Endgame: Grima

From high atop the ground, the shepherds now found themselves on the back of the massive fell dragon. Fierce winds pierced through their armour and nipped at their skin, as they stared across the massive beast, seeing a marked area on the neck, no doubt the point where they were meant to strike. As they watched, Nathan's other self, Grima, manifested over the marked area.

"Wretched fools…I WILL DESTROY YOU!" The man screamed at the shepherds. With a raise of his hand, a purple aura surrounded him as spikes pierced forth from the Fell Dragon, impaling each of the shepherds.

"Aaargh!" Chrom cried in pain. "What…what manner of magic…"

"…Magic?" Basilio huffed. "This is…a damned catastrophe…He's weakened us all…he's to strong…"

"No…it can't…end like this…" Frederick wheezed weakly, "I won't…have our struggle…be for naught…"

"And so it ends, Nathan…" Grima's booming voice called from across the battlefield. "Do you see how frail these human bonds are? How pointless? You have all thrown your lives away, and the result is the same!"

"Rrgh…We're not dead yet!" Nathan managed to snap back.

Grima sighed at his counterpart. "Details, details. I suppose it's time for me to get you all off my back…permanently."

"N…no!" The tactician weakly sputtered.

"Well, you do have a choice." Grima purred. "If you choose to become one with me, I will spare the lives of your friends. Refuse, and you may watch as I rip the flesh from their bones!"

"…I…"

"No!" Chrom cried. "Nathan! Don't do it!"

"He's lying…it's a…trap…" Lissa muttered.

"NOW!" Grima bellowed. "I will have your decision! Will you stay with these worms? Or will you join me, and become a GOD!"

"Rrgh…there isn't really a choice here…" Nathan muttered to himself, before turning to Grima. "…I'll do as you wish! Just…let my friends live."

Grima laughed loudly as a dark portal formed under Nathan, sucking him inside.

When the tactician opened his eyes again, all he could see was darkness, aside from the other version of himself, sneering proudly in front of him.

"Yes, at last I have you…" The man triumphantly muttered. "Once our powers are joined, the Dragon's might…will be made whole, once again!"

"First, let my friends go…you promised to spare them." Nathan muttered, though he knew the probable response.

"Oh come now…" Grima snickered, "We both knew that wasn't going to happen. But I am not altogether cruel…after all, I did spare you the pain of damning them openly."

"Rrgh…Damn you!" Nathan spat.

The alternate Nathan laughed. "In truth, I simply don't understand why you would care so deeply for these creatures…but it is no matter. Your soul is mine now, and you cannot escape. Your mind will descend into the shadow of my own!"

"Never! I won't let you!" Nathan cried.

"Very well, I suppose, I should end you first!" Grima roared, blasting Nathan with dark magic, sending the tactician collapsing to the ground.

"It's…so dark…" Nathan weakly muttered, "I have…no strategy…no final tricks…up my sleeve…I'm so sorry, everyone…he…has…won…"

The tactician lay in silence for a moment, utterly defeated, before he could hear faint voices calling out within the darkness.

"…What…what is that?" He managed to weakly mumble.

The voices continued to get louder, as Nathan started to be able to make out what they were saying.

"FIGHT BACK!" He heard. "You have to keep fighting!"

"What the…that…that's Chrom's voice!" The tactician realized.

"FIGHT BACK, NATHAN!" Chrom called into the darkness. "You swore to do so, remember? So keep your damn word!"

Nathan slowly got up as more and more voices called out to him in the darkness. Grima looked around in panic, unable to figure out where the voices were coming from.

"Come back to me, Nathan, I need you! You're meant to be with me forever, not with some crazy dragon man!" Lissa pleaded.

"I know it would take more than this to stop you, Milord!" Frederick yelled.

"Remember the days we all spent together!" Sumia shouted.

"Answer us, Nathan!" Lon'qu cried.

"Please, Nathan! You're too important to me!" Ricken called.

"You have earned my trust and utmost respect, sir!" Lucina yelled. "Now return to us!"

"Pull it together, boy!" Basilio bellowed. "Death is overrated, believe me!"

"Remember all the days we spent together and come on back now, y'hear?" Donnel cried.

"You don't bow to dragons…you break 'em!" Flavia called.

"True heroes find strength in the darkest hour!" Cynthia shouted. "You can do it, Nathan!"

"Heed not the dark's eerie call, father!" Owain pleaded. "Summon forth the strength inside you, the strength you passed down to me!"

"Father!" Morgan yelled. "You mean everything to me! I can't lose you again!"

"SILENCE!" Grima screamed. "You are all powerless! Frail! Insignificant!"

"Return to us, Nathan, and prove that your bond with us is stronger than even the fell dragon's might!" Chrom cried.

"Chrom!" Nathan yelled, pausing for a moment, before a huge smile broke out on his face. "…I'm coming, Chrom! Hold on!"

Nathan felt himself warp once again, now back on the fell dragon, seeing Grima had reappeared as well, staring them down from across the battlefield. The spikes that had pierced the shepherds had faded, and they all glowed in a white light as they felt themselves being healed while Naga spoke to them from within their minds.

"Children of man, take my power!" She told them. "Rise, and defeat the fell dragon!"

"RRRAAAGH!" Grima roared, summoning powerful risen all over the back of the fell dragon.

"FOR YLISSE! AND FOR THE WHOLE WORLD!" Chrom cried, raising Falchion high above his head. "CHARGE!"

There was an emphatic yell from the rest of the group as the shepherds charged into the fray, one final time. The group did their best to stick together while fiercely outnumbered, trying to muscle their way to Grima's position. Nathan and Chrom spearheaded the assault, both hoping they could put an end to the fell dragon before the other got a chance.

"It doesn't look like there's gonna be an end to these guys!" Basilio bellowed as he slammed his axe through some of the risen warriors. "Chrom, Nathan, Grima's all yours! The rest of us will keep you covered!"

Nathan looked over at the others, seeing Lissa, Morgan and Owain fighting alongside each other as a tight unit, handling their own. One risen managed to sneak through their assault, but was quickly struck down by a thrown silver lance from Frederick, who was fighting nearby. The great knight nodded to Nathan, knowing what the tactician had to do.

The brown haired- boy turned to Chrom. "Let's go." The Exalt nodded back to him as they charged into the hordes of Risen guarding Grima, slashing through the undead creatures.

"Alright, let's keep those risen off their backs!" Basilio called, pulling a bow off his back and beginning to pick off as many as he could while the pair dashed towards Grima. "Come on, everyone, work together!"

The remaining shepherds pooled their efforts into taking out the risen who approached Chrom and Nathan, sending in blasts of magical attacks, cutting down the beasts with their blades, or sending in showers of arrows to snipe down any aerial support that tried to lay a hand on the tactician and Exalt.

Meanwhile, the two were making progress towards Grima as the fell dragon host sneered at them, watching the two as they made their approach.

"You would be fools, to think it that easy to defeat me!" He roared, summoning more risen to the battlefield. These undead creatures, however, were undead assassins from ages past, with unmatched speed. They dashed around and over their fellow risen, finally getting close enough to engage with Chrom and Nathan. Unfortunately for them, the shepherds' forces had a man who was even faster.

"Be silent!" Lon'qu growled, quickly striking down the risen assassins, who had nearly caught Nathan and Chrom off guard. Another wave of the beasts was blown away by a powerful burst of wind magic, thanks to Ricken, who gave a wink to his two friends. A single risen assassin had managed to sneak through Lon'qu's attacks, only to meet his end by a quick slash from the sword of Donnel.

"Whoo-ee!" The Villager cooed. "These dang folks just keep on comin'!"

"Get moving, you two!" Lon'qu chided to Chrom and Nathan. "We can't hold these foes off forever!"

"YES, COME AND MEET YOUR DEATH, WORTHLESS FOOLS!" Grima roared. At that point, the risen stopped attacking, and parted down the middle, giving a path for Nathan and Chrom directly to the alternate Nathan.

"Well, that sure is kind of him…" Nathan joked, as he and the Exalt walked down the newly formed pathway to face the fell dragon incarnate.

"There is only one battle here that must be fought," The man sneered, raising a hand to cause all the risen on the back of the fell dragon to vanish. "The two of you, against me. Take your one last foolish try at changing your fates, and realize that destiny cannot be unraveled as I crush you!" He yelled, drawing his own version of Mystletainn off his back, which looked identical to Nathan's blade apart from being black and purple in colour.

A purple barrier, just like the one Validar had used, was summoned behind the three combatants, cutting them off from the rest of the shepherds. The only difference between Validar's magic and that used by Grima was that this barrier was completely solid, forming a murky dome over the fighters, not allowing anyone else to see inside.

The alternate Nathan then raised his arm, summoning up spikes from the back of the fell dragon yet again, which Nathan and Chrom managed to avoid. The two dashed in, and clashed their blades against Grima's, while the other shepherds waited to know the outcome of the fight, knowing the result would determine the future of their world.

Grima used a combination of dark magic and his swordsmanship to fend off the tactician and Exalt, being able to more than handle his own against the pair. His defensive tactics were airtight, with blows that the two managed to land giving the fell dragon incarnate hardly a scratch.

"He has to have a weak point somewhere, no magic can be that strong!" Chrom panted as Grima laughed maniacally.

"Fools, this is no magic!" The man bellowed. "This is the power of a GOD!"

"Yeah? Well I happen to have that too!" Chrom cried, swinging Falchion and charging at the alternate Nathan one more time.

"Cover for me!" The Exalt cried to the tactician from his timeline, who nodded, readying his tome and sword.

Chrom evaded the pelting attacks from Grima, who threw everything he had at the Exalt, sensing the power of Naga filling the man's blade. Nathan jumped into the fray behind Chrom, deflecting the magic attacks by Grima with his own spells and Mystletainn.

Chrom managed to reach the fell dragon incarnate, and clashed blades with the man, the dark version of Mystletainn against the Exalted Falchion blessed by Naga. The two engaged in a fierce duel as Nathan watched on, looking for an opening to strike down his alternate half once and for all.

In terms of swordplay, Chrom and Grima were evenly matched, each unable to get an edge on the other. However, Chrom had backup on his side, with Nathan sending in blasts from his Thoron tome every so often for Grima to deal with. This only managed to annoy the man unfortunately, instead of actually doing any damage to him.

"Rrgh…petty fools! YOU CANNOT STOP ME!" Grima roared, sending a sudden bolt of black magic at Nathan, in the shape of a spear, piercing directly through the tactician's heart.

"NATHAN!" Chrom screamed, looking on as the man fell to his knees, coughing up blood. He then turned back to Grima.

"That was a mistake…" He angrily growled, swinging Falchion in front of himself.

"Oh?" The fell dragon incarnate taunted. "Come, die on my blade, and maybe you'll finally realize that you are all helpless against me!"

"RRRAAAGH!" Chrom yelled, his body flaring up as he could feel the power of Naga coursing through his veins, combined with pure, raw rage from seeing his best friend bleed out next to him.

"I WILL DESTROY YOU!" The Exalt roared, dashing at Grima as they resumed their clash of blades. After just a few sword swings, Grima could tell that Chrom, infused with Naga's power and his own blind rage, was not an enemy he was going to be able to beat in a duel of swords.

The man sneered, summoning up another black spear in his hand, but was unable to use it from a sudden thunk of a blade sinking directly through his heart.

"W-what…" The fell dragon incarnate wheezed, looking down at the black and gold blade sticking out of his chest. Chrom stepped back, still holding Falchion, and turned around to see a panting Nathan, on his knees, smiling weakly at his sharp shooting by throwing his sword.

"It…it's over…" The tactician managed to sputter.

The alternate Nathan stumbled backwards for a moment, looking at the two as he realized his fate, and in an instant, he exploded into a shower of purple haze, sending Nathan's Mystletainn falling to the ground, clanking as it hit the back of the fell dragon. The barrier surrounding the three was broken as soon as the alternate life tactician had disappeared.

The fell dragon itself let out a shrill roar of pain, now beginning to descend towards the ground, having lost its power for good. Nathan felt his vision beginning to fade as he fell to the ground, only to be caught in his fall by Chrom, who had also picked up Nathan's blade, holding it in his other hand.

"Nathan, damn you…why?" The man cried. The other shepherds rushed up upon realizing what had happened, with Lissa, Morgan and Owain leading the charge, getting right up next to the man they cared most about.

"The…the fell dragon…it had to be stopped." Nathan managed to cough. "If I didn't…do this…I wouldn't…have been…able to…live…with myself. I'm…sorry…everyone…"

Lissa sobbed over her husband. "You-you idiot!" She cried, hugging the man as tightly as she could. "You…you promised! O-on our wedding night! That we'd be together forever!"

"Lissa…" Nathan sputtered, tears flowing from his face, as he embraced his wife one last time. "…I love you."

He then turned to the others, all huddled around him. "I could not…imagine…a better way to go…than surrounded by…such…wonderful people…"

The tactician managed to smile weakly, and move his hand enough to wave, as his body was enveloped in the purple vapour that had claimed Validar and the Alternate Nathan.

"May we meet again…in a better life."

And with that, and a final smile at his friends, Nathan's body disappeared into the wind, blowing off in a cloud of purple smoke.

As he did, the remaining shepherds were suddenly teleported to a cliff in the middle of Plegia, looking on as the fell dragon finally crashed down into the ocean with a booming splash, disappearing into the blue depths.

"The war is ended, my friends…" Chrom muttered, turning to address the group. "Never again will the fell dragon trouble our world. I owe you all far more than words could ever repay. Especially Nathan, who gave his life to save us all. To save all worlds to come."

"I…I can't believe he's gone…" Lissa sobbed, being comforted by Owain and Morgan.

Chrom turned to his sister, managing to crack a smile. "We'll see him again. I'm sure of it." The man declared. "Remember what Naga said? Nathan would survive if our bonds were strong enough. I believe he is out there…somewhere…and I'll find him. Even if it takes me the rest of my days."

Lissa rubbed her tears with her sleeve, and managed to weakly mutter with a bit of a smile, "Y-yeah! He has to be out there somewhere…and we'll find a way to bring him home! Even if we have to search every open field in this whole stupid world!"

"I believe the same, Milord and Milady. " Frederick told them. "Nathan is too strong to simply disappear. However, it falls upon us to take care of the realm until his return…"

"…He lives. I know it." Lon'qu muttered, cracking a small smile on his face. "Some people just aren't the dying sort…"

"Maybe I can work out some new magic to bring him back home!" Ricken offered.

"Thanks to Nater, I was able to change inta somethin I never thought I could be…" Donnel muttered solemnly, "But I still need him here ta see how far I've come!"

"Father…" Morgan weakly mumbled, "You can't leave me now…not like this. Come back!"

Owain put a hand on his little sister's shoulder, declaring, "I feel a soul pulsing straight and true in the darkness. The hero…will return!"

A glowing smile formed on Chrom's face at the kind words of the others. "Nathan has secured the greatest gift for us: a future." He remarked. The Exalt looked to the sky as he said, "Nathan, if you can hear me…you will always have a place here with us. Always."

Nathan's eyes suddenly snapped open, and the tactician sat up abruptly. He looked around, expecting to see Grima, Chrom, Lissa-something, anything, or anyone, really, but all that was visible as far as the eye could see was completely blank, white space, all around him.

The man also noticed that his wounds that he had sustained during battle, including the attack by Grima that had pierced his heart, were all gone. His body was glowing in an unnatural white that almost looked radiant.

"Okay, this is…new…" The man muttered with a bit of a laugh. All of his books were still stuffed within his cloak, and the only thing he was missing was Mystletainn, feeling almost naked with the empty scabbard on his back.

"Ah. I see you're finally awake." A soothing voice called from nearby. The tactician turned to see the divine dragon Naga, in human form, sitting on a chair nearby, in front of small campfire.

"Alright, now I'm very confused." Nathan declared, tilting his head slightly as he looked at the woman. "You were definitely not here a few seconds ago."

Naga smiled as a chair appeared out of thin air next to her.

"Please, come sit, and I will explain everything."

As the tactician cautiously took a seat, Naga began to speak.

"Where we are now is my realm, my home as the divine dragon." The woman told Nathan.

"Huh. You could maybe use…a few more…pieces of furniture…or something." The man teased. "Y'know, liven up the place a bit?"

"Everything I wish to have I need only think of in this realm, and it appears." Naga explained. "Like these chairs, and the campfire we sit at."

"I see…" Nathan muttered, taking everything in. "So why am I here?"

"Oh, that's simple. You're dead."

"That was a tad blunt, but explain, please."

Naga laughed slightly at the man. "When you defeated the fell dragon, and ended your own life, you came here instead of being completely dead. Your selfless sacrifice was a true act of bravery, so I decided it would be better if you came here, rather than to simply head to the afterlife."

Nathan raised an eyebrow. "Alright…but what exactly is there to do here?"

"I'm intrigued by you, fell blood." Naga confessed. "Tell me your story. It's one I wish to hear."

The tactician smiled at the divine dragon, leaning back in his chair and sighing.

"Well, it's a pretty cool story, I'll admit…I don't think you'll like the ending, though. My friends didn't…but what matters is that the right thing happens in the end."

"And that is…?"

"Why don't you listen to the story and find out?"

"Someone has to die in order that the rest of us should value life more." -Virginia Woolf

The End

So, this is the ending I like more. And, in my opinion, this is where the story should end. But, read on if you wish!