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"GRIMA!"
He enters through the crumbled entrance the moment Naga strikes him.
He runs, fingers just out of reach but he isn't fast enough because in the next second Grima is gone along with the blinding light that had filled the entire room.
Chrom's heart could stop in his chest, it feels as if it did while his eyes continue to linger on the spot the God had just been standing. So many emotions fill the prince at once, he can't name them all over the heart break in his chest, tears prick at the corner of his eyes.
His breath trembles as he breathes, Chrom doesn't fall to his knees while it feels like his whole world could crumble. He turns to the Goddess, Naga.
"What.. What did YOU DO?!" Chrom would have never raised his voice towards any of the Gods that stand in the silence of the room but he can't think straight with all these overwhelming emotions that flood through him. His anger riles up even more when the Goddess doesn't speak and if there are any consequences for his actions he doesn't much care at this moment while his hands grip around slender arms of the Goddess.
"WHAT DID YOU DO?!" Chrom shouts again, his pain and anger in narrow eyes that glare back at the Goddess.
The prince is suddenly pried off by much stronger arms as they hook under his own. "Just what do you think you're doing, kid?" Comes a threatening voice of Duma. The hold on him almost hurts. Although Chrom knows better, he still thrashes to rid of the forceful hold on him.
"She.. she—!" Chrom still glares across towards his Goddess, tears filling his vision even as they fall.
"Calm, child." A soothing voice says while a hand is placed on his cheek, this causes Chrom to still while his eyes trail to meet Mila's own tearful eyes.
But he doesn't want her sympathy.
The prince opens his mouth to yell, scream at them all for what they've done but Mila speaks before he does.
"Grima.. Grima had asked of us to.." The Goddess trails off, her expression almost uncomfortable of the meaning behind her words but she steals herself. "Grima had ask of us to take his life." Mila finishes, her eyes never meeting the prince's own.
This time, Chrom's heart stops for a moment in his chest as more tears pool. His heart aches, he feels as if he's going to be sick while he goes limp in the other God's hold.
"That damn idiot.." Duma lowly mutters out after placing the prince down with Mila's help. "We could have helped him but he insisted on giving his life for the futures sake." He growls under his breath.
Chrom vaguely listens to the God's words but he can't think, can't focus as he feels numb. The other Goddess sits with him, trying to comfort him the best she could while her hand rests atop his own. She explains to him the reasoning behind Naga's actions, Grima's own reasoning, everything that had happened between the four in that moment.
"Grima.. he.. wny..?" Chrom sobs, he doesn't know how to feel, doesn't know what to say.
More tears fall onto the cracked marble flooring below, if he were a bit more faster, he could have made it to Grima's side to end Robin's life, he could have helped him, he could have done it in the end so that Grima wouldn't had to use that dark power, he could have..
If only he were faster, stronger, Chrom would have protected the other.
Grima would still be here, alive.
"I.." Chrom lifts his head, along with the two other Gods that are near him to put their attention onto Naga that stands just a distance away. She meets his eyes.
"It is true that I had struck Grima.. but, that burst of light wasn't my doing." Naga says to the three of them there.
There's a long pause then while Chrom lets her word sink in and if she is speaking the truth then.. what happened?
"What exactly happened?" Mila speaks his thoughts and Chrom can see how the other Goddess hesitates for a moment before answering. "The moment I had struck Grima, I'm sure you two had felt it as well, we were interrupted by that strong force before it took Grima into it's light." Naga replies, a troubled look upon her face that the prince has never seen.
"I had thought that it was your doing.." Chrom hears Duma mutter but his attention is still on Naga across.
"No.. all I can say is that It was greater then my own divine power." The Goddess shakes her head.
"Then, what shall we do?" The other Goddess that sits beside him questions as Mila turns towards her.
But, what can they do with this information? It's not as if anything changes, Chrom can't help but helplessly think while one of his gloved hands wipe at his tears.
"It's strange but.. I can't help but think Grima is.. That he is elsewhere."
Chrom takes in a shuttering breath at Naga's words, he doesn't want to get his hopes up if her words are true, that Grima is..
"I think, that possibly, that light will return at some point in the future." Naga continues, standing tall with grace and confidence.
"Why do you say that?" Duma turns towards her, doubt in his voice.
Chrom stays between the belief and doubt, uncertain while he listens to the God's around.
"Because even now, as we all stand around one another, under the contract. We cannot bring forth our fullest divine power. We had stated even if one of us falls, that they couldn't interfere with the contract, they cannot be bonded in death. If Grima has passed on, we would have been granted to summon our fullest powers forth but unable to do so with one of us absent. We are still under the contract, all four of us." Naga finishes, her eyes hiding behind eyelids as she closes them.
Chrom takes her words in, a small fragment of hope stating to rise within. Everything she had said, there is a sliver of hope that Grima is alive, his whereabouts unknown but he is alive, breathing somewhere. More tears fill his eyes, so many more emotions washing over.
When Naga opens her eyes again, she smiles faintly while meeting his gaze once more.
"We shall wait for him to return."
Chrom could only nod.
————
Time passes, the world still goes on but Chrom swears that no matter what, he'll wait for Grima. He's already said so to the God already and he meant his words.
The alter grounds were slowly restored over time, the city brighter then ever.
Chrom's grown throughout the time that Grima is away, he's gain more experience as he is on standby at his Goddess Naga's side. He wouldn't say that he is her personal escort as his elder sister, Emmeryn, still holds title but as Naga had requested of him, he spends most days beside the Goddess and Emmeryn until the day comes.
When there isn't major important business, he's training or spending time with his little sister and friends.
Chrom has sworn that he would get stronger, faster, for the day Grima would return, he swears that he'll be there by Grima's side no matter what. He will protect him, won't let him slip through his grasp, he will hold onto him and protect him from harm.
Chrom thinks that the God so precious to him would be proud of just how far he's come, he's more useful to his people with aiding them with his new honed skill of "flying". Chrom can't help but chuckle at the memory of the other teaching him briefly, how he had sprung up into the air and had felt so embarrassed at the time.
But soaring through the skies like he is now, his bow strapped to his back while he makes his way back to the castle after dealing with some beasts that had been rather too close to a village, he can't help but think about the moment he had shared with Grima on the palace's balcony of Plegia's capital while he lands steady onto the stone of the castle's own many open balcony's.
With his thoughts of Plegia, the truth had come out about Grima's unknown whereabouts again. The God's had not wanted to lie to Plegia's people as Validar still keeps his position as head until the return of their God once more.
But the ache in Chrom's chest still hurts every passing day the God still hasn't return.
When the prince near the large door of the open balcony, his current thoughts of going to report back to his elder sister he spots Lissa waiting for him at the open entrance.
"Chrom!" Chrom raises his arm to give her a wave in greeting but the urgency in her voice has concern placed onto his face. "What's wrong, Lissa?" He calmly asks, his lips drawing into a thin line.
"Goddess Naga wants you right away." She replies, already moving towards the exit of the room. Chrom follows behind her without another word, his heart races in his chest to just why the Goddess had summoned him. Just maybe.. maybe it's about..
He doesn't get his hopes up just yet.
They don't speak while they walk down the long corridors of the castle with haste, stopping only once they've reached the grand doors of the throne room.
When they enter through, Chrom's eyes trail ahead to where Emmeryn stands with her own stern face but her eyes soften when she meets his own shade of blues they share before they flicker towards Goddess Naga that stands beside her.
Chrom bows his head in respect, a small guilt still lays with him as he is always reminded of how he had laid his arms onto his Goddess and had raised his voice towards her even though he had been forgiven.
"Chrom." Naga speaks, stepping forwards before him. When Chrom lifts his head to meet her gaze, she beckons him with her hand.
"It is time." Her words send a chill throughout the prince's body, yet, his heart swells in his chest all at the same time.
Just before they depart to meet with the other two Gods, Chrom turns towards his sisters with a smile.
"Chrom, bring that idiot back!" Lissa grins towards him, her hands on her hips while Emmeryn stands beside her, She also gives a light laugh. "Please, Chrom. Make sure that Lord Grima returns safely." Emmeryn says, her soft smile on her lips after she finishes speaking.
"I'll bring him back safely, don't worry." Chrom promises with everything he has, he will bring Grima back.
"We shall take our leave now." His Goddess announces, her body a soft glow as she uses her divine power. Chrom's own body glows faintly with her power casted over him, he leaves with a confidence smile, determined eyes as both of his sisters wave in farewell before Naga's light takes them.
Opening his eyes as they adjust, he and his Goddess stand in the centre of the once ruined building of the dragon's table. His eyes land on the other two Gods that had already been there, waiting for them both to arrive. Chrom says his greetings, bowing his head in respect while lady Mila smiles warmly at him as Lord Duma gives a nod of his head.
"It is time." Goddess Naga's serene voice calls over them, her eyes resting closed while she still stands with a faint glow to her body.
Chrom tenses where he stands beside his Goddess, the other two Gods also standing near. his heart pounds loudly in his chest and ears, he feels a bit nervous while his hands brush over one another, his fingers finding the small ring underneath the fabric of his gloves as they rub over with agitation.
There's also a nervous smile across his lips, the prince can feel it as they all stand together in suspense silence.
Chrom doesn't know what they're waiting for but when Naga's eyes open, a burst of bright blinding light emerges from underneath them. His heart pounds loudly again, Chrom has seen this light before, those many years ago that had taken Grima.
He wasn't expecting to be pulled in as the light surrounds them all.
But as his body feels light, the same feeling akin of traveling by warp, if this light will take him to Grima, wherever the God is.
He wants to see his smile again, he wants to embrace the other into his arms where Grima had told him he felt safe, he wants to hold his hands in his own as their fingers lace and wants to feel the warmth that spreads across him whenever their lips meet.
Chrom will bring him back home.
"Grima.." He whispers as the light takes him to wherever the God may be.