Author's Note:
EDIT: ALSO I FORGOT TO SAY IT WHEN I PUBLISHED THIS 5 MINUTES AGO BUT: That Fire Emblem Direct was... man, it made my day. My week. My month. A gift I wasn't expecting but am glad to recieve. I have an Android, so it's less than 2 weeks till I get FE Heroes (if you look at my icon, I changed it to Heroes!Robin) . I'm also planning to get Echoes: Shadows of Valentia once I have the spare cash, and am ready to hear about Switch FE at any time. Warriors isn't really my preferred style of game, but I'm happy FE is getting the chance even if I don't play it. Still, 4 FE games at once? I couldn't be happier. Now on to the actual/relevant AN:
I don't have much to say today. Thank you for the reviews, everyone. I appreciate constructive criticism, and try to fix my story whenever I see things pointed out. This is actually the first thing I've ever published so what you see mentioned in the reviews is all the criticism/guidance I've ever gotten. My writing isn't really up to my own standard, and there are at least 4 scenes in here I think need to be fixed but just can't figure out how to. I'll come back a year from now and fix it up, I'll bet, but until then you'll just have to read this version! I still need to go back to my first chapters and revise, since they make me cringe at points. I'll wait until my writing skills improve a little more to do that though. I said I had nothing to say, but it seems that wasn't true.
Last thing: Oh my gosh. 300 followers, and in only 5 months. I never thought this story would get so big, and it still seems unreal. And with almost 200 favorites and over 130 reviews, I'm in awe of how great a response this has gotten. Thank you all so much for checking me out. It means so much, and I don't realy know how I can express it. In any way other than trying to write the best chapter I can for you next time. So, without further ado, enjoy.
"Finally, some rest!" Robin shouted, throwing his hands up as he fell back into his bed.
He and the rest of Corrin's Army had boarded a ship for Cheve, and would be arriving within the next week. They had already been on the craft for a week, but it hadn't been relaxing in the slightest.
Though they did have members of the royal family with them, and royals tended to be rich, the group was actually pretty broke. Sure they had money for food and weapons and things, but the money to pay to sail almost twenty people and three mounts from Hoshido to Nohr, aka one country to its warring opposite, was a lot more than they had available. They were also trying to keep as low a profile as possible, even though that was impossible to do completely, so announcing Takumi and Sakura were members of the Hoshidan royal family that could pay the captain back later wouldn't work. Plus if the captain knew who they were, she might've refused to take them. Taking random Hoshidans to Nohr was one thing, but taking Hoshidan royals to Nohr was grounds for execution if the Nohrians found them out.
Accordingly, Robin and the others had been put to work over the last week to pay for the trip, scrubbing boards, helping in the kitchen, repairing the sailors' clothes, moving boxes, washing dishes, whatever the captain asked. Wanting everyone to be in top shape for any possible fighting in Cheve, Robin had asked the captain if they could just work extra the first week, and slack the second. She didn't think that that was equal trade for the voyage though (despite the fact Robin had still promised her pay for food, so all they were doing was taking up empty space anyway). So, the compromise was that they'd have to work the first week in full, could rest the eighth day, and would work the ninth through eleventh days. It was fair, and Robin accepted. He himself had been busy the entirety of the first day, so had to work for a few extra hours on day seven to make up for it. The work had him beat, and he was relieved to be able to go to bed.
Sitting up to remove his boots, Robin left on his coat and other clothes before going under the covers, snuggling in to preserve all the heat he could. It was cold out at sea, more so than the trip to Valm, and he was more of a hot weather guy. Maybe it was in his blood, since his parents were from Plegia, a desert country, after all. His father was at least.
Sleep was more important than ancestry though, so curling up into a fetal position under the blankets, Robin let his mind wander, relaxing and soon falling asleep.
Some hours later, Robin woke up to cold air filling the room, brushing against his uncovered face. As the only part of his body not under the thick blankets that cornered the bed, his face was already cold, but the air only made it worse. Shaking his head, Robin got up, groggy. He began to put on his boots, but after a few moments paused to go out on a second layer of socks over his first, and a long sleeve shirt under his regular shortsleeve. It was freezing in his insulated room, so who knew how cold it would be on deck.
But that brought up the question of just how long Robin had been asleep.
His grogginess had quickly faded, and once it did Robin realized he felt pretty good. His rest had been wonderful, and he must've slept for several hours at the least, likely into the double digits. Was that enough for the temperature to drop as it had? They were changing locations, so they could be sailed into a cold front or something, but the difference seemed a little extreme to Robin to be just that. Opening the door, he was blasted with a rush of icy air, and Robin ran back inside, finding a black scarf to tie over his face. Once he lowered his hood, Robin realized that all someone could see of his body was a small strip of skin from the top of his nose to his eyes, with the rest covered by boots, pants, gloves, scarf, coat, shirt, or glove. He was kind of pathetic being so bundled up, but he was cold and frostbite would not get him if he had any say in it.
Even Rinkah was feeling the effects of the freezing temperatures, evidently. As Robin walked through the halls to get onto the deck and ask the captain what was up, he saw Rinkah walking in the opposite direction, huddled under a blanket. She was muttering and shivering, clearly unhappy. Once he passed her Rinkah sent up a glance, continuing on before turning back around for a double take.
"I'm cold," Robin shot back at her, not stopping. The words were muffled by the scarf over his mouth, but Robin figured Rinkah would understand.
Because he really was, and there was no way he would delay his march to the captain to explain any more to the tribalist. Not that there was anything to really explain anyway.
At the top of the deck were the three riders, with Gunter, Reina, and Subaki all at their respective mounts. Azura was with Jakob and Corrin, Sakura speaking with Reina and Orochi having cornered Takumi once again. Hana was leaned over the side of the boat, looking down at the sparkling ocean in admiration. She'd probably never ridden in a large craft, and the ocean was truly something to admire.
A large groan when the boat gave a particularly large bob destroyed that assumption, though. It seemed Hana was just seasick. How Robin hadn't noticed the entire week was odd, but then again she and he hadn't been in the same place the entire time. They didn't even take meals together, since the ship's kitchen and mess hall weren't large enough to accommodate all of them and there were typically at least two meals held for every major one a day.
Now that he thought about it, Robin had seen Hana once after a meal. And she wasn't looking too great then either. The tactician hadn't really thought seasickness though. That day, the second day of their voyage, he had helped on kitchen duty. Well, there was a reason the Shepherds had banned him from the kitchen, and Corrin and the ship's captain quickly enforced the same ban once she saw the…. thing he cooked up for dinner. Some people had tried to eat it as not to waste the food, but it was such a gross slop of a stew that it could hardly be called such. The ship's head cook called it an offense to cooks everywhere.
Since Panne was the only one who ever liked his cooking, and Panne couldn't really eat most normal food, her acceptance of his carrot stew really shouldn't have been the indicator that his skills in the kitchen were finally good enough to feed other people.
The air temperature dropped rapidly, and Robin couldn't help but shiver even under his layers. He should have put on another pair of pants too…
That wasn't the main concern though as conversations dropped and noses were stuck in the air, people looking up and around to see what was going on. Half a minute later, the boat lurched, crashing into something solid. Hana, who was still leaning over the ship, was thrown overboard. Subaki and Reina both dropped their grooming supplies to mount their flyers, but a shout from Hana that she was fine stopped them. A shaky hand was visible on the side of the boat, with which Hana pulled herself back over, slumping into the ground.
"Hana! Are you okay?" Robin asked, running over to look over the girl.
She had tears in her eyes, and was still pale.
"It stopped… It finally stopped. The rocking's gone…" Hana cried, the tears falling down her face and rolling to the sides.
"What's going on!?" the ship's captain bellowed, anger and confusion showing. "I've traveled this route thousands of times, and nothing like this has ever happened. What did you people do? I knew transporting armed strangers was a bad idea."
"No no, it wasn't us, really! We're just as surprised as you are!" Corrin denied, clenching her fists.
Jakob had moved to look over the edge, his eyes wide. "The sea has been frozen."
The captain's nose flared, and she gave a large yell to her crew to examine the situation. They all confirmed what Jakob had said. Far away, waves could still be seen lapping, but there was no way that their ship was going to get anywhere anytime soon. Even their sister ship, loaded with supplies, slightly smaller, and traveling a little ways behind them was caught in the icy mass.
But the sudden freezing over of the ocean wasn't the only mystery bugging Robin - also stuck in the ice were two vessels Robin didn't recognize. One to the north, one to the south. They were larger than the one Robin and friends were on, and looked almost like war ships.
Scratch that, they didn't look almost like warships. They looked exactly like warships. That wasn't good.
By this time the rest of Corrin's Army had filtered onto the deck, and the ship's regular crew had begun to back away. From where he stood Robin could see two wyvern riders, both carrying two people flying toward them. He ordered the captain and her men to go belowdecks. Thankfully, they complied.
"Is that Lady Camilla?" Gunter asked, squinting.
"Ahaha, good eyes old man," the first of the riders laughed. Her laugh was really nice, Robin had to admit. She was pretty too. But from her looks and title, she was one of the Nohrian royals, so for the moment they had to fight. She didn't come in range of any melee weapons though, and while Robin could probably hit her with his thunder tome if he charged it, he decided to let her and her companions fly free where they were hovering.
"He isn't the important one though. How are you doing, Corrin? I've missed you so so much. Ever since you confronted Xander I've been worried sick. I thought you were hurt or sad or lost. I'm so glad to see that there's a smile on your face, my precious, adorable little sister."
"Camilla-"
The woman got straight to the point: "But, sadly, I can't say that anymore. From this moment on, you must throw away our relation and all that connects us. We have to fight, and familial love is nothing good to bring to a battle zone. Just remember that I have always loved you when I cut you down. I'm doing it for you, darling. Even as my axe pierces your body, know I do it because it's better than the alternative. You don't want to be brought back to Nohr. What father would do to you I don't even want to think about. I'm so sorry it's come to this, Corrin, but I can't back down."
"But Camilla, can't you see that what I'm doing is for the good of Nohr as well as everyone else? Let me just talk to Father, what I'm doing will benefit him-"
"No, Corrin. Father will not believe you. He doesn't believe any of us anymore. I hardly think he even understands what we're saying half the time now. And he's ordered you put to death. Put to death in a public execution, only after six months subjected to whatever Iago can come up with. Darling, I'm doing this for you. You can't win. And I love you. I hate that you've come to this, but it was destined to happen ever since you betrayed us and Nohr."
Camilla turned to the two women on the wyvern to her right, addressing the one riding in the back. She was dressed in a maid uniform and had two thin pigtails, plus a hard resolve.
"Flora, if you will."
The woman nodded and a blast of cool air rushed through the area, making everyone shiver.
"Flora? What are you doing here? I thought you were ordered to stay back at the fort?!" Corrin shouted, trying to raise her voice to cross the long distance between them despite the whipping winds.
"I was, but I've been given new orders. King Garon has ordered me and the other members of the Ice Tribe to eliminate you." Flora paused momentarily, probably to take in a deep breath. "Lady- no, just Corrin now. Corrin, I'm sorry about this. I have always put all of my effort into caring for you and making sure you had the best and most comfortable life possible. Now it is my job to make sure you have the best and most comfortable death possible. I agree with Lady Camilla; you don't want to go back to Nohr. So goodbye Corrin. I'm glad I got to spend all those years in your company. Now I will show you no mercy." The woman's expression wasn't visible from Robin's position, and he found himself disappointed. It would've been nice to get a better idea of how the maid was feeling.
Jakob was not going to let the woman's words pass, flinging an arm in front of Corrin and pushing his mistress back slightly.
"Flora, please! Reconsider this, do you really want to do this? To hurt Lady Corrin and to-" Jakob took in a breath. "Flora, tell me, why is it that you've decided to go through with this. You've never liked King Garon. I know you and the rest of the Ice Tribe would never willingly go through with something like this!"
"You know why, Jakob," Flora said softly, turning her head down.
"So the King really has gone insane then…" muttered the butler. He hit his lip and lowered his hand, turning to Corrin. "Milady, I'm afraid to say that the only way we can unfreeze this sea and progress to Cheve is to eliminate those in our way."
"What do you mean?" Azura asked, entering the conversation.
"King Garon has ordered the Ice Tribe to take out Corrin on threat of death, hasn't he? He's promised to murder you all if you don't obey…" Jakob said, addressing Flora.
"You understand my predicament then. Jakob, you are a proud Nohrian. I'm sure that if you give up now, I can bring you back to the Ice Tribe and that father will protect you. Please don't make me do this. It doesn't have to be like this, we can-"
"Flora! I know it doesn't. But I have pledged my life to two. And in the situation where I must choose… I have already gone this far with Lady Corrin, and she got my pledge first. I… I am very sorry, Flora, but I-" Jakob cut off, bringing a gloved hand to his mouth. "But I cannot go with you. I wish you the best of luck in helping the Ice Tribe. I pray that you, Felicia, and Kilma may stay safe in the days and weeks to come. Hold on until we get there. I promise that I will do everything within my power to help you. Just try to keep King Garon at bay until then. If you at least tried to stop Corrin, that should hopefully be at least a little to tide him over until the time comes."
Flora took a moment to consider Jakob's words, her voice shaky at her reply.
"Thank you, Jakob. I know that this is your duty, and hope we can reconvene one day. I'm so sorry, but I have no choice. If anything, I shall see you in heaven. Well, if I have not committed enough crimes to reach hell. Today may be the tipping point…"
The rider with Flora directed her wyvern back to the northern ship, Camilla and her passenger staying momentarily. Red hair flew around behind the beast's master, but Robin couldn't see a face and so didn't know who it was. He'd figure out soon enough though.
"My beautiful little Corrin… My heart goes out to you. I love you so much, and I want you to know that. I don't need it in return, and doubt you can even think to love me at this point, but know I will always think of you. You will always be my darling little sister. Now come and find me. I want to hear your last words. I will remember them forever, my sweet, sweet Corrin."
Camilla reared her mount and turned it around, following the first wyvern rider.
From the new angle Robin could see her companion was a pigtailed mercenary with just about the longest hair Robin had ever seen. If she had it down, it would probably reach her calves if not feet. Was that a mercenary tradition, or something? Long hair and pigtails? Because he'd seen it before, but knew pigtails weren't very common in people in their teens or older. That was a question for after the battle, though. For the moment, he had to prepare.
Hana was still pale, and probably hadn't eaten anything all day. She was in no condition to fight, so Robin ordered her below deck. She wasn't too happy about it, but complied after almost falling over when Oboro bumped into her.
All the Nohrian big shots appeared to be on the northern boat, but that didn't mean the southern one had nothing to worry about. There were plenty of wyvern riders flying above the ice, and if they wanted could transport their companions from the southern boat to Corrin's. The problem would be getting over to the other boats. Corrin's Army had all of two flyers, and trying to transport themselves one by one was suicide. They could just wait for the Nohrians to fly to them, but Robin doubted Camilla and her three personal companions would leave the north ship. She was smart enough to keep her advantage and let Corrin and co. come to her.
Azura provided a solution though, mentioning something that Robin hadn't heard of before.
"Corrin, I think I can feel a Dragon Vein under the ice. But I'm not sure quite where it is. We'll need to wait for the currents underneath the ice to slow so we can locate and activate it."
Corrin nodded, and started telling people to spread out across the ship, settling herself in the middle.
'What the heck is a Dragon Vein?' Robin though, confused. 'And what does she mean she can feel it? Is that a characteristic of people here? Wait, Corrin can transform into a dragon can't she? So maybe the Dragon Vein is something only she can activate. But if Azura could tell it was here when no one else could, does that mean Azura is a dragon too? Although I've never seen her transform. Or Takumi and Sakura, since they have the same parents and should be able to. And for that matter I've never actually seen Corrin transform either. She said she did in Mokushu but I wasn't watching, so I still don't know what she looks like. Darn.'
For the next ten minutes Corrin's Army waited on their craft, fighting the Nohrian troops who flew over. Robin placed everyone so they were at the edge of a flyer's apparent range, with a person wielding a ranged weapon behind them. Takumi was particularly spectacular for that, his bow taking down the wyvern riders pushing at them sometimes in one hit.
A few riders made their way onto the deck, but avoided damaging its contents in favor of going for the combatants on board. That was a huge relief to Robin, since getting attacked would require enough of an explanation and probably compensation, and he didn't want to think about how much it would cost to replace any goods that were damaged in the fight. He was relieved when Plegia hadn't asked for payment in return for the ships. Of course, they went to war soon after so there was that, but still. Although maybe they did ask for something in return after the war, when Robin was already gone. That was for another day though.
Other riders were shot from the sky, falling down onto the ice below. It was thick enough to stop a ship, so no riders fell into the freezing waters below, but the sound of impact was painful and Robin was glad to be standing on solid ground. The riders who fell mostly fell because of injuries sustained by their mounts, and Robin found himself worried for the creatures. Yes, the riders could get back onto their original ships by ladders thrown off the side, but the wyverns themselves were left unable to fly, and couldn't climb up the weak string that was too small for them to grip, even if they somehow understood how it was one would climb a ladder. The tactician had heard of some show wyverns that had been trained to do similar things, but these beasts were meant for war, not the circus. By the look of things, they would remain on the ice until the sea thawed, at which point they would sink down into the sea.
Staves, unlike the other weapons of Archaea, had limited uses. The Nohrians had few supplies in their country. From what Jakob said, trees of fine enough quality to make heal and mend staves were few and far between, and so Nohrians used them sparingly. Of all the wyvern-rider pairs on the ice, Robin only saw one that looked like they both had a chance to get back up. The rider had taken off his helmet and was applying a potion of some sort to his mount's wing.
Sometimes concoctions or elixirs could be physically applied to wounds and heal them if they were created properly, but Robin had no idea what kind of healing craft the potion was. The rider may have also given it one to drink. Robin was having trouble looking at the pair and fighting off oncoming flyers at the same time.
Azura spoke up again, alerting her companions to their chance of switching to the attacking force, rather than the defending.
"Corrin! The currents have slowed. I think you can use the Dragon Vein now," she shouted, fending off a mage who had arrived with one of the flyers that'd landed on their ship.
"Alright!" Corrin yelled back in affirmation, closing her eyes.
She stood still for around ten seconds, head turned down. Once those seconds had passed, she opened her eyes and ran to another part of the ship, thrusting out her arms before her, stance wide. She crossed her hands, her left wrist passing over her right, and closed her eyes once more, this time much more tightly. Her forehead wrinkled in either concentration or effort, possibly both, and she exhaled deeply. Soon the ground lit up a deep blue, turning cobalt as it swirled around her.
The blue energy, resembling a bright fire, shot into the air. Slamming down onto the ice between the Southern Nohrian boat and the Hoshidan travelers' second supply ship.
"W-wait, that was supposed to help us get to Camilla…" Corrin stuttered, mouth forming a small 'o' "But at least we didn't open the other boat to attack us?"
Robin frowned, correcting the girl in her completely positive assumption: "No, it isn't the 'at least' situation. From what Leo said and Jakob and Gunter have told me, Nohr is suffering for supplies. And here's a supply ship that just happened to pass their way, carrying their enemies. They'll probably take everything off of our ship and bring it to theirs, since they're in need. And from the way they acted when we got around the supplies, we, who have been only nice to them… I don't think they'll just hand everything they have in board over. Those things are their livelihood. The crewmembers on board might end up trading their lives for their cargo, and that isn't a fair trade. Especially since it's doubtful the Nohrians would just give up the stuff after getting so far. Even if they had to get rid of a few men in the process. They're Hoshidans, and the two countries are at war anyway. Do you see another Dragon Vein?"
Corrin shook her head, but the next voice Robin heard didn't belong to the princess.
"Actually we're from Senin!"
Robin shot a glare over where the hole leading to where the sailors were hiding was, and heard a quick thump of the cap closing. He was close enough, and they needed to stay safe.
Another plume of blue fiery energy erupted to Robin's left, drawing his attention. Standing at its source was Takumi. The prince had his eyes closed and a wide stance, but as opposed to Corrin's straight horizontal arms, his were crossed to the floor. He opened them and pointed to the bridge that had just erupted between him and the second supply boat.
"This is what you wanted, right?" he asked, confident in his actions.
Robin gave him an affirmation, and called for part of the group to join him. The rest would remain to guard the first boat. They still had flyers coming from Camilla's way to worry about, as well as flyers who abandoned the southern boat in favor of attacking the protection squad and main supply boat.
By the time they reached the edge of the supply boat connected to the Southern Nohrian ship, there was already a squad of Nohrians on board waiting for them. In accordance with what Robin had predicted, some men were removing crates from the supply ship to bring to their own. A large stack of them sat on the very corner of the Nohrian ship, and given its status as a warship, it was obvious they didn't belong. Robin would have to take those back somehow if he didn't want to get fined an extra sum.
But on the other hand, he knew that the Nohrians really needed the supplies held within. The contents of the crates were packs of clothes, blankets, and food that the shipowners were planning on decorating with small stones and dye pods obtained from Nohr, or flavoring with a spice exclusive to its coast. They would thus not be selling them on the west side of the Bottomless Canyon, but instead transporting it back to Hoshido where they could make better profit. The Nohrians who would want to buy the products were much too poor to afford them, after all.
Maybe Robin would take back a few, like the clothes crates, but leave those containing food and blankets. Why the shippers brought the items rather than just taking their modifiers and returning to Hoshido, Robin didn't know. It would have saved them a lot of space on deck for one thing, which meant they could've taken more back. The tactician wasn't going to advise them in that though, so he kept his thoughts to himself.
The battle on the Southern ship went smoothly. Since it was covered with outlaws, fighters, and dark mages that still did not actually wield any dark magic, he'd brought along Corrin, Hayato, Orochi, and Hinata for the weapon advantages (or at least equality for the mages). He'd also brought Azura to get some practice with her naginata and more battle experience in, and so she could sing had he the need for it. Jakob backed them up with his staff.
After the uneventful victory, Robin tasked Hinata, Orochi, and Jakob with moving some of the boxes back to the supply ship. Jakob would come back after they were halfway done, and the other two would stay to make sure no one got back up until the Northern ship was also taken.
By the time Robin had crossed back onto the ship he and his companions had been originally riding on, only Saizo, Gunter, Reina, and a still sick but determined Hana remained. Not many flyers came to attack the vessel, but they had chosen to stay behind in case a third Nohrian ship appeared or there were unexpected reinforcements. Robin approved, so he left them alone and crossed the ice bridge either Takumi or Sakura must have created.
The Northern ship was enormous, dwarfing the supply ship and even making the other Nohrian ship seem small. The wind was blowing fiercely toward them though, and so Robin caught part of a conversation from somewhere off at the other end of the ship.
"Selena! Go belowdecks, now!"
"But Lady Camilla, I can still-"
"Go! You're injured, and need to see a healer now. That wound is going to take more than a heal staff and a vulnerary. Please, I'm already losing my darling little sister… I don't want to lose my precious retainer either."
The conversation ended there, and Robin could only assume that 'Selena' followed Camilla's orders. The retainer's voice sounded familiar, but he couldn't put a name to it.
That wasn't his main concern though, as it was a positive given he'd have one less enemy. The main problem he faced was that the Northern boat was dominated by berserkers and sorcerers, not to mention the odd wyvern rider or Camilla plus her two remaining companions.
His army was still severely lacking in troops with good resistance, so the sorcerers would pose a problem. Add in the proximity of the berserkers, and things were more complicated. Those that did have good resistance had poor defense for the most part. His best bets would be himself, Kaze, Jakob, and…. Hayato. The boy was surprisingly resilient for his scrawny appearance, and could take more hits than quite a few of his older companions.
Subaki was already engaged in drop attacks on the sorcerers, dodging berserker attacks for the most part and pushing past damage dealt they dealt. The sorcerers' magic didn't hurt him greatly, so the sky knight only had to take the occasional break to fly back to his liege for healing.
Takumi was also taking out the flyers that neared him, bow glowing brilliantly as he shot off arrow after arrow. The prince was breathing too heavily for Robin's liking though, so he ran up to the younger man and pushed him aside, casting a thunder spell toward the next enemy.
"What are you-!?" Takumi shouted in annoyance, finally dropping his arm and letting the blue energy of his bow fizzle out.
"Take a break, Takumi. There's no point in working yourself so hard when others can help you. Not to say what you've done is useless though, because judging by the wounds most of the downed have, your hit count is the highest of anyone here. But I could hear how hard you were breathing from all the way over to the bridge, and you're sweating as if we're in a desert, not an icy wasteland. Pop a vulnerary if you need to. Just wait a moment before continuing, okay?" With a small smile, Robin continued forward, leaving a dumbstruck Takumi behind him. Oboro ran over a moment later, fussing over her liege as he stared at the tactician quickly moving away.
One by one the Nohrians were taken out, until only six remained. At the head of the ship were Camilla and her blue haired companion, accompanied by a male mercenary - evidently not Selena, meaning Camilla would be forced to fight with someone she was lest accustomed to teaming with, if Robin had read the familiarity expressed by the two correctly. A considerable distance away, past a few railings and large crates were Flora and two sorcerers, the three visibly uncomfortable.
There was hardly any space between Camilla's trio and the surrounding walls and such, so attacking them would be a challenge. They didn't move however, waiting to be attacked. Robin took the chance to attack Flora and her strangely disturbed pair.
With him stood Kaze, Jakob, Hayato, and Kagero. Flora ignored Robin completely, brow furrowing as she set her eyes on Jakob.
"Has it really come to this? Is there no way for this to be resolved?" she asked, voice quiet. The maid scoffed, more an exhale than anything. "I suppose it has. I'm sorry Jakob. I don't hold it against you though, and I hope that when this is all over, you don't hate me. I can wish for that much, at least. "
The sorcerers released their attacks, the Fimbulvetr tomes materializing ice across the deck. Kaze and Hayato took the attacks head on, Hayato stumbling for a moment while Kaze immediately retaliated with a shuriken.
Kagero had dodged, and threw her own shuriken at the mage nearest her. Robin got hit by a few icicles, but shrugged it off and charged toward the left sorcerer while Hayato recovered to cast at the right.
Jakob stood in the center, unharmed. He had not been their target.
The fact frustrated him, and so the butler pulled out his daggers and threw them, one from each hand aimed at the two men to Flora's sides. She had not been his target.
With a short minute the three before Robin were down, the sorcerers unconscious and Flora slumped against the railing, but still awake. She had been hit by two shuriken at her front, one from Kaze, one from Kagero. A few seconds after she had jerked strangely and fallen. Odd, given the shuriken had surely hurt her, but hadn't done anything so severe as to explain for her fading consciousness and abrupt fall.
Jakob knelt down to her and whispered something to the maid. She smiled back weakly, but Jakob's head was downturned, and he couldn't see it.
They her eyes fluttered closed, and she slid to the side, Jakob catching her before her head could hit the deck. At her back were two large icicles, embedded in her dress and skin at odd angles. They weren't dealt by the sorcerer pair, so Robin could only assume she had made them herself. She seemed depressed and regretful since their encounter had begun, and so suicide wasn't surprising. Or rather, it was something Robin had not anticipated her doing beforehand, but he could understand why. She'd failed her tribe, and failed Nohr. Going home would likely end in severe punishment or death, so she'd decided to end her life before having to endure the shameful journey home. It wasn't something Robin liked, but he couldn't do anything about it and left her be.
Jakob was extremely alarmed by the sight though, eyes wide as he looked at the red darkening the small white skirt below the black fabric the icicles had pierced. He almost dropped his fellow servant as he fumbled with his staff to direct it toward the maid, quickly casting a mend on Flora. He was clenching his teeth and shaking slightly.
Hayato's questioned Jakob about his actions, and the butler turned his head back down. "...Lady Corrin ordered us to spare as many lives as possible, right? That… that is what I am doing. If I don't heal this woman, she will die. As a butler it is pertinent that I follow orders to the highest degree possible. Now leave."
His four allies did despite their worries, and went over to where their other comrades were fighting Camilla and her two companions.
The mercenary was already out, and as Robin neared them he could see blood running down the blue haired woman's wyvern and side. The woman then ordered her mount to rise, flying about ten feet into the air before a bright blue arrow pierced her wyvern's wing. The speed at which the arrow flew drove it through not just one wing, but both. The beast screamed as it struggled to stay up, a second arrow again piercing both wings and causing the beast to plunge toward the deck. It landed on top of its rider, but got up and tried to waddle away with its two legs and tattered wings. The wounds would prevent it from flying, but it would not die in all likelihood. It tried to bite at Takumi after seeing the weapon in his hands, but Rinkah ran up and clubbed it, knocking the poor creature out. It joined its rider, who was knocked out when her head hit the deck and several hundred pounds of wyvern hit her. She would be sore for days, even with a few heals and potions.
While that went on, Corrin got the last blow onto Camilla, the Nohrian princess dropping her large weapon in surrender. Or perhaps because she didn't have the strength to lift it anymore. Robin wasn't sure.
"H-hah… Father… Corrin… I'm so s-sorry…"
Camilla, blood dripping from her forehead and chest, slid down, catching on the side of her mount before she could fall off. She had a dazed look to her eyes. Clearly the woman had lost a lot of blood.
She was determined if anything, and hadn't stopped fighting until she had nothing left to fight with; no energy, no strength, no will. Her arms had tired after constant swinging and maneuvering of the great beast she rode upon, the blood quickly leaving her body had torn away the power she had to stay awake and fight, and the sight of her younger sister whom she cared so deeply for attempting to defeat her with all the might she possessed had weakened the rider's mind.
Still, she fought to the end, and Robin doubted even he could go for as long as she had.
She was certainly a terrifying force to be reckoned with.
"Sakura!" Corrin shouted, swinging around to find her younger sister.
The Hoshidan princess ran toward her sister, immediately healing Camilla with a worried look to her face.
A small laugh sounded. Camilla was still awake.
"What are you d-doing, Hoshidan princess…? We're at war. You should be k-killing me. Not healing me. We're… enemies."
Corrin made a noise of outrage. "What are you talking about, Camilla? We're sisters, and friends! I'm not going to let you die!"
"Corrin my dear… I wasn't t-talking to you. I was talking to the girl over there. B-but really, you have all the more reason to end me. You betrayed us… Now please, if you really love me so much… Kill me. End my l-life right here." Camilla had a pained smile, and choked slightly.
"I won't do it Camilla! I didn't want to betray you, and I'm not going to hurt you any more than I already have! Now just sit tight and let Sakura heal you. Please!"
The scene that played out over and over when royals were involved came again, and Robin couldn't help but sigh. With the others there was at least some ambiguity in why they wouldn't join. But in this case the reason was obvious.
"Corrin, stop and think a moment. Do you really think Camilla living would be the best for her?" Robin asked, serious. "If she were to go back to Nohr after this loss, the consequences would be terrible. Not only did she fail to kill or capture you, but she let you go free. And she allowed herself to be healed by the enemy in an act of mercy and kindness. That would be a disgrace to the Nohrian name, excluding every other thing that happened.
"And based off everything I've been told of Garon, I doubt she'd be let off free after returning home. At best she'd be stripped of her title and thrown into the streets. At worst she'd be put under what Garon has planned for you: lengthy torture followed by a public execution. But what's most likely is that she'll get swiftly killed. She'll arrive home, told of her failures, and killed before she can get a chance to defend herself. That's no way to die - especially if Garon then gets the chance to bring in Xander, Leo, and Elise to watch. Killing their sister would be a great way to convince them not to go against him. Because they know if they rebel, they'll die. At least if she dies here then they'll be able to think of her as lost in battle, but might still grow to oppose Garon. Scaring or scarring them like the first way is much worse for us than the second."
Camilla let out a humorless laugh. She knew it was the truth, and Robin knew it was the truth, and so did Corrin. But the latter princess didn't want to accept it. She was idealistic to a fault.
"...Then don't go back," Corrin whispered.
"Huh?" Camilla and Robin voiced simultaneously, staring at the girl.
"If going back to Garon will get you killed, then don't go back to him! Come with us instead. You and everyone else you have with you can join us, no restrictions needed. That way you don't have to die, and that way you can help bring an end to this war that's hurting me and all your other siblings.
"To the victor goes the spoils right? Well I'm the victor, and you're the spoils. I'm not just going to throw my spoils away. It's my decision to make, and I've decided I don't want you to die. So please, please join us. I won't force you Camilla, but I'm begging you to at least consider it."
Camilla sighed, slipping off her wyvern a little more. Sakura had stopped healing her when she asked, and the woman wasn't doing well. Subaki, standing next to her, caught the woman and pushed her back up so that she was laying over the beast's neck. She said a small "thank you" and turned back to Corrin.
"I suppose you're right... about that; I lost, you won, and it's up to you w-what to do with me. But if I joined you, how would I- be helping Xander and Leo and Elise? How would I be h-helping Nohr? Your group is full of Hoshidans... the only Nohrians... being those who personally served you and swore an oath to follow. I l-love you Corrin. B-but I love my family too and I can't-" Camilla coughed.
"Camilla!" Corrin shouted, gasping and turning to Sakura. The girl lifted her rod back up to start healing Camilla, Robin picking up for Corrin where she was lacking explanation.
"Our goal isn't to fight Nohr, Camilla. There's someone out there fueled by hatred and spite, aching to destroy everything in their path. They're no longer sane, and reasoning just isn't possible. Their homeland has already been laid to waste, but they're not satisfied. Loathing has been brewing within them for a long time, a loathing directed at humans regardless of their nationality. All they wish is to end it all; to get revenge at those that hurt them so long ago in the deepest way possible.
"They don't have the power to do it themself, however. They can't get out and bring everything to ruin as they are and as this region is. Nohr and Hoshido, not even considering the other countries and principalities, are much too powerful. So, they must be weakened before the destroyer can come in. And what's the best way to weaken them? To set them against each other. Not only will Hoshido and Nohr kill off the other's military, but they'll lay waste to the countryside and surrounding nations in the process, their great sizes trumping over anyone who attempts to oppose them sans the other.
"If this war were just between Nohr and Hoshido, then regardless of who won or lost, both would survive somehow. Total decimation isn't the goal after all, so they would eventually recover. Well, at least they would if Garon was a little saner. I'm not so sure at this point, but I'll be optimistic and say things could be fixed. If this character comes through, then they won't be so nice. Their goal is decimation, without regards to survivors. Garon wants to rule over the land, presumably with some people there. The one hiding in the shadows wants to get rid of everything. They don't want any people to rule over, and they could care less about the land that is left without a lord after they're done. Even the Hoshidans seem more concerned with ending the war and maybe getting a little bit of revenge in the process. They don't want to completely obliterate Nohr.
"What I'm saying is this: You go back to Nohr, and either you die and do nothing, or you survive and contribute to prolonging a war that's only serving to bring on the destruction of your country. You come with us, and you help not only end this war, but get rid of the one who's really looking to destroy Nohr and everything it stands for.
"So, what do you say?"
Robin's at this point characteristic two minute explanation came to a close, and once again all eyes were on him.
He really hoped that no one decided to ask him where he got his information from. Back when he, Azura, Jakob, and Corrin had fallen into the Bottomless Canyon and ended up in - that place (was thinking about the name a way to activate the curse? No, he'd thought of Valla before. The name just had to stay in his head) he and Azura had been left practically alone for a while while Jakob and Corrin were unconscious. During that time Robin had squeezed a little bit of information on the character out of Azura, and he managed to once again after Izumo. She didn't want to say too much and didn't know too much either, so most of what Robin had said was based off the decimation he saw in Valla, and ways to convince Camilla to join whether or not they were absolute truth.
Given how often he went on little rants like that, was it really all that surprising he'd gone on another one? It was the most efficient way to get things done around here. Especially when Corrin kept pausing to give the dying woman who kept pausing and stuttering time to speak. Yes, last words and politeness were nice and all, but they really didn't have the time for that, and there were better ways of getting her point across. As evidenced by the consideration Camilla gave the idea.
"...You say that if I join you… you'll take in every- one with me. How?"
Corrin blinked. She started on her response, but Kaze cut her off.
"She has a point. We don't have the resources nor the management to take everyone with us, especially given their fighting caliber. Based upon how easily we beat them with such a smaller force… Taking them with us might slow us, as much as I hate to admit it. I'm sorry Lady Camilla, Lady Corrin, but I don't see how it could work."
"That's where I come in!" Robin shouted. "You see, the way we'll take everyone in is to take you and your retainers with us, and send everyone else to people who owe us favors!"
"What?" Camilla said, taken aback.
"Well you have about 40 troops, right? Give or take a few. We happen to have quite a few favors racked up. As long as your men are willing, we can send them off to places where they won't have to worry about getting executed."
'Theoretically, at least. In reality. Uh. I'm trying to be more optimistic. Things can work out for once Robin. The whole world doesn't exist just to spite you. Hopefully.'
"Anyway, since there are 40 of you not including those we'll take with us, and we have 3 places to send others off to… Right now there are three favors we have. First is with Yukimura, who's pretty much in control of all Hoshido since Ryoma is off running about fighting in Cheve. We fought him back in Fort Jinya and spared his life. At that time, we were more Nohrian than Hoshidan. If we disarm all of your men and send them to him, he might take them in. It would of course be complicated, but… We also have Sakura and Takumi with us. That'll help convince him."
"What if my men don't agree?"
"We'll give them the option. I'll say that all those who wish to return to Nohr may, and that if they do then I wish them a swift and painless death. I'll also do my best to calm those who end up getting sent to our favor places, since they're all on the East side of the Bottomless Canyon which your troops may not be too happy about. But anyway, if I can manage to disarm your men, and judge them worthy of going and unlikely to retaliate once there, then we have three places to put them: With Yukimura, who will hopefully convince anyone with worries in Hoshido that doing so is one of the fastest ways to end the war or something; In Izumo, since we technically saved them from attack even if it was from Nohrians who were attacking since they wanted to get at us; and Mokushu since they attacked Hoshidan royalty and owe us for not doing anything in return.
"Yukimura I'll explain more later, but he should be fine. Izumo might not be too happy about it given their attackers were Nohrians, led by a dark mage of all things, but all we have to do is point out that they're a neutral territory and thus discriminating against Nohrians would mean they're no longer neutral. That and cash in on the fact that Izana likes me and Corrin, and that we're involved in some sort of destiny or whatever. If he doesn't help us, he may be hurting destiny's path to fruition, and the prophecy that will lead to goodness in the world. Plus he's such a weird guy I think he'd have fun with hiding away Nohrians. That wouldn't necessarily be ending neutrality either, because all he'd be doing is housing people looking to escape war. He could do the same with any Hoshidans, so it wouldn't matter.
"Then Mokushu. I really hope we don't have to send anyone there, but like I said they owe us. We could've honestly done a lot more than we did do there. Like killing more troops than just Kotaro and that one other guy Saizo took out. And that one person who snuck up on Reina but I consider it a personal victory that she only got one guy. Or claiming they broke their alliance and reporting to Yukimura or something. Stuff like that. You get it?"
Camilla had a thoughtful look on her face, and nodded after a few seconds. "If you can convince them, then feel free. I… Thank you."
Corrin gave the woman a hug, and people started to walk back to the ships they'd come from. They paused, however, when their path was blocked by four figures. Two were sorcerers, one was a maid, and the fourth… a butler.
"Jakob? What's-" Corrin started to ask her servant a question, but was cut off by Flora. The woman didn't look great, but she was awake and healed, better thanks to Jakob's work on her.
"Lady Corrin, Lady Camilla, Sir Robin, I am thankful for your offers, but I cannot accept. We of the Ice Tribe cannot afford to go to Hoshido and run away. King Garon will kill the rest of our people if we cannot warn them in time. I cannot abandon them when they're in such danger. We'll figure out some way to escape Garon's wrath. Somehow. Before we left I warned them of possible attacks, so they should be ready to act once I get back. I'm counting on you to end this war, Corrin, so that my tribe may live freely once more," Flora explained, a calm look on her face.
The calm dropped into regret as she looked over to Jakob at her side, standing a full head taller than the maid. She had to turn and tilt her head quite a ways back to look into his eyes, and Robin couldn't help but find the scene endearing. Sad, but sweet.
Corrin seemed more shocked than anything, though.
"W-wait, you're leaving? And Jakob, you too? I… If you really want to then feel free. I just- sorry. I just thought that-"
"Lady Corrin," Jakob said, looking down at Flora and back to his mistress, stepping toward the shocked princess, "I made an oath to you many years ago. I promised I would not leave your side as long as you drew breath, unless you commanded me to. And even then I might stay, in case I felt your judgement was impaired. Such is the case now. I will not be leaving you today. My hand will be yours until the end of this war, I hereby swear."
The butler took a full bow, staying down for a few seconds. When Corrin spoke, he rose to look her in the eyes.
"But Jakob, what about the Ice Tribe? Don't you and Flora have to go back and protect everyone? They're your family!"
"My family, hm? They would have been, but now…" he glanced back at Flora, "I think I have done something unforgivable. I mean what I said, Corrin. And I'm sure Flora alone will do much more than she could with me dragging her down. I don't know the people there well at all, and ice is not my specialty. I'd hinder them, if anything."
Flora shook her head. "Not unforgivable. I was the one who did something unforgivable. Trust me, you've been forgiven. If you haven't changed your mind because of what I've done, then I hope our plan still stands. I'm sure Father and Felicia would be happy. Or, Felicia at least. Father would probably happy if I left. Felicia's always been his favorite anyway."
"That isn't true, Flora! You have your own strengths, and I'm sure Kilma just wants to see you safe and sound. And trust me, there's nothing that could change my mind about our plans, and there's nothing unforgivable that you've done in any way, shape, or form. The date may have to change at this point, but it will happen one way or another. That I swear, Flora," Jakob announced. He went forward to grab the maid's hands, shaking them slightly.
At the motion Flora teared up, pulling her hands away from Jakob's fingers momentarily to wrap her arms around his torso. They hugged for a few seconds, Flora whispering something up into Jakob's ear, and Jakob whispering something back, before he pulled away.
The maid looked back to Camilla. "Milady, may I take the smaller vessel along with the members of the Ice Tribe her with us to return to Nohr? I'll leave this one for transport of the troops going to Hoshido."
Camilla smiled, "Of course, my dear."
Giving a small bow, Flora smiled back. "Thank you, Milady. I'll order my men to unfreeze the sea once everyone is aboard the proper ship. May we meet again, somewhere safe, happy, and peaceful."
As Flora walked to the bridge connecting the Northern ship to the one Robin and co had sailed on, Corrin ran up to the maid, grabbing her arm and turning her around. Flora opened her mouth, Corrin staring her down with a determined expression.
"Flora, I promise that I'll do the best I can to end this war as quickly as possible! That way you and your people won't have to live in fear any longer than the absolute minimum!" Corrin took a step back, raising the Yato to the sky. "I swear, by the power given to me by the Yato and the prophecy Izana gave, the Ice Tribe won't suffer any more once I have my way!"
The sunset, uninterrupted by buildings or mountains or any other large objects that were present when one was anywhere but the ocean or a gigantic desert, shone bright onto her blade, the light glinting across the air. Flora's eyes widened.
"That- that's the legendary blade," she breathed, in awe of the sight before her. The two sorcerers at her side looked equally amazed, gasping and looking to each other and back to Corrin.
"Huh?" Corrin asked, lowering the Yato.
"Your sword. The Yato, it looks just like the one described in the ancient ice tribe legends; the one wielded by the chosen hero destined to save the world."
Those around Corrin started to talk, a low murmer sounding in the air. Corrin herself gave a slightly nervous laugh.
"Chosen hero destined to save the world? Isn't that a little over the top, Flora?" the princess questioned.
"Not at all!" one of the sorcerers exclaimed, pumping a fist in the air, "The Ice Tribe has passed down stories of a blade such as yours that will be our key to salvation. We put our trust in you, Hero Corrin."
Corrin looked confused, but she smiled anyway. "O-oh. Well, uh, thanks. I'll do my best!"
Flora have a small curtsy. "Well then, Milady, we'd best be off. I hope to see you sometime soon."
"I hope to see you-" Corrin cut herself off, eyes widening. "Wait a minute… Flora, in these legends, are there any mentions of dragons in the story of the Yato? When we were in Izumo, the archduke mentioned one in a message for us. If my sword has a destiny, then it would make sense the dragons would have one too."
The two sorcerers and Flora looked at each other, frowning. They whispered to each other for a second, voices loud enough that Robin could catch on to their mentions of what legends were legends and what legends were just children's stories conjured out of the blue for entertainment. They decided after a few moments that there was nothing of value concerning dragons though, and Flora sent one of the sorcerers away. She then addressed the group with an apologetic expression.
"I'm sorry, Lady Corrin, but there's nothing in the Ice Tribe legends to do with dragons. Dragons left the realm of men so long ago that any useful information has been lost or corrupted. Even we don't have anything of value on them anymore."
Corrin accepted Flora's explanation, and the maid curtsied once more. Robin felt a little more digging was necessary though.
"Flora," he said, stopping the woman, "you say there's nothing of value, but is there anything at all? A single name, or date, or location, or power? Or even a random fact, like 'dragons enjoy eating daisies more than sunflowers.'"
"Anything? Well… I'm not sure if it's correct-" she began.
Robin cut her off before she could waste time with excuses or apologies. "Doesn't matter. Anything's good."
A nod from Flora (as well as a small glare) marked the continuance of her statement. "But there is one name. We don't necessarily know if it was a dragon or not, just that it was a 'great being,' but the Ice Tribe legends, typically to do with creation or the divisions in the world, mention the word 'Hydra.' It sounds like a name, and appears in more than a single tale, but there's no real mention of a dragon. Just a name. Given the reverence the old peoples of this world gave dragons, 'Hydra' being one is more likely than others, but that's only an assumption. It could be a word in some lost language, or the name of an old dish. It's all I have though. Is that of any help?"
Robin tapped his chin. The name was familiar.
Corrin and the others had no visible reaction though.
"I can't think of anything at the moment, but I'm sure it will lead us to something. Thank you, Flora," Corrin answered, smiling brightly.
Flora lit up slightly, a sweet smile gracing her own face. "Then I truly will be off. Goodbye."
The woman gave one last guilty smile to everyone, and turned away. As she walked up to the edge of the boat nearest the bridge, Jakob ran toward her and threw his arms out around her sides, leaning down to whisper something in her ear. Flora's fists clenched at whatever he said, though she still faced forward, away from him. With tears in her eyes she turned to face the butler, pulling down his face to giver her fellow servant a kiss on the cheek. When she left once more to join the rest of the members of the ice tribe, Jakob let her go. He stood at the bridge until she was out of sight, sighing and moving back to Corrin's side with a blank expression on his face. After a few seconds he mimicked Flora's actions, fist clenching and tears building in his light eyes. It seemed the relationship between the two servants was more than just one established for work. It was both sweet and sad. Because if either he or Flora failed, then they would never be reunited, except on the battlefield, back at each other's throats. So was the way of war.
Robin had half a mind to call Flora back again, just to annoy her since she'd already been interrupted in her escape attempts several times, but left her alone. He didn't have anything to ask her, and doubted Corrin or Jakob would be happy if he bothered the maid any more.
"Lady Camilla!" someone shouted, the slamming of feet on the deck signaling an approaching person. Camilla raised her eyebrows at the yell, smiling when the voice's owner made her appearance. "Are you okay? I heard the noise stop so-"
The newcomer paused, looking at the sorry state Camilla was in and how greatly outnumbered her team was.
"Selena, as you know the girl at my side is my precious younger sister, Corrin. I have lost, so we will be joining her in her mission. I… I think it's for the best anyway," Camilla stated, quiet from the pain she must have been in.
Robin, however, was not quite at all.
"Se-se-se-se-" he stuttered, mouth opened and eyes wide.
The red haired mercenary turned to Robin, her jaw dropping as well.
"You?!" She screamed, pure horror on her face.
"Wait, I thought your hair was b-" Robin was equally surprised, not believing who it was before him.
The new woman, who had been scanning his outfit and weapons paused at his face and froze, horror melting into terror and shaking disbelief. "You're coming with me!"
The mercenary, who just had to be Severa even if she was sporting her mother's hair color rather than her father's (which he was sure baby Severa and even time traveling Severa had) grabbed into Robin's arm and yanked him toward the stairs that would bring them belowdecks, Robin tripping over his own feet as they neared the place. Probably-Severa stopped suddenly though, and Robin slammed into her, almost knocking the woman (because she was a woman now, even if she had been only a teenager when they last saw each other. They had to be at least the same age at this point. She could be older than him, even) over.
"Lady Camilla, are we taking our craft or theirs?" she asked calmly, face frozen.
"Oh, theirs, but dea-"
"Thank you. I'll be right back," interrupted Severa, who was wearing a sinister smile.
"W-wait, what's-" Robin cried, getting spun in the opposite direction as Severa dragged him to the ship he had come from. When they got their, she had Robin direct him to his room. He did, and once the door was unlocked she pushed him into the bed, ripping his scarf down in the process. It wasn't until she drew her sword and pointed it at his throat that he realized he'd given his only sword to Hinata after the samurai's katana had been knocked overboard in the fighting, and that he'd left his only tome outside after placing it on a nearby table to unlock his door. He was unarmed. Hand to hand combat wouldn't protect him from steel.
"Severa, I-"
"Don't you dare call me that, you bastard! You murdered them… You murdered them, and now you almost killed Lady Camilla!" She sneered, fury evident.
Robin looked on in confusion. "What? No, I wasn't going to kill her, and I have no idea who else I supposedly killed. I mean yeah there were some casualties in the wars back in Arit, but-"
"Stop pretending to be him!" Severa screamed, tears welling in her eyes, "I know it's you!"
'She knows it's me? What does-
'Grima. She thinks I'm Grima.'
Robin shook his head, the movement prompting Severa to push her sword forward until Robin could feel the steel at his throat and a small line of blood running down toward his shirt.
"Look, Severa, I know he's done a lot to you, and that we look similar, but I'm not Grima. It's me, your uncle Robin! Remember me?" A nervous smile made its way to Robin's face. It didn't seem to bring Severa any comfort though. Her frown only deepened, and her eyes narrowed.
"Yes. You're right. You and Robin do look similar. But there's always been a difference. Uncle Robin's eyes are brown. Yours are red."
Robin's head shot to his left, the sword cutting into his neck as he did so. In his reflection on the outside window, sure enough, red eyes were staring back at him.
'What? Since when…'
"Goodbye, Grima. This is for everyone you've killed. We finally got them graves, you know. And flowers… The world you tried so hard to ruin isn't going to die. One day it'll flourish again, I swear." Severa scoffed. "I don't know how you made it through after we killed you, but you won't be surviving today. Rot in hell."
Severa drew her sword back.
In the brief moment Robin could see the blade, a reflection of red eyes made themselves clear.
Then, she swung forward with all her might.
Author's Note: I really wasn't sure how I wanted to write the scene where Robin and Severa/Selena met. I spend way too much time daydreaming every day, and one of the scenarios I like thinking up is how Robin and Laslow would meet, that meeting being the first time Robin saw one of the Awakening kids in Fates. He and Selena are very different though, so what I thought up didn't transfer. Also, thanks to some reviews, I'll try to cut down on details in terms of actions. It seems I go over the top, which I can see, so I'll cut down on the excess. Unless you guys like them? My plan is to cut down after this chapter, so you have some time still if you'd rather I not.
Second thing - I'm stuck on the next chapter. You see, I wrote about 2,000 words (and am still adding more) of something that is so headcanon based that I'm worried you guys won't be interested. It also involves some lore that you may not be familiar with (involves stuff in FE1+ remakes and such). I explain it all - that is, all I think is necessary to understand because some of it has to mysterious - but since it's a combination of lore and headcanon, I'm worried it might make some of the older FE fans annoyed. I really don't want to throw it all out, since 2,000 words is a lot, and those specific headcanons are something I absolutely love, so I really don't know what to do. To understand it for this story you don't need to know about any games other than Fates and Awakening, so don't worry about that at least. So for now that chapter's sitting unfinished. If you have the time, could you please leave a review on what you think I should do? Leave in the headcanon/lore mix with explanation (that I think really reveals and explains a certain character's motivation/personality), or take it out entirely and... replace the scene. Sort of. The premise itself is essential, I feel, but I suppose I could write it in a different way. I don't really want to, but again I don't want to throw you all off/offend/bore you. This note is way to long, so that'll be all.
Thanks for everything, and I hope you have a nice day.
Originally posted January 22, 2017 ~11,300 words without ANs
Eruran out.
