Grima and Naga - Plans within Plans
Three years before the events of 'The Start of Something Beautiful'
"And thus, with a simple move of a pawn, the checkmate is one step closer."
Grima sighed on his desolate throne as he returned from the foreign chill of Nohr. As much as a strength-dominated society appealed to the god, it was much too cold for his taste.
"At least that twin-tailed brat is out there executing my dirty work. Now the wait begins. Ah, still got the tactician in me, aha!"
The plan was simple, really: Severa would be inserted into Nohr, suspecting but powerless against Grima's observation while he remained in Old Ylisse. Once the time was right, or in the off chance that outside interference was occurring, he would use a fraction of his power to... yank Severa back to the new Ylisse.
Along with the rest of the Hoshidan and Nohrian continent.
For a god of his power, he admitted that such a feat would place a slight strain on even him. He reckoned he might even break a sweat-
"And what do you think you are doing, Fell Dragon?" Dammit.
Grima rolled his eyes as he rotated his posture to face the newly-arrived Naga by his side. Said figure was standing over his throne and peeking over the top, with just the top of her face visible along with her green flowing hair that floated in the dry winds of Old Ylisse.
"What do you want, Naga?"
"What, no hello?" Naga asked innocently with a curved smile.
"...Hello," Grima forced, trying his hardest to keep his face straight.
"I recognized the scent of a planned death as soon as it made its hideous aroma apparent to me. It seems as if you are planning a grand plan for the coming war. Yes, yes, 'I am a tactician at heart, plans are in my blood...' It does draw curiosity though. You have been doing well to manipulate your powers in the last few decades and I'm rather impressed." Grima smirked at his counterpart, relaxing on his throne as he stretched out his legs and arms. Naga waited for a while and with a forced laugh, conjured up her own seat of power and created an oasis of grass and life around her as her throne placed itself right across from Grima's. The fell dragon scowled in mock annoyance at the ruining of his scenery and pretended to block out the light and the grass.
"Can we not taint my glorious landscape with your... verdant green?"
"It is much too dusty and threatening here," Naga scoffed, decreasing her already subtle aura to appease her partner. Grima nodded in thanks and relaxed in his chair sideways as he stared at the sky mindlessly.
"To be fair, you haven't exactly left your green hill zone either. You coming here was the only way to see what you were up to."
"Assuming the fact that your machinations will involve a mass deforestation, are you going to tell me what my next downfall shall entail?" the Divine Dragon asked. Grima glanced back at her and flashed a toothy grin, before shifting to a normal sitting position.
"Sure. You may not find this one as grand as you expected."
"Humor me." Grima sighed and looked skyward as he cracked his neck like a gymnast bending backwards over his armrests. Even from his relaxed angle, Naga could see the nervousness in her counterpart's posture.
"Naga... I think this Robin is the one to finally put me down."
Almost instantly, Naga's breath caught in her lungs and she bowed her head in her lap for an instant, but returned to reality with a light smile.
"That... is certainly not what I expected from the dragon of destruction."
Grima nodded in agreement and restlessly rotated back to his sideways state.
"It's rather impressive what my human form is capable of."
"Did they just start?" Naga asked, staring at her cloaked counterpart.
"Yep. He's doing well so far; just rescued Southtown a few hours ago. As per the usual, he still can't remember jack shit. Well, aside from that dastard Chrom. But yes, he looked nice and cozy on the ground as I followed Lucina through the portal before I left."
"Before you left?" Naga asked, and Grima craned his head to stare at the goddess.
"Severa decided to be a hero in this iteration and didn't go through the portal. And I may have just gotten a glimpse into the future as a result."
"Do tell," Naga replied, matching her friend's gaze.
"First things first," Grima began, "In the... off chance that they do actually get me this time... I... I'm gonna miss you. Actually wait, no. I'd first cease to exist as a dragon. But if I wasn't, I'd miss you. From one dragon maintaining the balance of the world to the other." Naga smiled at the heartfelt confession from the formerly-heartless god of chaos, and nodded.
"I will admit it, I have grown rather fond of you too, Grima. I'm glad you aren't completely keen on destroying the world and everything in it anymore, as much of the chaotic good being that you could are...
But let us not be too sad that I finally get to win. Even if... it has only been a couple thousand years since you adopted the throne..." Appearing crestfallen for an instant, Grima chuckled at Naga's reluctance to play the game of fate that was in place since his humble existence began a few millennium ago.
"Anyway, goddess of sadness, I don't plan on losing so easily. Tactician's instincts and all. And I especially don't want you getting hurt in all this either." Naga perked up, questioning her counterpart in silence.
"...What have you done this time?"
"I may have pissed off a certain Anankos in this iteration." Naga held her breath but laughed after she couldn't hold it in any more.
"W-what? How did you even manage that?"
"There are so many divergences from the norm in this one," Grima started. "I may have screwed inadvertently with your portal or something because Owain and Inigo got sent flying across the world into a place not very Ylissean."
"Hoshido?"
"Nohr," Grima corrected. "And that's why I'm a bit concerned for us, though for you more than I. I'd rather you not end up like Byakuya and Anya did."
"You do realize those were Anankos' false forms that he created to swell conflicts." Grima looked surprised for a second, then groaned.
"That makes all the sense now."
"Did you never know this?"
"Hey, you never did tell me this small detail. I was wondering how three dragons could have existed in such close proximity to each other."
"Nonetheless, Anankos has fed off conflict since his existence. He is immensely powerful now, certainly more so than we. Us? We..." Naga hesitated, confused on the grammatical correctness of her own statement.
"Perhaps a maneuver of wits and might might stave him off," Grima offered in response to her stutter.
"To which Anankos would then certainly best the both of us, nonetheless," Naga groaned, "Though this isn't much of a surprise to me."
"Ah, so you were keeping tabs on everything, it seems."
"Correct," Naga replied, her smile back on her face. "And I think I know your plan before you even have had the chance to offer it."
"I really must be getting sloppy with age," Grima complained, chuckling as he cracked his spine against the armrest of his throne.
"You are but a child, you will learn. I would not appreciate you dying so... prematurely. You have a lot of catching up to do if you have hopes of equalizing my victories over you."
"What? I've plunged like a thousand worlds into eternal darkness and despair by now. Not to mention this most recent one. Do you recall?"
"Was that the one where Frederick killed you as soon as you said Chrom's name when you first met?"
"No, that was the one before. In this one, I let Validar hit me after pushing Chrom away, and then I killed Chrom with a Thoron to the chest, thus resurrecting my glorious self without danger. We're sitting in the aftermath."
"How civil."
"And don't even mention the one where I turned Morgan against her friends to serve me. I think that's the one this iteration's Lucina is from, actually."
"Ah, so that is what the portal I opened up a few days ago was leading to. Our current iteration."
"And here we are now, gazing upon my works and despairing. All one-thousand works and desperations."
"Yes, and Lucina and Chrom have put you down two-thousand times while that commenced."
"Remind my human form to stab them just a bit harder than usual, next iteration, if I survive this one," Grima sighed. "Anyway, I'm interested in hearing your thoughts of my schemes."
"From how I see it, seeing as you just dumped Severa in Nohr, and the seal you embedded in her with that... brief window of torture you had... you aim on creating some sort of link to Hoshido and Nohr as she begins her travels."
"Warm."
"And then what?"
"Ah, so I'm not completely readable yet. I plan on using the bonds she makes as tethers to the continent."
"And dump it on the Valmese Sea. It has been a while since that mass of land has been in its rightful spot."
"Certainly wasn't there when I started out," Grima commented.
"Anyway, now that I know how you do it... Your human form will find out about 'Grima' and somehow be redirected 'by your hand' to Anankos instead, engaging him in combat."
"Which would be a problem if the Falchion doesn't work."
"It won't. It was made to harm you and I, not Anankos."
"Well then I'm glad I brought the whole continent, and not the other way around like I originally planned. Robin and company suddenly teleported to Hoshido and Nohr. Imagine that?"
"Certainly not the best situation for our dear tactician and prince."
"Speaking of which," Grima continued, opening up a window in space for Naga to gaze upon, "take a look at this."
Inside was a young girl with white hair that had the faintest tint of blonde, lithe and limber but still carrying herself like a youth. She was holding a sword and sparring with a man a little older but still quite young. Obviously the man showed superior skill over the female but the girl's energy and optimism kept her viable in the fight.
"I've never seen her in all my life in Akaneia. Or Jugdral."
"That's because she's a Nohrian," Grima explained. "In the brief few minutes I spent away from Ylisse, I was getting the most curious premonition from her. The same as Chrom and Lucina."
"And what kind of premonition would they share?" Naga questioned.
"The type specifically embodied by one about to negotiate their sword into my ribs," Grima groaned, zooming in on the girl and focusing on her alone. While she was clearly outclassed, she seemed to be fighting with some ulterior motive. And being that Grima was not spying on her currently, he would need to figure that out himself.
"So you're saying that this girl-"
"Corrin, Princess of Nohr, from the looks of it."
"Yes, Corrin, a Nohrian Princess, will one day strike your human self down?"
"It's possible. Then again, do you recall how many times Lucina actually had the gall to poke me with her stick as opposed to raising her Falchion and hesitating?" Naga laughed at the girl's actions throughout time.
"She's gotten you close, once or twice."
"Out of a few thousand lifetimes we've watched it occur."
"So you're worried about this Corrin?"
"Quite so. If I go through with my plan and yank her homeland onto the Valmese Sea... I think Corrin may one day be staring across from my devilishly handsome self with a sword pointed into his heart and out of his back. Or vice versa, if you fancy treachery and skulduggery."
"That is interesting. So what will you do? Now that your few final days of godhood are coming to pass, you will soon to be free to live your human life like you wanted. Would you try to usurp Medeus' power again?" Grima shrugged, still smiling at Naga like every moment they shared as gods would be his last. It certainly seemed like it now.
"I think I'll relive my life in Plegia," Grima droned, "In the middle of the desert, away from those disgusting humans. Especially those annoying Grimleal. I'd have a library and perhaps a horse. And a Morgan. Definitely a Morgan." He sighed in want, but pointed a lazy finger at Naga.
"And what of you, Divine One? What will you do once Tiki takes your throne and everything is green and lively again?" Naga thought for a while, and smiled back.
"I think I'll live a life in Plegia," Grima's surprised but pleased grin was hard to hide, "In the middle of the desert, next to one certain recently-turned- human. But away from those annoying Grimleal. I'd prefer a library, but the horse could pass. But a Morgan would be perfect. Definitely a Morgan."
"I'd like that," Grima admitted, feeling for the small part of Robin that he so desperately clung onto these last years; the part that guided him now. "And I suppose a garden for a certain goddess-turned-human could be arranged. I can handle a little green."
"But that's enough of that," Naga sighed, rising from her throne much to Grima's disappointment. "I have a war against you to win, one last time."
"I suppose you do. I'll put up a hell of a fight, though," Grima guaranteed. "Hell, this might not even be my end."
"It's a lose-lose for me," Naga sighed. "Either you die at last and this world's humans live in peace, but another takes your place..."
"Or I plunge yet another world into turmoil."
"You know, in all the time's we've done this, Robin's never struck himself down," Grima realized.
"If he did, he would be here now, wouldn't he?"
"I suppose so."
"Why do you ask?"
"Because I'm having an epiphany, if gods can even have them. I've been put to sleep hundreds of times by Chrom or Lucina's hands... yet not once has Robin done likewise. Why is that?" Naga shrugged innocently.
"I've never told him there was a proper way to end it. I don't want you to go. Not after the good you've done in the few decades past in which your heart was of balance, not power." Grima laughed at his string of revelations, and sat properly on his throne for once.
"I... I think this should be the one. Not only my end, but yours too." Naga considered it, and looked at Grima sadly.
"It gets harder to hold onto, that heart of yours?" Grima nodded slowly, his hand over his chest where a certain tactician's heart still remained.
"All these years of death and despair have been rather tough on Robin's conscience," Grima admitted. "I think it's finally time for his happy ending. I don't believe he wants to play the role of every world's harbinger anymore."
"I suppose the Tiki of this iteration shall inherit the sacred throne, then," Naga decided. "And... I think a humble life in the desert will be a happy ending for us indeed."
"Well... Hold nothing back then, my Divine Dragon. Hell, maybe if we try hard enough, Anankos won't have to waste his time ridding the world of us lowly gods, 'cause we'll kill each other! Just know I won't be pulling any punches either."
"So be it, my Fell Dragon. One last dance, for this world's fate. Do try to lose with some grace."
A few months before 'The Start of Something Beautiful'
"That's not quite what I expected Severa to do," Grima noted, watching Severa/Selena abduct Caeldori and ride away from the battle, abandoning both Princess and Kingdom.
"But I can't pull her just yet... Or maybe I can. Her child... her husband, they'll still be in Nohr. That should be strong enough for me to grasp." With a brief exhortation of power, Grima ensnared Selena's mind and trapped it in Old Ylisse again.
"You were so close to three years too, you pathetic creature. You just had to go off and rescue someone that looked like your mom, huh? You know, just for that, I'm fucking with your mind. As of now, You had the hanky-panky with that ass-grabber Inigo or whatever the hell his moniker is now. Enjoy the heartbreak and confusion in the months to come. I have half a mind to let you wander here in Old Ylisse... Good thing even a sliver of my mind is superior to you. Enjoy the dirt."
During the events of 'The Start of Something Beautiful'
"How in the hell..."
Naga laughed at her insignificant other as he wallowed at his own human self's seemingly endless stupidity.
"Of all the things to do to beat me, he just so conveniently nabs Corrin and friends from Hoshido and Nohr? Not only is that dragon-manakete thing going to backstab him one of these days, but now he has like thirty divine weapons under his roster- Wait. Wow, I'm a genius. Both here and down there, in Ylisse."
"Did your plans outwit themselves?" Naga questioned, still amused at the younger divine dragon.
"No, no, don't you see? Raijinto, Fuujin Yumi, Siegfried, Brynhildr, and Yatogami. Combine all that shit, and that's Hoshido and Nohr's Fire Emblem! Not only can they kill me, but they can also kill Anankos! Now all's to do is for them to figure out about the old coot and we're in the money!"
"How is the choice to kill you of any plausible benefit to your case?"
"Because... Well, Falchion is a little out of my control no matter what iteration we're in. Since day one, I've been dodging your shiny little tooth and look at me, - a hundred pokes and countless naps later - still kicking it."
"That is hardly my fault."
"..."
"..."
"Hey, Naga..." Grima started, feeling the urge to destroy something again, despite his heart's wishes.
"What?"
"Corrin and Robin... I could really fuck with them, can't I?"
"I... suppose you can," Naga sighed, not having uttered such earthly words since... ever. The fact that Grima was in his bloodthirsty state did not help, either.
"Tell them how to kill me," Grima ordered. "My wish still is the same."
"I was planning to, when the time is right."
"Well, whenever that time is, do it with Corrin around. I think I know the perfect tragic ending for my human self." Naga frowned as Grima's carnal desires overpowered his heart once more. It was happening a lot more often, especially on Grima's last few days as the god of destruction.
"While here you are, wishing for a peaceful life in the Plegian desert." Grima laughed, and flashed her a toothy grin.
"Y'know, since my mind is so fucked up right now, I could split myself like Anankos did. I can let my heart run wild and free to do whatever the hell good deeds it wants to do, while the chaotic evil version of myself completely destroys Robin and Corrin's campaign for peace and hope. And fucks up Anankos, not to mention you. Then back to the wastelands with me!" Naga backed away from Grima, feeling the atmosphere shift dramatically around the Fell Dragon.
"And what will your heart say to that?" Naga questioned, trying to keep Robin in control of Grima.
"I think it will help Robin and Corrin, if it so decides. I know it does now, even knowing the fact that Corrin will one day betray him for her own designs."
"And what of me? Your heart is the only thing I have come to cherish about you, Robin." Grima froze at his human name, and bowed his head. His eyes cleared back, and Naga felt his entire posture change just from that one word.
"..."
"..."
"I'm... sorry. It gets harder and harder the closer I am to my own death. In some ways, me dying would be a release from this hell that I have oddly come to love. But then again, it's a release from you, whom I love just as confusingly..." Naga smiled, feeling Robin's heart speak for itself, instead of out of Grima's tainted perspective.
"It will be over soon, Robin. You'll get to rest soon."
"But... I don't want it to end, Naga. I don't want to lose you, lose this power, lose this life... But at the same time, I can't live with this guilt, this pain. I... I'm so young, and inexperienced at this whole 'god of destruction' thing. But I can't afford to take even another life. You've influenced me too much. It's fucking up the balance of this world."
"I am fine with the world being out of balance," Naga admitted. "It is recompense to this universe for letting so many of its' worlds crumble to Grima's darkness."
"It's my job and duty, Naga. I took this mantle when I stole it from Medeus so long ago. You are the only thing, besides the hope of a mortal life (also with you) after this, that I am not willing to lose. But if I forsake my duty as a dragon of darkness, I forfeit everything I've done, no matter how much guilty pleasure I've had ending world after world."
Naga took a breath, realizing the impasse that Grima faced. Thinking about his option earlier to split his heart from his body, just as Anankos had risked and failed to do, The Divine Dragon sighed at the only choice the Fell Dragon could make without losing himself completely to darkness.
"..."
"You promised me you would hold nothing back," Naga said after her thoughts. "If it means you will finally be at peace, then I will gladly face the last few days against your full, unbridled, evil self. Let your heart go, Robin. Let your heart free into the world you have sought to destroy. I will do everything in my power to protect every last life. Especially yours."
For the first time since Grima roamed her plane of existence, she placed a hand on him. Her hand right over his chest, he looked at her in sad comfort, knowing what was due to happen.
"The evil me won't play nice," Robin whispered.
"The evil you will never stand a chance against me. Never did, never will." With an extreme show of force, she plunged her fist into Robin's chest, pulling out his heart and causing him to scream in pain.
"D-do it... I'll take... C-care of myself!" Grima's body screamed as Robin's heart was cast out of him, and Naga quickly warped him to the closest thing to the Shepherds she could. No sooner did she do that did she feel a shadow-wreathed hand close around her neck.
"You've made a horrible mistake, you self-righteous bitch. You'll never see Robin again. You're dying here, alone, and forgotten, just like the rest of this universe."
Grima... that was his name. Everything was coming back to him, in pieces. It didn't take long for him to recall every explicit detail of his situation. Scanning his surroundings and the abhorrent abundance of pollen and sunlight, Grima couldn't help but scowl under his raised hood.
"Everything's so green. Why am I not pissed? I should be pissed." Looking up, he realized just how insignificant he was now. He was surrounded by trees, and the scattered remains of a portal lay underneath his feet.
"Smells like Valm. Looks like this is where the future kids bailed after they left Old Ylisse. Severa's still trapped in there, along with Calorie or whatever that lookalike's name is. Why do I have the urge to free her? Has Robin always been this... benevolent? Why am I feeling obligated to help her? Gah, I need some evil in me to balance this out!"
It didn't take long for Grima to grasp his powers that he still retained as the heart of a fully-evil god. He could do things his dragon-self could, such as display extreme levels of magic, interrupt thoughts and dreams, and most importantly, think for himself. Oh, and also importantly, see into the future, just like Naga could. Oddly enough, he couldn't tell who would kill Robin in this iteration. Corrin was thoroghout most of it, but aside from sparring, they never crossed blades seriously. He did find his human-self in a shitload of problems concerning the dream world, among other things. Grima laughed, knowing he had perfect control over that sort of thing. He needed to help Robin out and kill himself. Corrin could use some assistance, too, he decided.
"If the timeline I'm remembering is anything close to accurate, the Shepherds just recruited the Hoshidans and Nohrians. They'll be in Valm soon, and before you know it, that chucklefuck Iago is going to kidnap my glorious self. I need to find a way to help them while that happens."
Looking up one more time, Grima couldn't help but frown as the dark clouds of foreboding care over the shoreline. The Ylissean league would be right behind it, unknowing what they were about to go into. But past those clouds, he knew Naga would help him.
"Don't worry Naga. This world is mine to protect too."
AN: Poll is updated and I'm jotting down plot ideas for new pairings, as well as plot-relevant pairs. Everything is finally coming together in this universe! Thanks so much for the reviews and feedback, and I'll keep it coming! (I am certainly not making this up as I go along, and am definitely not suprised as fluidly all this can make sense to when compiled)
Owain always looked up to Lon'qu, even now. But why, why in the seven hells of Medeus, is his father that he came to love, falling for Hana? Isn't he supposed to fall for Lissa? Or does Hana resemble Ke'ri so much that even Lon'qu can't let up the chance of a second shot of redemption?
