Running into Death
Written by Brian Davis
Based off of characters and events that belong to Squaresoft. That means they AREN'T mine. (Can never be too blunt about that).
AUTHOR'S NOTE: This is basically me talking about what happened before the party got to Damcyan and Anna died. I'm a big Edward fan (even though he's a horribly cowardice character and not completely useful) and plus, this gives me something write about. Hehe. Enjoy!
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Edward had made sure to pack enough food for himself, as well as his flame haired lover. His harp bounced gently against his back as he turned to her. She smiled at him, clutching his hand eagerly and brushing up to him, her sun kissed face beaming.
"Edward," she urged teasingly, "Are we almost there?" Edward continued walking, fixing his hat with his free hand.
"Almost, my love," he smirked, "I have a surprise waiting for you." Anna stopped the blonde minstrel, putting her hands on the hips of her pastel yellow dress.
"You know that if my father finds out about this..." Anna warned her lover.
"I won't tell if you don't," he smiled delicately.
"Once we're there, though, promise me you'll take off that outfit," Anna urged, "We don't need to hide your identity anymore." Edward smiled again, happy with the words from Anna's mouth. It had been a while since he had been to Damcyan. Ever since he had started courting Anna, he had to hide as a bard. He had even learned to play the harp and many songs, something he was surprised at himself. They had run into one obstacle, however. He father, Tellah, an old mage. He had never approved of Anna being with anyone he hadn't known for more than five years, it seemed, and Edward had just shown up. It hadn't been so long ago that Edward had seen Anna for the first time...
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It had been a warm day. Edward had traveled to Kaipo by way of Damcyan's hovercraft. The shallows had been great for him since he realized that he could utilize the hovercraft and head there. He went to visit and find out more about the world outside of Damcyan. He had become a solitary ruler since his parents died and, even though they were gone, he still kept the title of prince, for wanting to continue with his own legacy and not taking his father's. As far as Edward was concerned, there wouldn't be another king of Damcyan for a long while.
Many people knew about Edward and going about in public in his royal robe and scepter would probably make everyone flock around him. That wasn't what he wanted. He wanted to be one of the common villagers, even if he only did so for a day or two. The common ones interested him. How they acted and went about they're daily lives was completely different to how Edward spent his days, negotiating his small kingdom to be exactly what his father and mother had intended. One day, though, he decided he would do it. He would leave Damcyan for a bit of time and walk with the other world.
He had traveled to the small town of Kaipo everyday for a while, looking to see who did what and what they did exactly. He had one of his subjects go out and buy him minstrel's clothing, which even when he saw them he thought might give away his royalty status. He donned the clothing anyway, and he managed to fool the people of Kaipo, without making too much of a name for himself. He had begun to pick up the lute from an instructor that he had come to the castle everyday after he would come back from Kaipo and, even though the sight of a hovering craft going behind the mountains made some people suspicious, Edward quickly gave an excuse for his strange mode of voyage. He made it home everyday before the sun set. Soon enough, he had learned many songs and trained his voice. He had actually become a bard, even though his reign as prince of Damcyan still stood.
The day had come when he had met a young woman, about his age, walking to the inn. He had become attracted to her, even only glancing at her once, but hadn't thought anything of it at first. He followed her into the inn, almost by curiosity alone of the pale faced young lady. He walked in to hear her soft voice asking for a loaf of bread and some water to bring home. Gladly, the one behind the desk had given it to her and the girl was ready to go off. Something caught her eye, though, as she looked over at the bard, who seemed to be staring straight at her, but turned his gaze, his cheeks flushing white. The young woman giggled to herself, walking over and talking to Edward, ever so cautious of the young man. That was when it had all started.
After that, they had met everyday in the inn of Kaipo, talking and exchanging stories. Edward became Anna's confidante while Anna became Edward's reality, a way back to being the bard rather than the prince. He brought her gifts sometimes, and those gifts were a bit expensive for a bard. One day, Anna asked him if there was something he wasn't telling her, and he decided it best to let her know. That revelation of his heritage didn't change one thing about their relationship. Edward was pleasantly surprised by that and had continued to visit her, now falling in love with the young woman in a short time. He had questioned the reality of this 'love' he'd felt. He hadn't felt actual love for another person, aside from his parents, but he knew that was a different feeling. He had asked her one day, what love was. After faltering with the words for a while, Anna had bluntly told him what she felt that love was, and it was identical to the feelings that Edward had had about Anna. A few months later, the two had become undeniably close, almost never being seen apart. Edward had decided that he indeed was ready to make the largest commitment he ever had. He was going to ask Anna to become his bride.
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Edward hadn't told Anna what he had planned on before going to the castle, but it was the first time that Anna was even going to see the castle, and that's what she thought he was making such a big deal out of. She had gone along, trusting completely in Edward and his intents, and when they reached the gates of Damcyan, Edward stopped her, smiling.
"Anna," he started, "We've known each other for a long while, right?"
"Not a long while... but we know each other very well," Anna smiled.
"Right..." Edward wondered to himself for a second, "Let's move to the throne room. I have a question for you about something..." Edward walked off, leaving Anna to watch after him. This wasn't like Edward, she thought to herself, he was usually very eager to have her go first and to watch after her. Now, he had just walked off and he had become strangely quiet. Regardless, Anna followed after him, walking past the gaping subjects of his castle and heading up the stairs, where she had seen Edward's cloak fluttering upward. Timidly, she made her way up to the throne room, where Edward stood next to what must have been the throne, Anna had decided. The castle was beautiful, even for being a big structure made of dull gray stones and rock. Tapestries lined the walls and it seemed as though everyone in the castle was delighted to be there. Edward must be a superb ruler, she thought to herself.
"Come, sit here," Edward ushered Anna toward the throne.
"I couldn't possibly..." Anna tried to reject this, feeling as though the gesture was too grand.
"Please, sit," Edward pleaded. Her lover's eyes were all she needed to see to convince her to sit down in the delicate satin covered chair. She eased into it, still uncomfortable, but trying to please Edward, who now kneeled before her, becoming eye level with her. His face had taken a soft seriousness as he scanned her quickly.
"Are you comfortable, Anna?" he asked. Anna noticing some sense of longing urgency in Edward's voice as she nodded, smiling.
"Okay..." Edward sighed, "Anna, I need to ask you something... remember how before, I asked you about love and what it meant to be in love?" Anna faintly remembered the conversation, nodding again, "Anna... I'm in love with you... I have been since I first laid eyes on you and... I want you to... tell me if you're in love with me, as well." Anan bit her lip. She knew the answer was yes, she hadn't even needed to question herself, but why was he suddenly asking this to her?
"Edward, I love you..." she said, almost too quietly, but the smile on Edward's face had been enough to make her realize that he wasn't about to deliver horrible news.
"Anna..." he produced a small black box, handing it to Anna delicately and leaning back as the somewhat perturbed Anna looked at the box, then to Edward, whose eyes told her to open the box. She did so, ever so carefully, and when she did, her eyes widened, her mouth falling into a gape. A ring with a shining diamond jewel gleamed back at her. Her eyes fluttered up to Edward, her look of amused surprise still intact.
"Anna..." Edward began once again, "Will you do me the honor of becoming my bride...?"
"What about my father?" she asked, wishing she could just say yes and get this over with.
"I wish we didn't need his consent," Edward sighed, somewhat unhappier now than before, "Is that what you want?"
"I want my father to know who I'm marrying and be proud that I am marrying someone so beautiful and caring as you, Edward..." Edward looked at the ground for a minute, somewhat disturbed by this sudden wish, but he looked up to Anna, a smile crossing his lips again.
"Whatever you wish, my darling," he mused to her. Smiling, Anna started getting up. Without warning, a deafening crash filled the room and a violent shaking tossed her back into the seat and Edward across the cold stone floor.
"Edward!" Anna screamed, "What's happening?!" Without a reply, more crashes and flame engulfed the nearby room, lighting the throne room slightly as the fire did quickly, not being able to catch fire to the stone. The tapestries, however, served as competent fuel for the fire and singed, turning into piles of ash almost instantly.
"Anna!" Edward shouted, trying to reach her again through the quaking of the castle. Anna had begun crying, her tears staining her face as she tried to get to Edward. Edward lunged for her, trying to help his weeping lover as another crash was heard and the roof above the two began to fall around them, crumbling loudly. Anna shrieked in fear as Edward covered her with his cloak.
"Anna! We're under attack!" Edward cried out, "Stay here!" Edward stood, his cloak coated in dust from the falling stones, which just missed him and Anna. As he began away to find out what was going on, he looked up, seeing a group of archers standing on the edge of a low flying airship, bows pointed right at him. He looked up in fear, paralyzed as the strings snapped, sending a rain of pointed shafts down at him. Before he could do anything to prevent her, Anna bolted to him, jumping and knocking him down. With the impact of the floor on his back, Edward closed his eyes in pain, but quickly opened them, face to face with his crimson haired lover on him, her face paler than usual and a tint of red forming in the corner of her mouth. Her emerald eyes shone as they slowly started to become vacant.
"I... love you... Edward..." Anna's eyes closed slowly as her full weight became apparent on Edward.
"Anna...?" he asked, hardly believing what had just happened so soon, "Anna! Anna, please, wake up!!!" With that, he felt her back with his hand, running into a wooden shaft, lodged within her. Tears began to well in his eyes as he could hear voices coming from within the now desecrated castle. He stood up, Anna in his arms, as the form of her father came into view over the top stair. Edward's feeling of dread increased quickly as he looked down at his lover, beginning to sob in complete and utter melancholy.
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