"Recruits, attention!" Was the very first thing Kana heard as he, Chrom, Robin, and Cordelia enter a spacious building next to the police academy.
"Uncle Frederick!" Chrom shouts as they enter a room with no less than thirty people. Not a single one looks towards the voice.
"Chrom." He simply nods, a frown adorning his face. "Cordelia, Robin, and…" The man is larger than Gregor. He is wearing some sort of custom made armor with a few icons on it. Kana recognizes one of them as the Valla's Police symbol, one of them is the same icon Chrom has on his exposed shoulder, one looks like some sort of dragon, and the fourth is a sword and a cane.
"Kana." The blue-hair man smiles. "She wishes to join the Shepherds."
The bulking man looks over the platoon, "Cherche, oversee them for today." A single pink hair woman steps out and gets in front. Frederick walks over towards Kana and looks him over. "I can work with this."
"See? Told you." Cordelia smiles.
"I didn't mean as she is now, Cordelia. Kana, you look small, frail, but I do see potential. Robin…" He calls out the robed woman.
"Yes sir?"
"Test her, let me know the results."
"Why not me?" Chrom asks, "Or Cor…"
"No, I need someone who won't hold back." He interrupts, "And I know Robin will do just that. And Robin, however you see fit." He looks back at Kana, "I wish you the best, now, excuse me."
Robin smiles and Kana starts to feel unnerved. "Come on, Kana." She starts walking towards a door, which leads to a small outdoor area. "Have you had any combat practice before?"
"...No." He shakes his head.
She sighs, "Alright, then. We'll start with hand-to-hand." She sheds her robe, which leaves her in a sleeveless white shirt and a pair of blue short shorts. "Fighting in a dress is a terrible idea Kana, put something else on."
"...I don't have anything else." Well, he does have panties, but…
She sighs, "Of course you don't, alright, let's take a quick trip to the lockers and see if I have something at least somewhat your size." She motions for him to follow and they walk through a nearby door, the investigator waves a hand and her locker just opens.
"How?" He asks.
"I thought about it really hard." She goes through her belongings, "Here." She hands him a similar set of clothes, but the shorts are slightly longer. "I'll put your dress in here for safe-keeping."
"Is there a changing room?" He looks at the clothes in his hand, then the surrounding area.
She sighs, then turns around, "Now there is, hurry up." He quickly removes his dress and puts Robin's spare clothes on, it smells of paper and ink, it is also a bit too small. She holds out her hand, "Dress." How can she tell? Kana hands her his dress and she puts it in her locker, waves her hand and it closes. "There, now can we start?" She turns around.
"Yes." The two exit the room and once again they are in the training yard, where Cordelia and Chrom are now sparring with… wooden swords? "Why swords?"
"Valla isn't in a position to just produce hand-crossbow from Hoshido or those fancy pistols that only Nohr has." She takes a defensive stance, "By the gods…" She is actually starting to get aggravated. "Look, I'm not going to bother if you are going to stand there and shake."
"This is just new to me… the only time I ever even seen a fight was a few days ago."
"...this is hopeless." She starts walking away, "Stay there, I'll get something to get you going, at least." Several minutes pass and she comes back with a cup of steaming… something. "Drink and think of something that would spur you into action."
He takes the cup, something that would get him to fight? Well, protecting Nina of course, or Forrest, or Corrin, especially Nina, since she is the reason he is here in the first place. He drinks and he feels… threatened? Robin doesn't look like Robin, why is she tinged red? Why is the rest of the area have this red haze?
Why is there this roaring that is pounding in his head?
"I know I have said this before, Nina." Asugi starts, "But I think it was an understatement, you are hopelessly in love with Kana. How? I thought you… well, you know." The thief was startled when Nina asked him to take her to the jewelry shop… for a wedding ring.
"I don't know. I just feel… right with him around. His mother is Corrin. The renowned peace-keeper. Maybe that aura can be passed down?" She shrugs and resumes looking at the ones she doesn't want. The Grimleal thief already found the perfect one, but it would be less suspicious if she displayed interest in a completely different section before swooping in with Asugi and taking the other.
"Hello, miss." The jeweler greets, "May I help you?"
"Oh, I'm just looking at your rings." She admits.
He smiles, "Then I would suggest looking over there." He points his finger over at the spot Nina was hoping to avoid.
"That is also within a tight budget." She adds. "Those honestly look too… gaudy? I don't want anything too fancy, you know?"
He leans back and pulls out a book from within a shelf on the underside of the table, "I can work with that, now how about…"
The shopkeeper went through each and every ring that wasn't plastered in diamonds or gold. Nina left satisfied. "Tonight?" She asked as they got into the car.
He shrugs, "I'm open. I swear, Gaius gives like, no Guild orders. Why does Valla have to have the laziest leaders?"
"Makes you wonder what exactly Queen Azura does all day. Maybe she gets pampered all day and doesn't move an inch."
"Maybe it's because Valla also has the most laughable excuse for a guard?" He shrugs, "One more thing. How are you going to ask him?" He smirks, "Since, you know, usually the guy asks."
Nina giggles, "You'll find out afterwards." She resumes looking out the window, a content expression on her face. Kana is the one, she just knows it.
"Woah!" Nina is snapped out of her thoughts as Asugi slams on the brake and skids to a stop as another car zips right past a stop sign.
"...Asugi." Nina starts and points against the direction that car came from. "The Police are scrambling near the Shepherd's building."
"And? Pretty sure we…"
"Drive! Go!" She yells.
He turns the car and sighs, "Fine. I don't see…" He takes a glance at Nina, who has pushed the chair back and is changing into her set of custom-made Grimleal clothing. "Are you crazy?"
She sheathes her shortsword, hidden daggers, a hand-crossbow, and a small concealed pistol. "Kana could be there, gods. I was worried for his safety, so I told him if he could pass the Shepherd's tests…"
"Surely you can check without your Grimleal armor?"
She ignores the question, "Thanks." She opens the window, "That's close enough." She jumps out and pulls her face mask on, voice muffler activating.
"Get that beast under control!" She picks up after the rest of her enchantments whir to life. She quietly dashes towards the Shepherd's garrison, padded and enchanted boots preventing nearly all sound.
"We weren't trained for dragons!"
She nearly trips after hearing that. A Dragon? She shakes her head and moves again, no time to think about legends now. She glances over the building, the police are covering every entrance, even the roof has people. Are they so incompetent that the only hope they have is pure numbers? Gods, if that is truly Kana… "Screw it." She mumbles and makes a dash through the crowd.
"Grimleal!" A few precise pressure point strikes knock some out, one dies on the spot. She doesn't care, whatever it takes to get her to Kana quicker.
"Out of all the ideas you have ever had…" Chrom says, "Gods…" He is looking better, at least.
"Halt!" A voice echoes, and a wall of moving metal just appears, Nina had to jump back. "Grimleal!" Yells a man that seems to be consumed by his armor.
She narrows her eyes, pulls out a small red ball, and charges. The man attempts to strike her with a reinforced baton, but she ducks and plants the ball on him, the ball heats up, and the man is forced to abandon his armor. She reaches the door Chrom is next to, Cordelia next to him.
"Move." She shoulder tackles Cordelia and plants a money shot on Chrom, before dashing into the room to see… gods. It is a dragon. Robin has a tome out and Frederick stands in front of the hulking beast. "Kana!" It has to be him, it has to.
Robin spares a glance, "Care for a truce, Grimleal?" Her expression is deadly, but she remains focused on the dragon, "We jus…"
"Get out of here." She snaps before turning her attention on the dragon.
"Frederick?" She asks as she sends a lightning bolt Kana's way.
"Stand your ground. The dragon is a bigger threat. Cordelia! Where are the rest?"
Nina scowls, she doesn't have time for these… she charges and plants another red ball, this one on Frederick, "Leave, boy." She leaps onto the dragon, nimbly swinging from the bottom of his neck to his back. "Kana… it's me, Nina." She whispers, yet the dragon-Kana only seems to get worse. Gods, it must be the voice muffler. She pulls her mask down. "Kana!" She tries again, "Damn it boy, I'm not losing another. Kana!"
His thrashing dies down some, but still he resists. "Kana, darling. Love. Please…" She begs, "Don't leave me…" The calming words take their effect and he stops. "Who did this to you?" His body shifts towards… Robin.
Nina jumps off of Kana and pulls her mask back up, throwing dagger in one hand and shortsword in the other, both ready to strike at Robin. Frederick has a different set of armor, and there are more police lined up. "Stand down." The leader of the Shepherds command.
"You did this to him." Her gaze remains focused on the robed mage. "You caused my Kana pain."
"It wasn't intentional." She replies calmly. "Just an unforeseen error."
"And your last one." Nina approaches the other. "For once, let's keep this easy. I don't need your blood staining my blade for too long."
"...You care for him." She readies her tome, electricity crackling in her hand. "Let's see… not Patricia." The Grimleal charges her and swings her sword, the Mage hops back, "Obviously not Forrest." A thrown dagger pierces her robe and lands in her side, Robin gasps but otherwise remains unhindered. "Corrin is in Nohr." Another sword enters the fray and Nina leaps back, Frederick stands in between them. "Hello, Nina." She smirks.
The thief goes to strike again, "Stop!" A roar echoes, it comes from Kana. "Stop fighting!" Nina spares a glance to see him as a human again, tears are flowing freely. "Don't hurt each other!"
"She forced you into changing." Nina replies.
"I wanted to get stronger, I wanted to be with you… I am willing to do what it takes."
"Kana, you are affiliated with the Grimleal?" Robin asks.
"It would explain the sudden interest in joining the Shepherds." Frederick nods.
"Get him in, put him in a situation to get him to transform, then swoop in and look like the hero."
"I didn't know he could." She backs up towards Kana. "I wanted him to be able to protect himself."
"Stop arguing, please!" Kana yells, "I am with Nina, not the Grimleal, not the Thieves' Guild, just Nina! I want to be stronger so I can stay with Nina. I want to be with her because… I love her!"
Nina's heart leaps, he actually said it. "And I refuse to lose him." Her blades are still ready. "To the bitter end."
"Soldiers…" Frederick starts.
"Stand down." Robin interrupts and the Shepherd's leader gives her a withering glare. "Kana wants peace? Fine, but we get information in return."
"No." She hears Kana whine in protest with a small 'Nina' leaving his throat. "Can't."
"This is folly, Robin." Frederick shakes his head.
"Can't or won't?" She continues regardless.
"Nina…" Kana repeats.
"Choose your next words carefully, Grimleal." Frederick warns.
"He can have his peace if you just answer." Robin adds.
"Why bother with this? I've already assaulted your men." She replies, "If I share information, the High Priest will order for my head, anyway."
"Then at least die while contributing towards the cause that wants to keep the peace instead of starting another war." Cherche enters the conversation.
"Let them walk." Everyone turns towards Robin. "Let her roam the streets, she has information we need, and we can't get it if she's dead."
"...There will be no hesitation next time." Frederick sighs. Kana can sense some sort of something in the air, it is wild and reacts like it is constantly vibrating, like Nina's enchantments. "Leave. Now."
Still with her blades ready, Nina begins moving with Kana behind her. As the man ordered, no other person assaulted them, only angry glares and venomous whispers remained. "Nina…" Kana starts once they are out of earshot. "Something is going on."
"Not now."
"There was this buzzing in the air before Frederick let us go." Nina stops and looks at him, "I've been meaning to ask, since it is like the same sound that happened when you fought Gregor and…"
"...I see." She finally sheathes her weapons and turns towards Kana, her mask pulled down. "Gods, Kana…" The Grimleal thief pulls him into a hug, and Kana soon returns it. "Let's get you home, okay?"
"Can you stay the night?" He asks as the embrace is broken.
"I got orders." She frowns, "I'll be in bed with you before you wake up, okay?"
"The door…"
Her frown turns into a smirk, "isn't going to keep me out. Nothing will keep me from you." She brings him into a kiss, her tongue greedily getting every small taste of the crossdresser it can get, the boy moans into her mouth as his knees buckle, while Nina keeps him supported. "For the times I want to be with you, but I can't." She whispers after she moves back. "I don't know how you did it, but… Kana, I love you, too." Once the initial pleasure from the kiss wore off, Kana's face started beaming.