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| ==Plot== | | ==Plot== |
| {{main|An Ill Presage/Script}} | | {{main|An Ill Presage/Script}} |
| Having arrived in a harsh desert landscape, [[Chrom]] notices some strange travelers and asks what's going on; [[Lissa]] proposes asking the travelers and attempts to do so, but the villager Lissa asks doesn't speak much aside from mentioning an appointed time, the [[Dragon's Table]], prayers, and [[Grima (character)|Grima]], causing Lissa to back away. [[Frederick]] calls out to Chrom, who then asks if the scouts have returned, to which Frederick states they have and bear grim news--[[Validar]] has moved to a great altar to Grima known as the Dragon's Table and that all of the [[Grimleal]] in [[Plegia]] are also headed there as if being drawn by some unseen force. Chrom asks if Frederick has any idea what it means, to which Frederick reveals the Grimleal speak only gibberish and plod on as if possessed. Chrom notes that this event shows all the signs leading to the [[Invisible Ties (premonition)|cataclysm]] in [[Lucina]]'s original future, calling destiny a stubborn business in the process, to which Lucina says they cannot give up and Chrom responds that they won't. Chrom calls the [[Shepherds (group)|Shepherds]] to make for the Dragon's Table quickly. [[Preparations]] take place at this point.
| | The [[Shepherds (group)|Shepherds]] encounter villagers possessedly marching towards a structure identified as the [[Dragon's Table]] by [[Frederick]], who also reports [[Validar]] having moved there. Chrom surmises that these are signs of [[Lucina]]'s cataclysmic future, and the Shepherds make way for the Dragon's Table. As the [[Ylisse]]ans arrive, Validar orders [[Aversa]] to distract them while he finishes preparations, though to be careful that they can reclaim [[Robin]]'s power. Validar taunts Chrom over the future already being set and Aversa reveals that [[Walhart]] had intended to conquer [[Plegia]] and stop them from reviving [[Grima (character)|Grima]]. Validar then leaves and Aversa commands the [[Deadlords]] to defeat the Shepherds. |
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| Validar emerges onto the battlefield as battle preparations finish; Aversa tells him that the [[Ylisse]]ans have finally caught up to them, to which Validar asks her to delay them albeit carefully, as they must reclaim [[Robin]]'s power. Aversa tells Validar not to worry, she'll take care of Robin. Chrom calls out toward Validar, to which Validar asks if Chrom knows where he brought the Shepherds to; Chrom asks Validar to return the [[Fire Emblem (Archanean item)|Fire Emblem]] and they can end things, to which Validar laughs and asks if Chrom really would end things, to which Chrom confirms he would end things once and for all. Validar tells Chrom that they both already know how things are going to end up, and deduces Chrom has rushed to the Dragon's Table eager to meet Grima for himself--either that or Chrom's fatal destiny, to which Chrom should have already realized. Chrom curses out Validar and his alleged destiny, and that he'll write a new ending. Aversa asks Chrom if he believes he can change fate, to which she reveals she thought [[Emmeryn]] had delusions of grandeur, prompting Chrom to reveal they've already changed fate; Aversa brings up [[Gangrel]]'s [[Mad King Gangrel|defeat]] as well as [[The Sword or the Knee|that of]] [[Walhart]] and reveals both were preordained or otherwise meant to happen. Aversa then calls Chrom just another fool in motley, capering on the stage; Lissa asks Aversa about Emmeryn, to which Aversa stated they only [[Foreseer|changed]] the [[Emmeryn (chapter)|method of her death]] and that either way she was planted in the ground, prompting Frederick to state that was Gangrel's will and not Aversa's or Validar's. Aversa tells Frederick that he's not listening, that every word and action has been orchestrated--Gangrel had held Emmeryn in contempt and thus Aversa and Validar used him in both life and death. Aversa then reveals Gangrel's death drove Plegia into chaos and their people to Grima--and now their life force and rancor can be laid before Grima en masse. Chrom gives a shocked reaction, to which Aversa reveals the Dragon's Table is called such for a reason--it is where Grima feeds, and the Grimleal have gladly offered themselves to him for ages and even now they pray for his return; the Dragon's Table will overflow with bounty right here and now, and the Grimleal's prayers will finally be answered, to which Chrom states he'll never allow that to happen. Aversa states that it already has happened in the future, and that this moment was set a millennium ago, to which Lucina asks how anyone could willingly give their live away to Grima and Chrom vowing he'll stop Aversa and Grima. Aversa notes that Chrom is now starting to sound like Walhart, insulting Walhart in the process before revealing Walhart also intended to destroy Grima; Aversa then thanks Chrom for Walhart off the stage for the Plegians. Chrom realizes this is the reason [[Of Sacred Blood|Plegia supplied ships and treasure but no soldiers]]--they did so to get rid of Walhart yet keep faithful Plegians available to set the Dragon's Table. Validar declares the time has come and tells Aversa he must prepare; Chrom calls out toward Validar as he leaves the scene. Aversa tells Chrom that Validar is not to be disturbed, but she has brought the [[Deadlords]] to keep the Shepherds entertained; the Deadlords are 12 generals that were great warriors in life, and even greater in death. Aversa says she would introduce the Deadlords one by one, but they're not much for talk and the Shepherds will meet them all soon enough. The battle begins at this point.
| | In battle, Aversa can reveal to Chrom that Validar was her adoptive father; she can reveal to Robin that [[Excellus]] was their puppet in [[Valm]], meant to collapse the empire from the inside should the Shepherds have failed. Upon her defeat, Aversa flees, and Chrom concludes that Validar's preparations must already be complete. |
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| Should Robin fight Aversa, Robin says he/she will never understand people like her and [[Excellus]]--no lives of their own, living only to serve at the beck and call of their masters, to which Aversa says she could say the same thing about Robin's ties to Chrom. Aversa then asks Robin not to lump her with Excellus--he was nothing but a pawn on Plegia's board, another actor on Plegia's stage, his ambition being insurance against Walhart's threat; had the Shepherds failed to defeat Walhart, Excellus might have destroyed the [[Valm]]ese empire from the inside, but in the end he was merely another puppet whose strings Plegia had to cut. Robin states Aversa has confirmed his/her theory, to which Aversa reveals she promised Excellus the Plegian throne in exchange for the Fire Emblem and Excellus jumped at the offer, at least as far as he could jump (insulting Excellus in the process); Aversa declares that men are all the same, she can have them by something if she learns their ambition, before realizing Excellus was a bit different in that respect. Robin reveals he/she thought Excellus was the lowest form of slime imaginable, yet it turns out Aversa wins quite handily; Aversa reveals that they play the roles they're given, as Robin will soon discover, to which Robin states that if they all stand on a great stage, he/she will be happy to assit her exit, to which Aversa finds amusing and finds Robin cute when he/she tries to be clever. Validar already considers Robin stronger and smarter than Aversa, and wonders what she'll do if he finds him/her more witty as well, and that she best kill him/her before he/she ripens and becomes everything to Validar; Robin reacts to Aversa's "ripen" analogy, to which Aversa says it's nothing to worry his/her head over and that they should focus on their battle instead--if Robin is truly as gifted as Validar says, there is no need for her to hold back.
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| Should Chrom fight Aversa, Chrom will say he has a final question to ask Aversa before she dies, to which Aversa says she has one final answer before Chrom fails. Chrom asks who Validar is and why Aversa follows him; Aversa reveals Validar to be her father figure, to which Chrom deduces Aversa as being Robin's sister, to which Aversa says she's not his/her literal sister yet Validar did raise Aversa as if she were his own child. Validar taught Aversa everything--she was a poor, orphaned wretch with dirt for food, yet Validar took her in; Validar provided when others would have watched her starve. Aversa says she'll never presume Validar loves her, but he is everything she knows of love and would gladly die at his command. Chrom asks if Aversa would still do so even knowing his actions would destroy the world; Aversa then states Validar is the world, and Chrom is the one that would destroy him, and from where she stands, Chrom is the aggressor, then asks how Robin lives with the shame of attacking his/her own blood. Chrom states Robin sees beyond himself/herself to the larger reality, and one person's life means nothing in the shadow of millions; Aversa sees it as a sweet sentiment easily spoken when he bears no love for the one, yet more difficult when Emmeryn was the sacrifice. Aversa states she doesn't expect Chrom to see the world through her eyes, but also won't pretend to understand how things look through his; Chrom says he has nothing more to say, with Aversa confirming likewise.
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| Once the battle ends, Chrom curses out Aversa for escaping (with Robin being on the scene), revealing she wouldn't leave Validar before he was ready even with her wounds, deducing Validar's preparations must be complete; Lucina says they have to stop Validar as her future is upon them, to which Chrom reassures Lucina that they will stop Validar.
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| ===Summary=== | | ===Summary=== |
