Author's Note: Okay, I know the temple is supposed to be on the top of a tree but… c'mon… a temple sitting on the top of a giant tree? The delicate line of reality-altering fantasy magic and suspension of disbelief snaps for me at that. So, congrats, you get a different location for the temple. Have fun!
Yes, I realize certain events in this chapter may seem unexpected, but trust me when I say there is a reason and a direction. Unlike the other story, I am not writing off the cuff and merely adding things as I think of them with the attitude of "I'll figure it out as I go along!". Many details, plotlines, and ideas have been meticulously planned out beforehand in terms of conception, execution, and resolution.
I just ask for you all to have a little faith!
Chapter 34
Waltz of Wrath
A soft, gentle tweeting sound was flowing sweetly to my ears. It was the sound of a wonderful day… a bright new day. I cracked my eyes open to see a slight, orange light cascading upon my tent. I must have just woken up as dawn broke. I glanced downward to see Lucina passed out on my chest with her arms wrapped around me. I smiled slightly to myself as I gently took a hand and brushed her hair out of her face.
A small trail of drool was flowing from the side of her mouth and I snorted slightly to myself. That must be one deep sleep for her to be in. I really should get up and start getting ready to help assimilate Severa's rebels into our group as well as embark on today's half-day march to the temple of the Voice. Yet… a part of me just wanted to stay here and just enjoy this. Who knows when would be the next time we have a chance to have a moment of peace like this?
I laid my head back and stared at the ceiling of the tent. Who would have thought that I would have gotten here in the past two years? I woke up with no memory of myself, with two strangers who were in the same condition as me. We all may have gone our separate paths for a while, but we all have grown into three capable, dependable fighters working closely with Chrom.
Robin grew into a masterful tactician whose goal is to execute every battle with perfection. His tactics, both pre-battle and during battle, have pulled improbable victory after improbable victory out from the jaws of certain death. Yet, he hungers for more and never is satisfied with what he accomplished. Injuries bother him. Deaths haunt him. Something exists within him the desire to see everyone safely from the beginning to the end. Some deep-rooted desire to be the best he could be to save as many lives as possible. He is just as devoted to his wife and two children as he is to our cause.
Elise… has grown as a woman and as a fighter. Her gracefulness rivals that of Olivia and Inigo, yet she moves with the speed of myself or Lon'qu. Her precise, accurate strikes always land true upon the weakness of the enemy, whether it was in their form or their armor. Her moves always flow smoothly from one to another; there's no wasted movement in any movement she executes. Even when putting her spear away and pulling out her staff or her bow, everything was executed with the most possible actions taken at once in the least amount of time. Her skill with a staff was always as good as any other cleric in the Shepherds, but her skill with a bow was on par with Virion. Whoever she was previously, she was no stranger to fighting. Chrom once told me she trained harder than anyone else after my capture, feeling particularly guilty over my disappearance. Sometimes, watching the silky smooth way she executes her moves makes me feel uncomfortable… makes me feel inferior. I am supposed to be the lance fighter and I struggle to match her grace and precision with a throwing spear.
The three of us have grown into exceptional warriors, driven by the desire to never disappoint anyone ever again. Lucina… in a way, shares that drive. She never gives up. She always smiles. She always pushes forward. She never accepts a defeat in battle. When the odds are against her, she picks up her sword and fights.
I sighed to myself, staring at the creases within the ceiling of my tent. How can we work so hard and yet still fall to this Grima? How powerful was this creature that we basically could do nothing against it? Even with Lucina here, could we truly change our fate? Were we fools to try to challenge the future that is set before us?
I heard the sounds of camp as other people began to move around outside. It was time to get ready. I gently nudged Lucina to try to wake her up, but to no avail.
"Lucina… Lucina… wake up. We have to get ready."
"Five more minutes," she replied blearily.
"… fine, you win. Five minutes," I replied with a chuckle. How did we end up like this in the first place? I was pretty sure we were sleeping on our own sleeping bags when I passed out last night. Somehow, every time we spend a night together, she always ends up near me. I gently ran my fingers through her hair, feeling her shiver slightly in reaction to the gesture.
"I can't sleep if you do that," she mumbled in protest.
"Do you want me to stop?" I asked.
"Absolutely not. Just keep doing that for these five minutes," she replied before letting out a sigh of content.
"Of course," I replied. I repeated the motion over and over, occasionally catching a snag and deftly working my way around it. She sighed contentedly again as she squeezed tightly for a few seconds.
"All of a sudden, the future doesn't seem as important anymore, Raven."
"How so?"
"I feel myself relaxing in contentment right now. In this moment… with you… I feel like I have never felt before. I wish this moment would never end," she replied. I paused for a second as a thought randomly came to me. It was an absurd thought, and yet somehow it still made sense.
"Lucina, can I ask you something?" I asked.
"What is it, Raven?"
"When we get back to the capital after this war… do you want, perhaps, to share a room in the barracks? I mean, I know maybe it's too soon to ask that, but we have been close for a while and we have shar—"
"Raven, no need to explain yourself. My answer would be the same no matter how much explanation you would give," she replied.
"What answer would that be?" I asked. She thought to herself for a second.
"Perhaps I should wait before telling you. I can give you an answer when we get back," she said in a teasing tone.
"Oh, wait, that's not fair, Lucina. That's just not fair," I said. She laughed a little to herself.
"Let me have this moment, okay?" she asked.
"Okay, okay, you win. Have this moment."
"That is one for me. I am off to a good start today, Raven."
"That you are."
"We should get ready to head out."
"Yes, we should. I need to pack. Where's your stuff, Lucina?"
"Still in the convoy. Nothing was unpacked. I had to grab my gown and… oh… I should get changed."
"I need to finish packing," I said.
"… but I need to change," she replied with a frown. I sighed to myself.
"Okay, okay, make it quick. I really need to pack before Chrom yells at us for being too slow or something," I replied.
"Of course, Raven. Of course," she replied. She let go and I got up out of the sleeping bag. With a nod to her, I stepped out from the tent to give her a chance to change into her regular clothes. As I stood around outside the tent, I noticed Leila walking toward me.
"Hey, Raven, got a sec? I wanted to tell you something."
"Uh, yeah, what did you need to talk about?" I asked. Her response was to punch me really hard on the arm. I cringed in pain and grabbed the now throbbing shoulder before trying to massage it.
"You deserve that, Raven."
"Ow, what was that for, Leila!"
"I lost three-thousand gold because of you!"
"Excuse me?"
"Gaius made me pay up," Leila said.
"What are you talking about?"
"The betting pool! I should've stuck with my original bet, but no… I thought there was no way someone as thick as you would've asked her out so soon into this whole thing."
"Really, Leila? That's what you wanted to talk about?" I replied with a frown. She laughed a little to herself before pulling me in a headlock.
"Nah, I wanted to congratulate you! Look at you, finding someone who can stand you for more than five minutes… and quite a cutie to boot!" she said.
"Ow, get off," I said, struggling against her immense strength. She started ruffling my hair and laughing.
"Who would've guessed the Ice Prince of the Flying Bandits was actually such a softie at heart?" Leila asked.
"Stop it. Let me g—hold on, Ice Prince?" I asked. Leila laughed to herself even harder.
"Wait, you didn't know? That was your nickname. You might have been friendly to everyone, but people thought your heart was cold as ice as far as relationships were concerned. To be honest, quite a few speculated that you and I were an item," Leila remarked.
"Oh, wow, I didn't realize…"
"You really are unobservant about yourself. I really sometimes wondered if it was an act, but you are actually totally clueless!"
"Thanks, Leila."
"Hah, don't mention it, Raven. I should be thanking you for inspiring Chrom to give me the opportunity to get out of there."
"Well, all that time together… of course I trust you. I'm glad Chrom trusts me and my judgment in character," I replied. She let go of the headlock and I stood up, trying to fix my hair.
"I never thanked you properly for that, so… thank you. I guess you're okay… for a man, that is. Still not quite one of my cuties, but if you were a girl…"
"I can feel you undressing me with your eyes with an imagination that gives me some female qualities and features," I remarked dryly. She blushed slightly to herself.
"You would make a cute girl, Raven. Honestly, I might faint around you before I ever got the nerve to ask you for a cup of tea," she said.
"I don't know whether I should take that as a compliment or not. I'm not quite a girl though, Leila," I insisted.
"Well, did you forget the time you tried to cheer me up, so you tried to sound like a village girl while holding me from behind?" she asked.
"Gods, I forgot I did that."
We laughed a little with each other when we saw Inigo walking by. He gave me an annoyed look as he saw me standing with Leila.
"I see you're talking to other girls when you have a girlfriend already," he said.
"What? Leila's my friend," I replied to him. He scoffed slightly before starting to walk off.
"Hey! What's your problem?" Leila asked.
"Lucina deserves better," Inigo replied. "If you want to be the reason she gets heartbroken, be my guest."
"Wait a darn second. Raven's a nice person, but he's definitely not my type… I would prefer to have a lovely cup of tea with Sophia or Noire, if I might be honest."
"You could always have a cup of tea with me. I enjoyed that time we spent the last time we had one," he said to her in a flirtatious tone, his personality almost switching instantly after he shifted his conversation to her. She paused for a second and thought about it.
"I can do that," she replied, although it was slightly hesitant. He laughed a little to himself.
"Then it is a date," he replied.
"What? Ugh! No! Absolutely not a date!" she huffed angrily in reply. "You're also not my type."
"Life works in mysterious ways, my dear Leila," he said with a charming smile. "If you're still interested, we can talk later."
With that, he walked off toward the convoy. Leila shuddered violently in disgust before she stamped her foot on the ground in frustration.
"What's his problem?" she asked.
"I think he's annoyed because he had an interest in Lucina, but… well, she was oblivious and I exist," I replied. Leila looked at me and made a noise of disapproval.
"Pah. What a fool! Him liking her? He can do so much better than that!" Leila snapped in reply. I frowned at her.
"Excuse me? He could do better than Lucina?" I asked.
"What? Oh, oh no! I didn't mean it like that," she hastily said.
"Then how did you mean it?" I asked her. She bit her lip and looked at the sky.
"Oh, look at the sun! I should be finishing packing. Let's continue that conversation again never! Chrom can tell you someday," she said.
"Chrom? Of all people here, Chrom knows what you meant? What does Chrom know?" I asked.
"We told him yesterday," she replied. I scowled at her in frustration.
"You told him, but I can't know and Robin can't know… and Lucina can't know. Inigo is involved. Anyone else I should know about in this whole grand elaborate secret?" I asked in frustration.
"Well, I mean, Owain and Severa are indirectly involved as well. Not sure if I was supposed to mention that, but… I'm afraid that's all I can say," she replied.
"Why is nobody telling me anything? I really thought you and Sophia and all of you trusted me. Why can't you tell me?" I asked. Leila shifted uncomfortably.
"I just can't, okay?" she replied.
"Look, Soleil, did I do something wrong to you all?" I asked in a frustrated tone. She gasped in reply and put her hand on my mouth.
"Don't. Use. My. Name," she replied firmly. "We have our reasons, but don't use our names here."
I pulled away from her and uncovered my mouth. The more panicked they get about this whole situation, the more confused I became.
"… fine. Fine. I hate that you can't tell me anything, but… you haven't done anything wrong yet. I just hate being left in the dark," I said. Leila sighed to herself.
"I... want to tell you. We all want to tell you. You've been a good friend to Sophia and I… and Nicolette really admires you for obvious reasons. We just can't. We have our reasons. When it is safe to tell you, we will," Leila said apologetically.
"Obvious reasons? She admires me for obvious reasons?" I asked. "They're not obvious to me."
"Not yet. They will in due time. Ugh, I'm starting to sound like Sophia. She's beginning to rub off on me," Leila said, making a disgusted face. "Next thing you know, I'll be spouting off how I'm the Chosen One of the sword or something."
"You mean, Owain, then."
"… oh gods, please, if I end up like him, I give you full permission to end my existence."
"What about the other one? Kana, or whatever name we were supposed to be using?" I asked.
"Oh, Callie. She's precious. Her mother is really good friends with our fathers. They all came from the same place, from what I was told," Leila replied. "Her father is actually Sophia's uncle, although not blood related. I suppose if you want to get into the whole family tree, Nicolette's mother and Callie's mother are sisters."
"What about you? Are you related?" I asked.
"Not really. My father is just very close friends with Sophia's father. My mother is an absolutely beautiful lady with absolutely brutish strength. If you think I'm strong, you should try fighting her someday. Her blows will knock you on your back. There was a rumor she once punched a tree down in frustration, although only Callie's father saw that," Leila said.
"O-oh wow," I stammered out. This had to be an exaggeration… wasn't it? Then again, considering Leila's enormous strength and saying she's not as strong as her mother…
"Raven, I'm ready."
I looked over to see Lucina walk out of the tent in her usual outfit. Leila let out a little whistle and punched me on the shoulder for the second time.
"You definitely got yourself a beauty there. Better treat her right, because if you don't, any girl afterward won't even come close to comparing," Leila said with a laugh. "Talk to you later, Raven."
"Uh…?"
"Lucina, don't worry about it. It's just Leila being Leila."
"Don't you forget it. You still promised me a cup of tea with her, Raven. I hope you haven't forgotten it," Leila said before shrugging and walking off.
"She's an odd one," Lucina commented.
"After two years, you get used to it," I replied with a chuckle.
"You promised her a cup of tea with me, though?" Lucina asked.
"Oh, uh, remember when you two fought a year ago?" I asked.
"Oh, wait, that was her? I remember that. Never thought I would meet someone who could match me blow for blow," Lucina replied.
"She was impressed with you and wanted to get to know you better after she found out I knew you. I off-handedly said I would maybe set you up to have a cup of tea with her someday. I honestly didn't think she took it seriously."
"To be honest, I would be intrigued. It would be nice to hear stories of what you were like in that camp," Lucina said with a smile. I paused for a second.
"On second thought, I suppose everyone is bound to break a promise someday!" I said with a nervous laugh. Lucina frowned at me.
"Is there something you do not want me to know about?" she asked.
"Oh, absolutely not. I just… think that maybe the past should stay in the past!" I replied.
"… Raven?"
"Oh, fine, she's probably going to talk about it eventually anyway. If you decide to have that tea with her, ask her about the noodle incident," I said.
"Noodle incident?" she asked.
"Yes, she'll know exactly what I'm talking about if you mention that," I replied.
"Oh, okay. Why can't you tell me?" she asked.
"I don't want to talk about it," I replied, staring at the ground. Lucina laughed a little to herself.
"Sounds like it was embarrassing," she said.
"Almost as embarrassing as the chocolate cake incident," I replied.
"You had an incident with chocolate cake?"
"Yeah. Let's not talk about it."
"Very well, Raven. I will ask her about that as well," she said.
"Wait, please, Lucina, one incident at a time…"
"Please, Raven, what is there to worry about? If you are worried I would leave you over something so insignificant…"
"I, um… I just don't want you regretting your choice."
Lucina punched me gently in the shoulder, thankfully the one opposite the one that Leila hit earlier.
"Raven, you need more confidence in yourself. Thank Naga you aren't a dark mage, or else you would be completely useless to us."
"… I'm not sure if that was meant to be encouraging or not," I said quietly.
"Oh, sorry. I'm not the best at that…" she replied.
"You have me committed, Lucina. You opened me up and got me to trust in you. Sometimes I worry you have second thoughts or regrets."
"The only regrets I have was letting you get kidnapped all those years ago… and not telling you sooner."
"Well, okay… thanks, Lucina."
"You are welcome, Raven. Now, let's get your tent packed before father really chews us both out."
The two of us worked together to get packed and prepared for the journey ahead. As we got to the convoy, I could see Cordelia thoroughly reprimanding Robin and Lissa about something. As we got closer, Cordelia noticed me and walked over with her checklist.
"What are you checking in?" she asked with a huff. "Probably not your usual two pillows and the usual sleeping bag, right?"
"Uh, no, but I have a green sleeping bag and—"
"Right, right. Just give your stuff to me and I'll sort it out as we travel," she said impatiently.
"Is everything okay, mother?"
"Hm? Oh, everything is fine. It will be shortly. Of all the days for the inventory to be wrong, it had to be the day we're recruiting a bunch of people."
"Why don't you ask Sev to help?"
"… she is currently talking to Chrom. We depart shortly."
"Do you need any help?"
"Oh, Lucina, it's fine. I can handle this."
We both nodded in reply and left Cordelia to her inventory. We mulled around for a bit, talking about various topics until the order came that we were to depart. We gathered our stuff and prepared to go for our half-day march to the temple. The journey thankfully passed without much event. After the unexpected detour yesterday with that battle, it was nice to have everything else go right during the rest of this trek. Soon, we were standing before a huge staircase that we assumed led to a building quite far up the mountain. We couldn't see it through the trees that grew along the staircase, but Say'ri assured us that the temple was indeed at the top of the stairs.
"This staircase is much too long and narrow to bring everyone up there. We should have most of the forces stay down here and prevent any reinforcements from coming up behind us," Robin said.
"A sound strategy, milord," Frederick said in agreement.
"Whoaaaa, I don't think I've ever felt so small…" Lissa remarked.
"That's a lot coming from you," I replied to her with a smirk.
"Hmph, you're not that much taller than me, Ravey. In fact, one could say that in the physical area, you come up short."
"Oh, ha ha, Frog. I'll add that to the rather short list of good jokes you've made."
"Stop it, you two," Cordelia said in a reprimanding tone. Lissa and I immediately quieted down.
"I can't even see the top of it," Chrom commented. That's because there's trees in the way, Chrom.
"Most impressive, indeed," Frederick added.
"This great staircase leads the way up the mountain to the temple. There is a small village halfway up for those who wish to take a quick rest before resuming the journey to the top," Say'ri explained. "However, the Valmese Empire reportedly have stationed a battalion at that village to prevent any rebels from approaching the Voice."
"Then we will just have to break through," Chrom replied.
"That's some Vaike logic right there," I remarked.
"I knew Teach was havin' a good influence on Chrom here," Vaike said.
"Miracles do happen," Lissa said.
"Next thing you know, Vaike will teach me how to cook properly," I remarked.
"Some miracles are harder to perform than others, Ravey."
"Anyway…" Chrom interjected pointedly.
"Who should we take with us up these stairs?" Frederick asked.
"Hmm, give me a couple of minutes to think on that," Robin replied. We nodded and walked away to give him his space to think. We sat down on an area slightly apart from the others. Noire, Lucina, Owain, and I sat down together in a little circle, tapping our weapons nervously.
"Do you think we will win this, Lucina?" Noire asked.
"Of course we will," she replied encouragingly.
"There will be no defeat or death suffered in this war! My sword hand will execute justice and righteousness and bring down this accursed evil emperor that dares oppress the good people of this land!" Owain said.
"Indeed. We need to ensure minimal casualties," I added. "Innocents shouldn't have to suffer."
"You understand, Raven! I was fearing such concepts would be foreign to you, but it seems you understand the ways of the hero," Owain said.
"Fearing they would be foreign to me?" I asked.
"Not many understand that the hero does not take the easy victory! A hero takes a victory that suffers the fewest losses. A hero rises above with a legendary weapon and casts light upon the darkness!" he said.
"… out of sheer curiosity and maybe some fear for our sanity, Owain… have you met Sophia yet?" I asked. Lucina snorted to herself in laughter, but passed it off as a coughing fit.
"Lucy! Blast! Evil spirits threaten the very air we breathe to pollute our very beings! Fear not, though, for I will concentrate harder to put out an aura of good and bathe you all in the protective cloak of truth and reconciliation!"
"I am fine, Owain. Truly, I am fine. You do not need to bathe me in anything," Lucina replied.
"Very well, but I swear to you as your cousin who shares with you the same bloodline of the first exalt, I will not allow any evil befall you. Now, Raven, you asked if I have met Sophia? I have met her once, but she has strangely been avoiding me," he said.
"P-perhaps you should try speaking to her with less words?" Noire asked.
"Less words?" Owain asked.
"Sophia has enough words of her own to talk with," I remarked. Lucina snorted again and had to quickly cover it up. Owain gave her an odd look before sighing to himself.
"Raven, you are not the first person to ask me that. Nor the second. Nor the third. Is there a reason why so many asked me if I have spoken to her yet?" he asked.
"You two have… similar qualities," I said.
"Just like Inigo and Leila!" Noire added.
"Perhaps," I replied. The conversation I had with Inigo earlier still stuck with me. I suppose he and Severa are going to harbor issues with me for a while over Lucina, aren't they?
I saw Robin walk over to us, accompanied by Sophia, Say'ri, and Elise.
"Raven, Lucina… actually, all four of you, I would like you to accompany us," Robin said.
"You choose well! This warrior of justice demands retribution for the suffering of the innocent Valmese! Today marks our first step closer to—"
"Just shut up and come already!" Severa snapped. I didn't even see her standing behind Robin. I could see Sophia trying to avoid Owain's sight. Why, though?
"Anyway. We will have you four join Chrom, Callie, Nicolette, Leila, and Frederick as well as the rest of us. Everyone else will stay down here and guard against any back attack," Robin said.
"Understood," I said. The four of us followed the five of them back to Chrom and Frederick.
"Just one cleric?" I asked.
"Two," Sophia corrected. I looked over to her to see she was carrying a staff.
"You can heal as well?" I asked.
"Most certainly not, Raven! I merely am carrying around this relatively cumbersome implement to strike fear into the hearts of my opponents through feigning well-rounded abilities," she replied. I grumbled to myself.
"That was a dumb question, wasn't it?" I asked.
"No more or less than the answer that you had received. Did you feel the answer was as much of a potentially unuseful allocation of your time as the inquiry you posed was of ours?"
"You know, Sophia, sometimes I hate it when you do that."
"The truth merely exists, Raven. Only you can determine how to react and interpret it when one presents it to you."
"What wise words," Say'ri said to Sophia.
"Thank you. A maiden should always be ready to speak her mind and heart as accurately as possible," she replied. I sighed. It looks like I wasn't going to be saving face with that anytime soon.
"Yes, Raven, two healers," Chrom said, attempting to steer the conversation back on course.
"What is the strategy?" I asked.
"When we reach the village halfway up, you and Severa will flank around to try to take out their healers. The both of you possess sound abilities and above-average speed. We will push forward and serve as a distraction and engage their front," Robin said.
"Her and I? This might be a disaster," I asked with a frown.
"For once I agree with you. This is a terrible idea," Severa added.
"Is there something between the two of you I should know about?" Robin asked. I grit my teeth and sighed.
"None, Robin. I can put aside the personal and perform my duties to the best of my ability," Severa remarked.
"Same. I have no intention of putting anyone's lives in danger for personal gripes and reasons," I said. Robin raised an eyebrow.
"If this arrangement is not agreeable, I can always send Leila with you," Robin said. "I chose Severa because I feel we needed Lucina and Leila up front to support Chrom and Frederick in creating a strong front."
"I understand your logic, Robin. This will not be an issue," I said. Robin nodded again in acknowledgment.
We started scaling the stairs at a brisk pace, finally going past the tree line and seeing the village only a short distance ahead. The Valmese soldiers were nowhere in sight, although that was likely to change.
"Sophia, can you sense anything?" Robin asked. Sophia paused for a second and closed her eyes.
"There is one area where I can use my ability, but I seem to be having trouble discerning what it does. It seems like I can create a rock wall to block off the stairs to the top, but I fear I might be misinterpreting the magic slightly," Sophia said.
"Let's keep that in mind. If worse comes to worse and we are outmatched, we can go along the pathway until we are clear and you can activate our magic to block their pursuit of our retreat up the stairs," Robin said.
"Remember, if we are in trouble, remember the signal to tell the ground forces to send reinforcements," Chrom insisted. Sophia nodded in reply.
We reached the flat area at the top of this first flight of stairs and looked around. We saw the somewhat narrow path going from the village that led to the other staircase. Before we could approach, we saw a few Valmese soldiers. Before we could react, we were spotted. A horn soon echoed through the air as more soldiers began coming our way.
"Raven, Severa, now," Robin said. We nodded and slunk along the natural cover along the outskirts of the village to flank around.
"Just don't get in my way. I'm sure I won't need your help. It's not like I ever got it before," Severa commented.
"Can we just focus on the mission at hand?" I asked.
"Tch, who made you leader here?" she replied. Really? You're going to fight me through this whole thing? This was going to be rough, working with her. As we hid in our respective spots, a large portion of the Valmese soldiers ran past us to engage Chrom and the group. Oh gods, there were many more soldiers here than we had anticipated! As soon as their forces passed us, we nodded and slunk toward their backline, being a stealthy as possible.
Before any of them had a chance to realize what was going on, we had already killed three of their healers. I looked up to see, past a large amount of Valmese soldiers, Chrom and the others were holding them in a bit of a choke area. I know the plan was to get a few kills and disengage, but how were we to disengage? I could flick back but, as much as I'm not fond of her, I couldn't leave Severa back here alone.
A few of their soldiers turned around to try to keep us off their clerics and mages as the two of us danced around spells while continuing our destruction of their magic users and archers. A few arrows and spells hit us, but Elise was continually healing us through her physic staff. Bless your soul and skill, Elise… bless you.
I glanced over to see Severa was moving around with far better dexterity and skill than Lucina ever had, although her strength was definitely nowhere near her sister's. She seemed more like Cordelia on the ground, but with a sword instead of a lance. I guess that was to make sense. I wonder why both children chose to use the sword when their teachers were lance users?
I dodged a blow from a soldier and gave a few quick thrusts through his leather armor. Was I really desensitized to death? Was I really desensitized to murder? This is what we were doing. We were killing others.
Wait, no, I can't have my mind wander. The last time I did, I paid the price. I shook those thoughts from my head and focused on the battle before me. Although we had managed to clear out about half of the soldiers, we heard a battle horn and saw a group of Valmese reinforcements. They were coming toward us as fast as they could. Chrom whistled loudly, causing me and Severa to look at him. He quickly pointed at us and then the path. Nodding in understanding, I dashed toward the trail that led to the stairs to the top.
There was no way we were going to fight our way through that massive horde of enemy soldiers. Robin, this plan was an unmitigated disaster. If it wasn't for Sophia's magic, we probably would be chased to the stairs and probably killed. Granted, I could flick in movement, but Severa couldn't. Would Robin be able to live with himself over that? How would Lucina feel if I flicked away to save myself and leave Severa to die?
No, I couldn't do that. That would just make me into the very man Lucina hated at first and the one the rest of the kids think I am. I can't! I can't do that. I grit my teeth as Severa and I ran toward the passage, having a bit of separation from the troops chasing us. All of a sudden, I felt Sophia's magic activate. I heard a rumbling sound, but couldn't pinpoint where it was coming from.
"Look out!" Severa cried out. She tackled me to the side, before a rock fell in approximately the area I was standing. As I laid on my back, I saw an avalanche of rocks falling from the top of the mountain. I heard panicked yelling as the rocks were falling on the Valmese forces. Oh, Sophia, your magic never ceases to amaze me.
"Get up! Move!" Severa yelled. She got up, grabbed my hand, and pulled as hard as she could. I scrambled to my feet as fast as I could as the avalanche of various rocks fell in a line, blocking us off from the battle. I sighed to myself.
"Thanks, Severa," I said.
"You almost got yourself killed! Pay attention! What would happen if something happened to you! Lucy would be so upset… and she would blame me for it! You should be thanking me with everything you have, instead of that half-hearted thanks! You would have been dead!" she yelled at me. I took an unconscious step back.
"Thank you for saving my life, Severa," I said quietly. "I really do owe you there."
"Hmph, I didn't do it for you. I did it for Lucy. I can't bear the idea of her being sad, even if it was because you died," she said with a frown.
"All the same, thank you. Now… what do we do?" I asked.
"We can't go back. That landslide has cut off that path," Severa replied. "In case you didn't notice it."
"Then should we wait for them to clear the path?" I asked.
"Gods! Are you stupid? Why are we here in the first place?" Severa asked.
"To visit the Voice," I replied.
"… and that's what I'm going to do. That was the point of this mission! Gods, how did I get stuck with someone as daft as you?" she ranted. I bit my lip. There was no use in arguing with her. We started walking along the trail until we reached the other staircase. This one looked just as long as the one we just climbed.
"Ugh, how many stairs are in a case of stairs? I'm already sick of climbing stairs," I said with a groan.
"Tired already? Figures you weren't half the man your older self was," Severa commented.
"I thought you hated him," I said.
"Starting to wonder if I hate you more. At least he wasn't pathetic and at least he wasn't trying to swindle my sister. What she sees in you, I cannot even fathom it. If you're that pathetic, you can just stay down here. I can do the rest on my own," she shot back. I grumbled to myself and began climbing the stairs.
"Can I ask you a question?"
"Gods! I was hoping you'd shut up and stay quiet the entire time!"
"I'll take that as a no."
"… fine, whatever, entertain me with some dumb question."
"You said you never trained with me after the first session, right?"
"… and I am all the more thankful for it."
"Then where did you learn how to fight?"
She paused for a second and looked at me.
"Why do you want to know?"
"It looks like Cordelia taught you. You move like she does."
"That's creepy. You're creepy."
"Why?"
"I'm not sure what makes me feel more grossed out… that you were watching me with that kind of attention to detail or that you were watching my mother! Ugh, the thought of you watching her creeps me out! Now you're dating her daughter! Yet, you're still watching me, like some obsessive creep. That's what you are! A creep. Is there no end to your depravity? Keep your eyes to yourself. Mother doesn't deserve a deranged stalker like you and I certainly don't want you looking anywhere near me!"
"I could have taken a simple yes or no, Severa."
"Ugh, fine! For your information, my mother trained me in the basics of combat. The rest, I learned from Owain," she said.
"Wait, Owain taught you?"
"Lucy was too busy with all her training to train more than one person, so Owain took what he learned from her and tried to give it to me. He didn't know much, so in the end, I just tried to imitate who I could with some help from Frederick before he died."
"So, Chrom's style was given to me, a lance wielder… who taught a watered down to Lucina, a mere child… who taught her basic, incomplete version to Owain, a person whose skillset varies wildly from Lucina's… who tried to teach what little he knew to you. At that point, you basically got nothing like the original style. It was all just hand me downs…"
"Well-spotted, Sir Raven. Not like I expected anything more. Getting something second-hand in life would have been a blessing for me. Mostly everything I ever got in life had been passed from so many others before that it barely resembled what it was originally," she said in a spiteful tone.
"What do you mean?"
"Of course Lucina should have gotten the training. Falchion chose her. Everyone chose her. She was the hope and savior of Ylisse. Of course she was the one who got all the training… and all the attention."
"Severa…?"
"What does it matter? That's all in the past. You were harder on me than you were with her for whatever reason. That's why I never came back. Mother taught me the basics, but she didn't know much about the sword."
"Why did you learn the sword in the first place if you were learning from Cordelia?" I asked.
"Tch! I was the first-born child. They trained me early in the sword in the hope I would be the one chosen by Falchion and stand up to Grima. Of course I wasn't. It went to Lucina. The look of disappointment on father's face when the sword didn't react for me was terrible. When it reacted to her, that look of approval he had… he never looked at me like that. The training went to Lucina. Father's attention went to Lucina. All the castle guards gravitated toward her. She was the chosen savior, after all. She had everything she needed. She was the child done right. She was the perfect little genius, like mother, who was chosen by Falchion, like father. Of course! Who would care about the one that didn't get chosen? If you're not the hero, you're a damn nobody! You fight and fight and push forward with nobody to guide you! Everything I did was pushed into the shadows, ignored and forgotten… out of sight and out of mind. Father spent his time with her. Mother gave her life for her. Aunt Lissa fought an impossible battle just to buy time for her to escape! You treated her marginally better and continued to train her. How can I compare? Nobody did anything for me. Everything you see, I did myself! I taught myself to be better with the sword! I taught myself how to think smarter by myself. I read battle texts by myself! I didn't have the resources she did! I had to learn every damn thing myself! I had to learn everything myself… nobody cared. Nobody cared at all… and still, even now, even with all my hard work, I'm still only second best…"
I paused for a second, noticing her standing still and staring at the ground.
"Severa…"
She gave me a shocked look before her face immediately turned to one of shame and anger.
"Don't you dare tell anyone I said that! That's nobody's business but my own. I swear to the gods if you tell anyone, not even concern for Lucina's feelings would stop me from hiding your body."
"… I can't tell if you're serious or not."
"I am very serious. How did she choose you? Why did she choose you, anyway? Why did you choose her? It's not fair! Why is she the one who always gets everything? I do everything that I can as the best I can and for what? To always be second? To never be acknowledged? To fail in whatever I try to accomplish? To never be appreciated? I organized rebellions here in Valm to make this war easier and Lucina gets mother and father's attention! Lucina spend two years chasing down some stupid bandit company and she still gets to live a happy life, even if it is with a guy who doesn't deserve her, while I spent this time a fugitive from Walhart's army! Why am I always forgotten…?"
"I…" I began, but stopped. What could I say to that? I bit my lip. That was… a lot to parse. Severa sat down on a step and glared at me in unfiltered, pure venom.
"Go on. Yell at me. Tell me that I'm forgotten because I lack the drive to be her. Tell me that I'm a talentless fool pretending to be a hero. Tell me that I would be better off starting new and picking up the lance and being like mother. You already said that before. You'd just be repeating yourself."
"… gods, why would I say something so cruel?" I asked. Severa sniffed slightly and brought her knees up to her chin, curling up in what felt like a ball of defensive walls.
"That is precisely what you said to me. You told me I would amount to nothing because I lacked the talent to ever be as good as her. That a genius of hard work could never beat a genius of talent, especially if that talent worked equally as hard. That's all I was to you. Just 'the other sister' who couldn't amount to anything in your eyes."
"That's horrible. I wouldn't say something like that."
"Don't you lie to me! You already did! Many times. That's why I stayed up late every night, working on practice swings. That's why I woke up early, working on my forms. That's why I ate lunch fast, so I could get to the training grounds and practice footwork. That's why I spent my spare time in the library, pouring over textbooks of battle techniques. You only looked after yourself... you only pushed Lucina so Grima could fall by her hand and your life would be spared. You never once looked at me, no matter how hard I tried. You never acknowledged me, no matter how hard I worked. I tried so hard and got so far so I could prove you wrong… but, in the end, it didn't even matter. When I was ready to prove my worth, you had to go and die on us. You gave your life… for her! For her! Always for her! A selfish, vain, loathsome, vile man like you gave your life for someone else. You gave yourself up for Lucy! I love her to death. I would give my life to see her survive. I would do anything to make her smile… but… what about me? Who would have given their life for me if I was facing a near certain death? Nobody! Nobody at all…"
I grit my teeth in frustration. Cordelia… Chrom… did you really forget about Severa that much? Were you that invested in trying to get rid of Grima that it took priority? Were you as obsessed with avenging our fallen comrades as I apparently was? Was that why you trusted me so much, Chrom? Was it because, even in the bleak future, you were driven down the path madness as far as I was, overcome with grief at the loss of everyone we loved?
"… I have no right to speak. You have been through much. You have been through too much. These things you described. They… I cannot believe that such a thing happened, but it has to be true. You've seen it with your own two eyes. You've experienced the hell of not just a ruined future, but a life where you were neglected and forgotten. The reason people are able to smile and fight in the darkest of times is because they have other people with them."
"The only person you can trust with absolute certainty is yourself. Everyone else eventually lets you down."
"Severa, you… sound like you had nobody but yourself your whole life. I… I cannot even begin to imagine…"
"Hmph."
That was all. She had no witty retort or scathing comeback. She merely got up and started climbing the stairs again. I started following her up the staircase, trying to match her quickened pace.
"Why are you even following me?" she asked.
"We are here to see the Voice. We are here to complete the mission."
"I can do it on my own, Raven. I never needed your help before and I certainly don't need your help now."
We finally reached the top of the staircase. In front of us was a building that looked something like a chapel or a small temple. It certainly felt like this was the place for someone or something important. I started walking toward the building when I heard a familiar, yet confusing sound.
"Don't take another step, Raven," Severa said. I turned back to her to see she had her sword unsheathed and pointed at me.
"… Severa?"
"I said don't take another step forward! This is my job. This is my mission. This is my task. This will be my success. I will speak to the Voice, I will learn the wisdom that is imparted, and father will recognize me. I will finally be recognized for doing something right. By father. By mother. By you."
"Severa, don't be crazy. We're in this together, for better or worse. Even if you hate me now, we have to work together and finish this!"
"Together? Don't make me laugh! You never wanted to work with anyone. You care about nobody but yourself. You're just a fraud… a sham… a fake. You're no hero!"
"Severa, stop it! Stop it, right now," I said firmly.
"No! You can't tell me what to do anymore! You don't have any power over me anymore! I used to idolize you when I was a child! I used to do all I could to get you to recognize me when I was growing up! You were the person who led the Shepherds after father couldn't fight anymore! You were a hero to so many. You brought humanity together into Ylisstol and made it humanity's last safe haven! You braved going beyond the city walls to bring survivors and refugees to the city! Growing up, I thought you were a hero! Then I learned who you really were. I learned you left Shepherds to die in the field. I learned you torched and burned the villages that dissented against your beliefs. I learned you executed rebels in the city who tried to overthrow your tyranny. All I wanted was your approval and recognition, until I got older and learned the truth. I was disillusioned by the very actions you took. My delusions were dispelled right there. This is my chance to finally do something right! This is my chance to finally contribute! When I return with the wisdom of the Voice, father will finally congratulate me on a job well done. Mother will finally give me a look of approval! I will not let you be in my way."
I stepped back, away from her, fearful of this angry tirade oppressively washing over me. Her eyes flashed with anger for a second before she dashed forward. I tried to dodge to the side, but she was too fast and the tip of the blade caught me on the arm. I winced in pain and grabbed the fresh wound. I squeezed slightly to stem the flow of blood beginning to trickle out.
"Severa, why!?"
"I told you, don't take another step toward that building. I am not bluffing you, Raven. Don't take away my one chance to finally show everyone I belong. Don't take away my only chance at showing all that work and training I did wasn't for nothing. That was a warning blow. The next one won't be so insignificant. Don't scoff at my skill because I'm self-taught. I'll show you I can fight, even without your stupid training. You only care for your life anyway. Why would you defy me? You're half the man you are in the future. Maybe I couldn't beat you then, but if you fight me in this moment, I will take you down here and now."
I stared her in the eyes and saw a whirl of chaotic emotions swirling around her. She was angry, scared, hurt, frightened… she had nobody. She had no confidence in herself. She had no confidence in others. In an already dark and gloomy future where there was already little to be hopeful about and little to cling to for support and stability, she had nobody. She had nothing.
She was alone…
Lucina and her came back together from the same future, born into the same family, but the two couldn't be more different. While Lucina worked with us, understanding the idea that together we are strong, Severa ran off to take care of everything herself. When the assassins came for Exalt Emmeryn, Lucina rallied us while Severa went off to kill the bandit leader. While Lucina recruited a party to acquire the Aum Staff because she recognized her inability to do it alone, Severa originally went on the quest by herself and failed. When Lucina worked to unify Ylisse and make its countryside safer by trying to protect the citizens, Severa ran to Valm to try to take care of the Walhart problem herself.
How… how can I get through to her? How do I even begin to help her? How do I show her that she's not alone anymore? Her failures and inadequacies force her to push everyone else further away… and in trying to do everything herself, she fails more and more. This loop has become a neverending, vicious cycle that continually perpetuates and accelerates her loathing of others… and of herself.
"Severa…"
"Do you concede?" she asked. I pulled out my lance and got into stance.
"We are doing this together. We are speaking to the Voice together… as teammates. If I have to fight you, then so be it. We are a team. You, me, Lucina, Chrom, Cordelia, Lissa, Owain, Robin, and Elise… and the rest of the Shepherds. We are all a team. We are a family, whether by blood or by spirit. I'm sorry for how my future self treated you. I don't want to be like him. I don't want to make the same mistakes he did. You and I… we're Shepherds now. We're in this together… and this means everyone moves forward together. You're not alone now, Severa. You don't have to do everything by yourself. I know you understand that when you saved my life from that rock slide. You could have left me to die. I refuse to leave you behind. I could have flicked away from that flank we were doing, leaving you to die. I chose not to. I refuse to be the man you once knew. We are family, Severa, and that means nobody gets left behind. That means I won't leave you behind… and that means you won't leave me behind."
"Then prove it, Raven. Prove to me you want to move forward together in that temple. Face your fear of pain and death and show me that you want to enter that temple with me. If you can't, then you aren't worth my time and effort. If you can't, you'll only prove to me you're still the same Sir Raven I always knew you to be. I am giving you the chance to step back and live, clinging to life in such an unsightly way with your pitiful life and false bravado."
"There is no running away, Severa."
"Words are meaningless. Let your actions do the talking and let your lance be the one to argue with my sword."
I settled back slightly, putting myself in a more defensive position. If this was what was necessary to get through to her, then so be it. I don't relish the idea of hurting an ally, let alone Lucina's sister and the child of Chrom and Cordelia, but if it must come to this…
… then so be it.