Hi everyone! Sorry for the short delay. I was busying trying to organize my room; managed to build my desk and chair, and also put various posters around my room. While I'm a man a fluff, I just love to write angst! Anyway, please enjoy! ^_^
Inigo was writhing in discomfort while he was asleep, his wife Azura who was by his side also in her slumber. From the looks of it, it seemed as though the dancer was plagued with a familiar nightmare, one that entailed to his mother's demise.
"Mother." Inigo whispered in his sleep as he became even more distressed.
"Mama, where are you?" a 12-year-old Inigo called out as he was lost from the rest of his mother's squad, a wooden sword shaking in his hand.
Olivia had instructed her squad to keep a watchful eye on her son while she dealt with a horde of Risen that were attacking a nearby settlement. Although Inigo had insisted that he could fight at her side, she convinced him that he wasn't old enough to fight yet, and that she would make a safe return.
However, her squad was ambushed by a group of Risen, and though they tried their best to fend them off, they were slowly dying off one by one. At the final request of one of the squad members, Inigo had quickly retreated to the direction to where his mother had taken off. Luckily, there were no Risen nearby during his trek.
"I can be strong. Papa had taught me the way of the sword, and Mama's dancing helped out, too." Inigo tried to motivate himself as he looked around the bushes and trees.
Suddenly, he heard a familiar scream, igniting fear into the young boy's heart. Inigo saw a few Risen coming out of the bushes as they locked their sight at him.
"Stay back!" Inigo warned to the Risen, pointing his wooden sword at them, though he was shaking as a result, "No sudden moves!"
One of the Risen had brandished a steel sword at the boy while the other pulled out a bow as it aimed towards it's target.
As the undead archer proceeded to launch an arrow at Inigo, the latter had braced himself until he heard a 'clunk' sound instead of the feeling of being shot. He soon discovered that his mother had managed to stand in front of him and deflect the arrow away with her sword.
"Mama?" Inigo questioned as his mother had her eyes focused on the Risen.
"You'll pay dearly for attempting to harm my son!" Olivia shouted angrily, gesturing her swords at them.
Olivia proceeded to charge at the archer first, moving rather fluidly as if she were dancing but also with extreme prejudice onto her foes. She sliced off the Risen's arms and then its neck, showing no movement afterwards. The other Risen tried to attack Olivia but its attack had missed due to her dodging in time, which then led to the dancer making a counterattack by cutting through its legs and then silencing it for good with a stab to its heart.
After their bodies had dissipated, Olivia proceeded to console her son who was shaking in fear.
"Are you alright, dear?" Olivia asked as she hugged her son who was shaking out of fear.
"Yes, mama," Inigo answered as he faced his mother, "I'm not hurt."
"That's good to hear," she sighed in relief until she realized that her son was alone before her arrival, "but what happened to the others? Why are you alone?"
Inigo could remember their agonizing screams as he had witnessed the Risen mowing them down one by one. He couldn't form a proper response to his mother. "I-I. T-they were—" his mother cut him off, knowing the fate of their outcome.
"May their souls rest in peace." Olivia muttered, closing her eyes for a moment.
Suddenly a horde of Risen started to appear from the ground, each of their eyes glowing in sheer rage, most presumably to avenge their brethren.
"More of them?!" she shouted in disbelief as her son clutched on to her.
"Pitiful humans. Death is your only fate." a voice said from an unknown origin.
"Inigo. I need you get far away from here." Olivia ordered to her son, the latter nodding his head in refusal.
One of the Risen had made its first attack on the mother and son, but the dancer was able to subdue it before scolding her son for his defiance.
"It's too dangerous for you! Please, just heed my word!" Olivia argued, her swords stained with Risen blood.
"But I can fight, too, mama!" Inigo countered as he brandished his wooden sword, "I have the strength of you and papa's.
Olivia simply nodded her head in understanding but knew that her son was at serious risk for being here.
"Please, son. If you're able to make it out, then it would make me very happy, regardless of what happens to me," Olivia pleaded, much to the shock of her son, "but please. No matter my fate, just promise me that you go out there and smile as brightly as the sun."
"M-mama, we'll make it out together!" Inigo cried out as he felt his tears stinging his eyes.
Soon, more Risen started to charge at them, forcing Olivia to gesture her son to run away.
"Inigo, just run! Now!" Olivia shouted.
In reluctance, Inigo made his getaway while his mother was fending off the Risen. At a safe distance, he was able to watch his mother defeat a Risen after another. He had heard stories on how his mother was proficient at the way of the sword, but it enhanced to new lengths when she had met his father Lon'qu. But after his father had lost his life in battle, his mother was her own teacher.
His eyes couldn't keep themselves away from the scene as he stared in awe at his mother's combat skills. He wished that he could fight alongside her, but he understood his mother's concerns, no matter how much he didn't like it.
Olivia continued to mow down the Risen, until their leader decided to take on the dancer. Despite the Risen Chief's efforts to dispose of the dancer, Olivia had prevailed in the end.
Inigo was proud to see his mother not lose the battle, until he caught a glimpse of a Risen sniper taking aim at his mother's back.
"Mama look out!" Inigo tried to warn as his mother stared at him in confusion.
Before Olivia could mouth a word to her son, she felt a sharp pain on her back, only to find out that a few arrows had managed to embed her skin. She dropped her swords as she fell to her knees in pain.
Inigo tried to make haste to his mother's side, but only to be gestured by her to stop.
"Inigo, run now!" Olivia demanded as the Risen rushed towards her.
"I can't leave you here, mama!" Inigo pleaded as the horde of the Risen had set their eyes on his mother.
"Everything will be fine! You must live for me, son! Remember my words from earlier!" she reminded as the Risen had tackled her to stomach as they readied their weapons.
Inigo had taken off again but every time he looked back, he did not find any lament from his mother but only to that of hope and content. A smile had adorned her face.
From a distance, Inigo had stopped his tracks as he caught the final moments of his mother being alive.
"It's okay, dear," Olivia whispered as a Risen Chief brought its axe into the air, holding it steady for a moment, "knowing that you continue to live on brings me greater joy."
And then, the Risen Chief descended its axe to Olivia's axe, finally ending her life, much to the horror of Inigo.
"NO!"
"Inigo, it's okay." Azura whispered soothingly as she buried her husband's face to the base of her chest.
Inigo realized that his nightmare had ended, but it had a lasting impact on him as it was a reminder of how he was too weak to protect his mother. He proceeded to cry softly in Azura's hold as she gently rubbed his back.
"I-I was not s-strong enough," Inigo muttered as his tears had stained Azura's nightgown, but it didn't seem that his wife had cared about that, "s-she died because of m-my foolishness."
"Listen to me," Azura insisted as her husband's sobs began to die down, "it pains me to know that your grief continues to linger, but it also saddens me to hear you doubt your worth."
"F-forgive me, dear. It's just, I always live with that thought that mother could've been saved had I i-intervened in time." he replied as retreated from her chest to stare at her glistening eyes, sniffling a bit.
Azura merely ruffled her husband's hair, twiddling his locks as she formed a soft smile on her face. "I understand, love. But as I've said before, just know that each and every waking moment of your life she's smiling from above."
Not getting a response from her husband, she proceeded to continue. "In this world, your mother does continue to live on, though she may not be your actual mother. She's surrounded by her husband and son, as well as her friends and allies. It's just something to consider whenever you doubt yourself."
Taking his wife's words into consideration, Inigo found it to hold undisputable truth. The Olivia of this world was not living the horrors that her future counterpart had to endure, which was something that he had promised her past self that he would live to see.
"I'm sorry for overreacting, Azura." Inigo apologized, finding his behavior from earlier to be displeasing, especially in front of his wife.
Azura nodded her head in disapproval, mainly because her husband was being too hard on himself. She brought him closer to her, wrapping her arms around him as he placed his face to the crook of her neck. "Never be ashamed of yourself for acting human, Inigo. Your emotions are valid, and if anyone dares to say otherwise, they would have to say it to me."
Inigo lightly chuckled at his wife's statement as he took in her scent, bringing his arms around her waist. "I love you so much, Azura. Never let me go."
"And I, as well, Inigo," Azura stated as she kissed his head, "are you okay with going back to sleep?"
"Can we just cuddle instead? I don't feel well enough to retreat back to sleep." Inigo recommended though he felt embarrassment for requesting with wife with something so childish.
"Of course, dear. There's no harm in doing so." Azura happily answered.
Azura adjusted herself and her husband so that they were facing each other, and their limbs were intertwining with each other's. The songstress pressed a kiss to the dancer's lips for good measure.
"Better?" Azura asked sensually as she placed a hand on Inigo's cheek.
"Verily." Inigo responded as he brought his hand to where his wife had placed hers, closing his eyes for a brief moment.
The couple proceeded with simply stare at each other with such love and adoration to one another. After a while, Inigo had lulled himself to sleep while Azura continued to keep a watchful eye on him. She knew that their discussion would not put a complete end to his personal demons, but as time went by, she hoped that he would come to terms with his mother's death. But whenever his grief would take form again, she would bring him back up to his feet and be his support.