Where Home Had Always Lain - A Modern Fire Emblem Awakening AU Fanfic

Part 2

She remembered her parents' departure vividly, as if they'd only been gone for a few weeks. It was in April, and on Lucina's 7th birthday. Morgan was only a year old then, which is why he didn't remember.

    For Lucina's birthday, her parents decided to invite some school friends and their families. Her classmates partied for hours, and when they finally went home, the family was left to clean up the aftermath. By then, it was already around 10:00 PM; the family headed to their respective rooms to get some rest.

Being still only a year old, Morgan slept in his parents' room, where they could keep an eye on him. While her parents' bedroom was downstairs, Lucina's was up the stairs and down the hallway, on the other side of the house.

Sometime during the night, it was impossible to tell what time it could've been, Lucina awoke to the smell of dense smoke in the air. Startled, she sat up quickly and gasped, only to inhale a cloud of ash and smoke. Coughing and wheezing, she grabbed a cloth and held it to her mouth and nose.

"MOTHER! FATHER!! HELP!!"

Hearing no answer amid the loud noise, Lucina slowly crawled out of the door and into the hallway, only to be greeted with a grim sight. Everywhere around her, flames roared up; the wooden beams that supported the stairs were slowly crumbling.

Stumbling back onto her feet, Lucina could only think of her family. Mother! Father! And Morgan! Oh gods, let them please be safe...

Lucina was halfway down the stairs when she heard a loud crash and a scream. Mother?! Oh no, it came from their room! Please let them be safe, please let them be safe...

She sprinted into her parents' room, jumping over burned floorboards and avoiding burning areas. It's getting worse by the second...

There, below a pile of debris was her mother, trapped under the weight of burning wood beams and stones. Her father knelt beside her unconscious form; Morgan still safe in his small corner, crying.

"Lucina, take Morgan outside with you!" her father shouted, the roaring of the flames nearly muffling out his voice.

"No! I can't leave you and -"

"Lucina, go! Take care of Morgan, we'll see you soon!" her father persisted.

Terrified, Lucina grabbed her little brother from his cradle and rushed out of the room. As soon as she'd crossed the threshold, one of the pillars that'd been in the process of crumbling crashed down onto her parents' bedroom. Lucina pressed her brother to her chest and rushed down the hall and held back her tears. They'll be safe. They'll be safe. Father said that he'll see us soon. He promised. They have to be safe. She sprinted out the front door and onto the lawn, safe from the flames that'd been threatening to swallow her.

"Lucina?! Morgan?!" Lissa rushed up to her and wrapped her arms around her shaking form. "Oh thank the gods you're safe. When I saw that fire, I thought... Wait, where's Chrom and Robin?"

Lucina didn't answer, tears in her eyes.

"Lucina! Where are they?!" Lissa asked, panicked, shaking her shoulders.

"I... They're still in there! I need to go save them!" Lucina cried hysterically. She dumped Morgan into Lissa's arms and started to run back into the house.

Another pair of arms grabbed her around the waist and prevented her from running. "Lucina... you can't." Her uncle spoke softly, but the grief audible in his voice. When Lucina looked up at Frederick, there were tears threatening to spill from his eyes.

But Uncle Frederick never cries...

She stopped struggling and collapsed against her uncle, defeated.