Connection
Kiran sat on a rock displaying another of those disgusted faces he usually had.
Nothing weird considering how badly hurt he was, similar to his second battle against the Hero-King.
It was just... frustrating how he still wasn't able to be at the same level of a common hero. He had managed to hold his own but, again, he could have never defeated that woman.
His face relaxed as curative magic surrounded him and it began to flow through his body, he certainly enjoyed this part. It felt so good!
"Thanks." he smiled back at the healer. Yet, she wasn't quite as happy as him.
The young woman looked down and said with a voice tone that just denoted how depressive she felt "It's just... part of my job... it's a pleasure... to help... " Then she turned around and walked away.
As far as he remembered, her name was Lissa.
Kiran sighed, he took off his left glove to observe and appreciate, once more, the Triforce mark. He then reflected on the fact he already had two things from The Legend Of Zelda. Perhaps it was time to get something from other series?
He couldn't ask for the buster sword because it was just insanely heavy, and even if it wasn't, it's not like there was somebody who could teach how to fight using that kind of weapon.
The same story would repeat with Ultima weapon. No matter how cool and blue it was, it was just a bad idea, therefore, a copy of the golden hilt master sword was the only practical thing.
Maybe it didn't need to be another weapon... he already had an awesome outfit as tactician. why not more aesthetical objects? he had money now and there was no reason why anybody would complain if he bought to himself something awesome.
He smiled as some things "materialized" in his mind.
Of course, all that had to wait as Evelyn approached and she sat by his side.
"Hello," she said.
"Hello." Kiran suddenly extended his hand to take Evelyn's one, as anybody would have expected, she narrowed. "Um... sorry! sorry!" Kiran shook his hands in a defensive posture. "You see... where I come from kissing the back part of a woman's hand is a way to display respect to her..." he gulped.
The woman raised her eyebrow, at least she didn't seem to be offended anymore. "Then why you didn't do this before?"
"I guess I was more focused on working than on being polite." He scratched his hair as his face denoted shame. He thanked a lot he hadn't tried this with the queen Henriette... that would have been so dangerous...
The purple-haired tactician extended her hand after three seconds of awkwardness. Kira nodded and gently kissed.
"Sorry."
"It's okay. Actually... it wasn't bad." Evelyn shrugged, then she placed her index finger on her chin. "Actually, It made me feel curious, any other weird custom they do in your world?"
"Well, we have this." Kiran showed the same signal he had given to Marth. "This means peace and love, it's usually used as a simple salute." then he showed the classic rock hand gesture. "And this is when you are hearing amazing music and then you say hell yeah!... but... well, let's say the musical genre it's usually associated with hasn't been invented here."
"What is that... music like?..." she scratched her hair.
"Um... well... it's very hard to explain... I would describe it as battle music... while orchestra usually attempts to make you feel relaxed or feel amazed... this genre, known as rock, usually wants to stimulate the adrenaline..." that was honestly the best explanation of metal and rock and roll he could imagine for this situation.
"Mmmmh... I'm not sure if music with that goal can be considered as art."
"I don't blame you, probably you would consider it insanely high nonsense noise at first." he laughed, imagining for a moment this was Back To The Future.
Evelyn got confused due to certain detail. "Um... weren't your eyes... blue?" she raised her eyebrow.
Kiran laughed again as he explained the same thing again. Then, he noticed something too.
"Em... you just came here to have a nice chat with me or...?" he would have thought she would be more busy doing anything else. Why would she waste time with him?
"Oh! right, I forgot with all this we did. I wanted to discuss what we should do now." she sighed as she became more serious. "I'm sorry for doing this but I need you and your troops to stay here for a while, with the remaining soldiers I have I'm not in conditions to protect the Gate from being captured again."
"I'm ashamed to admit I also lost some of the men you lent me... and sorry for taking so long... complications and all that stuff." Kiran shrugged and sighed.
She shook her head. "You were fighting Robin, the master tactician of Ylisse, that in itself says it's not gonna be an easy task. You don't need to apologize."
"Thanks for being so understanding." Kiran smiled, then he looked down and growled a little.
"Is something the matter?"
"Well, I wished to return to Lifstya as faster as possible, I left one of the heroes taking care of an important experiment back there... but well, reality does not care about what I want." he laughed.
"I will send a letter calling for reinforcements. During the time they take to arrive here... it will be a pleasure to teamwork with you."
"The pleasure is mine." they shook their hands.
"No, it's mine, I mean, you are the hero of the legend after all."
"Technically it's true, but come on, you would expect that hero to be a warrior with decades of experience, no a simple villager from a miserable country." Kiran laughed even more.
"You're not noble?" Evelyn's eyes went slightly wide.
"At all. I mean, even if that rank still existed the same way it works here back home I wouldn't be one." Suddenly, Kiran remembered certain detail that had bothered him since the first time he met her.
"By the way... your friend... or well, I don't know if he's your friend but whatever. The other tactician... the one that likes to be an asshole."
"Karl?"
"That wey (dude)," he nodded as while moving his index finger. "Yes... what the hell is wrong with him? no, seriously, is he always like that? does he enjoy being a fucking pendejo (moron)?"
Evelyn got to admit she was surprised by how suddenly the personality of this man seemed to change entirely, from a polite nobleman to a rude villager.
"Well, I've got a theory. You see, I've known him since we were children and he always told me how much he dreamed about becoming the next grandmaster of Askr. He has worked a lot in order to make that true... and then the hero of the legend appears and he results to be a tactician."
Now that explained a lot.
"He fears I'mma take his desired rank in the army?" Kiran raised his eyebrow. "Well, the next time you see him, tell him that this is my opinion regarding becoming grandmaster... and please, do tell him exactly the same way I did..." Kiran cleared his throat before speaking. "I. don't. give. a fucking... shit!"
Evelyn grimaced. "Um... I'll see what I can do."
"I mean, really, it's true I wanna be Alfonse's right hand once he becomes the king but it's more practical to me do that by being the royal scientist. If I'm a tactician right now is because these people are trusting much on me because of "I am the hero" and some overvaluing regarding my mental skills. But once all this is over I'm leaving the army."
"Okay?..." Evelyn was not exactly sure what she should say to this man.
"Anyway... emm... not that I wanna leave you but I'm a man with a looooot of things to do so..." he kissed her hand once more. "I... gotta go."
"Have... luck."
"Thanks!" then he left running as fast as he could.
She had to admit... he was the weirdest person she had ever met...
Besides the heroes from the world of Awakening, there were two heroes feeling particularly upset regarding the recent events.
And they had real reasons to feel bad... anybody would be like that if they saw a loved one that passed away a time ago in tragic circumstances.
While Roy understood that Eliwood wasn't the same man who had grown him up... it hurt a lot seeing that face. It was enough to make him depressive.
The more the memories of those good old times when he was just a kid and Eliwood told him stories, played with him to chess or any other board game... it just... it just...
It didn't help that... for the first time, he saw her mother in person... and not in a portrait...
As he felt water rolling through his cheeks, he just looked down... how he wished to have his own Lilina by his side at that very moment... he missed a lot her hugs...
Regarding the Lilina of the order of heroes, she was inside her tent, just as sad as Roy. Normally the fact she hadn't witnessed the death of her dad should have helped to feel less pain... but it wasn't the case.
After all, even in her teen years, she still enjoyed being her little daughter princess.
Just like his best friend, Hector always managed to get some time for her... to allow her to have the best childhood she could have ever asked for... how she promised her he would be present the day she would marry...
She felt a hand on her shoulder. She got confused... but smiled sadly as she saw her mother...
Florina didn't say anything, she just hugged Lilina.
Chrom, Sumia, and Cynthia spent much time hugging each other... the time Lucina had to explain to them she wasn't the same one they loved... to say it was uncomfortable would be a euphemism...
Stahl and Sully didn't display their usual personalities. Normally the female red knight would be training as if the world was about to end and the green knight would have eaten until he exploded...
Lissa needed to cry on Frederick's shoulder a few times per day. The knight not only felt pain in his heart due to his son Owain... but also in his pride for being unable to prevent that from happening.
Something similar was the feeling Cordelia was suffering. What a perfect person she was! they had taken away both of her daughters!
And then... Robin herself... she... just couldn't take it anymore. The pain of her friends was her pain... she didn't know how to make them feel better... actually, she didn't know what to do in this army. She wasn't the tactician in charge, which was something she was already too used to.
There was another detail... as much as she didn't want to admit it at first... the Askarian tactician made her felt... interested.
She had taken a wood sword as she and Kiran prepared to train. Given their similar clothes, ranks in the army, desires, situation about being the tactician of a blue-haired prince and his little blond sister, both being thrown into the adventure without getting to ask but willing to do it anyway.
It was just natural they felt a "connection"
Both swords clashed multiple times until it came a moment both decided to keep them making contact as both began to push. Having faced more battles than him, Robin easily got the advantage... and then she saw how his face deformed into a beast, not willing to give up.
"Grrr... grrrrr... graaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!" She got to admit she was partially scared... this man was growling as if he was being possessed... but she could see something in that face.
Determination... a determination that reminded her of a little to her own one. The same way she appreciated her friends... he appreciated his own ones... even if he was less gentile.
She fell as his effort and strength overpowered her. Yet, he seemed to regret going to so hard as he quickly extended a hand to her.
"Sorry about that... I... well... let's say I'm just... angry... I want so desperately become stronger than I forget we're just training."
She accepted his help. Once they were both standing up, she asked. "May I know why?"
"I'm just... tired of not being competent enough... to be always under the shadow of somebody else... even more in this case since my efforts are necessary to save the multiverse." he laughed as if his internal problems were just pathetic things. "I mean, if my brother were here, he probably would have become two times stronger than me in even less time." he laughed more.
So he also felt insecure about his skills... and yet, he didn't allow it to slow him down at getting what he wanted.
He and she really shared things in common even if they weren't exactly equal... she liked that...
It was pure luck Kiran didn't notice a slight blush on Robin's face.
Remember when I said my university wouldn't be in the way of allowing me to update faster?... how naive I was back then... the amount of homeworks and exams I'm having is on the verge of becoming criminal!
Anyway, let's not talk about that.
I probably should attempt to make this more into a show don't tell thing... one problem is that having such an insane amount of characters makes it hard. When you have that many it's humanly impossible to focus on all of them... that's part of the reason we almost always see a FEH fic from the perspective of the Kiran in turn. Yet, I must always mention a little regarding how the other characters feel respect x or y situation.
The kissing hand thing is kinda a reference to Zero No Tsukaima but I'm not gonna explain it, I'll leave it to you now to understand how.
I suppose the whole thing "I'm inferior to my brother" kinda seems to be out of nowhere and just in part to add a joke. Lol, he got a Luigi cap, his brother a Mario cap, and his brother can do anything better, what a funny coincidence!... I'm gonna explore it in the chapter: As A Teenager... which I think will not be the next one since I really want to write about him making vaccines already!
So... yeah, it was Robin, the girl I mentioned I had in mind. She is the one. I know Fjorm is there but... given some stupid things she does (especially the one regarding letting Laegjarn escape that easily)... wouldn't allow her to get points in this asshole's heart. Of course... does that mean Robin just won by default and she will have him?... we have a lot of story to explore yet. Even don't expect ever the official ship of this fic (if that eventually happens) to be displayed directly in the characters tags, it would ruin part of the surprise that might not be exactly a perfect one because let's face, I'm not as good writer as someone like Gokart48, DualBloodLines or Natzo. I'll just be leaving clues all the way, inside the story and in these notations of the writer. (Actually... who says I haven't been leaving them behind since the very beginning?)
Just a little thing more. You should read: The Forging Of The Ashen Demon, Crimson Heart, and Reach For My Hand. They are good Three Houses fanfics. (Just have in mind that the first one has a Terminator Byleth so don't expect to feel tension).
Anyway, time to answer reviews:
Guest:
It wasn't my conscious decision to make them, as you said, do the same crap again so I suppose it's good luck then XD.
JDT1829:
We must ensure our fantasy weapons are practical enough to be used though XD. For example the Binding Blade, I haven't put it in scene yet but don't expect it to be on fire because that's, realistically speaking, bullshit, it would destroy itself doing that.
They are dangerous! XD
Nino is the best.
Blexan22:
I don't understand why anybody would compare Surtr to Thanos... I mean, the first one is a homicidal megalomaniac asshole... Thanos is more like an anti-hero. Actually... I kinda agree with him.
I guess I should have made more clear that Kiran wasn't fighting at the same level as Lyn. That's what I fix with this chapter. Thanks for that.
