"Corrin? Corrin!" A violent jerk shakes me out of my slumber. I groan groggily, but I'm alert at once. Remembering my little brother by my side, I pull myself together quickly. He wakes soon after, glancing out the window. "What's going on?" he asks tiredly with a yawn. "It's still dark outside."
"Come quick, Corrin! And stay vigilant! Another world has requested our help." Hinoka and Ryoma stand before me, completely distressed. Oddly enough, they have their armor on, but their faces tell me they are tired beyond belief.
"What's going on?" I ask, pulling my armor on quickly. I sheathe my Yato, waiting for an answer.
"We don't exactly know," Ryoma answers. His expression is stern. There is no time for japes. "We've been asked to wait along the outskirts of Hoshido."
"It could be a trap for all we know," Hinoka interjects warily. "It's urgent, but we don't have enough time to get everyone ready."
I watch Ryoma close his eyes, mentally confirming his decision. "I say we go. We have plenty of capable soldiers here to defend the land. We'll wake Sakura and Takumi, leave a note, and go."
My pulse races as they formulate a plan so quickly it makes my mind spin. The authority in Ryoma's tone forces me to oblige.
Hinoka accounts for everything. I can see the look in her eye. She points to Domonic, the only factor that has yet to be dealt with. "Oh yeah, you might as well bring the boy since he's up. Who knows if we'll need dragon blood or not."
Domonic and I stare up at her, nodding understandingly. We get it together and put ourselves into motion at once.
XXX
As the sun finally starts to rise, we wait patiently along the outskirts of Hoshido. Our feet ache, so we shift our weight onto one leg, switching occasionally. We left without breakfast, and I can sense that all of us regret it. Freezing air slices through my armor, but I try to ignore it as I gaze at the rising sun. Wispy puffs of smoke escape from my lips.
Then a circle of light appears beneath us. We look down as confusion and surprise taints everyone's face. Mysterious chanting echoes in my ears as pieces of my body begin to vanish into the air, taking the form of tiny shards. Sakura and Domonic scream, watching their limbs dissolve, but it doesn't hurt. It can't possibly be a Nohrian trap. A wave of light blinds us all as my very presence fails to exist in this world any longer.
XXX
When I come to my senses, the first thing I feel is golden yellow grass poking at my feet. I realize that I am no longer in Hoshido, but the place we're in now feels familiar somehow. The air is crisp and warmer.
"C'mon everyone!" Ryoma shouts, beckoning us forward with a wave of his hand. I grasp Domonic's hand and sprint with him, keeping an eye on his condition. Hinoka encourages Sakura to push forward.
In the distance, I can see why Ryoma lead us in this direction. He's leading us straight into the fray. A white haired woman's arms are pinned behind her back by two soldiers. She's struggling to escape as Garon gazes at her without a trace of pity. Instantly, loathe bubbles in my chest. My mouth salivates with a thirst for revenge.
As the white haired woman hears us approach, relief cascades across her face. Her eyes connect with mine with a sort of longing, then her eyes widen. My god, I see her mouth before gnashing her teeth as she is detained more and more tightly. I stand between her and Garon, making it apparent that I loathe him and that I want to resolve this quickly.
"Lucina!" the white haired woman bearing a purple cloak shouts with desperation, fighting the men restraining her. "Lucina! Don't listen to him! He'll kill you!"
Who the hell is she shouting at? "Shut it!" I turn around to face her and yell when I grow tired of her outbursts. "I'm trying to save your life!"
To my surprise, she lowers her head as her lips quiver slightly. She looks like she's about to cry. I turn my attention back to Garon, my bloodthirsty father. "Return to Nohr," I command without a hint of falter. "You've already taken enough lives, including the late King Sumeragi."
"And your accomplice murdered my husband!" the white haired woman chimes in. Tears stream down her cheeks, and I feel a pang of guilt grow deep in my chest for her. How many lives has my father taken? How many futures has he ruined?
"Go back to Nohr," I repeat. I glower at him angrily. "You don't belong here. Leave and never come back "
My father grins, folding his arms across his chest. "Not until we get rid of her." He gestures towards the white haired woman. "Gentlemen!" he shouts, addressing his two soldiers. "Here before us stands the Fell Dragon, the Dragon of despair. We will all die and our homes will be razed if we don't act now!"
"That's ridiculous!" she growls, pushing and grunting. Her attempts to free herself remain futile. She manages to free an arm and holds out her hand. "That part of me vanished long ago when I sacrificed my life to save the land and the people we converse with today. My Mark is gone. You're hiding something, aren't you?"
To my surprise, my father shifts uncomfortably. The woman had touched a nerve. "It's not right. What you did to Helena and her family is unforgivable. You left her a widow and her child without a father."
"It was kill or be killed!" she retorted angrily. Mustafa was under direct order from the Mad King Gangrel himself. He would not lay down his weapons. We had to fight for our lives. Besides, look what you've done to my family!"
"Go home," I say yet again. "I'd kill you, but I'd only become a carbon copy of you."
Garon turns away, heading back to where he rightfully belongs. His soldiers trail after him. Slowly, he turns so that he faces us in profile and mutters something before taking his leave. "I'll be back, Queen of Ylisse. I swear it upon my late wife Helena's grave."
When Garon is gone, I feel all the tension begin to melt away. The sun is shining a little brighter now, making way for a new day. I turn to face Ryoma. "Take Hinoka, Sakura, and Takumi and head back to Hoshido."
Ryoma laughs dotingly like the big brother he is and always will be. "We're not going anywhere. The least we can do is stick around to hear the truth…"
XXX
AN: This is my first fanfic on here, so I'm not even sure if I'm doing this AN correctly. Anyway, if this is still confusing, it will be explained in the next (and likely last) chapter. Hopefully you can try to piece things together at this point. This is my best attempt at a Fates x Awakening story. It really helps if you've played said games. Also hope you guys don't mind Domonic being in there. He's not really an OC. Just a character that I thought would fit in here.
