memory. Grima can’t commit another crime. You made sure of that.”
Lucina was a strong woman. Not only on the battlefield, but she was strong emotionally, too. That strength is one of the things that made Robin fall for her.
So, he decided to accept his wife’s request, and began to explain the memory where Grima attacked her.
When he finished, he could see that Lucina was unsettled.
“Indeed… This happened…” She said, sadly.
“Lucina… I’m sorry th-” He was interrupted again.
“No, Robin. I am sorry. I’m sad for you. I wish you didn’t have to be forced to witness what Grima did… And if you saw that… I can’t even imagine what else you must be seeing… Promise me that, if it becomes too much for you, you will reach for me and let me help you…”
Robin stared at his wife, and smiled. “Thank you, Lucina… I promise to you that I will… And, please, let me help you whenever you will need help.”
Lucina smiled, too. “Don’t worry, I know that you will always be there for me.”
“And so will you… These memories won’t be an easy thing to overcome… But I know that with you at my side, they won’t stop me from living a happy life.”
He concluded by kissing his wife on the lips. Still wrapped in each other’s arms, they fell asleep, resolved to not let memories of a dark past ruin their bright future.
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| | thepokefan59 | | Hoo boy | | Membre | | | 38 messages postés |
| Posté le 19-04-2022 à 12:10:48
| A Surprise for the Young Tactician
Morgan was sleeping peacefully, dreaming about working on tactics with her father.
But eventually, she woke up, and opened the curtains. Light quickly replaced the obscurity that filled her room.
The room was a mess, lots of books and notebooks on the ground, and on her desk. She giggled, thinking that once she finished her new project, she should clean everything.
After a growl from her stomach, she decided to eat before getting dressed. Her pajama was enough for now.
But when she opened the door, she was surprised to not be greeted by the smell of her parents' cooking.
Instead, the smell was something sweet, but not the usual sweetness that was sometimes emitted by her mother’s cooking.
She recognized the smell, but couldn’t figure out what it was. She just knew she already smelled it before.
Not liking this feeling of not knowing, she went down the stair quickly, and entered the kitchen.
She saw more people than just her parents, and regretted just being in her pajama, and not having brushed her hair. Until she realized that the other people were also from her family.
“Good morning, everyone!” She greeted them cheerfully.
Her grandfather and her father, who noticed her entering the room, smiled at her.
“Good morning, Morgan.” Both said.
A smaller figure was behind her grandfather. It was her three years old “aunt”.
“Good morning, Morgan!” Little Lucina exclaimed, clearly holding back from adding something.
Her mother, her aunt, and her grandmother were startled at first, as they were focused on cooking. Morgan was able to deduce that the sweet smell came from the three of them baking what seemed to be a pie.
Quickly, the three women smiled at her, too.
“Good morning, dear.” Lucina said.
“Good morning to the greatest niece of all time!” Cynthia exclaimed.
“Good morning, Morgan.” Sumia said.
“I’m happy to see you all, but I must ask, is there a reason why you’re all here? Especially you, Grandfather, considering that you’re very busy with all of your work…” She said, with a big smile, but really wondering what was the reason behind their presence.
“Ha ha, it’s true that I have a lot of work at the moment, but there are some days that I just cannot miss.” He said.
“I must say, dear, you arrived at the perfect moment. We just finished to bake the pie.” Lucina said, with the pie in her hands, showing it to Morgan.
Morgan was about to ask more questions, because she felt like she hadn’t gotten the answer she was looking for, but when she payed attention to the pie, she got her answer. There was a decoration on the pie. It spelled two words.
“HAPPY BIRTHDAY!” The six cheered, surrounding the young girl.
Morgan was at a loss. She forgot a lot of things, due to her amnesia. Her birthday was among those things.
Seeing the confusion in his daughter’s eyes, Robin elaborated.
“You see, just like me, you forgot when your birthday is, but, as you probably remember, we celebrated mine some time ago. Lissa once had the idea that my birthday would be the day she and Chrom found me, and most of the Shepherds went along with it, so in the end, I did, too.” He explained.
Morgan thought that it made sense, and wondered why she never linked him having a birthday with his amnesia. But, Robin continued.
“And, today, it’s been two years since we found you.” He added with a smile. “We couldn’t celebrate it last year… Due to me disappearing, and everyone searching for me…” He said, embarrassed, and apologetic. “But this year, nothing is stopping us. I am very happy that you are among us, Morgan.” He said, smiling again.
In the kitchen, Chrom chuckled, but agreed that he was also happy that Morgan was here. The women all nodded to what Robin said, and the little girl didn’t really understand what Robin was talking about.
Morgan tried to think about how to answer. She smiled, and giggled. “I’m also happy that you’re all with me. Thank you, everyone.” She said, with her innocent smile. She then turned back to Robin. “And, Father, don’t worry, the best thing you could’ve done for me last year was to come back… And you did!”
Suddenly, a thought came to Morgan. ‘ It has been two years, already? I never really paid attention… I recovered almost no memories… ’ She shook her head. ‘ No, today isn’t the day to think about that. My family came to celebrate my birthday! And we WILL have fun! ’
“I’m going to repeat myself, but thank you, everyone. I genuinely didn’t expect this, and it makes me very happy!” Morgan said, with a warm smile. “So… What are we going to do, today?” She asked, curious about what her family planned on her back.
Lucina giggled. “Dear, how about you go change your clothes first? Then, we will eat the pie we baked for you.”
Morgan nodded, and rushed back upstairs. She quickly put on her usual tactician’s coat, washed her face, brushed her hair, and went back to the kitchen. All of that, in less than ten minutes.
The table was set by Robin when she was dressing up, and Chrom sliced the pie in eight parts. They only had six chairs available.
Robin, Lucina, and Morgan didn’t live in a big fancy house. It was an average house in Ylisstol. The biggest room in the house, Robin and Morgan used it to work, be it for their job, but also on their personal projects. But apart from this room, none of the three needed more.
Lucina was really happy now, she was finally able to live a life where she could spend as much time as she wanted on mundane activities, without constantly worrying over a calamity that would cause the end the world.
Robin, for a long time, searched a goal in his life, outside of his work, and he found his goal when Lucina reciprocated his feelings. His new goal was to make sure that his family will always be safe and happy. So, if Lucina was pleased with this house, so was he.
Morgan was just happy to have a safe place. She might’ve been unlucky to lose her memories, but she was glad that, unlike her father, she wasn’t left all alone in this unknown world. It could be a castle. It could be a tent. Morgan didn’t care where she lived, as long as she had her parents, the only thing she remembered, the only thing she had left when she arrived.
One day, she will be independent, and leave her parents’ home, but she wasn’t ready for it, and even when she will be, she will continue to visit them regularly.
In this average house, only one room was empty. One day, the Morgan of the present will be born, and it will be hers.
But, there was a problem with the six chairs. They currently were seven who needed to sit down and eat. Fortunately, everyone knew how this problem would be resolved.
Everyone sat down on a chair, except Little Lucina, who went next to Morgan, and looked at her excitingly.
“Would you like to sit on my laps, Aunt Lucina?” Morgan asked the child.
“Yes!” The little girl exclaimed.
Little Lucina loved all her family members. She was told that her future self and Cynthia are her big sisters, and that Morgan is her niece. Due to her still being very young, she didn’t realize the age gap should make this impossible, but every Shepherds agreed to wait before revealing all the complicated stuff to their children.
To wait until they are old enough to understand that they aren’t the same people, and that they shouldn’t strive to become like their future selves, but to let them be themselves, and to strive to become who they want to be.
So, Morgan picked up her ‘aunt’, and placed her on her laps. The little girl made herself comfortable.
Cynthia started to give everyone a piece of pie.
“And since it’s your birthday, Morgan, you get two!” She exclaimed cheerfully. “Oh, you’ll see, Mother’s pies are the best!”
“Thank you, Auntie!” Morgan replied, happy to get a second piece because she was hungry. “And you know, I guessed how good it will be when I first smelled it, ha ha. I must have eaten some before, because it definitely is familiar.”
Lucina raised an eyebrow for a moment. As she is the one who helps her daughter the most to recover her memories, she noticed a lot of things that go unnoticed even to Robin or Morgan herself. And while it already happened, it was really rare that Morgan was having the feeling that she knew something.
She decided to pay close attention to Morgan until she finished her first piece of pie, just in case she would remember something.
Once everyone had their pieces of pie, Chrom, Cynthia and Little Lucina didn’t waste a single second to start eating it, knowing full well how delicious it will be. Seeing the three blue haired royals throw themselves at the pie, Robin joined them quickly.
Sumia was waiting for Morgan to start. She looked at her, wanting to see her granddaughter react to the pie.
Morgan’s eating session was delayed for a few seconds, because Little Lucina moved a lot when she was eating her piece of pie, and Morgan made sure that the past self of her mother wouldn’t fall from her laps.
Just before putting the pie in her mouth, Morgan smelled it one last time before tasting it. ‘It sure smells really good.’ She thought, before opening her mouth and taking her first bite.
The pie was amazing. Morgan was at a loss of words. But not only the taste was great, she felt a lot of things with this first bite. She felt joy, comfort and something that warmed her heart up in this simple piece of pie.
“Morgan, are you alright?” Sumia asked, worried.
“Huh? Yes, of course, this pie is delicious! The best I ever ate!” She answered honestly, thinking that her grandmother was worried that the pie wasn’t to her taste.
But her answer apparently didn’t satisfy Sumia, because Morgan could see that she was still worried. But she couldn’t figure what she was worried about. Then, she realized that her mother was just as concerned.
“What is it? Have I something on my face?” She asked.
This got the three other adults to stop eating their pie, and to look at Morgan. Little Lucina was still focused on eating.
And soon enough, her father, her aunt, and her grandfather also had worried faces.
Lucina decided to inform Morgan, because she apparently wasn’t noticing by herself. “You are crying, Morgan…”
Morgan blinked when she heard that, and that is all that was needed for her to finally notice and feel the droplets that were rolling down her cheeks.
Instead of panicking, she tried to stay calm. She closed her eyes, and tried to rationalize what was happening to her. She didn’t feel sad at all, she could even say that she was really happy at the moment.
“Morgan, did I hurt you? Why are you crying?” Little Lucina asked, finally noticing her niece crying, and being worried about it.
Morgan decided to interrupt her thoughts, not wanting little Lucina to start crying, too. “Not at all, Aunt Lucina, I’m fine, you don’t need to worry about that.” She said.
“Oh… But why are you crying? Do you not like the pie?”
“This isn’t it either. The pie is delicious, I just… I just… It just feels… So familiar… And warm…”
“Perhaps… It’s because you already lived something similar in your past? And while you can’t fully remember, something deep inside of you does?” Cynthia suggested, not really sure if what she was saying made sense.
But to her surprise, everyone else at the table, except for Little Lucina, considered it, and started to nod.
“I think you’re right, Auntie… Well, if I had birthdays similar to that one where I come from, then I think it’s safe to say that I wasn’t sad during my childhood!” She exclaimed. After that, she wiped the tears from her face.
“Because, you can all trust me when I say that I’m happy right now! You all are dear to me, and while I don’t remember any other birthday that I had, having you all as my family is the greatest gift I could ask for!” She continued, still cheerfully.
Some find that a bit cliché to say, but they smiled, nonetheless.
“And you are the best gift your father and I could ask for as well, Morgan.” Lucina said.
“Oh! Gifts! I brought you one!” Little Lucina exclaimed to Morgan.
Chrom laughed, he found his daughter’s innocence and cluelessness to what was happening adorable. “We know, Lucina, and she’ll love it. We’ll open the gifts as soon as everyone will finish their pieces of pie.” He told her.
Except that part where she cried, this birthday wasn’t anything extraordinary.
After they finished the pie, Morgan received different gifts.
A drawing from the small version of her mother, in which they were holding hands and flowers, that made her say out loud ‘Awww’.
A Pegasus plush from her aunt, that she found cute, and to which she immediately gave a name.
Some jewelry from her grandmother, that she intended to keep for special occasions.
A special necklace from her grandfather, which had the Brand of the Exalt on it, and that she put on immediately, still proud of being part of her family.
Some books from her father, the same ones she always tried to check in libraries to see if they had a copy, and that she will study the very second she could start.
And from her mother, a dress, that she simply loved. She left the room to put it on. Considering how Morgan and both of the Lucina loved it, none of the other had the heart to point out how ugly it was.
This birthday wasn’t anything extraordinary.
After she had opened the gifts, they spent the rest of the day talking, or playing some board games together. After some hours, it was time for another meal, and they had Morgan’s favorite. At dinner, they had Morgan’s second favorite.
Unfortunately, time kept on ticking, and when Little Lucina fell asleep, the guests guessed that it was time to leave. Chrom lead the way, Cynthia carried her sister, and Sumia followed them.
Morgan decided to take a bath. After she was done, she put on her pajama, and she yawned. She guessed that the day was over for her, too. She went to see her parents, thanked them for that day, and went back to her room.
She closed her eyes, and fell asleep.
This birthday wasn’t anything extraordinary, but Morgan thought that she wouldn’t have wanted it any other way, and that she would remember it, forever.
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| | thepokefan59 | | Hoo boy | | Membre | | | 38 messages postés |
| Posté le 19-04-2022 à 12:11:44
| After Thirty Years, They Still Go on Dates
It was the night of a full Moon night. With no clouds in the sky, the moonlight enlightened Ylisstol.
A ball took place at the castle, to celebrate the thirtieth anniversary of Ylisse’s victory in the Valmese war. This celebration would last for an entire week, and it was the forth day.
Some of the former Shepherds were there, some came on the previous days, some will come in the following days, while the other won’t show up, either because they decided to lose all contacts, or because they weren’t among the livings anymore.
The King and the Queen were there, but rarely had time for themselves.
It is also that night that one couple decided to show up. Lucina and Robin.
Lucina was in a beautiful dress, picked by her husband. It was a mix of deep blue and golden colors.
Robin wore what his wife picked for him. He learned a long time ago to wear, or see his family wearing, some of the ugliest clothes he had ever seen. He vowed to always make her happy, and Lucina loved to see him wear what she picked.
They entered the Hall, crossing arms, and with Lucina resting her head on Robin’s shoulder.
“So… This is where our night begins, I suppose.” She said, with a smile.
“It is… Unless you suddenly don’t like balls anymore.” He answered, mirroring her smile.
“Hee hee… With you as my partner, how could I possibly grow tired of them?”
At that, Robin closed his eyes, and continued to smile. “Well, to be entirely honest, there was a time where you would’ve done anything rather than going to a second ball.” He said, to tease her.
“This is true… I still can’t believe that in our first ball, I walked on your foot, tripped and brought you down on the ground with me… I was so embarrassed that I ran outside, and you had to chase after me… I still don’t know how you convinced me to try again, but I’m glad that you did, my love.”
“And, I suppose that you know it by now, but I always did my best for you, and always will… So… Would you, once again, do me the pleasure of granting me another dance?”
“You know very well that, as long as I can, I will give you as many dances as you want.”
And so, they started to dance.
At times, Lucina closed her eyes, put her forehead on Robin’s chest, and let him guide her in the dance.
At other times, they danced, while smiling, and looking at each others’ eyes.
But at all times, they danced, as if they were alone in the Hall, as if nobody existed besides the two of them.
But, as the hours passed, they started to get hungry, and eventually, while Lucina had her head on his chest, Robin’s stomach started to growl.
Before Robin got the time to be embarrassed, Lucina didn’t stay silent.
“Pffff… Ha ha ha!” And she laughed with all of her heart. “I guess it’s time to depart for the second part of our date, my dear hungry husband.” She said, while winking to him.
“Ha ha ha, I guess it is.” Robin, in the end, wasn’t embarrassed. Lucina’s laugh is a sound that he would give anything to hear. Lucina smiling was a face he always wanted to see. So, despite not having been elegant, he was glad for his stomach’s intervention.
“Allow me to lead you outside.” He said, giving her his arm, for Lucina to cross with hers.
And this is without making him wait that she took it. And as they left the castle, and got some fresh air, Lucina spoke.
“So… I would like to ask where we are going… But you like to surprise me… And I would like to guess… But you somehow managed to always surprise me, and get something even better than I expected…”
“And I am very proud of it. I’m not the best tactician of Ylisse anymore, but I like to believe that I can be hard to predict when I try.” He said in a sassy tone.
“Hee hee… You say that as if you couldn’t beat Morgan anymore, she wins more often than you now, but it’s always very close.”
“Ha ha, I don’t mean that in a bad way. I’m very proud of Morgan. Of both of them. We truly were blessed to have them.”
“I can only agree with you. They are my greatest pride and joys…,” she said, closing her eyes to visualize her daughters in her head. “Hee hee, do you remember how nervous our youngest Morgan was when she announced us that she didn’t want to become a tactician?”
“I do… She was really scared to disappoint her sister and I… But I’m glad that she understood that we didn’t want to choose a path for her. That we wanted her to choose her own. Tactician or not, it didn’t matter… But I agree that her face of utter shock when we told her that was pretty funny.” He said, laughing quietly. “But I guess it was to be expected. For most children having a future self, at some point, they had a struggle, a fear of ‘having to become like them’.” He said seriously, but happy, because in the end, they all understood it, and could grow without thinking that they were expected to be someone else.
“Just so you know…” She paused for a moment, waiting to have his attention. “Even if my younger self wanted to marry you, I wouldn’t have allowed it.”
For a few seconds, Robin looked at his wife, and said nothing. But he couldn’t resist, and snorted, before getting to a more regular laugh. And Lucina laughed with him.
On their way, they walked along a river, which crossed Ylisstol. The festivities weren’t limited to the ball. All of Ylisstol was celebrating. But, this river lead them to a quieter place, where they could hear people from far away, and the calming sound of the running water.
“Here we are.” Robin said.
Turning her head to where Robin was looking, Lucina saw a buffet. She recognized the name. She heard about it. Cynthia’s younger self once talked about it, but she forgot where it was, and it was a shame because Lucina was interested in their desserts.
“I found it some months ago. I tried it on my own, to make sure that Cynthia wasn’t exaggerating… Well, she wasn’t, and that’s why I decided to keep it a surprise until an important day… And I figured that the thirtieth anniversary of my confession was important enough.” He said, winking at her.
Lucina smiled at that. “It truly is. That day is one of the most important in my life, one that I will forever cherish…”
“And, I was right, I still didn’t hear sweetest words than you, reciprocating my feelings on that day… But for now, let’s enter.”
Once inside the buffet, husband and wife sat down at a table, that Robin made reservations for. A waitress came to take their order, and both picked wine.
After that, they got up again, and went to take their first plates. Both of them were mainly filled with meat. Lucina added some tomatoes and salads to hers, while Robin added carrots and potatoes.
Both smiled upon seeing the other’s plate. One of the thing that never changed in the thirty years they spent together was both of their love for meat.
When they came back to their seats, the bottle of wine was on their table, and Robin filled both of their glasses.
While they were eating, they talked about the food, about some memories of other restaurants they visited together. Sometimes, they got up to fill their plates again.
They finally reached the desserts that Lucina was looking forward to. A piece of yarrow and a chocolate eclair were her choices. Robin also took an eclair, and with that, he took some strawberry ice cream.
They both started with the eclair, and then went to their other dessert.
“Cynthia didn’t lie, those are delicious! You should take a bite Robin.” Lucina said, already approaching her spoon to Robin’s mouth, looking at him expectantly.
Robin did as he was advised, and opened his mouth for Lucina to put her spoon in it.
“You’re right, it’s good. Just as good as this ice cream, here, try it.” He said, mimicking what she had done.
And in return, she mimicked Robin accepting the spoon. And Robin kept looking at his wife, while she was smiling and savoring her dessert, he will never be bored by her being happy.
When they finished their desserts, Robin refilled both of their wine glasses.
“Lucina, I hope you like us being next to the windows.”
“I do, no matter what I see, I can’t help but to find Ylisstol beautiful, as you know.”
“Well, it’s almost time. I hope you’ll like it even more.”
Lucina was about to ask what he was talking about, but just as she opened her mouth, the fireworks show started. And Lucina stayed agape, until Robin opened his mouth again.
“Aren’t they pretty? Of course, they’re far from being as pretty as you.”
Lucina chuckled. “My dear tactician is usually less predictable. Furthermore, I’m old now, don’t you think it’s time to stop telling me that you think I’m beautiful?”
“Age doesn’t matter here, I thought you were beautiful then, and I still think that you are now.” He said, smiling at her, and resting his hand on hers.
She looked at him right in the eyes. “Thank you, my love. I also think that you’re still as handsome as you were decades ago.”
With their free hands, they finished their glasses. When they got up to leave, they didn’t let go of the other’s hand.
Robin paid for the dinner, and they left, still holding hands.
“I guess it’s time to go home…” Lucina said, a bit saddened that it was about to end.
“But before that, I have one more thing to show you.” Robin said, with a confident smile, one that always let Lucina know that he knows what he is doing, and that he will succeed in whatever he planned.
So, Lucina decided to follow him, as they got even further from the festivities.
The further they went, the farther Ylisstol was. Lucina couldn’t help but wonder what he was doing this time, but decided to not ask the man dragging her, because she knew that he wouldn’t answer, and she trusted him.
They reached a forest, and went in it, and finally, deep inside the forest they reached a lake. They finally stopped walking. And Robin was looking at his wife.
She interpreted this as a sign to look more carefully at the new sight. And quickly enough, she gasped. Around the lake, there was flowers, a lot of flowers.
“So, do you like it?” He finally asked, already knowing that she did.
“Ro… Robin… Those are…”
“The same kind of flowers I gave you on that day, exactly thirty years ago.”
As a child, Lucina liked flowers. When the horrific events of her world happened, she almost forgot what flowers looked like. And when she came back in time, she saw them once again, and it became a symbol of life and beauty to her.
And then, those flowers, they were pretty simple, but ever since Robin gave some to her, and they were what caused the start of their relationship, they became Lucina’s favorites.
She was in awe to be surrounded by so many. She let go of her husband’s hand, so that she could hug him. And he hugged her back.
“Thank you, Robin.” She simply said. She stayed silent for a few moments, but decided to continue talking. “Robin, I know that you already know everything I’m about to tell you, but will you, once again, allow me to repeat myself?”
“Of course, Lucina.” He answered, knowing that it was important to her.
“Thank you… Thank you for everything you did during our life… At first, I simply approached you to make sure you understood the importance of your role, and right away, you started to care for me. You quickly made sure that I would care about myself more, and before I knew it, I fell in love… A love I feared, we weren’t from the same worlds, my mission could have robbed me from this love… But then, you offered me those flowers…” She said, stopping herself to breathe.
“For the first time in years, I allowed myself to be selfish, to do things for me, even though I knew that I shouldn’t change things more than necessary… But when you gave me those flowers, at this very moment, despite my knowledge… I didn’t care anymore. At this moment, I was so overjoyed. I loved you, and despite everything, you loved me back. Nothing else mattered.” She took another pause, and looked at the water, seeing some flowers being reflected on it.
“We started our relationship, secretly at first, but we quickly were found out. But, my fears came back to me. I feared that I would have to leave you. I feared that I wasn’t a good wife, because I couldn’t prioritize you over the world… When we found Morgan, I was relieved, I still feared that I would have to leave you, but Morgan was a proof that it wasn’t impossible that we could stay together…”
“And then… I made the biggest mistake of my life… I pointed my blade towards you… And yet… As if it never happened, you forgave me right away… I feared for a while that you secretly resented me for that… But, when we were at the hot springs… And that you kissed me for the first time… I knew that you never resented me, even in the slightest.”
“When you disappeared after ending Grima, I was scared. Scared that I wouldn’t be able to see you again, to hear you again, to feel you again… Scared that you didn’t know how important you were to me… Scared that you didn’t know that you became my biggest reason to save the world…”
“But then, you came back, and after you were once again at my side, you helped me to free myself from my nightmares, from my past, and you helped me get my new life, in this world, that I now consider mine… It took years, but now, I don’t have any nightmares anymore. I don’t feel guilty for my past anymore. I don’t feel guilty for staying here anymore…”
“And then, when I got pregnant, I wasn’t scared like I was at the idea when we first met Morgan. I was confident, because I knew that together, we could achieve anything. And, having a family on my own felt like a dream in the past, a dream that you made reality.”
“So… As I vowed to myself to always voice my feelings once my mission was done, I tell you again, thank you, Robin, for everything. I love you.”
“You’re welcome, Lucina. And this is mutual. Before I met you, I was just a tactician. I had no real goal in my life, and I didn’t even know who I was. But, you gave a new meaning to my life, at your side, I know that I am me… I always admired you, your strength, your courage, your kindness… If I had to relive my life, I would make the exact same choices, because my perfect life is one, with you. I love you, too.”
Both told what they had to say. They both heard it times and times again, but they always wanted to make sure the others knew, and always were glad that it was reciprocated.
They shared a long and tender kiss. Stayed for a moment, to admire the beauty of the place. They then crossed arms again, and went home. Their home, where they lived a lot of unforgettable memories, and where many more had yet to happen.
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| | thepokefan59 | | Hoo boy | | Membre | | | 38 messages postés |
| Posté le 19-04-2022 à 12:14:12
| How Did You Two Get Together?
“So, how did you two get together? How did you even meet?” Morgan asked her parents, during dinner, while waiting for the desserts to arrive.
At the table, everyone stopped eating to look at Robin and Lucina. There were seven people at this table: Chrom, Sumia, Cynthia, Robin, Morgan and both Lucina, from the present and the future.
“That’s a very sudden question, Morgan…” Robin said, clearly embarrassed. “But… I’m not sure th-”
“This is kind of a long story, Morgan…” Lucina said, thinking about what to say next.
“Oh? Do you finally understand why I fought so hard to avoid telling you, Lucina?” Chrom joined the conversation, trying to tease his daughter.
“No, Father, I still do not understand. I am just trying to find a way to start the story…” Lucina answered, totally missing the joke.
“It was this easy to get the answer? Darn, I should’ve asked sooner.” Cynthia said.
“Hee hee, Robin, it seems like we’ll know how romantic you were.” Sumia teased the man.
The little Lucina stayed silent, as she was always curious to hear stories about the past of her family.
“Thank you, Mother!” Morgan said, as she got her way.
“You’re welcome, dear… I think I could start the story from my world, as it is there that I technically first met Robin… He was usually always talking to members of the Shepherds, or working. I didn’t think a lot about him in those days, I just knew that Father trusted him…”
“You’ve got a good memory, Lucina! When I came in this world, I couldn’t even remember Father’s face, ha ha!” Cynthia commentated.
‘ I’m not sure this is something you should be laughing about, Cynthia… ’ Lucina thought.
“Even if you weren’t close in your world, was he any different?” Morgan asked, curious.
“Hmm… That may be just an impression I had, but now that I know Robin more, I would say he was a bit… Distant…” She said.
‘That would make sense… If I knew all my life that I could become Grima’s vessel, I probably wouldn’t have wanted others to get too close to me, and to put them at risk…’ He thought, remembering that Grima was the one to cause his amnesia, meaning that in Lucina’s timeline, he had his memories.
“Well, it’s a good thing that this wasn’t the case here.” Chrom said.
Robin wanted to sigh, but decided not to. Now that his wife had started the story, he had to play his part.
“For me, my first encounter with your mother was when she fell from the sky to save Lissa. She was quite distant, as well, at the beginning. For two years we knew almost nothing of her.”
“Not even the fact that she was a woman for a while, might I add.” Chrom said, interrupting his son-in-law.
“What? No way! Ha ha ha ha! I can’t believe you really pushed the Marth persona that far, Lucina!” Cynthia laughed, she didn’t think Lucina really did it.
“Ha ha ha, Mother, to make Father fall in love with you while pretending to be a man, you must have really been a handsome one.” Morgan started to laugh, too.
Chrom and Sumia tried, and failed, to hide their smiles. Lucina was blushing, and Robin looked away.
“Why did you make them think that you were a man?” Little Lucina asked.
Everyone looked at her. Of course, she knew that the Shepherds saved the world, but never knew more, as they wanted her to be old enough to understand before explaining.
“Hmm… It was…” Lucina tried to improvise an answer. “It was… Because I wanted to prank them!” She said. “A good prank is always funny, right? Ha ha…ha…” She finished by laughing awkwardly.
“Oh! I see! Hee hee, yes, you’re right, it is funny to trick people!” The explanation seemed to be enough for Little Lucina.
‘ Did… Did she just… Is the reason why Morgan love pranks so much because she received a similar explanation in her world, as a child? ’ Robin wondered.
“Oh, Robin, I guess she hid the fact that she is a woman by using that mask Gerome gave her… But what did you think when you saw her without it?” Cynthia asked.
‘Why do you seem as excited to hear this story as Morgan?’ Robin thought. “Well… I did think that she was beautiful, but I couldn’t focus on that… We had more pressing matters to deal with at this moment…”
“Come on, what could be a more pressing matter than you seeing your wife’s face for the first time?” Cynthia said, not satisfied with the answer.
“Saving our aunt Emmeryn, Cynthia.” Lucina answered in Robin’s stead.
Cynthia realized her mistake. “Oh… Sorry…”
Sumia quickly noticed that the room became silent, so, she decided to help Lucina and Robin continue.
“After that, we didn’t see you for two years, Lucina. But I can tell you that Robin didn’t forget you.”
“What do you mean, Mother?” Lucina asked, Robin and her never really talked about this two years gap.
“Oh… Gods… Don’t tell me you remember that…” Robin said.
“I do remember that, Robin.” She said, smiling at him. “Don’t be ashamed, that was cute.” She continued.
“What happened, Grandmother?” Morgan asked.
“One night, while I was pregnant, I decided to go in the gardens, in order to get some fresh air. When I got there, I took a sit, and after a while, I noticed Robin, so I got up, and went to him. Hee hee, I startled him, because he didn’t realize that I entered. And do you know what he answered when I asked him what he was doing here?”
Obviously, only Robin knew, and all the others waited for Sumia to reveal what it was.
Sumia made the best Robin impression she could. “‘Sometimes, I come to check and see if Marth hasn’t returned… She seems to bear heavy responsibilities, and yet, she helped us twice, without letting us return the favor… I just…worry, I guess…’”
For another moment, the room was silent.
“Dawww, Father, that’s so cute! No wonder Mother fell for you!” Morgan exclaimed.
Robin stayed silent, obviously embarrassed. Lucina, while she was happy to hear this, decided to not voice it, in order to allow their story to continue.
“But… It all really started soon after I finally joined the Shepherds.” She said.
“I remember, except for your family, you pretty much isolated yourself from the others, Robin being one of the rare exceptions… Hmm… Maybe I could’ve seen it coming, had I paid more attention…” Chrom said, thinking of her first few weeks among his army, and of the surprise it had been when they revealed their relationship to him.
“Yes… Now, I realize that I could have opened up to them, but I don’t regret having been careful. But, I needed to talk to Robin. As our tactician, it was important that he, more than anyone else, understood his role. So, one evening, I went to him, and waited until he finished what he was doing, and told him as much.”
Everyone turned to Robin, who guessed that it was his turn.
“I listened to her, and assured her that I would do everything in my power. That I would never stop fighting for her, Chrom, and all the people of the world.” He explained. “She thanked me, and told me that it was what she wanted to hear. After that, we stayed silent for a while, and she took her leave.”
Morgan was smirking, so Robin looked at her questioningly.
“Aw, that was the first time you spoke alone, and you told her that you would never stop fighting for her! You’re so romantic, Father!” She said in all honesty.
Lucina smiled silently, Cynthia and Sumia giggled.
“Robin, you’re blushing, hee hee hee!” Little Lucina exclaimed.
Robin blushed a bit more after the child pointed it out. Chrom rolled his eyes, amused. He was used to living with Sumia and her love for romances, so it wasn’t a surprise to him that her daughters and granddaughter liked that as much as her.
Robin cleared his throat, in order to change the subject, unfortunately, the tactician was now the center of attention, and had to continue.
“The… The next time we had a moment together, it was when I noticed your mother, all alone.” He said to Morgan, trying to ignore the eyes of the others.
“I…” Lucina hesitated, he knew that the others wouldn’t like what she was doing, and Robin knew, too. And she decided that it was for the best if she was the one talking about it.
“I was thinking of my world, wondering if there was survivors, or if no one was left… Robin did his best to empathize with me, even if he admitted that he could hardly imagine what it was like living there…” She explained.
“After that, I asked some questions, in order to have a better grasp on it… Only to have confirmation that over there, nothing could be done anymore.” Robin said.
“And it is at this moment that I confessed to him why, no matter how dangerous a situation could be, I had to take the risks, otherwise, it could’ve been our defeat… After that… He made me realize something… That I… That I didn’t have to do everything alone… That I had friends I could rely on… That I also had…him…” She said, with a smile and a blush when she reached that last part.
“Robin… Did you court my daughter whenever you had the chance?” Chrom said, obviously joking.
“Father! This wasn’t like that! He was genuine when he tried to help me!” Lucina exclaimed, defending Robin’s intentions, because she didn’t get her father’s joke.
Robin was grateful, because thanks to Lucina’s reaction to Chrom’s joke, all the eyes on him that were ready to tell him that ‘he was cute’ were now on Lucina, thinking that ‘she’s cute’.
“Lu… Lucina, I know that Robin isn’t one to take advantage of people’s weaknesses in order to win their heart… I was just joking…” Chom said, still not used at how much Lucina wasn’t getting jokes.
“But I do wonder. When did you two realize your feelings?” Morgan asked, in order to distract her mother from being saddened to have, once again, failed at recognizing irony.
“Well… I don’t know when I realized exactly… But I did start to question my feelings soon before that conversation… Ha ha…ha…” Robin said, laughing but embarrassed. ‘Why am I the only one to be embarrassed at this table?’ He wondered.
“As for me… It was soon after that… I started to think of him from times to times, wondering what he would think, or what he was doing… I… I didn’t think too much about it at the time… Thinking that since I wasn’t talking to a lot of people, it was normal that I had the few I was talking to often in my mind… I started to question it when we started to recruit more and more time travelers, and that he continued to take more place in my thoughts…”
“Oh yeah! I remember! Sometimes when Robin crossed our path in the camps, you would follow him with your eyes for a moment, before shaking your head to re-focus on what you were doing!” Cynthia exclaimed.
“Oh… You saw that? … That’s embarrassing…” Lucina answered, blushing.
“Hee hee, not only me! You know that for us, from the future, it was very easy to see your change of behavior. We would have started to make bets, if we didn’t all agree on what was going on. Well, more exactly, Owain, Inigo, Brady, Severa and I agreed. Kjelle and Gerome noticed how your face brightened when he was passing by, but didn’t care about it… I swear, they’re no fun sometimes, they even told us to ‘grow up’… And for the others… Well, you officially got with him, and we met Morgan before them, and I think I don’t need to remind you of how they reacted, hee hee!” Cynthia explained, making her sister blush even more.
‘ I think I am starting to understand why you didn’t want to talk about your love story with Mother to me, Father… We easily become embarrassed… But, my daughter wants to know, and I will give her what she wants! ’ Lucina thought. One of the things that hadn’t change since the war ended was her wish to spoil her daughter.
Lucina cleared her throat, letting the others know that she was back on track. “A-Anyway. After that, some time passed, and in addition of some small talks we had when we saw each other, I believe there was another important conversation before the confession of your father.” She said to Morgan.
Robin chuckled. “Oh, I think I know what you’re talking about.”
“One day, he went to me, and asked me a question. And from my answer, he deduced why I was so wary of everyone and why I felt like I had to do everything myself… He then managed to make me promise to take more care of myself… I was really moved… I really didn’t know what I could possibly have done for you to care that much about me… But it made me very happy…. So happy, that it is then that all the doubts I had left about my feelings disappeared…” She said, blushing, but smiling.
“Well… What can I say, I already realized my feelings, and I genuinely was worried that you would suffer from over exhaustion. I would’ve been worried regardless of my feelings, but these sure made my keep my eyes on you, and care for you more…” He said, looking at her in the eyes.
After some seconds where they kept looking at each other, it was Chrom who cleared his throat. “Robin, I don’t mind that you’re married to my daughter… But could you, maybe, not flirt with her right in front of me?”
Robin shook his head and looked away. “Right, sorry, Chrom…”
“Oh, come on, Chrom, they were so adorable…” Sumia chided her husband.
“Psst, Robin.” Cynthia whispered.
He turned to her.
“Just so you know, we did notice that she was taking a bit more care of herself. Still not enough in my opinion, but that was to be expected from Lucina. But, thanks anyway.” She said, trying to be as quiet as possible.
“I’m glad to hear it.” He answered, whispering, too.
“What’s next?! What’s next?!” Little Lucina asked, starting to get impatient.
“Well, I guess that it would make sense if I was the one to start the last part of this story.” Robin said.
He looked at his wife, who nodded, and he spoke once more. ‘Almost over with this…’ He thought.
“So… One day, I saw some flowers outside… I thought ‘I’d like to offer some to Lucina’… And before I realized it, I picked them up… I asked myself ‘What am I doing? I know that I can’t just tell her…’. But then, I saw her, from far away, and I followed her without thinking too much about it… When I finally caught up to her, I gave her the flowers. She asked me what was it that we were celebrating… And, for the last time, I lied to her, or maybe to myself… I told her that it was to cheer her up. But, when I said that, she looked pain…” He was going to continue, but was briefly interrupted.
“I feared that you were doing too much for me… That you were over exhausting yourself… I felt guilty…” She admitted.
He looked at her, and put on a smile. “And so, I finally confessed that despite her being the daughter of a true friend, despite how hard I tried not to… I fell helplessly in love with her… And that I knew that no matter what was yet to come, my feelings couldn’t change.”
Lucina returned the smile, and closed her eyes, in order to revisualize the scene. “As for me, I was relieved. I feared my love for him… But with his confession, and my own feelings… I finally had the courage to tell him that he was in my heart as well. And he promised me to always be here for me… As for me, I promised that no matter what the future hold, I would cherish every moment…”
When Lucina opened her eyes, she saw her mother, and sister crying.
“This is so romantic…” Sumia said.
“Robin, I swear that if you ever betray your promises, I will chase you down and give you a taste of a hero’s anger…” Cynthia said, just as moved as her mother.
Chrom just smiled. ‘I know that you’re trustworthy, my friend. And I only hope for you to be happy, Lucina.’ He thought.
Little Lucina said nothing, she was just enjoying the story.
Morgan chuckled. “Hehe, I’m happy, you two have a beautiful story! Thank you for sharing it for me.”
Soon after all of that, the family finally got their desserts, and they went on another subject.
However, Morgan couldn’t help but notice that her parents almost never stopped looking at each other.
They were thinking back on everything they lived together, and how they will continue to cherish every moment.
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| | thepokefan59 | | Hoo boy | | Membre | | | 38 messages postés |
| Posté le 19-04-2022 à 12:15:00
| A Final Day at the Water Park
One day, in a realm that wasn’t theirs, a family was spending their well deserved vacations together.
It was the final day of their trip to a Water Park, ran by an Anna, who also acted as a life-saver.
It was time to eat, and the family was around a table, in their swimsuits. Lucina gave everyone their sandwiches, that she made in the morning, while everyone was still sleeping.
“Ha ha ha! I can’t believe it’s already almost over! Why does time always go so quickly when we’re having fun?” Morgan exclaimed, thinking back on the week that was soon coming to an end.
After she had said that, the smile on the face of her ‘little sister’ disappeared, and was replaced by a pout. “I don’t want to go… Mother, Father, we’re having so much fun, why can’t we stay here?” Little Morgan asked, a sad tone in her voice.
Robin chuckled. “Morgan, a vacation is only a temporary break, after that, you need to go back to school, while your sister, mother and I need to go back to work.”
“But I don’t want to!” She objected.
“Come on, Momo, we can’t always do what we want in life.” Morgan said, referring at her younger self by the nickname she gave her.
“But you and Father are so smart! You can come up with something to stay here!” She wasn’t giving up.
“Now now, dear. If we stay here, don’t you think that Lucina, Cynthia and Owain will worry and miss you? And you, won’t you miss them? Or what about Grandfather and Grandmother? I’m sure they’ll be waiting for our return with your favorite pie.” Lucina said, giving her daughter a headpat.
When she mentioned Lucina, Cynthia and Owain, she was referring to the ones born in this time, and who were around the same age as Little Morgan, as well as the people she got along with the most.
“… You’re right, it’s fun here, but I would miss them if I couldn’t see them again… And Grandmother’s pies are the best!” She said, smiling while thinking of the pies.
“And don’t forget, after eating, we still have two hours left! So, come with me, to do one more time all the best slides!” Morgan added.
“Really? Can we, Father, Mother?” Little Morgan asked, her eyes sparkling.
Both Robin and Lucina were weak against both of their daughters when they looked at them with sparkling or pleading eyes.
Robin smiled. “Of course, as long as you’re back in time.”
“Yay! Thank you! Morgan, let’s not waste any time!” Little Morgan said, starting to take the biggest bites she could of her sandwich.
“Hmpfshure!” Morgan answered.
“Dear, please do not speak with your mouth full. You’ll give a bad example to you sister.” Lucina asked her daughter, with a smile.
“Showwy.” She said, her mouth full with the bite she took while her mother asked her to not speak with her mouth full.
“Djon’t fwowwy, I djon’t shink youw a bash exchomple, you’w ze coolesht shish!” Little Morgan exclaimed, spitting a lot of food out of her mouth, and directly on Robin.
“You two…” Robin said, with a scolding tone. But before he could continue, both of his daughters finished their sandwich.
“See you later, Father! Momo, let’s race, we start running in 3… 2… 1… Go!” Morgan exclaimed, as she started running, slowly enough for the child to follow her.
Little Morgan swallowed her last bite. “Wait for me!” She shouted, running after her older self.
Robin stayed silent for a moment. “… How many times have we told them to not run here?”
Lucina smiled. “I believe we stopped counting after the tenth time.”
“Still, there is a lot of water everywhere, what if they slip and injure themselves?” He said, worrying, and taking Little Morgan’s sandwich's crumbs off him.
“Well… I guess we will make sure they’re okay, fix their injuries if there are some, and finally, let them know that we warned them, and that we hope they learned their lesson.” She said with a smile.
Robin looked at her, surprised by her lack of concern.
“Of course, I don’t want them to get hurt… It’s just that… I like this life where our main worry are our children possibly scraping their knees…” She said, looking at the sky.
Robin guessed that she was comparing her daughters with the children that she met in the future, those who took risks far more dangerous, and who rarely could eat enough… And those who lost their lives. “Yeah, you’re right… This is a sign of a peaceful life…” He finished his own sandwich, got up, and waited for Lucina to finish hers.
“Do you want to take a last swim together, my love?” She asked, looking up to her husband.
“I would love to, Lucina.” He answered.
…..
Robin was waiting outside of the women’s changing rooms. He was the first to finish his shower and to put on his clothes, as he expected.
He thought back at the week that just passed. It wasn’t his first vacation, but, as an amnesiac, he understood how the memories he makes are precious, and how he wants to never forget them.
He thought about the preparations they made before leaving their home to come here. How excited his daughters were. About how worried Sumia was, before deciding to pick the swimsuits for everyone, including him. He had no idea what were the swimsuits his wife originally picked, but considering Sumia’s nervousness, her who did saw Lucina’s choices, he made sure to thank her discretely.
He thought about the day they got here, how Anna explained in details that park’s plan, the different slides and pools that were there. About how his wife was completely lost and decided that the best course of actions would be to let him and Morgan listen, and let them guide her.
He thought about how cute he found his youngest daughter to be, with her water wings on her arms. About how pretty his wife was in her swimsuit. About how worried he was that boys would hit on Morgan.
Which did happen, but it let her indifferent, she only wanted to have moments with her family. She even made everyone laugh when she said “Sheesh, and I thought Inigo was bad at that.”
Robin thought about how they taught Little Morgan to swim with her water wings. He thought about how Morgan always wanted to do the scariest slides, and that Lucina and him always made sure that one went with her, because they didn’t want her to feel alone.
Robin thought about how Little Morgan challenged Morgan to a swim race, and how Morgan lost on purpose to make her younger self happy. He thought of the moments where both of his daughters were together, and his wife and himself were watching them from afar.
Robin thought of everytime he saw one of the three most important girls in his life smiling.
But suddenly, he saw Morgan coming out of the changing rooms. Her hair were not dried properly, and still a bit wet.
“Hey, Father, I hope we aren’t taking too long. Mother was rinsing Momo’s hair when I left.” She said.
“Not at all, it allowed me to think of everything that had happened this week.” He said.
“Ha ha, yes! I think I’m the one who understand the most what you mean! Thanks for the new memories!” She said, really grateful.
“You’re welcome… And also, know that you will always be welcome to come with us during family vacations, even when you’ll eventually leave the house, you know.” He said, remembering that Morgan seemed surprised when she was invited.
“Ha ha, yeah, sorry, I suppose it wasn’t clever of me to think that you would care less about me now that my past self is around… Well, at least, she had a great first vacation! And I’ll be sure to stick around for the next ones, ha ha!” She said.
Of course, she loved her past self, and really saw her as a sister, but, due to Little Morgan being very young, her parents needed to give her most of their attentions, and before she realized it, Morgan became jealous.
Robin smiled, relieved that Morgan understood that she was as important to Lucina and him as her younger self.
“Oh! I just had an idea for a prank!” She exclaimed. “You know how Owain went in another realm, and came back with Ophelia… How about, me, trying to make Grandfather think that he will be a great-grandfather?”
Robin laughed, imagining his friend’s face if Morgan was successful in her plan. “I’ll do as if I didn’t hear anything.” He said, not supposed to support her when she was being sly, but curious about what will happen.
Morgan did interpret this as her Father allowing her to do the prank.
Soon after that, Lucina and Little Morgan came out of the changing rooms. The latter yawned.
“Well well well, don’t we have a tired little girl who will soon sleep?” Robin said, with a smile.
“I’m not tired!” She exclaimed, just before yawning again.
“Hey Momo, do you want me to give you a piggyback ride?” Morgan asked, knowing that she loves that, and that it would allow everyone to go at a faster pace.
“Yes! Of course!” Little Morgan exclaimed, as she gave her arms to her older sister.
Morgan then carefully placed her sister on her back, while her parents silently thanked her.
They took the exit, after half a minute of walking, Little Morgan looked back at the Water Park.
“Will we come again?” She asked the three adults.
“It’s for sure that I’ll go again, so, when that day will come, you can come with me!” Morgan answered.
“Will Lucina, Cynthia and Owain come, too?” Little Morgan asked, wanting to have fun with other members of her family close to her age.
“Maybe, maybe not. We can’t know what will happen in the future, dear.” Lucina said.
Both Robin and Morgan raised an eyebrow, due to Lucina, of all people, saying that.
“But I’m sure they’ll want to go with you.” Lucina finished.
“I can’t…wait…” Little Morgan said, yawning before falling asleep on her sister’s back.
Robin and Lucina asked Morgan to wait here with her sister, while they went back to their inn rooms to get their luggage, and came back quickly after that.
With that, the three adults smiled, and entered the carriage. Morgan delicately put her sister down, without waking her up, and sat next to her. It wasn’t long before Little Morgan’s head fell on Morgan’s shoulder.
The carriage started to move. Morgan decided to close her book, and to sleep along her sister. Robin and Lucina took a good look at the scene in front of them, smiled, and finally closed their eyes, joining their dear daughters in the world of dreams.
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