*Hey, everyone! Thought it was time to do a fanfiction on Fire Emblem Fates, although I have only played through the Birthright portion of the game. So, unfortunately, this is only going to cover Birthright. I hope you enjoy anyway, and thank you for reading and reviewing!*
Meeting the Kitsune was perhaps one of the fondest moments of her life.
Corrin had lived a remotely secluded life before escaping and choosing her rightful family of Hoshido. Granted, the choice still left her heartbroken and in despair over betraying the only family she had perhaps ever known; she hoped that Camilla, Leo, Elise, and Xander could forgive her one day, when the war between Nohr and Hoshido was over. She fought for peace and to stop the King of Nohr from his mad, tyrannical rule. At times, it was chaos, and others... Others, when she was back at her base, it was peaceful and full of moments of which she would cherish forever.
However, the times she shared with a certain Kitsune were ingrained in her mind, her dreams, her soul. She found herself able to be herself freely, to be able to smile and laugh as though nothing else mattered. They had become friends quickly, to which she had to learn to be as energetic as he was. She wondered at times if he could ever take events seriously, as he was typically lighthearted and vibrant. Even during battles, he would make upbeat comments. Not to mention he was slightly narcissistic, not to which she could blame. He was handsome, and his fur was had a sheen to it that she could not deny. Not necessarily confident in her own looks, she felt she was lacking when she stood next to him. Of shorter stature, she had short, dark red hair (as did her sisters) that she kept somewhat secured in a band to keep it out of her face. It stopped just below her ears, as when she had left Nohr, she chose to cut her long hair to "start anew". She had a scar across her nose that she had received when dueling Xander when she was younger, and her red eyes, a mark of her bloodline of a dragon, were soft and accepting; however, when needed, the look could change into one of ferocity and bloodlust, which happened when Mikoto passed due to protecting her daughter. Inwardly, she hoped that there was a chance he thought she was just as beautiful as he was, but she highly doubted it.
She was making her rounds through the base when she heard him talking.
"C'mon, Hayato! It's all right to let loose every now and then!"
Peering around Lilith's Altar, she saw the two exchanging words. Hayato exhaled in annoyance, rubbing the back of his head with his hand.
"I'm not like you, Kaden," he retorted, turning his back to him. "I can't just be carefree when I want. I have a lot at stake, you know."
With those words, he walked away, leaving Kaden standing there with a face that Corrin couldn't quite discern. Hayato was a teenager from the Wind Tribe who often acted much older than he was. He and Sakura were around the same age, but he perhaps acted around Corrin's age, if not older. The Wind Tribe Chieftan had chosen Hayato to go with them, telling him he was a man and to represent the tribe valiantly. It was true that there were times she worried about how much he had on his shoulders for someone so young, but whenever she tried to discuss the matter with him, he would shut her down. She chose to talk to Kaden, and came out from around the Altar. Kaden's right ear moved in her direction, picking up the sounds of her footsteps. He turned and smiled at her.
"Corrin! Hey!" he greeted, bubbily as ever.
"Hello, Kaden," she smiled back. Quick on her feet, she didn't want to admit she was eavesdropping, so she asked, "Here to give an offering?"
Kaden shook his head. "No, I visited Lilith earlier. I was just talking to Hayato."
"I see," Corrin nodded. "Everything all right?"
The Kistune shrugged. "I guess. Kinda wish he wasn't so stern, ya know? He's just a kid."
"I agree. But I also understand what he's facing."
Kaden chuckled. "Yeah, I know. Hey, I don't wanna talk about this here. Mind if we go to your house?"
Corrin nodded. This wasn't anything new; people visited her in her house quite often, Kaden more than others. They spent much time talking about random things, taking their minds off the battlefield and woes of the war to a place beyond that, with no worries or threats. She enjoyed those little moments with all her heart, and she could never thank Kaden enough for them.
Inside her treehouse, they passed by Jakob, who informed them that he had left freshly brewed tea for the two to share. She blushed slightly, as she was aware that Jakob had become familiar with the routine of Kaden visiting whenever they had the time. The two sat down at the table, Corrin pouring the tea into two teacups. Still steaming, she blew on hers while Kaden simply waited for his to cool down.
"D'you think Hayato would be okay with climbing trees with me?" Kaden abruptly asked as Corrin lifted the cup to her mouth. She stopped, her eyes moving from the cup to Kaden, who earnestly watched her and waited for her input. She put her cup down on the table, her fingers still on the handle.
"What an odd question," she began. "Why ask me?"
"Well, because you have a little sister who is around his age. If she was as stressed out as Hayato, do you think climbing trees would help?"
Corrin giggled. "I don't think Sakura is much into climbing trees, Kaden."
"Oh."
"But, she does like fishing. So, I would take her fishing instead," she finished. Kaden's ears perked up at her answer. "What do you think Hayato likes to do?"
At this, his ears lowered, and he slumped in his chair. "Beats me. I know he likes to do charms and things like that, but I mean... isn't that basically work still?" He let out a huff. "I guess I asked because what kid doesn't like climbing trees? I'm an adult, and I love climbing. Don't you?"
"I wouldn't really know. I haven't climbed trees in years," Corrin replied before taking another sip of her tea. Kaden jolted upright in his chair.
"You haven't? Why not?"
Corrin's nose crinkled. "Because... well... I grew out of it, I suppose." She felt Kaden's hand wrap around hers, pulling her up as he stood up. She dropped her tea cup on the table, the tea spilling. "K-Kaden! What-"
"You're both fuddy-duddies!" Kaden interrupted, pulling her along with him as he opened the door. "We're climbing trees right now!"
Corrin, without much of a say-so, followed Kaden to the outside of a forest. She could hear the birds singing, the wind rustling the leaves of the tall, verdant trees. Kaden's hand still clasped onto hers, she couldn't help but blush, feeling his warmth on her skin. Before her, he looked around then snapped his fingers and made their way to a tree with low, thick branches. There, he released her hand and climbed several branches with ease before turning around, one arm hooked around a branch as he extended his other hand to her.
"What?" she asked, unable to take her eyes away from his.
"You know what!" he beamed. "C'mon!"
She shrunk away. "O-Oh, Kaden... I don't know. I haven't done this in years."
"Which is exactly why I chose this tree!" he addressed enthusiastically. "It's not too high, the branches are low and thick, which should be easy for you!"
Shaking her head, she brought her hands up to her chest. "What if I fall?"
"I won't let you," he assured.
For a brief time, she studied Kaden's face. His eyes shone, and his smile was just as bright, if not brighter, than the sun itself. Her heart beat fast in her chest; she wasn't necessarily afraid of heights, but since it had been so long since she had climbed a tree, she couldn't help but be a little nervous. Kaden must have seen her uncertainty, as the next words he said calmed her instantly.
"Promise! You'll be safe with me!"
"Okay," she smiled, reaching up and taking his hand. He pulled her up to him, his arm securing around her waist.
"Grab onto that branch right above your head," he instructed. Her ears burned; their faces were so close... but she did as he said. Everything he advised her to do, she would listen and perform it. In no time, they reached the top of the tree. As it wasn't nearly as tall as the others, they could only see more greenery of the trees, but Kaden still smiled brilliantly as he patted her back. "You did it, Corrin!"
"I did it!" she panted, beaming from ear to ear.
"Well? Was it fun, or was it fun?"
"It was fun!" she giggled. "Hayato would love this, Kaden."
"Think so?"
"I know so," she nodded. "You should definitely take him soon. It would really ease some stress off his shoulders." She sat down on a branch, giving her tired arms a rest. "I worry about him. I know that Fuga wanted to make him feel more like an adult by giving him the responsibilities he did, but..."
"I know what ya mean," Kaden agreed. "Out of everyone in the army, he's the one who doesn't have any sort of fun. I think he's trying to hard to prove himself."
"Yeah..." Corrin whispered, her eyes focusing on her dirty hands.
"Besides, I know what it's like to be in that situation," Kaden added. "It's tough, and you wanna do your best, but you can't be stressed out all the time. It's a killer, and will give you gray hair before your time."
His words struck a chord in Corrin. She had forgotten that he had left his village to try to save his people from hunters and mankind by showing the world they were just like everyone else, and wanted to live their lives in peace and harmony. It was apparent now what Kaden was doing, and why he was so seemingly carefree. She bit her lip, guilt eating at her. She had mistaken him so much...
"Kaden?"
He turned his face towards her. "Hmm?"
"I'm sorry."
Hearing the tone of her voice so somber made him nervous. "Eh? Why are you apologizing?" he fretted. "I thought we were having a good time."
"We are," she corrected with a smile. "But I had you all wrong."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, I thought you were just this happy-go-lucky person," she started in reply. "I see now that you're this way not only for yourself, but for others, too. You don't want anyone sad or worried. You just want us to be happy."
Kaden chewed on his bottom lip, feeling put-on-the-spot. "Um... sure."
His reaction made Corrin laugh. "You don't have to be humble about it. It's who you are, and that's more than okay. We need more people like you." She then leaned forward and put her hand on top his hand. "Don't forget, though. If you ever need to talk, I'm here."
"You, too! I'm here for you, too!" Kaden cheerfully replied. "So, you wanna head down?"
"Oh... yeah, I hadn't thought about that," she anxiously chuckled. "Is it harder than going up?"
"Eh, kinda. But I'll help you."
It had been nearly a week since the two had been treeclimbing, but they had been unable to go back since. Nor had Kaden been able to take Hayato. Battles had been fought, and just the night before, they had come face-to-face with Camilla and Hans. Corrin had nearly been able to come to reason with Camilla about her decision and Garon's wrongdoings, but when Leo arrived, that all changed. With the chance of another battle looming, it was luck that Ryoma and Takumi had arrived when they did. Had they not, Corrin was horrified to think about what would have happened. Although she was elated that all of her siblings were back together, she was still distraught over having to fight Camilla, and Leo's words stung her heart so. In addition to that, Takumi was cold and indifferent toward his half-sister, calling her "Nohrian scum" and a traitor. She understood in a way, since it was due to her arrival that Mikoto had died and the family torn asunder.
Since returning to the base, she had not left the treehouse. Not even Jakob had been able to serve her tea. It was unlike her to be so forlorn and distant, and everyone was concerned for her wellbeing.
It was her younger sister, Sakura, who had decided to search Kaden out to try to help. She found him coming out of the bathhouse and headed toward the mess hall, and when she called out to him, he stopped then turned and headed her way. She was more than familiar with Kaden, as she was set to marry his best friend, Hayato, in a few days.
"Kaden, may I have a word?"
"Sure, Sakura," he warmly received.
Sakura bit her lip, unsure if she was the right person to do this. Socially awkward, she stammered in anxiety whenever speaking to people. Timid and quiet, she mostly chose to let her actions speak for her, as the reason she was a healer. Yet, she knew that this needed to be done. Hinoka was brazen, Ryoma and Takumi too freshly reunited that they had no idea what their sister was truly going through. Corrin's childhood friend, Silas, was unable to talk to her since he had been with Nohr once. Sakura was perhaps the only one who saw this with clarity.
"Corrin... she's really sad right now," she confided, her eyes locked onto Kaden's in hopes that he would fully grasp the words she spoke. "I think... I think it would b-be best if... you helped her out."
Without hestation, Kaden nodded. "I understand. Leave it to me."
She watched as he walked away, and she prayed that he truly did understand.
On her bed, Corrin was curled up in a ball, tears threatening to escape through her lashes. The family she had always known now hated her, and despite nearly getting through to Camilla, she had failed to do so. Leo was angry, not that she blamed him. She hugged herself tightly, remembering days long passed with Xander, Leo, Camilla, and Elise. Her life in Nohr hadn't been easy, as she was absconded away from society and forced to live in a tower. On the other hand, she had had her siblings by her side. Indeed, Xander had been tough on her at times during their training, and Leo perhaps always slightly jealous, but they had loved each other deeply. Elise was always so happy and upbeat, and Camilla the doting sister to everyone. Facing them in battle was nearly too much to bear.
Had it really come to this? What more would be at stake if she couldn't convince them to see where Garon was wrong?
She heard the door to her house open, breaking her out of her thoughts. Sighing, she only faced the wall, unwilling to turn over. Jakob more than likely had returned to see if she had eaten the food and drank the tea he had prepared for her.
"I told you, Jakob, I'm not hungry."
"Er, wrong person."
Hearing Kaden, she glanced over her shoulder to see him standing at her door. Turning her head back to face the wall, she clutched her body closer.
"I don't want to play today."
"I didn't come to play."
"Then why are you here?"
"Because you're sad, Corrin." His words made her lips quiver, but she held her tears back. "I won't pretend I understand what you're going through, but... I don't want you to be alone. Is that okay?" He saw her nod, so he moved closer to her. "Can I sit with you?"
"Yes."
She felt his weight add to the bed, and she already felt slightly at ease.
"Is it okay if I show you something?"
She turned over. "What is it?"
Reaching in his pocket, he pulled out what seemed to be a small telescope. She raised an eyebrow, confused.
"What is it?" she inquired, taking it from his hand. It had some weight to it, and when she studied it, she realized it was made of silver.
"It's a kaleidoscope," he informed.
"Kal-ei-do-scope?" she slowly repeated. "What does it to?"
He reached over and flipped the kaleidoscope around to where she saw a small hole. "Look through there."
Bringing it up to her eye, she closed the other one to see more thoroughly. What she saw made her gasp in awe. Vivid colors in fractals, differentiating shapes; when Kaden moved it, the shapes and colors would change. It was unlike anything she had ever seen, and she was at a loss for words. For a moment, all she could do was roll it over and over, viewing the colors and shapes as they changed before her eye.
"Kaden... it's beautiful."
"It was the only thing I brought with me from my village," he explained. She looked away from the hole to Kaden, who had obviously been watching her, as his eyes were on her. "Whenever I feel sad or homesick, all I gotta do is look into this, and I don't feel that way anymore."
"That's wonderful," she murmured, her eyes casting back to the kaleidoscope. "I can see why. It's certainly amazing."
Kaden looked from the kaleidoscope to Corrin. "You should hang onto it."
"Huh? Why?" Corrin asked. "I couldn't possibly. Not something so special to you."
The Kitsune sat Indian-style and leaned back on his hands. "You're sad, right? And I'm sure you get homesick from time to time. If this will continue to bring a smile on your face like it did just now, I'm more than happy to let you have it."
Corrin shook her head, a smile forming on her face. "That's really sweet, Kaden, but I really couldn't take it." She put it in his lap. "How about this? We'll share it. All I need to do is ask to see it. How does that sound?"
Kaden beamed. "Sounds great!"
"I'm glad, then."
"I am, too. Because I got to see you smile."
"It really did cheer me up. Thank you."
"Mm-hm! I could see that smile all the time and never get tired of it!" he complimented. Her cheeks reddened as she looked up at the ceiling.
"O-Oh. Well, that makes me even happier."
Kaden stretched then stood up. "Are you hungry? Jakob said you haven't been eating anything."
As if to answer Kaden's inquiry, Corrin's stomach growled deeply. Embarrassed, she hugged her stomach and blushed, which made Kaden chuckle.
"D-Don't laugh!" Corrin stammered.
"I'm not," Kaden falsely denied while still chuckling.
"You so are!" Corrin frowned. He laughed even harder. "Kaden!"
"Sorry," he apologized as he finished laughing. He leaned over and kissed her cheek. "You're just really cute when flustered."
She could have sworn her heart exploded when he kissed her cheek. "I am?"
"Yup! Well, let's go eat. I'm starving, and I'm sure you are, too!"
"Y-Yeah," she nodded, standing up. They headed toward the door. "Kaden?"
"Mm-hm?"
She gave him the warmest smile he had ever seen her give. "Thank you."
That was all he needed in order to know that he was in love with her.