Red

293 4 23
                                    

Sometime before chapter 6. Chrom

"Anna, please! You have to hold on! Just wait a little bit more!" I held my wounded fiancée closer to me, wiping away my tears in her matted hair.

What was she thinking?! What was I thinking?! This is bad! This is very bad! We...we just have to wait for someone to come for us... There's nothing else we can do...

In the dead of night, our camp was attacked by Plegian soldiers. Sure, we've had our run-ins with bandits every now and then, but they aren't out to kill! Trained soldiers don't take mercy. They're out for blood. We had the upper hand in the battle due to our numbers and knowledge of the terrain, but they still put up a fight! Towards the end of the skirmish, Anna and I went after a group of soldiers who took some of our important maps and plans. We managed to defeat all of them...but it surely wasn't easy. Anna and I had received a considerable number of wounds from the fight; Anna being the worst of it. She was covered head to toe in scratches and blood, and there were deep gashes on her legs and sides. Her clothing was stained red, and she's lost a lot of blood. I was the same as her, but my wounds weren't as deep. But they should... I should be the one unconscious from blood loss! She...she took too many hits for me... I tried my best to escort us back to camp, but we didn't even travel for 10 minutes before we both collapsed.

Now here we were: completely helpless and slumped against a tree. Everything hurt. I could barely feel anything. The only thing keeping me awake was Anna. I couldn't fall asleep. I couldn't leave us any more helpless than we already are. The grass surrounding us was dripping with blood, the vast forest seemed to go on forever, and all of the trees seemed much taller than usual. I can't...we can't...die...here... We can't!

I nuzzled Anna's shoulder and tried to make her face me. "A-Anna...please... Open your eyes... Look at me..." Her head lulled to the side, and her breathing became too shallow. I held her tighter. "Anna! Hey! Listen to me... You can't die on me now! You promised that you would stay by my side for the entirety of the war! ...And I promised to spend the rest of my life with you! Please, that can't end now! W-we still have to get married! We still have to start our family together! We...we still have to grow old together... Please...d-don't...leave..." I continued to sob and attempt to wake her; nothing seemed to be working.

Everything was fuzzy, my body was numb, and my wounds stung. N-no...I can't...black out... Not now... I have to-

"C-Chrom...?"

My mind immediately cleared as I heard Anna struggle to say my name. "Anna?! You're ok! I'm right here!" I stroked her soft brown hair and cried tears of relief.

"C-Chrom...everything hurts... I-I can't...feel anything..." she muttered, shaking furiously.

I held her close and kissed her forehead. "It's ok! Everything will be ok! Someone is going to find us soon! I know it! Just hold on!" I winced in pain as she clung onto my shoulders, but I didn't care. "Just stay with me for a little longer! I promise everything will be ok!"

Anna slumped against me and closed her eyes. "Chrom...can... Can you talk about our future again...? I-I want it to be my last thought if I don't make it..."

Time stopped at once. "If I don't make it..." She just said. My heart skipped a beat, and I forgot how to breathe. My Anna...thinks she's going to die...

Tears streamed down my cheeks. "Anna...no! You're not going to die! I command you not to die!" I cried. "Please, don't talk like that! I...I can't hear you speak this way!"

Anna didn't move. "...Please... I'm trying my best... Just, please...I need you to talk to me... I need you to keep me from falling into the darkness..." she pleaded. "Please..."

I stared at her weak body for a moment more. "...Once this war is over, I want you to help me rebuild what's broken..." I smiled. "In the midst of that...I want us to get married...! You and I would go around the kingdom as husband and wife...rebuilding Ylisse and mending its spirit!" I wiped away my tears. "T-then...I want to start our family... I want to have kids of our own to love and raise! I want... I want to grow old with you... I want to spend the rest of my days with you! H-how does all of that sound?"

Anna weakly giggled and nuzzled my chest. "That all sounds lovely... I...I really wish that we can have all that..." she whispered.

I kissed her head and closed my eyes. "Then stay alive and make sure it happens!" I laughed. "Please...just a little longer..."

We stayed silent for what seemed to be forever.

"I-I love you, Chrom... I always will..." Anna coughed up some blood and shuttered. "I-I promise that I'll stay with you for as long as I can... I promise..." She fell limp in my arms.

My heart began to shatter, and my tears wouldn't stop flowing. "Anna?! ANNA!!! PLEASE! I NEED YOU! DON'T GO!!!!!!" I grabbed her arm and tried to find a pulse.

...It was weak...but it was there...

I held onto Anna for so long that I didn't even realize how much time had passed. I'm so tired... I need sleep... But I can't leave her...I can't...

"Milord?! Anna?! Are you around here?!" Frederick's voice boomed.

I jerked my head up and began to cry in relief. "H-help! Please! She's dying! Help!" I choked.

Frederick pushed through the bushes followed by Stahl and Lissa. "Milord, are you alright?!" he shouted frantically, running up to us.

Stahl and Lissa soon followed. "Captain, what happened?" Stahl asked.

Lissa gasped and covered her mouth. "Oh, gods...those wounds..."

I looked down at Anna, and then to Frederick, his face conveyed an expression of fear and panic. "Please...help her..."

I blacked out.

...

I woke up in bed. My head hurt, and my body was covered in bandages.

W-what happened...? I rubbed my head and tried to think. "W-wait! Anna!"

I frantically looked around until I saw Anna on my right. She too was covered in bandages. Anna...you're alright! Tears fell from my cheeks as I saw the steady rise and fall of her chest. We weren't in the medic's tent. We were laying in an actual bed, and I could hear the commotion of people downstairs and in the other rooms. We were in an Inn.

I sighed and reached for her hand, clutching it tightly and bringing it to my lips. "You're alright...you're alive..." I sobbed. Thank whoever put us in the same bed... If I woke up and didn't know where Anna was... I would have brought this whole place down to find her...

I wrapped my arm around her shoulders and kissed her cheek. "I promise that I will protect you... From now, and until the end of time... I love you."

______________

And we're off to an angsty start! I have no regrets, I like watching my characters suffer *avoids projectiles* Anyways, I'm super excited to start writing these! I've been super antsy to write one-shots again! I love writing these, and I can't wait to do more! Thank you so much for reading, and look forward to reading more!

Next Prompt: August 4th, Window

Currently listening to: Fake Doll: Hachioji P & Hatsune Miku

Fire Emblem Awakening: August PromptsWhere stories live. Discover now