Author's Note: I want to dedicate this piece to my younger sister who - due to a lack of save files on Fire Emblem: Awakening - is forced to play through the game twice by saving only on the causal battle files. Sadly, she often forgets to save and has twice been defeated by Lucina/Marth and sent back to the third chapter. I feel sorry for her and yet am still amused; sorry, sis!
Disclaimer: I do not own Fire Emblem: Awakening.
• {Hypocrite} •
The applause of the audience ricocheted off the walls of the massive stadium, reverberating in Lucina's ears like drums. She shook her head to clear the confusion, trying to stay focused on the approaching match. She knew there was no way out of the situation; she would be forced to face her father and mother in combat.
Perhaps it had been foolhardy, cocky or completely immoral of her to accept Basilio's offer as his new champion. Her short skirmish with Lon'qu had certainly not been a fair fight; she was a woman, after all, and though the Feroxi swordsman couldn't possibly have known that, there was certainly some sort of hesitation in his assaults.
She shouldn't have engaged him at all. She shouldn't even have come to Regina Ferox. But she couldn't help it; she wanted to challenge her parents. She needed to see how strong they truly were, if the legends held up to their real strength. If her own skills were up to par.
The rude blast of several trumpets split the noise in two, leaving a discomforting silence in its wake. It was the signal for the battle to begin. A youth with rough features and blue hair was approaching her, a determined frown on his face. She rose her long and slender body to its full height, her mask pressing hot against her. She was ready to fight.
•|•|•|•|•|•|•|•
"Who taught you to fight like that?"
Lucina didn't answer right away. She physically couldn't, as every bit of her concentration was focused on her sword. Finally, when the two youths had pulled apart and paused for a brief moment of rest, she hissed out, "My father!" and lept again against the man.
Chrom held his ground well. He had advanced against her alone, armed only with Falchion, his nearest alley being an injured Robin. Lucina could scarcely believe that her parents were right in front of her, yet she couldn't reach them.
The pain of her realizations put power into her attacks. She moved swifter, dodging her father's thrusts with graceful agility. She memorized his movements and copied them exactly, often surprising Chrom enough to lightly wound him. She thought also of her mother's tactics, carefully and patiently taking the time to think her plans through before countering.
Something, though, changed. Her father abruptly stopped moving, she doing the same. The air in the areana grew thick and tense, as if everyone had drawn in their breath at once and neglected to let it out again. A sudden cry wormed its way through the silence.
"C-Chrom!"
It was Robin. Lucina's mother was staring at her, her face pale and her eyes wide with terror and rage. She couldn't understand why, until she heard the painful gasp of her father. She turned to him, only just noticing her sword plunged into his flesh.
"W-what? I... I didn't-!" Lucina exclaimed softly, confusion and horror dawning slowly in her mind. Robin screamed and threw a lightning bolt in her daughter's direction, the shock hitting Lucina square in the chest and sending her flying through the dust and dirt of the areana.
Lucina's vision clouded over. Barely, could she make out the form of her injured mother running to her father, who lay gasping and bleeding on the floor. Frederick was galloping towards them, a hysterical Lissa riding behind him, the knight's face graver than she could ever remember it. Robin was shouting at Chrom, her voice registering slowly in Lucina's mind.
"Chrom, no! You can't die now! Not here... W-we need you! Please, open your eyes!"
The darkness of unconsciousness pulled closer around Lucina, wrapping her in its stifling embrace. She heard the weepings of her mother and aunt and then the cry of more and more, as the news erupted from the arena's center.
"The prince is dead! The prince has been killed!"
Lucina stared into the darkness, wishing her fate could have been so merciful. The one thing she had promised to stop, at any cost, had repeated itself, despite her faith in a different outcome. This time, it did not come through the swift, unwilling hands of her mother. Instead, it was her.
The hypocrite had murdered her own father.
(: Thank you for reading! Please review! :)
By the way, I'm putting up a new Fire Emblem: Awakening poll this evening; please check it out and vote if you have the time!