Chapter 1: Ending and Beginning
Hi folks. First ever fanfiction on this site, and first post too, now that I think about it. Well, it happens.
Anyway, more or less a "M!Robin in Fates!Revelation" kind of story here, just because I was replaying through the two games not long ago and though why not try at it ? Seemed like fun, and yes, I know that exists already (what doesn't ?) but I need to pratice my English anyway, since it's not my native language so I decided to have some fun at the same time :p
A. Ny. Way. Feel free to comment on what you find cool, lame, good, bad, ideas, suggestions, etc...
I also take suggestion for the shipping and eugenics of our perfect troops (even if I do not know if I want to write about the timezone incubator thingy) if you are into that, but one thing at a time.
Now here are a little less than 2k word for the first chapter. Oh, and since I know some people like to know, I wrote the thing while listening to some heavy metal, whatever that may mean about its influence on the story itself. Enjoy.
\o/
/!\ I do not own any part of the Fire Emblem franchise /!\
The sky was dark, even from the scaly back of the enormous beast soaring in the sky far above the clouds where he stood motionless, looking at the spotless night sky, thinking a bit despite the urgency of his situation.
Strangely fitting that there would be nothing at all, I guess.
Repressing a chuckle, his eyes fell back to the being right in front of him. There was a man with the exact same appearance as himself, albeit looking ever so slighty older. That and the vivid red eyes the monster had in place of the man's brown ones. And the cruel smile, too, for the abbheration was talking with the expression of a predator just meeting and toying with his prey.
We're not that much alike, in the end.
This time, he didn't manage to hold back his chuckles, who then seemed to resonate despite the noisy surroundings. That seemed to have shut the red eyed being right up in the middle of whatever he was saying, a scowl replacing his previous smile for a good handfull of seconds before reappearing along with his disagreable voice.
"Are you finally losing your mind, Robin ?", he began mocking. "Ready to surrender your body to me and joining hands in greatness, as your destiny foretold ?"
Confidence oozed from him despite his very badly beaten up appearance, but then again, Robin didn't look much better. He, however, didn't respond to the monster in front of him, looking over his shoulder instead, weirdly composed for the situation.
They aren't really up for it anymore, are they...
Behind him laid his companions, scattered on the back of the winged beast serving as an impromptu battlefield. Not dead, mind you, just exhausted. And rightfully so, the battle having dragged on from early morning to this late in the night.
"Look at them", the monster laughed. "Your friends, nothing more than flies that I squashed from m-"
"You haven't squashed anything, Grima", Robin began, slowly turning his head to look at his ennemy. "Nobody is dead. You know you failed to really do anything. And you're scared now. I would know. I am you, after all."
Grima's face instantly lost all trace of composure after hearing his steady voice and when he saw sparks beginning to surround Robin's hand, he instantly panicked and tried to muster what little magic he had left, without success.
"W-what do you think you are doing ?", he spoke while forcing his body to move, a feat proving to be too much thanks to the blows he suffered at the divine blade of some of Robin's companions. "You know what will happen if you kill me ! You will -"
"Die", Robin interrupted again, lifting his left hand a little, clenching his fist alfway as if to grip the lightning it generated. "And what of it ? That was my plan all along. The only one really against it was Chrom, and he can't really stop me while he sleeps, now can he ?"
A truly happy smile was on Robin face as he spoke, contrasting greatly with his twin's, the very portrait of dread at the moment.
"Y-you !", was all he could utter in his despair before Robin's hand penetrated his chest until the middle of the forearm.
He didn't want to take any chances. After all, this was a once in a lifetime chance to rid the world of the Fell Dragon and the Fellblood all at once. That was why he simply chose to thrust his ligthningclad hand into his doppleganger rather than risking a somewhat lesser wound by firing Thoron in his weakened state. For all his bravado and talk right now, he was really near collaspe.
"I should thank you, you know.", he spoke happily to his now dying counterpart. "You gave me all the cards to end you, after all."
With another chuckle, the lightning dispersed when he retracted his hand, leaving a gaping hole where the monster's heart would have been otherwise. With a soft sound, the lifeless body fell to the ground, Grima's face still frozen in pure horror. Robin took some time to admire his andywork, returning to his senses when he saw the body beginning to disaprear in dark particules and vanishing in the air. He turned his head near where his companions lay unconscious, except for the Voice silently watching since the beginning.
"Well.", he began. "The end, then. Goodbye, everyone. And take them back safely, Naga."
Following his double, he too disappeared in dark lights, leaving no trace of anything ever being there.
Sunlight slipped trough a sligth opening in the curtains and made its way onto the face of the sole occupant of the room. The young girl twitched, then turned to her side, effectively hiding her face from the sunlight, but she could still sense it the back of her head, causing her to feel restless enough to finaly decide to get out of the bed, albeit begrundgigly.
So early.
She thought to herself while stretching her arms, getting up and going to her shelf to pick some clothes to wear, purposefully avoiding looking at the ligth protruding from the thick curtains. She had spent a little over six months in this country now, but she still found it rather hard to adapt to the very, very early sunrise. But she will have to.
Kidnapped one night she spent in a somewhat near the border fortress she had been, well, exiled in by one of her late mother's rivals, she was quickly brougth here and told to "be good and wait until the trade is concluded to go home". At first, she was thinking that she would not be kept here too long. Maybe a month or so, if what she was told during her studies were anything to go by.
She rapidly found out that it was not to meant to be. She shouldn't have been surprised, really. She may have been young, but she had ears, and eyes all the same. And what she heard and saw during her stay in the Nohrian court was enough for her to know that she was neither wanted nor needed. Quite the opposite, in fact. They must have been overjoyed to have the opportunity write her off like it was no one's business. It brought a self depreciating and somewhat lonely smile to her lips to think that perhaps her abductors received their ransom on the condition that they kept her with them.
That sure would be funny.
She didn't find the thought too painful, however. She did consider the dark kingdom to be her home, but only because this was where her mother was. And she was no more. She only ever met scorn and disgust since then, so being away from that environment was somewhat nice. Only the sun wasn't, really. And she would adapt soon enough, given the opportunity to stay. She was more or less well cared, after all.
Finishing to put on a strange outfit recently provided to her by a maid, her reveries were interrupted by a knock on the sliding door to her room. Finding it odd to be needed for something – after all, she was an hostage, not staff-, she went to open it only to be told to "follow to the throne room, please".
The trek to the throne room was an uncomfortable one. Not only was the girl more of a silent, listener type of person, but the people in the castle generaly openly eyed her with suspicion when they were on their best behavior. There were some exception, like today's maid for example, but the girl still prefered to avoid people anyway. Some sort of reflex she acquired during her stay in the nohrian court. She knew it was not good, but she couldn't say it was bad when it allowed her to survive so far with little damage to herself, if we didn't count her significantly lower social skills and interractions. That train of thought was interrupted before she reached a definitive answer.
"Please enter, Azura-sama.", the maid bowed to her while skillfully opening one of the two doors, making way for her to pass.
So she did. Hesitantly advancing into the big and surprinsingly empty throne room, she wondered what she did here while looking in wonder at the ceiling, flags, tapestries and collumns decorating the room. She was never once allowed inside the nohrian equivalent, so she had nothing to compare it to, but she thought it was gorgeous. Then her eyes fell on the place she subconciously avoided while entering: the throne. Much like the rest of the room, it was magnificent, of course. But what made her avoid it were the three people in its vicinity. With one sat on it. One thought immediately came to her.
Crap.
Instantly recognizing her thought to be improper, she blushed profusely -wich always made somewhat of a contrast with her pale blue hair-, and started fidgeting under the gaze of the three people. Before long though, she tried reminiscing on the social classes her mother made her attend to and decided to try announcing herself timidly with a nohrian curtsy.
"I, err...As you ordered, I, Azura, have made my way to you... your highness ?", she tested, eyeing the reaction of the other party.
The younger male didn't react at all, simply looking at her in what appeared to be genuine curiosity. Maybe he just never saw a, well, someone right from Nohr ? While the older man on the other side of the throne made a visible scowl seeing her introduce herself that way, but he remained quiet.
With a soft laugh that seemed to make the heavy atmosphere of the room disappear, the woman sitting on the throne began to seak with a somewhat strange smile on her face.
"Azura, hm...", the woman seemed to think for a moment before pursuing. "What a pretty name. I am Mikoto, current ruler of Hoshido."
Her voice was nice. It actually made Azura remember her mother, and Mikoto's compliment just made her bluch that much more before she replied.
"Th-thank you very much, your grace !"
After a brief moment of just smiling at the child, the queen decided to continue the talk forward.
"I have convoqued you today to speak of the recent...", she looked toward the older man on her left with a very complicated expression before looking again in Azura direction. "... Unfortunate incidents. Namely, your abduction by hoshidan soldiers..."
Azura didn't respond. She didn't really know what to say. Or do. Or anything at all about this situation other than what she was told. And the fact that she was here. So she just listened as the talk went on between the queen and herself.
"I'm sure this situation has caused you much distress, and we apologize for it."
Surprising everyone in the room, the queen lowered her head in what seemed like a sincere apology, immediately followed by a bow from the younger boy. The older man, however did not budge until the queen made him with a glare.
"Exactly... We... apologize.", he finally said with the most reluctant look possible.
All this display prompted Azura to speak.
"Err... D-don't worry, your highness... And, uh... wh-what ab... err... I mean, does this conversation mean that you received what you asked and I will go back ?"
Truthfully, she was not in any hurry. Scratch that, she hated the very idea of returning, but it was not her decision to make. If the story was ending, then that was it. But to her surprise, the three faces in front of her instantly changed expression at her question. And all three looked litterally devastated.
"I am afraid... not.", finally stated the queen in what was possibly the worst and saddest tone of voice Azura ever heard in her meager years of life.