Yeah, it has been a long while since I had actually written a fanfic, but I'm now getting that bug back again. Hopefully, you don't really mind the rustiness of it all. If you're wondering what the Avatar looks like in this story, it's the image that's used as the cover of the story.
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There was fighting around her. And yet there was little noise registering to her.
When she had opened her eyes, she was in a grassy meadow. There were soldiers all around her, fighting and flying their country banners. She had recognized both of them, knew them by heart, and yet she couldn't bring herself to actively register them. She turned her head and saw soldiers rushing toward each other, weapons at the ready. Some had been sticking out of the crowd, somehow deciding not to wear helmets to protect their faces. They moved too fast for her mind to register. It was then that a bright light flashed into the sky. Her head quickly turned to face it, and from that light two shadows jumped away from it. A person and a horse?
"Come on, Michiko! We've got work to do!"
She turned her head and saw that a soldier was charging toward her, axe held tightly in his grasp. It happened so quickly that she didn't even have time to grab her blade in retaliation. Suddenly, a large shadow jumped in front of her and the axe had been blocked. Her mind registered the event, and realized that the shadow was coming from a winged Pegasus and the rider on top of it. It was a young woman with short, bright red hair, holding a naginata in her hand. She had turned her focus away from the tipped soldier and turned her head back to the confused young woman beside her.
"Hey…Michiko? What's the matter with you?" The young rider tilted her head. "You seem distracted."
"…I guess I am…" She responded, turning her head and seeing the fights before her.
"Hey look. If you're worried about getting hurt, don't be!" The rider smiled. "All of your siblings are here with you! The Nohrians don't stand a chance!"
She blinked and turned her head around to see that there were two other figures with her. One of them was a very young girl wearing mysterious robes, clutching onto a healing staff. She seemed extremely nervous of the fights before her, to the point where the woman couldn't help but wonder why she was here in the first place. Next to her was a young man with long silver hair, holding a bow in his hand and seemingly scanning the crowd for a target that he could easily take out. Like the rider, he seemed like he was ready to fight to the death for his kingdom against Nohr.
Wait…they're fighting against Nohr?
"We're…fighting against…? Wait, but I thought-"
"Here he comes again!"
Her head turned again and saw that the soldier was charging back for a second round. This time, she was ready. She quickly jumped out of the way and slashed toward him. It was a blow that he wouldn't be able to survive. As they both landed onto the ground, she watched as the body crashed onto the ground. That man is no more. This group is safe. They can relax for now.
There was another roar of energy, and her attention was pulled toward an event just beyond the river. Two men were talking to each other, swords tight in their hands. These must be the men that had produced the light before. One of them was on the ground and clad in bright red armor, brown hair protruding everywhere and going down to his knees. The other was clad in black and sporting a cape, sitting on his horse and moving a bit of his yellow hair out of the way. She couldn't help but squint. That man on the horse was…?
"I demand to know why you Nohrian dogs are invading Hoshido!" The one on the ground yelled over the crowds. "Was that cowardly attack on my people your doing as well, princeling?"
"…I have nothing to say to you. Surrender now." The one on the horse replied. "If you lose, you will die here."
They continued their attack, using weapons that she couldn't even register having ever seen before. The spectacle is enough to take her breath away. After what felt like mere seconds, both of them were too exhausted to go on. Her mind then pulled her attention toward three similar figures from the other side of that island. All of them were mounted on an animal, with the exception of the purple-haired woman who was on a wyvern. Standing next to her was a young girl around the same age as the one holding onto the healing staff. Her hair was tied into long pigtails and wore a long, black dress. Her hands seemed to fumble at the strains of her steed.
"Oh no! The bridge collapsed!" She panicked. "How can we help our brother now?"
"Not to worry, Elise." The purple-haired woman responded. "This royal blood in our veins is still good for something!"
"Then you must have seen a Dragon Vein, Camilla."
The final one walked forward on his horse, looking at the wyvern. He had short blond hair and pure black armor, adorned by the cape that hung on his shoulders. The collar was so tall that you could hide half your face behind it. It made him look…rather ridiculous, if she could say so herself. But they looked strangely familiar, like she had known them all her life. Why can't she remember them right now…?
The wyvern lady flew over to the river and raised her hand up in the air. Suddenly, the air became tense as if it was calling for something…and then dry as a bone. She gasped as the strange woman had somehow summoned an entire fireball out of thin air, and watched as she threw it toward the river. It made direct contact, and it instantly dried up the water. She couldn't believe it. How could there be a magic so powerful as to do that…?
"The Nohrian army used a Dragon Vein to dry up the river!" The rider next to her exclaimed, almost as if to answer the question she had in her head. "But I thought only royals held that power…"
Royals…royalty. Yes, that's right. Those three on the other side of the river were the prince and princesses of Nohr…
"Yeah, which means that there must be some real big shots over there." The archer next to her finally spoke up. "Suits me just fine. I've always wanted to use a Nohrian royal for target practice!"
"Well, this isn't good…stay focused, Michiko." The rider turned to her. "The Nohrians brought their heavy hitters this time!"
She turned her head and watched the battle unfold before her. The fights were intense and bloody…somewhat hard to look at, if she was to be honest with herself. What were they fighting about? What was the point of all this? Was this a land dispute? Was this perhaps a provocation on the Nohrian's side? Or did it have something to do with her…? With Michiko…?
"A-are you hurt, Michiko?" The girl in robes was finally talking to her. "Here, let me heal your wounds!"
A wave of relief and comfort fell upon her, and she turned her head to see that she was indeed being healed by the girl in robes, doing a simple twirl of the wrist. It was strange…the last time she saw someone work with a twirl of the wrist, it was due to her being on a horse. Wait, horse…? She held her head in confusion. Half of the things that are going on aren't sinking in properly. It's as if she's forgetting important information.
"Oh n-no! An enemy!"
She turned her head and saw that it was another Nohrian soldier that had slipped through the cracks. The archer immediately jumped between him and the girl, but still stayed in between the girl and herself. He pulled up his bow and started to aim for the soldier, and that's when she realized that he didn't pull out an arrow for it…or even had a string on the bow, for that matter. What was he planning on doing with this?
"Listen: this is how we're going to do this." He stated. "I can shoot him from here. You take him out while he's distracted. Got it?"
She nodded in response. Her voice didn't feel like working today. She crouched down at the ready, waiting for the signal to go. Instantly, she sees a strange string of energy form from the bow, and he started pulling out a magical arrow from the bow. She couldn't help but stare at it in amazement. There was no other bow in existence that could pull off something as strange as that! Perhaps he is talented in the magic arts as well?
He let go of the arrow, and right on cue she charged in straight after. It pierced his shoulder, forcing him to drop his spear and giving her the perfect opportunity to strike him dead in his tracks. Another body flops onto the floor, no longer a threat to the group she now stands with. She turned her head and saw the robed girl leaning onto the archer, in pure relief that she was going to be safe yet again.
"Good work!" The rider cheers from a while away.
"You were amazing, Michiko!" The robed girl adds, smiling shyly.
"That went well." The archer leaned on his leg and sighed. "Probably because SOMEONE gave you good advice." He looked back at her. "You're welcome, by the way."
"No time to talk!" The rider's Pegasus jumps up. "Let's see how Ryoma's doing!"
Everyone charged toward the two tired men in the middle, and she felt herself charging after them. As she was running, she felt something strange change from within her. Before this, she had a hard time connecting with the war around her. There was fighting, screaming, bloodshed, and yet she couldn't even bring herself to identify the banners that they were all fighting under. And yet, as her legs started to give out from running so fast, there was fear digging into her system. She was terrified of something…but of what?
Once she had gotten there, she saw that the rider had been able to get to the red-armored male, checking him out for heavy blows. He was reassuring her that he was all right before finally getting back onto his feet, surveying the area around him. The fighting was intensifying. The atmosphere was getting so thick that you could cut it with a knife. And it was finally starting to affect her as well.
"Michiko." The red-armored male turned to her. "I'm counting on you to keep Hinoka and the others safe."
She blinked in response. It seemed obvious that she was going to keep them safe. She had just done that, like, right before they got here. However, she realized that there were another sets of eyes gazing back at her. She turned her head and realized that the riders from before had now charged to check on the other male on the horse. He had to have been the eldest of the family. As she stared at them, the one that had fought the red-armored man had made eye contact with her. His gaze instantly softened.
"Elizabeth…!" The biggest smile crept onto his face. "Thank heavens we found you, and that you're alive and well!"
Elizabeth? But they were calling her-
"Quickly, come join us! Your family has come to take you home where you belong!" He continued.
Her face scrunched up in confusion. I thought my family was…?
"Quiet, Nohrian filth!" The red-armored male yelled out. "She is Michiko, my sister and a princess of Hoshido!"
"On the contrary! Elizabeth is MY sister and a princess of Nohr!"
Her head darted back and forth in confusion. Her name was Elizabeth and Michiko? And she was both of their sisters at the same time? They didn't look like they were related at all, so one of them is clearly lying. But…which one was lying to her? Her eyes darted to the siblings surrounding them, and all of them seemed to have forgotten about the fight and were now showering her with love.
"Elizabeth! I was so worried about you! Don't ever wander away from me again!"
"I'm glad you're OK, Elizabeth. You must have the devil's own luck!"
"Yaaaay! We got our sister back!"
"Nohrian scum! First you kidnap her, now you lie to her?! Her name is not Elizabeth! She is Michiko, and she's MY sister, not yours!"
"You are mistaken. Her name is Elizabeth, and she's my sweet little sister. You may not have her."
Was this what this entire fight was about?
"Don't be fooled by their words, Michiko. You belong with your true family in Hoshido!"
What was her real name then?
"We have loved you and raised you since you were a child. Come home, little princess. We can live as a family once more!"
Elizabeth?
"Come home to Hoshido, Michiko!"
Michiko?
"No, Elizabeth! Nohr is your home!"
Elizabeth?
Michiko?
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"…ke up…"
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