Disclaimer: Ayy lmao, I don't own any of this. I mean, I own copies of the game, but I don't own Fire Emblem or any o' that.

0: Ties That Bind

Darkness—darkness surrounded me; I couldn't bring myself to fall back to sleep, unwilling to risk facing the dream again. I took a deep breath, trying to push the dream away, but it kept coming back, probing at the back of my mind for however long I sat in the night. I refused to light a candle, fearing that if I would, I might find it to be true.

The nights of Nohr, so black that light itself could scarcely penetrate it, had been my companion for as long as I could remember. When the sun's shadow behind the clouds crossed over the horizon, the night flew in on cold black wings, pitch-dark as the Bottomless Canyon, and though it arrived fast, it took several hours in the morning for the first rays of sunlight broke through the cloudbank and drove back the darkness.

My younger brother, Leo, always compared the Nohrian nights to a raven: swift and dark, and a source of all nightmares. "Dark wings, dark words," he would say, "or if you can remember them, dark images. But you needn't worry about that, brother! You have the devil's own luck," and then he would chuckle and either swipe a book from my shelf or leave one for me.

I didn't feel lucky then, though. My brothers and sisters were probably in Windmire with Father, whilst I was stuck here in the Northern Fortress where the nights were long and freezing; silence and darkness were my only companions tonight—darkness, silence, and the dream. Though the furs that covered my bed drove away the cold, neither they nor my pillow could shelter me from the pervading grasp of my dream.

"Come home to Hoshido, Arin!"

"No, Arin! Nohr is your home!"

The second sentence, I remember, was spoken by my older brother Xander—or at least some version of him. Whoever spoke about Hoshido, I do not know.

I can recall an open field pimpled by rolling green hills and divided by a forking river; it flowed swiftly but still seemed gentle, not at all like the rivers of Nohr, which seemed dark and cruel, always threatening to drown you. Nohrian and Hoshidan soldiers gathered on either side, staring coldly at each other from across the banks. I saw Nohrian longbowmen and crossbowmen making their way to the front lines, their light plate armour clanking with every step; similarly, Hoshidan archers drew forth with yumis already tightly drawn back—though their armour was much more light, though that seemed to be the general style of the Hoshidans. There was a pregnant pause as the Nohrians and Hoshidans awaited orders from their commanders.

Towards the delta of the river, I remembered seeing myself with a group of Hoshidans; there was something about them, I don't know what it was, but they just felt so familiar. There were three of them with me, a Sky Knight like myself with vibrant red hair—her name began with an 'H,' but the Hoshidans have such strange names—as well as an Archer with long grey hair and a Shrine Maiden with red hair so light that it was almost pink—like my own.

I couldn't make out much of what was going on, but I knew that we, the four of us, were guarding a bridge from Nohrian soldiers—and we were winning. Lacking a mount, I fought on foot with a golden sword with a claw-like hilt; with the help of the long-haired Archer I slew several Lancers and even a Cavalier.

Another image was recalled to mind: Xander, facing the Hoshidan Prince Ryoma. The two were more than a match for each other, never able to deliver a decisive blow, always taking back whatever ground they lost. I doubt I rooted for either of them, though; I recall in my dream that as I watched, I felt my heart being wrenched apart.

For so long everything appeared as a blur, until finally it came to those fateful words.

"Come home to Hoshido, Arin!"

"No, Arin! Nohr is your home!"

Back in my room, I shook my head again and again, trying to get it out of my mind. Xander, Camilla, Leo, Elise—my beloved siblings… wherever they were, that was my home. Dream-Xander was right; Nohr was my home.

That singular thought stayed with me as my eyes refused to grow heavy; when the soft grey light of dawn finally touched my room, I was still awake. My maids, Felicia and Flora, came in quietly—no doubt trying not to wake me—but seemed extremely surprised to find me awake; Felicia, ever flighty, actually jumped a little.

"Lord Arin, how pleasant to find you awake already," said Flora with a courteous bow, her blue hair bobbing slightly. "How did you sleep?"

I decided it would be better not to inform them about the dream; sliding out of my bed and smoothing down my nightclothes, I gave them a smile. It felt forced, but after twenty years of being hidden away by Father, I've become a master at masking them. "Well enough, thank you. How are you two?" My voice didn't sound tired.

"Very well my lord, thank you for asking," said Flora.

"Excellent my lord, thank you!" Felicia beamed. She always was the more excitable of the sisters. Though the sisters looked almost identical, it was quite easy to tell them apart by the colour of their hair; Flora's was a frigid blue, Felicia's was pink. Flora was the more capable and steady of the two, whilst Felicia was flighty and clumsy.

But I could never have asked for two better companions and friends. Ten years had passed since they were sent here by my father, King Garon, and not once have I regretted their presence. The two of them, along with my retainer and trainer Gunter and my butler Jakob, have been the only friends I've ever known; I'd die for each of them.

"Where is Jakob?" I asked, knowing the answer well enough, but I figured I might as well ask.

"Jakob is making repairs to your armour," Flora said, "he's convinced your lord brother is simply doing this to cause him trouble now," she chuckled.

"And Gunter?"

"Escorting your brothers for breakfast," said Felicia, "which you need to prepare for!"

"Well, I would get dressed but I'm afraid that would require me to disrobe," I said innocently, giving them doe-eyes. "How can I do that with two ladies in the room?"

After an Ice Tribe-style wakeup (even though I was, obviously, already awake), Felicia and Flora left me to dress, though I don't doubt they lingered outside my door to collect me. Since training wouldn't begin until almost midday, I laid out some simple clothes to wear after I bathed: a light blue doublet with black trousers. Both were plain, unadorned, and fit well enough; they would serve for breakfast.

After bathing, I took a moment to survey myself in the steamy mirror; tall and willowy, with muscle compacted into my body to the point where I don't appear strong. Long, rose-coloured hair fell about my shoulders in tufts; on my left-side, a bang dipped so low and sharp that it almost appeared like a fang, whilst sharp, curved tufts danced about my forehead. Then I dressed and walked out of my room and went downstairs with Felicia. It was warm in the dining room, a fire burning in the great hearth whilst pale light peered in through the massive windows that lined the eastward wall. Several tall chairs of ornately carved wood lined a giant table, and rich velvet carpets surrounded the room.

In a chair to the right of the head of the table, there sat a short young man with straight white hair, dressed in a black doublet. Before him there was a steaming platter piled with bacon, sausage and other foods, though he had cast some sort of spell to create two small constructs made of food and made them fight. He chuckled with glee, obviously proud of his own skills; Leo, my little brother, ever the 'mad mage.'

Watching in amusement from the opposite chair was a man with wavy blond hair, already dressed in a set of dark armour. His plate only had a little bit of food, some sausage and bread; Xander never liked to eat much before fighting, even in simple sparring matches. He looked away from Leo's spectacle briefly and glanced at me, and grinned. "Our gracious host has awakened from his slumber," he teased, pushing out the chair at the head of the table.

I stuck my tongue out at him like I used to when I was a child and took my seat. Felicia placed a plate of food in front of me, but I pushed it away. Seeing my brothers caused me to remember the dream, and I suddenly didn't have much of an appetite.

The time came and Xander and I made our way to the training yard. My ponytailed butler, Jakob, was waiting for me with my armour. "Thank you, Jakob. I hope the dents didn't give you too much trouble," I teased lightly.

"My lord, it is my firm belief that your brother is doing it to spite me," he replied with a chuckle as he helped me into it. When I was fully suited in my ground-battle armour, which was the typical Nohrian plate armour, he handed me my sword and I went to meet Xander in the sparring ring. Typically I would have been atop my mount, Snowcrest, but Xander wanted me to fight him on foot today. However, he was mounted on his massive destrier, his legendary sword Siegfried held tightly in his hand. "Ready, Little Prince?" he asked.

"As ever, Brother," I said, grinning. My heart was pounding; sparring with Xander was something I always looked forward to.

"You're a prince of Nohr, Arin," he said, "fight with your all. Father has been tracking your progress, you know." He was suddenly serious.

My hands tightened around the cold leather grip of my sword. "Then I'll prove I'm ready to leave."

"I know you will," Xander said, his eyes shining with proud, his expression still placid. He always believed in me. "Now! Come at me!"

"YaaaaAAAAAH!" I yelled, raising my sword as I ran toward Xander. He remained still as stone, though his armoured mount was clearly excited. When I came close to my brother, I swung my sword fiercely at him; even mounted he was only a little bit taller than I was (dismounted he was only two inches taller) and he had to hold Siegfried with both hands to block. He parried and countered, and I ducked out of the way, taking a few more swings. Being the veteran soldier, he turned away my strikes with ease and laid across my chest with one strong cut from the edge of his blade.

That was my least favourite part about sparring with Xander: Siegfried always cut deep. The magical blade had a way of cutting you, even if it the steel didn't touch you; there was something cold about it, and even when it glanced off your armour it was like a gust of freezing wind would cut through you, slowing you. It made my innards go numb, briefly, before I came back swinging. He looked surprised at how quickly I bounced back, but then he grinned; ten or so years of this had caused me to adapt and overcome.

My sword caught him on the shoulder, clanging against his pauldrons; he seized the opportunity to take another swipe with Siegfried, catching me in the ribs—that was where that specific set of chainmail was weakest. Since I was a Sky Knight and typically rode mounted on my pegasus, the most padding was in my front, because that's typically where the arrows came from; if any came from the sides, it was to bring down Snowcrest, my mount.

The blow sent me to the ground, knocking the wind out of me and sending my sword skittering.

"Come on, Arin! You'll have to do better than that," said Xander.

I moved my hand to my side and felt a bit of blood, hot and sticky. I doubted that it could be a big cut, but as I said, Siegfried is a vicious weapon. I rolled to the side, just in case he tried for a downward cut, but he didn't; instead, he allowed me to recollect my weapon and retreat slightly.

When I reached the centre of the sparring area, I felt something in my gut tugging at me, begging for attention. "Dragon Vein," I said lowly, squeezing my eyes shut and focusing. I could practically feel Xander and Leo's grins. A green aura began to glow, and a shimmering light spread over the ground like a spotlight; not just any Dragon Vein, a healing area. I felt a sense of relief wash over me, and the stinging sensation from where I was cut faded away; when I put my hand there, the blood flow appeared to have stopped.

"Damn, brother! I wasn't sure if you would sense that or not," said Leo from the sidelines.

"I'm impressed as well," said Xander. "Now that you're healed, come on! Let's finish this."

I grinned and complied, rushing back into the fight with renewed vigour. My sword, gleaming with pale light, clattered in a flurry of sparks against Siegfried; my brother's own strength made him able to deflect my own blade, though I came back swifter with a powerful strike to his chest, stunning him briefly. I took that moment to gather up some strength and deliver a fierce chop to his gauntleted fist, making him drop the blade. Moments later I had my sword to his neck, and just like that the fight was over.

I won.

Part of me was so proud of myself; what had once been a physically taxing guaranteed loss had steadily become a fruitful endeavour that proved just how strong I had become. Elation swelled up inside me, and a grin that probably made me look like a madman appeared on my face. I couldn't wait until Elise found out; my little sister was always the one who enjoyed hearing about mine and Xander's matches. Camilla would no doubt be proud, but probably subject me to a somewhat invasive examination to make sure I wasn't too hurt.

Whilst lost in my own thoughts, I felt myself being dragged back into the castle by two pairs of soft hands; I saw a brief flash of blonde curls and lavender waves—speak of the devil, it was Elise and Camilla! My beloved little sister was chattering away about something, and Camilla was gently prodding at my side, around where Siegfried had cut me. She seemed pleased that the Healing Spot had done its work, but I had no doubts that she would declare me injured until she confirmed it herself.

Surrounded by my sisters, the dream came back to mind. Another snippet of speech tagged along, and this disturbed me more than the others:

"Nohrian scum! First you kidnap Arin, then you lie to him?! Arin is MY brother!" I didn't know who the voice belonged to, but it was definitely female and the very sound of it struck a chord in my mind. I knew this person, remember being near them, but I could not recall a face nor a name.

I didn't like what she said though. Mentally I balked at the thought; I had been raised in Nohr all my life! There was no way.

Then there was Camilla's voice, smooth and alluring, but deadly as a viper, "You are mistaken… Arin is my sweet little brother, you may not have him." Any trace of playfulness was gone; in its place, a seriousness that I had never heard from her.

I heard Ryoma. "Arin, don't be fooled by their words. You belong with your true family in Hoshido!"

Xander. "We loved you and raised you since you were a child. Come home, little prince. We can live as a family once more!"

Then the haunting words reared their ugly heads.

"Come home to Hoshido, Arin!"

"No, Arin! Nohr is your home!"

Camilla had departed from us, possibly to find medical supplies to examine me with. Elise stopped suddenly, and I stopped too, snapped away from my daze. For the first time that day I actually heard her voice.

"Big brother, why are you crying?"

I hadn't realised until she brought it up. Hot tears spilled down my face. My heart felt like it was being torn in two. I glanced over at Elise and wrapped my arms around her, pulling her into a hug. "I don't know, sometimes you just need to cry, you know?" I asked. Hopefully that would stave off questions, at least for a little bit.

I wasn't about to sob. I wasn't going to dry-heave. I was just crying.

"Little sister, do you have any idea how much I love you?" I asked, wiping my tears away. I couldn't tell if I was asking this to reaffirm her beliefs or my own.

"Tons!" she said, hugging me tightly. "And I love you tons too, Arin!"

The tears wouldn't stop coming, but I smiled nonetheless. Just hearing those words brightened my day.

Later that day, after lunch, Xander informed me we would be leaving right away. Jakob helped me pack, and since we knew not if I would be returning to the Fortress or if I would be staying in Windmire, we packed heavily. My armour, spare swords, a lance; and of course clothes. Lilith, another one of the castle maids, readied the horses.

When we were getting ready to leave, Lilith sidled up alongside me as I mounted Snowcrest. We were nearing the outre wall, and a breeze ran through her blue hair. "Finally leaving, Lord Arin? I bet you're happy."

"In a way," I admitted. "It will be nice to finally see the outside."

She grinned slightly. "Gunter has asked me to come along. To tend the horses," she added quickly.

"Glad to hear it," I say with a smile. "It would be a lot lonelier without you around."

Xander trotted up on his mount. "Are the pack horses ready, Lilith?"

"Yes milord," she replied, "and very excited. They're all very fond of Lord Arin."

"Well, I do enjoy the stables," I agreed. "Nice and quiet, compared to you lot."

Lilith flushed and puffed out her cheeks. "Lord Arin!"

Camilla's laughter filled my ears, and the ground started to quake a little. I kept Snowcrest steady, and I saw Xander having to keep his horse calm too. Camilla's mount of choice was a massive black wyvern instead of a horse; why she had to be different, I know not. "Our beloved brother is such a caring soul; it's only natural that he and animals love each other." She sounded wistful. "Why, don't you all remember the time he nursed that baby bird back to health? I think that was just before you arrived, Lilith."

Lilith looked a little nervous for a moment, but she tried to return to a happy face.

"Something wrong, Lilith?" I asked, concerned.

She flushed a little more. "N-no, Lord Arin, it's, ah…"

"Isn't it obvious Arin?" Elise said, coming up to my other side atop her horse, a chestnut courser. "Lilith is sad because she's going to miss you!"

"She's coming with us," Leo said in a deadpan.

"Oh, right! Well, I bet she's sad because she won't have you all to herself anymore," Elise teased, grinning at Lilith. My blue-haired maid blushed. "You've always been especially fond of my brother, haven't you, Lilith?"

Xander's amused voice broke whatever babble was leaving Lilith's mouth. "As gripping as all this is, we need to be on our way. You know how father detests tardiness," he said; he even sounded a little afraid.

It would be nice to see father again, and I certainly didn't want to anger him by being unpunctual. Whenever he came to visit, he would arrive and leave at precise times and adhere to specific schedules; I can only imagine he would expect the same from us. It would not bode well to anger him, I know that much.

"Yes, let's go," I agreed quickly.

"Flora, Jakob. You two shall remain here and keep watch over the castle. Felicia and I shall accompany Lord Arin; it may be some time before we return, but I trust you will take care of this place."

"Of course! Have we ever failed you?" Flora asked with a smile. When I looked back, I could see in her icy blue eyes that she wasn't excited for me to go—why should she? We had been companions for almost half our lives, and now we were to be separated?

It was the same boat with Jakob. Though he wore a serene smile, my butler's eyes were filled with sorrow. "I wish you safe travels, Lord Arin," he said politely.

"Thank you, both of you. We'll meet again one day, just hopefully not here," I joked, trying to offer them a smile. As much as I hated to admit it, I was going to miss this place, simply for the friends I was leaving behind. "Thank you, Jakob, Flora, you two are some of the best friends I've ever had."

"Milord, we're some of the only friends you've ever had," Jakob teased, but I could tell he was touched.

My siblings and I cantered toward the gates; or at least, Leo, Xander, Elise and I did, whilst Camilla's wyvern took flight in a low hover, kicking up dust. I had to laugh, remembering how she always let me ride behind her on the massive mount, and how I clung to her out of sheer terror. It was nothing like riding Snowcrest, and she would laugh but comfort me afterward.

Then Elise, how she would always tackle me with a hug when she would come to visit. We would sit and talk for hours upon hours, well after Gunter and my maids would order lights out. We would always tell each other first when something was wrong.

Leo, my little brother, the talented mage. I was the one who taught him how to ride; we would sneak out after dark and go to the stables, and I would help him get closer with the horses, and finally we would go out into the fields and ride. Together, Xander and I even taught him how to swordfight; he wasn't particularly skilled, but he was a mage and didn't really need to use a sword much. Still, it was nice to be prepared.

Xander, my elder brother, my role model, my hero. He was all I ever wanted to be; tall, handsome, and strong, with a sense of loyalty to Father that I could only hope to match. His intense training brought me into manhood and made me the man that Father needed, the man that Nohr needed.

Dream-Xander was right; any doubts I had melted away with that. Nohr was my home. My family was here; Elise, Leo, Camilla, Xander… even Gunter, Jakob, Felicia and Flora. Even Father, as distant as he was, loved me. He didn't put me away in the Northern Fortress out of spite or shame, he did it so I could hone my skills and become the sort of soldier Nohr needed. I would prove my worth to him.

He would have to acknowledge me, show pride in my skills. Maybe then he would finally tell me about Mother.

Ayyyy so there we go! I've been crazy about Fates so far, loving every single freaking minute of it! I've had a bit of a bad track record with finishing stories, but I'm really behind this story (plus since I'm still playing Fates, I've got a constant source of inspiration going). Anyways, I just really got the bug to write through with my own dude, Arin, and instead of just the simple Nohrian Prince, he's a Sky Knight y'all—a personal favourite unit of mine—but he can also use swords. I've got some other characters of my own, and I've decided that I kind of want to go into bigger detail about the battles and stuff. I might have chapters about battles between the actual armies, through the POVs of commanders and such considering the main parties. Also, in case anyone noticed, I combined the prologue together with "Nohr," you know, the whole training chapter.

Now, I do have the sides planned; I know where Arin is going. For the most part, however, I don't know about the pairings. I plan to pair one of my created characters with Camilla, and I'm thinking about pairing Arin with, perhaps, Setsuna or Hana, but otherwise I don't know, and I'm certainly open to suggestions.

So, to mark my return to the world of fanfiction, and to Fire Emblem, how about some favourites/follows/reviews if you liked it? My writing might be a little rusty, like I said it's been a little while since I've done this—especially in first person—but I really hope it's up to par.

Anyways, to close it, I just wanted to say, take care, brrrrush yo hair, I'll see ya when I see ya, PEACE!

~Chase