save your tears
for the day
when our pain is far behind
- Origa, "rise"
Young Lions
queen of the cuts
Ike was the one who had taken her to prom. They'd first met as junior instructors at the martial arts school where they'd both trained for years. Her father had been wary of their friendship for reasons he would never say out loud. Lucina suspected that it had something to do with the politics of their home country.
Ike had graduated a year early so he could enlist. He went through basic training and got stationed at a base a couple hours away. Though no one at school ever saw much of him anymore, Lucina made him promise to attend her graduation.
Prom night was the first time she saw him in his dress uniform. He'd shown up in a friend's car, had greeted her father with a bow, hardly a word exchanged between them.
Lucina had bought her dress off the clearance rack at a local store. Had settled on a simple black gown. Her aunt came over and did her hair for her. She took her first pics in it with her father at home. Uploaded the best one. Then turned off the comments after she remembered that her friends all thought her dad was "hot." And that was disgusting.
She and Ike arrived at the downtown hotel fashionably late. Lucina already had plans to leave early. Prom was a foreign ritual. It had no meaning to her. She went simply because her friends wanted her to, because not going was too much of a statement in itself.
She spent the night taking pictures with her classmates, exchanging contact information with people she didn't want to lose but suspected she eventually would. She had no real enemies. She had people that she considered friends, but something about it tugged at her subconscious. Everyone was at a crossroads. They were all leaving, and there was something surreal and shaky about it. As if nothing were really permanent. All of life was an illusion, a transition from one state to the next.
They stayed until the last dance. She admitted that she didn't know how to dance. Ike just shrugged his shoulders.
"Try anyway."
"Don't get mad if I step on your feet."
"It's cool. These boots are steel-toed."
"Really? Where can I get a pair?"
People were already looking at them like a couple. Lucina figured she'd play the role. No one had to know the truth.
The end came too quickly, even for her. Then they were invited to an after-party. It seemed rude to refuse.
The rest of the night blurred out into a sequence of code: empty red cups, rooftop conversations, a late night fast food run, and passing out on the couch while listening to music.
She woke up under Ike's coat. Found him sleeping on the floor next to the couch. She had to tiptoe around bodies and beer bottles to find the bathroom.
She rinsed with mouthwash, took the makeup off her face, took the pins out of her hair, and pulled on the leggings she'd kept in her purse. Threw on her leather jacket, and went back out to shake Ike awake.
They left together. It was Ike's friend's house, the same friend who had lent the car, so he'd left it parked in the driveway. He pulled his and her personal items from the trunk, and left the keys on the hook by the front door. He changed in the bathroom, came out in riding gear and a backpack, and opened the garage door so he could bring out his motorcycle. He handed her a spare helmet and pulled shut the garage door.
She stuffed her ballet flats into her purse and pulled on her boots. Then she followed as he pushed the bike out into the quiet street and climbed on behind him.
They set off into the early morning. The neighborhood felt deserted. Had they all been abandoned?
At a red light, the silence broke to the roar of engines. Not theirs. Suddenly, Lucina felt her heart race. Other motorcycles pulled up alongside them. She looked around. They were surrounded.
Ike didn't even wait for the light to change. No one else was crossing, so he hit the throttle and tore through the intersection.
The other bikers did the same. They were being chased, she realized.
Ike took a sharp turn. He knew what he was doing. All Lucina could do from her position was hold on tight.
They weaved through light traffic. It was the weekend. The roads were empty. Every time she glanced behind her, their pursuers were still there. She counted five.
They could, she reasoned, between the two of them, handle five, if there were no weapons involved. All she had on her was a pocket knife her father had given her. And a stun gun. Which was guaranteed to take down one. So that left four. Two each.
Ike took another turn, down a smaller street, through a gas station parking lot, and down another street.
If they got caught, they would fight. She had already decided. That was it.
Somehow, she was ready. This, compared to everything else that had happened the night before, was what she really wanted. This was how she needed to mark the official end of her adolescence and the start of her adulthood.
Out of nowhere, a bike shot through the intersection ahead of them. Ike swerved to avoid a collision. He kept control of the motorcycle but was forced to brake hard to avoid hitting a wall.
They were now cornered. Lucina felt for the handle of the stun gun in her purse. Found it. Flipped off the safety.
The ring leader of the other group stopped in front of them and hopped off his bike.
"Thought you could get away, wah?"
It was such a cheesy villain line that Lucina did a double take. She lifted her visor slightly and leaned forward into Ike. "Do you know him?"
Ike's visor came up by a crack. "He's my family's landlord."
"Seriously?"
"It's complicated."
"What's with all the whispering?" the man shouted. "You owe me some money!"
"I'm not talking to you, Wario," Ike returned.
"Well, I've got you guys boxed in here, so I don't think you get to make the decisions."
"Is your family behind on rent?" Lucina asked.
"He keeps raising it."
"If I pay it off, can I shoot him?"
He gave her a hard look. "What?"
"If I pay your family's debt," she repeated, "can I shoot him?"
"Hey! I'm talking to you!" Wario stomped closer.
Lucina waited for him. Then she drew the gun.
"You wouldn't -"
She fired the stun round. Cut him off mid-sentence. And watched him drop, twitching, to the ground.
Ike hit the throttle, shot past the rest of the gang, and they twisted through an alley and landed on another main road.
The heat was on. Lucina felt the blood rushing through her veins. White hot adrenaline. Some kind of animal had just awakened.
They were clear for a minute. Then came, again, the roar of engines. She risked a look over her shoulder. Their pursuers were coming up from the rear.
Up ahead, there were more engines. Loud mufflers. Lucina whipped her head to face the sound. Four...five cars, up the road, crossed the double yellow lines and sped at them head-on.
Ike slid the motorcycle over the lines, to the other side of the road. The cars ahead flashed their headlights. Ike took one hand off the handlebar and signaled low, two fingers, as the convoy thundered past them.
They were modded street racers - lowered bodies, spoilers, stripes and decals marking their sides. Lucina spotted animal themed emblems. Fox, bird, frog, rabbit. Their windows were tinted.
A fifth car came up last, slowed down, window partly lowered. Unlike the others, it was half rusted, the front bumper held together by duct tape. Ike brought the bike to a stop alongside it, in the middle of the road.
"We got it!" a voice shouted from the driver's seat. "We'll fuck 'em up if they wanna fight!"
Ike nodded in appreciation.
Lucina caught a glimpse of brownish red hair and a black hoodie, a wild smirk, hardened confidence, then it was gone in a flash.
Ike hit the throttle again. Behind them, the riders that had been chasing them suddenly broke off, scattering from the path of the racers.
The roads were clear ahead. But Ike didn't slow down until they reached Lucina's neighborhood.
Here, the streets were wider, smoother, cleaner. The houses were newer, yards well maintained.
Ike pulled up to the corner and cut the engine. He lifted off his helmet.
Lucina copied him, shaking her hair free. The animal in her blood settled into a restless sleep. She took deep breaths.
Ike glanced back at her. "You good?"
She laughed, leaned into him, wrapped arms around him and squeezed. Waited for invisible wings to fold against her back. Waited for the fire to cool. And remembered some things she hadn't thought about in years.
Commander Greil's funeral.
Her own mother's funeral.
The history her father never liked talking about.
Remembered that they were once a people that belonged to a place.
"Thanks for the ride," she said into Ike's shoulder. There were things she wanted to say. But there were no words.
"Next time you need someone to cover your back," she added. "Call me."
He laughed. It felt like the most honest reaction she'd ever received from anybody.
He let her off at the corner. She jogged down the street until she got to her front yard. Stepping through the side gate, so she could slip into the back and sneak in, she turned to look over her shoulder when she heard the sound of engines.
At the corner, the convoy of street racers had convened around Ike. She spotted the familiar insignias: fox, bird, frog, rabbit. And the one with the rusted chrome. That driver got out and bumped fists with Ike. Laughing uncontrollably. Black hoodie, white tank top, holes in his jeans. His voice carried far, a rough, grating sound, loaded with raw energy, as he re-enacted the whole battle story for Ike.
She turned away and headed inside.
She didn't learn his name until years later.
She only thought of him in relation to Ike, who was deployed before the summer was over. She paid his family's rent for the month.
She and Ike exchanged letters, postcards, sporadically. She wished she could have talked to him more. They carried each other's secret. She wanted to tell him about the cute girl in her class that she'd been talking to. She wanted to ask him if things were all right out there. Her academy was run as a paramilitary organization. They at least had that in common. He never mentioned violence or nightmares or any other hardships. But she had grown up with her father's silence around difficult topics. She knew when an omission was a lie.
They both had scars to compare.
He was one of the first people she told about her acceptance into the tournament.
"You'll go far," he said. "I know you will. You're Shepherd Chrom's daughter. You were always going to be something."
In their cultures, calling someone the child of their parents was one of the highest forms of compliment. It didn't matter if their parent was a general or the village drunk. Being worthy of the familial title was a matter of respect.
"Will you be there?" she asked.
"If I can find the time."
According to his sister, they were taking part in some complicated projects. So Lucina wasn't surprised that he couldn't make it, and she understood why.
I'll carry you, she thought. I'll fight for all of us.
The first time, and the only time, he ever beefed with Roy was over Rosalina.
"I walk her to her apartment," Roy said. "From the bus station. That's it, Mac. We don't do nothing else."
"She makes it seem like you guys see each other all the time."
"Well, that's her problem. I don't even text her back half the time."
"Then how come she's always talking about you? She says you guys talk. Like, a lot."
"We don't hardly ever talk."
"That's not what it looks like, man."
"Listen, I never asked for this shit. Okay? She texts me every morning, and I just ignore that shit, alright?"
"She texts you every morning? The fuck is that?"
"I fucking told you, I ignore that shit."
Roy had a look on his face, like he was about to say something but stopped himself. Mac was about to pounce on that, but Roy tucked his hands into his pockets and fixed Mac with a hard stare.
"You wanna know the truth?"
"What?"
"I'm gonna tell you something."
"Okay?"
Silence. Roy looked like he was considering his options.
"I'm actually seeing someone."
Mac stared at him. "You're what?"
"I'm involved. With someone. It's a serious thing. It's been going on for years. We're a little off and on, but that's how it goes. You don't need to know the details. The main thing is, I'm not involved with Rosa, and I don't wanna be. I don't need any side chicks. The main one is already a bitch and a half. If I get caught cheating, you'll find me dead under a bridge. I'm not even joking."
"Oh. Um, okay?" Gears turned in Mac's head. "How come you never mentioned her? Were you two a secret or something?"
"Like I said, we're off and on."
"Oh. Okay. I'm not trying to get into your business or anything."
"It's cool. Just letting you know. That's what's going on with me."
"Well, yeah. You can, you know, bring her around sometime."
"I will."
And that was how the conversation ended.
Roy stopped walking Rosalina home. And Mac took over.
They went out to dinner a few times. And she even came to his fights. Stood in his corner at the illegal shows. Put up with the drunk creeps trying to get next to her. Let him sleep over at her place if he missed his bus or didn't want to take the long ride home. Made him breakfast in the morning.
She wrapped her arms around him one day before she sent him off and kissed his cheek. "Can I call you tomorrow?"
"Sure!"
And she walked up the stairs into her apartment and closed the door.
Mac walked home alone. Smiling under the cold autumn sun.
She did call the next day. But he didn't answer. He just let it ring. Eventually he blocked her number.
When Roy stopped walking her home, he had also stopped talking to Mac. And that was worse, somehow. Mac would rather lose her than lose Roy.
Roy was hiding something. Mac was sure of it. Maybe Roy did have feelings for Rosa, but he was stepping aside because Mac had seen her first.
Either which way, it just wasn't worth the friendship.
It was a cold winter that year. Mac still thought about her. It took him months to forget her. He tried his hardest to stop thinking about it. Even made a playlist to help him get over it. At last update, it had thirty-three songs on it.
And still, he kept imagining himself swinging by her apartment and apologizing for everything.
He was thinking about her when he came out of Doc's gym one night, around closing time, and almost smacked a random girl in the face with the door. The girl was studying the promotional posters in the windows, hands stashed into the pocket of a long coat, hair loose around her shoulders and held back by a gold headband.
Before he could even say sorry, she hit him with, "Is this Coach Louis's gym?"
Mac brightened up. "Yes, ma'am!"
"When can I get a tour?"
"We're closing now. But if you got time tomorrow, I can make something happen."
"Thanks, I'd like that."
"I'm Mac." He held out his hand, realized too late that she was bowing, and tried to correct himself, only to have her go for the handshake instead. "Sorry! I, uh..."
"Lucina."
"What?"
"We were introducing ourselves."
"Oh, yeah, right. Lucina. Do you ever go by Lucy?"
"No."
"Ah..." He made the mistake of looking directly into her eyes. She had some serious kind of stare. And she never blinked.
He stepped back instinctively. Realized a little late that it was dark out, and yet she was walking alone through the streets, and she didn't seem to care. At all. No hesitation.
"I can come by tomorrow afternoon," she said.
"That works."
"Good." She turned to leave.
And that was when he noticed the long case she wore on her back.
"Is that a freaking sword?" he blurted out.
"I beg your pardon?" She turned around.
"Sorry, it just looks like..."
"Yes."
"I...holy shit. That's nuts."
"Why is it 'nuts?'"
"A buddy of mine is into that too."
"'Into that?'"
"Yeah! We train together. You should definitely come by sometime. Roy knows a lot about swords."
Something sparked in her eyes right then. "Okay. Let's do that."
Mac felt his heart pound a little harder. Girls, he thought. They didn't know how magic they really were.
"Have you fought Zelda before?"
"Yes."
The elevator crept its way slowly to the top floor.
Before the doors opened, Roy instinctively offered his arm.
She took it.
Luma lead the way down the hallway. Cameras followed them.
"How's Mac doing?"
"He's good. You should hit him up. I think he'd like to hang out with you."
She sighed. "I'm not sure about that."
"Listen, he's an idiot. Whatever he did, he didn't mean it. I swear. He's my friend, but he's a fucking idiot."
"Do you know that Marth's never been with a woman?"
That one caught him off guard. "I - well, yeah. That's...Marth."
"Have you?"
"What?"
"Have you ever been with a woman?"
"You're really into personal questions, aren't you?"
"If I weren't direct, I'd never have gotten this far."
"Fair enough."
"I think I know the answer already."
"Okay?"
"Who was she? And how did she turn you off from all of us?"
"Long story."
"Tell me the whole thing. Later."
"We'll see."
At the last door, Rosa turned to him. "Wish me luck."
"Good luck."
She kissed him on the cheek. It was fast. Platonic. Maybe. He wasn't sure.
The doors opened. She let go of his arm and stepped onto the walkway without him.
On the other side, Zelda approached, slow and careful.
Behind her, two figures waited. And Roy froze when he realized who they were.
He had expected Link. But Link was fighting on another stage at the same time. So Zelda had brought two others with her.
One was Ganondorf. The other was Marth.
The countdown started. Then the floors opened, both fighters dropped. Their fall was graceful. Both known to be lightweight, they floated down to the stage, to the distant roar of the crowd.
The floor panels closed again. And Marth only gave Roy a hard look before spinning around fast and storming off.
Roy charged across the walkway. Not this shit again. It was the damn kiss, wasn't it?
Ganondorf stepped in front of him, blocking his path.
No time for this shit.
"Move."
But Ganondorf only smiled. "I don't think the prince wants to be bothered."
"Didn't ask for your opinion."
"He never said you were very smart."
"Yeah? And he never even mentioned your fucking name."
The smile fell. "You have no idea what goes on between us."
"Yeah, let me guess. He lets you hit it when he's bored out of his fucking mind."
"Well, I think you mean, when he's bored of your antics."
"He ever return your calls?"
The only answer was an icy stare.
"That's what I thought."
"If you had a single working brain cell - "
"That's enough."
It was Marth, who had appeared at the end of the walkway, behind Ganondorf. His eyes fell on the warrior king. "We need to go. Now."
Ganondorf glanced sideways. Something about the look that came across his face - Roy didn't like it.
When Ganondorf moved back, away from the confrontation, towards Marth, Roy started to follow.
But Marth shook his head. "Not you."
"Can we talk?"
"Later."
"When?"
"I'll see you tonight."
"Promise?"
"Yes."
They both turned from him. Roy watched them disappear around the corner.
It wasn't over. Not by a long shot.
In the elevator, Ganondorf waited for the doors to shut. Then he closed in on Marth and pinned him against the wall.
The prince didn't push him away. But the eyes that looked up at him were cold.
Ganondorf raised a hand to brush away the stray locks of hair that had fallen across Marth's forehead. He kept tracing a line with his fingers, down Marth's face, along the jaw, stopping under the chin.
"I thought we had a deal," he said.
When there was no reply, Ganondorf pressed his thumb to Marth's lower lip. Watched for a response, anything. And got nothing. So he tightened his grip, and brought his lips to Marth's forehead. With his free hand, he grabbed the young man's wrist, down by his side. Had to be wary of that, the sword hand. Ganondorf took only calculated risks, even as he drew his lips along the same path his fingers had taken. Down the side of Marth's face, until finally settling over his mouth.
The elevator doors opened.
And Ganondorf had no warning before something collided with him at full speed, crashing with him into the wall. He swung back with his fists but missed - because Roy was about three feet tall and Ganondorf had only trained to fight fully grown men, not ground-hugging gremlins. Normally he stepped on insects that got in his way. But Roy had both arms wrapped around him, and before he knew it, Ganondorf was lifted into the air and thrown face first down onto the elevator floor.
That was...interesting.
He twisted to his side, vision fuzzy, ears ringing, and caught one fist after another to the head.
Not quite the runt anymore, I see.
He grabbed blindly with his free hand. Missed Roy's throat. Got the front of his cheap shirt. Twisted around to toss him off like garbage.
But Eliwood's bastard child locked his arm, pried his fist open, and broke the smallest finger on his non-dominant hand.
Ganondorf grimaced. He didn't cry out. He'd taken worse pain before.
The next hit broke his nose. The follow up smashed into his jaw. Over and over again.
Marth got between them. Long enough for Ganondorf to take the edge of his own cape and open it up.
Made sure the little rat saw it in its entirety.
That did the trick. Made Roy stop dead in his tracks. And then the only sound was of their shared ragged breathing.
"The fuck?"
Ganondorf risked a smile. His face hurt like hell, and he could barely see. But that didn't matter.
"Go back to my room," Marth said, in a calm gentle tone. "Roy... Listen to me. Go back to my room. I'll meet you there."
Roy locked eyes with Ganondorf. And Ganon could see that those eyes were dark, almost black. That's how you can tell the difference, sources said. Eliwood's legitimate son had blue eyes.
Ganondorf raised a hand, like a peace offering, over the Sacaen flag, stitched to the inside of his cape.
"Since we're allies," he said, gesturing at Marth, "I'll let you have him on alternating weekends."
The last kick to the face knocked him out completely.
It'd been snowing all night. By the time the weather settled, dawn was already creeping in.
Scouts on the high ground called in sightings of the scheduled air transport. Like Snake had promised, the unit was undetectable by radar.
They'd slept overnight at the air base. It had been abandoned for some time, but the landing strip was still functional.
Soren had agreed to the location because it had some defensive advantages over the other choices.
"We're inbound," Snake's voice hissed over the codec.
"I see you."
"She's looking for the landing."
Ike signaled his people on the field. They signaled back. He waited for the second confirmation before he gave his answer.
"She's clear to land."
"Copy that."
Soren was asleep under Ike's heavy coat, back to the wall. His black hair fell in loose strands over Ike's canvas bag, which doubled as a pillow.
If he didn't get up in time, Ike would carry him to the transport. He'd wake up mad, but Ike was used to it.
Soren slept light, but the last few days had been hard.
Ike rose without waking him.
In the hangar, he found the Sacaen field captain securing a warm blanket over her horse.
"Ready?"
She turned, showing him her good eye. The other stayed in shadow, under a black eye patch. Scar tissue radiated out from underneath it.
Sue gave a sharp nod. Her people stand up from where they'd been resting. And then, to Ike's surprise, they turned toward the rising sun and sank to their knees.
Sue knelt with them and clasped her hands together. Together, they prayed.
Ike looked over their heads, to the aircraft approaching the field.
Soren slid up next to him, carrying the heavy knapsack in both arms.
"We're on schedule," Soren reported, eyes on the transport, his tone soft out of respect for their allies. "Weather forecast is favorable."
"Thanks."
They watched the aircraft touchdown. It made little sound. Only the windblown grasses gave away that it was real and not a mirage.
The prayer finished. Sue and her people huddled together, then they stood back, and she led her horse out of the circle.
"Let's go," Ike said. He took the pack from Soren and slung it over his shoulders. Without speaking, they moved together. Ike reached back and felt Soren's hand in his own. They followed Sue out to the waiting transport.
"You've got enemy units inbound," Snake warned.
At the same time, Ike's company channel lit up with the same message.
Soren had predicted this.
Ike switched lines. "Shinon."
"On it."
"Copy."
Sue had reached the top of the boarding ramp and brought her horse inside. She spared a worried glance over her shoulder. The other Sacaen fighters had already mounted their horses.
"Go!" someone shouted at her.
"We'll handle it!"
She turned to face them fully. She raised a fist to the air.
They returned it. Then they rode out in formation to the perimeter.
Sue stepped backwards, into the vessel. Ike climbed the ramp and pulled Soren in after him.
They strapped in for the take off. Sue put the restraints on her horse first before securing herself. They'd arranged for a separate compartment to be installed specifically for the animal.
As they took to the air, Soren consulted his tablet. "Enemy has air support."
Ike hit Snake's channel. "Our ground units need cover fire."
"I'm working on it."
"Scouts reporting anti-personnel drones," Soren said.
Sue undid her seatbelts and stood up.
Ike grabbed for her, but she slipped through and crouched by the open door.
Ike grabbed a tether and tied it around himself, secured it to the safety bar, and unbuckled his own restraints.
Soren reached out to him. Ike had to stop him with a look. "Stay put."
Ike made his way over to Sue. The tether pulled taunt. He undid the belt at his waist, slipped it under hers, and re-secured it, tying both of them together.
She had her bow in hand, bound to her wrist, a single arrow already nocked. The wind whipped at her braided hair.
A drone passed below them. Its sensors could not detect the transport above them, flying in stealth.
Sue's fingers hooked the string. At her back, Ike moved with her, anticipating the draw, hoping his presence would not ruin her shot.
She held full draw for a heartbeat, then another, and then, Ike caught a flicker of what could only have been the Snake Eye.
She released.
Ike, who was not an archer, felt it, felt the arrow as it flew - it was over before he could blink.
An explosion erupted below them. The drone sank like a stone, trailing fire and fragments behind it.
Her arrowheads were incendiary.
She watched the pieces fall. Then she allowed him to pull both of them back to the safety of the wall.
Ike hit the door lock with his fist. He undid the belt holding them together.
Sue fell against the wall. With robotic motions, she buckled the safety restraints over herself.
Ike did the same.
Sue pulled her bow to her chest. She glanced over to her horse to make sure the animal was all right, then she stared out into space without a word.
Soren kept his eyes on the tablet. He had his headset on. He pressed his shoulder into Ike's. He did this when his hands and eyes were busy, just to maintain contact.
They were gambling, Ike knew. Knowing the cost, it better be worth it.
"Do you think she'll agree to meet me?"
Ike looked over and found Sue still staring at the opposite wall.
"Yes," he said.
"But will she go against her father?"
"That I can't say."
"Are they close, as father and daughter?"
"Yes."
"Maybe...she can convince him to withdraw his forces from this conflict. I think that's the most we can hope for."
"She will listen to you," Ike said. "She'll judge you fairly. She has principles, and she'll stand for what's right. That much I know about Chrom's daughter."
She remembered New Year's day, a couple years back.
"I came up down in the cuts," she'd told Corrin that night. Alone on the couch in a dark room. The academy's annual party had ended. Everyone else was asleep, passed out on the floor. Dawn was only an hour away.
"We had the option of a farming job or a factory job or cooking meth. My father told me I had to study hard. He told me that when I got here, no one was going to take me seriously. Respect has to be earned. And people know what class you're born into just by looking at you. He said the odds weren't in my favor. But if anyone was going to make it, it was going to be me. And I swore I'd never disappoint him.
"My friends and I ran around town all the time, but we were never caught. So at least I can say I've never been arrested."
Corrin snuggled closer and mumbled something, half asleep. Lucina pulled the blanket over her. She'd been drinking. Under the covers, their fingers were entwined.
"I'll tell you more later," Lucina whispered. "I hope you understand."
we are soldiers, stand or die