As all stars fall

I own nothing but my own ideas. Named for the sad song in game. Goodbyes. If this site is going down like rumours say, then I shall be like the band on the Titanic and Create even as it sinks.

The war over. Nohr has lost. And Leo is king. Xander is dead, and with him his retainers. Corrin is in Hoshido, and Camilia has gone to the wind, her retainers gone with her. Elise died in the same room Xander did.

Leo has no one, but Niles. And you. But you don't think you can stay. Not in the place Inigo's blood stained the floor. Not where you saw their bodies. Where Corrin and the Hoshidans cut through everybody. People who were protecting their homes. Xander, who was doing his duty to his kingdom. Xander, who was loyal to the end, and died for it.

You don't quite know how Elise died. Just that it was by sword, and that she had no weapon. She could have been a good mage, had she taken up the tome. But she valued trying for peace, more than learning how to fight. And still she died in the same room as her brother. To someone she called a sibling. It does not look like a Katana wound.

Why would Corrin do this to their family? The Hoshidans were no more related to Corrin than the Nohrians, but that shouldn't have mattered. Bonds over blood, as Robin would say, had proved in the end. Bonds over blood, other Shepards had chosen as well.

Yes Corrin had grown up in a tower. And Corrin had been very loved. The tower was safer than Garon. And that had probably not taken long for Corrin to figure out once they met him. So why. Why after being raised as a royal of Nohr, had Corrin gone running off to the other side? Why would someone who claimed to want to end the war, leave such a trail of bodies in their wake?

What you thought you knew of Corrin and what you see here, do not match. Perhaps you never knew Corrin as well as you thought. Perhaps no one did. Leo probably feels worse. He let Corrin pass,trusting that Xander could be reasoned with,that Elise would be safe. But they are both dead, and Camila has run, has left Leo the last loyal son of Nohr.

It might be something about dragons, dangerous and charismatic all at once.

But Corrin is no Robin. Robin would have come up with some insane strategy to unite them. Corrin may have managed to get Leo to understand something was wrong with Garon, but all they have done is killed the puppet, not the puppetmaster.

You would know. You have dealt with Dragon insanity before. You grew up under the shadow of Grima.

Leo will take care of his kingdom. His intelligence will help stabilize it after the defeat of war. And you should get back to your own kingdom. Olivia deserves to know that her son is dead, and Cordelia that her daughter is alive. And you want your parents, you want your cousin Lucina, and you want your friends. It's been too long, and you miss them.

But first, Leo deserves a goodbye. And a warning of sorts. Garon was not the only potential puppet. Iago's loyalties were not to Garon. He had seen something at the bottomless canyon with the crystal. He knows more than most.

Now how to word it?

You try to word them in a way that will keep you in character of Odin. But the topic is too heavy for that. Perhaps Inigo may have found a way to dance around with it. He can't do that for you,for his feet and tongue are forever still now.

You find him in Lady Elises room. He looks like he doesn't want to be there.

"Odin? Is someone looking for me? Tell them I'm occupied. I can't."

"Leo. " Your voice shakes, and you lose your words. You swallow and try again. "Leo, I can not stay here. I know you need me. But… I can't, ok."

He straightens and goes very still. His face is carefully neutral. "What do you mean by that?"

"I mean that it hurts too much to be here. That there are good memories, but right now they are painful. I want to see my faimly. I need to let Inigo's mother know what happened to him."

"Inigo?"

Oh no. You had not been supposed to say that.

"Laslow"

"I see. And I suppose you are all under an alias?"

"I am Owain. And Selena is Severa"

"I see. And why have you all been under an alias this whole time?"

"Your father was possessed by a dragon. I know it sounds ludicrous, but the Hoshidans. were not lying about that one."

"My father was what!"

"Did they not mention that?"

"No!"

Well gods, that makes this whole thing harder.

"Well, where I'm from, which is not in this world, the Fell Dragon God Grima sent the world into ruin. My cousin and the rest of us, traveled back in time to prevent that. But we still felt guilty about the ruined future. So when a mystery man asked us to save his kingdom, we asked him to restore the ruined future world. "

"And did you check that before continuing to help him?"

"No. We were then taken to… here, sort of. Then attacked by Lillith the dragon. "

"What do you mean by sort of?"

"The place is… under a dark curse the likes of which even I, Odin Dark, have met my match against. One does not speak of it directly. "

"Now is no time for games" Odin Dark distracts from the point. A distraction makes things less direct. You hope that is enough to deter the curse.

"It's not. As it is, I am pushing things, I think. Anyways, he had changed our appearances and abilities to better fit in here, and we flead Lilith's attack. And so he sent us to become subordinates of Garon, and we watched more children grow up under a dragon's shadow. Though this one has not brought ruin to the world, yet. For now, he has been stopped. But only the puppet has been destroyed. The puppetmaster still waits."

Leo stares at you.

"Say I believe you. For some reason. Say I believe you, then why did you not bring this up earlier."

"Iago's loyalty was not completely to Garon, but the being behind him. He was not the only one. And you would not even consider the possibility, before you went to the bottomless cavern with the dark crystal."

"I wouldn't, would I"

"The bottomless cavern is not true to its name."

At this Leo slumps and sits down on Elises bed, with his hands over his face. He massages his forehead, and looks so tired.

"Any other world shattering revelations, Odin?"

"I can use dragon veins. I never have, as that would have gotten the wrong kind of attention here."

"What!"

"I can prove this one. Would uncovering one of the healing tiles work?"

"That's fine."

It's not hard to find one of the castle's many healing tiles. You try to get Leo to stand on one, hoping it will help with his headache.

"How can you do that?!"

"I do have exalted blood in my veins. But, this was a gift. I have no idea if my friends retained theirs."

"You were given the blood of a dragon!"

"Perhaps. I was also given a crystal that could teleport to the world I grew up in, or its past I saved."

"Was Odin Dark real?"

"In the sense, did I act like that before? Yes. Before it was my sword arm, rather than my blood. But essentially I have not changed. I have enjoyed my time in Nohr, much as I have missed my family. Inigo worried he was forgetting who he was, and Severa was homesick and hated to admit it. She might have gone home. That may be where your sister is too. I would take you my lord, but…"

"I have a kingdom to run."

"And I have no idea how long I will be gone. Or if I will come back."

"Do you truly mean it?"

"Right now it hurts to be here. I can't say that I won't want to come back in the far future, but for now it feels that way. Like I want to put down the sword, and the tome and stop. I don't know if I can say I will be ready again. Right now I'm so tired, I don't have the energy to do anything."

"I see. Then I will miss you Owain Dark."

You turn to go.

"And Odin. You have a place here, if you ever decide to come back. "

You bow, a prince to a king. "Thank you"

"And ask my sister to come back if you see her."

"Of course"

It hurts to leave, but it would hurt more to stay.

Niles finds you, as you expected he would.

He looks as tired as you feel. But his loss does not hurt in the way Leos does. Still, you don't envy him.

"I don't think I can be Lucina. But Niles, I need to tell you something about prince Takumi. "

"Iago could possess him. But Iago was not the true threat."

You smile grimly. Of course he had been listening.

"He came back from the bottomless cavern. And I think you can guess what is down there."

"I heard"

"I would not have innocent blood spilled. But his mind has been compromised, and may be compromised again in the future. Please do not kill him now, we have just come off of the losing end of a war."

"But if he looks to be compromised…"

"Then do what you must. I could never stomach it, but my cousin was prepared to. I wish she were here. She might have the resolve I lack. Or tell me how she changed fate."

"And Corrin?"

"I feel Corrin is less likely, but should still be watched."

"You are too nice to be a good dark mage, Odin"

"I'm still a child of a ruined future. I'll do what I can to prevent another one. But I can't bring back a life once I take it."

Niles smiles. It's not a nice smile. The one you give him in return matches it.

"It would be hard to cover up an assassination now. I'll stay my hand"

"And I will trust you to it."

You begin to walk away. At the last moment, you do turn back. Niles gives a wave that could be sarcastic, but you know him better.

He will miss you too.

You take one last look at the castle, and the sky that has been your home for years. Then you turn away, and use the crystal to go home.

To a friend who is leaving the site. I wrote this with you in mind. I don't know if you will read it, but if you do, know that I will miss you here. I enjoyed our PMs, and your stories. I don't know if you will email me, but I do know, things will be different. And I felt that was worth a sendoff, a goodbye and like Leo, I have to hope that it is not forever.

I will miss you