She remembered her parents' departure vividly, as if they'd only been gone for a few weeks. It was in April, and on Lucina's 7th birthday. Morgan was only a year old then, which is why he didn't remember.
For Lucina's birthday, her parents decided to invite some school friends and their families. Her classmates partied for hours, and when they finally went home, the family was left to clean up the aftermath. By then, it was already around 10:00 PM; the family headed to their respective rooms to get some rest.
Being still only a year old, Morgan slept in his parents' room, where they could keep an eye on him. While her parents' bedroom was downstairs, Lucina's was up the stairs and down the hallway, on the other side of the house.
Sometime during the night, it was impossible to tell what time it could've been, Lucina awoke to the smell of dense smoke in the air. Startled, she sat up quickly and gasped, only to inhale a cloud of ash and smoke. Coughing and wheezing, she grabbed a cloth and held it to her mouth and nose.
"MOTHER! FATHER!! HELP!!"
Hearing no answer amid the loud noise, Lucina slowly crawled out of the door and into the hallway, only to be greeted with a grim sight. Everywhere around her, flames roared up; the wooden beams that supported the stairs were slowly crumbling.
Stumbling back onto her feet, Lucina could only think of her family. Mother! Father! And Morgan! Oh gods, let them please be safe...
Lucina was halfway down the stairs when she heard a loud crash and a scream. Mother?! Oh no, it came from their room! Please let them be safe, please let them be safe...
She sprinted into her parents' room, jumping over burned floorboards and avoiding burning areas. It's getting worse by the second...
There, below a pile of debris was her mother, trapped under the weight of burning wood beams and stones. Her father knelt beside her unconscious form; Morgan still safe in his small corner, crying.
"Lucina, take Morgan outside with you!" her father shouted, the roaring of the flames nearly muffling out his voice.
"No! I can't leave you and -"
"Lucina, go! Take care of Morgan, we'll see you soon!" her father persisted.
Terrified, Lucina grabbed her little brother from his cradle and rushed out of the room. As soon as she'd crossed the threshold, one of the pillars that'd been in the process of crumbling crashed down onto her parents' bedroom. Lucina pressed her brother to her chest and rushed down the hall and held back her tears. They'll be safe. They'll be safe. Father said that he'll see us soon. He promised. They have to be safe. She sprinted out the front door and onto the lawn, safe from the flames that'd been threatening to swallow her.
"Lucina?! Morgan?!" Lissa rushed up to her and wrapped her arms around her shaking form. "Oh thank the gods you're safe. When I saw that fire, I thought... Wait, where's Chrom and Robin?"
Lucina didn't answer, tears in her eyes.
"Lucina! Where are they?!" Lissa asked, panicked, shaking her shoulders.
"I... They're still in there! I need to go save them!" Lucina cried hysterically. She dumped Morgan into Lissa's arms and started to run back into the house.
Another pair of arms grabbed her around the waist and prevented her from running. "Lucina... you can't." Her uncle spoke softly, but the grief audible in his voice. When Lucina looked up at Frederick, there were tears threatening to spill from his eyes.
But Uncle Frederick never cries...
She stopped struggling and collapsed against her uncle, defeated.
By now, there was a whole crowd of people standing in front of the house, talking excitedly while watching it burn. Darkness seemed to deep into her mind, shutting everyone out. Why can't everyone just go away? They don't care at all about Mother and Father... They just want to gossip... She could hear a faraway wailing of a fire truck's siren, people were crowding around her, Lissa and Frederick pushed them away, leading her to a quiet space...
After much investigation held by the police, they found what'd caused the fire. When Lucina had blown out the candles on her cake, one of the candles didn't get extinguished correctly. They were thrown in the trash bin where they'd lain smoking for hours, until the smoke began to grow hotter and hotter until it lit the whole bin on fire. The fire spread through the whole room, and by the time Lucina had woken up, it was too late.
"Lucina, wake up, we're here now," Lissa said, shaking her awake.
"Wha- oh, that's right." Lucina unclipped her safety belt and gets out of the car. Morgan was already standing outside, staring at the golden field before them.
"Luci?" Morgan asked quietly.
"Yes, Morgs?" Lucina turning towards him, smiling softly.
"Why did they choose this to be their resting place? I mean, of all the places, why some random field?" Lucina thought for a while.
"Well, for them, it wasn't some random field... I think that this was the place where they first met..."
Morgan looks at Lucina.
"Where would you want to rest when you die then?"
Lucina grinned, "Wherever you, Mother, and Father are, of course. Come on, follow me. I think they're around there somewhere..."
Lissa starts to follow the two of them, but is stopped by Frederick.
"Leave them be for now. They should say good bye themselves."
Lucina leads Morgan over to the shade of a cherry tree. The flowers were in full bloom, pink petals raining down onto the two graves. They were made of plain marble, but the simplicity made them beautiful. Lucina and Morgan knelt down in front of the graves.
Here rests Chrom Lowell,
A loving and unforgettable father, husband, and brother
His life a beautiful memory, his absence a silent grief.
May 27, 1970 - April 20, 2007
----
Here rests Robin Fellbrand Lowell,
A kind and compassionate mother, wife, and sister-in-law
There was grace in her steps, love in every gesture.
December 2, 1969 - April 20, 2007
"So this is where they've been all this time," Morgan smiles. "And the place where we'll one day be..."
A day that I may perhaps look forward to... To see Mother and Father again, is like a dream... Maybe oneday...
A clap of thunder shook Lucina out of her thoughts. A single rain drop fell down onto her face, mixing in with her tears.
"When did it start raining? Morgan, come on!" Lucina grabs his hand and they both start running to where Lissa and Frederick are. The raindrops were now coming down harder, every drop of water felt as if needles were pricking their skin.
Lucina and Morgan finally made it to the safety of the car, soaking wet.
"Everyone okay over there?" Lissa asked, worried. Lucina and Morgan gasped for breath.
"Y-yeah, I think so," Morgan said, breathless.
"How about you, Lucina?"
"I think I'm okay, but I wonder why it all of a sudden just started raining..." Lucina frowned.
Lissa shrugged.
"Is everyone ready?"
Frederick nodded, and Lissa drove off.
They drove onto several roads until the reached the highway, by now there was a thick fog surrounding the area and the ground was wet and slippery. Their small car was on the very left side of the road, driving carefully and slowly. A semi truck glides beside them. Lucina craned her neck to get a good look at the driver through the heavy fog; his eyes are rolled upwards, foam dripping from his mouth. Lucina's eyes widened and her heart squeezed with terror, He's dead. And if he's dead then ---
There was a loud crash, followed by a sudden pain in her chest. Lucina coughed, tasting blood in her mouth, her vision slowly dimming. She could hear someone shouting, but everything was muffled, as if someone had placed earmuffs over her ears.
This is the end isn't it?
The part where I die...
I'll see Mother and Father again.
----
"1 hour ago, there was a fatal accident on Interstate Highway 419 in which two children were killed immediately, but the two adults in the car survived. The driver that drove the semi truck into their car was found dead upon the scene; specialists say that he died of a heart attack while driving..."
Lissa was in a hospital bed, recovering from her injuries, and sobbing. First Chrom and Luna, now Lucina and Morgan... How many more loved ones will be taken away from us? Frederick pressed her against his chest, letting her cry it all out. He looked up towards Heaven, a hopeful prayer lingering in his mind. But, wherever they are, I'm sure they're happy...
---
"Chrom, we have to do something."
"What do you propose we do?"
"I don't know!"
Lucina slowly opens her eyes. Her eyes widened, unable to process what she was seeing.
Father? Mother? But that's impossible, I... Lucina recounts the events that'd happened right before she'd woken up. So, I'm dead... I'm finally in Paradise... but... I've also left Aunt Lissa and Uncle Frederick behind as well, haven't I? I will miss them... but... even so...
Her father smiled.
"There are better places to take a nap than on the ground you know." he grinned down at Lucina. It was as if a day hadn't passed since she last saw him; she recognized the blue hair that she'd and Morgan had inherited, his cobalt eyes still full of kindness.
Beside him stood her mother who beams happily, her milky white hair tumbling over her shoulders; brown eyes still sparkling with intelligence.
Looking at Morgan situated behind their mother, Lucina saw how the two looked so similar. They shared the same wit hidden behind their caramel eyes; if her mother had lived long enough, Morgan would've looked up to her.
Her father extended a hand, hoisting Lucina up from the ground.
"Welcome home, Luci."
Lucina, with tears in her eyes, flung her arms around her mother, father, and little brother.
...I'm home now.
~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~
A/N
Main cast:
- Lucina Lowell
- Morgan Lowell
Side characters:
- Lissa Lowell Wary
- Frederick T. Wary (Frederick The Wary)
- Chrom Lowell
- Luna Robins Lowell
The whole family:
Did anyone else catch some symbolism in the story? Like the cherry trees (apparently they stand for AWAKENINGS and rebirth, as well as some other stuff), and Interstate Highway 419 (as in 4/19, the day Fire Emblem Awakening was first released in Japan), AND OF COURSE CHROM SAYING "THERE ARE BETTER PLACES TO TAKE A NAP THAN ON THE GROUND YOU KNOW." And other stuff :P hope you liked it.