Vincent: Finally get the first word. Screw you DH!

DH: *sigh* Really? You care about that?

Jem: Stop. Just… stop.

DH: Back to the "canon" plot, but with my twists still in effect.

Unrelated note, can we go one chapter with the three of us without something weird occurring?

Vincent: You're talking to me here.

DH: Put it this way, you pull that off, you don't die… again.

"Those are only words. They are half-truths. Less. They are lies. The truth is always greater than the words we use to describe it." Matthew Stover

Chapter 4:
Ambush

Lucina's POV

"There it sits."

Aunt Lissa turns to me. "What's wrong Lucina?"

"That great skull. I saw it once before, when Emmeryn was sentenced to death. Even then it reminded me of… him…"

Father stops walking. "You mean…"

I nod. "Yes. Grima, the Fell Dragon. A cataclysmic war ushered his return… It's said he fed on the souls of the fallen before turning upon the living…"

"So ends the human race. The future is built upon the past… But your kind will never see it!" His purple eyes gleam through the dust.

Your mother and father… are dead, tiny one. And now it is your turn… TO DIE!"

He moves to engulf me. I raise Falchion to defend myself, ready to defy Grima to the very end…

I shake my head, distancing myself from the memories. If Morgan hadn't tackled me out of the way, I WOULD have died.

"…Whether these are his true bones or just an effigy, I cannot say. But I know this: we cannot let that monster come back to life.

Hope finally speaks up. "We'll stop him. I-we have gone through too much to let it end the same way. I refuse to accept that we simply can't win. Screw destiny. We will make our own future."

I shake my head. "I want to believe that, Hope. I want to believe that, more than anything…

Hope's POV

"Chrom…"

"What's wrong?"

"Armed soldiers, in the shadows."

"Sounds like we have our answer already."

Validar and Aversa enter the audience chamber. "Prince Chrom! Welcome."

"…I was told you had something you wished to give me."

"My, my! No time for courtesy? Such impatience."

I speak up. "Sorry, patience has lately been something in short supply."

"This concerns me. The Gemstones and Emblem can be…treacherous artifacts. A fact Plegia and the Grimleal sadly know all too well..."

Lucina steps in. "'Sadly'? You speak ill of when the first exalt used them against the Fell Dragon?"

"Yes I do, INTRUDER!"

"Intruder?"

"You are not supposed to be her. You must be destroyed."

"Chrom, did I not tell you? Validar, this is a declaration of war."

"I will only ask one last time: give me the Emblem. Now!"

Chrom simply says one word. "…Never."

"Then this parley is over. Guards! Seize them!"

I shoot a bolt of lightning at the guards and call Chrom. "This way! Quickly!"

We meet up with the rest of the Shepherds. I quickly call out, "Plan B!"

Morgan's POV

Father gives the final order. "We have to get out of here now! Cut down anyone who gets in the way!"

Things must be really bad. We are in the Plegian castle, surrounded by Grimleal, and we need to fight our way out… BAD doesn't begin to describe it.

"Lucina, let's move."

The two of us, Walhart and Priam lead the group, shoving aside several small groups of soldiers. As our momentum stalls, we break off. In our wake, Mother, Father, Sully, and Stahl smash into the soldiers. Lon'qu, Henry, Kellam, and Ricken repeat the process.

All's well and good, so why am I feeling like something is about to happen? I reach out with my senses, only to realize the trap we were walking into.

"Mother, a bunch of mages with Mire tomes!" Despite the Mire spell's infamous inaccuracy, enough shots will trap us. I don't want to die TWICE to the same damn spell!

What if we turn it back on them? …huh?There are three of us who can use dark magic here. Us, Mother, and Henry. We simply send Mire spells at THEM. They won't expect it.

Can we really do that? Remember Henry's warning about over-use of magic. In moderation, yes.

I offer this idea to Mother, and together the three of us manage to subdue the mages.

Killing with the spell that killed me. Ironic.

The Shepherds manage to reach the enemy commander.

"Heh heh... Leaving Plegia so soon? No, please, stay awhile. Stay...forever!"

"No thanks. Never been a fan of deserts."

I charge at him. He brings his ax down, but it was simple to dodge aside and counter. My first strike landed at his elbow, crippling his ability to attack again. A second strike to the leg brought him to his knees.

"No!" I run him through. "Hyaughhh..."

With that, we manage to pierce the enemy trap and escape.

"Almost there! The exit is just— Wait. Do you feel..."

Validar literally appears out of nowhere and blast Father with dark magic.

"Run all you like—you can't escape fate. Don't you know that?"

Unbidden, both me and Lucina yell. "Father!"

"The Emblem. Give it freely, or it will be taken."

Father remains defiant. "Just try it."

Validar simply laughs. "I didn't say I would take it. HOPE!"

Pain pounds at my skull, and both me and Mother grasp our heads.

"Seize the Emblem and bring it to me."

I feel an urge to obey, but after my last experience with mind magic, I was prepare and able to resist. Mother, however, takes the Emblem and gave it to Validar.

Father was surprised. "Hope… What are you…doing!?"

"Well done, my child. At last, the Fire Emblem belongs to me. And with my Gemstone, it is complete! Now, to set the Table and perform the rite..."

Wait… HIS CHILD? THIS is my GRANDFATHER?

All of a sudden. A man jumped in, forcing Validar to retreat. As he turns around, I realize it is Jem once again. This time, his hair has been tied into a warrior's knot, similar to some soldiers I saw in Chon'sin.

"RUN!"

Lucina was skeptical. "Who are you?"

"A friend, NOW GO!"

The Shepherds manage to escape, but Jem stayed behind, to do who knows what…

Jem's POV

Shoddy soldiers. They have no idea what they are doing.

I managed to fight my way through the keep, only to find Validar and his proxy Aversa in my path.

"Finally. VALIDAR, SHE WILL BE AVENGED!"

The witch laughs. "Which 'she' are you speaking of? So many people have been 'blessed' to share their presence with Lord Grima."

"It doesn't matter. I know that she can finally rest when the man responsible for her death is laid in the ground!"

Dark laughter emerges from behind me. The hierophant stands there, a dark magic tome in her hand.

"Fool, you think you could challenge Grima? Still, you are an expert warrior. You will be worthwhile to make into a Risen. Perhaps maybe even a Deadlord would be the result."

I look into her mind only to mentally reel. That can't be…

With one blast the hierophant defeats me, and I know I am dying. As the world faded to black I had time for a couple final thoughts.

I failed. Hope, Morgan… the rest is up to you…

…Raven, are you waiting for me?

Vincent: You killed Jem… you actually killed him.

DH: Well, the version of him in this loop of Awakening.

Jem: *sigh* Did you have to bring up Raven?

DH: I love hinting stuff, so, yes. For those of you wondering, she WILL show up in The Soulseer, and she has several amazing moments.

Next chapter of this will start with my favorite scene in Awakening.

Vincent: Not to say it's my fault or anything… but the kitchen may be on fire.

DH: DAMMIT VINCENT. GET READY TO EMBRACE OBLIVION!

Vincent: what are you going to do, Holy me to death?

Jem: Don't give him ideas. Dark Habit calm down. You will just destroy this place.

DH: No, I have put up with too much stupidity as it is. This is the last straw.

Jem: While Dark Habit gets some anger out of his system, I guess I will give the ou-

Vincent: OW! Okay that hurt. Stop! Remember the pink h- OW!

DH: *fake care* Oh, don't worry. You will just come back to life, once again.

Vincent: True bu- OW! LET ME GET A WORD IN!

Jem: *sigh* Until next time. STOP TRYING TO KILL HIM!