CHAPTER FIVE

Adults

I'm at camp with the others, and everyone is staring at me. Well, not everyone, just a select few. Uncle Basilio is gazing perplexedly at me; I wonder what I've done wrong.

"Geez," he breathes.

"Excuse me?" I ask.

"Oh, nothing, Lucina—Gosh," Basilio and some of the other men near us begin to talk quietly.

I'm really confused.

I wonder what they're talking about. Have I done something stupid? Figures.

"What are you talking about over there?" Father grimaces and grips my hand.

Basilio grins at him and shrugs.

"Nothing you need to be concerned with, Lord Krom," when he says "Lord" it sounds like he's mocking him. Ah! That's what they must be talking about! Mutiny! But why!?

"Ah—I don't think you should be talking about that!" I gasp.

They flick their heads to look at me, mouths agape.

"L-Lucina—sweetie, we didn't mean… Uh…" Uncle Basilio stammers.

I frown.

"Yeah, you shouldn't be talking about that," Father asserts.

"Grumpy old perv," Uncle Vaike coughs from nearby.

I raise my eyebrows.

"Huh?"

"I thought that's what you were talking about. Go find someone else's daughter to fawn over!" Father growls. I've never seen him so angry at his own comrades. But—daughter? If it wasn't mutiny they were talking about, then what…?

"Stay the hell away from my daughter," Mother leans in to whisper to Basilio, and promptly returns to my side.

"Uh…Y-Yes, ma'am."

Even though they are technically the same age as me, I still find these people's conversations odd and confusing. Perhaps it is merely because I am almost twenty years in the past, and there is a certain standard of conversation I am not familiar with, but it would be nice to understand the gaping and whistling once in a while.

Mother puts an arm around my shoulder and lowers my head to rest on hers.

Being here—with Mother. I can't help but feel a tight knot form in the pit of my stomach.

I smile wryly to myself, and nestle into her neck.

Gimle's Vessel

Why must fate hand me such trials, I wonder. Why can't I lead a terribly mundane life instead of one stained with pain and hardship.

As I trudge up the hill to where my mother stands, I can't help but wonder. Why me? I force a trembling hand to trace the hilt of the Falchion at my belt.

I see her now, clearly. She seems confused; the lost look on her face is unmistakable even though I've yet to see her look so worried. She gazes out into space and only turns to face me when she hears my footsteps as I near her.

She smiles warmly.

"Lucina—what brings you here now? Shouldn't you be at camp?"

I stay silent. Every thought drifting around my mind urges me to not think of this woman as my mother. And yet…why can't I do it? I stare at the ground in the hopes that that will take my mind off of my actions.

"Lucina…? Ah, don't mind me. Please, just go back to camp. I'll be back soon."

I can't hold it in any longer.

I draw the Falchion and brandish it before me.

I lift my eyes to meet hers. Just as confused as before, she takes a step back. Shaking, I brace myself for combat. Here I am. About to kill my beloved mother.

But she…she has to. I—have to…

She is the reason for my bleak future. She is the reason for my lord father's death, for Iris' downfall… I—Why did it have to be my mother? Why…?

"Lucina—"

"I…have to kill you," I utter forcefully. "You are…Gimle's only chance of return. You are Father's downfall… For that reason, I must…I must strike you down. If you resist, I will retaliate accordingly."

The words are so rehearsed.

Hearing them part from my lips makes me hate myself even more. I don't want to kill you, Mother…Please try to understand. If I had to fight with you…

Mother's eyes never leave mine. Instead of backing away again, she takes a step forward.

"I know," she mutters.

"What…?"

Her eyes briefly flick down to the ground, then immediately return to engage with mine. She smiles gently.

"I have to die," she says. "If I die, Gimle will have no means to return. Your future will be saved. I—I know that. I don't want to kill Krom. I don't want to have to put you through such pain again."

My grip on the Falchion falters a little, but I tense and clutch the hilt with such force that my arms begin to ache. Blade pointed at my mother, I feel the tears begin to well up.

"So, please, Lucina…" She steps closer. "My beautiful Lucina…I…Please, kill me. So that no one has to suffer because of me. Please."

By now there's only a little distance between the end of my blade and my mother. It'd be easy to end her life painlessly right now. She nods.

I raise the Falchion as steadily as I can. She closes her eyes and heaves in a deep breath.

It'd be so easy. So easy, and yet…

I bring the blade down. It makes a clear clang as it hits the ground, spotless blade digging into the earth.

My mother isn't dead. Because I can't kill my mother. I can't do it. I drop the sword and collapse onto my knees in a fit of tears. I'm pathetic. I can't do anything—it's not fair.

"I can't do it," I cried. "Mother…I…can't…"

I bury my face in my hands, and after a moment I feel her arms wrap around me.

I cry into her shoulder pathetically.

She shouldn't be embracing me in such a way. I just tried to kill her. I don't deserve any such treatment. I'm not fit to be Krom's daughter, I'm not fit to be the daughter of a hero king and a genius tactician.

"Lucina," Mother whispers in my ear. She hushes me lovingly and strokes my hair. "My sweet little Lucina."

"Mother…" I sob. "I'm so sorry."

"Don't apologise," she says as I raise my head to look at her. She cups my face in her hand and smiles. "We'll find a way to do this without anyone dying. With us all alive to see this ordeal done."

"I'm so sorry," I choke out.

She welcomes me into her arms again.

Why did it have to be this way? Why did it have to be my mother? Why was she born a vessel to Gimle?

So many questions… I just want it all to be over.

"I love you," Mother hums. "So much."

Excited for European/ NA Release, anyone? I know I am, and I've already played it. Though I'm not too sold on Emmeryn.

Been replaying Awakening a lot lately, this time testing out different character pairings, but I can never seem to pair my FeMU with anyone but Krom. Or maybe it's the other way around. (I just don't like Sumia ok)

A few people have made guesses as to the pairings I used in this fic, which is based on my first playthrough.

And a lot of them have been wrong.

Krom x FeMU- Lucina & Mark

Vaike x Liz - Wood

Sumia x Gaia- Cynthia

Velvet x Callum - Chambray

Soiree x Viole - Degel

Serge x Henry - Jerome

Tiamo x Frederick - Selena

Olivia x Sol - Azure

Mariabel x Licht - Brady

Grego x Nono - Nn

Sariya x Libera - Noire

Miriel x Ronku - Loran

So there ya have it, folks.