The Encounters Of Fate | Fire Emblem: Awakening

Chapter 11 - The Task

ᴛʜᴇ sᴜᴅᴅᴇɴ ɪᴍᴘᴀᴄᴛ startled the group.
The action was all so sudden and violent, they could hear their own heartbeat pounding against each-others chests.
    Stood before them was a beautiful
woman—long strands of glowing green hair swirled down to her chest, icy-blue eyes shot right at them, giving a cold but welcoming glare appearing on her perfect complexion, and what seemed to be stars ignited around her.
Was it really her?
The goddess, Naga?
It didn't stop Lucina from gasping in astonishment. There, before her, stood the Divine Dragon. The protector of humans.
"Quite glad to meet you again, young Lucina." Her voice was the exact one it was before, powerful and full of energy. Lucina's jaw dropped at the pristine tone. It rang like bells to her ears.
"Naga..."
A giggle escaped the woman's lips. "Yes, it is me."
"I-it is true..." Komura said in awe, unable to breathe.
"I'm sorry for the delay, exalted one. I had... plans to follow up to." Naga seemed to be taking an excuse.
Lucina hesitated. "And what ever were those plans of yours?"
The Divine Dragon could tell the princess was impatient with her words. "Lucina... the world is in danger, and you know that."
She nodded calmly.
"I tried to hold back Grima from you; stop him, but even with power like this—" The goddess held her hands up— "It is not as possible as you think."
Lucina frowned. If a goddess couldn't stop the Fell Dragon, what would they do? Compared to Naga herself, they were nothing but beings of earth. She remembered her father once telling her something about the dragon... if only she could make out her fuzzy childhood.
"Naga, then what must we do?" She exchanged a worried look. How could the stop the world from an end? When the first exalt put the dragon to an end... he... what? Lucina had forgotten the legend. There could be so many things that the Hero-King Marth or the legendary Anri had done to stop a scene.
"Lucina, it was not just a goddess who had stopped Grima from taking the world again." Naga exclaimed.
"What... do you mean?" The legends... were they true? The Shadow Dragon? Lucina knew the dragon did exist, but definitely not the hero who had slain it. "He... he was... actually a real person?"
Naga smiled. "Someone here doubts to believe. Lucina, perhaps you'd like an explanation?"
Lucina didn't understand what she had said, but nodded.
    The Divine Dragon began to acknowledge history from about a millennium past.
"Long ago..."
Lucina regretted saying yes now.
Oh no.
It wasn't the story she was panicking about, it was something entirely different. You see, as the goddess told the story, a million different things played in her head. Memories. Nightmares. Flashbacks. They dragged her deep into her thoughts, slamming her away from reality.
She never wanted to hear the thing again. It pained her ears giving her memories of her childhood. It stopped her from being herself.
It killed her.

* * *

"Long ago, Medeus, the king of dragon-spawn, took over the land of Akaneia, causing darkness and despair to intrude across the land."
    Young Lucina stopped her fathers words. "Akaneia? I thought it was Ylisse, father!"
"Yes, Lucina. Akaneia was just a long time ago." He smiled, blue eyes twinkling with wonder. He looked back down at the book he was reading, saying the words out loud to her daughter.
    "The tragedy soon faded, however, when a sudden hero altered the scene. A young man who was from the region of Altea appeared wielding the divine blade. He stood up for them and struck the dragon down from history.
"Sooner then expected, approximately a centuries' passing, the Shadow Dragon returned. He fixed up an alliance with a devilish mage who sought to steal the world, and their strength took down kingdom to kingdom."
    "Did they die?" Lucina interrupted a second time.
Chrom found a smile on her daughters face. "Yes, Lucina. Lots of people lost their lives."
Lucina frowned. "But you said there was a hero!"
    Chrom sighed. Lucina was only a small child; about five years old. She was quite a chatterbox for her age. "Lucina... not all stories start with the hero. It doesn't begin as... happy."
"But... father! I want the story to be happy." The bluenette princess whined, clenching her fists. "Why does it have to be sad? I like happy stuff!"
    Chrom chuckled. "I do too, Lucina. But remember? Before the happy part, there comes the sad part too. So you can be ready for the happy stuff. Like your birthday. You had to wait, correct?"
    Lucina nodded."I'm ready, father. Can we skip to the happy part?"
Her father did not hesitate, but did seem a little taken back. "For now, Lucina. Soon though, I'd like you to hear the whole legend."
"Why?"
"Because..." Chrom didn't know what to say. "I want you to know the story. Deep in your heart, it will be there. I'll be there, reading it to you, so you can remember me."
"Where are you going?"
"Nowhere, Lucina. Not yet. But just in case... something goes wrong."