Chapter 29 Path of Fate
Kamui and Azura arrived at a large open field. Ryoma and Xander both stood at the front lines of their armies ready to face each other with the rest of the royal families behind them. Xander saw Kamui and smiled
"Kamui! You aren't hurt, are you?" Xander asked
"I'm fine Xander, but why are invading Hoshido?" Kamui asked
"Father says it is time to show our strength. Join us and we can end this quickly. If we concur Hoshido now, we can avoid unnecessary bloodshed." Xander said
"I…need a minute." Kamui said
"Don't be fooled. This man is a Nohrian commander!" Ryoma said
"Ryoma…" Kamui said
Camilla, Elise, and Leo started to approach her a bit.
"Kamui, I was so worried for you. Don't wander away like that again." Camilla smiled
"You really do have the devil's luck huh sister." Leo laughed
"Yeah! We got our sister back!" Elise cheered
"Nohrian scum! First you kidnap her and now you lie to her? Kamui is MY sister not yours!" Hinoka shouted as she Takumi, and Sakura approached closer as well.
"You are mistaken. Kamui is MY little sister and you can't have her." Camilla retorted.
"Don't be fooled by their words. You belong with your real family in Hoshido!" Ryoma said.
"We have loved and cared for you since you were little. Come home and we can live as a family once more." Xander said.
"This way." Ryoma said as he held out his hand.
"B-Big sister?" Sakura asked.
"She's MY sister!" Elise shouted.
"We are your family!" Xander said doing the same as Ryoma.
All eight of them had a look of concern on their face. Even Takumi did as to who she would choose.
Kamui was lost in thought. Her true family?
Kamui glanced over at Hoshido. While she didn't know them as long, she was starting to feel the connection as a family to them and all but Takumi still treated her with kindness despite not remembering them. And then there was her mother. Regardless of what she felt for her siblings, she clearly felt a connection with her mother. And she was gone thanks to King Garon's sword. With that and that vision she had when she was younger, it was getting harder to trust King Garon.
But does she hate Nohr? Xander, Camilla, Leo, Elise. They have been the family she has known most of her life. She can't fight them. Even when she defied her "father's" orders, they went out of their way to keep her safe.
Her mind flashed back to when she was younger. She saw her younger self crying.
'Brother? Why did you have to leave? Why did you leave me all alone?' Younger Kamui cried
"Is that me as a child? I'm crying for my brother? Is it Leo? Xander? Or him?" Kamui asked herself. Vague memories are swirling around. She had another brother growing up, and he went…missing.
The scene shifts to a slightly older Kamui training with Xander.
'I have to get strong! I have to bring my brother home! I don't want to see my siblings cry again!' Kamui declared as she charged at her opponent.
"I'm starting to remember. My brother was taken from me when I was 7. I wanted to help look for him but I wasn't allowed to. I remember Xander coming back with the terrible news that the search was called off and he was declared dead. My siblings from Nohr crying...even Xander shead some tears. I vowed to find him and bring him back. So that I never have to see my siblings cry again. They have done so much for me despite the risk to them, just like back at the castle. I really don't want to fight Ryoma and the others, but my mind is made up." Kamui said
Kamui now back in reality walked over to Xander. She turned to Ryoma and drew her new sword.
"Ryoma…Withdraw your troops." Kamui declared with some strain as she stood next to Xander. The Nohrian siblings looked happy while the Hoshidans were shocked and hurt.
"You can't possibly mean that Kamui!" Ryoma asked in shock and hurt
"I am so sorry Ryoma, but I won't fight for Hoshido!" Kamui said
"What? How can you say that? Open your eyes! You've seen how vile these Nohrians are! They have trampled our lands and killed our mother!" Ryoma pleaded
"It's not that simple. I know what Nohr has done to Hoshido is unforgivable, and I know now that these aren't my birth siblings, but I refuse to fight them. My heart won't allow it!" Kamui declared
"How could you justify joining them? You've seen their sins! They took you from us! They are the reason we were never able to grow up together! You are my sister Kamui!" Ryoma shouted
"My sorrow is beyond words, but I can't fight the only family I've ever known." Kamui said
"You made the right choice Kamui. It is true that we are not blood related, but I still thought of you as our sister the moment I laid eyes on you." Xander smiled. "Father will be happy with your return."
"Are you sure about that Prince Xander?" Ryoma spat. "Surely you must know that King Garon attempted to kill Kamui recently."
"Explain yourself swiftly." Xander ordered
"There was an attack on our capital square recently. The explosion was caused by the sword that Kamui got from King Garon. If our mother didn't shield Kamui with her body, she wouldn't be standing here right now. How can he care for her if he was using her like that to destroy Hoshido?" Ryoma asked
"Is that true Kamui?" Xander asked
"It is, but I need to hear father's side of the story first." Kamui admitted. "I need to return home and learn the truth of this tragedy." The deep down she really didn't know what to feel about that.
"I'm afraid that won't be an option. If you wish to return to Nohr then you will have to defeat me first! I will not allow you to use the Yato to destroy our home!" Ryoma declared as he gave an attack that Kamui was barely able to block.
"Wait Ryoma!" Kamui pleaded.
"You will get no forgiveness here. Maybe it is a blessing that mother isn't here to witness your betrayal." Ryoma spat which hurt Kamui.
Ryoma was about to attack again, but Xander was able to intercept the attack.
"Stand down Hoshidan Prince. I will allow no further harm to come to Kamui." Xander declared
"Keep speaking and Nohr will lose it's crown prince as well. I will not stop until I have freed Kamui from your vile brainwashing. "Ryoma growled
"More false accusation. You know full well she chose this of her own free will." Xander retorted. "Even if we aren't her blood family, we are her true family. That will never change."
"Only because you stole her when she was little after killing my father. Your kind knows only betrayal and lies." Ryoma retorted "You rely on coward tactics and I won't allow it to continue."
"Fine then. It's almost poetic for us to fight." Xander said as he readied his dark blade Siegfried.
"Stop this both of you. Let us return to Nohr. There has been enough senseless death for one day." Kamui protested
"I'm afraid that retreat is not an option sister." Leo said approaching Kamui.
"Why would you say that?" Kamui asked
"If we retreat, they will think that not only do we fear them, but that coerced you into joining us. This is our chance to prove without a doubt that you joined us of your own volition." Leo said
"I agree with Leo. We did nothing wrong, why should we flee?" Camilla asked. "You are worth fighting for."
"Don't worry. We are together again. Everything will work out." Elise cheered
"I guess we have no choice then." Kamui sighed in defeat. There was no changing their minds.
"If you are ready to fight then fight!" Ryoma declared
"We won't let them take Kamui again!" Hinoka declared as she got on her Pegasus ready for battle.
"This is our chance to avenge mother's death." Takumi said in anger
"I'll help too. Kamui. Please c-come back to us." Sakura pleaded
"You all have my pity." Xander said "With my sacred blade in hand, you don't stand a chance."
"I will protect Kamui no matter what!" Camilla declared getting on her Wayvern.
"Let us show these fools how a real family fight!" Leo declared getting on his horse.
"Let's do this quickly though. I'm starving." Elise joked getting on her horse.
Jakob had then joined Kamui, having looked for her since they got separated back at the Bottomless Canyon and the two mighty Kingdoms charged into battle.
From afar, Xigbar watched within a Corridor of Darkness.
"And ding, ding, ding we have a winner!" He joked. "Prince Ryoma this is your lucky day. While your sister didn't choose you, we have and you have big things ahead of you for your future."
From another side of the battle, Silas watched. "So, Kamui chose Nohr. I wonder what this will mean to the world?" He asked himself. Something in his gut told him that this was the beginning to something big and it didn't all feel like good things were coming.
Ryoma and Xander clashed with each other while Kamui and the others fought the rest of the Hoshidan siblings.
While Xander was phsically stronger than Ryoma, all that power meant nothing when Ryoma was far faster than Xander.
'Damn. He's far too quick. I can't land a hit on him.' Xander grunted. He knew full well that the High Prince of Hoshido was definitely worthy of being called his equal on the battlefield, but this fight was not going the way he hoped.
While Nohr was more about power, Hoshido was more about speed. With the ninjas and the Samurai's insane movement, one had to be careful when facing them and Ryoma was a fine example of this.
"What's wrong Crown Prince? Can't keep up?" Ryoma mocked
"I am far from finished here!" Xander declared.
"That's quite enough there High Prince!" Leo called out.
Ryoma turned and to his shock, Hinoka, Takumi, Sakura, and Yukimura were beaten and only Yukimura was still conscious.
"Ryoma please fall back! There has been more than enough senseless deaths today!" Kamui pleaded
"You expect me to let Nohr get away with all of this?" Ryoma demanded
"If you care for the lives of your siblings, then stand down." Leo threatened
"You have only proven my point that you Nohrians have no honor." Ryoma spat
"This is war dear. Anything to keep OUR family in tact." Camilla teased
"Camilla please!" Kamui said.
"You truly wish to do this Kamui?" Ryoma asked
"I told you Ryoma, I can't fight them." Kamui said
"Then I guess I have no choice. SAIZO! KAGERO!" Ryoma shouted
The two ninja threw several smoke bombs around blinding the Nohrian Royal Family. Yukimura saw his chance to grab the three siblings and flee on his horse.
"This is far from over. Know that Nohr will face justice for its crimes!" Ryoma declared as he ordered the Hoshidan Forces to withdraw.
"Well, this didn't go exactly what I was hoping for, but we won all the same. Let us return and report to father." Xander ordered as the Nohrian forces headed back for now.
While the fight was over, the war had just begun!
Azura met up with Kamui before she left
"So, you really intend on leaving us? Once you do, you can't undo anything." Azura warned sadly
"I've known them my whole life Azura. Like you with Hoshido, I can't fight Nohr." Kamui said
"Then I suppose this is farewell Kamui." Azura said a bit sad as she ran off with the rest of Hoshido.
"Azura…" Kamui said sadly.
And that's a wrap!
Sorry for skipping the battles. Basic Fire Emblem fights aren't the most fun to write. Or easiest.
Now I know what some of you may be thinking:
"Golden! You lied to us! You said this was going to be Revelations!"
Correction: I said it would END in Revelations. I never said it would start in Revelations. I want to incorporate all three paths into this, and as some have noticed and pointed out, Corrin is leaning more to Birthright even without being present thanks to that nightmare. After all, what's war without little drama?
Personally I would rather do Birthright over Conquest, but this helps with the story overall, and gives the Organization more of a footing forward with their plans.
As for the whole Ryoma vs Xander thing where Ryoma was about to win, well in my experience, Ryoma always came out on top. His dodge rate made him far superior to Xander in Fates Chapter 6 for both Birthright and Conquest, and there was that one level in Warriors where you have to size the forts before Ryoma and Xander kill each other and every time I failed that chapter, it was because Ryoma killed Xander. Never the other way around.
Next chapter we head back to Roxas as he makes a major choice in his life. Stay tuned
Guest: You mean that one where all the guardians minus Sora and Kairi face against those replicas ending in Mickey's best moment in the entire franchise? Heck yeah I'm doing that!
Guest: You'll see
Reader: No one is going to fall that fast