Unlike the others, it was not her place to judge.
Siegfried who called for nobility, magnetism, empathy, and dislike for direct conflict.
Kriemhild who sought a protective, nurturing heart that never wavered in that desire for those they cared about most.
Brynhildr who reached for a love of the natural world but also willing to extend a friendly ear.
Raijinto who demanded strict adherence to a code of honor and self-sacrifice.
Sujin who waited for the noble heart that willingly took up the blade to protect those nearest to them.
And of course Yato who slept for the heart that would walk the path of peace but knowing when to fight, whose very shape conformed to the values the wielder carried most dear.
But her… She was different.
Yes, she required somebody with extraordinary concentration and determination, the ability to see situations clearly, but that was because of how she was used. As long as somebody could meet the physical and concentration requirements, they could unleash her power. The steep learning curve discouraged most from even trying, so she slept most of the time.
The darkness was her ever-present companion aside from the occasional time someone tried to use her. She was dimly aware of the progress they made, but that was it. None of them called out to her, tried to push their abilities further than the base. She had nearly limitless potential for any wielder should they seek it.
None ever did until that day.
A resonance like she had never felt before woke her one day. Human most definitely, though tinged with something decidedly non. She hadn't cared what it was, but it called out to her and stirred her from her years-long slumber.
The girl was stunning. Long, red hair with gentle amber eyes. She carried not the taint of human civilisation but the gentle cherry blossom petals and the harsh mountain snows. Magic flowed through her as naturally as the breezes that stirred the grasses. Yes, this was the sort of person she had waited so long for.
For once, she reached out. Stretching out to communicate was strange for her. A waking dream. Time actually had meaning for her now. How strange. Her siblings might count the years, but she hadn't until now.
At first, she scared the girl, but not the other one. The one with Vallite blood from Nohr. Siegfried's true wielder. Brynhildr and Kriemhild's provisional one. Kindhearted but rough around the edges unlike her wielder. Soft and gentle in everything she did with an underlying resolve. She could only applaud the girl's determination in mastering her. So many others had tried and given up, but she never wavered. She couldn't give any assistance in how to do so—it fell to the wielder to do that.
But they could talk and so they did.
Countless hours passed as they spoke of everything and nothing. Fashion, politics, myths, legends, magic, literature, and, of course, the Silent Dragon. The girl—whose name was Ikona—was immune to the taboo just like her two friends—Katerina and Sumeragi. It was so strange to have so many Silence Keepers at once, but seeing the destruction of Valla through Queen Arete and Princess Eirene proved the need for it.
But the time Katerina spent in Hoshido wasn't to last. Both Ikona and Sumeragi, heartbroken, grieved for their departed friend, pursuing her destiny of Nohrian queen. She did her best to console Ikona, but there was little she could do for a wound that large.
She watched with amazement as life continued on despite the heartbreak. Ikona continued on as did the family. One sone, one daughter, then Princess Eirene and Kamui joined, followed boy another son, and a daughter. So much love, warmth, and happiness until the last daughter.
Something went wrong with the birth. She tried to help Ikona as best she could, but not even Eirene's magic could help. Perhaps Arete could have allowed her survival, but as the prisoner of the Silent Dragon, she couldn't be retrieved.
For the first time, she felt loss. She had been indifferent for so long, but after bonding with Ikona, she felt the pain, the sorrow. How did her siblings survive it? Especially Siegfried, Kriemhild, and Brynhildr. They hadn't held it against Raijinto after he slew their wielder. Even if it had been Katerina's request, she didn't understand how they dealt with the reality.
In the wake of the kidnapping and Sumeragi's death, though, she couldn't ignore his grief. Takumi. Ikona's third child. He'd suffered so much in that single year. She felt her own grief still raw, but watching those merciless teachers cut into him twisted the knife in her heart even deeper. Her new wielder and she ignored him in favor of wallowing in her own emotions. No. She couldn't. He needed somebody…and so did she.
I realise this was a bit of a departure from my usual style especially when it comes to "show, don't tell" since it feels so detached but... That was the point. The spirit of the Fuujin Yumi herself is extremely detached from just about everything. She's slept for the majority of her time since her creation, so I tried to go for a somewhat dreamy quality to the piece, but I'm not sure if I achieved that or not. The couple points of repetition are also stylistic because she's a bit like a child; everything is really new to her so it doesn't make a lot of sense and children repeat things in order to get used to them.
I mainly wrote this because I wanted to experiment a little bit but also because it covers a pretty important piece of worldbuilding, that being what the character requirements for the divine weapons are.
It also ties into Ch 11 of Reflections.