Lucina felt as if she had spent her entire life running. Ever since the ambush she had not stopped moving, and the sights and sounds of death had not left her mind. She had to leave her sister to protect her own life. Several of the powerful Risen had been chasing her for hours, and although she had lost sight of them, it was no reassurance.
All her allies must be dead by now. Three nights before, Lucina's former husband took his dragon form and killed half her tiny army in one sweep. Barely escaping with her life, Lucina had led the surviving half, but Risen overwhelmed the children one by one. Now, at the dawn of the day, Lucina had lost Severa, Laurent, Gerome and even Minerva. Mary's beloved pegasus had helped shake off the Risen for some time, but a single well-placed arrow had been the regal animal's death. But if Lucina could just reach the tiny ruins in the distance, she might get a moment of rest.
The structure had once been a grander one. All that remained were two rooms closest to the ground. Ash-stained and with crumbling walls, Lucina collapsed once she was inside, not minding the dirt or hard surface. She was so eager to rest she didn't even unsheathe her Falchion. Leaning her face against the wall, the princess fell into a dreamless black void.
Before the sky could darken, footsteps sounded on the checkered tiles. Like a reflex Lucina was awake, feeling more exhausted than refreshed, but held her weapon and stood up. Scouring the near-darkness for signs of life, she tried her voice, knowing a Risen wouldn't respond with speech.
"Who's there?"
Instead of groaning, a laugh answered Lucina's voice.
"Well, Princess, I'm impressed you managed to find your way here."
The voice spoke from the opposite side of the room, so familiar that Lucina could feel blood draining from her face. As if he could sense that resistance was useless, Grima stepped out of the shadows.
The feeble light of the sky shone, letting Lucina take in every detail. Every feature of his face and body was embossed in her memory. Grima's hair was a beautiful white, while dark eyes met hers over smiling lips. Lucina could feel a lump in her throat at how great a love she had for Robin before his corruption, and the thought of having to harm him was what held her still as he approached.
"The other children wanted you to flee, you know." Grima said, pleasure creeping into his voice at the memory. "They though you could find safety somewhere in this wasteland, perhaps even an ally or two."
Lucina didn't speak. She could run no farther until she'd rested and fighting would be difficult in this condition. Yet she couldn't let Grima take her down so easily, so she met his eyes as he continued to goad her.
"It was not easy ensuring the safety of my own future, Princess. Your kind are so weak, but so many. Those children were the only ones who may have had chances at damaging my body… and yet, none of them could do it."
"I know what you're here for." Lucina said, her voice quiet but almost terrifying. "And you can't take my life away, I will not allow it!"
"'Will not allow it?'" Grima's voice vibrated with amusement. "Princess, you are weak and exhausted, and utterly alone. You have but one sword with which to slay the mightiest being on this Earth. I daresay, your courage is rare."
Lucina remained where she stood, watching the horrible being approach. His expression was unperturbed and only the slightest trace of bloodlust shone in his eyes.
"I shall test this courage of yours."
Grima slowly held up both of his hands, to Lucina's bewilderment. A black light formed between them, growing in size and radiance, then took on the shape of a blade. Soon he was holding a replica of the Falchion, pulsing with dark magic.
"Test?" Lucina echoed, staring at the blade Grima was now holding.
"Yes. I propose a fight, one-on-one, until the other concedes or is unable to continue." Grima explained, again calmly. "I shall not take my dragon form, for your sake."
"You know I haven't the power to fight! Even in this state… There is no way I can defeat you!"
"So you would rather I finish you right now? Be reasonable, Lucina. It is not in your nature to be so cowardly."
Lucina silently weighed her options, not taking her eyes off Grima. What chance did she have in overpowering him when she could hardly stand and hold her sword?
"Fine."
Grima smiled, as if he had already won. "I thought you might."
Immediately, the monster launched a powerful swipe. Lucina ducked to dodge it, copying him and tried to slash her foe's midsection. She managed to hit the target, but the flesh was barely marked when her sword slashed it. Sensing her shock, Grima was quick to explain.
"A dragon's skin is far stronger than yours!"
Taking advantage of her distraction, Grima lashed again and struck Lucina's calf before she could dodge. Biting her lip to stop the scream, she whipped around and retaliated hard with the flat of her sword, knocking him down. Before she could land a killing blow her enemy thrust back to his feet, upsetting her balance, and from there was able to sweep her onto her back.
Furious and fear-ridden, Lucina struggled against Grima's weight. He was holding his own blade against her throat, reminding her she hadn't even seconds before her life would be gone. In a desperate effort Lucina wrestled free her leg and kicked Grima with all of her power, bringing him gasping onto his side.
Like a bolt of blue lightning Lucina had reversed the situation. She wasted no time in holding her sword straight upwards and then plunging it into Grima's chest, no longer caring this was the man she had once loved. His flesh was so solid that it barely broke, but Lucina pushed with all she was able.
"Y-you're getting ahead of yourself!" the monster said, his sword dropped inches away on the floor. Lucina paid the words no attention, withdrawing her blade and placing it across his throat, not stopping when the Falchion made no impact.
In seconds, dark tendrils began to snake from under Grima's prone form. They launched themselves at Lucina and clung with terrible strength, moving as articulately as if they had minds of their own. Immediately the princess removed her blade from Grima's flesh and slashed it across several of the ropes, but they scarcely cracked. Underneath her, Grima was smiling once again, his blood pooling underneath him.
Effortlessly, Grima wrapped even more restraints around Lucina and threw her unceremoniously onto the floor, cracking a few of the marble tiles. A particularly thick one wrapped around the hilt of the Parallel Falchion and wrenched it from Lucina's grasp as Grima stood, staring venomously at his prey.
"What are you doing? This isn't fair!" Lucina yelled against the bizarre tendrils. When one began to encircle her neck she bit down on it, and her mouth was soon filled with warm blood as it tore her tongue and inner cheeks.
"'Fair?'" Grima said mockingly, his voice rising. "There are no rules in war."
Saving her breath, Lucina tried everything she could imagine to escape her trap. The vines were no thicker than ordinary ropes, but were many times stronger, only tiny ones giving when she cut at them again and again. Moving the vines so that she would be in a fully-lying position, Grima knelt beside Lucina's face, the blood from his small wound dripping next to her.
Without speaking, Grima directed a vine directly around Lucina's throat and constricted gently. Tasting her own blood, the princess focused every bit of her strength on freeing herself.
"Let me go, I beg you!" she shrieked, again and again, louder and louder. Grima only tightened the bonds at her throat to silence her. Even as Lucina knew she was dying, that she had already lost the duel, she still fought with the insane fury of an animal caught in a trap.
Only after many minutes did Lucina's struggles finally become truly weak. Her breathing was barely adequate for life, and her body was bleeding and bruised in many places from being rubbed and squeezed by the ruthless bonds. Breathing like a fish taken from the water, she went limp for a moment, the pain in all of her body stunning in its magnitude.
"Now, then." Grima said, enticing Lucina to struggle feebly again. "I believe I know who the winner is."
Stifling a wail, Lucina bit harder than ever on the rope surrounding her throat. She could feel her teeth straining horribly against the material.
"We had our fight, and I am the winner. As the loser, I believe you know what is to happen next."
Lucina squeezed every ounce of the adrenaline charging through her into a final escape attempt. Another vine snapped, and she tried to move her stronger arm underneath the thick net of black covering it, unaware that Grima was retrieving his dark blade.
The enigmatic weapon felt like cold metal once it rested against Lucina's flesh. There was a weakness in the rope, but her Falchion lay useless feet away. She had not fought for this ending. No, this simply could not be happening.
"You have given me so much trouble in the past, Princess." Grima's voice cut through Lucina's numb mind. "Prepare for the end that I am delighted to bring you."
The suffering princess whispered a final prayer with her bleeding lips, thinking only of her husband and the thing that he used to be. There was a moment of almost serene stillness as Grima waited, watching the fear in Lucina's face, wanting her to have the image of his face as her last picture.
As soon as the blue eyes opened, Grima tore the blade across Lucina's throat. A stream of dark blood followed with such force as if it had been trying to escape from her body, and in the moments before death came, the pain was incomprehensible.
Slowly Grima retracted the dozens of tendrils biding Lucina's body, grimacing when the movement made the scratches hurt. He had not expected her to fight with enough force to pierce her flesh. Almost chuckling in satisfaction, he smiled down at Lucina's tattered corpse. He'd finally eliminated the last threat to his reign.
"Finally… none shall oppose me now." Grima said to himself. He pondered what to do with the body- because Lucina had been such a nuisance to him, he didn't consider devouring her remains. Perhaps she should be displayed to the few soldiers that remained loyal to him, as a threat if their devotion should ever waver.
The Falchion lay next to its owner, its blade dull in the darkness. Grima turned his gaze on it thoughtfully, uncertain if he could destroy the weapon. But his eyes narrowed when he saw the golden gleam at the blade's tip, too large to be a mere reflection of the moon.
Slowly the gleam grew bigger, enveloping the blade and then the entire sword. It shone a soft gold that light the entire ruins. The aura was enshrouding Lucina's body as well. Grima stood frozen, bewildered.
Articulating rapidly into a familiar figure, a ghostly image of the Ylissean princess soon stood over her own body, flickering weakly in the black air.
"This is not possible!" Grima shouted, almost shrinking back when the fierce golden eyes turned on his. "I killed you, and the dead never return!"
"The dead do not return, but my soul is immortal." the figure answered, its voice identical to that of Lucina's. She wavered slightly as she approached the shining sword, sparkles of white and red following her.
"You may be immortal, but you cannot touch me! Have you forgotten your own pitiful strength?"
Paying no heed to the demon's words, Lucina's spirit held up the Falchion high. The golden light had turned to pure white.
"I have already been born into this world. My soul lives, for now."
More than prepared for more combat, Grima launched a storm of black vines at the astral figure, but every one of them failed to hit anything material. They were destroyed with one sweep of the white sword. In retaliation, Lucina stepped over her own body and sliced the chest of her nemesis, once more barely scratching it.
"Ha!" roared Grima. "See? You still cannot harm me!"
Lucina didn't need to retort this time. She was nothing but her own life energy now- immortal. Unaffected by Grima's fury, the gleaming spirit advanced, swiping again and again at the tough flesh. Not once did she draw blood again, and Grima seemed to be losing interest. She would have to finish this now, and there was only one way to do it.
Wordlessly, Lucina held the sword against her chest, the blade pointed at the sky. Strangely, Grima froze, and then stared dully at Lucina.
"Now what are you trying?" he said, voice lowering as he prepared to transform. Lucina's form flickered and glimmered in the faint light emanating from her sword, as if she was letting all of her energy flow into this one strike. In horror, Grima's dark eyes expanded when he realized his mistake.
"For the future…" Lucina spoke, facing her tormentor. "I give my life!"
Grima's single step taken back might have saved him, if he did not stumble over Lucina's corpse. Once he hit the ground, the spirit launched a single strike to his chest. Grima's body seized once before he fell still, and then began to fade into smoldering patches of dark material, his glaring eyes the last thing Lucina saw. In seconds, the evil demon was gone.
The Falchion crashed to the floor. Lucina's soul was rapidly dissipating into the air, but she staggered to where her body lay. With the very last of her energy, she whispered something inaudible into the silent air. Then, the pulsing light filling the room faded, leaving behind Lucina's body and nothing else. Silence settled over.
Over the course of a few hours, virtually nothing in the landscape moved. In the moonlight her corpse could barely be seen. But Lucina had never been as alone as she imagined. When the sky was light, a pair of soldiers had discovered the ruins. The travelers were the only ones Lucina had known that might have survived Grima.
"I wasn't expecting this kind of reunion."
The male of the two broke the silence, looking away. He felt his companion's arm around his shoulder and let his hand touch hers, grateful he wasn't alone.
"We'll need to bury her soon," his fellow said softly.
"What do you suppose got her?" the other ventured, searching for dirt, and his friend shook her head in uncertainty.
"Probably a pack of Risen. I hope one of the other children turns up soon, or else…"
"Don't even say it. Let's take care of her and keep moving."
In silence, the two buried their fallen hero. Neither knew yet about the wonderful news of Grima's demise, but it was to come. The Risen would vanish when the morning came. Lucina's soul was gone and she had taken the evil of her world with it. Even at the cost of a dozen precious lives, a future of peace was about to begin.
Notes on this Story
1. Mary is Lucina's mother and the two who found Lucina's body are wandering tacticians.
2. I found this on my laptop and decided to rewrite it. My writing has improved so much from 2013 and I've virtually given up on fanfiction, but I didn't want this to go to waste and I think it's the best fanfic I've ever written.