Recollection

A/N: I honestly can't believe I haven't found any stories about these two yet; I'm really surprised. Well, if I have to be one of the first people to start, I'm perfectly happy with that. I'm not good at romance though, so apologies in advance.

Also, a big shout-out to mimasho for giving me the idea for this story, and for editing it once I was done. This one's for you!

Disclaimer: I don't own Fire Emblem Fates or anything that may be recognized.

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The night was black like the abyss, shadows cloaking the land in a heavy darkness. There was nary a sound; everything was still, silent.

It was on such moonless nights that Oboro would remember – remember the event that had forever changed her life. She could still see the blood, the blade coated in a deep red; still hear the screams echoing through her mind –

She shook her head furiously, trying to dispel the memory before it returned to her in full. With a deep-set scowl on her face, Oboro resumed her work as she glared out into the surrounding forest. Such nights always reminded her of how her parents had been killed, butchered at the hands of a Nohrian assassin years ago on a similar night.

She could never forget the horrible scene that had been etched into her mind for as long as she would live. The only way she could keep the recollections at bay was to work herself to exhaustion until the next morning's light. No – Oboro could not forget, and she would never forgive.

Rising to her feet, She examined the now-clean floor with a critical eye, satisfied to find not a single speck of dust present. They'd been extremely fortunate to come across this safe house; everyone had been exhausted after marching for so long, but to camp out in the open would've been unsafe. Such was the reality of war. Most of her comrades were fast asleep, getting some much needed rest. The only others awake at this hour were the ones on patrol duty: Saizou, Prince Ryouma's retainer who would care not as to why she was awake, and her partner Hinata, who knew her reasons for doing so.

With the floor as clean as it could possibly get, Oboro was getting ready to move on to another part of the safe house when she heard a scream come from nearby – her blood ran cold as she immediately recognized the voice.

"Takumi-sama!" Abandoning her cleaning materials in favor of the naginata at her side, Oboro tore through the hallway, dozens of unpleasant scenarios racing through her head. How could an enemy have slipped past Saizou and Hinata? How could they have known where Prince Takumi was staying in? Were they all in danger? Without the cautiousness expected of a well-seasoned soldier, Oboro threw open the door to her lord's room and prepared for a fight.

It took a moment to register in her mind that there was no one present in the room – aside from Prince Takumi and herself. Her lord was sitting up in his bedroll, legs pulled close to his chest, and staring at her figure in the doorway. Although his expression showed only shock, his breathing had yet to slow to a normal pace. It was evident enough that something had upset him.

"Ah … Oboro," His voice was surprisingly even, betraying none of his emotions, but the light blush coloring his cheeks gave him away, "I didn't mean to disturb you."

"No, you didn't disturb me, Takumi-sama!" she replied quickly. Gripping her naginata tightly, Oboro entered the room cautiously and studied every dark corner as she made her way over to her prince. For her own peace of mind, she had to check. "Are you all right, milord? Is there something wrong?"

"It's nothing, don't worry." Takumi said. But despite his words, he was refusing to look at her directly and kept his gaze pointed downwards as if trying to avoid meeting her eyesight. However, when Oboro knelt by his side and made it clear that she was not leaving, Takumi sighed and mumbled, "Just nightmares, nothing serious."

She put down her naginata and reached for his shoulder as if to comfort him, but then withdrew her hand at the last second – it would be inappropriate for her to act in such a familiar manner with her lord. All she could do was watch over him from a distance that was never to be closed.

Several long minutes of silence went by, the only audible noise being the sound of Takumi's breathing as it stabilized. Oboro sat beside him awkwardly, wondering if she should excuse herself, when Takumi suddenly spoke up, "It's embarrassing … to still be having nightmares about Mother and Father at my age," he muttered. "I hope you won't think any less of your lord for this moment of weakness."

"Not at all, Takumi-sama!" Oboro hurried to say. "Please don't feel that it's a weakness! I, myself –" She stopped midsentence, her words hanging emptily in the air. The action made her feel foolish, but was better than burdening Prince Takumi with her own troubles.

"Wait, Oboro, I didn't mean –" Takumi had a pained expression on his face, as if he were mentally kicking himself for what he had said. "You still think about your parents … and what happened to them, don't you …"

"Y-yes. There are … some nights," she admitted, fidgeting with the skirt of her kimono and struggling to look at anything other than him. "But it was a long time ago, and I've since moved on. Please don't let it trouble you, Takumi-sama."

"Hey, there's no reason to be ashamed … to remember such things," he said, placing a hand on her arm. His touch made her melt on the inside, all coherent thoughts escaping her mind. Oboro wondered whether it were merely a trick of the darkness or if her lord was actually blushing. "Even if you can't truly put it behind you, that doesn't make you weak."

"And the same goes for you too, milord," Oboro said. Her voice came out strong and resolute. "I was present that day when Mikoto-sama …" She trailed off, her expression hardening, "... it's all because of Nohr! I won't rest until I've made them pay for all they've done!"

Takumi nodded, his eyes clouding with anger – one hand gripping his blanket tightly and the other holding onto her arm as if it were a lifeline. "They're responsible for everything … Hoshido will never be safe as long as they exist."

"Which is why I'll never let them get near you, Takumi-sama!" She turned so that she was kneeling in front of him; his hand on her arm jolted off, instead now clasped tightly in both of hers. "No matter what happens to me – or Hinata – you must live, milord, for Hoshido. I swear to you that I'll see you through this war!"

"I know. I can always count on you." Takumi laid his free hand on top of hers, and they stayed that way in silence for a while, neither wanting to be the first to pull away. About a minute had passed before he spoke again, "It feels like you've always been by my side, and I'm grateful."

Oboro inwardly blushed, "Of course! It is my pleasure to serve you, Takumi-sama. This I feel truly from the bottom of my heart," she said. Oboro was glowing inside; to receive such praise from Prince Takumi was no small deal.

"Heh … I'm glad to hear that." Takumi was smiling – one of his rare, genuine smiles that she hadn't seen in a long time, not since the war began. It was the smile that he'd given her the day they first met.

Oboro could still remember everything clearly, as though it had happened yesterday instead of over four years ago. She had been fourteen at the time, in the service of the Hoshidan royal family. After her parents had died, she'd been taken in by relatives who worked for the royal palace; over time, she came to do the same. Her hatred for Nohr had only grown throughout the years, along with a desire for revenge. It had become her purpose in life. She'd enlisted as a soldier with the sole intention of becoming stronger, so that she could kill the person who had taken her family from her.

It had been during one of her self-imposed training sessions when it had happened – two Nohrian spies had suddenly appeared in front of her seemingly out of nowhere. Judging by the shocked expressions on their faces, they hadn't expected her to be present at the time. And they couldn't have – Oboro didn't have a regular training regiment, she practiced whenever and wherever she pleased.

For a few brief seconds, she and the intruders merely stared at one another, each too surprised to react in any other way. But then one of the men reached into the folds of his clothing, surely making for a concealed weapon; in that moment, Oboro snapped out of her trance, and in a wholly foolish and reckless move, lunged at the men with her naginata, screaming about how much she loathed Nohrians.

Looking back on her actions, it was nothing short of a miracle that she hadn't been killed in her hasty assault. She'd had very little formal training with a naginata and was trying to hold off two grown men by herself. And perhaps she would've died that day had it not been for Prince Takumi, who came running once he'd heard the commotion.

Even at fourteen years of age, Prince Takumi was already a skillful archer and been entrusted with one of Hoshido's sacred regalia – the Fuujin Yumi, previously wielded by Queen Mikoto. If the Nohrians hadn't recognized him by his appearance, the sight of the bow in his hands was proof enough of his identity. However, the intruder standing closer to Oboro had pushed her to the ground while his partner charged forward and grabbed Takumi by the arm before he was able to do anything. Once Oboro's head had cleared from the impact of her fall though, she realized that they were trying to kidnap the prince.

As if she would let that happen. Oboro had lunged for her naginata, and without a second thought, threw it at one of the Nohrians. It struck him in the back, pointed end first, but served little effect other than angering him – but it had given Takumi enough time to break out of his grip. He'd fired a wind arrow at both men, and then retreated over to where she was. By that time, the castle guards had begun swarming the courtyard and noticed the Nohrians. A few of the men had tended to her and the prince while their comrades pursued the fleeing spies.

It had been during the aftermath that Takumi had turned to her and thanked her for helping him – with that kind smile on his face. That was when Oboro had found a new purpose in life, no longer fueled by hatred and the need for revenge.

From that day forward, she swore her loyalty to the youngest prince of the Hoshido royal family as his retainer.

"Oboro, I've wondered …" The sound of Takumi's voice brought the lancer out of her reminiscing. "Why did you choose me as your lord?" It was almost as though he could read her mind, as if he knew that she had been thinking about their first encounter.

"Takumi-sama …" Oboro frowned, carefully considering her next words. "When I first met you, I was moved by your strength and your kindness. After my parents were killed, I – I was lost. I lived only for revenge. But you gave me a new reason to live. I wanted to protect and serve you, because I believed that you would see Hoshido through this war. I still believe that."

But there was more to it than that. Not long after she had begun her service to her lord, Oboro had developed a small crush on Prince Takumi. She'd initially dismissed it as a fleeting thing, but now she knew – it wasn't just a silly little crush. And yet, she could never tell him.

"… I see." Takumi held her gaze for a bit longer, before looking down at his hands, clenching and unclenching his fists as if he wanted to say something else but was unsure how to begin. "Well, I'm glad that you have such faith in me," he finally said. "As your lord, I won't betray your expectations. And I ask that you will continue to stay by my side."

Oboro sat straighter, beaming. "Yes, milord, you don't even have to ask!"

She stayed by his side for the rest of the night, after their conversation had long ended and Takumi had finally fallen asleep again. Not even the dark and the silence of the night could affect her mood; she felt as if she were soaring, knowing that her lord had always noticed and appreciated her.

Oboro would have never thought that a moonless night could ever bring anything other than bad memories and regrets after her parents' murder. But tonight … it may as well have been the happiest moment of her life.