The Encounters Of Fate | Fire Emblem: Awakening

Chapter 7 - Rewinded Annihilation

ɢᴇʀᴏᴍᴇ's ᴇʏᴇs were locked on the horizon.
They had no word from Lucina. It started worrying the group: Owain, Lucina's cousin, started pacing back and forth, Noire started gnawing on her fingernails, and Cynthia's head was buried in her hands, possibly crying. Why did he even bother? Lucina did carry Falchion after all. It was a sword crafted by a goddess. Surely the princess would be protected... surely.
Unless Naga had other plans for them... horrible plans.
"Have you seen any sign of her?" Gerome questioned Inigo, his hands folded neatly on his lap. The mercenary only shook his head in reply. Gerome sighed, turning back to his gaze on the sunrise. Dawn was approaching already.
"I hope she's alright..." Noire muttered, now curling her hands into fists.
The fire was dying down now. Enormous sparks were now vanishing, grey smoke was now clearing, and the ground was covered in ashes. Gerome could see most the people were dead by the fire.
Or by something else...
It hadn't scared him that the world was about to end. What caused his mind to be washed with fear was to help the world- what if they couldn't kill the Risens? Would the creatures take over the world? 'Probably' was the only answer young Gerome could think of. Hell, would they even save the world? Gerome suddenly doubted it- they would be dead in less than weeks, days, if they didn't pay attention. He needed to think straight- if risens were outnumbered, compared to man-kind then would there be anyway to save them?

Instead he decided to push all the thoughts away and wait.
"Laurent?" Gerome turned to the young mage, "What are the outcomes of this very event?"
The boy cleared his throat and spoke. "I'm certain it is not just the fire, sir-" Gerome cringed at the title- "but something... different. Perhaps-"
Laurent wasn't able to complete his sentence as a scream echoed through the air, causing the group to look up at the sky. Gerome, noticing the scream, suddenly sprinted towards the sound.
"It's Lucina! Hurry!"
They followed his command. As they sprinted towards the palace the princess recently entered, other screams could be heard in the building. What was going on?
"Gerome!" Cynthia suddenly yelled, a finger pointing up heaven-ward.
They froze and realized the clouds were not tinted by the colours of sunrise, they were a deathly purple.
"What is this madness?!" Gerome yelled, the fog now making its way down from the sky. "No, keep going! We need to help Lucina!"
His statement had gotten worse when the cloud intruded the whole village- leaving a poisonous odour with it, making the group gag. Forcing themselves to keep moving, the palace entrance was now standing before them.

The building had no resemblance of the castle anymore. It was cracked and crumbled at many spots, lone weapons were laying several feet from them, and the small embers of fire were flickering at the sight. The look hadn't surprised them greatly...
Until the building suddenly collapsed.

    With quick reflexes they immediately dodged the bricks falling from above, but unfortunately loosing their balance, failing to keep in their standing position. The purple clouds had now sunken into their oxygen, blocking them from breathing almost entirely.
"No! We can't let this stop us! Keep going!"
Everyone struggled to keep their pace as the poisonous cloud became thicker. The ruins of the palace had been destroyed, as if someone- something- was tearing it apart.
And the only creature who was not just causing destruction in the palace, but to the whole world, was Grima.

* * *

Lucina's sense of hearing seemed to be blacking out.
Her head- throbbing way worse than before when a surge of dark magic hit her- was making the princess believe it was taking away her soul. Lucina had never experienced any pain like it, other than the pain that followed her father's death.
Her attention snapped back into place when she realized the castle was vanishing into pieces.
The world looked like a living hell- dust and dead bodies on the floor, blood splatter seen almost everywhere where she was standing, and unknown purple smoke invading the air. She began to think that she was the only one on earth who was alive. Living.
    The world was weighed against her shoulders now.
"Rrrgh..." Lucina groaned, clenching her head, "W-who... d-dares to destroy my home land?"

She was only answered by an eye-splitting roar.
The princess staggered back, startled by the scream. It was inhuman. As she struggled to keep her balance, a fog of purple surrounded her, taking away Lucina's source of air. Lucina coughed horribly and uncontrollably as poison set into her body.
"Nngh... G-grima... no..." She gasped, bringing a hand up to her heart, "S-stop... you can't..."
The princess' words were paused as the dragon let out a satisfied growl.
"It's over... exalted..." A dry and threatening voice taunted.

Lucina struggled to look up, coming almost face-to-face with an oversized beast. Several red eyes stared into Lucina's blue ones, making Lucina close hers shut. Even though she held Falchion towards the beast, it looked as if a small bug were to fight a human being, and she were the bug.
"Your mother... and father... are dead, tiny one..." It began, "Heh... and now it is your turn, to die!!!!"
       The beast immediately swooped down, ready to stab her with its glowing white fangs.
Lucina's fear was insanely large, she could not even hear the fell dragons' roar. As she felt herself being carried away from the horrid roars of Grima, she found herself alone, in a dark void.
Grima, the fell dragon. It was all his fault to cause all of this madness. Grima was the god that decided to control Robin. Take over him. Kill Lucina's father. Steal the Emblem. Grima. Robin. Grima. Robin.
The names seemed like a death speech now. Chrom would never be dead if it wasn't for Robin. Her thoughts swirled across Lucina's mind, letting them take her over.
'Why, Robin? How dare you! You killed my father.' Lucina couldn't stop insulting Chrom's master tactician. She was enraged. What was the point?

Soon she was thinking for so long she almost missed the muffled screams.
"...l...cina!"
"...sh...lost...cos...ness!"
The princesses' eyes slowly began to open, welcoming her back into the real world.
      The air was still invaded in purple, but Lucina found herself being able to breathe. Several people stood before her.
She couldn't make out the faces, but she knew who they were. Gerome. Cynthia. Owain. Severa. Inigo. Brady. Yarne. Laurent. Nah. Noire.

That was the last thing she heard and saw before the world suddenly went black.

-*-

(A/N) - Hello. I finally finished this chapter! Well, yeah. Did I take too long? I hope I didn't.
But yay, Corrin is finally being added to smash in North America on Feb. 3rd! Whoo, that's a lot to take in. Honestly, February will be amazing so far.
First line: Gerome's eyes
See you all!

-enchantedfangirl // Kamui the dragon warrior