Chapter 12: Stay Awake

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We just had to stay awake... and not let the ominous slumber of despair take us over forever.

--Y/N POV--
It was time. Time to see if all of the information I had congested over the past few days could be put to good use.

To make a long story short- the moment I was discharged from the infirmary, I sought out Alfonse and Sharena, who were kind enough to direct me to Askr's library.

It took quite a bit of effort, but I did discover exactly what I was looking for: all about the dream world, the mind, consciousness, and more.

In theory, I could enter someone's mind- but I had to stay aware as I went into the dream world. In other words, I had to know that I was dreaming. There were a couple of ways to do this, but the one I had chosen involved having an anchor that would allow me to stay conscious even when I was asleep.

Using a knife, I made a tiny diagonal incision in my left thumb. This would allow me to be mindful of who I was and where I was while dreaming.

From there, I would have to imagine entering another person's "dreamscape." And fortunately, Lucina had described hers on many occasions, with shaky words after waking up in the middle of the night.

I opened my eyes, steadying my trembling hands. I'm afraid to say that "Lucina's" torture had taken its toll on my mental health. Muscle spasms had become too frequent for my liking, all because of the stress and pain this demon had piled on me.

People had begun to ask me if everything was alright. For so long I yearned to open up to someone, to have as many people as I could helping me free Lucina from her mental prison. But this was a journey I had to go through alone, to protect her from further harm.

The grey, unending hills that dampened a person's character just by looking at them, giving you this overwhelming feeling of dejection. I looked around my dreamscape one last time, which was, in contrast, the bright city of Ylisstol. Ever since I first came here, I had harbored a deep connection with it, as it symbolized so much to me. Tranquility, peace, homely, warmth, love. The countless hours I had spent with Lucina and my friends, just aimlessly wandering about meant a lot to me.

Then, I closed my eyes, dreaming up a vivid picture of those very same hills. I felt a cold rush of wind, one I felt deep in my bones. My eyes fluttered open, allowing a little smile to come to my face.

I had done it! Dear Naga... how could she bear to stay here? It's all so... depressing...

A solitary wooden cabin overlooked a hill seemingly taller than the surrounding ones. With no other points of interest in my current vision, I made the decision to trudge over to it. What would its insides entail? I would find out soon enough.

--Lucina POV--
A chill went down my spine as I felt the presence of another person enter my little world. Had Hel come to reprimand me? Maybe she sensed what I had done...

Footsteps crunching in the wet, grey grass that topped the hills of my mind reached my ears. I tensed up, prepared for the worst of the worst. A knock sounded on the door, before it creaked open, revealing...

The person I least expected to see.

The person who kept my heart.

The person who loved me all along.

Y/N...

His hair was unkempt, eyes bloodshot. But he was still the same handsome man I had fallen in love with that fateful day. 

Lucina: Y-Y/N...

He ran to me and hugged me tightly, kissing my neck softly as tears threatened to roll down my cheeks. We were together once more... even if it wasn't in our physical bodies, it was enough for me.

Y/N: Shh, shh. You don't have to say anything L-Lucina... let's just... just stay like this for a second.

And stay we did. For a while, nothing but the empty echoes of sniffles and whimpers boomeranged around the thin walls of the cabin.

Y/N: How are you f-feeling?

Lucina: I should be asking you that! I've been forced to watch every horrible thing she does to you!

His embrace around me only tightened. "I'm s-sorry you had to see that... I'll try to be stronger for our sakes"

Lucina: Y/N, please don't apologize... None of this is your fault, and nothing you say will convince me otherwise.

He broke from the hug and cupped my cheek with his hand, a relieved, teary smile on his face. I placed my one free hand on top of his and sighed.

Y/N: Anyways... enough about that. What on earth is exactly going on?

Lucina: M-My body has been taken over by... H-Hel. The physical embodiment of death.

I couldn't help but stutter as a flash of fear hurtled through me. If Hel ever found out about this, she would do unspeakable things to Y/N. And that was one thing I could never let happen.

Y/N: Death itself? Naga guide us... Do you have any idea of what we can do to defeat her?

Lucina: No... as far as I know, she's invincible.

He clenched his hands tightly, defiance showing on his face. "I won't allow that. Everything has a weakness. We just have to find it."

I stared into his hypnotizing eyes. Oh, the amount of times I had just let everything else slip away so I could get lost in them... Before I could even think of doing otherwise, I smashed my lips against his. Who knew when I would get to see him again? I had to make this count.

I bit his lower lip, making him involuntarily open his mouth. I stuck my tongue inside his wet cavern in a flash, making him moan softly. The beautiful intimacy of the situation wasn't lost on either of us. I just wanted to get as close to him as possible just in case... something happened to either of us. No. I couldn't think like that!

Our tongues clashed, two became one. Just me and Y/N, and nothing else mattered. For me, this was heaven....

When the need to breathe got too great, we separated, both of us red in the face from that exhilarating moment. "Luce... is there any way I could take you with me? Back to my dreamscape..."

I shook my head, pain on my features all too evident. "As far as I know, Y/N... I'm stuck here. I was tied to this chair by Hel, and I've only been able to free one of my hands."

He ran his fingers through my hair silently for a moment, obviously thinking to himself. I could see the frustration in his eyes. There was nothing we could do to help me!

Lucina: I'll be fine, Y/N. But now, you must go, before Hel realizes that you're here.

Y/N: I c-can't leave you! That's the worst possible thing I could do!

Lucina: I'll be strong for the both of us. You should too. 

With that, I pulled his collar with my free hand and gave him one last kiss, before summoning my willpower and pushing his consciousness back into the waking world.

I'll see you again, Y/N. I'm not sure of much, but I'm sure of that.

--Y/N POV--
I sat up quickly, panting and huffing for air. It looks like Lucy had picked up a few tricks of her own in her time in confinement. 

I had learned how to traverse the dream realm, but now there was another order of business- the defeat of Hel.

And something told me I wasn't going to find this in some old and dusty book lying on a shelf somewhere.

And if even the dark mage Nyx didn't know how to beat her... there was only one "person" I could turn to. 

Naga, give me strength, and gift me with your precious guidance.

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Thank you for all the votes, reads, kind words, and support so far! I cannot stress enough how good it makes me feel!

Until we meet again, 

-Fireemblem8cuts

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