Chapter 9: The Wings of Despair
The light faded away, as did the warm, comforting feeling that had accompanied it. The Shepherds felt their solid footing, and with a quick glance around, realized immediately that the magic had worked, and that they were now standing atop of the fell dragon's back. And before them, less than twenty paces away, stood Grima's avatar, grinning confidently.
The Shepherds looked around quickly, reorienting themselves. Something was horribly wrong, Morgan realized. But before she could place it, or voice her nagging doubts, Grima struck.
"WRETCHED SONS OF NAGA! YOU WILL BE DESTROYED!"
The dragon's voice, the primal strength that echoed Robin's, was stronger than ever before, nearly drowning out the man entirely. The Shepherds braced themselves immediately, but little did it matter. The vessel hovered into the air, cataclysmic dark energy surging forth from his suspended form. Experimentally, Virion loosed an arrow in an attempt to disrupt him, and Morgan unleashed a blast of Valflame. But neither steel nor fire left even a mark, and the emanating darkness gathered above them, forming a cloud, which then shifted into a smaller image of the fell dragon itself. As it took shape, the dragon plummeted, with an ear-splitting shriek. Some of the Shepherds standing at the point of impact managed to dive aside, but most had their hands clasped to their ears, desperately trying to block out the bloodcurdling noise.
"Despair descends upon you! Welcome oblivion!" the avatar roared, as the image dissolved upon impact into an inky pool, spreading impossibly fast across the dragon's back, until all of the Shepherds stood ankle deep in the shadow. Each of them felt an apprehensive shudder, as if knowing something awful was about to happen. Mere heartbeats later, an enormous cracking noise sounded, as suddenly the darkness erupted from the ground in the form of tens of thousands of long, narrow spikes.
All of the Shepherds screamed out in agony, as the spikes bore deeply into them, striking not their flesh but their very souls. The spell was over in an instant, and the Shepherds collapsed, feeling as if their insides were burning and withering away. Grima began to laugh, a cruel, grating noise to mock his feeble challengers.
"W-What… what manner of magic…" Chrom huffed, barely able to breath, as he struggled futilely to regain his footing.
"M-Magic?" Basilio stammered. "That… that was… a damned catastrophe," the normally indomitable khan barely managed to sputter.
"It… it can't end like this," Frederick protested feebly, as he, too, tried to force himself back to his feet to no avail. "I… won't have… all our struggle… be for naught…"
"This darkness," Lucina whispered, as tears of despair formed in her eyes. She had seen the wrath of Grima unleashed before, and knew this battle was over. They had failed Naga. Despite their preparations, their haste, and their determination to see this through, they simply had not the strength. "The future is upon us… gods… F-Father…"
"What comfort do your petty bonds bring you now, pathetic humans?" Grima taunted. They could faintly make out Robin's teasing tone, but the words seemed so horribly wrong, so cruelly out-of-place, and the resonating echo only amplified the dread in their hearts. "You have all thrown your lives away, and for what?"
"We're… we're not dead yet!" Morgan proclaimed, forcing herself to her feet, despite the pain.
Grima turned to her, and to everyone's surprise, his eyes, Robin's eyes, widened in shock. But then Grima began to laugh once more, and Morgan had a vague feeling that things were about to get even worse, if that were even possible. "Morgan! I thought I spied you among these fools in the Dragon's Table. I suppose you're right, sweetheart. It's about time I got you all off my back, so to speak. Permanently."
"No!" Morgan cried, drawing her tome. She fell into a state of extreme concentration, drawing as much power as she could from Valflame, feeding as much of her own magical strength into the blast. Sparkling magenta flames, sparkling and shimmering with a life of its own, erupted around Morgan. As she extended her palm outwards, the magically inspired flames rushed forward, coating the fiery orange-red bolt she shot forth. The spell hit its mark, and erupted into the largest magical explosion any of the Shepherds had ever witnessed. Waves of heat and wind rushed out over them all.
When the last of the flames died away, the avatar was revealed, standing evenly on the dragon's back once more. He was trembling slightly, though it was unclear whether it was from pain or anger. "You disappoint me," Grima hissed lividly, and he gestured forward. A shadow burst forth from his hand, falling as a shroud might over all of the Shepherds, pinning them to the ground. The darkness continued to spill forth, and soon surrounded all of them. It was as if the world itself had abandoned them, leaving them alone in the darkness to face Grima.
Lucina, pinned down with the others, knew it was over. Falchion still gleamed with inner light, even brighter than before now that it felt Grima so close. They were only a thousand feet from their goal, a trivial distance compared to their journey through time and across continents, but now, even that had been stripped from them. She could not even find the strength to stand, now, let alone fight her way past Grima's avatar. Around her, the Shepherds all entertained similar thoughts, as their hearts were steeped in despair.
Then, a voice sounded out. Again, Morgan had forced her way through the shroud, forced herself to stand despite her own suffering, despite the fact that Grima still wore her father's flesh as his own, and Lucina's despair gave way to shame and guilt. How could Morgan find the strength to fight on, when she could not?
"Don't give up!" Morgan cried desperately. "We can't give up! We can't afford to lose!"
Grima laughed at her desperate plea. Around Morgan, the Shepherds stirred, their vigor renewed as they fought against the dark, ghostly bindings, but Grima seemed unconcerned. "Your loyalty is quite touching, sweetheart. How long have you even known these friends of yours?"
"I may have lost my memories, but it doesn't matter!" Morgan said fiercely. "Even if I came from a different timeline. Even if I don't truly know where I came from. The Morgan my friends knew died standing up to you. I won't give in, either!"
Grima howled with laughter. "Is that what they told you, sweetheart? I had no idea your friends were such cunning liars!" He turned his wicked gaze, resting it upon Severa and Lucina, who were next to each other, still struggling with the cursed shroud enveloping them. "Severa, dear, how could you deceive your own little sister so?" Upon seeing his gaze, and hearing his accusations, Severa froze.
"Severa, don't listen to him," Lucina pleaded, as she continued to struggle weakly.
"You hypocrites," Grima said, with a smug grin, now eyeing Lucina. "If you cannot find it in your own hearts to tell Morgan the truth, I suppose I shall have to enlighten her."
"NO!" Severa cried out in protest. "No, no, no!" she cried.
"Save it!" Morgan spat at the mocking caricature of her father angrily. "I'm not listening to your twisted words!"
"I suppose they are twisted," Grima said wickedly. "Perhaps you should ask your dear sister instead. Ask her who truly slew the Morgan of her world. Ask her who it was, who pierced your pretty little heart with your own mother's beloved lance."
Morgan froze as the words sunk in. Despite her claims to the contrary, she heard the words, and they struck more painfully than any lance ever could have. "No…" she sputtered. "Liar! You're lying!" Morgan spun, her gaze meeting Severa, who could only stare at her in horror, tears pouring from her eyes. "Severa, tell me he's lying!" Morgan pleaded desperately.
"Morgan…" Severa said softly, although she could form no other words. With a sinking feeling in her heart, Morgan watched as Severa desperately averted her gaze, avoiding eye contact, trembling in terror.
Morgan, now wearing an expression of stunned disbelief, turned to face Grima again, a pleading look in her eyes. Grima met her stare, his own eyes full of malice. "You're a clever girl. You know the truth when you hear it," he said. Though the horrid echo still sounded, his tone now sounded consoling and almost gentle.
After several long moments, Morgan could only form a single word. "Why?" she managed to ask, at last, her voice hoarse.
"Because, sweetheart, you and your friends have misconstrued me from the start. That wretched Naga has filled your minds with lies," Grima stated calmly. "I have no interest in destroying the world. What good would that do anyone? I bring destruction, yes. But in destruction lies the seeds of rebirth. A new order that is to my liking. I meddle. I bring pain and suffering. But so did Naga. Was it not Naga, who condoned the crusade you now call the First Plegian War, to destroy those who would not bend knee to her in worship? And the Conqueror's war was fought in Naga's name and for Naga's purpose too, was it not? Perhaps Walhart strayed from her teachings of peace, but in the end, his objective was the same as hers."
Morgan looked at him blankly, not understanding how any of this was relevant.
Grima smiled, a gentle, kind smile that all the Shepherds who had known Robin for so long knew too well. "Your father isn't gone, Morgan. Your father and I are one and the same. His spirit was part of mine, a part that I have brought back into myself. But his memories remain. Once this is over, I can give them back to him. My essence is expansive enough that I would not miss a fraction of it."
"What!?" Morgan gasped.
"Now you understand," Grima said, still smiling. "Join with me, Morgan. Help me end this war. I can forgive your transgressions. I can grant your friends mercy. Even those who fight me to the end, who force me to destroy them… well, you've read about quintessence, haven't you? The arts are not yet lost. I can bring them all back, Morgan, and give them all a place in our new world. You can have your peace, your beloved mother and father and sister beside you."
"Morgan, don't listen to him, please!" Severa said. "He's lying to you. You know it!"
"How dare you!?" Grima suddenly roared, turning to Severa. "The entire time you've known her, you've kept the truth from her! She was your sister, and you killed her! And you never even told her of her real fate, and you would accuse me of lying!?"
Severa flinched, but did not falter. "I'm sorry, Morgan!" Severa cried out, tears streaming down her face. "I had to! He turned you against us! I was only trying to stop you!"
"I did not turn anyone," Grima said with a smug smile. He turned back to Morgan. "I know you, Morgan. I have his memories. I know you loved your father. I know you'd do anything to have him back. And I promise you, it will cost you nothing. Unlike Naga, unlike your friends, I do not need to lie. Your father's body still stands vigil on the back of the other fell dragon. I may need my strength now. I may need him right now. But that will not last forever."
Morgan's eyes shined with her inner struggles, as her gaze swept over her companions.
"Morgan, please," Chrom gasped weakly. His strength had failed him at last, and his struggling had ceased. He laid there, pinned and unmoving.
Severa was still sobbing. "Morgan… I didn't want to do it… I'm sorry, I'm sorry! Please, believe me!" Morgan finally understood Severa's unease in the halls of the shrine on Mount Prism. Severa had been reliving not only Morgan's death, but her own guilt.
Morgan searched for her mother. She wanted to hear her mother's voice once more, to let Cordelia's kind and soothing words ease the turmoil within her. But with a pang, she remembered the odd feeling she had had earlier, when they first arrived upon the fell dragon's back, and only now realized its source.
Cordelia wasn't even here. In their final moment upon the peak, Cordelia's courage had failed her, and the broken woman must have resisted Naga's calling altogether.
Cordelia had abandoned Morgan, leaving her to stand alone between the Shepherds and Grima. Standing between the companions who had once killed her, and those who would seek to destroy the fell dragon. To destroy her father.
"Morgan, you can't listen to him. You can't put your trust in him," Lucina wheezed, still struggling with the veil holding her.
Morgan turned to Grima. "You made me this offer before, didn't you?"
"I did," Grima admitted. "I apologize – I could not keep my promise to you that time, Morgan. Your friends escaped after killing you, and I had no choice but to pursue them. I have regretted my failure ever since." As he spoke, the fell dragon's primal echo diminished. He spoke with sincerity, and his words and demeanor were so much like Robin's that Morgan's eyes grew misty.
"That time… I didn't even know my father, right?" Morgan asked quietly.
"Correct," Grima affirmed. "Your parents left when you were but a child. The father you worshipped was merely a legend to you… but not this time. This time, you knew your father. You loved him, and you knew his love for you."
The confusion died away. Morgan looked at her sister, confidence in her eyes, and Severa shuddered, for it was the same look of determination she had seen from Morgan on that fateful day in Mount Prism. "No… please, Morgan," Severa begged.
But Morgan understood now. She knew why Lucina, Cynthia, and Severa had all eyed her with shock and fear the day they met. She knew why Owain, Inigo, and Brady had been terrified of her, and why Brady's suspicion had never quite lifted.
Morgan ignored her sister's pleas and turned to Lucina, who met her gaze with horror. The prone woman had finally yielded to Grima's power, after all her struggles, and laid there, knowing her strength was at its end, too. Falchion, their one last hope of victory, had slipped from her grasp, and the glow faded. Only Lucina had undertaken the Awakening. Only in her hands did it hold the power to defeat Grima.
"I'm sorry, Lucina," Morgan said quietly, as she carefully drew Eternity, and calmly walked towards the fallen princess. Thoughts of Robin flooded Morgan's mind as she closed in. Dreams of the peace that Robin had fought for, had died for. Dreams that Grima had promised to fulfill. Grima watched eagerly, his face alit with undisguised, sadistic glee.
Morgan took a deep breath, and Lucina knew it was all over. The strongest of them, the only one to have escaped Grima's crippling touch, had turned against them. She was about to die, and with her, humanity's last hope.
Eternity flashed downwards, neatly severing the veil that bound Lucina to the ground. In the same fluid motion, Morgan drew her staff, and healing magic washed over Lucina. "Call to Naga!" Morgan cried.
Grima and Lucina were both momentarily stunned. But Lucina recovered first, as Morgan cast Eternity aside and clasped the princess's hand, helping her to her feet. Lucina reclaimed Falchion immediately, as Grima howled in protest. "Stop!" Grima roared. "You can't do this, Morgan! You've abandoned him!"
Falchion lifted into the air, glowing once more with inner light, and Naga appeared before them. A bright, golden light shined from Lucina's pocket, and Lucina drew forth Naga's Tear, the relic Morgan had retrieved from the hall where she had been reunited with her father. The divine light washed over them all, purging away the last of the shadow, and seeping into them, mending their torn souls. "Children of man, take what remains of my power!" Naga pronounced, as all of the Shepherds felt their strength return. "Rise now, and face the fell dragon!"
And then Naga was gone, as was the tear-shaped, golden jewel. As was the darkness. The Shepherds stood, facing Grima, who was shaking with anger. "Why!?" Grima protested, glaring at Morgan.
"Because I knew my father, this time," Morgan retorted, in a defiant tone. "Maybe his soul was yours. But he must have found something more, because my father would never have tried to destroy our world just so he could build a new one. And he would never have forgiven me if I had helped you do it."
"I am your father, you foolish girl!" Grima screamed. "Any light that Robin found, any of the petty bonds he forged, are nothing compared to me!"
"Maybe he wasn't as strong as you are," Morgan conceded, as Severa rushed to her side, clasping her brave little sister's hand tightly. "But that's why we treasure those invisible ties he spoke of. Because we find our strength together!"
"You are all powerless!" Grima roared. "Frail! Insignificant! You are nothing!" A rift appeared, swallowing Grima, and whisking him across the dragon's back. He stepped out at the nape of the dragon's neck, his face a mask of hatred. All around the dragon, risen and entombed began to appear, seemingly out of thin air, moving to block the Shepherds. Half a dozen of the shadowy, demonic six-eyed skeletons, like the one he had set upon them in Ylisstol, hovered around him.
"I. AM. GRIMA!" the avatar roared, and the fell dragon they rode upon echoed the cry. "I AM DESPAIR! I AM THE END!"
"I lost to you once, monster!" Lucina cried back defiantly. "I shall not lose again!" She charged, sprinting across the field.
"This is the end for you, Grima!" Chrom cried, as he followed suit. Following his rallying cry, the Shepherds charged down the field.
When Morgan had firmly swore her allegiance, despite Grima's attempt to manipulate her, the Shepherds thought it was over. This was the window they needed, the opening to reach Grima and strike him down with Falchion, and bring an end to this all-too-real nightmare. But it was only the beginning.
A swarm of risen rushed to block their path, and their advanced halted almost entirely as they met them in battle, blades drawn. "He's trying to buy time!" Morgan cried out, as the fighting began. "He must have used the rest of his power already! We have to cut through!"
Some of the risen hung back and began to fling magic into the fray, some of their attacks even striking their own allies. But the assault proved effective nonetheless, and suddenly, Lucina found herself wishing they had reserved the pure water. Cynthia and Sumia shot overhead, bypassing the front line and trying to bring down the mages. But they had time to bring down but one of the mages each, before the demonic skeletons fell over them, swarming them. The creatures were as fast as their Pegasi and many times stronger, and soon, both Pegasus knights fell back. Cherche tried to meet one head-on, and Minerva fought valiantly. Cherche's axe chipped at it, and Minerva's claws sundered a part of its rib cage, but the powerful abomination struck back hard, and Minerva faltered back, huge gashes along her torso. Libra's healing magic fell over the wounded wyvern, but Cherche knew better than to try to engage the demonic skeleton that way again.
Morgan, meanwhile, had climbed aboard Catria and soared into the air as well. Valflame struck one of the demonic skeletons, engulfing it in powerful flames. The creature seemed resistant to the burns, but it still faltered under the attack. Before the others could move in to protect it, Morgan struck it again with Eternity as she swooped by, then banked hard and fled, as well. The blow had shattered one of its creature's arms, shards of obsidian bone showering the Shepherds and risen below, before crumbling away.
The risen and entombed were no match for the skilled Shepherds, who tore through their ranks with ease. But the waves of enemies were seemingly endless, and the wall of undead flesh before them only grew thicker as Grima's minions threatened to overwhelm them in numbers alone. Still, the Shepherds were undaunted.
Grima had threatened them with yet another tragedy, Lucina realized. Every one of her friends was fighting with all of their remaining strength, standing firmly with courage and might that would inspire fear in any mortal foe. Even Walhart himself would have trembled at the sight of Basilio cleaving three of the risen apart in a single swing, or Lon'qu, a mere blur of steel as he moved and attacked with inhuman speed and precision. Her father fought with his head held high, despite all that Grima had taken from him, and his own axe felled foe after foe, an immovable presence that obliterated any risen who approached.
Nowi and Tiki were both transformed, and along with Cynthia and Sumia, were performing a deadly aerial dance, despite the superior strength of the demonic skeletons facing them. Ice and javelins met torrents of black fire, and still they persisted, refusing to accept their fate, ready to fight until their very last breath. Olivia and Inigo, both who would sooner be performers than warriors, entered the fray without hesitation, their graceful footwork and swordplay inspiring those beside them to new heights of power. Behind his family, Virion loosed arrow after arrow into the horde, each arrow finding its mark and dropping another risen.
Plegian and Ylissean mages alike were unleashing every bit of magic they still had. Wind, fire, lightning, and even dark magic ripped into the risen ranks, blasting them away. Frederick, Sully, and Stahl remained mobile, refusing to let the risen impede their paths as they trampled down the foes standing before them.
Every Shepherd was fighting as only heroes of legend could. Knights, warriors, farmers, mercenaries, thieves, merchants, dancers, or nobles. No matter what they once were, now, they were the last champions of mankind that stood before this threat. And if they failed today, it was a story that would die here with them.
But still, the risen continued approaching endlessly. Refusing to let fatigue wear away at them and get the best of them, the Shepherds fought. Some sang, some shouted war cries, and some fought in silence, but not a single one of them was willing to falter.
"Lucina!" Morgan cried, as the three Pegasus knights returned to Lucina's side. "We can't fight through them! There's too many!" Above, Tiki and Nowi were still battling the demonic skeletons. Through their combined efforts, they had destroyed three of them but the other nine remained, and the two Manaketes were sorely pressed.
Lucina wanted to send Morgan, Cynthia, and Sumia back to the aerial battle, to stand by Tiki and Nowi who were clearly being overwhelmed. But she heard the truth in Morgan's words. After quickly disemboweling the three risen standing before her, Lucina ran to Cynthia's side. Severa followed suit, joining Morgan aboard Catria, and Chrom rushed toward Sumia. The three Pegasi took off immediately, carefully swerving around the flying fiends and staying out of range of any stray arrows from the risen, then soared down towards the dragon's head.
Towards the nape of the dragon's neck, where Grima's avatar awaited.
Five of the remaining demonic skeletons had turned and given chase, so immediately after Lucina, Chrom, and Severa leapt down to confront Grima, the three Pegasi took off again, squaring off against their pursuers.
Cynthia was the first to strike. Neatly spiraling around one charging foe, she targeted a one-armed fiend that she immediately recognized as the one Morgan had landed a blow against earlier. The creature swerved and instinctively tried to retaliate with its missing arm. Unobstructed, Cynthia's lance hit its mark, striking and shattering the skeleton's sternum. She retreated quickly as the skeleton shattered, its draconic skull tumbling as its wings simply fell apart, the shards of bone plummeting downwards and crumbling away.
That left them three against four. Though Morgan had clearly inherited her mother's gift with Pegasi, she was at a severe disadvantage, as their opponents used their long reach to keep Morgan from closing in with her sword. Most Pegasus knights favored lances for a reason, as the longer weapons were easier to use in flight, and allowed the Pegasus to try to remain a safe distance. Her small, lithe frame lacked the physical strength her mother and father possessed, but she was determined to press on nonetheless. Again and again, Morgan called forth flames from her tome to distract the creatures before closing in to strike, then retreating quickly before the inevitable raging counterattack. But the remaining four skeletons were in good condition, and she did little more than chip at them.
As Sumia flew pass, thrusting her lance at an approaching foe defensively to keep it back, she couldn't help but reflect upon her first meeting with Caeda. "I'm sorry, girl," Sumia whispered apologetically as she swept by. Sumia had never set out to become a Pegasus knight. It was fortune alone that brought her and Caeda together, and though she loved her friend dearly, it was her fault that Caeda was here, battling creatures far beyond her.
Two of her, in fact, for in Cynthia's timeline, Caeda had returned to Ylisstol and sought out Cynthia upon Sumia's death. The loyal steed was as much a Shepherd as any of them, Sumia realized. And right now, that meant fighting against any foe, paying any price, to protect Severa, Chrom, and Lucina as they challenged the fell dragon's avatar. Sumia soared past the skeletal abominations, striking them again and again, and wishing she was stronger, that her blows would do more than chip at the creatures.
But those chips and cracks the three Pegasus knights laid upon the skeletons were building up, Sumia realized, when one of her thrusts sent the lance cutting straight through the rib cage, tearing through two of the bones. The creature jolted, and the spearhead snagged on the inside of its ribcage. As Sumia swerved away, she dragged the skeleton with her, slamming it into another one and entangling the two. Cynthia dived from above, her lance piercing one of their skulls, and the skeleton fell apart.
The other one had finally torn itself free of Sumia's lance, but it was ragged and torn, several bones disjointed and hanging limply. But before Sumia could react, it lunged forward once more, its claws finding Caeda. The Pegasus screech in pain, and Sumia hastily extracted herself from the fight, trying to land smoothly before one of the pursuers could put a permanent end to them both. The wounded skeleton tried to do exactly that, but Morgan struck first, Eternity swiftly decapitating the skeleton from behind.
Morgan's brave action saved Sumia's life, but it left Cynthia alone, and in a dire predicament, flanked by the two remaining fiends. Both of them rushed in, cleverly pinning her between them. Cynthia tried to dive away, just barely escaping the reach of their claws, but the sharp, bony wings caught her as she fled, tearing through the girl's right pauldron and ripping into the back of her arm. With a cry of pain, Cynthia nearly tumbled from Caeda, and the lance that she and her mother had built together fell from her grasp. The skeleton's wings caught the lance as it fell by, casting it off the edge of the fell dragon altogether.
Cynthia knew she was in no condition to fight on, with her weapon arm crippled and her weapon lost. She feebly, defiantly, hurled her last javelin with her off-hand, then guided Caeda aside, clear of the battle, leaving Morgan to face the remaining two skeletons alone.
"Arrogant mortals!" Grima's avatar bellowed, as the three challengers drew near. He gestured angrily towards them. Chrom, Lucina, and Severa all lost their footing, as the dragon writhed. Behind them, the same had happened to the risen and the Shepherds still battling them. It wasn't a large movement, just a tiny tremor. The fell dragon's serpentine neck curved around, bringing its draconic visage face-to-face with its challengers. "Your time has expired!" he declared.
The wyrm's jaws opened wide, and a torrent of black fire gushed forth. Chrom, Lucina, and Severa all dove aside, the murderous flames licking at their heels. They were back on their feet in a flash, as Grima's maw snapped out, narrowly missing Lucina who leapt away agilely.
Lucina then rolled past the extended maw as the dragon's head pulled back, and charged straight at Grima's avatar, aiming to sink her blessed weapon through his heart. Grima reacted with the reflexes and skill of an expert swordsman, a burst of black lightning erupting from his hand and crystallizing into a sword that seemed to be forged from some sort of glassy, dark metal, a leaf-bladed weapon with a hilt shaped like the leathery wings of a dragon.
Grima had all of Robin's skill and training, Chrom realized in horror. Though Robin hadn't been quite as strong as Chrom, his clever and methodical swordplay with a unique blend of various styles gave Robin the edge over every Shepherd, and he had been hailed as the greatest warrior in Ylisse, with good reason. Severa leapt to Lucina's aid, but with Robin's skill backed by Grima's might, neither girl could land a hit on the master swordsman.
Severa, like her mother, was faster than Robin, and tried to capitalize upon her speed and range. But Robin was no stranger to dueling lancers after countless hours of sparring with Cordelia. Guided by Robin's extensive experience, Grima battered at Severa's lance, disrupting her aim and forcing her back with precise thrusts of his own. Lucina tried to divert his attention, and was successful momentarily, until a powerful parry and counterattack almost sent Falchion spinning from her grasp. Lucina fell away, clinging to the weapon desperately.
Chrom then rushed into the fray, but Grima was ready. He sidestepped the downwards stroke of Chrom's axe, putting Chrom between him and Severa, then struck with inhuman speed, his blade cutting wide, sweeping arcs with deadly precision.
"Your future has been eclipsed!" Grima roared triumphantly. Chrom, to his credit, managed to deflect the first three cuts, but the fourth bit into his shoulder, and the fifth stabbed into his thigh. Grima retracted his blade and prepared to finish the prince for good, when Lucina's charge turned him away, giving Chrom just enough time to stagger away and hope that Lissa, Libra, or Brady was watching with their magical healing staves at the ready.
Lucina had gained the upper hand, for once, and was determined to press her advantage. But the advantage was lost a moment later, as Grima's draconic head reared back, and belched another torrent of devastating fire. Lucina, threw herself aside only just in time. Even so, the flames caught her leg as she dived past. The dark flames flickered, and there was no searing heat, only pain, for the magical fire struck directly at her soul. Lucina stumbled away, her entire body tingling, her legs numb and footing unsteady.
Behind Grima's avatar, Severa rushed forward, lance extended. Grima spun to meet her advance, deflecting the blow, as a sphere of dark energy gathered in his other hand. As Severa pulled away, a small jagged black dart, made of the same magical material as Grima's sword, spiraled through the air as an arrow might. But the projectile was thrown way too high, and soared over Severa. "Your aim is terrible," Severa remarked dryly, as she jabbed her lance forward again. Grima backed away, laughing.
"Really? Look again, dear," Grima teased cruelly. Severa's eyes narrowed at first, wondering whether Grima truly believed her to be foolish enough to turn away. But then she remembered the battle raging behind her, and she turned anyways, with a sinking feeling in her heart.
"Think, Morgan, think!" Morgan instructed herself harshly. "How would Dad handle this?"
With Sumia and Cynthia down, Morgan was left facing the last two of the demonic skeletons alone. Even though both had been injured, they matched her speed and maneuverability, and far outstripped her strength. And while it would take several blows for her to bring one down, either one could likely finish her in a single solid hit.
Morgan could almost hear her father's voice, cool and confident as he relayed the basics of strategy or swordplay or magic to her, as if they were reading together under a tree, or sparring in an open field. "Use their strength against them," Morgan decided quickly, and swooped forward to meet them. She approached cautiously, knowing she couldn't allow them to strike her. But she attempted to replicate Cynthia's predicament from before, baiting the two skeletons to flank her. Cynthia's error was hesitation, Morgan knew.
After several passes where none of the duelists could score a decisive hit, the two skeletons finally rose to the bait, soaring up on opposite sides of their prey. As they positioned themselves to attack, Morgan immediately dove downward, unleashing her last cast of Valflame as she went. The two skeletons dived after her, but, blinded by the flames, they could not correct their course to pursue, and instead careened into one another.
Morgan pulled out of her dive and sped upward, spiraling around and bringing Eternity down hard against one of the tangled foes, scattering the creature's pitch-black vertebrae. The other creature untangled itself as its companion crumbled, but before it could reorient itself, Eternity cleanly separated its skull from its body, and Morgan went into another dive, cheering excitedly.
Then a surge of pain shot through her, and she tumbled from Catria's back, falling over twenty feet to the dragon's back below. Numbly, she realized she had been hit, and just before she hit the fell dragon's back and lost consciousness, she noticed the hilt of a black knife protruding from beneath her arm, the blade cutting through her robes, reaching for her heart.
"MORGAN!" Severa screamed, as she turned just in time to see the younger girl crash to the ground. Severa sprinted towards her sister desperately, her heart driving her on even as her mind protested. She knew she was leaving Lucina to face Grima alone, and she knew she was abandoning a severely wounded Chrom, but she did not care. She could not watch her sister die again.
Morgan was laying on her back, the wind knocked out of her, eyes staring glassily upwards as Severa skidded to her side. "Morgan, no!" Severa cried desperately.
To her immediate relief, Morgan's eyes turned and met her gaze. "S-Severa?" Morgan said weakly.
Seeing that her sister was alive and still breathing, Severa immediately grasped the projectile embedded in her side and pulled it free, squeezing tightly with her other hand to stem the bleeding. Morgan gasped in pain. Severa cast the cursed weapon aside, which crumbled to dust as soon as it left her hands, and drew forth a healing concoction, forcing the liquid down Morgan's throat, praying to whatever gods remained that the potion would do its work.
Morgan coughed and sputtered. "F-Father… w-will I see you again?" she whispered. She smiled, then, as the ghostly image of her father appeared behind Severa, smiling proudly at her.
Morgan closed her eyes and laid still. Severa froze in horror. "Morgan? Morgan!" Severa protested, grabbing her sister and shaking her slightly, as her world came crashing down around her once more. "Morgan! You can't die on me! Not here! Not now!" Severa's arms grew weak, and a moment later, she could hardly feel herself breath. The world seemed to waver, and Morgan's body seemed to shimmer.
No, not shimmer, Severa realized. Morgan was still breathing. Morgan was still alive. All the fatigue and pain, the feelings that had drifted away from Severa in her moment of fear, rushed back to her, and she gently set Morgan down, knowing that the only thing she could do for her sister now was to finish this battle quickly.
With Severa rushing to Morgan's side, and her father lying nearby, severely wounded and thoroughly beaten, Lucina knew she was alone. Alone and outmatched. Still, she fought on valiantly, refusing to give in. Every lesson her father had given her, in this timeline or the other, flowed through her mind. Every moment of courage they had found, every happy memory, stoked her heart. Perfectly measured parries met each of Grima's attacks, and her carefully angled counterattacks drove Grima back.
"Your struggles are futile," Grima remarked, his teasing tone gone, having long since grown tired of the banter. "Your hopes are dead."
"Hope will never die!" Lucina shouted defiantly. She rushed forward, pulling her right arm back, her blade held low. Grima, expecting Lucina to chop upwards, presented his sword horizontally in a defensive pose that would allow him to easily counter the attack.
With all her strength, Lucina called out to Falchion itself, and hurled the blade skyward, the blade spinning powerfully and splintering Grima's sword. As Severa turned to watch, and as Chrom looked on, terrified for his daughter and their future, Grima's eyes were drawn to the silhouette of Falchion, spinning through the air. Lucina leapt powerfully into the air, catching Falchion's hilt precisely, and brought it downwards in a brutal slash. Grima tried to back away, but the daring move had taken him by surprise, and the blade caught him on the chest as he tried to retreat. Falchion cut through his armor and defensive magic, coming to a rest in his lower torso.
The avatar staggered away, wearing an expression of disbelief, and began to crumble. Lucina felt her heart skip a beat. They had done it. Grima was beaten. All that remained was to turn and plunge Falchion into the nape of the wyrm's neck.
"Lucina! Watch out!" Severa cried, alarmed.
Lucina knew she should dive aside. She knew that she should heed her best friend's warnings, and began to do just that. But her reflexes betrayed her, and as she moved, she slowed long enough to glance forward.
The visage of the fell dragon met her. Another torrent of black fire gushed forth, enveloping the princess, who had been a second too late to avoid it. She stumbled through the cursed flames, her soul alight with the dark energies, and tumbled to the floor, Falchion falling from her grasp, as the fell dragon cried out, reveling in his victory.
