"What should I do?" Lucina said to no one as she stared at the weathered tombstone.

Her deep blue hair rippled like waves in the chilling breeze. The breeze whispered around her in a low howl and wrapped around her like an icy chain. A loud shiver ran down her spine before she clutched her left eye and collapsed to the ground. Falchion slipped out of its scabbard, and Lucina bit her lip to keep herself from crying out in pain as a screeching unbearable pain yanked at her iris. Her nails dug into the dirt as the pain intensified only to then suddenly vanish. Lucina's lungs exploded as she stood there gasping for air. Sweat poured from her face like torrential rain onto the ground.

What was that?

Whatever that pain was, it certainly wasn't normal. She looked down at Falchion now on the floor. It laid straight up with the tip of its blade pointed towards the tomb. For the first time since that battle, the blade shimmered in a brilliant holy light. Lucina gazed into the blade's light. For a brief moment, her left eye once more glimmered in Falchion's clear blade. For a brief moment, she once again felt warmth. A warmth she hadn't felt in a long time. However, just as quickly as it appeared, the light dulled and the blade's reflection once again became clouded.

For a moment, Lucina stayed silent. She picked up Falchion and gazed into its dull clouded blade once more. There was no reflection just the dull tint of steel reflected in her eyes. She did a couple of practice swings as Falchion cut through the air. It still felt heavy.

She needed to find a way for Falchion to recognize her again. But how? What did she do to make the blade lose faith in her in the first place? Was it because she was weak? Or something else? She looked down at her father's grave once again and then back to Falchion

Lucina's eyes lit up as the log split cleanly in two. A wide smile spread across her face and her heart fluttered. She finally did it.

"Papa, I did it!" She beamed her smile at him.

He smiled back and patted her head, "Yeah, amazing work Lucina."

Her father's smile and words of acknowledgment sent a warmth fluttering through her heart. He believed in her. He had faith in her. It felt like she could do anything if he was watching over her.

Lucina opened her eyes as that memory faded into the back of her mind. She looked down at the small log in front of her. She pulled Falchion from its scabbard and held it with both hands. She took a moment to steel herself. The cold wind whistled through her blue hair. After a deep breath, she raised the sword over her head and slashed downward.

"H-help me please!" "Gawds could you BE more inept!" "It hurts...please make it stop!" "I-I can't move!" "My daughter! She's still back there you have to save her!" "She's weak!" "Well, you should've tried harder!" "She was all I had left in this damned wartorn wasteland!" "It's all your fault!"

Falchion suddenly became heavier as those voices began to ring through her head. For a brief second, she hesitated. Falchion slipped from her fingers and slammed into the log. They both fell to the floor unscathed. Lucina's heart sank as she looked down into her empty hands. For a moment, they flashed red and drenched in blood. She looked over at Falchion several feet away from her. Her arms slumped to her side. She walked over and picked up Falchion. However, the blade barely budged. It was as heavy as a sack of bricks. It took almost all her strength just to hold it in her hands. The blade itself was dull without a hint of a gleam or reflection. For a moment, she stood there in silence.

Just what was she doing wrong?

She nodded, "But I'm strong enough to hold it by myself"

Her father smiled "that's true but it was easier with my help, right?"

The weight of Falchion tugged at her shoulders. She was strong enough to hold it on her own but too weak to bear the full brunt of its weight. Mustering her strength, Lucina swung Falchion through the air once more. It was heavier than it was on that day. However, now she had no one to help her carry that weight. She had to get stronger to be able to carry that weight on her own. She couldn't rely on anyone. This was her burden to bear and no one else's. She needed to find a way to undo all of this. But how?

She took a moment to sheathe Falchion and headed inside the castle.

"...Baptize me in fire so that I may become your true son!" Lucina read aloud from the aged parchment. "Once the awakener has spoken those words, then Naga will appear before them and awaken Falchion's true power."

Lucina turned the page and continued reading.

"To perform the rite one must possess all five gemstones: Argent, Azure, Vert, Gules, and Sables respectively. All the gemstones must be placed within the Fire Emblem. The rite can only be performed at the height of mount prism where Naga's power flows freely."

She turned to the next page.

"Once the rite is performed, the awakener will be engulfed in flames. Should they be able to withstand the flames, then they will be deemed worthy of Naga's blessing, otherwise…"

Lucina's blood ran cold as she read that last sentence. A chilling breeze howled through the castle's library and sent a shiver down her spine. She looked down at Falchion at her hip. She turned back to the page with the gemstones on it. Her best option was to gather the gemstones and perform the rite. Perhaps, if she could speak with Naga, herself, then maybe….

She shook her head. If only it were that easy. The gemstones and the fire emblem were lost 10 years ago when her father….

Lucina breathed an exhaustive sigh and closed the book. Perhaps, it truly was hopeless. What did it all amount to in the end? They were just barely scraping by day after day while Grima's forces only grew stronger and stronger. She glanced over at the pile of books stacked on the desk. She picked up the one on the top.

"Shadow Dragon and The Blade of Light: A Story of The Hero King Marth" She read the title aloud.

She couldn't keep herself from smiling as she examined the cover. The hero king perched heroically on a cliff with Falchion in hand. His cape billowing in the wind and reflected the images of his comrades. The evil Gharnef in the back cast the world in shadow. She opened up to the first page and began skimming through the text. The hero king lost everything and fled to the isle of Talys. From there, he embarked on his quest to reclaim his kingdom and save the world from the shadow dragon Medeus. A prince who lost everything but was strong enough to reclaim it all and save the world.

If only she had inherited that strength. The blood of the hero-king ran through her veins. The same sword he used to save the world was at her hip. The same sword the first exalt used to slay the fell dragon Grima all those years ago. The same dragon that killed her father and now terrorizes this world.

She closed the book and once again looked at the cover.

"Please lend me strength…" She whispered.

Please lend me the strength to fight through this calamity. The strength to kill the fell dragon and save this world as you did with the shadow dragon so long ago.

"LUCY!" Cynthia shouted after yanking open the library door. Tears dripped from her eyes and quickly ran towards her sister. However, on her way her feet slipped.

Desperately, she reached for the bookshelf only for her to miss and face plant into a column of books. The bookshelf shook from the collision and vomited a pile of books onto Cynthia's head.

"Cynthia!" Lucina scrambled to her feet and rushed over to help dig her sister from the pile of books, "Are you alright? What's wrong?"

Cynthia peeled herself from the ground and shook her head, "Lucy, you have to come quickly! It's an emergency! Owain...he…." her eyes began to water as her words fell apart.

She placed a hand on her sister's shoulder, "Calm down, Cynthia" she said in a soft comforting voice, "It's okay just tell me what happened."

Was Owain alright? Last she heard, he was in Regna Ferox trying to help Inigo evacuate refugees.

"Owain...he…." Cynthia wiped the tears from her eyes, "was almost killed….by….by…." Her words fell apart again.

"By what?"

Cynthia took a deep breath and tried to regain her composure, "h-he was almost killed b-by father…."

"Wh-What did you say?" Lucina asked as their respective brands reflected in each other's eyes.

Well, this one was a long time coming. I actually had this one mostly finished for a while. I just could not figure out how to end it. Well, that plus school and then monster hunter rise came out so yeah. I've been a bit busy. Regardless, I hope you enjoy this one and take care.