This is a derivative work of fiction based upon the story of an interactive experience.
Any similarities to one or more stories on this platform is unintentional.
This story lifts concepts from several supplementary materials based on the original release. Certain details from these that many consider 'canon' have been kept, and others have been eschewed. I don't intend to reference any subsequent games.
"Fire Emblem: Awakening" for the Nintendo 3DS family of systems and all related characters are properties of Nintendo and Intelligent Systems.
This story was published under Fair Use and is not intended to infringe on copyright.
I understand why the older me kept dreaming, but it didn't make any sense. He looked back at me every time we met, and he was envious of me. I had yet to take his path, and he regretted every step I would take. He would share these steps with me, but I only saw these clouded stories. Every detail was drowned by a voice, a noise, a mockery of identity. The laughter of a Madman. Sometimes the laughter would die, and from the noise a picture would shape, much like the one that I saw now...
"This is it, our final battle." The dark haired man slowly drew his glistening blade from its sheath at his side. His vigor was waning, but his will was resolute. The dark one swayed malevolently mere paces away from us, his unnatural red eyes piercing the dankness of the room, as lively as when the battle had started. I watched him warily. This was wrong. Something was wrong. He wasn't supposed to be here. None of us were, and yet... The dark haired one turned to me and clasped my shoulder, breaking my train of thought.
"You're one of us, Robin. No 'destiny' can change that."
I averted my gaze and looked down at my own weapons. A Thoron tome rested in one hand, and a jagged sword in the other. A perplexed visage gazed back at me in the blade's polished finish - yellow eyes gleaming like a snake, sagged in exhaustion and worry, peered from behind brown strands of hair. My friend gestured to back to the dark one with his blade. A wry smile spread over the sorcerer's dark skin and his brow lifted in amusement.
How many years have we chased after this man and his machinations? How long has his scowl haunted me? This is no mere enemy, I know in my heart that I hate this man. I know that even as a soldier, even with all my resolve, something deep-seated and petty is driving me forward. Does my friend know this? Somehow I doubted his words. This all ate at me, even as I sheathed my sword and readied the familiar tome from my side. The dark one readied a sinister tome of his own.
My companion lowered his blade and poised to strike. "Now let's kill this dastard and be done with it!" And with that he charged, headfirst as always, and his battlecry echoed from the many stone pillars that surrounded us. Any and all inhibition finally thrown to the wind, I pulled up my hood and ran after him.
My companion and the sorcerer finally clashed. His blade swung and caught the dark one's talons. The dark one's red eyes flared and he released the blade. His lanky frame swiftly removed itself from each stroke of the sacred blade and caught the tip with blue energy from his hands. The sorcerer shot a bolt of magic at my companion. He narrowly dodged and continued the struggle.
I ran to the sorcerer and flung a bolt of lightning. The dark one turned to me and smiled. He vanished, and my bolt missed.
"Up there!" I look up just in time to watch the sorcerer cast a spell of destructive force and fling it at my friend. It strikes him in the side and sent him into a pillar. The pillar crumbles from the force, but he pulled himself to his feet, barely, resting upon his sword.
The sorcerer smiled as he silently glided forward, claws poised to release more of his obscene magic. He straightened his arm and guided another blast to hit the defenseless swordsman. I panicked and flung one of my own, weaker, but enough to apparently cancel the other bolt out.
Dust and smoke rose into the air, and as it cleared the sorcerer's eyes peered out and scowled at me. Amusement had long left his face. I put my tome back into the long sack on the back of belt and reached for a sword. I charged into the smoke, blade at my side, and swung at the pair of red eyes.
The sorcerer lurched back, a soft violet mist rising from his newly compromised temple. His face twisted even more. I took another swing. He caught it and tried to swipe my face. I move to the side and disengage. He topples as my blade slips away.
"Robin!" My friend's voice. The sorcerer turned just in time to watch as my companion charged with his blade once again. He caught the blade in his metal claws and stumbled backwards.
The sorcerer snarled. "You... fools... cannot undone what has been written!" He always was such a zealous buffoon. He left himself wide open.
I eye my friend and nod. In a split second he knew what I meant.
I detach and ready my tome again. My friend struck, the sorcerer deflected, and I struck him. He turned to face me and my friend struck him again. When he'd try to face both of us -and fail- we'd both strike. Rinse lather and repeat. We continued this vicious dance of trading blows, attacking at every given interval for what seemed to be forever.
Finally, the sorcerer started to stumble. The various cracks and fissures in his body started to spew forth the rancid smoke. His eyes grew vacant and distant, and he finally toppled over to the ground. The farce that was his life would last not a second longer, and I don't think I'd ever been so happy since the day I was married. Nothing made me happier than watching this creature keel over. He crumbled and dissipated like so many of the monster's we'd faced.
My friend drew his blade back and stepped back from the body. He turned to me and let loose a weary smile.
I tried to smile back, but then something else seized my heart. I think at that moment I finally knew why I was so scared. Not of the sorcerer, but...
"This isn't over..." an unnatural voice screamed. The sorcerer's body jerked upwards; as if pulled by infernal strings. "DAMN YOU BOTH." The body let loose one final burst of energy, straight at my friend. He never saw it coming. As usual. So I pushed him aside.
As usual.
It was a direct hit. My body hit the ground. My vision fogged and pulsed. I rolled over and watched my friend run towards me. "You alright?" I felt okay. Nothing hurt at all, but that didn't matter. The pain racked my brain, but it made me focus, and I remembered why I was so afraid. I was afraid of me, and I knew my friend should be afraid too. In a way I've known forever, but didn't he know too? Why did he insist at keeping me at his side this whole time? Even now, especially now. Was he stupid?
My vision was guided to the dispersing remains of the dark one. It finally disappeared in a wisp of purple. "That's the last of him." My friend said. He turned to me and smiled again. "Thanks to you we carried the day." I had to look away. "We can rest easy now..."
My vision went dim. My thoughts started to scream. Everything glared at me in an ungodly light. I must have looked in pain because my friend became frantic. Whatever had seized the sorcerer had come for me. What was wrong with him? Didn't he know?! He should run!
"What's wrong?" I felt my consciousness fade in and out. I started to slump to the ground. "H-hey hold on-" And then there was that sound. That awful sound of rending armor and flesh. He finally detached, holding his chest as a bolt of energy spewed forth from the new wound is his chest. I knew it was going to happen, but I stared in disbelief. I looked down at my own hand and watched the last of the very same magical energy dissipate. I looked back at my friend.
His eyes carried everything I was afraid he'd show; denial, disbelief, betrayal. I wanted to scream something but no words could escape my mouth. And then...
"This... isn't... your fault..." He gasped as he bent the knee. I couldn't believe my ears. "J-just promise me... you'll escape from this place..." He started to crumple. What was he saying? Was he mad?! He saw what happened! "Please, go..." He breathed his last and struck the ground. A dark puddle formed around his shape. I wanted to scream. I knew why this was happening but I couldn't say or do anything.
Finally my mind met with noise as the picture died once more. My ears were filled with laughter. The laughter of a madman who had killed his friend.
I'll die before I become someone like him.