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.

3. Synonymous With Guilt

000000000000

Ch. 3- "Synonymous With Guilt"

000000000000

Nerr had gotten precious little sleep the night before. The overly bright Hoshidan sky definitely played a role in her newfound insomnia, but the fact that every time she closed her eyes, all she saw was death was a much bigger problem. Sometimes, it was her mother, looking up at her with glassy eyes as the holes in her chest spilled blood over her white robes. Mostly, it was that horrible, gut-wrenching look of terror that had been in Gunther's eyes the moment the darkness of the chasm swallowed him whole... Even the instances when the cries of anguish and battered remains of the Nohrian soldiers who'd been slaughtered threatened to wash over her like a wave weren't so bad as that. Regardless, the vivid, crimson scenes that played out behind her eyelids left her groggy as the sky began to turn ultramarine once more. It felt as if Rinkah had given her another "bump" on the head, only without the added benefit of knocking her into a coma for gods knew how long. Heaving her bag over her shoulder (she'd been using it as a pillow as she lay on the hard, cold floor), Nerr dragged her feet back towards the entrance of the fort.

While she had the basic layout of a plan- return to Nohr and kill King Garon- she had no real idea how she was going to execute it (if she weren't so tired, she'd have slapped herself for such a cheap pun). The best idea that came to her exhaustion addled mind was to get closer to Nohr so that, when the king inevitably waltzed into Hoshido to claim his new throne, she would be ready for him. She did not specify that as the reason for wanting to move further inland when she told Jakob and Silas what she intended to do, but both young men were quite keen on the idea of being closer to their homeland. Despite Jakob's insistence that he did not care where he was, so long as he was at his lady's side, Hoshido was clearly taking a toll on him as well. She could see him recoil when presented with rice for breakfast- what kind of heathens were they dealing with? Nerr did not blame him in the slightest. She had been in Hoshido for almost two weeks, and had only eaten a few meals in all that time, only when her body screamed at her for nourishment. Much of the food left outside her door had turned her stomach, it smelled so odd, and was so visually unappealing... Her body longed for bread, but apparently, such things were quite foreign on this side of the border.

She had thought that, perhaps if they found a village by the sea that traded with Nohr, they could eat like humans for a while, but Silas quickly dashed that dream. Hoshido did not trade with Nohr, plain and simple. Despite the high quality goods the western half of the continent had to offer, from strong raw materials to the intricate work of skilled artisans, the east wanted nothing to do with them. Her old friend told her that he'd even heard tell of Hoshidans burning down Nohrian merchant vessels if they dared use their ports. Nerr didn't want to believe that was true. She didn't want to believe that anyone could be that cruel, but the fact was quickly become clear that humans were bastards. Despite being surrounded by Hoshidans, she could not ask them to verify that story. Even if it had happened, even if they had been there and witnessed it first hand, they would lie and say that only Nohrians did things like that. Because only Nohrians were that evil.

Well, regardless of what they would or wouldn't find, they needed to get a move on. By the time she'd finished laying out her plan to her fellows, more Hoshidans, healed enough to return home, began leaving the fort. Sakura came out to see a group off, waving to them. Some time during the night, the bodies of the dead Nohrian soldiers had been removed- Nerr made a notable effort to ignore the mound of dirt less than half a mile from the fort, swarming with flies. The stones paving the floor remained bloody, however, and the young princess did her best to tiptoe around the dark splotches. She spotted Nerr, and a smile came to her timid face. As much as the Nohrian girl wished to remain as detached as possible from the entire royal family, she could not help but feel her heart melt a bit at the edges as the girl dashed over to her. How could anyone look upon the face of a sweet little girl and feel anger or hate? Truly, only the most degenerate scum could.

"Nee-sama... y-you're up and about a-already, huh? Y-you must really be a morning person..." Jakob quickly turned his laugh into a cough, pounding on his chest for added effect, and she rolled her eyes slightly.

"...it's a learned habit." That was not entirely a lie. As much as Nerr hated waking up in the ungodly hours of the morning, she had been doing it for over a decade. Gunther always insisted they make use of what little light Nohr was able to salvage from the east... He would probably be very pleased to know she'd woken up entirely on her own... her heart twisted painfully.

"U-uhm... don't you want... breakfast? You... you didn't e-eat anything this morning, and it's a l-long march back to the capital..." Oh, that was right; she hadn't told anyone else about her change of plans... it must have slipped her mind. Well, now was as good a time as any. Even though she would be happy to say "good riddance" to Hoshido as a whole, a small part of the Nohrian girl felt unbearably guilty having to tell her very young sister "goodbye"... she wished she were telling this to Azura instead; then she could make as many rude hand gestures as she wanted without feeling bad. Nerr gently placed her hand on the younger girl's shoulder.

"I'm not going back to the capital, Sakura." Sakura's eyebrows furrowed slightly, a small frown pursing her lips. She cringed internally- everyone said she made faces like that when she didn't get her way, but her lips just did that naturally. Surely that wasn't hereditary...

"Wh-what do you mean, nee-sama? Are you- are you going to stay behind to... guard Fort Jinya?" Oh gods, surely this girl was drawing this out to torment her; she was as devious as the rest of her family, only too adorable and sweet to be resented for it!

"No, Sakura. I'm heading further inland so I can be closer to Nohr."

"But... why? Y-you're free now, nee-sama- why would you want to be close to the place that hurt you?"

'Hoshido is the place that hurts me...!' The words were on the tip of her tongue, but a rustling and the sound of quick footsteps approaching drew her attention. Without thinking about what she was doing, Nerr pushed Sakura behind her, hand going straight to the grip of her Yato. Surely it couldn't be another wave of Nohrian soldiers; Silas had said his battalion had been waiting at the Chasm and had only gone when given the order by Xander. They were the only soldiers still in Hoshido after the withdrawal. Two figures rounded the corner of the fort, one an unpleasantly familiar redheaded shinobi, the other a woman wearing a rather risqué ensemble who's long, mauve hair was coming undone. Both of them were bloodied and covered in dirt and bruises. Sakura gasped aloud and pushed past her sister, rushing over to them. Nerr kept her distance- the last time she had been face to face with this "Size-O", he'd tried to slit her throat and very nearly succeeded.

"Sakura-sama, we've got bad news..." He growled in a deep, rasping voice, his words half muted by the cloth he wore over his face.

"This is an emergency!" The woman's voice was more hysterical, and loud enough that it drew the remaining Hoshidans from the fort. Sakura trembled, her hands fluttering nervously- it was no wonder she always clutched to something to keep them occupied.

"S-Saizou-san, Orochi-san, wh-what happened to y-you...? Y-y-y-you're both wounded...!" The new woman, Orochi, swiped a blob of blood from her cheek with her thumb, wincing as she put pressure on the bruised flesh.

"Our wounds are nothing. But as for Ryouma-sama and Takumi-sama-"

"W-what?! What h-h-happened to them?!" Azura approached her sister and began rubbing her back in a soothing, practiced motion, probably used to dealing with these panic attacks. It seemed miraculous the princess hadn't passed out with the way she was breathing.

"They're missing." The older woman said quietly, her eyes downcast. "We were heading with them to Izumo, but we were ambushed by Nohrians."

"Those sneaky sons of bitches weren't even trying to put up a fight." Saizou spat bitterly. "They were just a distraction, with their devil magic and illusions..."

"By the time we broke away and the dust had settled, our princes were gone! I... I suppose it's possible they were captured... I hate to think of the alternative..."

"Noooo!" Sakura wailed, sinking to her knees as she tried to suck in a breath through her tears. She was clutching at her chest and shaking her head wildly. "nononononononono...!" Suzukaze knelt beside the princess, pushing her into a seated position and tucking her head between her knees as Azura continued rubbing her back.

"Just breathe, Sakura-sama. That's it, in and out... just breathe deeply..." He looked up at the other shinobi, his face grim. "Saizou, Orochi-san... things cannot be as grim as you make them out to be. Please, tell me this is some exaggerated joke..." It was clear he was trying to get them to make light of the dark situation for the sake of the hyperventilating princess, but social niceties seemed a foreign concept to Saizou.

"Yes, I'm well known for my japes, aren't I?" He seethed, resulting in a moaning wail from Sakura. He ignored her misery, turning away and running a hand through his slicked back hair. With it falling in his face, he almost bore a passing resemblance to Suzukaze. "I blame myself for this... I never should have allowed those anyan devils to separate me from Ryouma-sama's side..." Nerr frowned as the scene continued to unfold before her, turning back to Silas.

"I thought you said there weren't any more soldiers in Hoshido..."

"There aren't!" He protested vehemently, a look of something close to fear darkening his eyes. "I swear on my honor, Nerr- my squad was the only one Prince Xander sent, and we were only sent to bring you back. We certainly didn't have any mages; who sends mages into battle?"

"People who need Faceless." Jakob supplied. "They have to be conjured, remember?" The silver haired knight shook his head.

"No, Prince Xander abhors those abominations... He would never consent to his soldiers using them-"

"Who's there?!" Saizou's gruff voice unexpectedly pulled Nerr from their conversation and back to the world at large. The shinobi had pulled out a dagger in the same design as the ones Suzukaze wielded, his singular working eye scanning the copse where they stood, half in shadows. The other shinobi placed a hand on the fiery man's arm, lowering it.

"Calm yourself, brother. It's Nerrida-sama and her retainers."

"Retainers...?" From a distance, she could see this man (Suzukaze's brother? How was that possible?) narrow his eye as he tried to decipher the shadows he saw, before both- the blue and clouded white- opened wide in realization. "Fucking Nohrians...!" Raising his weapon once more, he charged, but Nerr had seen that coming a mile away. She pulled loose her sword and swung it at the ninja the moment he got close enough. He was nimble, and quick enough to dodge any serious damage, but the edge of the dull bronze blade still sliced deeply into his arm. With his face half concealed, it was difficult to make out his expression, but as he clutched the bleeding wound, she knew he was glaring at her.

"You're protecting that filth?! Those are the same dogs responsible for your brothers' disappearance!"

"Seeing as they've been with me this whole time, I don't see how that's likely."

"Ryouma-sama said any Nohrians found in Hoshido must be put to death!"

"Yeah, well, Ryoma Sama isn't here now, is he- and who's fault is that?" She hissed, enjoying the infinitesimal flinch she spied. "So you just stay where the hell you are, Hoshidan, if you know what's good for you..." Nerr could hear him grumbling under his breath, probably spouting Hoshidan curse words at her, but she didn't care. Ugh, the sooner she got away from this circus, the better. Saizou's companion, Orochi, also approached, but without the reek of murderous intent.

"Pardon me, Nerrida-sama? I am Orochi, the royal diviner and retainer to- ...to the late Mikoto-sama..." Her voice caught in her throat slightly, and she swallowed hard before speaking again. "It seems that, in the absence of the other royals, leadership falls to you. Yukimura-san is readying troops to send to the border at once, and time is of the essence. You will lead us in search of Ryouma-sama and Takumi-sama, yes?"

"No!" She shouted, recoiling from the other woman and paying the affronted stares she got no heed. "Hells no! I'm not a part of this. You bastards kidnapped me, held me against my will, threatening to execute me when I tried to leave- ask Ryoma Sama about that when you find him... You cut down my countrymen without even entertaining the notion of incapacitating them and letting them live... And now you want my help finding the leader of this travesty you call a country so you can execute all that on a grander scale? Go to hell!"

"Nerr, how can you say that?" Azura hissed at her, the anger and disgust plain in her voice. "Your brothers need you-"

"They shouldn't! That's why they have retainers and soldiers; to keep them safe. Is it my fault you people are so incompetent you can't understand the notion of closely guarding your royalty? This clearly isn't the first time this has happened! You two!" She pointed at Hana and Tsubaki, and they flinched under her cold stare. "Where were you when Sakura and Hinoka were being attacked by Faceless last week? Where were Hinoka's retainers? Where were Empress Mikoto's retainers during that attack? You have one duty; keep your liege safe, and you can't even do that? What purpose do you serve, then?" Nerr turned back to Azura. "You're their sister more than I am. Gather your soldiers and go find them. I'm leaving."

She turned on her heel and began walking, not even waiting to see if Silas and Jakob were following her. They were, she knew it- the alternative was death by angry Hoshidans. Everything about this situation infuriated her. This was exactly why Garon had kept her locked in the Northern Citadel; so someone couldn't just waltz in and assassinate her. Yes, attempts had been made on her sibling's lives, but none had succeeded; they were stronger than her, no one had ever come near them... And they all had retainers, besides. Honestly, prior to two weeks ago, Nerr had never been out of Gunther's sight for more than a few hours. Nohrians understood the concept of "danger". Hoshidans, living in their idyllic paradise under their magic bubble that kept the enemies at bay, were soft and weak, like some nasty, pale, blind thing that crawled out from under a rock. Well, let them enjoy their burning, blazing sun without any protection now. As she continued to walk, the plains where the last great battle had been fought just visible over the horizon, a tiny sob reached her ears, quiet enough that she could ignore it if she wanted to... She paused, but continued walking, another, louder sob sending a shudder down her spine. This time, she stopped completely.

"Nerr? What's wrong?" Silas had caught up to her, but Nerr did not answer, turning around and looking back at the scene she had left. Sakura was still on the ground, tears spilling as quickly as she wiped them away. Azura, Suzukaze, and both her retainers were attempting to console her, but to no avail. It was a pitiful sight. It made her sick. ...how loudly would Elise wail if Xander and Leo were just gone one day? Those blood-curdling shrieks would haunt anyone who heard them till their dying day... These people were her enemy; everything that had happened thus far, to both themselves and her, had been their fault, but... That was her sister weeping on the ground for her lost brothers. Her little sister, who had done nothing to deserve such anguish... Nerr's head felt like it was splitting in half, every thud of her heart as she turned and walked back driving the wedge deeper into her skull. She stopped a few feet from Sakura.

"Don't cry, Sakura. Your brothers are fine." Sniffling, the girl looked up, her face bright red and wet.

"B-b-but-"

"Even if they were captured, they're fine. Nohrians don't execute prisoners of war. I'm certain this has all been a big misunderstanding. I'll find them and clear everything up." She made it sound so easy, so simple, but that was her job; everything was supposed to be effortless for older siblings. Wiping her nose on her sleeve, a spark of hope lit within the young princess's eyes.

"Oh... N-Nerrida nee-sama, do you- do you mean it?"

"Yes. Everything will be fine, Sakura. I promise you." She let out a watery laugh, and climbed to her feet, brushing the dust and dirt from her skirt.

"Th-then, I'm coming w-w-with you!" Suzukaze was on his feet at once.

"Sakura-sama, I strongly recommend that you reconsider that course of action. The area near the border is highly dangerous and-"

"I don't care!" She yelled, stamping her foot and looking every inch the child she was in that moment. "You say that as if- as if it's safe here! We-we were attacked last night! E-even in the capital, we're not safe! I can't- I can't just stay here and do nothing... If there's something, a-anything I can do to help my brothers, I- I need to be in position to... to do so..." Even as her rant continued, she seemed to be losing both steam and confidence in her words, which was just as well.

"I'm sorry, Sakura, but I'm afraid I agree with Backstabber, here." Nerr said solemnly. "You have no way of defending yourself, and I trust your retainers about as far as I can throw them. You'd just be a liability." The youngest princess flinched violently at those harsh words, but she didn't care. They were the truth, and it was better that the girl get her feelings hurt than get her throat slit.

"Nerr... Sakura just lost her mother, and even her brothers are missing. It's understandable that she would want to accompany us." Crimson eyes narrowed as she turned to glare at the songstress. It was like everything that came out of her mouth just had to be contrary- if Nerr said the sky was blue, Azura would counter that it was red. "With my help, I believe we can provide adequate protection for her..."

"What help? You can't do a damn thing, Azura." She sneered, not even bothering to conceal her vitriol. "What can you lend to a battle; singing your enemies into submission? But you know what? Do whatever you'd like. Bring an unarmed child with no combat experience onto the battlefield- I'm sure that'll work out just fine." She turned back to her younger sister, who had shied away from her. "Sakura. You might die out there. There is a war going on, and you are the enemy. Is this really what you want?" The rose-haired girl shivered, wrapping her arms tight around herself.

"I... I don't want t-to die... But... I don't want to stay behind and- and wait for news to reach me, e-either..."

"Then, short of knocking you unconscious and locking you up, I can't stop you." Nerr looked back to her retainer and friend. "There's been a slight change in plans. First, we find these pathetic excuses for princes, then we head to the border." Jakob bowed deeply.

"Your wish is ever my command, Lady Nerr." Silas chuckled slightly.

"I didn't think I'd be pressed into service this quickly... I haven't even finished my squire training, yet." The Nohrian princess felt her lips quirk into a mirthless smile. So first, she needed to figure out where Izumo was and- The sight of dark red hair, and a hate-filled blue eye filled her vision, and she stepped back so Saizou fully came into view.

"Yes? Did you need something?"

"You can't be serious, Nerrida. You'd really allow this backstabbing, Nohrian scum to accompany us?" Everything about this horrible, hateful man filled her with burning hot rage. The frustration that had been mounting nonstop had finally reached it's peak, and she allowed herself a moment to vent some of it. Drawing her arm back, she smashed the heel of her palm against the older man's face, right into his scarred, blind eye. She felt the flesh give, the bone crack slightly under the pressure of the blow, and as he stumbled back, both hands clutching at his bruising flesh, she shoved him even further, knocking him to the dirt.

"Don't you ever address me so familiarly again. It seems to keep slipping your tiny, savage mind, but I am a gods damned princess. Were I still in Nohr, I would let your disrespect slide, but because of your worthless prince and even more worthless brother, I'm not. I am in my apparent 'homeland', and I am helping you people, so you will show me the respect I'm due or you will regret it. And perhaps, if you were less concerned with what I'm doing and more attentive to Ryoma Sama, he wouldn't be missing in the first place..." Back in Nohr, she never called anyone out for addressing her informally... but, that was because no one did. Everyone in the citadel called her "Lady Nerr" or "Milady"... Gunther always addressed her as "My Lady", stressing the emphasis of those two words for her alone (Camilla and Elise were always "milady")... She knew exactly what Saizou was doing; he was making it clear she was no royalty to him, nothing but a Nohrian dog to be put down, but she would not tolerate that when she was trying to help the miserable waste of breath. Suzukaze was quick to defend, not his brother, but Nerr.

"This is not your call, nii-san. Nerrida-sama has the right to chose whatever retainers she so pleases... even Nohrians. Besides, what would you have us do; murder capable, loyal soldiers simply because they don't look like you? That is not the Hoshidan way."

"Don't think you're helping, Backstabber." She told him bitterly. "I don't need your help making my point." The mottled purple that was swelling Saizou's face only served to make him uglier in his anger as he once again stood upright.

"Is the Hoshidan way to allow a potential spy access to our party?"

"What party? All four of you? Yes, I'm certain sooo many secrets will be gleaned from this political think-tank. If you were capable of doing anything, you'd have already assembled a group of soldiers and started hunting down your wayward liege by now; the only thing a spy could report about you is that you're absolutely no threat because you don't know what you're doing." At that moment, she was certain the redheaded shinobi was going to jump on her and pay her back in kind for her blow, but she was ready for that. She'd spent years rough housing with boys- Leo didn't pull any punches just because she was a girl. Suzukaze once again stepped in to placate his brother's ire.

"Nii-san, Nerrida-sama spared my life when I was a prisoner in Nohr. She could have easily stood back and watched both Rinkah-sama and myself die, but she put her own life in danger to save ours. If she was willing to do that as an enemy, then I think we can trust her as an ally." Saizou scoffed loudly.

"Oh, please. A five-year old wouldn't be fooled by such an obvious setup. Anyone with a modicum of sense would realize that was a ploy to get you to think she was harmless so you would bring her to the castle instead of killing her on sight like you should have."

"Saizou-san, stop it!" Sakura had been quiet the whole time, pressing her hands to her ears at one point to try and block out the hateful words being shouted, but she tore them away now. "Th-that's my sister you're talking about, a-a princess of Hoshido! You- you can't say things like that!" The shinobi's one good eye softened ever so slightly as he looked upon the youngest royal.

"I'm sorry, Sakura-sama... but someone has to say these things. This... girl was raised by the enemy as a tool to ensure our destruction... frankly, it's worrying that only Takumi-sama has the sense to realize someone in that position is not to be trusted."

"Clearly, you're the smart one in the family, one-eye." Nerr chimed in, much to everyone's surprise. She was no fool- she could recognize pragmatism when she saw it. Indeed, Leo was constantly trying to drill into her head the need to think situations through coldly and objectively. Certainly, her little brother would be on Saizou's side. "It's nice to know that, for all your many shortcomings, at least someone has the good of their kingdom in mind. But don't think for a moment that I give a damn about your opinion of me. I don't trust you either, you Hoshidan savage, what with you trying to kill me the first time we met and all. If you want to keep me at arm's length, that's fine by me; I'll gladly do the same." Azura cleared her throat slightly.

"Instead of spending so much time arguing about who trusts whom less, we need to organize our search party and press on. Every second counts."

"Oh my gods, Azura, I will slap you..." The fact that the songstress was right did nothing to make her any less angry.

000

To get from Shirasagi to the duchy Ryouma and Takumi had been en route to, they needed to go beyond Fort Jinya, trekking through a massive cave system known to the locals as The Eternal Stairway. As much as Nerr appreciated the soothing darkness of the cave, it was much less a "stairway" than a steep incline sandwiched between two deep crevasses. A morbid curiosity overtook her, and she looked down into the impenetrable black. She wondered if it just went on forever, into the bowels of the earth, or if it grew narrower, so that if a body fell in, it would get stuck, tightly wedged in the wet, slimy stone unable to move until it decomposed and the bones mouldered to dust. Orochi stepped up to her, a slight smile tugging at her lips.

"You shouldn't stare into the abyss, Nerrida-sama; you never know what might be staring back."

"I'm assuming it's ghosts." She said plainly, tearing her eyes away from the darkness nonetheless. Her late mother's retainer giggled slightly.

"Oh, you'd be right, milady. The Eternal Stairway is notorious for claiming lives."

"That's right." Azura chimed in from further ahead. She pointed to a large wooden marker with strange symbols painted onto it's mildew-slicked surface. Nerr had seen more of those further back, but had no idea what they were. "All these ofuda are for the people who were known to have died here. One can only imagine how many ghosts linger, unmissed and unmourned..." There was the slightest hint of joy in the songstress's voice as she said that, as if the thought of being surrounded by ghosts tickled her pink. Sakura cried out in fear and clutched tighter to her sister's side.

"N-nee-sama, stop! It's too scary...!" Silas chuckled a bit at the young girl's reaction, though Jakob remained silent, his hands balled into slightly shaking fists. He had always hated being told anything of a remotely macabre nature, though Nerr had been disgustingly entranced when Gunther told them about the flue fakers that went missing in the castle- imagine, getting stuck in a chimney and starving to death in there! The darkness drew her gaze back, and she felt her stomach sink to the ground... Thinking of someone slowly dripping onto the floor wasn't so amusing when she could put a face to the putrefying remains... The princess shook her head slightly.

"No one goes unmourned, Azura... Everyone is missed by someone..."

"Nerrida-sama, please be quiet for a moment." Suzukaze's quiet request bothered her. She hadn't even spoken loudly.

"Oh, Azura can talk but I can't?"

"No, that's not it... I hear something..." All the footsteps stopped in tandem, and the silence grew heavy. Nerr could hear many things, water dripping from the stalactites on the cave ceiling, the quiet sputter of enchanted torches lining the walkway, even the faint squeak of bats high above their heads. Frowning, she closed her eyes, hoping that the lack of sensory information might help her hone in on whatever was suddenly so threatening. There was a sound, almost too faint even for her ears, far below them. It almost sounded like...

"...whispering? Are those people talking?"

"We're being watched." Saizou rasped, pulling a dagger from the holster at his hip. Watched by whom, Nerr wanted to ask, but this was no time to care. She pulled her Yato free of it's ties, readying her stance. The green-haired shinobi stepped forward, holding a fistful of shuriken.

"Attention!" He called out, his voice bouncing off the walls and resulting in a chorus of Suzukazes that spoke with him. "Whoever you are! Show yourself now if you wish to avoid conflict!" There was a long, tense pause... before loud growls and roars filled the cavern, a veritable menagerie of animal sounds. From behind one of the outcroppings of rock that stood in the middle of the so-called stairway, a group of several Faceless appeared, throwing their leather covered heads back and roaring. Nerr's heart seized in her chest.

"How can Faceless be here?"

"I don't know," Suzukaze readied his throwing stars, taking aim. "Normally, these beasts aren't intelligent enough to hide their presence..."

"Who care how smart they are; let's take 'em out!" Rinkah charged forward, mace in hand, and leapt up, smashing the bronze weight into one of the hulking beast's faces. The others cried out their approval and charged as well. Nerr drove the Yato's blade into one of the monster's gut, pulling down and tearing through the thick, mottled skin with ease. Slimy ropes of entrails slipped onto the ground at her feet, but it was not accompanied by the stench of rot and decay she had smelled before. All she smelled now... was blood. The thick, metallic tang of blood that filled her nostrils so completely she could taste it, just like she had smelled back in Krakenburg as she laid waste to the captured Hoshidans.

The Faceless were not putting up the same fight she had seen before, either. They did not swing their massive, calloused fists, trying to smash or squish the soldiers cutting them down. One seemed to actually put it's hands up in a defensive gesture as Tsubaki dragged his lance across it's torso. Another turned and began running back down the slope as Orochi pulled out a handful of thin wooden slates, strange runs glowing at her feet as she spread them like a fan. A small, ghostly apparition- a rat, it seemed- materialized, running through the air and charging through beast's back. Frost spread over the point of impact, the green flesh turning black as it froze and mortified, and the hideous monster fell face first. It only took a matter of minutes before every last beast had fallen, and the Hoshidan looked proud of what they'd done. Nerr would not have cared either way, but she could not shake the feeling that this was not right.

"Lady Nerr? What is it?" Jakob bent to retrieve one of his daggers sticking out from the thick folds of a fallen Faceless's neck.

"Don't you smell that?"

"Smell what?"

"All I smell is the blood of my enemies." Rinkah proclaimed proudly, and the princess frowned deeply.

"Yes, that's exactly the problem. Faceless don't smell like this- they smell like rotting meat. This... this is fresh blood."

"Nerr, what are you talking about? Doesn't death just smell like... death?" She shook her head, frowning at the other princess.

"No. Something is very wrong with this situation." Kneeling down, Nerr heaved one of the Faceless onto it's back. Despite it's sheer bulk, it was not as heavy as it looked. In fact, it didn't seem so large anymore either. It seemed the monster was shrinking, the air around it shimmering slightly- not just with this body, but with all of them. Slowly, the massive, bulging limbs shrank into smaller, more familiar anatomy, their leather masks taking on the color and texture of smooth, uncured skin... The gasps rang out in unison at the sight of a group of clearly Hoshidan corpses laying dead at their feet.

"Oh gods! Th-these aren't Faceless; they're p-p-people! Oh, wh-what have we d-d-d-done...?!" Sakura backed away from the grisly scene, shaking like a leaf in a storm. Azura had covered her mouth with her hands, her voice coming out muffled as a result.

"Look at their clothing; I think these people are from the Wind Tribe..." To Nerr, all Hoshidan clothing looked the same, though these bodies did seem to be wearing slightly more by way of ornamentation. She got back up, shaking her head as though to deny the madness unfolding before her.

"No... This can't be possible; a moment ago, these people were Faceless- I'm not crazy, you all saw it too!" Everyone nodded quietly. "How is this possible?!" A deep, smarmy chuckle resounded through the cave, filling every nook and cranny and making the fine hairs on the back of Nerr's neck stand on edge. She raised her bloody sword. "Who's there! Show yourself at once, or I'll cut you down, too!" The laughter seemed to concentrate, and a flash of light a foot or so from her eyes blinded the princess, sending her stumbling back. She might well have fallen off the side of the slope had Jakob not caught her. Squeezing her eyes tight to try and combat the after image of that brilliant light, she opened them slightly, slitted pupil narrowing as she took in the unpleasantly familiar sight of a pale man in dark robes. Even in the low light of the cave, the golden embellishments on his clothes glinted, the headdress he wore appearing as a sickening mockery of a halo.

"Good day, princess. You're looking well."

"Iago!" She spat, charging towards him, fully intent on driving her sword through his gut- this was his fault as much as it was Garon's and Hans', her being here, Gunther being dead... Before the blade could reach anything vital, however, ancient runes filled the air around the man, and he vanished in a cloud of slightly acrid smoke, only to appear behind her. By that point, everyone's weapons were trained on him, but Iago only had an eye for her.

"My my, so volatile- these Hoshidans have been a terrible influence on you. It's a good thing you made the right choice to stay with your own kind, you byak whore- we couldn't allow this kind of savage behavior in Nohr."

"Why don't you come a little closer, and I'll show you just how savage my behavior can be!"

"Now now, there will be time for empty threats later. Tell me, did you enjoy my little slight of hand? It sure seems like you had fun, tearing these yellow bastards out of existence."

"That was you?!" Azura gasped affronted. Iago barely spared her a glance, his lips turning down.

"Excuse you, slut; no one is speaking to you. This is between me and our beloved Lady Nerr." Nerr shook her head slightly.

"...what do you have to gain by doing this?" His smile came back full force.

"Oh, you mean aside from sowing the seeds of discontent and laughing when your own people decide to finally lynch you? You have no idea how happy your decision made me, princess; pretending to be on your side, smiling to your face when you were considered Nohrian royalty made me sick. Now? Now that you're back where you belong, I can set to work erasing every last one of you mistakes off the face of the earth. Oh, there's never been a finer time to be a real Nohrian. Your demise is nigh, you byak bastards, and I will enjoy doing everything I can to personally ensure your suffering is drawn out as long as possible." With another flash of light, he vanished, not even a mocking laugh as goodbye.

"N-Nerrida nee-sama... who was that m-maniac? I-it sounded like you know him..."

"That's a very good question, Sakura-sama; do you know that maniac, Nerrida-sama?" The way Saizou spat out that last part, he might as well have called her 'Rancid Whore-sama'. Nerr glared at him.

"What- after hearing that spiel, you honestly think that dastard is on my side? So much for you being smart... I know him in passing. That's Duke Iago, Father's advisor and, apparently, right-hand man if he's being sent to torment me personally. I didn't know he was capable of this sort of thing... The illusory magic, I mean; he's always been good at screwing me over." She did not elaborate on that- that was nothing Hoshidans needed to know about. Judging by the look on Jakob's face, he knew exactly what she was talking about. "He probably made us appear as Faceless to these people as well; that's why they tried to run rather than fight back."

"Well, he did do us one favor; he revealed himself as an enemy." Azura was pointedly looking away from the corpses slowly growing cold. "I'm sure we'll have to go through him to get to King Garon as the war progresses, but this leaves us in an unfortunate position, to say the least. The route ahead takes us straight through Kazeho." Nerr shrugged haplessly, having no idea what that had to do with anything. Orochi filled her in.

"Kazeho is the land belonging to the Wind Tribe... the people these villagers we just... killed... belong to." Oh, that certainly was a problem. The blunette princess spoke up once more.

"We're going to have a hard time explaining what just happened to their chieftain..."

"So we don't explain it." Nerr said simply, wishing she felt as calm as she sounded. In reality, her heart was throwing itself against her ribs. She leaned down and began wiping her blade on the robes of one of the dead villagers.

"What are you talking about, Nerr?"

"We just push these corpses into the crevasse, like so..." Grabbing a disturbingly limp hand, the Nohrian girl began dragging the body over to the side of the stairway, one last heave sending it plummeting into the darkness. It made her insides twist, watching someone else be swallowed by that all consuming black, but she forced herself to not feel that at the moment, turning back to her horrified comrades. "And lo and behold, we were never here! Jakob, Silas; help me get these hole-filled bodies into this hole."

"That's disgusting!" Saizou roared at her, clearly saying what everyone else was only thinking. "Don't they teach you monster how to respect the dead in Nohr?!" Nerr leveled him with an icy, hateful stare.

"...so I should give them a proper burial... you mean, like the lovely mass, shallow grave you all dumped those poor Nohrian soldiers into? Should I respect the dead like that?" She walked back, grabbed another body, and hurled it into the ravine, feeling much less guilt as it hit the opposite wall with a soft thud before falling in. "If you're so wracked with guilt, Size-o, go confess what you did to their chieftain. I'm sure you'll be absolved in death." The Hoshidans said nothing, walking on in a tense silence while Nerr and her fellow Nohrians continued disposing of the bodies. Didn't those ungrateful dastards understand she was doing this for their sake as well? They had all played a role in this travesty right alongside her, yet tried to act self righteous when she sought to clean up their mess. She was containing the situation; what more did they want from her?

000

As they finally exited the cave, it seemed likely that two separate groups were simply heading in the same direction, the Hoshidans all huddled together on one side, while the Nohrians stood close together on the other. None of the Hoshidans even looked at her, save Sakura, who gave Nerr furtive glances, quickly looking away when she was spotted. The girl hadn't been afraid of her when she was promising to get her brothers back, but it seemed that was how Hoshidans were. They adored you as long as they had a use for you. They had been talking amongst themselves, asking how they would approach the village.

Silas asked her the same thing in a hushed tone. Well, she was a Hoshidan princess, right- that was what everyone said. What did she have to fear from one of her empire's duchies? They would go straight through, she said, loudly enough for the Hoshidans to hear. If they wanted to follow her, that was fine. If they decided to go their own way, that was fine too. The two groups continued walking, giving one another a wide berth, until they reached a strange, red arch. Nerr had seen a similar arch both near Shirasagi, and as she'd left the Flame Tribe's territory (had that really not even been a month ago?). Tall mountains cast a shadow over the land, and strong gusts of wind powered the numerous windmills that dotted the landscape.

"This is the Wind Tribe's main village." Suzukaze said softly, his voice nearly lost on the wind. It took a moment for Nerr to realize he was speaking to her. "Are you certain you wish to approach it directly, milady?"

"If I could avoid this place in it's entirety, I'd do so in an instant, but as I cannot, we may as well face it head on. Trying to sneak around will only serve to make us look suspicious..."

"Tsk. Nohrians certainly wouldn't want that reputation..." Saizou scoffed. The Nohrian girl was about to turn and give him a piece of her mind, when two people in similar robes to those who had been killed ran out through the gates. One held a large club, the other a handful of wooden scrolls similar to Orochi's.

"Here they are! The savages who attacked our people!" The one holding the scrolls fanned them out, the sand at his feet already glowing.

"Prepare to die, monsters!" Nerr's blood ran cold. How could they know- there was no one left in that cave alive, no one who could have run and told- they would have noticed.

"We did nothing wrong!" She blurted out without thinking. "It was a Nohrian mage!" The man holding the club scoffed, taking aim as though he were getting ready to take a swing at her head.

"Please. How stupid do you think we are?"

"Oh, this is going well..." Suzukaze muttered under his breath, moving to stand between Sakura and the infuriated tribalists. Nerr glared daggers at him.

"Shut up. Jump in and help at any time, or Shut. Up." She was in no mood for anyone's sass, not when she was wracking her mind trying to figure out how anyone knew what had happened. It didn't make any sense, unless Iago had somehow given them the message. Why he would work with Hoshidans was a mystery, considering how much he clearly loathed them as a species, but "the enemy of my enemy", and all that... The middle princess did not have long to ponder the situation before Sakura pushed her way to the front of the crowd.

"Umh, e-excuse me, please... M-m-may I have everyone's, umm... a-attention?"

"Sakura, what are you doing? Get back!" The young princess ignored her panicked command, looking up at the tribalists.

"P-please forgive us. We are s-so s-s-sorry to have h-hurt you people, b-b-but! You must understand; th-they appeared before us as- as Faceless!" Both men lowered their weapons slightly, shock battling disbelief on their faces.

"Sakura-sama? You're with these brigands?"

"Yeah, what's going on here?" Perhaps bolstered by the fact that they were not going to attack while a young child was in front of them, Azura stepped forward as well.

"Yes, as am I. And what my sister says is the truth; this travesty was the work of a Nohrian mage." The heavily muscled man lowered his club entirely.

"Azura-sama is with them, too! Maybe they are telling the truth..."

"Hold that thought." His companion seemed much more reluctant to drop his weapon. "Have you considered that this might be a trap? After all, there are at least three Nohrians with them."

"Hmmm... you're right... But either way, we can't make this decision ourselves. Let's see what Fuuga-sama has to say." That must have been their leader. Nerr had been taught to handle diplomatic situations since she was a child, though she'd never had a chance to put that theory into practice. It could not be that difficult, though. Surely, no one was more frightening to speak to than King Garon himself, and she had faced him while he was contemplating executing her.

"Very well. I would be happy to speak to your Fuuga Sama." The mage (she assumed he was a mage) laughed, finally lowering his weapon, though a dark glee shone in his eyes.

" 'Speak'? Bwahahaha! Somehow, I don't think that's what the chieftain will have in mind."

"Remain here until we speak to Fuuga-sama, beasts. Take one step towards out village, and we'll put you down like the savage animals you are." Nerr watched them walk back to their village, talking to one another and occasionally laughing coldly. She already did not like how this was playing out.

"What is the meaning of this; what's going on?"

"Most likely, they're planning on some trial by combat." Rinkah said, almost bored by her tone. The princess rounded on her.

"Trial by combat?" The dark skinned woman nodded.

"We do something similar in the Flame Tribe- not that these windbags can compare to our strength. Whoever is telling the truth will win; the righteousness of their conviction makes them strong."

"That is the most bullshit I have ever heard." Jakob scoffed. "Why am I not surprised that 'might makes right' when it comes to savages..."

"Hey! You wanna say that again, you filthy anyan dog?" Their resident tribalist was already swinging her mace, the air around her shimmering as it grew hotter. The butler was hardly impressed by the display.

"With pleasure. I said-"

"That's enough, Jakob. You too, Rinkah- save your 'conviction' for the people who are going to try and execute us."

"We need to tread carefully and make sure not to hurt anyone more than necessary." Azura muttered. "We're already in a vulnerable position; we don't need to compound this by racking up even more casualties."

"You're not in any danger. Neither is Sakura; these people know who you are, it seems. How is that?" The songstress looked away from her cold stare.

"...We've visited Kazeho before... the entire royal family has."

"Then why the hell aren't you going in there and straightening things out with their leader?! This is the one thing you could do to be helpful, Azura, and you're going to just sit back and take it easy?"

"It's not as easy as you might think, Nerr." She snapped back. "Haven't you ever heard of guilt by association? I'm with you, so that makes me just as guilty of the crimes they're condemning you for. Chief Fuuga wouldn't listen to either of us."

"You could always try..." Azura said nothing in response to that, and though Nerr had won this round, it did nothing to make her feel better.

000

Aside from the howling winds and sand blowing into everyone's eyes, there were no real obstacles on the battlefield, not even the Wind Tribe's soldiers. There were only about two dozen of them, and while there were less than ten people in Nerr's retinue, this still didn't fill her with fear the way some battles did. Perhaps it was this open, brightly lit plane, or the fact that she could charge forward on four legs, horns lowered, and send the Hoshidans scrambling for their lives. The sense of power being a dragon gave her almost made up for the agony of feeling her bone snap and reform themselves into something alien. Trudging along in the burning hot sand was not easy, though. While her thick hide in this form did not suffer from the heat as much as her human soles might, with every step, she sank deeper into the sand, as though it were water. She had tried splaying her claws out, rather than walking on her knuckles as she instinctively did, but that felt too awkward.

Sakura, one of the few people who seemed unimpeded by the terrain, had spotted a Dragon Vein, lifting her hands high and channeling the power flowing through the earth. The sand beneath them seemed to freeze, no longer shifting and giving way under their weight. Capable of running without stumbling now, Hana dashed forward, slashing at the thick biceps of a muscular tribalist, blood mingling with the sweat running over the contours of his body. It was amazing how these Hoshidans could hold back when they were facing their own kind. A voice- no, several voices, having a conversation- in the west drew her attention. A familiar figure, who she knew was clad in red and white despite her monochrome vision, upon a snowy pegasus was yelling at two people, one who was up to their hips in the sand, the other trying halfheartedly to pull them out. Azura's words from before came back to her mind- the leader of the tribe knew the Royal family. Even if a certain lazuline-haired singer was too much of a coward to speak up for them, the second princess would. The tingling burn of magic on her flank drew Nerr's attention back to the mage that was now realizing how little her spell affected this creature. She kicked out with her back leg, catching the woman in the chest and sending her flying backwards. Changing course, she loped over to the elder princess, who's steed startled at the sight of the beast approaching it.

"Whoa, boy! Don't get spooked. It's just Nerr-chan." It was Nerr who? There was no time to puzzle the Hoshidan language.

"Ho, Hinoka. I don't know what you're doing here, but-"

"I could say the same to you! You're supposed to be at Fort Jinya; why did you drag Sakura so far from the capital?" The accusation in her voice tinged the gray edges of Nerr's vision red.

"Why the hell didn't you deign to keep an eye on her if you're so worried? I thought you were in the capital!" Hinoka bit her lip, a shadow of fear passing over her face.

"...I was. I got a bad feeling, and decided to try and catch up with Ryouma and Takumi... I was trying to flank them."

"Well, you're too late. It seems they already got flanked, and now they're missing-"

"What?! NO! That's not- That can't- What happened to them, Nerrida?" Oh, so now she was Nerrida again...

"How the hell should I know?" The draconic princess snapped in her mind. "In case you forgot, you all ran off without inviting anyone else to your party- thank you for leaving us alone to contend with the Nohrian soldiers that ambushed us, by the way. You're REALLY good at this 'big sister' thing... And besides, I have my own problems to deal with at the moment." The Hoshidan woman flinched slightly at her cold words. It was a disgrace; Camilla would never dream of leaving Elise alone with incompetent retainers.

"...yeah... yeah I guess you're right. On both counts... I thought the Wind Tribe was neutral; why are you all fighting?"

"This is the first I've heard of any sort of neutrality. And we're fighting because a certain sister of yours won't tell the chieftain that we're not their enemy. That's where you come in. You need to fly over there, and talk some sense into him." For a moment, Nerr wondered if she, too, would refuse, too worried about "guilt by association" to take a chance to stop the fighting, but the elder princess nodded firmly.

"Alright. But I don't know what's going on- you need to come with me, Nerrida. ...not like that, though; you're freaking Kinka out." She could only assume "Kinka" was the name of the pegasus she rode, and it was true- the beast's eyes were budging out as it continued struggling to get away from the dragon before it.

Sighing, Nerr mentally released her hold on her dragonstone- it was strange that thinking about actions was what made them happen in this form- her bones shrinking, skin becoming supple once more as her claws and horns retracted back into her flesh. Finally calm enough to control, Hinoka landed her steed, offering her sister a hand. Nerr pointedly ignored it; she didn't need help getting up, she'd been riding horses since she could remember. Besides, this delicate-looking creature was nowhere near as daunting as Caractacus had been, and with a bit of practice, she had learned to climb onto the massive charger's saddle unaided as well. Her eyes stung as she settled herself behind the princess, and it was easy to pretend it was all due to the sand in them. It was a bit startling as the massive wings, each longer than she was tall, unfurled on either side of her. They beat against the air, and in no time, gained enough lift to move forward. Even though the pegasus moved it's feet in time to it's wing-beats, a canter, if she wasn't mistaken, there was no impact other than the gentle rise and fall with every flap. Even their horses didn't offer than a challenge- this was nothing like galloping over hard land... Nerr looked down. They were about twenty or so feet off the ground. With his back to the mountains behind him, a single man was not joining the fray, rather, watching it with his arms crossed over his barrel chest.

"That's Fuuga-sama." Hinoka informed her.

"Then land. We need to talk." Nerr did not wait for the pegasus (Kinka, her mind reminded her in a chiding voice) to touch down, jumping from the saddle when it was still a good five or so feet in the air. But that was nothing; years of boredom in the citadel had taught her to jump from landings, and years of breaking her legs had taught her how to tuck and roll so as to lessen the impact on her bones. Her dented armor dug into her flesh, and sand clung uncomfortably to her sweat slicked skin and hair, but she got back to her feet. The massive, mountain of a man stared at her, his face cold and impassive, though there was a glint of something bordering amusement in his golden eyes.

"So you've made it this far..." He said, his voice surprisingly quiet in contrast to his appearance- truly, it looked as if every inch of him was sculpted of rock hard muscle. She could see a sword hanging at his side.

"You're Chief Fuuga, yes? Please, allow me to explain-"

"No." He shot her request down coldly. "You must earn the right to explain. You've acted as a coward; show me you at least fight with honor." His words chilled her to the bone- not the accusation in his tone, but the fact that he knew... How was that possible, who told them what happened? She was so caught up in her thoughts that she barely noticed the chieftain coming at her, only throwing her sword up at the last moment to block his own. Though the impact of the blade had been blocked, a sudden gust of wind knocked her back and she stumbled, hitting the ground. Fuuga used that brief drop in her guard, driving his curved blade towards her head.

Drawing a sharp breath in through her teeth, she planted her hands on the gritty stone and kicked her legs over her head, flipping back just as the blade slammed into the ground where she'd been sitting. She crouched down, staring at the fractures branching out from the point of impact, imagining what would've become of her skull had that attack connected. Rinkah had said that, to these kinds of people, telling the truth meant you were strong enough to win. She had nothing to hide. She had done nothing wrong- her only sin had been trying to protect the ungrateful Hoshidans she traveled with. Gritting her teeth, Nerr leapt back to her feet, tightening her grip on the Yato's ribbed handle and charging at the older man. He blocked her attacks with ease, but she was quicker than him, agile enough to strike multiple times for his every swing.

Aiming low, she raked her blade across his shin, the wrappings keeping his baggy trousers in place falling away as the white cloth below blossomed with blood. She heard his sharp intake of breath, but it did nothing to stop him. In that instant, before she could straighten and block, Fuuga drove his sword into her left arm, the upper part of her bicep where her rerebrace did not reach. Nerr could not bite back the scream that tore itself from her throat as the blade sank deep into the muscle, severing blood vessels and nerves that set her aflame, even scraping the bone as it came through the other side. Hot blood gushed from the wound, soaking into her filthy blouse and causing the black linen to stick to her skin.

"If this is all the strength you can muster, than you are every bit the filthy coward I thought you to be." Nerr was not a coward; she was a brave, Nohrian princess, and she would not let some Hoshidan savage try to convince her otherwise.

"I'm not done yet!" She hissed, dropping her Yato and reaching up to grab the false edge of his blade.

Every cell in her body seemed to scream in agony as the steel slid, centimeter by torturous centimeter, back out of her arm. With no pressure being exerted against the shredded flesh, the gaping hole bled more profusely, but that would not be enough to stop her. She grabbed her blade quickly, deflecting the incoming blow Fuuga aimed at her with a riposte, slashing at him twice. The first was mostly deflected by the black and gold plackart he wore, but the second cut deep into his pectorals, splitting the skin so neatly she could see the fibers of his muscles before blood began oozing thickly from the wound. He stumbled back, and a sharp kick to the gut was enough to knock him down. Their blood splattered on the floor, mixing together and coating the gritty stones. She could put her foot on his throat to keep him down, drive her blade through his gut- that would prove she was right in his eyes, but... The Yato seemed heavier in her grasp. Everything was beginning to blur around the edges... she was so tired... Just as she herself stumbled back, a voice called out to her.

"Nerr! What are you doing, stop it!"

"Nerrida, that's enough!" Hinoka had dismounted her steed, and was joined by Azura in running up to them. What she was doing was enough... bitterly, she realized that, with her black clothes, they could not see the extent of her injury.

"Let's- ugh... Let's ask Chief Fuuga if he... if he shares your, uhhh... opinion." She looked back down at the man who was currently getting back to his feet, though not without some difficulty. She had to admire his fortitude. "Am I strong enough for you? Am I- am I telling you the truth?" He paused for a moment, his hazel eyes appraising her intently.

"...indeed. I suppose I should not have underestimated one who carries the sacred Yatogami." Standing upright, he winced slightly, a slight groan escaping his lips as he reached up to try and apply pressure to his wounds. "Now, I will gladly hear an explanation for your unprovoked attack on my people... But first, we will go to my castle, Reppu. Our injuries are severe, and bleeding to death like fools is no show of strength." Truly, that was the most sensible thing she'd heard out of this man's mouth thus far.

"Huh? Wait, what? What injuries? Nerrida..." Hinoka stepped closer, trying to figure out what was wrong with the younger princess. Her eyes widened as her mouth fell open slightly. "Gods, what happened to your arm!?" Nerr glanced down. The sleeve had been saturated to the point where it could hold no more, and the blood had begun running down her silvery armor, filling in the grooves and painting her arm an ugly shade of red.

"...it's nothing." She said tersely, turning to follow Chief Fuuga. She managed to make it three steps before the world pitched sideways and she hit the ground hard, swearing as loudly as she had strength for as the impact jarred her injured arm. Someone was kneeling beside her, pulling her back into a seated position, probably Jakob... but those hands were not wearing gauntlets, and they were too small. Nerr blinked and the world flashed, but as it came back into focus- not a strong focus, mind you- she could just make out relatively white clothes and long, lazuline hair. Azura's face looked almost... concerned, as she stared down at the Nohrian girl. What; was she worried that if Nerr died in her arms, she might be blamed- guilt by association? She wanted to chuckle, but she was too tired. She didn't even remember closing her eyes...

000

Nerr awoke to find herself laying in a cool, mostly dark room, a thin sheet pulled over her. She was so tired, and her head was throbbing in time to her pulse. Her left arm was wrapped in a bandage, despite the fact that she could tell by the way the flesh itched and burned that it had already been healed. As much as she wished she could close her eyes and go back to sleep, she knew that was not an option. In truth, she did not trust herself to the mercy of Hoshidans. The last time she'd been injured in battle and woken up in a strange, Hoshidan location, her world had come crashing down around her. She did not want to know what else was left to be destroyed in another waking nightmare. With more effort than it should have taken, the Nohrian princess sat up, the sheet falling to her chest and the first realization that she was not wearing her armor hitting. She wasn't even wearing her blouse, only the plain black brassiere she wore during training. In the dim light of the room, she could just make out the scar running along her ribs, frowning as she ran a finger over the jagged, puckered seam. It felt terrible- there was no pain, but a sensation that was so unpleasant, she could not suppress her shudder. Why had that left a scar, but nothing else?

She shook her head to clear it. That was not important- what was important was finding her clothes, armor, and companions. As she scanned the room, she noticed a folded white robe. Getting to her feet, she walked over and unfolded the smooth cloth. It was short, probably only reaching her hips, but that was enough. She put it on as she would've worn a dressing robe, tying the thin sash laying beside it tightly under her bosom. Even secure, it felt so loose, and she felt horribly under dressed, as if she had just stepped out of the tub. How did Hoshidans walk around in clothes like this? But she could put aside her discomfort. With her mind still groggy, it took a bit of work to find the door, but she finally managed to locate the exit and slide the thin screen open. Stepping out into a hall, she nearly tripped over Jakob, who was kneeling beside the door.

"Jakob?"

"Oh! Lady Nerr!" He righted himself at once, worry, fear and relief all mingling together in his face. "I am so sorry; I should have realized you woke up, though honestly, I wasn't expecting you up for several more hours at least; you lost a great deal of blood, milady- I was scared to death."

"You know I'm made of sterner stuff than that, Jakob. But where is my armor? And my clothes?" A deep flush colored the butler's face, and he averted his gaze.

"Forgive me, milady, but I had to, ahem... undress you to see to your wounds... Princess Sakura, and even one of Princess Hinoka's retainers, offered to do it, but I refused. I am your retainer; taking care of you is my duty and mine alone." His pride and dedication felt like a balm on her soul.

"And I am forever grateful for that fact, Jakob. But you needn't apologize for it; you were the one who used to wash my back and hair before Flora came to the citadel, remember?" Though she meant for her words to be placating, the silver haired steward flushed even darker.

"...we were children then, milady..."

"So? Nothing's changed." Regardless of all the things she had heard about "impropriety" over the years, Nerr never felt there was anything wrong with her servants seeing her in a state of undress. They were like siblings, and she used to bathe with her siblings. Jakob cleared his throat loudly, looking back to face her, though she could see his indigo eyes were directed somewhere to the right of her ear.

"Yes, well... regardless, your blouse has been washed and mended- by yours truly- and your armor is being repaired by Kazeho's smiths. Honestly, I don't know how much more wear and tear it can take, milady- the armor and your clothes." The princess frowned slightly at his words; she knew they were true. She had a few other articles of clothing, but more armor would be hell to find, and her flimsy training armor was not meant to withstand so many killing blows. Still, it was her duty to appear confident, so as to inspire confidence in her servants.

"There's still use in them yet. We'll cross that bridge when we get there, Jakob. Now tell me, do you know where Chief Fuuga is?" Jakob nodded, his features relaxing slightly now that some of his worries had (for the moment) been laid to rest.

"Of course. He is entertaining your Hoshidan siblings and the others whilst they wait for you to recover."

"Well, I'd best not keep them waiting much longer."

Jakob led her to a large, open sitting room where the rest of the of Nerr's traveling companions were seated. Silas got to his his feet at once, rushing over to inquire as to her condition. Sakura had approached as well, though she was more reserved in her relief, and slightly worried still that her sister was up and about so quickly. Chief Fuuga laughed, his deep, booming voice echoing through the room. Heroes could not be kept down- that was the one thing all stories and legends had in common, and those who wielded sacred weapons were heroes. Nerr frowned slightly at his words, only just now taking in the faint pink lines left of the wounds caused by her "scared" weapon. The Hoshidan strategist, Yukimura, had said something akin to that as well.

"...what do you know of my blade, Chief Fuuga?" While the older man still smiled, a shadow seemed to fall over him, darkening his eyes with... anger? Sorrow? It was impossible to tell.

"Your father and I were good friends, Nerrida-san. You probably don't remember, but he brought you to Kazeho once when you were a child; Sumeragi always did love showing off his children... As the previous owner of the blessed Raijinto, he knew much about the scared weapons, and shared his knowledge with me. I had never seen the Yatogami outside of pictures before, and I am certain he did not either- I had almost thought it a complete fantasy."

"Yeah, it was stuck inside a statue."

"I-it flew at Nerrida nee-sama... it p-pulled itself from the s-stone and flew into her hand. I-it chose her!" Sakura piped up, smiling with shining eyes as though she were recalling something awe inspiring. Fuuga nodded gravely.

"Yes. The legends all state that the weapon chooses it's wielder, not the other way around. They may be inherited, but it is said that they will not obey a master that is not worthy to hold them." His sharp, hazel eyes fixated on Nerr. "That was why it was necessary for me to test you." The Nohrian girl frowned deeply at his words.

"Test me? By trying to kill me? And how, pray tell, do you judge if I pass? If I had killed you, would I have proven myself 'The Chosen One'? If I'd died, would I have been too weak to be a 'hero'- what's your criteria for being 'worthy'? Also, who the hell gave you the authority to do such a thing?"

"Nerrida, don't be so disrespectful!" Hinoka hissed at her, and she scowled at her older sister.

"I show respect to people who earn it." The chieftain chuckled slightly at her words, even as the oldest princess shook her head in exasperation.

"Do not fret, Hinoka-san. I know your sister was raised in Nohr; their culture and values are far different than ours." He looked back to Nerr. "Yours is a commendable way to approach the world, for many in respectable positions have done nothing to earn the respect they feel is due. While you were recovering, your sisters and companions explained what happened in the Eternal Stairway, that this tragic mistake was due to one of King Garon's men. I knew Hoshidan royals would never attack my people unprovoked; I was well aware something was amiss. And even though hiding the evidence of one's actions is an inherently guilty response, I too understand that you were attempting to spare your comrades an inevitable conflict." The Nohrian girl's brows furrowed.

"So even though you knew we weren't random murderers, you put us through our paces for no gods damned reason?" Though her arm was healed, the anger of that realization sparked a phantom pain. "A pox on you! A pox on you, a pox on your family, a pox on your whole damn village!" Fuuga's eyes narrowed.

"As I already told you, I had us battle so that I may test you. A person's character defines the way they fight. I have battled a great deal of Nohrian soldiers; I have clashed blades with cowards who can only prey on those weaker than themselves, and warriors who's bravery rivals that of any Hoshidan. I feared that you may be the former, but the way you carry yourself in battle proves that you are the latter. Nerrida-san, the blade you posses has the power to link the Seal of Flames. In the wrong hands, it could unleash enough power to end the world. That is why I wanted to see for myself if you were indeed the right person to wield it."

Well, he certainly knew how to make a grand speech; Hinoka, Azura and Sakura were hanging onto his every word. Fortunately, Nerr had been on the receiving end of enough speeches-slash-lectures from both Xander and Gunther to learn to skim them for important facts and drown out the rest. And aside from this "Seal of Flames", nothing the Wind tribalist said struck her as noteworthy.

"And tell me, Chief Fuuga- what would you have done had you decided I was not not worthy of the supreeeeeme honor of owning an old sword? The Yato chose me, not the other way around- the power to destroy the world is already in my hands. If I wanted to kill you badly enough, if I wanted to end the world, do you really think you'd be able to stop me?" A chorus of gasps echoed through the room.

"Nerr, stop it! What are you saying?" Azura looked the most distressed of everyone assembled; the other expressions seemed mostly focused on disbelief and anger.

"I'm saying spare me this wyvern shit about 'chosen ones' and all these other fairy tales you Hoshidans put such stock in. I didn't buy it when Yukimura said it, and I'm not buying it now. A sword is a sword, plain and simple- it's not weapon of mass destruction." The chieftain frowned at her, but it was more thoughtful than upset.

"...are all Nohrians so nihilistic, Nerrida-san? Or is this just a trait unique to you? For I find it difficult to believe the bright eyed little girl I met once long ago so easily had the hope snuffed out of her." Oh, there were a thousand things Nerr could say in response to that. She could remind him that Nohr did not breed hope as easy as the paradise of Hoshido, that it had been over a decade since he had apparently seen her... Instead, she opted to waste as little breath as possible on his rhetoric.

"Do I have to fight to earn the right to speak of that as well? Everything has been explained to you; I'm done here. Jakob, Silas- we're leaving." She motioned for her retainer and friend to join her, leaving the room and consciously ignoring everyone's stares. Her keen ears could hear Hinoka explaining to the chieftain that they all needed to be going to look for their wayward brothers, but she did not care about that. Nerr felt as if she had been tossed into some topsy-turvy world where everything existed simple to frustrate her. The nerve of that Fuuga, claiming he was "testing her". Her left arm felt as if it had fallen asleep, the sharp sensation of pins and needles pricking her running from her bicep to her fingers.

000

Reppu was not a large castle- roughly the size of the Northern Citadel- but it was sprawling and many doors led to open balconies where the fierce winds would surely push anyone off and to the rocks below. By the time Nerr and her companions had found the entrance, the Hoshidans had managed to catch up with her, not just her sisters and theirs, but Fuuga as well. A young boy, perhaps Sakura's age, trailed behind them.

"Nerrida-san. Please wait a moment." As eager as she was to leave, he was speaking respectfully to her, so she could at least repay him in kind.

"Yes, Chief Fuuga? What is it?"

"As you were leaving, the thought occurred to to me that we might be able to make a mutually beneficial agreement." For some reason, his words, benign by all counts, set off warning bells in her mind. Perhaps it was simply the years of hearing nothing but horrid things about Hoshidans, but she did not easily buy into the notion that they would do something to help her. But she kept that train of thought in her mind.

"Oh? And what might this agreement be?"

"Hinoka-san explained that you are looking for your brothers, and that Nohrian soldiers may be lurking about. While capable fighters, your retinue is small, and in need of strong men and women. We have a very skilled diviner who could use some real-world experience. His name is Hayato, and he would like to offer his services to your cause."

"...alright. Where is this Hayato?"

"You're looking at him." A young boy's voice called out to her, and Nerr looked around for a moment to find the source. She blinked hard when she realized the child standing beside the chieftain. was speaking to her, his hands on his hips, a haughty smirk on his face. "Good day."

"...uh..." Hayato's grin slowly slipped into a frown.

"Is there a problem?" The Nohrian girl took in his appearance, from his shaggy, wine-colored hair, to his short pants that exposed thin legs and knobby knees. He wasn't even as tall as Sakura. A dry, humorless laugh escaped her throat before she could stop it.

"This is a joke, yes? Seriously, Chief Fuuga; where is this skilled diviner you speak of?" Fuuga was not nearly as amused as she was.

"This is Hayato. He is my son." As if that was supposed to impress her?

"He is a child! I'm already babysitting one child; I don't have the mental fortitude to deal with another."

"Please, Nerrida-san; don't judge him by his youthful appearance. Hayato has already masted a number of unique skills that make him invaluable." The boy beamed as his father extolled his skills, puffing out his chest. The gesture made him look even younger.

"I don't mean to sound conceited, but..." He began in the most conceited tone a person could muster. "You'd be lucky to have me on your team. I personally write the spells that bless our harvest ever year, and they've never failed; I'm just that amazing." Nerr stared at him blankly.

"...well, I don't mean to sound ungrateful, but... I would literally rather have my face chewed off by wild dogs than listen to you speak a moment longer." She watched him deflate with a niggling sense of guilt, the way his lower lip trembled making her feel worse than unceremoniously throwing the dead into a hole... She shook her head a bit- she was being ridiculous, there was nothing for her to feel guilty about. Children did not belong on the battlefield! Even King Garon, monster that he was, would not allow Elise to learn the same combat training the rest of them had to endure. She turned back to the chieftain, who was silently appraising her. "Chief Fuuga, surely you care about your son too much to thrust him into harm's way. Children should be locked away safely during times like this; this is no vacation we're setting upon."

"...yes. I understand what you are saying better than most... but I also know that one can only protect children for so long by locking them away. Hayato has not had much opportunity to leave the village, and there is no guarantee that the war will not reach us here. If he must one day face it, I would feel better knowing he at least had a chance to see the world as it is before the horrors of war ravage it." There was something about his words that struck a chord with her. Hadn't she too always wanted to see the world, even if it meant being thrust headfirst into the war to do so? Hadn't that been why she trained so hard in the first place? She could have decided it was too dangerous, too scary. Garon kept her locked away to keep her safe, after all (from the Hoshidans who were trying to bring her back, but still). If she decided the thought of being a soldier was not worth it, Xander would not have made her train... She brought this on herself because it had seemed worth it. Nerr sighed deeply.

"I see. In truth, I can relate to that..." She turned to the boy, who looked up at her warily. "Well, I hope you're ready to go kill some people." Fuuga laughed, clapping the boy on the back so hard he nearly toppled over.

"He is strong, and will do as you believe he should. I'm leaving my boy in your care." Hayato flushed bright red, squirming away from his father with an annoyed grumbled.

"Fuuga-sama! Must I remind you again that I am no longer a child?" He whined in a very childish voice.

"You're right, you're right..." The older man conceded, though not without a hint of sadness. "I must admit that I still feel a bit protective of you at times. Even when you're a fine man, I'll always see you as the little boy who used to scrape his knees trying to keep up with me..."

"Daaaad! I-I mean... chiiieeeeefff!" He looked back at Nerr, his face luminescent. "He- He's not really my father; he just looked after me since I was a child..." The defensive way he muttered that set the princess's teeth on edge. Why was he making that distinction- Fuuga clearly saw the arrogant chit as his own child; did that embarrass the boy?

"...so what you're saying is, he's your father?" Was this how all Hoshidans thought; that because you did not share blood with a person, they were not your family? She shook her head, all ready exasperated with this boy- hopefully, Ryouma and Takumi would be in Izumo and he would be their problem then. "I hope you find the world worth it, Hayato." He smiled up at her, running from his father's side to the group of Sakura and her retainers, every inch the excitable child he demanded not to be treated like. Fuuga was watching the scene unfold with a loving warmth in his eyes.

"Chief Fuuga. Why are you asking me about him joining? Surely you should have run that past Hinoka." After all, it seemed seniority ruled in the Hoshidan royal family; it had been the only reason anyone deigned to follow her in the first place. Yellow eyes turned hard.

"...some are meant to lead, and others are meant to follow. In Hoshido, we usually hold that people are born into what roles they must play; in Nohr, I know that is often decided by ability. Our system has served us well enough because those born to lead only needed to worry about leading themselves to greater riches in most cases, but now... the winds of change are blowing, Nerrida. Western winds; Nohrian winds... Regardless of the position your birth placed you into, you are strong enough to weather that storm; that is why the sacred Yatogami chose you. Always remember that." Most of what the older man had said went completely over her head, but what Nerr took away from his speech was that he did not seem too fond of Hoshido's social hierarchy, and more importantly, he trusted that she was strong enough to lead. Even though the opinions of Hoshidans should not have mattered to her, she could not help but feel bolstered by his encouragement. Smiling ever so slightly, she offered her hand. The chieftain stared at it for a moment, realization dawning on him soon enough. His hand completely enveloped hers, but her grip was strong.

"There are trying times ahead, Chief Fuuga, but I pray you and yours are spared the worst of it."

"A prayer I will say in kind for you."

000

A/N- How does kicking someone's ass make you innocent? I know it's a tried and true trope in games with fighting that someone's fighting style is a reflection of their character, but doesn't that mean that the strongest person is the rightest person? Which would mean Sumeragi should never have been ruler of Hoshido (seriously, how evil do you have to be to be that weak in a game where people barely notice being set on fire half the time? A bunch of nobody archers brought you down? What are you, a child molesting puppy eater?) and Garon is Fateslandia's benevolent, all-loving GOD. And that whole "chosen to wield the Yato" thing, and it having the power to destroy the world... maybe it should've done a background check on the person it chose to wield it...

Also, since Hinoka is the oldest one in the group that doesn't have a penis, why isn't she in charge? And Saizou- am I the only one who notices how he kind of goes out of his way to be disrespectful to the avatar? With everyone else it's "lord" this and "lady" that- even Azura!