"You are an ocean of waves..." A soft voice sang as its owner looked out the window. Amber eyes watched the dark skies shift as he put a black circlet on his head, curly locks of sky blue hair barely shifted under its weight. Pulling on his fingerless gloves, the boy strapped his trusted sword against his waist as someone knocked on the door.
"Brother, Felicia and Flora told me you came here late last night!" A familiar voice said from behind the bedroom doors. Shaking his head, the blue haired boy opened his door, smiling at the visitor. "So you are here, Teale!"
Teale shook his head. "Yeah, I would have said something earlier, but I did arrive late last night, nearly everyone was asleep by the time I stopped. It's been a while since I've seen you last, Corrin. You look well."
"I heard you singing and thought you would be awake in time to see Xander and I train together, if you'd like to join me." Shutting the door behind the two, they started walking down the dark hallways of the fort. "You sing that song often, how long have you known it?"
"I've told you once, and I'll tell once more, I learned it when I was child. My mother taught it to me." Slinging an arm around Corrin's shoulders, Teale sighed. "You never seem to remember what I tell you, in one ear and out the other!"
"I remember, I just hope that the next time I ask, you'll tell me more about it!" Corrin protested, a smile on his face.
"So, you said that you're training with Xander then? I don't know why you bothered bringing me along, I don't need it near as much as you do. I can actually beat Xander, unlike some of us. Though, I do appreciate you getting me out to see you lose."
Corrin wrinkled his nose. "You and Xander are older, remember? And how can I believe that you can beat our older brother if I haven't seen you fight?"
"Either you never pay attention like always or you're never there. One day you'll spar against me, don't worry." Putting his free hand on his belt, Teale and Corrin continued to walk towards the training grounds. As they walked outside, Xander and Leo were already waiting for them.
"There you are. And you decided to drag Teale out of bed?" Leo asked, crossing his arms as he looked at his brothers. "You got back late last night, why don't you go back to bed?"
Teale shook his head. "I was already awake when Corrin came by. Besides, I want to see if he's improved since I've been gone."
"Of course I've gotten better, just you watch, brother!" Corrin chimed before following Xander out to the empty lot before the young princes.
"Has he really gotten better, Leo?" Teale asked as he fixed the mage's backwards collar.
"Yes, he has. Maybe when we go to see Father, he'll send Corrin on a mission like the rest of us. Speaking of which, how did yours go?"
"It went fine. Just me fighting, like always." The blue haired boy responded, crossing his arms as Leo stood next to him. "It didn't go as smoothly as I wished it to go. Something's been on my mind recently."
"And what is that?"
Teale sighed. "I can't really explain it. There's just a weird feeling in my stomach, telling me that something will happen soon."
"Maybe you're sleep deprived?" Leo offered. "I know you didn't sleep last night after your arrival."
"Am I that bad of a liar?"
"No, one of my retainers told me so." The simple answer made Teale squint his eyes at Leo. "Odin was patrolling and heard you rummaging around in your room not even a few hours ago."
Teale turned his eyes to Xander and Corrin as he thought to himself. Odin was a rather colorful character, but sometimes the way that he spoke gave Teale headaches, compared to Niles' mannerisms, which gave him a migraine. Honestly, none of his siblings retainers were too normal, which was alright. If you start gathering people that were too much alike, it would get boring quickly, and there was nothing boring about Xander's retainer flirting with every woman he saw. Shaking his head, Teale smiled as he saw Corrin land a hit on their older brother, who kneeled to the ground.
"See that, brother? I have improved!" Corrin yelled as he quickly turned towards Leo and Teale.
"I do see. You did very well today, Corrin." He praised, a small smile on his face as Xander and Corrin walked over to them.
"Teale!" A chipped voice made the four princes turn around, the blue haired boy turning just in time to feel someone collide with his stomach. Groaning, he put his arms around Elise as she hugged him. "Ellie told me you came back, I can't believe you didn't come to see me!" Elise said, her voice muffled by Teale's shirt.
"I'm sorry, Elise. I got back late last night and assumed you were already in bed, so I just returned to my room for the night. Am I forgiven?" Teale asked with a small smile.
Elise looked up at him, humming in thought before smiling. "I guess this one time!" Letting go of her brother, the youngest princess clasped her hands behind her back. "I thought you needed to see Father after your mission was over, why did you stop here?"
The mere thought of their father made Teale want to grimace, but he refrained from doing so. "I stopped by to get some rest before heading to the castle, and Corrin got me out of bed to watch him and Xander spar this morning. I planned on leaving soon afterwards." Teale turned to Corrin with a grin on his face. "Did you want to come with?"
"You're serious?" Corrin blanched, continuing once Teale stuck his tongue out from between his teeth. "My gods! Yes! Let's get going!"
The trip back to the Capital of Windmire was truly an experience, to say the least. Between Elise's laughter, Corrin and Leo's babbling, and Xander's scolding, Teale was glad that he was talking to Camilla most of the way home. Once there, the siblings walked through the old castle, their father standing outside as he waited for them.
"I see you made it here safely, Corrin." Garon said as he spotted his children.
"Yes, Father. Long have a wished to see you and visit Castle Krakenburg again. I feel like I'm dreaming..." Corrin responded, a small smile on his face.
"It is only thanks to your diligence that you are here. I am told you are now a warrior almost on par with Xander. You finally possess the strength to be an instrument of Nohr's power in the world." Garon continued, making Teale clench his teeth together.
"But, Father, will he be all right outside the fortress?" Elise questioned.
Camilla nodded. "I worry about that as well. Isn't it dangerous for Corrin to live outside the fortress's magical barrier?"
"I appreciate your concern, but I earned my way here and I'm ready to fight." Corrin responded.
Garon didn't even bat an eye as he continued. "Corrin, as you know, Nohr is at war with the eastern kingdom of Hoshido."
"Yes, Father. I have heard as much."
"We of the royal family are descendants of the ancient gods, the First Dragons. As inheritors of that divine strength, we conquer those who oppose us with ease. One who learns to wield that power can destroy an entire army of common troops. Xander, Teale, Camilla, and Leo have already shown that they possess this power. I expect no less from you."
"I am aware of your expectations, Father. And I have trained every day to become more like my siblings." Corrin stated calmly.
Garon hummed. "You show promise. But you will need a suitable weapon in order to serve Nohr." A purple light emitted in front of Corrin as a dark sword appeared.
"Wow..." The boy marveled at the weapon in front of him.
"This is Ganglari, a sword infused with magic from another world. With this sword at your side, you will crush the Hoshidan army with ease."
Corrin grabbed the sword and smiled. "Thank you for this generous gift, Father."
"Hmm... Generous indeed." Xander commented quietly as Teale agreed with him, eyes narrowed in thought. He didn't remember getting any kind of gift, much less a sword, from his father. The only sword he had was Mercym, a gift from his mother when he was a young child.
"Now, let us see you put that sword to proper use... Bring out the prisoners!" The king ordered as Nohrian soldiers complied to his words.
"Prisoners?" Corrin turned around as a green haired ninja and an white haired woman with red markings on her cheeks were forced out with weapons in their hands.
"These are prisoners from out most recent skirmish with Hoshido." Garon explained. "I want to see your power with my own eyes. Use that sword to strike them down."
Standing off to the side, Teale put a hand to his chin as he watched Gunter and Felicia join him in the fight. Two more prisoners were forced out as his brother and retainers readied themselves for battle. "I don't like where this is going..." He mumbled to himself.
"Nor do I." Teale looked up to see Camilla standing beside him with her arms crossed. "Knowing our Corrin, he wouldn't kill those Hoshidans no matter what orders he got."
"He's always been that way. He's a kind soul, but there isn't really a place for that in war." Teale responded as he watched Corrin activate a Dragon Vein, debris flying out of an old courtyard.
Tuning out any outside noises, Teale tried to gather his memory of events that went on during his mission as he mentally made out a report to their father. Within no time, the prisoners were defeated, and just as Camilla predicted, Corrin stood against executing the Hoshidans.
"I won't argue the point any further." Garon said, anger clear on his face. Lifting his hand, he cast fire upon the prisoners, nearly setting Corrin on fire with them. The king went to cast another round of fire, but Corrin swiftly blocked it from hitting the green haired ninja.
"Corrin! What are you-" Elise's eyes widened as she watched her brother.
"Unbelievable..." Xander muttered as he shook his head.
"You would defy me directly, Corrin?!" Garon roared out in anger.
"Father, please forgive him! He doesn't yet understand out situation..." Xander tried to reason.
"Fine, Xander, you kill them. And if anyone gets in your way, kill them too." Garon ordered, surprising all of his children. Xander hesitated, only infuriating their father more. "DO IT! KILL THEM ALL!"
Xander walked down with Siegfried in his hand as he faced his brother. "Stand down, Corrin. If you don't, I will be forced to-"
"No, Xander!" Corrin interrupted. "I won't let you do this!" The two started to swing at one another, Corrin blocking any attacks.
"Why do you refuse, Corrin? You know the Hoshidans are our sworn enemies."
"I know but... this is different. These people can't fight anymore. Why not show mercy?" Corrin argued.
"Please, Corrin, don't fight him... My dear, sweet Corrin..." Camilla softly said to herself as she hugged herself.
"No, no, no! Leo, Teale, what should we do?" Elise looked at her brothers, her brows creased together in worry.
Teale rubbed his temples with his fingers, a headache coming on. "Gods, why does this have to happen right now?"
Leo merely sighed. "Why does this fall to us?" Shaking his head, Leo quickly cast a spell, the prisoners disappearing almost immediately. "Father, I have dispatched our enemies on behalf of my softhearted brother. I only ask that you would be merciful in your punishment of him..."
"Enough! I will consider the matter later. Teale, you will come with me." Garon ordered as he walked away. Sighing, Teale followed his father with slightly slumped shoulders. Looking back, he saw Xander, Leo, and Corrin talking among themselves. The walk to the throne room was a long and quiet one as Teale found his mind wandering as he followed King Garon. The sound of doors opening made him snap out of it and walk calmly into the large room with a stoic expression. Out of the corner of his eye, the prince spotted his father's right hand man.
"Iago." Teale nodded as he continued walking forward.
"Prince Teale, it is nice to see you well. Your mission went smoothly, I hope?" Iago questioned, his fake concern making Teale want to roll his eyes.
"I will report to Father in just a moment, if you don't mind waiting."
"Of course, my apologies."
Sitting down on the throne, Garon grasped the arm rests of the chair. "Your mission?"
"Successful, your majesty." Teale replied. "Any resisting soldiers were eliminated, no prisoners taken, just as you ordered. Our soldiers are soon to set out to Hoshido before taking over the country entirely."
"Excellent. You are excused until further notice. You may rest before I send you out once again." The prince respectfully bowed before the old man before leaving the room with a sour expression.
Walking down the familiar halls of Krakenburg, Teale found himself in the old training room he used to practice in with Xander and Leo. Shaking his head, he decided to practice by himself instead of resting like Garon said. Quickly slicing through logs and practice dummies, Teale let his mind wander as he continued to swing Mercym. What seemed like mere minutes to the prince, he lightly panted as he put Mercym back into its sheath. The sky outside was dark like always, making Teale think he had only been in the room for only a short while.
"Goodness, it looks like a war passed through here." Teale turned around as he saw Laslow in the doorway, admiring the prince's work.
"Laslow, perfect timing. Do you know how long I've been here? I seem to have lost track of time." The prince smiled as he scratched a cheek with his index finger.
The retainer hummed. "Well, I got here only a little bit ago, but Lord Xander and your siblings got back nearly two hours ago."
"Ah..." Teale sighed, shaking his head. "I didn't know I was in here that long. If you're here, did you need my help with anything?"
"That's right, your brother told me to find you and tell you that Lord Corrin was sent to the Bottomless Canyon to secure a Hoshidan fort."
Teale's eyes almost bulged out of his head. "What?! When did this happen?!"
"If I'm correct, King Garon gave out that order not too long ago, so your brother isn't too far out then. Lord Xander, Lady Camilla, Lord Leo, and Lady Elise plan on following, despite Corrin's orders of going alone."
"Well, I guess if they're going, I must get going too." Walking out of the room, Teale smiled at the dancer. "Thank you for informing, Laslow. I very much appreciate it."
Laslow smiled brilliantly. "It is not a problem, milord!"
Upon arriving to the canyon, lightning flashed as he spotted Hans standing alone on the bridge. Laslow had told him that Gunter, Felicia, and Hans had accompanied his brother, but he didn't see the old night or the maid anywhere. His siblings left before him as he reassured them he would catch up. After a report from the war veteran, he quickly found out as to why his brother wasn't in the canyon.
"No..." Teale said in disbelief. "You're sure that's what happened?"
"Yes, milord. Hoshidan filth attacked Lord Corrin and Gunter, resulting in their falling down the canyon." Hans lied to the prince, trying to make his story as believable as he could.
He shook his head, squeezing his eyes shut. Hoshidan troops couldn't have made it past his siblings, let alone Xander. Even if he did fall, the canyon wasn't called the 'Bottomless Canyon' for now reason. That being said, maybe he did fall down there...
"Teale!" Camilla's voice made him open his eyes to see his siblings coming towards him. Upon seeing their brother, Camilla stopped. "Teale, why are you crying? Where's Corrin?"
Surprised, the prince touched his cheek, pulling his hand back to see his fingertips damp with his tears. "Hans said Hoshidan troops slipped past you and attacked him and Gunter... They-they fell off the bridge..."
"Ah... Are you sure?" Elise asked, her voice shaking.
"I'm afraid so, milady." Hans replied with no remorse whatsoever.
Almost immediately, Teale faced the man with a snarl. "What a lame excuse you are for a soldier, you filthy scumbag. For all we know, you could have pushed my brother and his retainer off of the bridge!" He stepped forward with a hand on the hilt of his sword.
"I-I apologize, milord! I was occupied by enemy troops! I would have gladly taken Lord Corrin's place!" Hans stuttered, slightly unnerved by the prince's fury.
"Tch. If only it was you." He spat as he walked past his siblings with his hands clenched tight.
"Come... We must report to Father." Xander finally said after a moment of silence. The four siblings followed the blue haired prince as they processed what had happened. Behind them, Hans silently sighed as he realized his plan had worked. Yes, it was lie that was almost too far of a stretch, Teale's outburst had startling him.
Teale stopped suddenly with a sigh, turning around to face his siblings. "You go on ahead of me. I need some time to think and the castle isn't the place for me."
"But Teale-" Elise started, but paused when Xander held up a hand.
"Just be sure that you come back when you're ready, we'll be waiting for you."
"Alright." The prince shortly responded, passing his brothers and sisters. It wasn't too long before they were out of sight, along with that disgrace of a soldier. Shaking his head, he stopped on the bridge that Hans said Corrin and Gunter fell from. Looking down into the dark abyss below, he took a deep breath before throwing himself from the bridge, the wind whistling through his ears and he fell deeper and deeper into the darkness.
Upon opening his eyes, Teale looked up to the familiar blue sky that he had grown accustomed to in the few years he had visited this place. Sitting up from the grass, he looked around, stretching his arms before getting up and dusting his clothes to disperse any loose grass that he landed on. After wandering the small area for only a few minutes, the prince saw no sign of his brother or retainer.
Teale sighed, shoulders sagging. "So neither fell down here..." He muttered to himself before kicking the ground in a small fit of anger. "Why can't I save a single person, let alone my own brother?" He was quiet for a moment as the silence answered his question. "Gods, there's no point in staying here longer than I need to. Might as well go back and not worry my siblings with another missing brother."
"M-milord?" A familiar voice made Teale turned quickly in surprise.
"Gunter?" He lightly jogged to the older retainer as relief flooded his mind. "Are you alright? What happened?"
"I'm not injured, as far as I can tell." Gunter replied, shaking his head. "You'll never believe it, but as Lord Corrin and I were retreating, Hans attacked me and I fell over the bridge into the canyon."
The prince pinched his nose with his fingers. "No, I can believe it. At least you're alive and well. Have you seen my brother around here at all?"
"No, he didn't fall after me, as far as I know. I was the only one here until you arrived." Gunter paused. "Lord Teale, do you happen to know where exactly we are? I know I fell down to the bottom of the canyon..."
"This is delicate information I'm going to tell you, Gunter. You mustn't speak of it outside of this realm." Once the retainer nodded, Teale continued. "This is the kingdom of Valla, once the home of the great dragon Anankos. Once you leave this place and return to where we came from, you cannot speak the very name of this land."
"Why is that?"
"Whoever speaks of Valla outside of the kingdom will dissolve into water and disappear because of the Silent Dragon's curse." Teale looked around the area, shifting his weight from one leg to the other. "With that being said, we should probably get going now. Usually when I come here, it's not this peaceful."
Gunter nodded. "Understood. Lead the way, milord." Once they left the old land, the two were greeted by lightning and thunder of the Bottomless Canyon.
"When you return, you fell on a ledge and managed to climb back up yourself. What a miracle." Teale sighed. "You go ahead of me, I'll catch up to you in just a bit." Once Gunter had left, the prince turned around to see a bright light before him. After bringing his arm down from his eyes, his jaw nearly dropped to the ground. "Corrin?" Not even getting a chance to step towards his brother, a sharp pain on the back of his head caused his vision to blur before fading to black. He thought he heard his brother call out his name, but wasn't too sure since he heard another voice speak before his consciousness faded.
"Oops. Wrong Nohrian scum."
Muffled talking and jerking slowly brought Teale back to the realm of the living. Groaning, he put a head to his head as he felt the movement stop suddenly.
"Teale, are you alright?" Corrin's worried voice made the prince open his eyes, causing him to groan once again at the bright light. Once his eyes adjusted, he realized that Corrin had been carrying him on his back while he was unconscious.
Someone beside them hummed. "Rinkah said that she hit him quite hard, possibly harder than you, milord."
"What the shit is happening?" Not waiting for a reply from his brother, Teale pushed his hands against Corrin's back. "And put me down, I'm not a little girl, you piss."
Corrin sighed, carefully letting his brother down from his back. "Rinkah, one of the prisoners that we released, knocked us both out and sent for Kaze, the ninja that's with us." After a moment of silence and Teale squinting at the green haired ninja, he grew ridged as his brother's gaze shifted to him.
"What the hell is going on." Teale lowly asked, his voice making Corrin swallow.
"Uh, we're going to meet the queen of Hoshido...?" He replied, his voice a few octaves higher than what it usually rested at.
Teale was silent for a few moments before sighing in defeat. "Alright, I guess this is happening now." He quickly turned and started walking away from his brother and the ninja.
The white haired prince sighed in relief as he started to follow his brother. Usually, 'Morning Teale' wasn't a very happy Teale, curse words being some of the first few words you heard from him in the morning and if angered, a swift fist to the throat, diaphragm, or a chop to the nose. Now, Corrin had never seen this side of his brother, and maybe it was side that he wouldn't have to experience again. Hopefully, the gods wouldn't dare let his siblings met this Teale as well.
"Is your brother always like this?" Kaze inquired, raising a brow as he looked at the prince in front of him.
"No, this is very close to how he is when he wakes up, minus the intensity you saw just now. If anything, he should be his normal self within the hour." And thankfully, Teale did brighten up to his normal self within the allotted time. Walking seemed to properly wake up the elder prince as he started talking to Corrin about what happened at the Bottomless Canyon. Soon, Castle Shirasagi came into view, surprising both princes. The architecture was so different than the castles and forts in Nohr, as was the fact that there were actually a blue sky with the bright sun illuminating the day.
Teale hummed as the walked through the busy streets. "Oh, I forgot to mention, Gunter did survive. When I went to look for you myself, I found him not far from the ledge of the canyon."
"Thank the gods!" Corrin sighed in relief.
"Or, you know, thank your brother, but whatever." Teale teased as the walked through the gates of the large castle. The townspeople, soldiers, even servants in the castle sparred Teale odd looks as if he was out of place. Technically speaking, he was, a Nohrian prince in the capital of Hoshido? What exactly was going on here, the end of the world? Kaze stopped in front of them, bowing to a woman who stood in front of the the throne. She wore elegant white clothing that was a contrast to her soft black hair. Smiling, she nodded at Kaze.
"Thank you for bringing them here." She thanked, nodding at the ninja. With another boy, the green haired ninja disappeared, leaving Corrin, Teale, the assumed queen, and a... Lobster prince(?) in the large throne room. Her eyes found Teale as she tilted her head. "I don't believe we'be met before."
He shook his head as he dropped to one knee. "No, your majesty. I'm Teale, second prince of Nohr. It's an honor to meet you, despite the odd circumstances."
"Indeed. You may stand, Prince Teale." She agreed, nodding her head.
"Look, if you're going to execute me, then go on!" Corrin's voice made Teale roll his eyes as he pushed himself up from the ground, earning a smile of amusement from the man in red armor.
White his eyes were shut, the queen of Hoshido walked down to Corrin and hugged him softly. "Corrin, my son, you're alright." Her relieved voice caused Corrin's mind to flip.
"Wait, son?!"
Teale sighed, looking at the red samurai. "I'm sorry, I feel as if I'm intruding. May I excuse myself for fresh air?"
"Out the door and to the left. My retainers will watch over you as a precaution." The lobster man said, not taking his eyes off of the Queen.
"Fair enough." Nodding a thanks, the blue haired prince followed the instructions as he found himself outside near the lakeside. He sighed as he sat on the edge of the dock, stretching his arms over his head. He gazed out at the rippling water as he leaned back, his hands firmly pressed on the dock for support. He closed his eyes as he listened to the tides wash over the shore along the wooden dock.
"This might be the most normal thing that's happened in the last few days." Teale commented to himself. He heard soft footsteps come up from behind him as he opened his eyes and turned his head. The sunlight cast a shadow over the figure, the only details he could see was the person's long, blue hair. "Sorry, I thought I was alone, I'll leave if you'd like." He got up, shielding his eyes as he looked at the figure again, this time his eyes widening. "You..."
"What is your name?" She asked, hers eyes also widening.
"T-Teale, I-" Teale was interrupted as she rushed towards him, arms quickly wrapping around his torso. "Sister?"
"So you do remember."
He scoffed, hugging his sister tightly. "How could I forget my twin sister? How dense do you think I am, Azura?" Azura laughed, pulling away from her brother and smiling. "You've been here this whole time?"
"Yes, I have been. I'm sorry to have left you alone in Nohr."
"I'm fine, don't worry about me. What about you, how have you been?" The twins sat down at the edge of the dock, talking about what had happened since their separation. Azura was taken by Hoshido ninjas late one night when they were younger, bringing Teale to think that he would never see his dear sister again after losing their mother. Quickly, the pair felt as if it hadn't been years without the other, laughing at little things as they talked. Falling into a comfortable silence, Teale sighed as he looked out at the blue lake once again. "Azura?"
"Yes, brother?" She answered.
Teale smiled as she called him brother once again. "Sing with me?
Corrin walked outside, the meeting with his mother, Queen Mikoto, still fresh in his mind. It had been more than a few hours since he saw Teale after he requested that he need fresh air. During that time, Ryoma, the high prince of Hoshido and his older brother, headed to the north to save their sisters, Sakura and Hinoka. He shook his head, still in disbelief. How could these people that he didn't remember claim to be his family after he spent his entire life in Nohr with his siblings there? Corrin looked around, aiming to find Teale so he could confide in someone he felt comfortable with. A familiar voice pulled him out of his thoughts as he listened to it sing like he heard once before, this time another voice harmonizing perfectly with it. Following the peaceful song, he walked along the dock to see his brother and a girl sitting at the edge, singing with one another. They both turned around to look at the white haired prince, surprising him with how similar they looked.
"Brother, who is this?" He asked, tilting his head. "She looks so much like you.."
"Ah, Corrin, this is my younger twin sister, Azura." Teale smiled softly as he held his hand out to gesture to his sister.
"You never told me you had a sister, let alone a twin." He responded, raising an eyebrow.
Azura hummed. "That's because I was taken by Hoshido around the same time you were taken by Nohr. There's no way we would have seen each other during that time."
"But Teale could have said something during that time."
"I was still in the process of grieving, I'm sorry, Corrin." Teale shook his head. "So how was your meeting with the queen?"
"I met my Hoshido siblings."
The blue haired prince raised an eyebrow. "Oh yeah?"
"Ryoma is the oldest of us and was in the throne room with Queen Miko- I mean, Mother, when we arrived-"
"That lobster looking samurai?" Teale's interruption made Azura laugh.
Corrin rolled his eyes. "Yes, may I continue?" His brother gestured for him with pursed lips. "Then there's Hinoka and Sakura. I just came back from rescuing them from Faceless north of here."
Teale grimaced. "Those are some nasty things, I'll tell you that."
"It sounds like you haven't met your younger brother Takumi yet." Azura commented.
"What's he like?"
"Well, he's..." She paused, searching for the right word for the prickly prince.
"Difficult?" Teale supplied.
Azura nodded. "Yes, let's go with that."
Soon after, a celebration was held in honor of Corrin returning to Hoshido. By now, Teale had been away from Nohr for a few days, more than likely worrying his siblings. Even though he felt bad, he was enjoying the diverse atmosphere of Castle Shirasagi. Except Prince Takumi. That kid was starting to get on Teale's nerves. He was like Leo in a way, if Leo was even more of a big headed, egotistical jerk. At least Leo keeps it to himself, more or less, Teale noted. Corrin and Queen Mikoto stood in the middle of the square as she was about to announce the news of her wayward son. Out of the corner of his eye, Teale saw a mysterious figure in a dark cloak step forward in the crowd, near to where he stood as he watched his brother. The fact that an eerie purple mist clung closely to them unnerved the blue haired prince. The figure held out his hand as Corrin's sword Ganglari flew out away from his side and into the man's hand. Haunting laughter filled his ears as the man swung the sword at an unsuspecting Teale, slicing into his abdomen before stabbing it into the ground. Gasping as he fell to one knee, he gripped his stomach before looking down to see that even though the sword clearly cut him, there was no physical wound, just a torn shirt and a purple slice in his skin that was definately causing him pain.
By the time he looked up, the sword Ganglari exploded into fragments as they sailed towards Corrin.
"NO!" He yelled out as Queen Mikoto stepped in front of the prince, blocking the attack. Gritting his teeth, he watched as she crumpled into his arms before falling limp. The pain in his torso was starting to worsen as sweat started to drip down his brow. More figures with the same purple aura began to swarm the destroyed plaza as Teale unsteadily rose to his feet. As much as he wanted to help, now wasn't the time for him to fight. Slowly, he started to retreat as the semi invisible soldiers seemed to outright ignore him, going for the dragon instead. Teale just chalked that one to hallucinating due to the immense pain he was in. He suddenly realized that he wanted to go home, he wanted to go back to Nohr.
It seemed like forever that he was in the destroyed city until he walked along the grassy plains. By now, the surroundings of the blue sky and green grass were starting to blend together. Rushed footsteps behind him caused him to pause to turn around as carefully as he could so he didn't agitate his stomach more. He saw multiple figures with a vast variety of colors rushing towards him.
"Teale!" He squinted as he heard Corrin's voice yell at him, the possibility of one of those white blobs coming at him being his brother. "Nohr is attacking the border, we need to go!"
"E'm goin' as fass as eh can." Teale responded, his words horribly slurred as his vision black out for a moment.
"What's wrong with him?" Takumi's annoying voice cause him to let out a frustrated sigh.
He felt soft hands cradle his face as his sister's blurry face entered his line of sight. "Brother, what happened?"
"E'm sorey, eh goh ingured!" He responded as he slightly swayed before someone else grabbed his shoulders.
"Sakura, can you treat him as we continue to the border?" Corrin asked, turning to one of the smaller blobs in the blue haired prince's vision.
"I-I'll try!" Even after multiple test runs with Sakura's Bloom Festival rod, Teale still felt like he had drank twenty bottles of the most potent liquor in Nohr. Not that he would know what that was like. Teale's condition didn't worse, nor did it get better as he felt Corrin drag him to the border of Nohr and Hoshido. At least the prince's words stopped slurring together once they stopped rushing towards the upcoming battle.
"Corrin, Teale, you're alive! They haven't harmed you, have they?" Teale heard Xander's voice from across the small river that separated the two lands.
Teale scoffed. "More or less."
"Xander, I'm fine!" Corrin shouted, taking a moment to steady Teale so he could stand by himself.. "But... why are you invading Hoshido?!"
"Father says it's time to show our true strength. Join us, and we'll end this quickly. If we conquer Hoshido here and now, we can avoid unnecessary bloodshed."
"Xander..." Corrin breathed out, conflicted. "I... I need a minute."
"Be careful, Corrin. That man is a Nohrian commander!" The lobster samurai warned.
"Ryoma..."
With much concentration, Teale gazed out to where he saw his siblings arrive through the forest. Even with his hazy mind, he noticed that things were starting to turn from bad to worse.
"Corrin, Teale! I was so worried about you. Don't ever wander away from me again!" Camilla warned playfully.
"I'm glad you're okay, you two. You must have the devil's own luck!" Leo commented, making Teale snort.
"Can they not see me in pain from this distance..." He mumbled to himself as he gripped his abdomen tightly.
"Yaaay!" Elise cheered. "We got out brothers back!"
"Nohrian scum!" Hinoka spat out. "First you kidnap Corrin, now you lie to him?! Corrin in MY brother, not yours!"
Camilla shook her head. "You are mistaken. Corrin is my sweet little brother. You may not have him."
"Don't be fooled by their words. You belong with your true family in Hoshido!" Ryoma argued.
"We have loved you and raised you since you were a child." Xander commented. "Come home, little prince. We can live as a family once more!"
"Come home to Hoshido, Corrin!" The samurai demanded.
"No, Corrin! Nohr is your home!" Xander shouted.
Teale started shaking his head. The option to turn on one of your families, blood related or the family that raised you. The choice made Teale want to be sick right then and there. No matter what choice was to be made, it all depended on Corrin.
What path should I start with first? R&R
I know I have a few other stories that I'm working on right now as well, but I wanted to get this story and the three different paths down before I lose the idea I have for another story revolving around Fire Emblem.