A/N: Hello everyone! Welcome to this OS about Soren and Ranulf. I hope that you'll like it! Also, English isn't my native language so there are probably many mistakes.
Disclaimer: Fire Emblem doesn't belong to me.
Warning: Mention of Yaoi (love between men)
You're not alone
Since the beginning, he knew that he would end alone, but he never thought it would be so soon. Of course, for anybody else, being alone after seventy-five years, it wasn't important anymore, and it was near of the end of life. But he wasn't anybody, his life wasn't coming to an end soon, he would still live so many years that he couldn't count them. And he was sad. As a Branded, he didn't have a choice about his age, and he would like to be a normal people: at least, he would have died soon after Ike. But fate was merciless and he could only have seen Ike growing old while he was still the same.
Ike died at the age of eighty-seven. He died in his bed, a little smile on his lips. Soren would always remember it, as he would always remember his first wrinkles. Even through it was difficult, he cherished all these memories. Young or old, Ike was still Ike and loved him. They spent lovely times together, and he wasn't thinking of the days only.
Soren sighed. Why did he do a promise like that? Near of his death, Ike told him to live on, no matter what. Making new friends. As if it was possible. Then, he asked him to smile, what he did, and in a last gently smile, he passed away. Soren cried a lot this day, cursing his own parents for being what he was. If he was a Beorc, he could have die with Ike.
He shook his head and continued his way. He had nowhere to go so he was going to the former Greil's Mercenaries' fort. Nobody was living here anymore, he heard. Well, since his departure with Ike, everyone lived like they wanted. He heard that almost all of them were already dead. It seemed that Mist and Rolf were the only ones alive. Soren wondered how Mist was but he wouldn't pay a visit: how could he explain that he was still young? Of course, he knew that Mist wouldn't judge him, but…He couldn't.
The strategist entered the fort, feeling nostalgic. Every memories of Ike came back and he suddenly wanted to cry. It had been months now, so why did tears continue to fall?
He continued his visit until he heard a strange noise. He put back is cloak on his head and stopped moving; but it seemed that the new comer knew he was here.
"Show you. I can smell you, I know you're here."
That voice…It was his rival in love. He didn't think that he would see him. He didn't want, especially with the news he had…
"I won't repeat it!"
"Yeah, I heard you the first time, you know."
Soren went out of his hiding place and if he wasn't sad, he would make fun of the Laguz in front of him. Ranulf didn't change at all and suddenly, he felt much closer to him.
"Soren…? Is that really you?" He asked, shocked.
"I think so."
The cat looked at him with his blue and green eyes and after a minute of silence, he declared:
"I understand now why you smelt…strange."
Yes, of course that Ranufl smelt him; his odor was neither Beorc nor Laguz; but he was a little bit astonished that he didn't understand before.
"But then, does that mean…"
Ranulf was talking to himself, saying nonsence, and Soren took this very moment to leave the fort. The Laguz was totally in his thoughts and he didn't notice it.
The mage continued his walk, wondering what he could do. He came to the fort but for what? He didn't know himself. And Ranulf was here too. Was it for the same strange reason? Now he thought about it, Ranulf probably didn't know about Ike and, strangely, he wondered what would be his reaction. Ranulf loved Ike too, perhaps more or less than him, and he was sure that the cat wouldn't take the news very well. Would he hate him? He was the one who lived with Ike, who took Ike from Ranulf. Sometimes, he wondered if Ike didn't love back Ranulf, he could be in love with the two of them, after all. When Soren mentioned Ranulf, Ike seemed so sad that he stopped. He never asked why and now, he would never know.
"Hey, Soren, wait."
Ranulf was running towards him. When he arrived, his tail was moving fast, betraying his excitation. And then, Soren knew what would happen.
"How is Ike? Where is he?"
Of course, he had to ask the worst questions.
"Ike is…"
Soren didn't know how to announce it. For him, Ike was still alive, he couldn't accept his death.
"Ike is…" He repeated but then Ranulf cut him.
"I see. Beorc have such a little life…" Soren could hear sadness in his voice and if he wasn't here, it would be sure that the Laguz would cry. "How…did that happen?"
"Peacefully. In his bed."
"I see…Thank you for being by his side until the end."
Soren didn't reply, he didn't find it useful. They stayed quiet for a while and Soren wondered if he didn't have to leave the cat who probably needed to be alone. But then, the man said:
"Does Mist know it?"
"…"
"Soren?"
"No."
"Why? She needs to know!"
"And how can I tell her? Sending a letter isn't a proper way to announce it."
"Since when do you care of that?"
The mage wanted to answer but he couldn't. Ranulf was right. Since when did he care for being proper? It was Mist after all, she was his friend too, Ike's siter.
"You know, she won't hate you. She's like Ike, she won't judge you."
"I know that."
"So, why?"
The strategist couldn't answer. He couldn't tell him that he was scared, not matter what. He was scared when he told Ike and still astonished that his friend didn't care; and with what he lived when he was only a child, it didn't help at all.
"Listen, we're going to see Mist."
"What? Don't decide for me!"
"Come on!"
"No. You can go alone."
"Yeah. And if she asked questions, I won't be able to answer."
Soren sighed. He knew that he had to tell Mist, knew that she needed to know about his only brother, but could he really come in front of her after all these years of silence? Of course, Ike sent her letters every two months, but it was Soren who took her brother away.
"I don't let you the choice."
Soren didn't have the time to reply that Ranulf obligated him to come with him.
"Oh, Ranulf. I'm happy to see you."
"I'm too, Mist."
Behind the cat, Soren tried to hide under his cloak. He didn't want to be here, why did Ranulf take him here? In add, seeing Mist remembered him Ike before his death. The girl, - no, the old woman! – had many wringles on her face and her hair turned grey, but in her eyes, everybody could see that she used to be a beautiful young girl.
"Who is our guest?" Mist asked.
Immediately, Soren made a step behind but Ranulf, faster, pushed him in front of the old woman and put down his cloak. The strategist muttered while Ranulf came just behind him.
"Soren, is that you?"
He could hear, thanks to her voice, that she was astonished. Of course, who would not be? What would happen, now? Would she hate him for bringing the news?"
"Yes, it's me." He finally whispered.
"It's good to see you! Please, sit down, we have so many things to talk about!"
He couldn't go against the old woman's will. She didn't mention his face and young body and he was grateful for that.
"You too, Ranulf!"
"Huh? Oh no, I won't bother your reunion."
"But—"
"Don't worry for me! I have something to do in the city." He said before leaving the house.
It was a poor lie, Soren thought, and suspicious. He was sure that Ranulf left the house to not hear the bad news again. Perhaps he was crying right now.
"Soren…" Mist began and he turned his head towards her. "Thank you."
"Why?"
"For being by Ike's sides until the end."
The mage opened his mouth in shock. How was it possible? Ranulf didn't tell her.
"How…?"
"It's easy. I didn't receive any letter from him later and you're here without him. Without talking about the strange behavior of Ranulf." She answered while tears were falling.
"I'm sorry to not have come earlier. I was…"
"Don't worry, I know. You loved my brother more than anybody else. Ranulf too, right?"
So, she knew. They tried hard to hide it but it seemed it was useless.
"Ike sent me a letter years ago." She explained. "It seemed that he wanted to tell all he had on his heart."
"I see."
Ike told her everything. Not to him, but to Mist. It was hurting.
"Did he talk about Ranulf?"
"Yes."
Soren closed his eyes. He wanted to ask what he said but, in the same way, he didn't want to know.
"Let's go outside." The old woman said.
She tried to stand up and the mage helped her. It made her laugh.
"There was a time where it was me who helped you. Especially when you were hurt."
It was true. She always healed him, he never asked someone else. Silently, they went outside where they saw Ranulf, sitting down on a big rock in front of the house.
"Fortunately, what you had to do was easy."
The Laguz stood up and turned towards them. His eyes were red, showing that he was probably crying. Mist took the hand of both of them and said, with a little smile:
"I have something to read to both of you. In his last letter, Ike wrote something that you need to know."
Then, while the two men waited silently, she took a piece of paper from her dress pocked. Does she always have that letter with her? Soren wondered. She opened it carefully and, after taking a breath, she read:
"[…] You know, sometimes, I think about the old time, during the wars. And, of course, it makes me think about Soren and Ranulf. I was unfair with them. If I could win the wars, if I could live until now, it's thanks to them. They supported me during the difficult moments, every time when I wasn't sure of what to do. And how did I thank them? By loving them.
It was awkward. I mean…I fell in love with both of them, I couldn't chose, I'm despicable, right? Ranulf probably hates me. I wonder if he knows that I didn't fight against him with all my strength. Yes, I said that I didn't want him by my side, but the truth is that I wanted it. I wanted him but Gallia needed him too, and I couldn't ask King Caineghis to let him leave with me. Fortunately, I had taken the strange powder of the Black Knight and I used it to see Ranulf all these years. I found someone who sold it too, so…
I feel bad for Soren. I cheated on him, right? I always said that I would be someone faithful but I couldn't keep this promise. I cheated on Ranulf and Soren, but in a way, I didn't…I don't know. I only loved the two of them, there wasn't anybody else. They were the only ones, my precious ones.
Will they forgive me? I'm scared of that. Every time I'm looking to my reflection, I see a bad man in love with two men and, every time, I think that if they knew, they would kill me.
No. I better be dead than destroy them.
But it is what I do since the beginning, right?
Will they forgive me to not have been able to choose between the two of them? I hope so. But for that, I need to talk to them. I will write a letter to Ranulf and ask him to come here.
I'm sorry, Mist. This month, all I wrote is boring for you.[…]"
Mist stopped to read; Soren wasn't feeling well. It wasn't because of Ike cheating on him – in a way, he wasn't surprised at all –, it was because the man couldn't talk in front of them, he didn't have an easy mind. If only he knew about that fact, he would reassure him!
"Idiot." Ranulf muttered. His voice was nearly broken, probably because he was sad of what he learned. "How could he think that I wouldn't forgive him? Idiot. I wasn't even angry."
"I…have never been angry. I knew his feelings, or rather I guessed them. Of course, I was…sad, but never angry."
It was strange to confess this kind of thing, especially for him who never liked saying what he felt.
"Ike must be happy to hear you now." Mist declared.
The two men looked at her. Since a long time, she thought that every people who died were near of them. Perhaps she was right and that now, Ike rested in peace. After a moment of silence, Ranulf said:
"I'm going back to Gallia."
"So fast?" Mist asked, upset.
"I have to announce the news to Skrimir and Caineghis."
Yes, Caineghis and Skrimir liked Ike. He was like a son for the first and a brother for the second.
"What will you do, Soren?"
He didn't answer. He didn't know what to do from now, he had nothing to do.
"You can live with me, you know?" Mist said like she read in his thoughts. "I'll really be happy if you accept to live with me. And you too, Ranulf. You can come when you want."
Soren opened his mouth, wanting to say something like "I don't want to live with you" or else, but he couldn't. He didn't want to be alone.
"Thank you."
Ike's sister looked at him and smiled. And then, he wondered if it was a good idea. She had Ike's smile and he wasn't sure that he could handle it.
"I come time to time, thank you Mist."
Then, after saying goodbye, he left.
Seven years later…
The room of the inn was noisy. He was alone in a table, waiting for the other to come, hiding by his cloak. He knew that the other smelt him, that they knew what it was but, if he didn't thing, he was sure to be fine. Or at least, he hoped so.
Then, the inn's door opened and he finally saw him. Restraining a sigh, he raised a little bit his hand until the other noticed him. The Laguz came near and sat down in front of him. They were silence for a while until the new comer said:
"It's been a while, Soren. So, why are you here and why do want to see me? I'm surprised that you came to Gallia." Seeing that Soren didn't reply, he continued: "Oh, I know. Mist is angry because it's been some months I didn't pay a visit, right? I'm sorry, I couldn't—"
"She's not angry." Soren cut. "She won't be anymore."
Silence was around them, even though the inn was noisy.
"Oh…" Ranulf said after a while. "Why do every time I see you, you announce me that someone dear to me is passed away?"
"I'm cursed."
The cat rolled his eyes before replying:
"You're so cursed that you won the wars. You're so cursed that you had friends like Mist and Ike, or even me. Stop thinking that you're cursed. You are what you are? Where is the problem?"
"I am your friend? I didn't know. And the problem is…"
Soren looked around him. He could see some eyes turned towards him and he felt uneasy.
"Well, yeah, they felt uneasy too, but since the war, Branded are better considered, you know? And I thought we were friends, we fought in the same sides. And we loved…"
Ranulf didn't continue his sentence but Soren didn't care.
"I…Sorry."
"I'm still surprised to apologize so easily." Ranulf teased with a little smile.
Soren didn't answer, restraining himself to use a tome against the cat.
"Anyway…What do you plan to do, now?"
It was a good question. The last time he had to answer to it, Mist helped. But she wasn't here anymore. He was alone; well, no, there was Ranulf.
"If you don't where to go, you may come to live in the castle."
Soren frowned. Living in Gallia's castle? Did he hear well?
"Hey, don't look at me like that. I wanted to propose it years ago but Mist cut me. Besides, Skrimir would be very glad to see his favorite strategist."
"I'm not sure it's a good idea." Soren answered.
"If it's because you're a Branded, it's okay. Skrimor knows and…Well, every one, know I think about it."
"Oh, great." He muttered.
"Hey, what did you expect? When I told them that you came to tell that Ike was died, they understood. And aren't you happy that they accepted you?"
It was not that he was happy, he was just really surprised. He never thought that one day, so many people wouldn't care about what he was.
"…"
"By the way, someone at the castle wants to see you."
"Who?"
"A woman."
"Who is she?"
A grin appeared on Ranulf's lips and Soren wasn't sure it was a good thing.
"If you want to know, you have to come at the castle."
And then, the Laguz stood up and left the inn, in front of the eyes of the Branded. Soren sighed. Sometimes, Ranulf really pissed him off but he couldn't say that he wasn't intrigued. Who was that woman? Did she really exist? If it was joke of Ranulf, he would be sure to kill him.
Then, he made his choice. Ike was right: he couldn't live alone. By the way, even if at the castle, nobody liked him and avoided him, he wasn't alone.
Ranulf was here too.