There were times in her life where she savored her time alone. Not that she didn't love her time spent with the various quirky personalities that made up the heroic band known as The Shepherds, but sometimes (most times if she was truly honest with herself) time alone was the highlight of her week. When she was reading her books on battle strategy or contemplating their next course of action in the quiet of her tent, well these times didn't count. In these moments, the war was her constant companion and she could never rest. When she was really alone, no war, no worries or fears or responsibilities looming over her, she could breathe. In these brief and scattered moments she could clear her mind of the dregs of war and focus on herself. The dull roar made up of the sounds of camp life was drowned out by her sense of serenity. It was these moments she secretly lived for. It was entirely selfish, she did not shy away from that truth, but she never indulged to the point of risking anyone's life or their victory. If anything it strengthened her resolve to have these periods of respite making her better able to effectively strategize, which in turn allowed her to rationalize their existence. Those times of true quiet were punctuated by feelings of tranquility, calm, and every other emotion out there she could think of to convey utter bliss and relaxation. Just a few minutes here or there and she was ready to again don her mantle of obligations.
This quiet, however, this was different.
If she had to label it, the best she could think of was disorientating. It was odd floating in this darkness, soul bared to the environment. It was impending and elusive, restrictive and free. Whether this was the realm of Naga or that of Grima, or some twisted in-between, she had no idea. In all her imaginings of what the afterlife might be, this was certainly not it. It was dark and she was totally alone and seemed to be neither coming nor going. She was happy to find that her consciousness, though now free of body, was otherwise whole. She didn't simply cease to be, but instead found herself continuing on in a different plane. She didn't have to think hard to conclude that this definitely beat out not existing at all.
She had nowhere to go, didn't know if she could even go, if there was anywhere to go. She willed herself forward (she was simply a consciousness after all) and hoped that that alone would lead to progress in whatever this was.
Once the initial confusion, with trace amounts of fear and awe, wore off, she found her thoughts morphing into thoughts of her friends. Did everyone survive? Back when she was last of body and mind, she had no time to look back to them. Too focused on her own sense of loss, she hadn't thought on the possibility that loss had already occurred in the battle against Grima. Now her thoughts raced, cycling through the names of those that had becomes brothers and sisters in arms. Lissa, Frederick, Lon'qu, Sumia, and so many more. Their faces each crossed her thoughts leaving her mind spinning, so many lives that depended on her for survival. Was I able to save them all? Did anyone lose their husband or wife, their son or daughter?
What about my family? She wasn't there to say goodbye to Lucina (either of them) or to Morgan. Would they hate her for choosing the world over them? Morgan never did want to let me go. The thought alone broke her heart all over again. And Chrom…Chrom she hoped, though he may be angry with her (he would undoubtedly be angry), would at least understand. She didn't dare let herself think that he had lost faith in her. After all, she had promised him she would return, and by Gods this was a promise she would keep. Their bonds are strong, of that she had no doubt. She just had to figure out how that equated to finding her way back to them, back to her family. I have a family! The thought rose unbidden and left her with a semblance of something approaching joy for the first time since arriving in this foul place as she held tight to her memories of them.
-oOo-
The air was crisp and the night sky dark, but with the light of the moon she could see the clouds hanging low. The breeze blew her hair back as she gripped onto the handrail of the balcony, relishing the respite from the usual harsh summer days. Nights like these made her appreciate the fall and winter months more, even though she knew once winter rolled around, she would yearn for the blazing summer sun.
Looking down, the palace courtyard was beautifully lit by the lanterns perched along the pathways. Some nights, she and Chrom would meander lazily through the garden enjoying the privacy they were awarded. No one dared interrupt their outings knowing how precious they were to the couple. On some occasions it was enough for them to just stroll hand in hand, a comfortable silence lingering between them. They seldom had need for words, often opting instead for a gentle caress, a loving embrace, or a soft-spoken declaration of love. Her favorite nights were ones that saw her calming her heart as she picked leaves out of her tousled hair and smoothed down the wrinkles of her clothing, a satisfied grin gracing her face.
The thought spread a blush along her cheeks as she felt the familiar heat pool low in her belly. There's a place and a time, she told herself. Now is a time for family.
Turning around she walked across the balcony and crossed into the dining room. This particular room was simplistic in decoration, something she had to fight for. She refused the overabundance of gems, royal treasures, and antiques that the Royal Decorator vehemently declared were so vitally important to the room's decor. This was the family wing of the palace, thus making this the family dining room and she refused to see it decorated like some overstuffed peacock. A table that originally sat 20 was swapped out for one seating 6 (dinner never felt quite right without Aunt Lissa and Uncle Frederick in attendance). A chandelier lined with hanging diamonds was replaced with one made of simple silver. The cabinet that once held centuries-old China dishware now held family mementos. Ostentatious paintings of Ylisse's past rulers were exchanged with a single family portrait that rested over the modest fireplace.
The table sat already prepared, silverware set and dishes covered, and waiting for hungry mouths. The aroma of freshly cooked food wafted over her, drawing a growl from her stomach. Her family sat seated and waiting. On one side, Lucina and Lissa spoke of the dresses they discovered on their walk through the market while Morgan and Frederick discussed training methods to increase their sword skills opposite from them. Chrom sat on one end, cooing down at baby Lucina as she lay in the rollaway bassinette, chubby fists swinging through the air and answering him with her own baby babbles.
The scene brought a smile to her lips and warmness to her heart. She may not remember her childhood, her mother or father or anything from before a few years ago, but these memories were enough to make up for those lost. More than enough, she thought.
-oOo-
Pulling herself back from the memory with a gasp, she suddenly felt tired. Though the memory she had fallen into was lovely, she had seemingly lost track of herself. She had no sense of time here, whether it had been five minutes or five hours, or even five years, she couldn't tell. What am I doing here, she wondered. She recognized nothing of her surroundings, but then again what was there to recognize when darkness was all she saw? She knew she had a purpose, felt it really, but struggled to remember.
"It is the curse of this place. You are doomed to forget." The voice startled her, booming forth from every direction. She couldn't shake the feeling that it was a voice she should recognize, but for now she recalled nothing.
"Who's there?" she answered back.
"If you have already forgotten me, then I fear for your fate," the voice replied with a soft sigh. She wondered if the hint of sadness she heard was real.
In the distance, an orb of light appeared causing her to recoil until she could adjust to the new sensation. Steadily, the orb grew in size, spreading light throughout the dark place, proving there was nothing else here. A figure stepped through with long, flowing, green hair, tipped ears and an ethereal glow.
"Na…Naga!" she screamed out, recognition flooding back to her. It all came back to her then, why she was there and what she had to do. That she had forgotten…
"Perhaps not all is lost. You are not dead young one, simply on a plane of passing. It is only by the strength of your bonds that your spirit refuses to pass on. Though you must realize that the longer you stay here, the less likely you will ever be able to leave."
As Naga spoke, she knew what she said was true. This place was slowly destroying her by making her forget who she was. She had a promise to keep; she couldn't afford to lose herself!
"What am I supposed to do?" she asked. She hoped the fear and desperation in her voice wasn't as obvious as it sounded to her.
"The bonds forged between you and those you left behind were strong enough to anchor you here, but to return to them is another challenge entirely. You have a choice: you can either move on to the life after this or you can fight and try to find your way back. But know this; if you decline to move forward and fail to go back, you will be trapped here forever."
Another choice, she thought wryly. "That is no choice! I cannot move on with so much to live for, I must go back."
"Then you must find a way, and quickly. I wish you luck."
As Naga turned to leave, she was gripped with a sudden sense of urgency. "Wait! I don't even know where I am or what I'm supposed to do here. Please, you have to help me!" she pleaded.
Glancing over her shoulder, Naga spoke. "It is not my place to explain to you what lies beyond the world you know. I will say this: this is not a plane frequented by mortal souls. That you have found yourself here means that there is still hope for you. The strength of your bonds brought you here and will deliver you home. Have faith in that. You and yours have sacrificed much to stop Grima and for that I will leave you with a parting gift."
Once Naga finished speaking, she was flooded with a tingling feeling. It spread from her toes, up to her head and out to her arms. Wait! she thought. I have arms! And legs! Oh Gods, yes! Looking down she was excited to find she had been surrounded by her own ghostly glow that followed along the lengths of her reformed body. She was now able to cast out her own light into the darkness. She felt the telltale sign of tears prick at her eyes. That she could feel such a sensation made her want to cry more.
"The soul has no physical form. I have given you back yours."
Reeling with the overwhelming emotion of having her body restored, she was barely able to stutter out her gratitude. "Thank you" her voice cracked as she was finally able to whisper out the words. Looking up, however, she saw that Naga was gone.
-oOo-
AN: I had originally planned on making this a three-shot, however, this chapter sort of ran away from me and so I had to cut it off here before it ballooned into some 5,000 word monster. So as of now, it's looking to be a four-shot (is that even a thing?). This entire work is running away from me actually. This all started as a one-shot, but I guess my Avatar wasn't quite finished yet. Any who, thanks for reading! :)