The Road Not Trekked: The Falling Light

by SilverShadow1711

Nerr thought that staying in Hoshido would be a temporary thing. Something that would have no lasting consequences, like a nightmare she could soon wake from. But nightmares did not relinquish their hold so easily. The war had begun in earnest, but she was on the wrong side of it. In the light, there is nowhere to hide from one's guilt... or their sins.

1. The Falling Light

A/N- Okay, so since I've actually put a decent amount of time and effort into writing the Hoshidan branch of "The Road Not Trekked", I've decided to post it tentatively. Tentatively. I may stop if the feedback is overwhelmingly neagative. If you haven't read the prologue chapters of the story, you need to, because it establishes a lot of the protagonist's character (and it can be found here- www. fanfiction s/ 12111388/ 1/ The- Road- Not- Trekked). Also, maybe- just maybe- you might wanna check out "The Rising Dark", because it also has a lot of character development.

Here's a warning for anyone of a delicate constitution- there is going to be lots of death, lots of sadness (though really, that's already in the game), and lots of graphic violence as the story progresses (seriously, read "The Rising Dark" for an idea of how I write). The 'Fire Emblem' series is about war. You can try to conceal that with all the friendship rants and time-travel babies you want, but war is a dirty, violent business and I do not sugar coat what happens when you stab someone with a sword. I'm trying to make a more realistic version of Fire Emblem Fates, and reality is not a pleasant thing. If you can keep in mind that Nerr is nor Corrin, I think you'll be fine.

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"I look into myself, but my own heart has been changed. I can't go on like this; I loathe all I've become..."

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Ch.1- "The Falling Light"

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'Why, gods; why...?' Nerr's mind was a whirlwind of confusion and misery as she turned, slowly, so slowly, as if her body were turning to stone, to face Hoshido. Every step she took, away from her family, back towards her blood relatives, hurt worse than the last. Her heart, her soul, was crying, desperately pleading for her to turn around and go home, but her brain, the logical aspect of her being, grimly reminded her that she had no home to go to. Not in Nohr. Not any more. Only death awaited her there now. The smug look on Ryouma's face as he smiled at her made her want to scream and vomit simultaneously, but she kept her mouth shut. Turning back to face Xander, to see the disbelief, the horror slowly overtaking his expression, made her wish she was dead.

"Nerr... What are you doing? This is not amusing, sister!" No. It wasn't. She inhaled shakily, opting to focus her gaze on the ground rather than at the pain in her brother's eyes.

"Xander... please. Please go back home. You... would not want a victory this way..." Not on the heels of the massacre that had just taken place, the senseless destruction that she'd unwittingly been a key part of... Her brother had too much honor to win a fight the coward's way. Behind her, Nerr could hear scoffing that sounded like Takumi, arrogant words about how the Nohrians could not win against them any way. Xander was a stubborn man, however. He would not simply draw back at her request. She wondered if he would even balk at the sight of what their father had done to the innocent townspeople in the capital?

"Don't tell me you're siding with Hoshido, Nerr..." Siding with? It certainly looked that way, didn't it? The Nohrian girl shook her head, though it was probably imperceptible to anyone but herself.

"I... I have to stay here. It's not safe in Nohr-"

"Not safe? Nohr is your home!"

"Hoshido is her home, dastard!" Ryouma had remained silent up until that point, probably waiting to hear her denounce the wicked Nohrians, but it seemed Xander's remark sparked his ire. "Your demon king stole her away and now she is staying where she belongs!"

"How dare you speak that way about my father?!"

"Shut up, Ryouma!" Both Nohrian's voices overlapped, their words getting mixed up, though by their tone, the meaning was clear enough. The Hoshidan prince stared at her, aghast- perhaps he was not used to his younger siblings taking such a tone with him.

"...excuse me?" She did not care.

"You heard me. Do not interrupt me when I'm speaking to my brother, Ryoma Sama." His face flushed with anger, almost as dark as the armor he wore.

"That... that man is not your brother!"

"I beg to differ!" Xander called out, dismounting Asmodeus. In tandem, the Hoshidan soldiers raised their weapons but he paid them no mind, his gaze focused solely on his sister. "I am well aware of your Hoshidan lineage, Nerr. I cannot imagine how betrayed you must've felt to find that out under circumstances like this, but you must believe me- the only reason we didn't tell you is because we did not want to upset you. You have been our sister since the day you arrived in Nohr, and common blood- or a lack thereof- does not change that! We are your family, we raised you- we love you! Come home to us, little princess!"

Nerr wanted to. So desperately and more than anything in the world, she wanted to run over to Xander and throw herself into his arms and pretend that everything that had happened was simply a bad dream. She wanted to go home... But in her mind's eye, she could already see what would await her there. King Garon, staring down at her in shock and outrage for being audacious enough to survive the attack he'd so carefully orchestrated... The king, insisting that the only reason she would return after learning the truth was because she was now a Hoshidan spy dedicated to eradicating all Nohrians... The man she'd spent her whole life calling "Father" publicly executing her in the most painful way possible, because that was what they did to traitors in Nohr... She shut her eyes.

"I can't, Xander. I want to, but I can't. I can't go back there as long as King Garon is there- he'll kill me."

"Don't exaggerate, Nerr. Yes, Father might see being captured by the Hoshidans as... something of a failure, but he would never kill you. You're his daughter. When you explain what happened, I'm certain he'll forgive you and we can move past all this." Somewhere, deep within the misery and homesickness she felt, a spark of anger flared up inside of her.

"...forgive me...?" She seethed. "As if I did something wrong...!? No! This is all his fault! He's the one who sent me walking headfirst into a trap, he's the one who sent that murderous traitor Hans with me! He knew I'd get captured by the Hoshidans, that's why he gave me that damned sword, or did you not realize that I no longer have it, brother? I'd graciously return it, only it exploded in the middle of a crowd of innocent people and nearly killed me. Fortunately, something blocked the brunt of the attack; unfortunately, it was my MOTHER!" She could not stop her voice from cracking, with both guilt and frustration. Ryouma seemed to think he had allowed her enough time to say her piece, stepping forward, his hand resting on the gilded hilt of his sword.

"King Garon is a madman. What sane person uses someone they supposedly consider their 'child' to stage an attack? Admit it, Nohrian; Nerrida has been nothing but a pawn for your king to use since the day he stole her from her true family. First to keep our mother from retaliating, and then to murder her and ensure this war is fully instigated."

"...he's right, Xander. The words may burn my tongue, but he is right. I know you, and Camilla and Leo and Elise aren't like that, you are my family through and through, but... you're not the ones who hold sway over whether I live or die. That power is in King Garon's hands alone, and that man is pure evil." The crown prince shook his head slowly, disbelief still plain on his features. The look in his eyes... he looked like a child being told fairies were not real.

"Father... evil...? How can you say that, little princess...?" The hurt and betrayal in his voice cut her like paper, shallow and weak, but so much sharper and more painful than a killing blow could be.

"Because of the reasons I just told you, you stupid bastard!" She screamed at him. He wasn't listening to her- why wasn't he listening to her? Nerr already knew the answer to that question- he probably thought she had been brainwashed by the Hoshidans, that they had indoctrinated her to believe that their cause was just and Garon was evil. It made sense; Xander was fiercely loyal to their father; he would not believe harsh truths about him so easily.

"Xander, please- come with me, to the capital. You can see first hand the destruction that he has wrought. Nohr doesn't deserve to be branded with the ignominy of that coward's actions!" She held out her hands, outstretched and empty, and slowly approached her brother. He would come with her. He'd lower his sword and follow her and be horrified by what he saw, because Xander was the epitome of a Nohrian knight. He stood for justice, and mercy and honor- She barely had time to throw herself back as he swung his Siegfried wide, the two-pronged blade scraping across her cuirass and drawing forth a shower of sparks. She landed hard on the ground, and remained there for a moment, looking up at the cold, violet eyes staring down at her.

"There's my answer, traitor..."

Traitor?

"Traitor...?!" What was he talking about, what was happening? Why was he walking away? Nerr scrambled to her feet, trying to chase after her brother as he returned to his steed, but something tugged her back. Looking over her shoulder, she saw that Ryouma had grabbed her tattered cape, keeping her in place. She glared at him and tried to pull free, but his grip was strong. He tugged again, pulling her back to his side.

"You can't reason with Nohrians, Nerrida. They'll kill you in a heartbeat."

"Stop talking about things you know nothing about, Hoshidan. Xander! Wait!" The Nohrian prince had already reseated himself in his saddle, and seemed ready to return to his troops. Biting her lip, Nerr untied the Yato from her sword belt and grabbed a handful of the dark navy cloth holding her in place. The sword, despite it's ancient, battered appearance, cut through it like warm butter. She'd hate to see what it could do to a person. Before Ryouma could recover from the fact that he was no longer trapping her, the young princess ran after her brother. She just needed him to understand; she wasn't turning her back on him, so why was he turning his back on her?

"Xander, please! Listen to me-" He drew Asmodeus about face, one hand gripping the reins whilst the other tightened on Siegfried's grip.

"Enough! I never dreamed you would turn your back on your kingdom... on your family! How can you believe their lies, how can you even think that Father would knowingly try to hurt you?! How can you have so little faith in us?!"

"Because he would! Because he has! Because he's evil!"

"You sound just like one of them now..." Xander sneered. "I bet they're so proud to have their princess back, a lovely trophy to show how easily they can triumph over the evil Nohrians... You want to side with Hoshido? Over my dead body...!" Snapping the reins, he spurred Asmodeus into a full gallop, closing the distance between them in seconds. Nerr barely had time to raise her sword, but even though she blocked his first strike, the force of the blow weakened her grip on the Yato. The second knocked it out of her hands completely.

She was not used to Xander fighting her with such intensity, such ferocity. His blows rained upon her, further denting her already ruined armor, bruising all the way down to the bones. Vaguely, she wondered why Ryouma hadn't approached, sword drawn. Wasn't he worried that this wicked Nohrian might kill his beloved sister just days after she finally returned home? No, she thought bitterly, he wasn't worried. He didn't care. Xander... if the situation were reversed, if Ryouma were the one fighting her, Xander would've charged into the fray, doing everything in his power to aid her. Because he loved her. As he swung his sword again, the ebony blade cut into the part of her arm not protected by her rerebrace. It sank deep into her flesh, severing muscles and nearly striking bone, the elder magic contained within the sword making her skin crawl. As much as she would've liked to appear graceful and elegant in the face of pain, like the knights of legend she read about, the agony searing through her proved too much to ignore. Nerr screamed loudly, falling back and clutching at the wound. Hot blood seeped through her fingers, soaking into the torn fabric of her sleeve and dying the black even darker. She dropped to her knees, the pain and increasing loss of blood making her lightheaded.

"You have been deceived, sister. They've clearly brainwashed you. I have known you since you were a child, I watched you grow up and I know, in my heart, that you would never turn against those who love you best..." Just like she thought he'd say. Xander's voice felt like an icepick in her skull. "I will not rest until I've returned you to your senses. Get up. Get up! Get up and return to Nohr with me; surely there's some part of you that still remembers your true family!"

She looked down at the grass, the tough, browning blades splattered with crimson. The same blood she always thought flowed through Xander's veins as well, the blood responsible for her being in this mess to begin with. If she had just been born Nohrian, would any of this have happened? Would Garon have still sent her to die if she had been his own flesh and blood? Such were questions not meant to be pondered on the battlefield.

"I can not, Xander. I'll die if I go back."

"Gods help me, Nerr, if you don't get to your feet this instant, I'll kill you myself!" A small, sad smile tugged at her lips. That was the tone Gunther always used with her when she was refusing to do her homework. It was funny that Xander was chiding her like a small child in the middle of a battlefield. Her chest clenched as she thought about her fallen retainer; another casuality of Garon's cruelty... It further strengthened her resolve.

"I will not. Garon took away everything I cared about... You tell your father I'll see him in hell!"

"Then I shall be the one to send you there- you will NOT hurt our siblings like this!" Nerr didn't even look up, though she could tell from the creak of his armor that he was raising his blade. She did not honestly believe Xander would actually hurt her. True, he had already hurt her, but that was easily forgiven, just like when they sparred; if she had been better at defending herself, she wouldn't get hurt. The sound of feet dashing across the tough grass behind her got her attention, however, and she looked up just in time to see a blur of white and red knock her out of the way. Pain shot through her like a firebrand as the gash on her arm was furthered jarred. Ryouma had unsheathed his own sword, using it to block Xander's blow. The radiant energy of the magic imbuing both blades mingled and electrified the air. The feeling made Nerr's stomach churn.

"Just try it, anyan filth. I'll see you dead first." The crown prince scoffed derisively.

"Oh, so now you decide to step in and help? Where have you been all this time, watching your beloved sister get cut to shreds? Just admit it, savage; you couldn't care less about Nerr."

"I had faith that my sister would not fall to the likes of you, but I tire of watching her try and speak peacefully to barbarians that know only death and destruction." By this time, Nerr had pushed herself back to her feet, stumbling back to her sword. Her arm was not bleeding so profusely anymore, so she let it go, but the blood coating her fingers made gripping her sword unpleasant, to say the least.

"Spare me your false fraternal affection; you just enjoyed watching me get the tar beaten out of me by a Nohrian- you think that's going to convince me how 'right' you are about what monsters they are. Go to hell, Hoshidan!" The way Ryouma was looking at her, she was certain he was fighting back the urge to strike her. She lifted her chin, daring him. Inhaling deeply, the high prince looked away from her.

"I'm going to chalk that up to blood loss. You might retain some misguided affection for these people, but the feeling is not mutual. Tossing aside your sword and dying as a martyr won't do us any good!" Oh, so her dying would not do the Hoshidan cause any good? It was better to throw herself upon the sword for the glory of her country, was what he was saying. That sounded awfully familiar to what King Garon had been drilling into her head for the last decade...

"Drop. Dead." Xander, as usual, was much more eloquent than she.

"Do you not hear yourself, you fiend? Be it consciously or not, you yourself admit that you see your sister as nothing more than canon fodder! I know Hoshidans have a twisted sense of 'honor', but that is just disgusting. How dare you seek to take my sister from the people who truly love her?" Ryouma scoffed loudly, drawing his sword back and taking an attack stance.

"Spare me your mindless drivel, Nohrian; every time your lips flap, I can feel my mind seeping from my ears. Shut up and attack if you dare!"

"A splendid idea. I'll enjoy introducing your spine to my Siegfried."

"Xander, please, can't you just return home? You can't even say this is about conquering Hoshido anymore; you've spent too much time talking for me to believe such a lie." Xander remained silent for a moment, his expression dark.

"...you are right, little princess. This was about exacting our revenge, when we came back for you and saw that you had vanished... when we thought these savages had killed you... Now? ...now it's about revenge for them filling your mind with their lies and stealing you away from us. Camilla! Leo! Elise! Are you ready?" Her siblings had once again climbed atop their mounts, and Camilla was already airborne, a wicked silver ax that seemed enveloped in an icy fog resting against her shoulder as she smiled serenely.

"Darling, I was born ready. If we kill them all quickly, we can make it home in time for tea; I know how much my sweet shmoopie Nerr loves tea cakes." Leo looked much less at ease, the darkness in his eyes enough to give their father a run for his money.

"I'll gladly cut a swath through these savages." He locked eyes with Nerr, frowning deeply. "I know you can be a bit slow sometimes, so I'll spell it out for you. You're coming home with us; that's all there is to it. Is that simple enough for you to understand, Nerr?" If there hadn't been a group of armed soldiers locked on her, she would've dashed across the field and punched Leo right in his stupid, effeminate face. Elise, who had been sniffling despondently the whole time, seemed to perk up at her older sibling's words.

"Yeah... yeah! That's right! We're gonna take Nerr back home and forget all about these stinky Hoshidans! Right, Nerr? ...right?" The uncertainty in the young girl's voice tore at Nerr's heart, the urge to rush over to her baby sister and take her in her arms and assure her that of course she was coming home almost too strong to resist. Ryouma must've seen that longing flickering in her eyes, because he placed his hand on her shoulder, pressing down hard enough to send the message that he would brook no attempts to flee again. Grimly, she wondered what he'd do if she tried to run; without their mother there to stay his hand, probably order her execution once and for all.

"Accept your defeat with some semblance of grace, Nohrians. Nerrida has made her choice; all that remains is to spill your blood and wipe my Raijinto clean." She slapped his hand away.

"Yes, the choice to not return to certain death, not stand by you and fight your battles."

"...there is a time and place for peace, sister, but this is not it." Was he purposefully ignoring the intent behind her words, or did he sincerely believe that she was "siding" with Hoshido? Her head was pounding sharply; she didn't have the mental capacity to ponder how his mind worked. The high prince's voice rose as he called back to his siblings as well. "Takumi, Hinoka, Azura, Sakura! Steel yourselves, because today we put these Nohrian dogs down once and for all!" There was a powerful gust as large, snowy wings kicked up a cloud of dust, Hinoka settling beside her brother. She looked down at Nerr, an expression that would've been reassuring if everything in the Norhian girl's mind wasn't screaming this was all a nightmare she needed to wake from.

"I'll be your shield, Nerr. They won't kidnap you again." 'Get away from me...!' Her mind screamed. How had this happened, getting trapped behind enemy lines; how had this nightmare become reality? Takumi was already lifting his massive, elegantly carved bow. There was no bowstring, but as she watched, the air seemed to swirl around him, a glowing green string materializing in his fingers. The look in his eyes was downright murderous.

"Fucking Nohrian filth..." He muttered, more to himself than aloud. "I'll kill all of you! I'll make you all pay back every drop of Hoshidan blood you spilled with interest!" Sakura alone did not seem to share her siblings' blood lust. She clutched her healing staff tightly, the handle beginning to splinter a bit under her grip.

"U-u-um... I-I'm ready t-t-too... I-I won't let them h-hurt you, n-nee-sama..." It was too much. Guilt and confusion and anger and blood loss were making her vision flicker in and out of focus. She could barely hear the heirs to each kingdom calling out for their troops to attack. The ground vibrated with the force of hundreds of feet and hooves running at full force, and soon, the clamor of battle cries and weapons hitting against one another filled the air, a deafening din. A hand on Nerr's wounded shoulder caused her to jump, instinctively pulling her blade. Azura stood behind her, her eyes widening in fear for a moment, before she withdrew her hand.

"You're injured, Nerr. You need to get that healed before you fight."

"Fight? You expect me to fight my family? No. No, I'd rather die." The songstress stared at her, incredulous.

"So you'd let your flesh and blood bleed for you and not even stand beside them?"

"Why don't you take your ass out on the battlefield and try pulling your weight instead of lecturing me, you gods damned hypocrite!" Azura's golden eyes narrowed, and she bent down, picking up one of the lances that seemed to have been dropped by one of the soldiers. She couldn't even hold it properly. Nerr wanted to laugh in her face out of spite.

"Fine. I will, because I care about my family."

"Yeah, you do that. I'm going to go and try to talk some sense into my family." The Hoshidan girl pushed roughly past her, and she was tempted to just watch for a while, to watch while someone sneezed on the little hypocrite and broke her in a million pieces as a result. A blur of black and purple seemed to be rushing towards them, and in Nerr's hazy, overly stressed mind, her first thought was that it was Gunther. That he had not died, and that everything was a nightmare, and he was coming to wake her up and drag her to the courtyard to train. But no, this person, though decidedly Nohrian, was only wearing greaves and gauntlets, not a suit of plate, his hair silvery in the setting sun, not lilac... But still very familiar...

"Lady Nerr, watch out for that Hoshidan!" Automatically, she looked behind her, expecting to see a Hoshidan soldier with their sword drawn, about to sever her head from her shoulders. But there was no one there. In fact, the only person other than her not engaged in the skirmish was...

"Jakob, no!" Her feet were moving before her brain could catch up to what she was doing, and she knocked Azura out of the way just as the glinting dagger her steward held descended right where the songstress's heart would've been had she stood there. As it was, the blade made contact with Nerr's breastplate instead, the metal, already weakened by so much wear and tear, giving slightly under the force of the knife. The tip of it nicked the surface of her dragonstone, and she let out the breath she had unintentionally been holding. Jakob, however, was far from relieved. He dropped the dagger and stumbled back, eyes wide and beginning to grow misty with the start of tears.

"Oh gods... oh gods, what have I done...?" Wrenching the blade loose from her armor, Nerr firmly placed it back in the older man's hand.

"You haven't done a thing, Jakob. I jumped in the way of your attack-"

"And I should've stopped myself! I could have killed you! I'm a terrible steward! I deserve to be drawn and quartered for this!" He seemed close to hyperventilating, and the princess had to place her hands on his shoulders to calm him. Ever movement of her left arm felt like it had been wounded anew.

"Jakob. It's fine."

"Nerr, what are you doing? He's a Nohrian." By this time, Azura had climbed back to her feet, brushing dust from her long white dress; did she even know how ridiculous she looked, waltzing onto the battlefield in that thing? Nerr shot her a cold glare.

"He's my retainer, so why don't you just mind your own business?" Her expression softened as she looked back to Jakob, who seemed torn between beaming with pride at his title being acknowledged, and shrinking back with shame for his apparent misstep. "Jakob, what are you doing here?"

"I am serving you as is my duty, milady. I have been beside myself with grief and guilt since your apparent demise at the Chasm. That wretched old man took off with you before I could even realize what was happening, but when I got to the fort on the opposite end of the bridge, you were gone. I assumed you had already begun descending, but before I could follow, some wicked Hoshidan ambushed me. Princess Elise had tended my wounds by the time I came to, but all of your siblings said that you were nowhere to be found..." The shadow that crossed his face looked like how she felt inside, but he quickly shook it off.

"Now that you have been found, I will be damned if I ever let you leave my sight again, milady. I can keep you safe, unlike some people..." The fact that he spoke so bitterly about Gunther made her stomach hurt; didn't he know how terrible it was to speak ill of the dead? But then she realized, he probably didn't know. After all, everyone thought she had died, when in reality she'd been captured, so they probably thought the same for her retainer. Her throat tightened.

"Jakob... you need to go back. I-I can't return to Nohr; not now."

"Then I will stay with you, milady."

"No! You'll be branded a traitor!" The steward's deep indigo eyes narrowed and he took her hands in his own, paying no mind to the blood smears flaking off them.

"My loyalty lies with you, Lady Nerr. Not some royal crest or stretch of land. You are my sovereign." He didn't question her reasons, or claim that she'd been brainwashed; clearly, he didn't care even if she had been. He accepted her decision and stayed by her side, as he was sworn to do. A part of her wished desperately that her brothers and sisters held that kind of loyalty. For a moment, a flicker of uncertainty crossed his face. "So... do I... kill the Nohrian royals now?"

"What? NO! Do not harm them, Jakob! In fact, don't hurt anybody. I just- I just need to talk to them, I can explain..." She was about to run off, to find her family before the Hoshidans trying to claim that position got there first, when a dark gauntlet closed over her hand.

"Milady, you are hurt. I must heal you." Her leg bouncing with nerves, Nerr stood as still as she could while her steward waved his healing staff over her bloody arm. The feeling of skin and muscle and nerves knitting themselves back together hurt more than it did when they were severed, but she had been expecting the pain this time and managed to bite back the cries of pain that threatened to spill from her lips.

Quickly thanking the butler, she ran out onto the battlefield. Even from a cursory glance, the battle seemed one-sided. More Hoshidans lay injured and dying on the ground than Nohrians, their curved swords simply lacking the reach of their enemy's lances. Likewise, their armor did not cover as much as suits of plate, many of the arrows fired at them simply bouncing off. That wasn't to say the Nohrians were completely impervious to attacks. One soldier screamed as he caught a face full of those horrid throwing stars, Suzukaze pulling out a knife similar to Jakob's and slitting the writhing man's throat. Rinkah had swung her mace at another soldier's head, her bassinet flying as her skull was macerated, chunks of bone and brain splattering onto the ground. Shaking her head to try and clear it of those horrible images, Nerr ran faster, pushing past soldiers on both sides. She wanted nothing to do with this bloodbath; she just needed to find her siblings. The ground under her feet trembled, and she felt a surge of energy course through her bare soles, almost akin to a Dragon Vein, but not quite. Not trusting the energy, she threw herself to the side, rolling to a stop as the earth exploded with verdant foliage, showering the surrounding area with soil and ripping apart a group of Hoshidans who had been running behind her. They groaned and squirmed where they lay, their clothes ripped and bleeding gashes covering their bodies. The quiet clopping of hooves was almost drowned out by the cacophony of the fight going on around them.

"Guess you're already used to that trick. I knew I shouldn't have let you see it." Pushing herself upright, Nerr glowered at her little brother, the haughty smirk on his face infuriating her.

"You weren't aiming that attack at me..." Her voice carried an underlying threat. At once, the arrogance slipped away from his face, revealing hurt, youthful features.

"...of course I wasn't. You might be Hoshidan, but you're not one of them. What are you doing, Nerr? There's still time to change your mind. I know you don't believe Xander's bullshit about Father not being mad, and rightfully so; he'd be furious to hear you'd been captured by Hoshidans." Well, that wasn't the real reason behind any anger the king felt, but the fact that Leo saw the truth of the situation gave her hope.

"Exactly, Leo. You see- that is why I can't come back. I haven't turned my back on any of you; you're my family, blood be damned."

"Don't worry about Father, Nerr. I'll smooth things over with him." The innocent hope shining in his earthy eyes made him look so young; it was so easy for her to forget that, despite his grand intellect, Leo really was younger than her. "Please, sister, just come back to us." Her hands balled into fists, ragged nails cutting into her palms. It wasn't that he didn't understand, Nerr could see that plainly; he simply didn't want to accept the truth of the situation, just like Xander.

"Do you truly think I don't want to come home, Leo? Father wants me DEAD; there's no 'smoothing' that out! If you and the others would just come with me to the Hoshidan capital, you can see firsthand what kind of things he's capable of."

"Ha! Because that's not clearly a trap."

"Leo! This is me you're talking to! I would never do anything to hurt you!"

"Maybe not on purpose, sister, but I can see these savages using your kind heart against you. Do you even hear yourself, Nerr? 'Father planted a bomb on me! Follow me back to the enemy stronghold and I'll show you!' Even your stupidity needs to have limits..." The young prince sighed deeply, flipping open the leather cover of his holy tome. The pages glowed as he channeled it's magic. "I suppose I'll just have to knock you out and drag you home while you're asleep. Know that I take no joy in this, sister."

"Leo, don't you fucking dare!" She barely managed to squeak out a threat before he cast his spell, the razor sharp branches tearing into the flesh of her feet and scraping at her armor. She stumbled, every step a burning agony. "That didn't knock me out; it just really hurt, you bastard!"

"So sorry." He didn't sound sorry at all; he was doing this to get back at her, for not making the right choice, for even hesitating in the first place, she was sure. "I'll hit you harder this time."

"The hell you will!" She dashed forward, ignoring the pain, and struck the Nohrian prince across the ribs with her blade. The thick ebony steel deformed under the pressure of the blow, and with both his hands busy casting spell, he could not stop himself falling out of the saddle, landing in a painful looking pile of metal plates. Groaning in pain and clutching his ribs, which were possibly broken (Xander often cracked her ribs despite her armor), Leo climbed to his feet. Nerr leveled her sword at her throat. "I'm serious, Leo; don't you dare try to attack me again. I'm not fighting you."

"Clearly you are, because if you weren't, you wouldn't be siding with the Hoshidans!" She sighed, resiting the urge to bury her face in her hands.

"Gods damn it, Leo-"

"Shut up and fight or get out of the way!"

"Huh?" Nerr looked behind her, just in time to see Takumi aiming his bow. A soft green arrow crackled at his fingertips, and he let it loose. It hit Leo square in the chest, knocking him back with a cry of pain, a gust of wind kicking up around them as the light dissipated. She rounded on her blood brother, furious. "Takumi! What the hell are you doing?!"

"What you're too weak to do, obviously. Everyone thinks you're sooo damn special, but all you can do is run your fucking mouth. Why don't you go sit on the sidelines and sip tea with Azura; you're about as worthless as she is!" Had those words come form anyone else, thy might have been hurtful. But spewing from this hateful child's mouth, they simply bounced off her and fell to the ground, hard and sharp, but harmless. Nerr moved to stand in front of Leo.

"Go away, little boy. This doesn't concern you." The Hoshidan prince sneered at her, lifting his bow and summoning another arrow.

"If you don't think I'll shoot through you, you're sorely mistaken. You might have the others convinced with your amnesia act, but I know Nohrian scum when I see it." The princess was about to retort that if he was going to shoot her, he should do it instead of wasting time talking, but a sudden wind and large clouds of dust billowing up around them cut her off.

"Oh my, such a rude little boy. You need a spanking~!" A ball of fire hurtled towards Takumi from the sky, exploding upon impact and burning away a great deal of clothing. Dropping his bow, the Hoshidan boy tried to pat out the small flames still licking at his skin, but to no avail- didn't Hoshidans know that magical fire didn't extinguish unless the caster put it out them self? Speaking of the devil, Camilla landed her wyvern beside Leo's destrier, hopping out of the saddle and immediately rushing to her little brother's side.

"Aw, my poor baby! Did that wicked Hoshidan do this to you? I'll murder him!" Tossing her fire tome aside, the eldest Nohrian princess gathered her ax from it's holster on her saddle. Nerr could feel a chill emanating from the metal. Judging by the look on her face, she was ready to reduce Takumi to a sticky crimson pulp, and while there was certainly no love lost between them, she could not simply stand by and watch her brother be murdered. Grabbing Camilla's arm, she pulled her back. The older woman was much taller than Nerr, and stronger, and could've easily ignored her, but she immediately stopped and looked down at her younger sister.

"Camilla, please, don't. Put him out."

"Oh, I'll put him out, dearest; put him out of everyone's misery. This little stool threatened you! You, who's blood he shares! Why are you defending him?" That was a good question, truth be told. But deep in Nerr's heart, she knew that, despite how much she might hate someone, she would not want to see them die senselessly.

"...he's a stupid child, sister. A stupid child throwing a tantrum; I've endured enough of that to not let it affect me. Please; the Camilla I know wouldn't burn a child to death, no matter how much of an insufferable brat he is." Dark violet eyes filled with uncertainty as they looked down on her; Camilla did not suffer threats to her family. But she also usually caved when Nerr begged her for something. Heaving a long suffering sigh, the voluptuous woman closed her eyes and clenched her fist, as if crushing something. At once, the last remnants of fire were extinguished from Takumi's clothes. His skin was red and blistered where the fire had burned hottest, and his long silvery hair was singed, but he was alive.

"You're lucky I can't stand seeing my adorable little sister upset, Hoshidan."

"Your mistake!" He snarled, grabbing his bow and forming an arrow quicker than Nerr would've expected. He was aiming it right for Camilla's exposed chest, the most vulnerable place and one of the only ones that wasn't covered in armor. For years, Nerr had been nagging her sister to invest in more practical armor, only for the older woman to titter and say she would understand when she got older. Fortunately, the eldest Nohrian princess had honed skills sharp enough to make up for the chinks in her (non-existent) armor. Smirking, she swung her ax like a club, hitting Takumi in the side with the flat of the massive blade.

"I show you mercy and this is how you repay me? Naughty, naughty~" She raised her ax, whether she was intending to hack him into little pieces or else, simply bludgeon him, would remain a mystery for in that moment, a spear wreathed in magenta flames came hurtling from the sky. The razor sharp tip struck Camilla across the face and she stumbled back, crying out as she dropped her ax, her hands instinctively going up to the wound. "Augh! My beautiful face!"

"That's right, you ugly sow. Stay the hell away from my brother and sister!" Nerr had almost missed the sound of flapping over Camilla's cries, but quickly looked up to see Hinoka landing, tugging on the thin chain welded to the the lance's haft and drawing it back into her hands.

"Hinoka! What are you doing?!" The Hoshidan princess looked at her as if she had just asked what color the sky was.

"Protecting you, obviously. I can see you're having trouble with these sneaky Nohrians-"

"I was talking to them! They're my siblings!"

"They're the monsters that held you captive for fifteen years! But I'll make sure they never come near you again..." She readied her lance, the flames growing brighter. By this time, Camilla had gotten over the shock of the blitz attack. She looked up, the hair that usually covered the left side of her face burnt and choppy, a jagged scar gouged deep into her cheek, bright red and surrounded by oozing blisters. She drew her lips back from her teeth in a snarl.

"Savage freak! Don't you know a lady's face is her life?! I'll rip you limb from limb!" As she once more grabbed and hefted up her lance, Nerr was certain that, left to their own devices, the royals would kill each other. Stepping between the princesses, she pointed her sword at Camilla, who faltered. Physically faltered, stumbling slightly in her effort to stop her attack before she unwittingly barreled into her younger sister.

"Nerr... What are you doing, dearest? Get out of the way."

"No. Go home, Camilla. You and Leo and Xander and Elise and all our soldiers, you need to leave now."

"If you would give up this ridiculous notion of siding with the Hoshidans, we might consider it."

"In your dreams, you witch! Nerrida is finally back where she belongs, and Nohrian filth like you won't sway her so easily."

"You are not helping, Hinoka."

"But I-" She ignored the redheaded girl and turned her attention back to Camilla.

"I'll return when Father dies. When Xander ascends the throne, and I don't have to fear for my life anymore."

"That's ridiculous, sweetling! Father will probably outlive us all; he has the devil's luck as much as you do. And even if he didn't, waiting ten, twenty years just to see my precious little sister again while the Hoshidans get to keep you all to themselves? I'd rather die! No, better yet; I'd rather kill them." She began her charge anew, but Nerr was ready for that. She swung the Yato, knocking the ax aside, the brass of her blade growing icy at the contact, almost enough to freeze her skin to the grip. Caught off guard, Camilla could not block as the sword smashed into the tooth-like faulds that covered her hips. Crying out, the elder princess was knocked off balance, her tall stilettos further hindering her as she fell back. Eye wide, she stared up at Nerr, the sting of betrayal writ on her face.

"...my sweet Nerr... why are you doing this?" The honest answer was because she was a coward, because despite her misery and guilt, she still desperately wanted to cling to life. The honorable answer was because she could not bring herself to loyally serve a monster who would coldly destroy everything she held dear. She did not have the fortitude to voice either of those answers, instead repeating the easy answer she'd been saying all this time.

"Because I have to. If you won't believe me about Father, then... then I need you to just leave me be. Please, sister."

"No! I refuse to leave you alone with these savages!" Camilla tried to climb back to her feet, but with a heavy heart, Nerr shoved her back to the ground, resting the point of her sword at the other woman's clavicle. The disgusted look Leo gave her did not go unnoticed, but she ignored it.

"I mean it, Camilla. Either believe me when I say that Father is a demon who will stop at nothing to see me dead... or go away." As the Nohrians siblings stared at her, her words and actions incomprehensible, a shadow seemed to be sneaking behind them. Leo turned around just in time to meet a hay-maker to the face, blood exploding from his nose as a black steel gauntlet met with it.

"What?!" What is-" Camilla's frantic inquiry was cut short as Jakob approached her, smashing the hilt of his dagger into the back of her head. Groaning softly, the princess collapsed.

"Jakob, what the hell?!"

"My apologies, milady; I know you said not to hurt them, but they clearly had no intention of leaving you be. I only stunned them, I swear on my loyalty to you." She sighed, knowing that not only did he mean well, but that he was right as well.

"Thank you, Jakob... I suppose." Despite the active threats incapacitated, both Hoshidan royals remained on high alert, their weapons at the ready.

"I always knew Nohrians were blood thirsty, but I didn't think they'd even turn on their own kind..."

"Nerr, he still has a weapon. Take him out!" She turned to her blood relations.

"This is Jakob. He's my retainer."

"He's Nohrian scum!" Takumi spat at her. Her lips twisted into a scowl.

"So am I." Roughly pushing her younger brother out of the way, she pushed forward, looking around. Surely this was not what war looked like. While there were bodies on the ground, many more injured than dead, the able bodied soldiers seemed divided into groups, their battles coming across more like skirmishes than anything cooked up in the heat of war. She scanned the battlefield for a familiar striking figure atop a black destrier, but there were numerous cavaliers and paladins, their silver and blue armor catching the sun's rays and reflecting them back bright enough to blind. Jakob appeared beside her, and she turned her attention back to the steward.

"Jakob, have you seen Xander?"

"While I was making my way across the battlefield, I believe I saw him to the north, engaging the Hoshidan prince."

"Oh, dear lord..." She felt her blood run cold. It wasn't that she honestly believed anyone could best Xander, because they could not, but what if he killed the foolish samurai? What if he was injured in the process? Her feet did not even wait for her mind to finish it's train of thought, turning and carrying her northbound. She could hardly push her way through the soldiers. More than once, a Hoshidan struck out at her, probably seeing her armor and automatically assuming she was Nohrian. Probably. She knocked them aside without hesitation, faltering much more when it came to striking out at the Nohrians who attacked her. Yes, they were actively trying to hurt or even kill her, but these were the people she'd longed to join all her life, the people she gave thanks to in her prayers for protecting her from the very people who's blood she shared. It was not so easy to ignore those things simply because new information had come to light...

Eventually, she gave up, tying the bloody hilt of the Yato back to her sword belt and reaching inside her battered armor. She could barely fit her hand inside, but she managed to wrap her fingers around the cool cerulean stone pressed against her bosom. Azura had said it contained her draconic powers and that the manaketes used it to regain their true forms, but how in the hell did one go about doing that? It seemed that, much like wondering how one's body intrinsically knew how to breathe, so too did it seem her body remembered the monstrous form contained within it's frail confines. Despite the fact that her bones were grinding and fracturing as they grew and repositioned themselves and that her organs were shifting and sliding around inside her, the pain was not nearly as horrible as it had been the first two times she experienced it. Even though the world slipped into a silvery, monochromatic haze, she did not black out once from the excruciating burning that had seared her from the inside out. Larger and stronger, she felt calmer as well. Soldiers on both sides of the battle stared at her, mouths agape in horror. The first one who charged at her, Nohrian by the look of his armor, was sent flying several feet away by a flick of her tail.

'Stupid humans. Leave me alone; I have more pressing matters to deal with...' As she ran- or perhaps cantered, given that she now had four legs rather than two- it almost struck her as funny that she would think of the people around her derisively as "humans"; as though she herself weren't one. But then again, humans didn't sprout horns or grow tails or wings... Manaketes were "humanoid", not "human"... thinking about herself in terms like that made her stomach hurt. Fortunately, a loud battle cry distracted her from her contemplation. Unfortunately, it sounded a great deal like Xander. She put on an extra burst of speed, coming to a halt as she saw the two eldest princes of both countries squaring off.

Xander had raised his sword high above his head, the deep red stone set in Siegfried's hilt shining brightly as a beam of blood red elder magic shot through the air with a crack like lightning. It would've hit Ryouma square in the chest had he not flipped backwards, proving himself more agile than he looked and putting just enough distance between himself and beam. It hit the ground, leaving a large, smoking crater of scorched earth. In retaliation, the high prince held his curved blade before his face, his left hand pressed against the false edge as it glowed white hot, crackling with thunder magic. A bolt of lightning arced from the blade to where Xander was positioned, thunder rumbling after the initial crack. Deftly, the blonde man tugged at the reins, Asmodeus reacting just as quick as Ryouma had and leaping away. The magical lightning hit a tree that had been behind his intended target, the wood bursting into flames.

'Oh, damn you both. Stop this!' Her mind cried out in frustration, but she could not speak the words aloud no matter how desperately she wished she could; this form severely lacked a tongue or any sort of lips. To her surprise, though, both adopted and blood brother paused in their attacks to look at her. Xander's eyes widened in surprise, while Ryouma's narrowed.

"...Nerr? Is- is that you?" Praying that the same trick would work, she thought as hard as she could, spurring the pain in her skull.

"Yes, brother, it's me."

"Nerrida, while it is appreciated, I do not require your assistance. Find our siblings and help them."

"...Ryoma Sama, I am this close to mauling you to death..." Xander scoffed, rounding on her.

"I see you talk a big game when it comes to making threats, but you're much less eager to put your coin where your mouth is and make good on them. I raised you better than to be a coward."

"Did you ever wonder why that was, Xander? Why you and Gunther had to raise me, and not my so-called 'Father'? He's been planning this form the beginning, and you're too stupid to realize that!" The blonde man hesitated slightly in the face of her logic, but he would not back down. That Krakenburg blood made him stubborn.

"I admit that Father wanted you on the front lines, despite my insistence that you had no place there, but I promise you, sister; he never intended for you to get hurt, not like this."

"The corpse of the woman who took the attack meant for me might believe otherwise."

"Nerr-"

"The demon who spawned you killed her mother; do you truly think whatever dark magic you used to brainwash her still affects her?"

"I think it's time for you to die, savage!" Digging his spurs into the thick barding, Xander drove Asmodeus forward, his blade poised to make a killing cut. Breathing deeply to steel herself, Nerr leapt in his path, rearing up. Despite the destrier's years of training, the instinctive fear of a massive dragon roaring at it nearly had the poor horse tripping over it's hooves in it's desperation to escape. The sight of the steed she used to ride when her brother came to visit whinnying in terror, it's eyes bulging wildly, struck the princess in the heart like a blade. She settled back down.

"Shhh... calm down, Asmodeus, it's just me..."

"...you protect this savage who's trying to keep you from your rightful family, and then you comfort my steed... What is wrong with you, Nerr?! You are acting mad; what have they done to you?"

"...what they did is not important. What King Garon did is. Return home, Xander. Ask that monster why he gifted me with a sword that tried to kill me twice. Ask him why he sent me to survey an area teeming with Hoshidans-"

"He did not know, Nerr. Our father is not omniscient. He would never-" She had grown sick of his excuses, and raised a massive claw, striking it across the crown prince's chest, shredding the violet tabard and digging deep gouges into his cuirass. If she could scar tempered steel so easily, it was a wonder Azura still had a face after she'd slapped the songstress the other day. Though he reeled back, the crown prince did not fall out of his saddle; he was much too regal for that. She glowered at him, though she could not know how well her face emoted in this form.

"He ordered that festering pus sack Hans to kill Gunther! He was the one who initiated the attack against the Hoshidans, after I told him to fall back, and while we were attempting to flee, he murdered Gunther! All under our 'father's orders! Don't you dare tell me he wouldn't hurt me, Xander; that beast has hurt me more than you'll ever know!" The gravity of her words seemed to sink in, but just as quickly as it seemed a revelation was dawning on him, Xander's eyes turned cold.

"...tragic as that may be, I'm certain there's an explanation for everything." The cold, hard... nonchalance in his voice hurt her more than hatred or anger or sorrow ever could. She just told him that their father had her dearest retainer, whom she loved above all else, murdered... and he simply didn't care. "I know people act irrational when they are in mourning, so I will forget your apparent 'betrayal' if you come back to us this instant. It's not too late for all to be forgiven, little princess."

The only other time Nerr had ever felt such a concentrated, painful disappointment had been two years ago, at the fete, when Xander had told her that it was her duty to do as the king told her and marry who he eventually chose for her, a similar cold look in his eyes as he reminded her in as unpitying a tone he could muster that "princesses do not marry peasants". Now, once again, she was certain that she had died and gone to hell, because only there could someone who looked like her brother be so cruel and hurtful. But instead of filling her with a soul-crushing melancholy as it did back then, the crown prince's callous words instead filled her with loathing.

"...'forgiven'... As if you have the right to bear a grudge against me. No... I'M the one who doles out forgiveness, and I forgive you for nothing, brother..." She lunged at him, swinging her heavy head, her sharp horns dragging across his armor and showering him with sparks. She'd break every plate of armor he wore and trample him. She wouldn't kill him, but she'd make him suffer just like he was making her suffer. "You'll burn in hell for defending that monster, Xander!" Though he had been taken aback by her sudden fury, Xander quickly recovered from the shock, striking her across the shoulder, the edge of the holy blade barely nicking the tough scales that covered her hide. Seeing that his physical attacks weren't as much of a deterrent as he'd hoped, the crown prince held the sword aloft.

"No, little princess, I fear it is you who might burn in hell if you don't end this madness and stop lashing out at your family. This isn't just you standing against Father; you're telling Camilla, Leo and Elise that they mean nothing to you!" A crack resonating in her ears was all the warning she had before the magic struck her between the shoulder blades. It hurt, the dark energy piercing her and seeping through her body like a disgusting ooze, but it was not as painful as she knew it could be. Her tough hide probably dulled the worst of the pain. "Hell has a special place for traitors, Nerr..."

As Nerr reared back to strike him again, fully intent on knocking him to the ground and shaking him like a ragdoll, the air around her sizzled as an arc of lightning struck just past her ribs, hitting Xander full in the chest. She could see him seizing, could smell his flesh burning, and even when the thunder magic ceased, he continued shaking. She hesitated for a moment, but knocked him down nonetheless. Without his rider to keep him calm, Asmodeus started and took off with a frightened whiny. Even though the crown prince hit the ground hard, his armor clattering and probably bruising, his grip remained firm on his sword- she had to wonder if that was conscious, or if his muscles had simply locked into place. She put her foot- hand?- on his chest, the steel still hot from the magic that has struck it, his tabard burned away. She could hear the ebony plates groan under her weight.

"Go home, brother. Call off your troops and go home. I don't want to hurt you, I don't want to fight you... but the Hoshidans do. And I can't stop them." Violet eyes, misty with pain, opened slowly and seemed to take a long time to focus on her, but when they did, all she could see in their depths was loathing.

"No. I will not run like some- some coward. The future of Nohr depends on our victory in this war, and I will not let my people down." He tried to push her foot off his chest, but she simply gripped him around the middle, her claws leaving nicks in his armor. She could probably crumple him like a piece of paper if she really wanted to. A wicked whisper in the back of her head said she was strong enough to, but she quickly cleared her mind of that thought. She was no monster. The clopping of galloping hooves gave her pause, and she looked up, at first assuming her brother's steed had returned. But no, there was a much smaller, sorrel mare approaching. Elise's long blonde hair was coming undone and her clothes covered in dust and blood, though thankfully, none of it seemed to be hers. She gasped loudly as she took in the sight before her and dug her heels into her palfrey's sides, spurring it on faster.

"Xander? Big brother, are you okay?!"

"Elise..." He tried to turn his head to look over at her, but considering he was pinned to the ground, his movements were restricted. Whimpering slightly, the young princess brandished her healing staff at the beast attacking her brother. Nerr saw that the crystal at it's apex was badly crack, nearly split in half.

"O-okay, you monster. You're gonna let go of my b-brother if you know what's g-good for you...!"

"Elise... it's me..." The girl gasped, putting her free hand to her ear.

"Nerr? Oh wow, I can hear you in my head. But wait, why are you holding Xander? The Hoshidan's behind you!"

"Elise-"

"Come on, just... beat him up and we can go home! You're strong, you're super strong, just like Xander- you could beat up all these Hoshidans..." She remained silent, lifting her foot from Xander's chest. He inhaled deeply- she hadn't even thought she might be constricting his ability to breathe. Through her gray tone vision, she could not make out what the streaks and smears on her little sister's face were, but judging by that screwed up expression, her squinting eyes and quivering lips, it seemed likely that at least some were tears. "Once the fighting stops, you'll come home... you have to come home... you have to!"

"The fighting will be over when your soldiers leave this place, either in defeat or as corpses, Nohrian princess. I suggest you tell your brother that, because should he attempt to continue this attack, Nohr will lose a prince as well as a princess today." Ryouma's voice was cold and hard, but at least he had lowered his sword as he approached the younger girl. She immediately recoiled from him, eyes wide with a mix of fear and revulsion. Fearfully, lest the savage before her attack the moment she cast her gaze elsewhere, she glanced down at her brother.

"X-Xander-"

"Ignore him, Elise." The crown prince had begun to climb to his feet, stumbling and nearly falling back down. He was still shaking, though if it was from exhaustion or the effects of the thunder magic still surging through his veins was unknown. "These Hoshidans are weak- we have more soldiers than they could dream of-"

"Yeah, but we've only got one of you! You're too weak to fight, Xander."

"I will be fine, sister-"

"No, you won't! Xander, please; I'm scared! I don't want anybody else to die... Please, let's just go home..." Elise's voice cracked slightly, and she began crying quietly, her narrow shoulders shaking from the force of her sobs. Xander was clearly torn as he looked back at her, but if there was one thing Nerr knew about the prince, it was that he was a brother first, and soldier second. His fingers tightened around Siegfried's grip so strongly she could hear his knuckles cracking.

"...very well. If the Hoshidan savages allow it, I will order a ceasefire immediately and we will retreat to Nohr for the time being."

"You will stay in Nohr if you know what's good for you, anyan dog." Ryouma narrowed his eyes, adjusting his grip on his own sword. "I will call off my troops attacks as well, on the condition that you do not try any of the underhanded tricks your kind is so famous for. And to ensure you don't attempt another sneak attack, any Nohrian caught in Hoshidan land will be executed on sight. You'd best inform your people that they are not welcome here." Xander grit his teeth, every fiber of his being clearly wishing to challenge the man before him, but pragmatism won in the end. Curtly, he nodded and sheathed his blade. The look he gave Nerr was just as cutting as any piece of sharpened steel could be.

"...this is your fault, Nerr. If you'd made the right choice, we could have ended this war today. Every life lost from this day forward will be on your head."

"Xander!" Elise cried out in shock and dismay. "How can you say something like that to her? She's our sister!"

"Not anymore, Elise. Come, we must find out siblings, our true siblings." He turned sharply on his heel and began stalking away. The young girl hesitated, looking back and forth between her siblings. Xander looked over his shoulder, his brows furrowed so deeply even Nerr's hurt. "Elise! I won't tell you again!"

"I- ...I'm coming, brother..." Sniffling softly, she scrubbed her eyes with one dirty glove and pulled on the reins, turning her mount around. Nerr swallowed hard, her mouth dry and throat tight. She could feel herself growing smaller, weaker... she hated that feeling. A part of her wished she had never turned back, that she had stayed a dragon forever just so she wouldn't have to feel like that.

"...Xander. Say what you will, but this war is on your father's head, not mine. You know I'm right. You know I'm right!" He did not even spare her a second glance, though Elise did. The sorrow, the uncertainty in her eyes stung sharply. "...this isn't my fault..." She whispered to herself.

"No, it isn't." Ryouma's confirmation of what she was already completely sure of only made her feel worse somehow. "You are right, this is all King Garon's fault. But he won't succeed. We will defend our homeland, even if it costs us our lives. His tyranny will come to an end one day." Nerr was in no mood for his motivational speeches. Dying for her "homeland" seemed a lot more heroic and glorified when that homeland had been Nohr...

000

The battlefield was littered with the bodies of the dead, both Hoshidan and Nohrian, though Hoshido had clearly taken more casualties. It seemed that this was the first instance the royals had ever had with fighting Nohrians, and they were disheartened to say the least. It should've been laughable, the way they were shocked that their thin swords did all of nothing against layers of thick steel plates, as Nerr sat on the dusty, trampled grass as far from the makeshift camp as she could... It should've left her doubled over in laughter, gasping for breath with tears streaming down her face, as she ran her fingers over the chinks and dents in her own armor... But it didn't. The tears streaming down her dirty, bruised cheeks held no amusement in them.

She felt lonelier than she did that first night in Castle Shirasagi. Back then, she could at least hold on to the thought that she was dead to Nohr because they would never know what happened to her. Now, she was dead to Nohr because of her own actions and decisions. She consistently said she was staying in Hoshido because she was afraid to die by her once "father's" hands, but was living really so great when it hurt so much and left her so miserable? Drawing her knees to her chest, she wrapped her arms around them and rested her forehead against her poleyn. There were footsteps coming closer to her, but she could ignore them if she wanted to. It was probably another soldier coming towards the river to get more water to clean the wounds of the injured- they were being moved to some nearby fort or something, she wasn't paying attention... The footsteps, however, did not carry on past her like she assumed they did, stopping when the person they belonged to was a few feet behind her. She wondered grimly if someone wasn't going to just stab her through the back of her neck- it was pretty vulnerable and exposed, after all.

"Nerr..." Azura's voice made the feelings bubbling in the pit of her stomach all turn to anger. "We're heading to Fort Jinya to make camp. You should get up before you're left behind."

"I've already been left behind." She muttered to her knees. Her family, her soldiers; all gone, back home and leaving her here in Enemy Territory. Only Jakob, true to his word, had stayed. He had wanted to hover over her, but she sent him away. She wondered if he was helping the Hoshidans; Felicia probably would, just to feel useful. Flora... not so much. The realization that she'd never see Flora or Felicia again made it feel as if her ribcage had suddenly become too small for her heart. The songstress behind her sighed, a sound that was laced with exasperation. She probably felt she was dealing with a stubborn, moping child.

"Nerr, I... I can understand why you're... apprehensive about this situation. The idea of fighting the people who raised you can't be pleasant. If it makes you feel better, you can leave the fighting to the rest of us." Those words actually did get a laugh from the Nohrian princess, though it came out as more of a condescending bark than anything. The fact that Azura was considering herself as part of "the rest of them" was too amusing; this frail, waif of a girl who had less combat experience than a healer.

"That's funny. You're clearly the funny one of the family." The faux smile on Nerr's face slipped away at once. "What would make me 'feel better' is if you at least went back to Nohr where you belong."

"What?" She looked over her shoulder at the other girl, staring down at her with an incredulous expression that seemed to border on anger. Nerr got to her feet. She was an inch or so shorter than the singer, though that did nothing to make the Hoshidan princess look threatening.

"I'm here for the time being, so you're no longer needed. Go home. That's how it works, right? The Hoshidans wanted to use you to barter with the Nohrians for me; well, I'm here, so you can go back to Nohr. Who knows; maybe they'll forget all about me with you there. Then both our families can be happy while we're miserable." Azura's hands balled into fists at her sides. She looked so angry, it was hard to tell if she wanted to scream or cry.

"Nohr is a terrible, evil place filled with terrible, evil people. I wouldn't wish that hellhole on my worst enemy..." Nerr could feel her lips curling up into a disdainful smile.

"You disgusting hypocrite... I knew you were going to say something like that; I just wanted to hear it from your own mouth. I wonder if all Hoshidans are like that, or if you're just a special kind of awful- I bet you'd have kicked Mikoto to the curb in a heartbeat if anyone nicer came along." The singer cringed, but did not back away.

"What about you? You're staying in Hoshido, you're admitting what a monster Garon is; how are you any different from me?"

"The difference is, I'm not throwing my hands up and calling it quits on the people who love me, the people I love, because it's easier to say 'fuck them'. I have every intention of returning home where I belong one day, but in order to do so, several people need to be dealt with- I'm not going anywhere near Castle Krakenburg while that bastard Hans continues to breathe. My brothers and sisters will believe me one day; I have faith in them. They're not blind, they'll see what a monster their father is sooner or later, just as I have. Then they'll see I was right all along, then we can put all this behind us." Azura shook her head, her long lazuline hair swaying around her like a cloak.

"If they haven't already, I doubt they ever will. You're living a dream, Nerr. And you need to wake up."

"You need to shut up and go to hell! If I wanted your opinion, I'd have asked for it! Just leave me alone!" She was a few seconds from covering her ears with her hands and humming to drown out the other girl's spiteful words. Because that's what they were; spiteful. They were cruel, petty lies she was saying just to try and make it look like her brothers and sisters were evil. But she was wrong. Nerr knew she was wrong, and would hold onto that knowledge- that she was right and Azura was wrong and everything was going to work out one day- until she died. Because if she didn't, if she ever came to the realization that she had just given up her one chance to return home for nothing... well, that would be the same as dying, wouldn't it?

000

A/N- Man, it's hard rewriting 'Birthright'. I mean, seriously- when I was taking notes on the script (for scenes and dialogue to add and stuff) most of them just said "nope" and "FTS". Seriously, 'Birthright's story is like a kick to my mind's balls- it's like 'Awakening', but worse. In 'Awakening', I don't have the option of playing as the Plegians first and seeing things from their perspective. Honestly, after Chrom explained why the Plegians hated them in the first place, my opinion of Ylisseans plummeted to 0 (Emmeryn being the only factor that kept it out of the negatives). So... maybe I'll continue? I don't want to post another story online for no one to read again...