Robin's Fire Emblem Shorts

A Grim Legacy (FE Awakening)

Everything was unclear. The terrible pain that was tearing through my head made it impossible to think of anything other than survival. My view of the mangled corpses littering the ground around me was heavily clouded, and the smell of blood was thick in the air. The warm liquid coated my hands and the blade in their grasp, and I could feel it seeping into my clothing. Was it mine, or the enemy's? Or was it a mixture of the two? It didn't matter. All that mattered was the group of people standing twenty feet - or was it thirty? I couldn't tell - away from me, weapons in hand.

They didn't approach at first, and I was glad for it. I didn't want to fight anymore, I just wanted to curl up and cry. But... maybe killing them will make the pain stop? No. Bad. Stop thinking that. It hasn't worked yet, so why should should it? I clenched my teeth and growled, angry with myself. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw one of the dark figures take a step forward, seemingly hesitant. My head whipped towards them, and they froze like a hunter who's prey had noticed them.

Or maybe they are the prey.

"Stay back!" I barked, lowering myself into a wider, more defensive stance. The ringing in my ears became louder, and I could barely hear the rapid beating of my own heart.

They slowly placed their sword on the ground and took another step forward. It looked like they were holding their hands out to show they were empty, but I couldn't tell from here if they really were. I snarled and leapt forward - maybe they had only been ten feet away, for I reached them easily - and swung my weapon towards them with the intention to kill. The person cried out in alarm, but a blur of silver, gold, and blue jumped in front of them and blocked me.

A memory flickered in the back of my mind.

"..If you think... without a fight... mistaken..."

I felt a phantom pain in my right shoulder, the same pain from that night in the garden.

"... you're hurt... no time to... Morgan... wait!"

My opponent pushed me back and I lost my balance, stumbling backwards with a yell. I dropped my silver blade and clutched my head in my hands, as if it would somehow soothe the steadily intensifying agony.

"Make it stop... make it stop... make it stop! Get out of my head!" My screams rang out through the forest, and the wildlife would have surely scattered if there had been any left. I turned to the person who had parried my attack and glared at them, as if they were at fault. "You," I hissed, a primal growl rising in my throat, "It's all because of you!" Why am I blaming them? Who are they? Are they trying to help? I closed my eyes and shook my head again. "Stop it, I can't... I can't hurt the Shepherds... I can't!"

Someone placed their hand on my shoulder, and I immediately retaliated, shoving them in the chest. "I thought I told you to stay back!"

I glanced up at them. They were close enough for me to see that they were female. Striking blue hair hung in front of a face filled with hurt, and tears stung my eyes as a fresh wave of pain washed over me. Images of her as a young girl, vivid scenes of her smiling face, her laugh, and the other children who were often with us. Now she was older, with a stern expression, but there was a soft kindness hidden in her eyes. And then, there was the anger, the overwhelming despair and the sense of loss as we had embraced.

Tears streamed down my cheeks, mixing salt with the taste of iron on my lips. "Stop making me hurt my family," I sobbed, falling to my knees. The pain finally began to recede as the woman took me into her arms and whispered words of comfort into my hair. In its place came the heavy burden of sorrow, weariness, and regret that I had grown so used to carrying. "Please, forgive me..."

"It's okay, Morgan... you're safe now."

~~~~~

I feel so bad for doing this to poor Morgan... I kind of thought 'What if Validar decided to use Morgan as a puppet... twice? Sounds like a good story to write at 5am.' An hour later, and 700 words is all I've got.