Author's Notes
GAH. SO LONG OF A WAIT. Enjoy some fluff, some "rated T for Pyra (and Sadiki!)", and a little bit of Idoun fluff!
Intermission 7: More Perspectives Part 4
Tangela's POV
I've got to find a place to hide... the thing is, I can't just go where I'm supposed to be lodging, because I'll be found pretty quickly. I can't hide in the temple, because so many people I know are there. I can't stay with a random stranger, because... well, bad things could happen. What do I do? I'm so mentally tired from worrying, but...
My fiancé... now knows I'm a dragon.
I know that he loves me, but how can he love me now? I have these huge wings, and for some reason, I can't hide them like the other dragons! Well, I guess Tarif can't hide his either, but that's not the point! He can't be seen with...
"Tangela!"
What? He found me? Oh, and I thought at least for the moment I was okay...
"Tangela!" he shouts again, running quite quickly towards me. "Please, let's just talk for a few minutes..."
Swiveling my head around in panic, I look around for a place I can bolt to... but it's too late. He's got me by the arm. The thing is, it's a strong grip, and yet, it's so gentle, just like he always is with me. It doesn't even hurt. It's almost like he's making it worse by still being nice to me...
I'd better get this out of the way now, then. It won't hurt either of us as much...
"I can't... um... I mean, I don't deserve to stay by your side anymore," I begin, purposely making sure not to look at his face. "Your mother will disown you as her son... people from Ostia may even come after us like... like they almost did when they found out Janani was a dragon."
I try with all my might to release myself from his grasp, but it's not working. "Please, I don't already want to ruin your life any more than I already could have, considering my reputation. You know what I was supposed to be doing with you every week you rented me out back in Ostia, right? Combine that with the fact that I'm a dragon, and you're..."
I pause for a second. Is he actually...
"...you're chuckling."
"Wait, huh?" he replies, and when I hear the chuckling continue even as he speaks, I know it's not him. But then, who is it? We both look around for a while, and eventually, we find the culprit; a bush situated near the temple. In fact, not only is there chuckling coming from it, but it's jiggling too.
We're both lost for words... at least until four of our new friends tumble out of the bush in a big heap on the ground. Were they spying on us?
"Let's go... elsewhere," Lord Snob suggests, and I don't respond. However, since he still has the firm grip on my arm, he's able to persuade me to another, more open spot near the desert border. "I know you want to run away, but can you please just hear me out first? I think both of us will feel a lot better if you let me say what I want to say."
I avert my gaze, (not that I was keeping eye contact in the first place) but after giving it some thought...
"...yes."
...I decide it might be best to hear what he wants to tell me.
Pyra's POV
Oh no... what is Sadiki so upset about? She stormed off in such a hurry... I can't let this go! I need to keep up with her, but she can take such huge steps while walking! I wish she'd slow down...
"Pyra, why are you following me?" she suddenly asks, stopping in place but not looking at me, and I almost crash into her. "I'm fine. Wolt just brought up a few bad memories. No need to talk about it. I'm not even upset anymore."
Well, she certainly sounds okay. But I don't want to just ignore this like nothing happened!
"Am I not allowed to be worried about my friend?" I ask innocently, and she turns towards me in surprise. "I felt upset just seeing you react so strongly to Wolt's comment. Is that... wrong?"
Sadiki hesitates to answer. Finally, she just sighs and pulls me down into a sitting position on the ground, sporting her normally confident grin. "You care too much, you know that?"
"I'm just a big softie who likes to see everyone happy!" I reply enthusiastically, chuckling, and Sadiki just rolls her eyes. "So is there a story that goes along with this situation?"
Sadiki just looks at me stone-faced. "I... honestly don't want to tell this story to anybody, but if there's one person who I think I could tell, it would be you." Now she looks at me with a small hint of desperation, almost like she wants me to commit to some kind of oath. "You would never judge me for anything I may have done, would you?"
Without hesitation, I utter but a single word to her: "Never."
After some uncertainty, Sadiki takes a deep breath and begins her tale: "So, I told you that I lived in a small farming village, right? Well, I came from a very poor family. We never actually had a farm; we just sold fabric to passerby. We barely even had a home to live in, me and my parents." Sadiki gets a good laugh out of this for some reason. "It was this old, beat-up house, and yet, I cherished it. I was born in that house, and lived there for my entire life. Of course I would feel attachment to it."
Huh, so her family sold fabric? Interesting! "The reason you got into clothes and outfits was probably related to your family's profession, right?"
"Exactly. If I didn't have that, who knows what I'd be doing for fun? Writing books?" She laughs some more, but now, her face becomes sullen. "The problem is, the fabric business was not a profitable one. We barely got by with how little we made. My family had sufficed for as long as they had the business, but one day, business slowed. Guess the popularity of fabric went down or something. Either way, for the first time, there wasn't enough money to pay the monthly rent; we were one gold coin short. The next day, if we didn't come up with that gold coin, we'd get kicked out of the house."
"That's horrible!" I interrupt, shocked at what I'm hearing! "Faithfully paying for all those years, and if you're one day late with the rent, you're kicked out? How could that be allowed?"
"Doesn't matter," she continues, "because that was the rule. And that rule was going to take me and my family away from our precious home; the home I lived in my entire life. At that point, I knew I needed to do something... desperate." She looks away in shame. "A big problem is that my friends were poor too, so I went to the only place I knew I could get the money; the mayor's house. There was a naive boy around my age there, and although I didn't really know him at all, he was a nice enough guy."
Sadiki's POV
Years ago, at the mayor's house, talking to the mayor's son...
"Thanks a lot for meeting me here at your house, er..."
"Lyel," the boy replies, and he shakes my hand nervously. Heh, I bet this will be a cinch. According to the rumours, he's quite a naive guy. If I flirt with him, there won't be any trouble. I've seen him staring at me with that innocent blush on his face...
"So, you're probably wondering why I asked to talk to you so urgently at this time of night," I say, starting off with the obvious topic of conversation. "The thing is, our family is in a bind. For the first time, we aren't able to pay our monthly rent, and your father," I slur, careful to emphasize the person responsible for this situation, "is going to kick us out of our house tomorrow if I don't get the rest of the money from somewhere. And... you're the only one I can ask at this point."
I seductively crawl up to Lyel and lean very close into his chest. "Can you help me out?"
I've got him for sure; he's sweating, his face is red, and he's trying his best to avoid eye contact. And besides, it's just one gold coin I need...
"...no."
I stare at him, astonished. He refused? How could he refuse? I can't accept this! "No? Lyel, I'm not trying to con you. I really need this money," I plead, enveloping myself into him to try and hopefully change his mind. "I'll do anything! That house and my family mean everything to me..."
I guess I'm leaning too much into him, because we fall over into a very... compromising situation. Somehow, he ends up on top of me with his hand on my chest. He obviously had no intention of doing that, but he's not removing his hand, and he's just gazing into my eyes with a sort of strange, lonely longing in his eyes.
And that's when I realize what I need to do.
No matter how degrading it may be.
"Uh... Sadiki?"
With newfound vigor, I turn the tables on Lyel and pin him on the ground, using my superior strength to keep him down there and allowing myself to take command of the situation.
If I'm going to give him one of my most prized possessions; my virginity; I'm going to be in full control, and I'm going to do it on my terms.
Pyra's POV
Oh... oh my...
She actually...
"When all was said and done, he apologized profusely, even though he did absolutely nothing wrong," Sadiki continues, her voice devoid of emotion. "He ended up giving me an entire bag of gold coins to make up for it; he never intended for me to do something like that for him. In fact, he even offered to take me out to dinner the next day. Like I said, he was a nice guy."
I have a feeling that there's more to the story than this... what else could have happened? She still looks so shamed. I instinctively move beside her and hold her in my arms to try to calm her down. "So, the next evening, after we went to dinner, we went back to his house, and it turns out that our extra-curricular activities continued... by my request."
By her... request?
Suddenly, Sadiki growls in anger and smashes her fists against the side of the house that we're leaning on! All while avoiding eye contact! "That's right; it wasn't about the money anymore. Something awoke inside my body after that night together, something I couldn't ignore. An urge I couldn't quell. And if I didn't visit Lyel to sate that never-ending hunger every day, I became a very angry and unapproachable person to be around."
Clearly, this is something that Sadiki isn't the least bit proud of. And who can blame her? To admit to anyone, even a good friend of yours, that you were at one point addicted... to...
"It turns out that all of the strenuous activity was taking a huge toll on Lyel's health... not that selfish me noticed," Sadiki continues, and her eyes start turning red. "He never said anything about it, though, because he was just happy that I was happy. That led to his... his..."
She stops, and then, without warning, holds her head in between her legs as tears begin to roll down her face.
Sadiki's POV
One night, a few months after our first intimate encounter...
"That was fun," I say, stretching my arms in contentment around Lyel so I can embrace him properly. "Wanna go for one more round?"
"I don't... know..." Lyel replies tiredly, and he's clearly worn out. He seems more and more fatigued lately, but I don't know why. What could be going on? "We've done... lots..."
"Don't worry, I'll do all of the hard work," I reassure him, and I kiss him on the cheek. "I'm just going to go relieve myself first."
I go do my business, and when I return, I find Lyel sleeping, so I give him a kiss to wake him up. When he eventually comes to, (...is it just me, or did he almost not wake up?) he smiles, and then mumbles a few words to me; words I'll never forget...
"Sadiki... I love you."
I kiss him again, and then, for some reason, he falls back asleep with a smile on his face.
Except this time, he doesn't wake up.
"Lyel?"
No response.
"Lyel? LYEL! Wake up! Oh my, something's wrong with him..."
I have to get someone to help... even though I shouldn't be here in the first place...
"HELP! Somebody help! Lyel's not waking up! Please, somebody..."
As I shout for help, out of the corner of my eye, I notice a shadow peeking through the castle window, but it disappears as quickly as it came.
"He died of physical exhaustion," the doctor diagnoses, and he puts away his medicinal equipment meticulously now that he's done inspecting the lifeless body on the table. "Guess his body couldn't handle whatever he was doing, and obviously he didn't tell anyone about it. The only way he was able to rest his tired body was to permanently shut down. There's nothing I can do."
Lyel's parents thank the doctor, and after he leaves, they give me the most pained looks of anger I've ever seen; a mixture of pure hatred and sadness.
And I don't blame them.
"Get out of my sight, you filthy whore," the mother says, ready to break into tears. "You took advantage of our son to fulfill your sordid desires. You don't deserve to live."
The father looks at Lyel's corpse, and he snorts to himself in disgust. "He died smiling... at least it appears that the very last thing he saw allowed him to die in contentment..."
At this point, I allow myself one final look at my first love before I exit his house for the final time.
Pyra's POV
"And the story basically ends there..." Sadiki explains, and she keeps trying to wipe her tears with her hands, but it's not working. I offer her some of my hair to use instead, and she takes it, for she can tell it's working; I'm using it myself to dry my own tears. "I never told him how I felt, and eventually, it was too late. And it was all my fault."
I hold Sadiki's head into my chest and just let her cry. Honestly, it's hard to know exactly how I should be viewing Sadiki's confession, but I promised her I would never judge her. And I won't. It's horrible that it happened, though. But what is interesting to me is that Sadiki didn't seem very upset when she was telling the story about her parents' deaths. Maybe that's because she was more concerned with revenge back then instead of anguish?
"Sadiki... please don't blame yourself," I try to convince her as she cries and sniffles. "It's not your fault..."
The sniffles stop, and so does the crying, but...
...that comment seems to enrage her!
"Of course it's my fault!" Sadiki now shouts, lifting her out of my bosom and now staring straight into my eyes. "Every time I needed to satisfy myself, I was slowly killing him! And I didn't notice! Do you not get it, Pyra? I KILLED HIM!"
The crying starts again (as mine stops) in full force as she reburies her face into my chest, and now I understand why she's so upset. She had no control over how her parents died, but in this situation, she was in complete control. Of course she would blame herself for her lover's death!
But it's not entirely her fault.
"...Sadiki, do you think Lyel regretted any of the time he spent with you?"
I don't even pay attention to see if she's listening, but I continue anyway: "You said it yourself; Lyel loved you, and you loved him. He would have known well beforehand what was happening to his body whenever he was with you, but he didn't care. He cared about you so much that he was willing to put himself at risk to spend as much time as possible with you. You... also told me that he was happy whenever he saw you happy."
My tears resume themselves now, and I finish with a question: "If you could talk to Lyel right now, and ask him how he felt about the whole situation, don't you think he would never want you to blame yourself for your sadness?"
Not saying another word, I lean on Sadiki's head as the tears once again start to stream down my face alongside hers.
Sophia's POV
"I... did it!" Idoun says to me excitedly. "I'm... so... happy..."
"Congratulations," I reply, pleased that Idoun was able to explain her intentions to Roy. "I'm glad... that everything worked out."
I understand how she feels; I was in Idoun's shoes once, after all. During the war, Roy and I were in love, but then we decided to break it off in case of a horrible accident, so as not to leave the other person alone. In theory, though, I guess it wasn't a necessary course of action, but nevertheless, I'm happy being in a relationship with Wolt now. At one point I thought maybe I would like being with Tarif, but he's found a much better match anyway. Regardless, even though I'm not in love with Roy anymore, I feel a sort of contentment knowing that he's happily in love with someone, whether he realizes it or not.
"So, Idoun, what do you plan to make for Roy?"
The question seems to baffle her for some reason, although I don't know why. I'm sure she understands the question...
"Uh..." Idoun mumbles, avoiding eye contact, "I didn't... think of that..."
I can't help but giggle at her answer; she wanted to do something for Roy so badly, and I suggested to her to make a meal... but she forgot to think of something to make! She's cute in the things she does sometimes. "Now that I think about it... I don't even think you've cooked since you've been here. How about you have your first lesson... tomorrow?"
Returning her gaze at me, she beams, "Yes!"
Author's Notes
An update after over a month! And it's a doozy! I've been working on this chapter for a long time, and I was very close to finished, but when I heard it was officially the 25th anniversary of Fire Emblem today, I KNEW I needed to upload this chapter as soon as possible!
Not much to say about Tangela's POV. Originally, I was going to write out the entire scenario, but I cut it short. I'll probably just give the reader's digest version of the rest of it in another chapter somehow.
AND now we get to Pyra and Sadiki's situation, the obvious main plot point of this chapter. Holy moly. Sadiki, you have some issues. SERIOUS issues. But the truth has now come out about her past. Originally, it was going to be a more humourous account on how Sadiki was basically "bonking" every teenage boy in her village; for money at first, and then only for her own selfish desires, leading to them passing out after every encounter with her due to her insatiable urges; (I'm serious; THAT WAS THE ORIGINAL PLOT) but I realized I needed a more serious conflict to happen, and that's how Sadiki's first love came to be. I meant for it to continue even longer, but it's so long already that I needed to shorten it.
Now, I know it's absurd. But it happened. And I guess Pyra's the only person who's heard Sadiki's story. The big question is, how on Earth did Sakre find out about it back when he called Sadiki a Siren in the wedding arc? And was he embellishing it from false information, or was he doing it on purpose? Is he connected with her parents' deaths somehow? His father coordinated the destruction of her village, after all. By the way, I hope Sadiki was in character during this chapter.
Lyel is Scottish for "loyal", even if the meaning of the name never really mattered to the situation.
Some may have noticed (intentionally or accidentally) that I have a strict unwritten policy of never having characters copulate (I don't think I'm allowed to say the "s" word, but I guess whore and virginity are allowed, as I've seen in stories :p) unless they're married, based on my real life views, but I clearly broke that for Sadiki's story. Consider it an exception. It probably won't happen again. :p
Let's change the subject. IDOUN MAKES AN APPEARANCE! YAY! Like I said, it was only a little bit of fluff, but it's better than nothing! We'll find out in a chapter or two what she ends up making for Roy with Sophia's help! Before that, I'll write one of my remaining requests! Don't be surprised if it takes many weeks to upload, though; my life has been VERY busy lately. I haven't even had time to read Cormag Ravenstaff's story! :D
HAPPY ANNIVERSARY FIRE EMBLEM! Let's hope you have more fun gameplay, more wonderful support conversations, and much, much, MUCH more bikini DLC. :D