Fire Emblem Awakening: Nash 1

A pair of travelers walked down a dirt road that cut through much of the countryside, surrounded by lines of trees, as well as flowers that were just beginning to bloom. The sky, a bright, brilliant shade of blue, was accompanied by a shining sun, as well as only a small pair of perfectly white clouds that traveled slowly across the sky with the gentle breeze. It looked like another pleasant day in the peaceful halidom of Ylisse

 

One traveler was an older man, with a head of black hair that was beginning to turn gray with age that fell to his shoulders. His entire body was covered by a worn purple cloak that looked as if it had been within the deserts of Plegia for the entirety of its existence, though it did match his eyes, which seemed to be filled more of worry than anything else

 

The second traveler was a small boy, perhaps not even half the size of his companion, wearing raggedy brown clothing, a messy head of silver hair sprawled about, yet they did no good in covering the dark blue eyes that seemed to shine in the sun. The back of his shirt had a small hole on the left shoulder blade, which revealed part of a strange purple marking that was embedded upon his flesh

 

After hiking for what seemed like forever, the older man came to a stop, pointing towards something sparkling in the distance. The boy soon followed where the man was pointing, noticing a collection of buildings, all white and sparkling in the morning sunlight in the distance

 

???: Daddy? What is that?

 

???: That Nash, is Ylisstol, the capital city of Ylisse. Is it not beautiful?

 

Nash: Yeah... So pretty... Is it safe?

 

???: Yes, quite safe. Once we pass through its pearly white walls, we shall finally be safe. Then, we may live how we used to.

 

The young boy looked down at the ground, a look of sadness coming across his face. The man knelt down and placed a hand on his shoulder

 

???: Nash? What's wrong?

 

Nash: I... I wanna go home... I miss my friends... I miss Elliott... I miss Blair...

 

???: I know, my son, I know... Unfortunately, we cannot, for it is no longer safe for us in Plegia. It is much safer in Ylisstol. You cannot give up, not when we are so close. Please, keep going.

 

Nash: ... Okay...

 

The man smiled before standing up and holding his son's hand

 

???: That's my boy. Now, let's make our way towards a better life... For the both of us.

 

Nash: Okay!

 

The two continued on their journey, each step they took bringing them closer to what they hoped to gain from this odyssey, safety. That hope would be put into jeopardy as the man soon fell on one knee with a loud grunt, his face now filled with pain. Nash took note of this and turned to tend to his father, immediately noticing a thin wooden object protruding from the back of his left shoulder

 

Nash: D-Daddy! An arrow!

 

???: Damn...!! How...? How could they have caught up to us so quickly...?!

 

He soon heard voices in the distance, all shouting with evident malice in their tones. The man then brought his son in front of him, placing both hands on his shoulders, a sense of urgency in both his eyes and tone as he spoke

 

???: Nash... You must go. Go to Ylisstol. Get within its walls. You will... Urk! You will be safe there...

 

Nash: B-B-But daddy, I can't leave you here! You're hurt!

 

???: We do NOT have time to argue over this! Go! I will meet you there as soon as I am able.

 

The voices that could be heard in the distance began to grow louder, making the situation increasingly dire. Despite this, the man gave his son a warm, loving smile, his eyes starting to fill with tears

 

???: I love you, my son. I know you will prosper within Ylisstol. With or without me. Now, go!

 

To press the issue further, the man pushed the boy forward, prompting the latter to turn and run as fast as his tiny legs could go. With tears beginning to form in his eyes, he fled. All he could do was run...

 

 

A young woman clad in a mixture of blue clothing and armor strolled across the trail just outside of Ylisstol, taking in the natural beauty that surrounded her with every step she took. Her hair, a rich blue, seemed to shine as it flowed in almost perfect sync with her cape in the breeze. She looked down to notice a small white flower having just come into bloom, prompting her to pick it, and bring it close to her face. She inhaled through her nose, smelling the small piece of nature she held in her hands before looking out into the distance, lost in thoughts all alone

 

Lucina: (Ah... Such a beautiful day today... Hopefully the future may now have beautiful days such as this once more...)

 

She inhaled once more, breathing in the air as she walked down the path. Her peaceful thoughts were soon interrupted as she noticed something come into her field of vision, a figure coming down the dirt road with great haste. Initially, she paid the figure no mind

 

Lucina: (Hm... Perhaps it's a merchant that is late getting to market.)

 

She soon realized that the figure was not a merchant, rather a young child that looked as if he was running from the devil himself. Now filled with concern, she stepped onto the road as he came close. The child seemed too focused on running to notice her, coming to a quick halt when he crashed into her, bringing them both to the ground. She quickly got up onto one knee and looked over the child. The moment they made eye contact, she could see that while his eyes were dark blue, the color around the irises was a burning red, his face wet with tears. After a moment, he sat up and tried to back away, absolute terror on his face

 

Nash: N-No, p-p-please!

 

Lucina: Wait! Don't be afraid, little one.

 

She stood up and extended a hand to the silver haired youth, who was hesitant to reach for it. To assure the child that he could place his trust in her, she gave him a warm smile

 

Lucina: It's alright, I won't harm you. You have my word.

 

After a moment, the boy slowly reached for the hand and was pulled to his feet. He started to dust himself off when he noticed a pair of figures come into view, immediately causing him to hide behind the woman, trembling in terror as the two in question came close. The figures were both large, burly men, each wielding a large axe. One immediately saw Nash and brought his weapon off his shoulder, ready for combat. The woman, almost by instinct, placed a hand on the handle of the sword strapped to his side

 

Thug 1: Oy, there's the little shrimp! You thought you could run from us?

 

Lucina: Who are you?

 

Thug 2: Don't matter who we are, girlie. Just hand over the kid, and we may let you walk away.

 

She looked down at the child now hiding behind her, his eyes now closed tight. She could feel him trembling as she drew her sword, a steely look in her eyes

 

Lucina: Sorry, but I'm afraid this child is not going with you two. Leave now.

 

Thug 1: You don't scare me, girlie! Die!

 

The first thug brought his weapon back, ready to strike. He would never bring it back down however, as he soon fell to the ground, a large gash now formed across his chest. Before the second thug could even react, he would meet his end as well, her steel piercing his flesh with no difficulty. Any blood that touched the blade seemed to fall straight away, leaving it as if it had never been drawn. She then surveyed her surroundings in an effort to locate other hostile individuals nearby, but was met by only nature itself. She then smiled and turned to the small child behind her, his hands covering his eyes as he was curled up into a ball, shaking and sobbing uncontrollably, prompting her to kneel beside him and rub his messy hair. Feeling her hand, he looked up and saw that both thugs were now lying on the ground, motionless in death, which helped to replace the look of fear on his face with one of confusion

 

Nash: H-Huh...?

 

Lucina: Don't worry, little one. They won't hurt you anymore. You're safe now.

 

Nash: ...

 

Lucina: I must say, you look like you've seen better days. Where are your parents? I'm sure they're worried sick.

 

Nash: ...

 

Lucina: Tell you what, why don't we get you cleaned up and fed? After that, we'll search for your parents, how about that?

 

Nash: O-Okay...

 

Lucina: Do you have a name, young one?

 

Nash: ...

 

Lucina: It's okay, you can trust me. My name is Lucina.

 

Nash: I-I'm... Nash...

 

Lucina: It's very nice to meet you, Nash. Now, we should get going. We can't bring you back to your parents in dust and rags, now can we? Come.

 

She took him by the hand and helped him make his way towards the gate to Ylisstol, which was surrounded by a gigantic wall made from white limestone, each block cut, sanded, and polished to perfection. The gate itself was flanked by a pair of guards, both dressed in heavy sets of standard brown armor. Taking one look at the woman, one of the guards motioned for the gate to be opened. The metallic barrier flawlessly rose into the air, allowing the pair to pass through into the sparkling metropolis that now stood before them. Nash's head darted from one direction to another as he took in the sights of the large city, something Lucina noticed and smiled at

 

Lucina: You seem very excited now!

 

Nash: I've never been in a city before. This place is huge!

 

Lucina: Just wait until you see where I live.

 

They continued their journey through the city until they saw a large marble arch, what lie behind it leaving Nash in complete awe; A gigantic castle, painted white and looking as if it were made of the finest of stone. The three spires that protruded from the top pierced the sky, almost ripping apart clouds that floated by. The sheer scale and majesty of the structure caused him to freeze in place, unable to help but marvel

 

Nash: Wow... That looks so pretty...!

 

Lucina: It is, isn't it? Well, I suppose I can give you a tour of the place after we get you cleaned up.

 

Nash: Wait, you LIVE there?!

 

Lucina: That's right. My father happens to be the Exalt.

 

Nash: Exalt...? What's an Exalt?

 

Lucina: Heh, an Exalt is basically another word for a king.

 

Nash: Oh.

 

The two would soon enter the large palace, with Nash coming to the realization that the inside was much bigger than the outside. Lucina would lead him up the stairs and down a hallway before coming to a wooden door, which lead into a bedroom which seemed to have blue all over, from the sheets on the bed to the wooden frame on the small window. She would disappear into another room for a moment before returning to the sound of running water

 

Lucina: Alright, the water should get warm in a couple of minutes. I'll summon a servant to get you some fresh clothes as well.

 

Nash: T-Thank you. I guess I should go ahead and take these off, shouldn't I?

 

As soon as he finished his sentence, his arms and head disappeared into his shirt before the garment went up into the air and floated to the ground. Lucina was caught off guard by the sudden act, embarrassed to see the bare torso of a small child

 

Lucina: Well, I would rather you do that in the bathroom with the door closed. People frown on that around these parts.

 

Nash: Oh... S-Sorry...

 

He proceeded to pick up the shirt before turning around to head to the bathroom. Lucina then noticed a large purple symbol that covered the entirety of the child's back, a symbol she came to know all to well...

 

Lucina: Nash? Hold on a moment.

 

Nash: ...?

 

Lucina: Your back... Where did you get that symbol on your back?

 

The child replied with only silence, standing still for a moment before sprinting towards the bathroom, locking the door behind him before she could even think of pursuing him. The entire event caused her to exit the room, deciding to let him have some privacy...

 

 

Nash had removed the rest of his clothing and sat in the wooden bath tub that took up a good portion of the room, all the sand, dust, and dirt that had gathered onto his tiny body washing off into water instantly. He looked up towards the ceiling, a look of fear and worry slowly taking over his face as a small tear escaped his right eye

 

Nash: Daddy... Please be okay...

 

To be continued