Severa hated goodbyes. Goodbyes are final, resolute. They leave no room for reunions, and no hope for the future. Nobody who she had ever said goodbye to had lived to say hello again. When she said goodbye to her mother, she died. When she said goodbye to her father, he disappeared. Severa refused to ever say goodbyes again, and she'd stuck to that for many years.
That is, until now.
Anxiety continued to build in her chest as she waited, leaning against a tree looking over the grassy hillside. This was the night that they'd leave, and her pack was ready and hidden nearby. Owain and Inigo had already said their veiled goodbyes, leaving only her own to go before they departed. She initially hadn't planned on bothering at all, but as she thought about it, she'd realized there was one person she would regret not seeing one final time, and she wasn't about to leave with any regrets. Regrets meant ties, and ties meant she wouldn't be able to move forward.
The person she'd miss the most, the person she couldn't bear leaving without a word, was Lucina. She'd had a crush on her since childhood, not that she'd ever breathe a word of it aloud. As they'd grown and fought together, they'd become fairly close friends, and disregarding the crush, Severa really valued her support and friendship. To leave without seeing her dumb face one last time would be...annoying.
Hearing the sound of approaching footsteps, Severa looked up to see Lucina approaching, and gave her a small wave of greeting. Lucina, smiling, returned the wave, and fell into step beside her as they made their way to a nice spot in the grass. It might've been completely lame, but Severa wanted to see the sunset in Ylisse one last time as well. Seeing it with Lucina would make the moment extra special, and create a memory she'd cherish forever. At least, she hoped it would.
As they settled on the ground side by side, Lucina let out a wistful sigh. "I'm glad to spend some time appreciating the true beauty of this peace we've achieved." She said, "I've been so busy with reparations that I've barely had the time to do so. This was an excellent idea, Severa."
Severa huffed lightly, but took note of the praise. "You always overextend yourself. Everyone needs a break, you know. Royalty included."
Lucina laughed, "Yes, that's true. Thank you for always looking out for me, I appreciate it."
"Well obviously…" Severa mumbled, feeling flustered and guilty. "You're welcome." She added, after a beat. They fell into silence, simply enjoying each other's company while waiting for the sun to set. Severa took this chance to contemplate what she should say next, and different scenarios that could occur.
It wasn't long before the sun had fully set, painting the sky with hues of purple, pink, orange and yellow. Severa took a breath, and did her best to commit every detail to memory so no matter where she went, she'd never forget the skies of home.
"Wow…" Lucina murmured, "It really is beautiful, isn't it?"
Severa glanced her way, and felt a bittersweet pang in her heart as she saw just how radiant Lucina looked bathed in the light of a sunset. This was another sight she'd be sure to commit to memory. "It really is." She agreed, looking at Lucina as she said it.
For a moment there was silence between them as they appreciated the scenery, but Severa knew she had to get to the point eventually. Trying to keep her voice sounding nonchalant, she asked, "So, Luci...what do you think you'll do now?"
Lucina gave her a confused look, responding with, "Well, I believe after this dinner will be served?"
While usually she might roll her eyes, or make a quip about how dense Lucina could be, at this Severa just sighed, "No, I mean the future. Like...is there something you want to do?"
"Oh, I see." She took a moment to think it over, "I want to continue to be with my family, and support Ylisse, I think. I might not be the heir to the throne in this time, but I'm sure there are plenty of other ways I can serve Ylisse."
"You don't feel weird being around Little Luci?" Severa wondered, referring of course to the Lucina of this time. She could appreciate the ideal of wanting to stay with family, given that the parents of their time were gone, but at least for her, she felt as though there was no place for her there. With a little Severa already existing in this time, she essentially felt replaced by, well, herself.
"I see what you mean, but I think I'd be willing to work around that. Perhaps I could take on another identity, as I did before? Change my name and appearance?"
Severa gave her a small, bittersweet smile. She'd been hoping to probe how attached to Ylisse she was, hoping that maybe, just maybe, she might be willing to leave with her and the guys. However, given how she was talking of her future, she could essentially rule that out. "Maybe, yeah." She agreed, mostly out of support.
"What about you?" Lucina asked, leaning back on the heels of her hands.
Severa already knew hers. She was leaving. When peace had finally been achieved, she'd expected to feel it as well, but she's felt far from 'at peace' since the conflicts had ended. Her whole life had been spent in a time of war, and now that she was experiencing peace, it felt threatening. Like the calm before the storm, it felt too quiet, too hopeful, too...good. It kept her constantly on edge, even though there was no longer any need to be.
With the coming of peace, combat skills had less use in society. The sword was all she's ever known, and now that her skill with the sword wasn't needed, she felt more and more useless with each passing day. Owain and Inigo had felt the same, and made a plan to leave Ylisse to travel the world, perhaps as mercenaries. When she'd overheard them discussing it, she'd of course badgered them into letting her join them. It was the perfect opportunity to figure out her purpose and feel part of something again.
Aloud, however, she only said, "I'm not sure yet.", and avoided Lucina's gaze by looking at the skies. The trio had promised to keep their departure quiet, and leave without anyone knowing. Severa had suggested it, of course.
"There's a lot of possibilities." Lucina stated, getting up from her spot on the ground and stretching. "I know you'll find your answer, there's plenty of time to think on it, after all." Severa merely hummed in response, staying seated. "It should be about time for dinner to start," Lucina continued, "Would you like to come with me?"
"I think I'm gonna stay here for a bit longer." Severa answered, "Just to, you know, think some more."
"Alright, I understand." She said softly, "Maybe I'll see you there later?"
"Yeah, sure." Severa lied, feeling guilt seize up her chest.
"Great, I'll see you then." Lucina put a hand on her shoulder and gave a supportive smile, before beginning to walk away.
"Goodbye, Lucina…" Severa murmured, her voice small and soft enough that she doubted Lucina even heard her. She was okay with that. As long as she said it, it didn't matter if she'd heard it. It wasn't her that was leaving for good, after all.
After Lucina had gone, Severa stood, grabbed her pack, and made her way to where she would meet Owain and Inigo.