Disclaimer : I do not own Fire Emblem, Finn, Leaf, Celice, yadda, yadda…even if I wanted to. They belonged to the wonderful folks at Intelligent Systems.
Author's Note : I was thinking of Finn and Lachesis when I wrote this, but it's engineered to work with any of his predestines' kids. (They're Lachesis, Ayra and Edin) So if you noticed something missing, chances are that's the reason why I can't write it in. Because it's got to work for every one. That's about it. (Secondary Note: The file was whacked in the head somehow and some parts got mixed up. It's fixed now)
Fathers and Sons
When I was young, I'd used to wonder if the skies of Tilnanogue connected to my father's skies, and if he'd ever come for me. When I was not spending time honing my craft, I'd used to hound Oyfaye and Shannan for hours, begging for any bit of information at all. Nobody ever gave me a straight answer. Didn't they know him? Didn't I deserve to know? Didn't he used to serve in Sigurd's army? Why wouldn't they tell me? All that I knew of him were the few belongings he'd left behind, and those I treasured. Or rather, used to treasure.
Then, I'd spend my days counting stars, praying for his safety, praying for his return. For a return that never came. Then I saw that my ignorance was merciful compared to Celice, who'd had all the knowledge he could ever wanted of his mother, heard of her everyday, heard how the Emperor loved his wife. Heard of how they loved their children, the Imperial Prince and Princess. And he was there, alone, laughing like a fool at every prank and joke, his face ever so innocently happy. But I knew that deep inside the laughter, a glass knife was silently slicing his heart in half. It endeared us to him, the other orphans, and we became more than a band of brothers. That was when I decided I have no need for a shadowy figure that never came. Even if it took years and years to accept that he was gone, and even longer still to kill the ache whenever I see a father and child playing, fighting with their wooden swords.
I took all the time I used to count the stars with and turned it into time used practicing my skills. I wanted to be able to hold my own, to protect whoever I wish to protect. I needed no father. I wanted no father.
Then Celice led us on the long march south, toward the city of Lancers by the sea. It was a long, bloody march, and there were times I'd thought I wouldn't make it if not for Lana's nursing me back to health. There were times when I'd thought all of us wouldn't make it alive. The pass through the Yied desert, handicapped by the whipping sands and scorching heat and with shadows hounding our every step, was torture. If Shannan hadn't joined us right there and then, I doubted we'd have very good chances against the prince of thunder and his fiancee, or the forces that held the misguided, disowned lord of Nodion. Yet we miraculously made it through.
And then we passed Alster, where Arthur made his happy reunion with his sister Teeny. I was quite surprised to see her. At first I thought he heard the wrong rumor. What's a Silesian wind mage's got to do with a lady of Freege? Sure, he had the fire spells he'd claimed belonged to his Velthomer father and the pendant from his Freege mother, but I'd admit to having some doubts toward a wanderer being the heir of Grandbell's great houses. Partly because he didn't seemed to have the big great ego I'd associated with the young lords. I felt a little sorry for ever feeling that in the first place.
And then we came to Lenster, a city besieged.
I came up to my sister, and we talked. Words could not describe how glad I was that she's all right, what with all that's been going through with uprisings lately. We spent sometime jesting with each other, me with my armor all cracked and bloody and all. I was happier than I could remember for a long while. Strange what near-death experiences could do to people. Of course, Celice called her, and she had to excuse herself before she could really talk much.
Then the prince, together with his companions, came to greet Celice. He was young, younger than sister, even. My initial assessment of him was that he was a little puny, with not much of a sword arm to speak of, the white armor he wore was dented and his blade was in need of a proper repair. Still, there was one thing I could not fault him. He was determined. Maybe somewhat unsure of himself as young boys were wont to, but the gleam in his eyes was unmistakable. It told me that he would fight for his country's freedom and peace, even if he lacked the strength, even if he died trying. This prince, however weak, was a person I could honestly respect. And that respect, in some train of thought that I still regret having this day, extended to whoever it was that raised him. After losing lord, freedom, country, living on the edges of being hunted, he still managed to rear the boy up as a fine young man. It was a feat I could respect.
That was until Lord Levin, taking the opportunity while Leaf and Celice were chatting away, approached me. And told me that the knight in blue, the one who raised the Prince, was my father.
Words couldn't begin to express my feelings then. He was there, alive, all this time, a breath away at Lenster. And never once, it seemed, did the thought of me ever cross his mind. It was no secret that most of the children from Lord Sigurd's ill-fated army were hiding in Isaac. I still remembered the Emperor's troops making periodic sweeps, trying to find us. Even if I understood that Lenster's current situation made travel risky and he had a burden to raise Prince Leaf, would it have been that much trouble to send a word? Oyfaye'd known for sometime, even before Levin told him, that Lenster's heir was alive and well in his care, why shouldn't he have guessed that I was there? I was praying for his safety every day for years and years of my life, and it seemed that he didn't so much as think of me. Shanan's intelligence staff was everywhere, moreso than the Dozel folks, and he could've contacted some of the people staying in the Thracian Peninsula. Why didn't he ever even bother to care about me?
It was not fair.
Lord Levin had left me to my ponderings, and it was good that he did. I was feeling a particular urge to maim somebody the more I thought, and I wasn't being terribly specific.
The worst of it was that he was talking with my sister, and she was chatting quite eagerly, pointing to me. Didn't she understand? He was not my father. He could've been a father figure to Leaf, perhaps, but not to me. Where was he when I was growing up? In the shadows? In the dark? Did he ever wonder where I was, how I was doing? Ever tried to seek news of me, ever tried to find me? She might have different ideas, but it remained that I could not forgive him.
Celice was coming up to me, asking why I didn't go to join the family reunion. The look in his eyes was almost pleading in a deeply sorrowful way. I have no father I could go back to, even if I wanted it so, I could almost hear him say. Go to your family.
The prince had joined the conversation, talking about something he'd done long ago. The knight gave something like a short answer, and there was the care in his eyes that spoke volumes. Wasn't that what I wanted, as a child, in some hazy memories of long ago?
Celice repeated his question. I looked at him, then shook my head lightly, sadly.
I have no father.