Author's Note: Yep. Sorry this chapter took so long. I really wanted to be sure I resolved this Severa scene properly and give her the character development she deserved.
Also, it was mentioned how this whole thing felt like a deconstruction of the whole Notice Me Senpai trope. I honestly never really thought about it, but looking at it now, it does really seem that way. I suppose I'm starting to just sub-consciously utilize tropes as I write now. Unsure if that's a good thing or not. I was trying to go for something along the lines of "Chrom is the leader of the nation, Cordelia is the perfect little genius, Lucina is a princess and the chosen one, and Severa is… Severa" kind of inferiority complex. It already ties in to her canon characterization, but I figured having such a… powerhouse of a family would only compound that personality quirk.
Overall, somewhat pleased with how this chapter came out. Been having trouble writing lately with having a completely destroyed sleep pattern, though… and I've been working on a music composition (a boss battle theme for an RPG to be specific) that's taken up most of my attention, but it's nice to take a step back from music and work on writing again.
Chapter 35
Scherzo of Strife
I stood there with my lance in hand, blood gently trickling from the scratch Severa inflicted on me. One false step and I would be dealing with much more than just a scratch. Yet, I could not back down. She was so insistent on pushing everyone away from her, particularly myself. Whatever she suffered in the past had bubbled to the surface at this rather inopportune time, right when we were just about to meet with the Voice, the oracle of the divine dragon Naga.
Hardly seems fair to be judged on the sins of someone I have yet to become and am striving to avoid being, but… what can I do? There's only one way to let her get it out and that's to let her vent it all until nothing is left.
"You really are serious? You really wish to fight this battle?" she asked me.
"I should be asking you this, Severa," I replied, gripping my lance firmly in my hand, ready for whatever strike she was about to execute. She bit her lip for a second, a fleeting moment of hesitation crossing her expression.
"Yes, I am. I will meet with the Voice, tell her she is free from being guarded by Walhart's troops, and glean her wisdom on how we are to rally the Valmese rebels. I need to do this and I need to do this alone," she said, although I couldn't help but notice a slight wavering of her tone. Was she truly as convinced of what she was saying?
"I told you already, Severa. We are a team. We all work together. What one cannot accomplish alone, we accomplish together. Why you insist on doing everything yourself is beyond me, but just give us all a chance to prove to you we can do this together."
"I'm sure that's what you all said the last time, before Grima and his minions killed all of you, one by one."
I sighed to myself. There was no arguing with that. I cannot argue with facts, after all. I can only try to convince her that her influence here, along with the other children, could be the change we needed to succeed where we once had failed.
"I am not moving from this spot, Severa. You wanted this battle so that you could go in alone. I want to go in with you as your teammate. We are at an impasse. Either you accept that we can work together or you can try to overcome me. The choice is yours."
I saw her dash forward with a speed that Lucina never had and executed a horizontal slash. I parried the blow with the shaft of my lance before jabbing her sharply in the chest with the butt of the lance, sending her backward a few steps in a coughing fit. She paused for a second, glaring at me with an unfathomable amount of loathing.
"Does that answer your question?" she asked after the coughing subsided. I sighed to myself and readied myself again.
"It does, indeed. Ready when you are," I said as I reset myself into a defensive stance.
"I am always ready," she retorted before dashing forward again. Watching her carefully, I saw a slight variation in her movement from the last attack and, intuitively, I prepared to counter a vertical blow. Just as I predicted, she slashed her sword exactly as I anticipated and I quickly parried the blow, knocking her off balance. She stumbled back a few steps and I dashed forward, jabbing her with three quick blows to her shoulder with the butt of my lance before doing a fourth in the same exact spot on her chest as I did the first one.
Severa stumbled back a few steps again, overcome by another coughing fit.
"This is pointless, Severa. We are allies. We should not be fighting," I said.
"This is pointless? This is pointless? Is that what you have to say? You claim to be different, but you still are the same person, always condescendingly insulting me! You call this pointless? I knew it. Deep down, you're no different than him. You're still the same person I knew."
"No, Severa, I'm saying it's pointless, because I don't want either of us to get seriously injured."
"Then surrender," she said. "If you're so worried about yourself, then surrender."
"Worried… about myself?" I asked.
"Oh, you're worried about me? About me?! You think you can beat me? If you're so worried about me, then surrender as well!"
"Severa, why do we have to do this? I don't think Chrom would approve of this."
"How would I know? He's never approved of anything I did before," she said.
"He was genuinely thankful for saving Exalt Emmeryn's life two years ago," I countered.
"Yet, she still died! Even my greatest success ended up still being a failure…"
"That wasn't your fault, Severa."
"Yes it was! I should have kept a closer eye on her! Time always tries to fix itself. We were warned of this before we came back! Lucina and I, thinking we were successful that night, went about our business to prepare for the Valm war… to hear that she still died, it crushed both of us. It reminded us of that lesson that we so casually and callously forgot. Her blood is on our hands as much as it was Gangrel's…"
"If you are so worried about that, then why not help us now?"
"I am helping now. I will complete this mission."
"Severa…"
"No more words, Raven. There is one of two ways you are getting out of my way. You can either move of your own free will, or I can move you with my own two hands," she said. I resumed my defensive stance and stared at her.
"My answer remains the same," I said. She sighed to herself and sheathed the sword. I gave her a curious expression.
"Don't look at me like that," she said in an annoyed tone.
"Are you giving up?" I asked. She laughed for a second, sending shivers down my spine. Her response was to dash forward at me. I watched her closely to see she was reaching into the case she was carrying on her back… a case I was curious about since we started climbing this mountain together. I let out a gasp as she pulled out an axe and swung at me vertically. I quickly put up my lance to block the blow. The axe met the shaft of my lance and I grunted under the sheer force of the blow. I stumbled back a few steps, but quickly put my lance in front of me to block the next swing from her. The powerful blow connected with the lance once again, and once again I found myself being pushed backward.
The weight of the axe, combined with the precision of her blows, had me more and more worried. All of a sudden, I was not in control of this battle anymore. Blow after blow she executed, and I had to do my best to block, parry, or dodge her blows. I couldn't deflect them the way I could with the sword due to the sheer power she had with the weapon.
"How does it feel now? Are you still concerned about my safety?" she asked as she swung over and over again. I grunted in reply, not able to respond. There! For a sliver of a second, I saw a slight hesitation before she executed her next swing, as if she had trouble learning this string of movement. I thrust my lance at her, no longer caring about using the butt of the lance or not. I couldn't afford to take it easy on her anymore. If I didn't go all out, who knows what she would do to me.
Chrom… Cordelia… Lucina… please forgive me.
I gasped in surprise as she sidestepped the blow with a smirk, as if she anticipated I was going to do that. She let go of the axe with her left hand and grasped the shaft of my lance. Before I could let go, she pulled as hard as she could, jerking me forward. With the other hand, she attempted to swing the axe at me, but it seemed she lacked the strength to swing it properly. It wobbled slightly and I quickly grasped her wrist, preventing her from executing the blow.
"Let go of me!"
"Severa, please, stop it."
"Let go of me, now!"
"I cannot let either of us die here."
"Then why do you insist on continuing this fight?"
"Why do you insist on doing everything alone?" I countered.
"… because if I don't do this, I have no more value."
I thought as fast as I could. Should I just let her go? But, that would mean giving up this fight, proving to her that I was indeed a coward and a half a man. Yet, if we continued this fight, one of us could be wounded, perhaps mortally. I lacked the ability to handle her decisively. What do I do?
She yanked her wrist out of my grasp, grabbed the handle of her axe with both hands, and swung as hard as she could at me. I flicked backward, out of range of the blow, and took a knee. Climbing those stairs was more draining than I thought. I… don't think I ever flicked backward before. Was she actually overpowering me?
I could see the slight smile on her face, but it wasn't one of enjoyment of causing me pain or suffering. It was almost as if she was feeling more and more confident in her ability as a fighter and relishing the thought. I was the hurdle she had to overcome. I guess she's more like Lucina than she cared to realize.
"Impressive," I remarked.
"Flattery gets you nowhere," she retorted.
"I was merely pointing out that escaping that grapple was impressive. Can you not accept a compliment without suspecting ulterior motives?" I asked.
"Not when it comes from you," she replied. I dashed forward and executed a series of thrusts with my lance, but each and every single one of them was nimbly dodged by her. For being self-taught, she sure knew how to dodge blows quite effectively. Where was this skill in the arena fight? Did she purposefully throw that match, knowing we had to win to stay the course of history? I started thrusting faster and faster, trying to catch her off guard, but she kept dodging every single one of them. I stopped the assault and hopped back, anticipating a counterattack.
It never came.
I looked at her to see her smiling.
"What are you smiling at?" I asked with a frown.
"I can see your movement. I never could before. Your patterns… they are predictable. Your movement… they are simple. You're very adept at the few things you do, but you have little variety in your techniques. I never could see what I can now with your older self. You were far too fast for the average warrior to be able to watch. You were self-taught as well, weren't you?" she said. I frowned at her slightly.
"You know as well as I do I have no idea if I was or not," I replied. She laughed a bit more.
"To think the great Sir Raven was a self-taught warrior, or learned from someone who taught themselves the lance… your movement do not resemble any lance wielder I've ever seen," she said. "Perhaps there is hope that a self-taught warrior can succeed in life, after all."
"I would rather take a self-taught warrior than a trained warrior. It shows they have the hunger and the drive to push themselves to keep up with their peers. You truly have worked hard," I replied. She stared at me for a second, almost as if what I said got through to her. She shook her head shortly after and dashed forward. I blocked her attacks, blow after blow.
"I don't want to hear those words coming from you, now! You fear me now! You have no idea how much I wanted for you to acknowledge me, but now you merely acknowledge me out of fear instead of respect. That's… not what I wanted. That's not what I wanted at all…"
I hopped backward and got out of range of her axe. She was adapting to my style of combat faster than I would have liked. What can I do to end this? I frowned to myself. It was now or never. I need to stop her before she does anything else. I dashed forward and raised my lance, as if I was ready to execute a powerful horizontal slash. She raised her axe, as if she was getting ready to parry the blow. At the last second, I flicked behind her.
As I stepped forward and committed to my attack, she quickly pivoted quickly and swung her axe. The two attacks met each other halfway and collided in a thundering clash of metal. The vibration from the blow caused both of us to drop our weapons. I flicked backward away from her and gasped for air. That was too much energy I used up. Quick as a flash and before I had time to react, I saw her dash toward me with a confident smile on her face. She unsheathed her sword and thrust at me in one clean, fluid, rapid motion. I tried to dodge the blow, but there was no way I would get out of the way in time…
I… felt a burning, searing pain. I looked down to see she had partially thrust her sword into the right side of my chest. I looked back at her to see the look of sheer terror on her face.
"No, no, no, no, I was aiming for the shoulder. I swear. No, I swear, I swear!" she cried out. She quickly pulled the sword back out and I fell to my knees. I looked down at the ground to see the blood flowing freely from the wound. I could feel my energy draining from my body as I collapsed on my side. Was this really it?
Was this really the end?
I saw her kneeling by me, yelling something, but I couldn't really discern what it was. Everything was slowly growing more and more faint. I saw her pull a vulnerary from her bag and administer it. I could feel my energy slowly returning and the pain from the chest wound slowly subside. Oh, sweet healing item, thank you so much.
All of a sudden, the energy stopped coming and the pain stopped receding. It was as if I was in this weird middle state of somewhat dying, but also somewhat not. I could feel the blood still flowing from the wound, but it was nowhere near as bad as it once was.
"Sev…era… why?" I asked quietly.
"There's no more… there's no more…" she kept repeating to herself. I smiled to her slightly.
"I… forgive…"
"No, you stupid idiot! Don't you dare forgive me for this. I couldn't judge your dodge properly! This is my fault!"
Before anything else could be said, I saw someone emerge from the building. My vision was beginning to blur again as I felt myself slowly losing consciousness and energy. I heard voices speaking, but I couldn't focus enough to understand what was being said. I just felt myself slipping further and further into the darkness...
I felt my consciousness floating in this dark abyss. Was I dead or was I dreaming? What was going on? Where am I?
"You still deny me?"
It was a voice. I heard this voice before. I heard this voice when Gangrel killed Cordelia. This disembodied voice that spoke from the back of my consciousness, always out of reach from me being able to properly perceive it.
"Who are you?" I asked.
"Who am I? I am the power you seek. I am the power you need to succeed. I am your success. Let me gain control of this body and I promise you will never have to struggle again."
"No, I can do this! I don't need your help."
"You were nearly killed by an insignificant child. Let me gain control…"
"No, I refuse!"
"Do not be a fool. If you keep on your current path, you will die. You have none of your old memories."
"… you know who I was before?"
"I know that and much more. Let me gain control and I will show you who you were."
"I…"
… to know who I once was. What was this spirit? Who was this spirit? If they wanted my body, that means I must still be alive.
"You alone can give me the answer I need."
"I—"
My eyes opened up to a bright blue sky above me, adorned with two faces with varying levels of concern. One was of a familiar red-head showing a level of concern I had never seen from her face; the other was of an unfamiliar lady with green hair. I sat up and shook my head, and the concerned look on Severa's face quickly was replaced with the usual scowl.
"About time you woke up," Severa remarked.
"You know what? You're right. I shouldn't forgive you for this," I replied. She paused for a second and sighed to herself.
"You better not go dying on me until I prove I'm better than you," she said.
"… pretty sure you just did that," I replied with a frown. "Speaking of that wound, I was pretty sure that was a fatal blow. What happened?"
"Oh, I woke up to hear a commotion outside. I happened to have an elixir on hand as you were stabbed," she replied before yawning. "Is it customary now for humans to deal fatal blows to their allies?"
"No, that was a mistake on our part," I replied.
"Don't you take credit for that. This was all my fault," Severa said firmly. I stared at her. Is she that hard-headed that she'd take full blame just to contradict me?
"Anyway, are you the Voice of Naga?" I asked.
"I am," she replied before yawning again. "I can sense one of you have the blood of the exalted."
"That would be her," I replied. I wonder if she's going to contradict that, too.
"Would you or someone in your bloodline happen to possess the Fire Emblem?" she asked.
"My father does," Severa replied.
"Very good," she replied. "I can sense the return of Grima approaches. You must use the Fire Emblem in order to defeat him and return him to the seal."
"It didn't work before…" Severa said, looking down at the ground in shame. The Voice gazed intently upon Severa.
"Ah, one who was displaced by time, no doubt by the return of Grima in another timeline. You claim you used the Fire Emblem to attempt to defeat Grima. Did you not possess the sacred blade, Falchion?"
"We did," Severa replied.
"Did you have all six parts of the Fire Emblem?"
"Six parts?" I asked.
"The Fire Emblem is a powerful crest that houses ancient magic which specifically targets and seals the forces of calamity. The five gemstones that are set within the Emblem draw upon the five magical elements of fire, wind, thunder, dark, and light. Working together, the elements amplify the sealing magic to defeat even the most powerful of dark foes."
"There are five gemstones?" Severa asked.
"Yes. Argent, Sable, Gules, Azure, and Vert," the voice replied. Severa broke into a huge smile.
"No! There was only one gemstone when we last fought Grima. None of us knew there were four others. The gemstone was destroyed in the battle against that accursed beast," Severa replied.
"What's with the smile? Shouldn't you be despairing that you were fighting a battle you never had a chance of winning?"
"How thick can you get? That means we only failed because we were ill-equipped! If we fight Grima this time with all five stones, we could actually change the fate of humanity!" Severa replied, her voice ecstatic with joy.
"Which stone did you possess?"
"A silver one," Severa replied.
"Ah, Argent, the stone of light. You will need to possess and set the other four stones if you wish to rewrite history definitively."
"What are the other four stones?" Severa asked.
"Sable is a black stone that represents dark magic. Gules is a red stone and represents fire magic. Azure is a blue stone that represents thunder magic. Vert is a green stone that represents wind magic."
"A blue stone that represents thunder magic? Why not a yellow one?" I asked. She paused for a second and thought about it.
"Mar-Mar never cared about the color. I honestly have no idea," she replied.
"Seriously? That's what you're concerned about?" Severa said to me.
"Look, all I'm saying is that seems like a weird thing to overlook if you are creating an all-powerful emblem that can be split in six different parts. If you're going through the massive effort to create this thing, why not make sure that you get every last detail right?" I asked. Severa shook her head in frustration.
"As long as it works, I could care less if the five stones were all the same color," she replied.
"Why can the Fire Emblem be broken apart anyway?" I asked.
"Such massive power can and should only be wielded in the most dire of emergencies," the Voice replied.
"Well, the return of Grima seems to count as one," I replied.
"Indeed. Also, individually, each part can amplify an individual's battle potential. The Fire Emblem itself can seal away the mental and physical limitations of a warrior and cause them to fight past their natural limits. Although it can injure the user by pushing them past what the body is meant to handle, it can be used to achieve a victory for the greater good."
"How about the five stones?" I asked.
"Each of the five stones does the same, but instead of amplifying physical abilities, they amplify the respective element that the color represents."
"Except for the blue one," I remarked. Severa slapped me on the back of the head.
"Get over it," she said in a rebuking tone.
"You're awfully friendly for having just stabbed me in the chest," I said with a frown. She stared at me with a shocked expression before staring at the ground.
"Look… I'm sorry about that."
"You're what?"
"Don't you dare ask me to say that again! You get your one free apology for the decade," she huffed.
"Free? I'm pretty sure I earned that apology," I retorted. The Voice cleared her throat, interrupting us.
"Each of these six elements are able to achieve this due to housing a portion of Naga's power. When the six elements are combined together, they perform the Awakening."
"Six elements? I thought there were five with the five gemstones," I asked.
"The will of the mind and body is considered the element that binds the five together," the Voice replied.
"The Awakening? You mean the rite by which the first exalt channeled the divine dragon's power?" Severa asked.
"Yes, indeed. The very same ritual. With the Fire Emblem's power, the exalt was able to defeat Grima. After the sealing, the six parts of the Emblem were scattered by order of the exalt. Such power was too great to be readily available for humankind. I kept Azure here with me," she said.
"Would you happen to know where the rest of the gemstones are?" I asked.
"Unfortunately, I do not. They may have scattered long ago, during the time of the Schism," the Voice replied.
"The Schism?" I asked.
"The continent had fallen into a disarray as the nations of old gradually fell into smaller city-states. There were countless wars as former allies turned on each other. City-states who were once part of the same nation in Archanea feuded over the simplest of issues. Eventually, the leaders held a conference, declaring that these needless wars had to end and that any city-states who wanted to work together to form their own nations should do so. Thus, former enemies put aside their differences to form nations together. Differences in cultures began to assimilate with each other until they became known as the nations that we know today," Severa explained. She frowned at me afterward. "Gods, how do you not know this?"
"Amnesia. Amnesia! How many times do I have to say this?" I asked. "Wait, Archanea?"
"That was the name of the Ylissean continent in the times of the first exalt," Severa replied. "Seriously, you remember your name and how to fight, but you don't know basic history?"
"Amnesia?" the Voice asked as she stared at me, just as she did to Severa a few minutes ago.
"Yes…" I replied, eyes downcast.
"Ah, wait, you have it," she randomly said.
"I have what?" I asked.
"You have power… like mine," she replied. What is she saying?
"I do?" I asked.
"Ah, forgive me… I am still groggy from my slumber. My words outpace my thoughts. Pay me no heed," she replied. I nodded in reply. First Leila, now this lady. How many more things am I not allowed to know?
"So, if Grima is sealed away now, how does he return anyway?" I asked aloud to the two.
"There are those out there who wish to undo the seal, worshipping the Fell Dragon as humans foolishly do. They respect and fear that which overpowers them and that which they do not understand. Some treat that creature as if it were a god. Grima's life force grows even now and, with it, the long shadow of despair."
"When will he return? And where?" Severa asked.
"I cannot know these things… but I feel his presence looming closer and closer. This task is a heavy burden, but as one of the exalted blood, it must fall to you," the Voice said to Severa. "Rid the world of the Fell Dragon. You may have failed before, but you were ill-prepared. Acquire the gemstones, defeat the beast, and seal it with the power of the Fire Emblem and Falchion."
"… so, my sister or my father has to do it," Severa commented. The Voice gave her a curious look.
"Why is that?" she asked.
"… Falchion does not accept me as the one worthy of wielding it."
"Does Falchion not accept you or do you not accept it?" the Voice asked. Severa gave a confused expression.
"What… do you mean?"
"Falchion will choose any in the bloodline of the first exalt," she said.
"I was not chosen, though. I know I am the blood of the first exalt. I have the brand in my eye to prove it," Severa said.
"The blade does not choose you because you have not accepted yourself. To love and protect others, you must love and protect yourself first."
Severa paused for a second.
"I do love myself," she insisted.
"Yet, you almost stabbed your ally to death," the Voice replied. "There are many issues that you must address within yourself and with your allies before you can fully embrace and understand who you are. When you do so, Falchion can accept you."
"I cannot accept myself because Falchion rejected me," Severa protested.
"The first step to fixing a fault is admitting you have a fault. You must understand what holds you back before you can move forward."
"I…"
Severa paused for a second, looking confused and defeated. I felt bad for her.
"Did you have any self-doubts before attempting to wield the blade?"
For a second, I thought Severa looked at me, but it must have been my imagination.
"Yes… I did."
"Then that is why the blade rejects you. It reads your heart, not your words. It reads your emotions, not your thoughts. It pierces the walls you have up and the façade each human creates and sees only the truth. If you overcome that which plagues your mind and finally achieve clarity of thought, you will succeed," the Voice said. Severa nodded in response.
"I understand."
"I wish to assist you further, but I am afraid I am just very tired... I haven't the strength to join you in the fray. Not yet. But I will call the people together, in prayer, for an end to this conflict. I will speak to those who pray to Naga and tell them to aid you in your conflict in this war," the Voice said. "I wish to bid you all a good day and good luck in looking for the gemstones. Allow me to give you Azure to aid in your quest in sealing Grima away once again."
"Thank you," we both replied with a small bow. The Voice returned to her place of residence and returned with a blue stone in hand.
"I wonder if we have any water magic users," I mused aloud.
"Water magic?" Severa asked.
"For the blue stone."
"… gods, you're hopeless."
"May Naga bless you on your journey, both against Grima and in your own personal lives," the Voice said. She waved to us and departed back to her place of residence. Looking at each other, Severa and I began descending the staircase, deep in thought. Not a word was exchanged between us. We reached the bottom and followed the trail back to the landslide. A portion of the rocks seem to have been moved, but it was still impassible.
"Chrom?" I called out tentatively.
"Raven? Where have you been? We have been calling out to you for ages!"
"Severa and I went to see the Voice and execute the final part of this mission," I replied. There was silence for a minute.
"How did it go? Did you learn anything?" Chrom asked.
"I, uh… I didn't hear much. After the rock slide, we ran as fast as we could up the second staircase, fearing that perhaps Valmese soldiers might have heard it and done something. I tripped on the way up the stairs and urged her to finish the mission without me," I said. Severa gave me an incredulous look, as if she was surprised what she was hearing.
"Hmm, okay then. Good job, Severa. I would like to talk to you after we get you back on this side," Chrom replied.
"Y-yes, father," she replied.
"Anything else happen on your way to speaking to Lady Tiki?" Chrom asked.
"Who's Lady Tiki?" I asked. I thought I heard a noise from the other side, but it had to be my imagination.
"Lady Tiki is the name of the Voice," Chrom replied after a minute.
"O-oh. I… I just realized we never learned her name," I said. I thought I heard Chrom sigh aloud, but that must have been my imagination.
"So, nothing else happened? No incidents worth noting?"
"None at all, Chrom, outside of tripping on my way up the stairs. I managed to catch the tail end of the conversation. Lady Tiki will apparently respond to those who speak in prayer to tell people to help us… or something along those lines," I said. Severa sighed to herself.
"What he means to say is that Lady Tiki will contact the rebels out there through prayer and urge them to assist us in the war against Walhart," Severa clarified.
"Milord… it seems that Raven's aptitude for memory retention is on a level that his presence was not required when speaking to Lady Tiki, particularly considering the fact he had significantly less information presented to you than Severa herself."
That was Frederick's voice. Thank you, Frederick, for that ever so subtle criticism. I cringed as I felt Severa punch me hard on the shoulder.
"What was that about?" Severa asked in a quiet tone.
"What was what about?" I asked back, equally hushed.
"You know what I mean. Why did you lie?" she asked.
"You beat me, fair and square. This is your mission to finish. Try to remember you're half Cordelia and deliver the perfect report that I know you can. Also, you have Azure. Try to forget you're half Chrom and not break it like he broke the wall in the training grounds. I'd like to actually live through Grima this time," I said encouragingly.
"I… Raven…" Severa replied, her expression softening slightly as she looked to the side.
"Yes?" I asked. Her expression immediately returned to its usual position of loathing and annoyance.
"I didn't ask for your help," she said.
"Indeed. You did not," I replied in agreement.
"Then why are you helping me?"
"Like I said. All of the Shepherds are family. Nobody gets left behind. Not even for mistakes, no matter how bad they are, as long as they were not malicious."
"Has your brain ceased to function? I am quite sure what happened can be counted as malicious," she said.
"You see it as malicious, I choose to see it as a forgotten warrior striving to fight for and protect the honor she has. Perhaps you could do with a less violent method next time, but I cannot fault you for your motivations and drive to do better."
"There is something wrong with you."
"There is, indeed. I have amnesia, as I seem to constantly be reminding you. Perhaps you have it as well with how many times I've reminded you of it."
"I… I did not forget!"
"Yes, of course, of course. Would you be interested in a spar later?"
"Why? I beat you."
"Didn't you just say earlier to not die until you beat me? Clearly you don't see that as a victory."
Severa opened her mouth to reply before closing it again.
"Fine! But when I win, fair and square, I don't want to hear you crying about it."
"Bring your best axe game. I look forward to learning how to fight against it."
"As if. I'm using a sword."
"But the lance naturally has an advan—"
"I know how the weapons triangle works, Raven."
"Weapons triangle?" I asked.
"Gods, if there was one thing you insisted upon making sure I learned, it was how the weapons interacted with each other. You were the one that coined that phrase."
"Well, now you informed me of it… teacher."
"That isn't funny."
"Come on, laugh a little. Today has been your day. You get to have the spotlight in reporting to Chrom what happened. I'm sure he will appreciate it very much and tell you what a good job you did. You even beat me in a duel! Why are you still not satisfied?"
"Because you're not him."
I paused for a second and stared at her.
"I think that's the first time you've acknowledged that."
"It's the truth. Sir Raven was a fierce, lightning fast warrior whose speed rivaled that of the fastest swordsman. His cunning in battle always gave him the advantage, even when going against axe users. He was a fighter without peer. Who else could have single-handedly fought Grima and hundreds of his minions alone long enough to buy Lucina time to escape? Had he been chosen by Falchion and had been a sword wielder, he might have actually won even without the Fire Emblem. You are nothing but a weak imitation. A cheap parlor trick caricature presented by a court jester."
"… not exactly the way I wanted you to start acknowledging me as a different person, but I'll take it."
"… and maybe a little more considerate than he was. He would have reported what Lady Tiki told us to Chrom, not for the glory and recognition, but because he objectively would have delivered an accurate report down to the last detail. He did not trust anyone else to do a job correctly."
"I have faith you can report everything to Chrom without missing any details."
Severa frowned at me in response.
"You also are more ignorant and naïve than he is. Faith cannot bring success."
"Yet is that not what you all are basing your mission on? Faith that you can change the past?"
"… you were not a good teacher. I did not learn well your lessons and philosophies on how pragmatism supersedes ideals."
"Always with the backhanded compliments. I suppose I should be grateful."
"Yes, you should be."
"So if you never learned those lessons, why do you say faith cannot bring success?"
"… because blind faith is as foolish as no faith. It bodes well to have faith, but to presume everything will fall into place without any effort on your part is as foolish as the person who cannot see hope. Without seeing the goal, you will wander blindly."
"… so what is your goal? To defeat Grima?"
"That is one of them. That is all of our goal."
"What is your personal goal then?"
"That is none of your business."
"Raven? Severa? We need you to back as far away from the landslide as possible. Now that we know you can hear us and can take direction, we can blast away these rocks without fear of injuring you both," Chrom called across to us.
"Okay!" I called back.
"Clear away. We will start blasting in a minute," Chrom said. I nodded. Severa and I retreated back to the base of the staircase, presumably a safe distance away. After a short time, there was a big explosion and I saw the rubble disintegrate into a cloud of dust that blew across the entire path. When the dust finally settled, I saw a valley in the landslide that was good enough for us to pass through. Severa and I walked back through the passage and saw the rest of the Shepherds there waiting for us.
Before I had a chance to say something, someone came up to me and pulled me in a tight embrace.
"Raven, I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry…"
I looked down to see… Sophia? She was holding me tightly with her face buried in my shoulder.
"Sophia, are… you okay?"
"Absolutely not! What a cataclysmic mistake this Chosen One had executed! No. I'm not fit to be called a Chosen One. My magic nearly extinguished the flames of your life! This injudicious oversight came so close to being a significant debacle of extraordinary magnitude! How would I tell Nicolette that I bore solitary responsibility for her losing you again? What level of derision and dishonor would I rightfully deserve?"
"Losing me again? What do you mean?" I asked. Sophia paused and I saw Leila waving frantically out of the corner of my eye. I looked at her and she paused and looked in a completely different direction. I looked around to see Chrom had bit his lip and looked slightly uncomfortable.
"Wh-why, I mean, when you were captured by the bandits. She… thought you lost your life and had become distraught over it. Yes, that is what I meant. You are her favorite customer."
I'm her favorite customer? That convinced absolutely none of me. There was more here than I know. Somehow Chrom knows as well. Does it have to do with their secret? Why would Nicolette be upset at losing me again? I mean, she's always been the overly friendly bakery girl, but… what else is there to it? Does she somehow see me differently than the others? How so?
Wait…
… oh. Oh, no. I think I know why. Oh gods, I'm sure she must dislike Lucina now.
"Look, Sophia, I'm still alive. Look at me. I'm smiling. All is good. Leila once told me that her father told her to always smile, no matter what. No hard feelings, okay? Pretty sure I have some good luck today when it comes to attempts on my life by my allies, after all," I remarked in a joking tone. I saw Severa stir uncomfortably out of the corner of my eye.
"You're not upset?"
"You meant well. I cannot fault you for that. But, uh, can you let go? I think someone else wants a turn."
I looked over to Lucina to see her turn slightly red from that comment.
"I, um, its fine. I would feel the same way if I was in her position. She truly was distraught when you two weren't answering us after we were calling after you," Lucina said.
"Yes, we are very fortunate that the both of you survived," Chrom added. He walked over to Severa with a smile on his face. "I would have enjoyed the opportunity to get to know my other daughter better, after all."
"Y-you still can!" Severa stammered out in reply. "I am here!"
"Good. Then, after our debriefing, perhaps we can talk over dinner? I can bring Cordelia as well," Chrom offered.
"… I would like that," Severa replied after a moment of hesitation.
We restocked in the little town, awkwardly accepting the thanks given to us by the citizens for freeing the Voice from Valmese control. As we headed back down the mountain, I noticed Lucina kept glancing at me.
"Is something wrong?" I asked her. She slowed her pace so that we were slightly behind the rest of the group. Whatever it was, she didn't want to be overheard.
"You were lying earlier," she replied.
"What? About what?" I asked.
"That nothing else happened on your way up to see the Voice."
"What could you possibly mean?"
"Something happened between you and Severa… and I have a feeling it wasn't good," Lucina said.
"Why do you say that?" I asked. "Does Severa dislike me in particular? I just assumed she was a little prickly toward everyone."
"Short answer is yes," Lucina replied. "I know something had to have happened between you two. I just can only think of one conclusion and it upsets me to think about it."
"Then perhaps you shouldn't think about it," I replied.
"I want to know the truth, Raven. You said no more secrets between us. First, you talk with Sophia about me and never told me what that was about and now you are hiding what truly happened between you and Severa. Raven, I… I need to know that I can trust you."
"I… fine… which one do you want to know about first?" I asked.
"I already have an idea what happened between you and my sister."
"Why do you say that?"
"You look like you were in a battle," she said.
"That's because we were in one. You were there. Everyone was there. We were on a flank, remember?"
"No, I remember seeing you right before the landslide. You were dodging everything. You had no battle damage. When you came back, I saw you sustained a cut on the arm and you had damage to your chest. Yet, you have no wounds… the only signs of injury was damage to your battle outfit. This does not make any sense," Lucina said. I sighed to myself.
"To put a long story short, when we reached the top, Severa and I had a duel for the right to talk to the Voice," I said.
"Why?"
"She wanted to talk to the Voice alone. I insisted we go together. We could not agree with words, so we decided to settle it with our weapons."
"How did that end?"
"I got sliced in the arm and stabbed through the armor and straight through the chest. The damage you see to my outfit was done by her. Honestly, though, I forgot about that. Usually my outfit repairs itself. I think I'm out of magic right now."
"How did you survive?"
"Lady Tiki had an elixir."
"Why did Severa do that?"
"I cannot say."
"Raven… this is no slight matter. I cannot simply abide by you getting stabbed by an ally, let alone my sister," she said.
"I still cannot say."
"Why? Do you still not trust me?"
"No, I trust you. But Severa's reasons are her own. This is her secret, not mine. What she said was said in confidence. I cannot break that trust. I'm sorry, Lucina…"
"No… I understand. That's something I admire about you. You value honor and you stand by your word. Perhaps one day she can explain it to me."
"I would rather hope for the day that such an issue is irrelevant."
Lucina paused and looked at me with a confused expression.
"First father not diverging the secrets that Sophia and their little group told him and now you hold my sister's secret. What am I doing here? What use do I even bring to this army? Sometimes I wonder if I even am doing my job in this time…"
"Lucina, please… you're doing a fine job. You're doing your best."
"Intention and simple effort does not stop a fell dragon from slaughtering humanity," Lucina replied quietly. I stopped and pulled her into a tight embrace.
"Lucina… we will stop that creature from harming humanity a second time. I swear to you on that," I said.
"… you are a man of your word, so I will hold you to that," she replied.
"A tall task, but based on the stories I hear of my future self, I can potentially have the ability to rise to the occasion."
"Stories of your future self?"
"Severa told me that I was a warrior without peer in your future. If I train harder now than I did in that timeline, then maybe I can make a difference where he did not. Every change causes a ripple. If we cause enough ripples, we can change the future completely," I said with a smile.
"I believe in you and your strength. I have seen it many times as a child… but now I see that there is potential for compassion as well within you."
"Please, Lucina, you're going to make me blush," I replied awkwardly. I let go of our embrace and we continued our trek down the stairs, quickening our pace to try to catch up to the others.
"Perhaps that was the intention. For all the times you have done that for me, I feel it is only necessary to return the favor. Now, for another topic. What did you talk about with Sophia?"
"I… hm…"
"Raven, whatever it is, I can handle it. It is about me, after all."
"You said none of the Shepherds died in this war in your timeline, correct?"
"Yes, as far as I know, none did."
"You came back in time to change our future and your history."
"That is our intention, yes."
"What if your presence here causes the death of a Shepherd?"
Lucina stopped and stared at me. She bit her lip in thought.
"Truthfully, I had never thought about that. I… would feel absolutely devastated."
"Now you see why I was hesitant to discuss it with you. I didn't want you to worry about it."
"I am not, though."
"Why not?" I asked.
"… because I feel like we can accomplish more, not less. Together, we can work with our parents and push even harder."
"Hm… perhaps," I replied. "You are surprisingly more optimistic about it than I was."
"I have to cling to hope, not despair. If our fate was to fail because history refuses to change, then I challenge my fate."
I smiled at her. There was that fierce, determined warrior that I knew. Why did I even doubt that she could handle such a thought? I felt a warm sensation tingling through my body. This level of confidence and determination made me feel… proud? Yet, a part of me was still nagging the back of my mind.
"I… Lucina…"
"Yes, Raven?"
"… you are completely sure about us, right?"
"Where is this suddenly coming from?"
"Just seeing you, determined and ready to jump headfirst… you are such an amazing person. You have so many good qualities. Sometimes… I feel like I'm insufficient for you. Compared to you, I'm just… me."
"Raven, stop that. You really have this bad habit of doubting yourself and your ability. It's a trait that I am starting to question that you never overcame in your future self. It would explain many of the nuances to your personality…"
"Sorry, Lucina…"
"Nothing to be sorry about. You have your own strengths, Raven. You are just incapable of seeing them, much as I am sometimes incapable of seeing mine. We are our harshest critics and we oftentimes choose to see our flaws rather than our strengths. Humility is a gift, because it allows us to always improve, but lack of pride is just as damning as too much of it."
I thought about it for a second. Perhaps she was right.
"I… true. That is true. Thank you, Lucina."
"You're welcome. Remember, Raven, you have me. You're not alone anymore. Let me shoulder your burdens with you. Together, we move forward toward a brighter future. You are my light and I am your strength. Together, we can accomplish what neither of us could individually."
"… Lucina, you're spending too much time with Sophia."
"A maiden should always speak her heart. That's what she once told me. I feel that so long as I speak honestly and from the heart, my words will be understood. Perhaps I do not have the extensive and elaborate words she has, but I promise you to be as honest and truthful as I can with you."
"And I will do the same for you," I replied.
We finished our trek to the bottom of the mountain and rejoined the rest of our forces. We soon had our tents set up in the encampment and spent the rest of the evening eating and celebrating our victory against the Valmese forces.
Afterward, I returned to my tent and laid down on my sleeping bag. There was so much to think about, both with this war and with what would come after the war. Could we really, truly experience success against Grima?
I saw my tent flap rippling followed by an incoherent stream of what sounded like angry frustration.
"Is someone out there?" I asked.
"What kind of dumb question is that? How do you even try to get someone's attention inside? Gods! How do you even make sounds with this flap?"
Must be Severa.
"Can I help you?" I asked.
"I want to talk."
I sighed and got up. I opened the tent flap to indeed see Severa standing outside, staring at me.
"It's getting a bit late. You really should get some rest."
"Don't give me that attitude. It's important."
"What is it?" I asked. She broke eye contact and looked to the ground.
"Thank you."
"For what?"
"… for giving me the chance to talk to father. For letting me be the one to do the debriefing."
"Honestly, you did me a favor. I hate those meetings," I replied.
"Still! Regardless how you feel about it, of which I don't care about either way, I just wanted to thank you," she said.
"Well, um, you're welcome," I replied.
"Don't think I forgive you, though."
"I'm well aware that it will take a while for that."
"Also…"
"… also what?" I asked.
"Nothing. Nevermind."
"You can't simply start something and not finish it. Finish the job you started, Severa," I said. She shoved me in the chest, holding something. I stumbled back a step, but grabbed whatever she shoved into me.
"For you. Don't say I never do anything nice for you! It's a gift or whatever. I bought this in the village town. Don't you go dying on me! I'm not going to let you die. So, you better live. And you better get as strong as your older self! I want to beat you when you're at your best!" she said. Without another word, she turned and quickly walked off. I stared in the direction she walked off, mouth half open in confusion. I finally came to my senses and looked down at what she gave me.
It was an elixir.
Well, I guess she has her nice side after all… somewhere deep down.
Somewhere deep, deep down.
I put the elixir next to my travel pack and returned back to my sleeping bag. Just as I was about to lay down, I saw another ripple on my tent flap. Can I get some sleep? Gods, why is everyone bothering me tonight?
"… who is it?" I asked aloud.
"Can I come in?"
"Sure."
Lucina walked into the tent, holding a sleeping bag in her arms.
"What, did they forget your tent altogether now?" I asked.
"No…"
"Oh, your tent is already set up?" I asked.
"Yes."
"Then… what's going on?" I asked.
"I was going to ask if… I could spend tonight with you here. Perhaps, if you would like, every night after," she mumbled.
"Tired of setting up your own tent?" I asked jokingly.
"No…" she said with a frown before shaking her head.
"Are you sure? Are you okay with that?" I asked carefully.
"We spent last night together."
"That was because they didn't set your tent up," I replied.
"Oh. I… see. I didn't realize I was an inconvenience to you. Sorry, I'll go back."
"No, no! Wait, I didn't mean it like that. I just wanted to be sure this was what you wanted."
"If it was not, I would not have come over," Lucina replied.
"I… you have a point there," I said in resignation.
"Well, shall I sleep over t—"
"If you suggest again sleeping on the other side of the tent like you did last night, I'm going to kick you out."
Lucina laughed slightly at that.
"I wouldn't want that."
"Good. Now, bring yourself over here. I really do need to get to sleep," I replied with a smile.
"Very well!" she replied, a hint of a smile playing across her face as well. She set up next to me and laid down.
"Lucina? You remember what we talked about earlier?"
"What about?"
"You said you would eventually tell me whether you would accept my offer to share a room at the barracks. Is this not similar to that?"
"… oh. You figured that out faster than I thought you would."
"So, that's a yes?"
"Raven... naturally it is."
I felt her slide over next to me and put her head on my shoulder. I smiled slightly at her and pulled her close.
"That answer makes me happy. After everything that's going on… it's nice to know there's something to look forward to after this war."
"What do you mean?" she asked.
"Well, you mentioned that Grima comes back after this war. Honestly, even though I should be focused on this war right now, I can't help but occasionally look past that and stare that creature into its eyes."
"You've seen him? How?"
"I… had a dream or a vision or whatever you want to call it. I was standing in front of him with a blue-haired warrior and… oh, wait, that was you!"
"You had a vision of the day you died? Goodness, Raven, that seems rather morbid."
"True, but I saw him. His power. His magnitude. The Risen appearing around us. How I fought with a lance to distract them while you fled. How apparently I told you I regained my memories. How my lance was knocked away and I grabbed a Levin Sword and continued the fight. I guess I learned the sword in the future?" I asked.
"What? You used a Levin Sword?"
"Yes. Two, actually, I started hacking and slashing frantically to keep them off me. I was dual wielding them, not caring about defense in the slightest. Come to think of it, it was similar to Nicolette's style of fighting, except with Levin swords. I wonder if she met me and taught me in this future and you never knew. Anyway, I was systematically dismantling them as they approached me and keeping space around me."
"That must have been a dream. You never wielded a sword in your life. Otherwise, you would have been able to more readily learn father's style and teach it. Although…"
"Although what?" I asked.
"It would make sense, as we found many dead Risen who died by the sword. We assumed you had assistance or backup, but if you claim to have used those swords in that vision, it could explain where that came from. However, it doesn't explain where the risen who died to the bow came from or the ones that died to magic."
"Aren't Levin Swords magic?"
"… you are correct. But the level of damage and the number of Risen felled by magic implies a mage had dispatched them."
"Perhaps I am a mage, then?"
"You are a lance wielder, Raven. You have never used magic before, outside of your movement abilities. You also have never used a sword before, outside of perhaps that day of desperation. You have never used a bow before, despite your insistence upon being close to Elise. The day you died is truly a mystery… perhaps Robin and Elise arrived to assist you? It would explain the sword, magic, and bow usage."
"Perhaps, but you said they were missing after Grima's return."
"Them hiding and coming out at that time is more plausible than to think you are a high-level user of the lance, magic swords, bow, and magic, not to mention you have the movement level of a flashy swordmaster like Lon'qu or Gaius. One person cannot have so many finely honed and tuned skills."
"Robin can move like I can?" I asked.
"Perhaps he picked it up in the future."
"Hm…"
"Why are you so curious, Raven? I would think you would be reluctant to talk about your death."
"It is a mystery to me, to be honest. Clearly, something must have happened for me to survive that long and defeat so many of the Risen. Maybe I found a weakness in that creature? Perhaps I exploited something that gave me an advantage?"
Lucina paused and thought about it.
"Truthfully, the thought never occurred to us. The thought that perhaps you had found an advantage is one worth considering."
"Well, that's something we can discuss… tomorrow. Right now, I think I need my sleep."
"Indeed… as do I."
"Goodnight, Lucina."
"Goodnight, Raven."
With that, no more was said between us. The weight of her head on my shoulder slowly cut off circulation to my fingertips and as I flexed my fingers slightly, she moved her head. The unspoken connection and communication we had was growing and I found myself trusting her more and more.
I hope this never ends…