WARNING: Death and Insanity
The sky was alight with stars on the night of the raid.
Hoshido's forces had been patiently awaiting for what Kamui had described as the perfect chance.
Memory served to remind the young princess of her childhood. In the time she had spent within the Nohr castle walls she had learned things that only one who had once called the prison a home could know.
Like how there was a small dent in one of the decorative armors on the third floor from when Marx had fallen into it. Or how Joker would always be sure to leave out a plate of cookies in the kitchen for Kamui and Elise's midnight snack runs.
Or how after two hours past nightfall, all of the experienced guards went to bed while only half that amount of newbies were placed on patrol. Making the castle vulnerable and perfect for a seize.
The plan was simple. Send a small team in. Use Kamui's knowledge of the castle to reach the royals bedrooms. Bind them, take them back to Hoshido for trials, and claim what was left of the Nohr's territory.
Thus ending the war that had yet to lean in any sides favor.
Kamui's had agreed to the attack only if it was promised that no harm would come to any of her past siblings.
Liars or not, the young girl believed they still could be saved if she could only talk to them.
Ryoma and Hinoka had been hesitant to give in, but they eventually reached an agreement. No harm would come to the others unless self defense was needed. And that all of the Hoshido siblings would accompany Kamui on the raid to absolutely ensure her safety.
They all could only assume how troubling it would feel for their sister to return to her former captor's home.
Noticing the lights from tower house A, C, F, and E blow out, a signal of the new night shift guards switching in, Kamui gave the okay to advance.
Before they could reach the side wall of the palace though, the very faint sound of clicking heels caused them all to halt.
Someone had been waiting for them.
Directly on the bridge leading to where the group had been hoping to go came Camilla.
Armor clad Hips swaying along with her every stride until finally she stood directly before the exposed fleet. Everyone tightened their weapons in preparation for her to call on back up.
The oldest Nohr sister didn't even look surprised to see her enemies though. Instead she pushed aside a few locks of her purple hair carelessly. Almost as if she were bored by their presence.
The minute her eyes locked on Kamui's, a smile began to play across her lips.
"Ah...you came to see me?"
Camilla opened her arms out in a welcoming way. Moving slowly and with purpose towards her "little sister".
The look on her face was sickeningly sweet as she grabbed the young girl's face. Caressing her cheeks with delicate strokes of her thumb.
"What a cutie."
Everyone waited for any signal from the princess to fire.
Hinoka felt nauseous watching the purple haired girl come so close to her Kamui. Yet she respected her sister's word, and waited for one wrong move.
Bringing Kamui forward with a little force, Camilla sighed happily and began to hug the princess tightly.
The white haired girl felt as though she was reliving her youth. Back when Camilla would hug her every night before bed. She use to whisper that no monster would dare hurt her beloved Kamui, less she slaughter them to bits.
Not exactly the memories one would hope to make up a person's childhood, but at the time the words had been as soothing as a lullaby.
Kamui cleared her throat and moved to gently push back her former sister. She hadnt forgotten how much they had cared for her. Past all of their masks, murders, and lies stood a group of people who had honestly treated the princess like one of their own.
Perhaps that was why Kamui was so desperate to get them away from Garon's eye long enough to talk some sense into them. Maybe if he was gone for good and there was no war she could help them.
"Camilla..."
The Nohr princess pouted.
"My, I havent seen you in so long and thats the welcome I get? Where has my sweet Kamui gone?"
Hinoka stepped forward, but it was Ryoma who spoke first.
"She is not yours. Never was, never will be."
As if just noticing the other's presence, the purple haired girl allowed her fingers to gently take hold of Kamui's hands. She began to play with the others gloves and wrist armor plates.
"Ah yes I recall now. You heathens stole MY beloved little princess away! Silly me for forgetting."
The dragon blooded girl swallowed slightly. The others may not have realized it, but despite how sweet she sounded now, Camilla was angry.
No angry wasnt even close enough. She was livid. Kamui could feel it with how her hands tightened at the words "stole".
Sakura remained close to Takumi's side and spoke up slightly.
"Onii-Sama is our blood sister!"
The Nohrian began to play with the ends of the other's white hair. Smiling all the while.
"Blood? Blood means nothing when you think about it."
She looked directly at Hinoka.
"Where were you when she was hurt or crying? Because Im sure it was me that held her close and calmed her nightmares."
She peered at Sakura.
"My, youre about as old as Elise. I bet you dont even recall your family abandoned her do you?"
The white haired girl tried to silence her, but Camilla spoke at Takumi next.
"Hmmm. Weren't you the one who blamed my dear Kamui for your mommy's death?"
At the mention of their mother, Hinoka and Takumi were physically held back by half of the fleet. Ryoma drew his sword.
"ENOUGH."
Camilla's laugh sounded almost as light as bells on a church day. Had they not been hiding so much malice.
"Aw touchy subject is it? So sorry."
There was no remorse in her words.
Kamui stopped the situation from escalating any farther. Camilla was getting more and more dangerous by the second. She could feel it.
Gently pulling the Nohr princess's hands away from her hair. Kamui tried to ignore Camilla's form coming closer to her again.
"Aw come now Kamui. I was having fun. Your hair is so soft, it reminds me of when I would brush it. Remember you were so troublesome as a child...you use to struggle so hard and insist you could do your own hair."
"Camilla..."
"Though you always managed to make it messy even after I would get all the knots out. I recall one year you even fell off your horse because it kept falling in your face-"
"Camilla."
"In fact..."
The taller girl leaned down to brush her lips across the shell of the princess's ear.
"I believe that was that same year I made you that headband. Looks as though you still wear it even after being taken by those heathens."
Kamui brought a hand up to softly touch at the fabric. How could she ever forget.
She had received an expensive dress for her 10th birthday. Her white hair kept falling into her eyes every time she tried to twirl around though. So Camilla had ordered one of the maids to bring her loose fabric and she had personally sewed together a beautiful navy headband for Kamui.
It had been her keepsake ever since.
Shaking her head and stepping back fully, Kamui tried desperately to rid herself of the memories that were assaulting her.
It was all a mind game. They lied to her. All of them. Camilla was the enemy right now. They were losing time by talking.
Hinoka had known the trip might have been hard on Kamui, but she could see the Nohrian was purposely screwing with her sister's head now.
Drawing her staff up, the red haired girl moved to stand next to Kamui.
"Unless you want to die, you will surrender now."
Camilla brought a hand up to cover her mouth politely as she laughed.
"This is not a joke. We have you outnumbered!"
"Do you really?"
Suddenly the rest of the fleet began to shout.
Ryoma turned to his horror and saw that they were suddenly surrounded by groups of Nohr warriors.
Camilla had been playing them and they had lost their chance.
"FALL BACK!"
Kamui's order fell on deaf ears. The Nohr army had already begun their attack, and Hoshido's fleet was left with no choice but to fight as well. That or accept death.
Before the white haired girl could help anyone though, Camilla had snaked her arm around the young girl's waist and mumbled the words to a spell in her ear.
Suddenly everything went dark.
After what felt like ages, but was only about half an hour, Kamui felt her consciousness returning.
She was on her back staring up at the night sky.
Why was it so still...and quiet.
Blinking slowly and turning her head to the side, the princess saw Sakura lying besides her. Eyes closed.
Had they fallen asleep out in the garden again?
No. There was no trickle of the Hoshido fountain. There were no cherry blossom trees above her head.
Everything felt wrong. Especially with how calmly her little sister was sleeping.
Snapping her red eyes into full consciousness, the princess saw that her sister's face was splattered with little trickles of...blood?!
Leaning up slowly, the princess felt her entire back side give a sickening squelching noise. Whatever she had been laying in was wet and sticking to her armor.
"Sakura! Are you-"
Finally she saw why her sister had been so still besides her...Sakura's head was all that was left.
Screaming as though she had been burned, Kamui spun onto her hands and knees and began to wretch out. Her vision became blurry but she felt too shocked to transform. Not like when her mother had died. There was only shock and disgust.
Peering down, red eyes saw that she had been lying in what looked like matted spots of blood. It was on her hands. Her armor. Even the clothes beneath were soaked in red.
Feeling her dinner come upwards, Kamui grabbed her stomach with one hand and braced herself against the ground. A sudden soft hand moved to pull her hair back.
"Shhhhh its okay. Let it out."
The person began using their other hand to rub her neck.
"There there... Its okay..."
After emptying her stomach, Kamui felt her entire body begin to shake. There was so much blood. It was everywhere. She could feel it and it was making her brain short circuit.
"Feel better? Its okay. Youre okay..."
That voice. She remembered that voice.
Turning her head up to see Camilla smiling back down at her, Kamui let out an inhumane sound. She tried to stand up, but her shaking legs slipped on the soaked earth beneath her.
"Kamui are you okay?! That looked like it hurt come here let me look at your head?"
The white haired girl began to crawl backwards and scoot as far away from Camilla as possible.
"Sweetie are you okay? You look as though you've seen a ghost."
The farther she moved back, the more bodies she saw. Left and right, even all along the bridge were bloodied and pulverized people who she had seen only minutes ago.
A spear with a severed hand still clutching it lied to the side. Another had heavy armor dripping with the same shade of red that it was designed in. It was the armor of royalty...Dead all of them. The entire fleet. Sakura. Ryoma. Takumi. Hinoka.
Her back eventually hit the wall of a near by building, and Kamui was forced to remain still. The only thing moving her body were the tremors that rocked her down to the core.
Camilla moved forward slowly and kneeled before her sister with a smile.
"Why so frightened my dear Kamui?"
"Y-you killed t-them. T-theyre-all dead. Oh-GODS oh- go-"
The princess felt like she was about to vomit again.
Camilla's smile only widened.
"What are you talking about my dear princess? You mean you dont remember?"
Silence, save for the occasional hiccup from Kamui labored breaths.
"You dont recall me putting you to sleep? Or how the moment I did you lost control of yourself and suddenly transformed into a dragon? How you slaughtered everyone, both Nohr and your poor Hoshido warriors?"
The white haired girl's eyes began to water as she tried to take a swing at Camilla. The purple haired girl easy caught and squeezed playfully over the shaking fist.
"YOURE LYING!"
"Am I? Then why are you the only one covered in blood?"
Kamui looked at her former sisters form, and whimpered. Camilla didnt even have one drop on her.
"I..I-I"
"I would never lie to you after how badly it hurt you last time my sweet. You killed them all. Every last one."
The Nohr girl quickly repositioned herself to be sitting in the stained grass with her arms opened.
"You may cry my sweet. Dont worry we'll have this cleaned up by tomorrow. Now come here."
She gently patted her leg as though calling over a dog.
"Unless of course you'd like for me to leave you out here? I could understand if you want to be alone after tearing apart the people who stole you away..."
Something inside the white haired princess snapped. Her sanity...her will...whatever it was. It was gone.
Rushing forward to hug Camilla, Kamui buried her face into the other's neck and began to wail. Her entire form shook as tears began to mingle in with the dried blood on her cheeks.
The older girl's soft hand gently patted down her red socked hair and shushed away her stutters.
"There there. Im here. You'll never be taken like that again...its okay...its okay...Im here..."
Camilla grinned and placed a gentle kiss on top of her head.
"I'll protect you...My Kamui."