Path of Valor 7
A/N: Well, I'm in a bind. This fic is mainly liked for it's comedy, and while I intend to continue running with it, people will have to die sometime. And because a particular joke took the place of what was supposed to be a tragic event, four people are slated to bite the dust in the same chapter.
Is that okay? Should I give attention to the sadness of it all, or would you like me to dip into Black Comedy? Leave a review with your thoughts. Also, Dan didn't want a fake last name.
...Of course I can, silly. If this were Petrine or Jill, then we might have a problem, though.
Soren turns and spots Titania and Daniel headed our way, while I move forward to greet my friend with a double fist bump and 'explosion'. Just then, Daniel looks at me with that strong gaze of his. The one that says We need to talk.
I arch and furrow my eyebrows, as if saying Now? I'm kind of busy.
Daniel's gaze does not wavier. Now it is, then. I turn to Soren and say, "Soren, there's something I need to discuss with my friend here, will you wait for me there?" I punctuate 'there' in my voice, so as to inform Soren that this meeting was on the down-low.
She arches her eyebrow inquisitively, but goes along with it. "Yeah, I guess. Don't be too long now, you shouldn't keep a girl waiting." She shoots back at me, though without the obviously flirtatious overtones I was putting into my words earlier. Ah well.
Daniel places a hand on my shoulder and walks away with me in tow, after turning his head and muttering a thank you to Titania, who is just as flabbergasted as I am at why he seems so...deathly. Eventually, we reach the same pile of bodies I just left, with my soldiers still standing there diligently.
That reminds me, "Oh yeah, by the way, one of the Abelites found a Devil Axe. Did you want it?" He seemed...off. Like he was seriously considering the consequences of taking a spare Axe along.
Eventually, he answered, "No thanks, I'd rather not get killed."
Okay, something's wrong. "Bro, what's the matter? You're not the most expressive person I know, but you're being awfully serious."
Daniel looked off to the side of me for a long time before replying, "You know we're in the world of Fire Emblem, right?"
I was just about to answer him before he continued, "Adam, people die in Fire Emblem. This has been nagging me a lot, what if one of us gets killed?" He motions to the pile of rotting corpses at our side.
Well, shit. He's got a point, one of them coulda been us. I'm all set up to be some kind of hero in my mind, doing things that should have been done in the game. And all it would take is a stray arrow or two, and my dreams of being the ultimate fixer would go out the window. No happy ending, no love, no recognition.
I play with the souls of the dead, but how easy would it be to join them? If I were to-
…
…
Fuck that shit. I will not become an emo little shitstain just because I could get knifed at any moment. But when I looked back at Daniel, I don't think that's what he means. And I agree with him. I should take war more seriously, and do my best to leave my mark on the world.
Preferably by killing anyone in my way.
I step away from Daniel, and nod, "I get what you mean. And for the record, if I die, you're singing Always look on the Bright Side of Life at my funeral." We both share a laugh at that.
"Deal, but you gotta do it for me then, too!" He laughed. It's a rare occurrence, Dan's not an emotional person after all. One more fist-pound, and I'm on my way to meet with Soren. I can hear Daniel calling in the background.
"Knock'er dead, bro!"
–
You know, I'm probably not looking at this from the right angle. I've been treating everyone, Soren especially, as I would one of my classmates I didn't particularly like. Except Soren, for the most part.
I muse on this as I walk back into the compound, before realizing I have no idea where Soren's room is. I vocalize my thoughts as eloquently as I can manage, letting out a clear and concise, "AW, GODAMNIT!"
I hear a faint laugh coming from my left, and see Soren leaning on a door, down a corridor I didn't notice before. I swear that was the same one I came down before the attack...
Soren stood up and arched an eyebrow at me, showing how skilled she was in the ways of eyebrow calisthenics. "Well? Are we going to talk in the hall?"
Right. Lamely, I walk over and follow her into what seems to be her room. I don't know what I was expecting to be honest, but this did throw me for a loop. It was quite small, and everything was NEAT UNT TIDY. A crook in the wall to my right held her bed, which had only a single mattress, pillow and blanket on them. The blanket looked warm as hell though, it had a deep violet hue and was soft to my touch.
While I was admiring her choice in bedspread, she took the chair out from the small desk on the back of the room, opposite to where I came in. Absently, I noted that there was a mirror on the desk, which would be useful to have if you're working with your back to the door.
She spun the chair around and sat down in it. Letting out a small chuckle, she said, "You can sit there, if you like."
I was confused as to what she meant to imply, before realizing I still was feeling her blanket. Boy, I'm off to a great start, aren't I? At any rate, I give her a small nod before slipping off my running shoes I still had on from the day before, and sitting cross-legged on the bed.
I sign. Alright, so, I need to not be an asshat. Well, here goes nothing, "So, how's your day been?" I ask, a slight smirk creeping onto my face.
A raised eyebrow is the first thing I get in response, followed by, "Just fine, all things considered. Yours was no doubt much more exciting. Did you end up suffering any injuries?" She seemed to be going along with me, although she obviously wants the secrets I promised her. But it's only polite.
I shake my head, "None at all. Boyd's quite talented a fighter, and with my friend and our newest member, we cleaned things up pretty well. You should've came along though."
"Oh, why is that?" She seems mildly interested, perhaps because she's waiting for me to hit on her again.
"They were terrible at resisting magic. My word, one stiff breeze from you and you'd shear the armor off their bodies." I chuckle at my joke, and notice a small smirk on her face.
"Sounded like a good time." That was all she said, leaning back in her chair. I nodded, looking around for another topic of conversation before the silence set in. I noticed a collection of books on top of her desk, far more than what seemed to be needed.
Capitalizing on the moment, I remark, "That's quite a collection of books you have. Are they all for spellcasting?"
Ah, that seemed to perk her interest, "Oh, those? No, only a few of them are, in fact. Some are just on the basic theories of Magic and it's use, you know." She seemed a lot more lively now that she was interested. I nod, even though I do not, in fact, know what the hell she's talking about.
I notice a spot where a book seems to have been removed. "So that," I pointed at the shelf, "...would have been the Dark tome you lent me then?" I ask.
"Indeed. Have you gotten the chance to read it? I haven't been able to make any headway into learning from the damned book, all of their spells are so cryptic and more based on trial-and-error than actually learning something." I didn't know about that, having not looked at anything other than the Necromancy sections.
"Actually, I've learned a great deal about being a summoner. You have my deepest gratitude for that, actually. It's helped me out a metric fuckton." Soren doesn't seem offended by my vulgarity, which is a good thing to be honest.
"So I've seen. That's interesting you bring that up, because I've mean meaning to ask you; when DID you find out you could be a mage?" Ah, so it's going to be that time so soon. Fine then.
"To be honest, it wasn't long after we met you that I thought I could really make it as one. What about you, is your talent with Wind magic natural?" Here we go.
She stiffens in her seat. Obviously distressed, she says, "...You could say that."
A concerned look crosses my face, even though I'm sure I know what kind of memories she's recalling. I can't think of anything to say, so I sit there in silence.
Eventually her traumatic memories leave her, "So, I believe you had some information to tell me?" Her tone was back to an icy one, which sounds very intimidating until you realize you're just about to blow their mind.
So, let's get that started. Since I'm still wearing the same jeans, my phone was making a bulge in my front pocket. I pulled it out and turned it on, causing Soren's eyes widen just a tiny bit in surprise. Coming up with an idea, I thumb Daniel's number, hoping to all sorts of gods that his phone has as much battery as I think it does.
Putting it up to my ear, I hear it ringing. I've long ago learned that, whenever you're transported to pre-modern worlds, you will still have cell service. Thank you John, for bailing me out in a way. After a few rings, he actually picks up.
"Larson?" Comes his confused and slightly annoyed response.
"Hey bro, what's up?" I can't help but laugh inwardly at how blasé I'm being, despite the circumstances.
"Not much. Hey, you're telling Soren about us not being from Tellius right now, right?" Well, that got Soren's attention. Her eyes were wide, and her eyebrows almost shot right off her face. It was quite comical, really.
"Uhh, Yeah, actually. How'd you know?" I'm genuinely curious, to be honest.
"Well, you'd be cool if I told Mia, right?" I...can't see why not. It's only fair, I suppose.
"Yeah, sure man. Hey, can you help me out for a sec? I'm trying to show Soren I've got stuff they couldn't possibly have here, so she doesn't think I'm a loon when I tell her." I press a button to put it on speaker mode.
"You want to say something, Soren?" I hold out the phone to her.
She reaches out tentatively, as if it were about to explode. "H-Hello? Is this Daniel?" She asks, not quite believing it will work.
"Daniel ******, at your service. Can I go now, Larson?" Soren practically gasps, predictably. I'd like to think Man!Soren would've too, it's a great mental image.
"Yeah, thanks bro. Peace." I hang up, and slide the cellular device into my front pantaloon receptacle.
I look back up to Soren, with a very surprised look still on her face. "So, where do you want me to begin?" I try not to sound like a smarmy cunt when I say that, and I may actually have pulled it off. For once in my life. Err, Second life?
She takes a moment to collect her thoughts before finally asking, "So, you're not from Tellius? How is that possible?"
"I'm not sure. Dan and I come from a nation called The United States of America, on a continent called North America, on a planet called Earth." I explain with many more words than I needed too.
"North America? So there's other continents besides that one, then?" Soren asked, surprisingly acute in her observations. Although that is to be expected, I suppose.
"Yep. We didn't have any goddesses to sink ours. There's a bunch of different countries with varying sizes as well."
Soren nods, "I see. What's your United States like?"
I laugh a bit, "That's a complicated question. I think if you asked Daniel the same question, you'd get a different answer than mine. I like how it's run, for the most part. They haven't broke anything that can't be fixed, that's for sure. Sorry, I keep out of the 'people' in politics." I decided to not start preaching that you can have the same opinions as a group and still hate them, because it wasn't really warranted.
Soren looked amused that I gave such a large answer, "Alright. Why are you telling me this, though? You seem to have all the proof you need to convince anybody."
...Oh. I didn't expect her to phase it like that, "Well...There's one thing I haven't mentioned yet, involving us being here." Now, the hardest part. Please don't hate me, Soren.
Soren looked intrigued, "Oh? And this would explain why you seemed to know all about this world, despite never being here, correct?"
Damn.
"That's right. You saw the screen on my pho- I mean, device, yes?" I tap my pocket for emphasis. "Well, the screens can take pictures as well. Some of the time though, pictures can be animated. Those are videos. And some videos can be interacted with, and can be very complex, containing..."
"Their own worlds..." Soren finished, realizing what I meant before I said it.
I waited for her to make the connection, which she predictably made right away, "So, in your world, We're...fiction? Games?" She kept her voice neutral, but I can tell she wasn't happy. And why would she be?
"...Essentially, yes. But this particular story is well know to both Dan and I; In fact, this is the first game in the series he'd experienced. So we recognized Elincia well, even if we didn't know why we were here." I explain.
Soren is taking this remarkably well, for some reason. "Okay. So do you have a plan to get out?"
"Why, Do you not want me here?" I asked, without any of the bravado behind it. An honest question.
Soren seems taken aback, not expecting me to be so serious all of a sudden, "Wha-No, no. I just thought you'd want to go home...Do you?" She asks, seeming concerned.
"That's a good question..." I vocalize my thoughts, before settling in silence with them.
Before I can get particularly moody, Soren changes the subject, "So, Who else knows about your...homeland?"
I pause for a moment to pull myself out of the funk I was about to get in, "Ehh, shouldn't be too many people. You and Daniel obviously, and probably Mia if he ever gets around to telling her before we'll eventually have to come out. Oh, Gawain knows, too." I list off.
Soren looked confused for some reason, "Gawain?"
Ohhh. "Oh Soren, have I got some things to tell you!" I laugh a little bit, before explaining almost everything I know about what we'll do, who we'll meet, and Ike's rise to command.
'Twas a fun session, indeed.
–
As it turns out, Greil decided to set out in the morning, so we actually had one more night at the compound. When night fell, I decided to slip out into the forest for some quiet time. There was a lot to think about. I should sort out my thoughts, anyway.
First, I feel like a dick. I answered all of Soren's questions, true, but I avoided telling her almost anything about her game self, especially about her being Branded. Am I playing her? I don't want to; She's an amazing girl, especially with all I know about her.
She brought up something, though. Do I want to go home? Even if there was a way, I don't.
I did my best to notice
When the call came down the line
Up to the platform of surrender
I was brought but I was kind
Don't get me wrong, I am by no means an outcast, loser, schmuck, whatever. I have friends, I'm farely popular, have fantastic grades, and loving parents. But here? I have a future. I have plans. Things will not go as they did in the game. I'll see people dead, wrongs righted, and maybe even find the love that I've long since craved. The Power of Love is a driving force for me, you could say.
Close your eyes, clear your heart
Cut the cord...
So, I'll not go back, even if I could.
I am, after all, a slider. I'm not bound by canon's rules. I'm a summoner, dammit, and I'll abuse it like nothing else. I will have armies of dead flatten the Laguz Alliance and the Begnion Central Army, if I want.
Pay my respects to grace and virtue
Send my condolences to good
I guess my parents won't support my decision. But I came here because of a crash, so there's a good chance I'm already dead or comatose. Daniel can explain it to them when or if there's a way out. Maybe he can justify how bad of a person their son is becoming, for his goals.
Give my regards to soul and romance
They always did the best they could
It's not like I'm leaving a grieving widow behind. I was out of options in life, but here? Here, I have a shot at being happy with someone.
And so long to devotion
You taught me everything I know
Wave good bye, wish me well
You gotta let me go
I'm...I'm so sorry Mom. Dad might be able to explain what a girl can do to a man, but...Mom...
I'm not going to cry. Not now, not for a long time. So many things to do...
...Mom...
"Are we human or are we denser?
My sign is vital, my hands are cold
And I'm on my knees looking for the answer
Are we human or are we denser?"
I'm singing now, I can't think of anything else to do. Out of the corner of my eye, I notice a lithe figure in the shadows.
"Will your system be all right
When you dream of home tonight?"
I turn to look at the Shadow, and it seems to notice that I can see it. Tentatively, it steps into the moonlight. Soren. She must have followed me out.
"There is no message were receiving
Let me know, is your heart still beating?"
We're walking towards each other now, my face definitely not stained with tears.
Are we human or are we denser?
My sign is vital, my hands are cold
And I'm on my knees looking for the answer
I'm not singing anymore, instead I tell her what I should have earlier, "Soren...I'm sorry."
She seems confused and concerned, "...For what?"
"Soren, I know. That you're-" Me? Sob? Nah. "...you're Branded. And I didn't tell you that I knew, and that it means nothing to me, and that anyone who gives you shit about it can fuck off or I'll make them and-" I'm rambling. I take a breath, and do something that could go really bad.
I hold out my hand for her.
You've gotta let me know.
Amazingly, she takes it, carefully placing her hand in mine. I do the only thing I can think of, and pull her close into a hug.
Are we human - or are we denser?
We're like that for a while, before she finally asks, "You...don't care? That I'm something horrible and wrong, or..." I give her a squeeze to shush her, before adjusting myself to look into eyes. Brown, same as mine.
"Soren, you're easily the least horrible person I know. And I meant what I said; anyone who talks bad about you will have to have a 'conversation' with some 'associates' of mine." I smile. She does too, a little.
"...Th-Thank you..." She says in a whisper so low I wouldn't be able to hear lit normally. I only smile as she buries her head in my chest again (Hey, I'm 5'11, she's like, 5'5), letting out some tears of her own.
…
I mean on her own, naturally. Too manly for crying, and all. Really. It isn't cheesy at all, I swear.
–
A/N: If anybody wants to tell me I got the lyrics wrong, I know.
