Lissa held onto Owain's waist, looking down worriedly at Sekai. He hadn't moved since the encounter with Grima over an hour ago. He had just laid in a stillness that resembled someone who was...
"Owain! You think we're close!?" Lissa yelled.
"I don't know Mother!" Owain answered.
"We are almost there!" Tiki called.
Lissa pursed her lips and looked back. Everyone had been flying with someone on their retreat from the Dragon's Table. She, Owain, and Severa had squeezed onto Ron'Shin, who was holding Sekai in his claws. The other Shepherds were either riding on a pegasus, wyvern, manakete, or held in a claw of some sorts. Tharja and Henry were mumbling something the entire way, and Lissa just assumed they were somehow strengthening all the mounts.
Looking forward, Lissa saw a mountain in the distance. Lissa quickly recognized it as Mount Prism, the legendary mountain where Naga was said to reside. As the mountain got closer, Lissa also saw a large tree on top of the mountain, much like Tiki's home in Valm.
"That mountain..." Owain muttered.
"What!?" Lissa yelled.
"That's the place where the Naga of our time sent us back!" Severa yelled.
Lissa looked at Severa and then back at the mountain. Why was Tiki taking them there?
In a few moments, they had made it to the mountain. Ron'Shin landed gently, placing Sekai down on the ground. Lissa hopped off and ran to check on Sekai. He was shuddering as Lissa drew near, and when Lissa touched him his skin was ice cold.
Lissa pursed her lips and gulped, struggling to fight back tears. "Please Sekai, don't leave me..." she muttered.
The other Shepherds all dismounted as well, with Tharja and Henry slumping to the ground in exhaustion. They all quickly approached Sekai, Chrom as always leading.
"Lissa? Is he okay?" He called.
Lissa shook her head. "I...I don't know. I don't know what's wrong."
"The possession has begun." Tiki said, transforming back to her human form. "Grima is taking over."
Lissa's eyes widened, and several of the other Shepherds gasped in shock.
"What can we do to help!?" Gaius asked.
Nowi nodded. "Yeah, I don't want no stupid dragon taking away Sekai!"
Tiki pursed her lips. "I don't know. I brought us here to get help from my mother."
Chrom raised an eyebrow. "Your mother? You mean...Naga?"
Tiki nodded. "Yes. My mother is probably the only person who will know what to do for Sekai."
"Well then let's talk to her!" Lissa exclaimed.
Tiki pursed her lips. "It won't be as simple as just calling on her. We need to summon her with the Fire Emblem..."
Lissa blinked, and then felt ice water run in her veins.
"The Fire...Emblem...?" Chrom muttered, realization kicking in. Chrom looked down at the Fire Emblem in his hands, the five gemstones inside shining brightly as the sun set behind them.
"No..." Morgan whimpered.
"Dammit," Basilio muttered. "Sekai's caution is actually going against us this time!"
"...e..."
"There has to be something we can do!" Stahl cried.
Chrom shook his head. "No, there isn't. Without the five gemstones, the Fire Emblem can't be used..."
"...re!"
"This can't be the end! It just can't!" Inigo exclaimed.
The wind blew past, and a faint sigh was heard. Miriel blinked and looked around. "Is that..." she muttered.
Chrom suddenly felt a slight tug on his arm. Looking down, he was bewildered to see nothing there. All of the gemstones were still in place, and the Fire Emblem appeared untouched. Chrom raised an eyebrow in confusion. What was that slight tug?
Tiki blinked in confusion. "What's wrong? Why does everyone look so sad?"
"You weren't there to hear." Stahl explained. "Sekai had one of the gemstones switched with a fake, and the real one is being held by someone else."
"And we don't know where that person is." Gaius said.
Flavia looked at Basilio. "Dammit oaf, why didn't you hold on to that gemstone?"
"Because Sekai said I could entrust the stone to that Shepherd Kellam!" Basilio exclaimed.
Flavia rolled her eyes. "Well then why didn't you bring him with you!?"
Basilio blinked. "I thought he was with me..."
Tiki coughed. "Ummmm, what are you all talking about? The five gemstones you have are the real ones."
Chrom widened his eyes. "Huh? What do you mean?"
Tiki pointed at the Fire Emblem. "I can see the power emanating from all five. They're all there."
Chrom blinked, and then grinned. He looked around, unable to see Kellam. "Kellam, I can't see you right now, but thanks!"
The other Shepherds all also looked around, but none able to see Kellam. Miriel and Laurent both looked incredibly proud, but also irritated at their inability to see Kellam.
"Mother, why can we not see him?" Laurent asked.
"It would appear that in the elapsing of time since we last saw him, our ability to find him has diminished." Miriel said. She then began to rub her chin. "Interesting..."
"Well, what are we waiting for!" Lissa exclaimed. "Hurry up and summon Naga!"
Chrom nodded. "Right." Looking down, he concentrated on the Emblem. One by one, each gemstone began to glow. When it reached Gules, the stone remained dull. Fearful for a moment that Tiki was wrong, Chrom was relieved when the stone began to glow.
Suddenly, the Fire Emblem caught ablaze with green fire, and it quickly enveloped Chrom.
"Father!" Lucina cried in shock. She began running to help, only for Tiki to stop her.
"Don't worry Lucina." Tiki said. "That's just the Fire Emblem confirming the blood in Chrom."
Lucina pursed her lips but nodded. Everyone watched as the fire burned over Chrom, before it seeped into him. Chrom stood there, his eyes holding a green tinge, and his body crackled with energy.
"W-Whoa..." he muttered, staring at his hands. The Fire Emblem was strapped to his forearm, glowing with greenish light.
"What...what is that?" Owain muttered
"That...is my power..." A voice called.
Everyone looked around, trying to find the voice. Tiki just smiled and looked up. "Hello Mother."
Everyone looked up, and saw a woman glowing in green ethereal energy with long hair. She smiled and looked down at Tiki. "Tiki...it has been to long...you have grown..." Naga said.
Libra's eyes widened and he fell on his knees. "Lady...Naga...?"
Everyone else held similar reactions, most of them going down on their knees in reverent awe. Even Henry and Tharja seemed to pay some respect.
Naga looked down at Chrom and Lissa and smiled. "Children of my blood...you have called for my assistance..."
Chrom nodded. "Yes Lady Naga...we need your help."
Lissa nodded as well. "Yeah, we need your help to save Sekai!"
Naga looked down, sadness in her expression. "Yes...the Child of Grima..." She lifted an arm and pointed it at Sekai.
Suddenly, one of the roots of the giant tree sprang up and wrapped itself around Sekai's chest, pulling him towards the tree.
"GAH!" Lissa screamed as Sekai was pulled from her arms.
"What the!?" Chrom exclaimed.
Other roots wrapped themselves around Sekai, holding him in place at the base of the tree. In a few moments, most of Sekai was buried under wood, only his head and chest showing.
"What is going on here?!" Chrom cried.
"You called me here...to save the Child of Grima..." Naga explained. She turned and looked at Chrom. "If you wish to save him...you must kill him..."
Everyone stood in stunned silence.
"What!?" Gaius exclaimed.
...
Sekai groaned as he looked up, finding himself alone. He tried to move, but found himself unable to do so. He looked down, finding himself sitting in a throne, chains wrapped around him.
"Huh?" He said. "Where am I?"
"Where your God wills you to be." He heard a voice answer.
Sekai looked up, finding himself looking down the hall he had just been fighting Grima in. The hall was now empty, save for a figure in a Grimleal cloak standing a few feet away from him.
Sekai blinked, and then realization kicked in. "W-Wait...Grima!?"
The figure chuckled and then took off the hood, showing Grima staring at him. "Yes...and no." Grima said.
Sekai glared. "What are you talking about?"
Grima smiled. "Well, I am Grima. But I'm mainly you. The real you anyways."
Sekai blinked in confusion. "The real...me?"
Grima nodded. "It's like our future self was saying. We've been dreaming for some time, but we are beginning to awake."
"You mean you are beginning to possess me!" Sekai retorted.
Grima shook his head. "Not a possession. An awakening. Think about it Sekai. You are after all beginning to remember."
Sekai blinked in confusion, but as if in answer to Grima's statement, the scene around them changed. Now, instead of a hall Sekai found himself standing in a small plaza, surrounded by a splendrous city, glowing in the sunlight. Dragons flew around the sky, and the noise of a bustling city reached his ears.
"This was our home, long ago." Grima said, standing next to him. "It has been lost to history now, but we have always dreamed of seeing it rebuilt."
Sekai blinked. There was something...nostalgic about the sight. As he looked around, he found himself surrounded by manaketes. As he looked around, he was amazed at how happy everyone looked. Not only that, but he was surprised at the variety he saw. He was used to Nowi and Nah, both of whom were the size of a small girl. But as he looked around him, he felt as though he was standing in a plaza in Ylisstol.
"Hmmhmmhmm." Grima said. "What did you think a city of manaketes would be like?"
Sekai blinked. "Wait...how did you-"
"Read your mind?" Grima smiled. "Sekai..." It's our mind.
Sekai's eyes widened. Were those-
My thoughts...our thoughts.
"Then why speak?" Sekai asked.
Grima shrugged. "It makes you more comfortable. Figured, why not?"
Sekai blinked. "I would have expected you to be more...more..."
Grima laughed. "Evil? Dramatic? Sekai...I will explain again. We are equals. Friends even!" Grima smiled.
Sekai pursed his lips. "I don't know if I'd call it that..."
Grima nodded. "I understand. You have lived your entire life ignorant of what this exact moment will entail. That is why I want to take you through this. Help you understand."
Sekai was about to respond when he saw a very familiar looking person right behind Grima.
Himself.
Grima turned around. "Oh yes...this memory..." he said bitterly.
Sekai raised an eyebrow. He walked up and stood next to Grima. As he looked at the...him in front of him, he noticed there were some distinct differences. The eyes were purple and the ears were pointed. He was walking with a woman who had long green hair, and the two held hands.
Sekai looked at Grima, eyebrow raised.
Grima pursed his lips. "Long ago, we were young and idealistic. We believed that the manaketes and humanity could live together in peace. We shared that dream with another."
"If you truly believed that," Sekai said. "Then why do you now seek to destroy us?"
"Watch." Grima answered.
Curious, Sekai looked on, watching as Grima and the woman walked together.
"And your sure this solution of yours will work?" Grima asked.
The woman nodded. "Yes. My mother and I have spent a long time studying and experimenting. And finally we made a breakthrough."
Grima smiled. "Well, if you say it will, then it will Naga."
Sekai's eyes widened and he looked at Grima, who nodded. "Yes." Grima said. "We loved Naga, much in the way you have loved Lissa." He lifted a hand, and the world around them changed, showing them now standing in a different plaza. Sekai found himself standing in a large crowd, looking forward at Naga and another woman with blue hair.
"Nagi." Grima said. "Naga's mother. Together, these two created the dragonstones you know today. At first the stones seemed like they would fix everything, but we later came to discover a glaring problem."
The scene again changed, showing Sekai a dark room, a book with notes and a dragonstone on a table in front of him.
"We studied the dragonstones Naga and her mother, Nagi created." Grima explained. "Our kind was going insane from having to control both our dragon sides and humanoid sides. The power we had was to much, so these were created to split the power into two manageable halves."
"What was the problem with that?" Sekai asked.
Grima pursed his lips. "I will admit, the stones fixed the problem of managing the two sides, but the loss of power was a cost we couldn't afford."
Sekai blinked. "Loss of power? Were you at war?" He asked.
Grima pursed his lips. "There was an uneasy peace. Humanity had begun encroaching into manakete territory, which caused some manakete to attack human settlements and take...prizes..." Grima said with disgust.
Sekai raised an eyebrow. "Prizes?"
"Slaves." Grima hissed.
Before Sekai could respond, he heard a door open. Looking behind him, he watched as Grima entered the room, carrying a book with him.
"Naga loved humans, and wanted to create relationships with them." Grima said. "While we weren't as fond of them as she was, we didn't approve of enslaving them. We felt that as long as they kept to their lands and we kept to ours, then we could live in a peaceful coexistence."
"But none of this explains why you desire to eradicate humanity." Sekai said, watching as Grima sat down and opened a book. Walking over, he looked over Grima's shoulder. It didn't take him long to recognize the contents of the book, and he backed away in horror.
Dark magic.
"The only reason humanity didn't try anything was because of our strengths." Grima said. "But our strength was also our weakness. See, our power couldn't possibly remain contained within these forms our whole lives. Eventually it would begin to overflow, causing us to go mad with the power. For centuries our kind explored every area of magic for an answer, and Naga and Nagi felt that the stones would be the answer. We felt a better answer lied elsewhere."
"In dark magic!?" Sekai exclaimed.
Grima nodded. "An understandable fear, but we were of the Earth Dragon lineage. Our kind had always had better control than others over power."
Sekai shook his head. "But surely such things-"
"Forbidden?" Grima answered. "Oh yes, quite so. At least, to the rank and file manaketes. We however were no ordinary manakete."
The image showed Grima standing in ornate armor, pouring over maps while manakete stood around him.
"We were the head general." Grima said. "As such, we could gain access to such things."
Sekai blinked. "And...and they were okay with these studies?"
Grima shrugged. "We were trusted and, more importantly, very careful. We knew we could control the power. Sadly..." Grima said, pursing his lips. "Some did not agree with us..."
The image then showed Grima again at the table, even more books open.
"Grimleal!" Naga exclaimed. "More books! Didn't you promise me you'd destroy them!"
Sekai blinked. Grimleal?
"Our original name." Grima said.
Grima sighed. "I am close to my breakthrough here Naga. A solution that will stop our kind from going insane without having to use those stones your mother created."
"But look at what has become of you! You are becoming obsessed with your solution! It is all you speak of anymore!" Naga cried.
"Because it will save us!" Grima cried.
"And so will our stones!" Naga walked over and held Grima's face.
"Please...Grimleal. I know you're scared something bad will happen. But I'm scared something may soon happen to you. You know dark magic corrupts. Please, stop it now before it becomes to late. For me." Naga chocked, tears running down her face.
Grima stared at her, his eyes softening. He pursed his lips but nodded. "O-Of...of course Naga. I'm sorry, I don't know what got into me..."
Naga smiled and sniffed. "Just worry my love. But you don't need to. We'll be okay, so long as we're together."
Grima smiled. "Of course." He looked at the books. "I suppose we should dispose of these."
The image then showed Grima and Naga burning the books. Naga held onto Grima's hand and laid her head on his shoulder. Grima just stared into the fire.
"All of our studies, all of our hard work...gone." Grima said. "Done to make the one we loved happy. We were even able to convince ourself that it was for the best. We should have known better..."
The image showed Naga clutching her stomach, bleeding from a stab wound. Grima crouched near her, a frantic look on his face. His expression then turned to anger, and he looked over at the human soldier, who had a look of victory.
"Hah!" The man exclaimed. "So your kind is weaker now."
Grima stood up. "Still strong enough to kill you!" Grima then rushed the soldier.
"Grimleal! Don't!" Naga cried.
The soldier raised his sword, only for Grima to stop and smile. The soldier looked confused, before his expression suddenly twisted in pain. He clutched his stomach and fell to his knees in pain. The soldier vomited up blood, along with black specks. More of the black specks began to fall out, and the soldier chocked on them. Grima stared at the man, hatred clear in his expression. The man vomited out a fountain of the black specks, only for them to begin moving. They crawled on the man, who screamed and tried to swat them off. He began bleeding as the things stayed on him, eventually covering his entire body.
Grima scoffed. "So that's what happens when ants meet a rival ant..." Grima said.
Sekai's eyes widened in horror at what he had just witnessed.
"It may have looked cruel, but after what that soldier did he...well, we felt we were merciful..." Grima snarled. "After all, would you not do the same for Lissa?"
Sekai couldn't say anything, the burning shame he felt confirming to the two of them that he would.
Suddenly they were standing in a room as Naga laid on a bed. Her stomach was heavily bandaged, and Grima sat on a chair holding her hand.
"Grimleal...are...are you okay?" Naga asked trepidatiously.
Grima nodded. "Just fine Naga. I'm more worried for you."
"I'm fine...it's just...what you did to that poor man, I-" Naga began.
Grima sneered. "What I did was kind compared to what I should have done. He attacked you!"
"Yes, I know. But-" Naga's voice cracked. "But what I'm worried about is how you KNEW how to do that...that kind of magic..." She said, a tear falling down her face.
"It was in what I studied a year ago." Grima said.
Naga opened her mouth to respond, only to be interrupted when a door burst open. A man in armor came in, panting for breath.
"General Grimleal!" He called. "Humans...humans have attacked!"
Grima's eyes widened and he snarled. He stood up, turning to face the soldier. "Convene a war council. We must stop this."
The soldier nodded, rushing out of the room while Grima began walking towards the exit. Naga sat up, wincing in pain. "Grimleal wait!" She called.
He turned and looked at Naga. "Naga...I'm sorry. But I must protect our people. I must protect you..." He then turned and left.
"All we wanted to do was protect her. Keep her safe." Grima said. "And we were willing to go to any length to do that."
Sekai suddenly watched as soldiers...human soldiers, cut down people in the streets, manaketes he recognized. The once beautiful city was now burning, and Sekai heard screams all around him. Sekai watched as a human soldier stood over a trembling manakete child, only for him to convulse suddenly and drop his weapon. His eyes then glowed red, and his skin turned purple. Sekai's eyes widened as he realized the human had become a Risen. The Risen then picked back up it's weapon, and then turned and ran into the city.
The ground also grew darker, and Sekai looked up to see a giant dragon leviathan flying above the ground.
"What...what is that!?" Sekai exclaimed.
Sekai suddenly found himself standing atop the dragon as it flew over the city.
"An artificial body, created to house our power." Grima explained. "Our power was constantly cycling through us, preventing a build up of the power. It allowed us full access to our strength, augmented by magic, without any of the mental strain involved. We could also absorb the strength of those we devoured as well, growing stronger as we defeated more and more enemies."
Sekai watched as time seemed to play itself forward. He watched as battles were waged between manaketes and humans, Grima commentating the entire time.
"Out of regards for Naga, we tried to merely push back the human incursion. We figured if we showed our strength, the humans would realize they were outmatched.
Sekai blinked, feeling the newfound power. The experience was exhilarating. He felt limitless, unbound in any sense.
Grima smiled, and released a sigh of contentment. "Yes...even now our strength is growing."
Sekai also felt a slight sap of energy, a drain that was constant.
Grima nodded. "Our future self exhausted his energy to awaken us. He is taking his fill back so he may return to his timeline."
Sekai watched as battles around him waged. Grima stood in silence, allowing Sekai to experience everything. Sekai watched several human counties begin to fall, one by one, until almost all of humanity had been conquered.
"We were so close to ending the war against humanity." Grima said.
"Only one obstacle, one final, pathetic defense. We were sure this would end it. Then we could go home, and live with Naga in happiness. Little did we know that she had already betrayed us..." He said.
Sekai suddenly saw a man in ornate armor, holding Naga with the Falchion to her throat.
"The First Exalt." Grima said.
"Grima!" The First Exalt cried. "Face me or she dies!"
Sekai suddenly found himself standing on the cliff in front of the Exalt, only for Grima to suddenly teleport into view right in front of him.
"Release her." He said, his eyes glowing purple. "NOW!"
The Exalt smiled. "Not until you listen to my request."
Grima seethed. "Your...request?"
The Exalt nodded. "One on one. You and me. No armies, no allies. Man to man."
Grima chuckled darkly. "Suicide? That is your request? SUICIDE!" Grima cackled in laughter.
Naga gulped. "Grimleal...please...stop this now...come away with me..."
Grima stopped and stared at Naga, a tender expression on his face.
"Naga, you know I can't do that. Foolish as your attempt was, I know you tried to negotiate peace with this ant. Had he accepted your offer, I might have even honored it for you. But instead he has held you hostage, drawing me out so that he might die." Grima's arms cackled with purple energy. "And die he SHALL!"
Grima rushed the First Exalt, who quickly threw Naga aside and blocked Grima with the Falchion.
"What!?" Grima exclaimed. "This energy-"
"You've lost Grima." The First Exalt stated, quickly pushing Grima off him. He then stabbed Grima with the Falchion.
Grima stared down, shock at the blade penetrating him. "This energy..." He then looked at Naga, anger and hurt in his eyes. "You...betrayed me?"
Naga cried, pursing her lips. "You betrayed yourself Grimleal..."
Grima stared, tears beginning to flow. "For you...I did this for you...so we could be safe together..." Grima began cracking, his body falling apart.
The First Exalt shouted. "Seal him NOW!"
Naga lifted up a hand, summoning a large door behind Grima. "I'm sorry Grimleal..."
"For you...for our...child..." Grima said. He suddenly gritted his teeth. "AND YOU BETRAYED ME!"
The door behind Grima opened, and begun pulling him inwards.
"YOU WILL SUFFER FOR THIS!" Grima roared. "A THOUSAND HELLS WILL NOT STOP ME! I WILL RETURN! I-" The door slammed shut. The image then faded away, leaving them in a d ark abyss.
"She betrayed us." Grima seethed. "Everything we did was for her, and she betrayed us. We swore we would avenge ourselves and our kind."
Sekai blinked. "But...you were sealed away. How did you escape?"
Grima smiled. "Oh Sekai, we learned so many interesting things. Such as how to detach our souls. We never thought we'd have to use it, but it did come in handy."
The image then showed a man, crying as he was locked in a cage on a cart.
"Is that man still crying?" A gruff voice called.
"Yeesh, doesn't he understand that's why his wife sold him to us? He'd rather cry about his problems than fix em." Another voice said.
The man gritted his teeth. Sekai then heard a voice.
Damn them. I'll make them pay dammit. Someday, I'll make them pay.
Why not today?
The man looked around. His voice again was heard.
"Who...who's there?"
Humanity is so cruel. So...pathetic. Why not make them pay today?
The man sneered. "I don't have the strength."
What if I give it to you?
"What was that back there!?" The driver called.
"You would just give me power? Why?" The man in the cage asked.
I know how it feels to be betrayed by one you love. I wish to avenge you of your wrong. In return, you will avenge me of my own.
The caged man nodded. "Yeah, sure. If you help me, I'll help you."
"Help you? Who's gonna help you?" The driver called.
"Ah leave him be. He's gone mad." Another voice said.
Good.
The man then shook violently as a shadow flew into his mouth. He convulsed around the cage, breaking boards and denting the iron bars.
"What the!?" The driver exclaimed.
A mark then appeared on the man's chest. The same mark the Grimleal used. The same mark on Sekai's hand.
Grima's mark.
The mark soon disappeared, and the caged man stopped.
Hmmm, so your body cannot handle me? No matter. I'm sure someone someday will. For now, your revenge...
"Go back there and check on him!" The driver called.
"Yeah yeah, I'm on it."
The caged man smiled, and he lifted a hand which glowed purple.
"Your ancestor Legba." Grima said. "He was a useful pawn. We taught him so much, and he soon began to build the foundation for our return."
"But...but you led a war against his race!" Sekai asked.
"And? What did his race do for him?" Grima smiled. "You know...it is kind of hypocritical is it not? Here humanity was SO angry that our kind enslaved some of them, and yet here they were enslaving each other!" Grima shook his head. "What Naga saw in these ants we never knew."
Sekai watched as several humans passed from his view, a procession of them.
"I will admit, your family line is impressive Sekai." Grima said. "Some of them came pretty close to being able to claim your place. Your great-grandfather, Samedi, was the closest."
Sekai suddenly saw a man who wore a long, black coat that was tailored for him. Sekai recognized the name Samedi as the one who discovered how to raise Risen. Though he was never able to raise more than two, the knowledge he had written helped Sekai learn a great deal about the creatures. Enough to recognize them when he first saw them that fateful night many years ago.
Grima chuckled. "Yes yes, Samedi was ingenious. Sadly his frail body could not withhold Grima. We began to wonder if any would be ready for us. And then...you came..."
Sekai suddenly watched as Validar carried a small infant...him, into a dark room. Holding the small hand over a rock, Validar cut it so that some blood could fall onto it. Once the blood touched the stone, the stone cracked, and a dark mist poured into the infant.
"Once your blood touched where we had housed ourselves, we instantly knew everything about you. Your stamina, magical reserves, strengths, even your future appearance were clear to us." Grima said, a tender expression in his face. "Your appearance so matched our own that we knew it was fate. And so we joined."
Sekai then watched as his mother secreted him away when he was young. They hid in wagons and in caravans, always running...always moving. Sekai gulped as he saw his mother again. She'd had long white hair and had always smelled like a flower. Her deep, brown eyes were always full of compassion and worry. Even though they were always moving, Sekai remembered that they always seemed to be having fun. Things had never been the same since she passed...
"Your mother was an amazing woman." Grima said. "Your father may have believed her to have robbed you of your destiny, but he never did understand the bond we shared. Neither did she, but whereas your father only saw you as my vessel, she saw you as her son. An endearing thing."
Sekai blinked in confusion. "Why are you so complimentary?"
"I told you. We are one in the same." Grima said. "I have felt of your deep love for her. Same for Ron'Shin, Lissa, Chrom."
"And yet you will kill them!" Sekai exclaimed.
Grima shrugged. "Ants are ants, no matter the attachment. You will understand once the fusion is complete."
Sekai blinked. "Wait...complete? You mean-" His eyes widened in horrified realization.
Grima nodded. "Yes, that is why I'm here. I am here to finish the fusion of our souls."
Sekai blinked as Grima began to grow hazy. He rubbed his eyes, only to be shocked to discover they were transparent. Looking around his body, he realized he was beginning to fade.
"We are becoming one." Grima explained, his own form also becoming transparent. "Soon, our two halves will join and be whole. Our mind will be one, our thoughts, memories, personality. We will join, both the better for it."
Sekai tried to fight it, but found himself without the desire to. He had fought this his whole life, this moment, doing everything to avoid it. And yet still it came. And really, it wasn't so bad. He felt more like he was about to sleep.
Sekai shook his head vigorously. No! What was he thinking? He had to fight!
But with what? His energy was gone. Even now, his arms and legs were gone, his torso quickly fading away. Maybe he could sequester enough energy, keep a small part of his mind? But what point would that serve? Grima was awake, and he doubted the children now would be able to go back in time again.
He only had his head now. His mind raced, searching for an escape, but he saw no way out of it.
He had lost.
His face was gone, only his eyes remaining. Was this really the end?
He had lost.
One eye now. He began to close it, feeling himself slip into oblivion.
He had lost.
I'm sorry Chrom...Lissa...everyone, he thought.
He had lost.
...
And here we have my attempt at a backstory for Grima. Is it good? Is it bad? Well, that's just a matter of interpretation, and I'll leave that to each of you. I liked the idea anyways.
Also, fair warning, next chapter will have Naga's version of the story. Most of it will be the same, but from a different viewpoint.
Also, NEW COVER IMAGE! Found it and I was like...yes. Deal with it.
Anyways, hope everyone liked this. Fave, follow, review, and we'll see you.
