Dear Family

Prologue: Goodbye and Hello

A/N: Since I've begun playing Fire Emblem: Awakening, it would be an understatement to say that I have become obsessed with Olivia and Lon'qu. My cute meter exploded when I read their Supports and at around 12 o' clock midnight (my insomnia keeping me up) this story came to mind. I warn you that I have yet to finish the game so it will not follow the storyline directly. Also, I did switch up a few things (i.e., time of birth) so that it would go along with my story.

The world was a dark place. With scavengers lurking behind every corner and bandits raiding the villages of its few rations of food, the people turned their backs against one another, forgetting about the bonds they had once shared. In times like these, it was an eat or be eaten world. No longer could one differentiate between friend and foe and very slowly, humanity tore itself apart; greed taking root in the hearts of man.

Images of corpses left to rot on the roads, of a sunless sky, of a hopeless tomorrow; these were the images the people witnessed every day. Yet even so, despite the horrid visions that greeted the people on a daily basis, to one man, there was no other sight that tore his heart to shreds than the one that played out before him.

Sitting in a darkened room which once served as his parents' bedroom was a lone figure. Hunched over, her long flowing pink hair covering her like a blanket, she wept as her trembling fingers gripped a silver ring; her wedding ring. The band was embroidered with shimmering diamonds while a rare pink gem sat in the middle; the craftsmanship impeccable. It was one-of-a-kind, much like the owner. Yet as it gleamed, the owner wept.

Throughout the entire destruction of their world, she had remained strong; never allowing a single tear to be shed. But now it seemed her strength derived from one person. Her husband, slaughtered on the battlefield, was gone and taking with him to the grave, his wife's peace. He was the dam that kept her emotions at bay and the moment he died, all the emotions she had stored up came rushing in in giant waves. The only item to be left from him was her wedding ring...

Inigo couldn't bear the sight and shut the door behind him, her muffled sobs still audible through the wooden barrier. "Dad..." He called for his father as he sunk to the floor. Although his father was once a legend on the battlefield, all he was now was a memory. A memory that would someday fade away like the peace his world once knew.

All night he listened to his mother cry until it seemed exhaustion finally took over for her. Having not budged from his spot outside the door, Inigo rose from the floor and peeked in. His mother was lying on her side, her legs dangling off the edge of the bed and her hands clasping the ring to her chest. She was asleep as he had expected though he doubted she was as peaceful as she appeared.

Gingerly, he resettled her under the covers, and, upon noting the ring she still gripped tightly, felt his lower lip tremble. All day he had tried to remain strong for his mother and had thus refused to allow himself the chance to mourn his fallen father. Tracing over the ring with his finger, he recalled the man who raised him.

He was a silent man who let either his sword or his actions speak for him. Though he came off cold, Inigo knew all too well of the warmth he had within. The days he held him up on his shoulders as they made their way through Ferox, the way he would pat his head whenever he did something praiseworthy, and the arms that would embrace him whenever something was wrong; all of it he tied to the man he called his father.

Whatever pain he may be feeling now, he was positive his mother felt it ten times more. Gripping her hand, he recalled the final words his father spoke to him before he departed from their home.

"Protect your mother, son. She's one of the few things I have left along with you."

Such simple words, Inigo didn't know they would ever become such a heavy weight as he never thought the day would come when he had to fulfill them. Quickly wiping away the tears he felt building up beneath his eyes, he muttered, "I'll protect her, Dad…Because she's all I have left now…"

XxxxxxX

Since the day he made his vow, Inigo had joined the battlefield with a small brigade led by the young lord of Ylisse. Though this band, formed of children who, too, had lost their parents, fought with everything they had, the world continued to see darker days. Their effort was fruitless. They were only human; insignificant creatures trying at a futile attempt to change history. What chance did this handful of children have to change the tides against such enormous odds?

But there was a way.

Granted to them by Naga was the single opportunity to change the world. If they could traverse time and remedy the mistakes made over a decade ago, then there was a possibility that this future would never be; that the lives stolen would return. For these children, that alone was enough to persuade them to take the journey. Stakes were high as even Naga was unsure whether they would be able to complete the trip to and from their destination. Those minor details didn't matter to the children so long as they could see their loved ones again.

With most of the children having lost their parents, they had nothing to bid goodbye to other than the war-torn world they grew up in. Inigo, though spared the misfortune of burying two parents, found that he felt no luckier than the rest of them…

XxxxxxX

The door to the house opened but there was no one to greet him. The inside remained just the way he had left it all those weeks ago. The way his father had left it all those weeks ago. Had he not been the wiser, he would have believed the house to be deserted.

With quiet steps, Inigo neared his parents' bedroom and very gently pushed open the door. The light poured in revealing the woman on the bed. She sat upright against the headboard, her skin so pale she resembled a living porcelain doll. "I'm home, Mom," the dark haired child said.

Olivia didn't respond as her soulless eyes remained set on her lap where her hands lay clasped. Unbothered by her silence, Inigo proceeded to make his way to his mother's side, taking a seat at her bedside. From up close she appeared ten years older and all the more fragile. He found it hard to believe that this was the same mother he always referred to as beautiful while growing up.

He gently took her hand in his, noting that it was neither warm nor cold, and squeezed as he began to feel the tears building up. Quickly putting on a fake smile before the tears could fall, he choked down his sobs and took the time to let his sadness melt away.

"I'm going to go away for a while, Mom," he spoke gently after recomposing himself. She had yet to acknowledge his presence but that didn't deter her son from speaking to her. "I'm going to bring Dad back home to us," he continued. "Then we can be a family again." As he found himself swallowing more tears, he ran his rough fingers over her soft knuckles before running his free hand along her cheek. "And then I could see you smile again."

He rose from his seat then embraced her, his composed façade breaking as his tears made their way to the surface. "I love you, Mom…"

In her catatonic state, Olivia failed to respond to his words and touches and eventually he pulled away. Wiping his cheeks, he looked her over once more and then saw, sitting between her fingers, her pink wedding ring. With shaking hands, he gingerly pulled the item from her loose grip and stared into her face. "A good luck charm," he asked her teasingly.

When she didn't reply, he stared at the ring in his palm. "I'll take care of it, Mom…" Giving her one final hug and kiss, he made his way to the door. Just as he was prepared to shut it and once again leave her in the dark, he whispered, "Goodbye, Mom…"

As the door clicked shut and the last remaining light vanished from the room, Olivia, with her eyes cast downwards on her hands, whispered her son's name before warm tears of her own began running down her cheeks.

XxxxxxX

"Is everyone ready?"

Standing at the Outrealm Gates, the children of the heroes before gazed at one another, all of them unsure of their answer. They knew not what was beyond the gate and they knew even less if they could accomplish what they were setting out to do. Yet the hope that they could see their parents again, that outweighed the fear they had of their possible fate.

With his mother's ring held so tightly in his palm it was bound to leave a mark, Inigo was the first to answer Lucina's question. "Well of course Lucina. You honestly don't think we plan on turning back now, do you? We have a world to save."

He was joined by a chorus of his friends and allies who too agreed with him. Lucina, glad to see the riled up crew she had gathered, couldn't help but smile as an overwhelming amount of joy and hope flooded over her. "Very well," she nodded. "Then let's go."

On cue, Naga began the ritual and before long the children would be returning to the past, to the world where the chaos began. With heavenly light surrounding them, the children transcended time…

XxxxxxX

All he could see was his mother and father hovering over him. They appeared younger but Inigo couldn't be fooled. "Mom, Dad…" He wished to call out to them but his words failed to be formed.

"You're crying again, Inigo," his mother said. She sounded tired, but her voice was nonetheless still soothing. "Is something wrong?"

He heard his father chuckle as he began extending his arms down towards him. "Come here Inigo," his father's deep voice said softly, "I'll take care of you."

As his father's arms reached for him, Inigo reached back, suddenly finding that his arms were chubbier and awfully shorter than he remembered. Casting aside those details, he continued to call for his father, reaching for him. "Dad…"

He gripped something and immediately pulled it close. "Dad…Mom…" His fingers ran over his newly found object and found that this was unlike how his parents felt. Last he remembered, his father had a full head of hair.

Before his mind could differentiate between his dream and reality, the old man, who was currently having his naked scalp held down by the unconscious boy, decided he'd do it for them. With a great fist, he bonked Inigo on the head, waking him from his sleep.

"Ow!" Inigo yelled as he sat up, the images of his parents quickly fading from his mind.

Recomposed after his ordeal, the old man muttered, "Looks like that did it."

Inigo looked back strangely at him, ignoring the throbbing pain radiating from his cranium. "Do I know you," he asked.

As the old man disappeared out of the small room, mumbling incoherent mutterings the entire way out, Inigo tried to recall his whereabouts. "There was the war," he mumbled, "and dad and mom…and then…" He suddenly let out a gasp as he remembered the ritual. "Did it…Did it work?"

Raising himself from the mattress the old man had graciously put him on, Inigo clambered over to a nearby window and peered out. Outside he could see villagers, animals, and the sun in the sky. There was no war, no danger to be seen. This was definitely not the world he was accustomed to seeing every morning.

He stepped back from the window and as he did so, his hand brushed the outside of his chest pocket where he felt something protrude from it. Reaching in, he retrieved the item and gazed at it as it sat in his palm. It was Olivia's pink wedding ring, one-of-a-kind.

"So I made it back, huh?" Inigo smirked as he glanced back outside, at the world before his birth. "Well then. Hello world of yesterday."

A/N: Thanks for reading. I do apologize if it seemed rushed, but I didn't see a need to explain the whole ritual process and the crew meeting up. Plus I was too excited to get to the part where they actually reunite. Anyways, I would like to know what you guys thought; where I can improve and all that other good stuff.