Fire.
It was all anyone knew anymore. The feeling of losing everything you knew and loved was no longer foreign. Royalty had long been shown harsh realities instead of hidden away in their tall towers.
Fire.
It wasn't supposed to be like this, Lucina knew. Her mother used to tell her stories, full of smiles and happiness, of times where children were allowed to be young and naive. Laughter would echo around you, and no one questioned why the sky was so blue when your life was nothing but red and gray. Her mother, who used to hold stars in her eyes.
Fire.
She burnt up, of course, along with almost everyone else Lucina loved. Her father was caught in the flames, along with Uncle Frederick and Aunt Lissa. Everyone was dying far too young in this world, when their lives should have been long and easy and happy, happy, happy.
Princess Lucina and Prince Morgan.
Morgan, her beautiful, beautiful baby brother. One of the few who still wore true smiles. His hand was warm, and strong, and grasped her's whenever she was about to lose her way. Her everything, that beautiful boy was her everything.
And now he was burning in the flames as well.
She felt her knees begin to buckle underneath her, but that was no longer allowed. Weakness was no longer allowed. She thought of her mother's gentle hands combing through her long, blue hair, her soothing voice as she sung her and Morgan to sleep. Her father's strong arms and the feeling of them wrapped around her after a horrid nightmare.
She didn't allow the image of her mother's warm brown eyes turning cold and red into her mind, nor the one of her father, lifeless and cool to the touch, his expression forever frozen in one of shock.
Her hand tightened around her sword, Falchion, father's sword, father, father, father. She looked out at the small crowd gathered around her. Her eyes traced over her dear friend's faces (only the ones who were still alive, so many gone), taking comfort in each one. They were all each other had.
But when she felt her hand grow sweaty and her heart begin to speed, she didn't picture her mother and father in her head this time. It was Morgan, with his bright smile and warm hand and hopeful words.
"It's okay, Luci. We're gonna be okay."
Slowly, her arm rose, Falchion in hand. She pointed it up to the sky.
"We will not give in," she told the crowd, voice far firmer than she felt. The crowd stared at her, faces blank.
"We will not give in!"
Many flinched at the sudden volume in her voice, but an equal amount began to smile.
"We will not give in! Your prince is gone, but I am not! You are not gone! They can take everything we have, slaughter those we love, but we will not give in! We are stronger than they believe! We are strong, and we are brave, and we will not give in! Maybe we will die today, or maybe tomorrow, but we will fight until the second our hearts stop beating!"
Lucina was no public speaker, never had been, and her words may not have been awe inspiring, but none of that mattered. She stood tall. She was whole and she was breathing and she was alive. Her hand was still high in the air, clutching onto the weapon that was truly far more than a sword to the people. The symbol of the royal family, as sure as the mark over the Princess' eye. We are not gone, it said.
And the crowd cheered. They roared and hollered, standing whole and breathing and alive. We are not gone, they said.
"For hope will never die! Not today, not ever!"
For the first time in a long time, she felt a smile spread over her face, the deafening sound of the crowd washing over her. Her eyes once again found her friends, and the smile grew even wider. Cynthia, Severa, Owain, even Gerome, hooting and hollering, holding their weapons high in the air, just like her.
And maybe, just maybe, Morgan was right. Maybe they really were going to be okay.
And that—that was the moment the Risen crashed through the wall.
A/N: Fun times, amiright? So as you can probably tell after reading this first chapter, this story takes place in the future, before the kiddos travel back in time to, ya know, save the world and stuff. Please be warned that this story will be fairly gory and incredibly dark, as it does take place in the apocalypse and stuff. If this is not your cup of tea, I would advise you to turn back now. If it is, welcome! I hope you stick around and share in my angst for the future kiddos! This chapter is also a prologue, meaning that the next one will jump back into the past, and show how things got to this point. The next chapter will also be much longer. Review if you have the time, cause hearing from readers is quite literally the most amazing thing in the world.