Betrayer revealed? Another Spar

The Shepherds found themselves entering Plegia Castle.

Shane stayed on guard, especially when he saw armed guards hiding in the shadows with Robin spotting them not too long after him.

Validar and Aversa walked into the room.

"Well met, milord." Aversa greeted.

"Prince Chrom! Welcome." Validar followed.

"...I was told you had something you wished to give me." Chrom told.

None of the Shepherds were keen on staying here any longer than they had to.

"My my! No time for courtesy, milord? Such impatience... Do you really want it that badly? This concerns me. The Gemstones and the Fire Emblem can be...treacherous artifacts. A fact Plegia and the Grimleal sadly know all too well…" Validar informed.

""Sadly"? You speak ill of when the first exalt used them against the fell dragon?" Lucina asked.

"Yes I do, intruder!" Vaildar exclaimed, confusing everyone.

"...Intruder?" Lucina stated confused.

"You are not supposed to be here. You must be destroyed!" Validar threatened, immediately putting the rest of the Shepherds on guard.

"You wouldn't dare!" Chrom exclaimed.

"Give me the Fire Emblem... Give it to me!" Validar demanded.

"This is a declaration of war!" Shane warned.

"I will only ask one last time: give me the Emblem. Now!"

"...Never."

"Then this parley is over. Guards! Seize them!"

"Just as we thought…"

"Chrom, this way! Quickly!" Robin told as everybody followed.

They kept running until they ran down the stairs and spotted enemies.

"Shane! Assassin mode." Robin told.

Assassin mode was a key phrase Robin created on the ride back that would tell Shane to eliminate enemies quickly.

Shane nodded. "Kuri, Doragonkuro!" Kuro appeared in his hand as he raced off to eliminate.

"Corrin, Morgan, Lucina. You're with Chrom and me. Everyone else, group up." Robin told.

10 minutes later…

Shane had eliminated over 50 enemies before he found the commander.

"I am-" That's as far as he got as the area turned slightly red.

"Lethality." Shane shot forward and quickly ended the commander's life before the area went back to normal.

Shane quickly made his way back to the Shepherds only to see the Shepherds get blasted away from Chrom and Robin.

"Chrom! Robin!" Shane quickly tried to get near them before something was yelled.

"Valflame!"

An explosion occurred on Shane, sending him flying down a hallway.

Shane got up and looked at his attacker and recognized them as the hierophant.

"Seize the emblem and bring it to me Robin!" Shane heard Validar demand.

Shane gritted his teeth before charging at the hierophant.

"Stay away from Robin!" Shane growled.

He charged at her before she blocked it with a Levin sword.

"Fool, if you couldn't defeat me then, how do you think you can now?" She stated before swinging at him, leaving a slight scratch on his armor before Shane's blade started glowing a dark purple.

Purge-Shane only skill. It combines both magic and strength into one attack, similar to Ignis but combines the full power into one.

Shane slashed and hit, sending the hierophant sliding backwards, glowing a red tint, indicating this person also has Pavise.

Shane however was focused on other things though.

The first is the hierophant's statement since he's never fought her before and the second one could be more concerning.

Right when Kuro hit her, he didn't feel skin like how some people's skin through combat can become strong enough to block a sword once or twice.

He felt some kind of hardness under their cloak.

Hierophant had charged him and managed to land a blow before Kuro gained a green tint.

"Astra!" He quickly slashed five times before jumping backwards.

He watched the Hierophant have slight wounds on her arms and legs before she grabbed a Concoction before smashing it with her grip, healing most of the wounds.

"I'll admit, I haven't fought you like this in a while so I'm a bit rusty." She said with her hand to her side.

"What are you talking about? We've never fought before!" Shane exclaimed.

Suddenly, Hierophant disappeared before appearing in front of him and whispered something that surprised him.

"Ignis." She swung at him with the flowery aura and slashed him in the chest.

He went sliding back before he gained the same aura.

He dashed forward and slashed at her where she blocked it with her Levin sword, but the blade now had a big crack in the blade.

"Validar!" Chrom yelled, catching Shane's attention.

"We obtained what we arrived for." Hierophant told, regaining Shane's attention. "But, I must take my leave." She then held her hands in front of her. "Expiration!"

A black ball of darkness shot out and hit him, sending him flying down the hallway.

"Chrom, I'm sorry! I don't...know what came over me... I'm so sorry!" Robin apologized.

Due to Validar's blood curse, he had forced her to take the Fire Emblem from Chrom and give it to him.

"I know you are, but right now we need to focus on getting out of here!" Chrom told.

"...Understood." Robin weakly said.

Chrom looked around. "Where is Shane?"

Right on cue, something crashed into a wall near them, causing them to look at the impact sight.

There they saw Shane groan and pull himself out of the wall and stood up.

"Shane, we're leaving." Chrom told as Shane nodded and walked to Robin's side and they regrouped with the Shepherds.

Shane quickly noticed the Fire Emblem could no longer be found on Chrom and assumed it had been taken.

"Shane," Robin whispered. "Do you know anything about blood curses?"

Shane stopped abruptly, and looked at her, quickly connecting the dots.

In more ways than one.

"Nothing that can break it except that it can not affect a predecessor of said person."

Robin looked downward. "What I did... It's...it's unforgivable."

"Enough of that, Robin. Save your energy for helping us track him down." Chrom told.

"No, I... You must leave me behind. He could use me again... I can't be trusted! This cursed blood in me must somehow give...my father...dominion over me…"

"But he never had full control... You can fight it, Robin. And if he expects you to blindly obey, that might be the surprise we need." He suggested.

"Chrom, you...you put too much faith in me."

"Honey, no one can resist a blood curse completely. Not even I could. You were able to resist him slightly, which speaks of incredible will power." Shane tried to assure.

"Get back on that horse, Robin. You can't give up now!" Frederick the Wary assured as well.

"But you're not listening! I told you, I'm not—" Robin tried to say but Chrom wouldn't have it.

"The deed is done. But you can still try to undo the damage. It's not too late!"

"All right. I'll...I'll try." Robin said unsure.

An hour later, the sun had fallen and the Shepherds were setting camp.

"Aunt Robin, may I have a word?" Lucina asked.

"...What is it, Lucina?"

"It's about my father. I have memories of him, you know. From when I was little. Before he...died."

"I see…"

"He was courageous, and kind, and everyone spoke fondly of him. People say he was brave right up until the very end. I always yearned to know him better. And now that I do... I can see that the world will be robbed of a very great man. ...I won't allow that to happen."

"I understand. You love him. ...We all do."

"I'm..sorry." Lucina then pointed Falchion at her.

"Lucina!"

"Stay where you are, Robin! I have no choice. I must kill you."

"What?! What madness is this?!"

"In my future, you-" Lucina started before Falchion got knocked into the air and stabbed itself into the ground.

Right in front of Shane.

"You better have a damn good reason for pointing your blade at my wife with the clear intention it was not a spar." Shane growled.

Lucina was stunned for a moment. Very rarely did any of the kids see Shane this mad and it had never been at them.

"And if it's about her possibly killing Chrom, that's not good enough."

Robin looked at him in shock. "No! That's insane! Why would I kill Chrom?"

Shane decided to let Lucina explain.

"I was not certain myself, until now... I knew he had been killed by his closest friend. Having witnessed your bond with him, I doubted it could be so... But today's events make it clear. You are at Validar's mercy. I suspect it's he who forces you to take my father's life, and very soon…" She explained. "If my father is right, then we can change our fates. If this dark future is to be averted, sacrifices must be made. I am sorry, Robin! I know this is murder, I... I know that…"

Shane stood next to Robin and noticed a figure behind a tree, almost instantly recognizing Chrom.

"Lucina, you need to think about what you almost have done." Shane told, his voice strong as steel.

"I don't want to do this! But it's the only way to save our future!" Lucina fired back.

"Enough!" Chrom yelled, making his presence known.

"F-Father! I can explain." She started.

"No need. You're not the only one who can eavesdrop. I heard every word. Lucina, I know your heart is in the right place... But I trust Robin. You cannot shake my faith in her."

"This is not about trust! She'll be the death of you!" Lucina exclaimed.

"Robin, Shane, and I have held fast through good times and ill... We swore to be three thirds of a greater whole. You underestimate the strength of those ties, the bonds we share. I believe in them more than some foretold 'destiny.'"

"That is easier to say when you haven't seen it yourself…" She muttered.

"Lucina, aren't our ties stronger here now than they were in your future? You said so yourself. In this flow of time we are bound tighter than ever, you and I. Not just as father and daughter... But as friends. We can change things—we already have...and we will again." Chrom told.

"...Very well, Father. I would ask your forgiveness, Robin, Uncle, but I cannot expect it."

"I do forgive you, Lucina. You needn't speak of it again." Robin smiled.

"It'll take some effort to rebuild the trust you just damaged, but I'll accept your apology this time." Shane told. "But I will want a word with you alone."

"..Yes Uncle." Lucina quietly said.

Chrom and Robin both looked at Shane then each other before deciding that he wouldn't hurt her and returned to camp.

Shane and Lucina stood in silence for what felt like ages but were only 10 seconds or so.

"Say something!" Lucina exclaimed. "Say that you hate me, I'm a disappointment, anything!"

Shane stared at Lucina. "I don't hate you nor are you a disappointment."

"Then what?" She asked.

"I asked you to stay because you have no idea how much worse the future could have been."

"I..do not understand." She stated confused.

"Like all the Shepherds, I consider everyone family. But I obviously have a stronger bond with my wife and kids. What you don't realize is that that would have sent me into a deep rage and I would have likely killed you."

That scared Lucina. "You would have.."

"Killed you. Yes. What you don't realize about me being so old, is that very few of my loved ones are still around. If someone were to take someone hostage like they did with your cousin Max a few years ago, I'd get furious and make them realize their mistake." He started explaining. "But if one of them were to kill said hostage.." Shane's eyes then started glowing a dark purple. "Not even Naga or Grima could save said person from my wrath."

Lucina stayed silent, letting the information that she could have been killed sink in.

"Like I said earlier though. I will forgive you for this mistake and I won't be telling anyone about this." Shane then turned to the camp and headed in its direction.

Lucina stayed in the now almost empty space for a few moments before retrieving her Falchion, sheathing it, and headed back to camp.

But the only thing on her mind is that she'd almost caused this version of her Uncle to lose his wife just like her's.

Shane blocked Corrin's sword with his gauntlet and used the other one to block Morgan's Fire. He then jumped backward before ducking under Robin's Elwind.

After returning back to camp, Morgan and Corrin approached him and asked if he could train them a bit more.

"You put too much power in your strike there Corrin. While power is needed to hurt your opponent, without speed, it's useless. Move your right foot closer to your body and your left foot a little forward." Shane then pulled out his Omnitome. "Elwind!"

Shane shot multiple blades of wind, canceling out the Arcthunder that Morgan had tried to cast.

"You hesitate slightly when you use Arc magic. Likely due to an early attempt and blew up in your face. I've given a brief explanation of Arcthunder to your mother in the past but I'll change it up a bit for you." Shane jumped over Corrin's slash before grabbing the back of her dragon armor and tossing her away from him. "Push out a lot of lightning magic but split it into three nearly identical parts."

"Thoron!" Robin exclaimed.

Shane spun around quickly. "Thoron!"

The beams of electricity collided and caused a good sized explosion that blasted the ground they were at into a crater.

Robin dashed out of the smoke, wielding her Levin sword.

Shane held his hand out. "Exorno:Lightning Splitter." The yellow bladed and black handled axe appeared.

Shane blocked her strike before holding his free hand outward, catching Corrin's blade once more.

This time though, he did not have a free hand to catch Morgan's attack.

"Arcwind!" A tornado of wind slammed into his back, sending him flying before a lightning bolt appeared from Robin's sword, heading towards him.

He prepared to use his weapon to absorb the electricity but Corrin appeared and knocked his axe to the side before dodging out of the way.

Shane felt it slightly due to him having high Resistance to magic.

"Diruo." Shane's axe turned into magic particles. "Alright, that's enough." He called out before they all walked into the middle of the field.

The group headed to bed.

*Midnight*

Shane had been asleep before he woke up from a dreamless sleep and walked out of the tent.

He walked out of the camp and down to a lake near where they trained earlier and looked into the air, watching the galaxy of stars cover the sky.

"Come out, I know you're there." Shane called out.

Nothing moved for a moment before Morgan, Corrin, and Robin walked out of the woods.

"Hello Dad/Father/Dear."

"So why did you three decide to join me this fine night?"

"We're getting close to a pivotal point in time." Morgan started. "We're getting close to when Chrom died and Grima returned. I just wanted to hear what you think of the coming time."

"I'm glad that you brought that up. I actually have a question for you two." Shane turned to Morgan. "Where was I at when this happened?"

"I was told that you were there when it happened but you were separated from the group. By the time you rejoined them, Mom had been captured. Before you could try a rescue attempt, Grima had returned. Everyone told you to leave, saying Ylisse needed their tactician and assassin more now than ever." Morgan told.

Shane nodded before turning to Corrin. "And you told me that they were kidnapped for a month before you disappeared." Corrin nodded.

"What's the plan dear?" Robin asked.

Shane started thinking. 'In Morgan's time, I got separated. In Corrin's time, Robin and Morgan were kidnapped. Both times I had not been by my family's side.'

Shane looked at them. "We stay together."

They nodded before they headed back to the camp and prepared for an inevitable battle to retrieve the Emblem.