Author's Note: I seem to have forgotten to mention that this story takes place in an AU…..This has been corrected in the description.
Elena pulled the hair out from the brush in her hand and turned back to her Pegasus. It had been a few days since she'd had the opportunity to groom her mount, and she would not lose such an important opportunity to maintain the bond between her and her Pegasus, even if she had to rush eating her dinner. The sun was beginning to set, and a gentle breeze wafted into the part of camp where the animals had been stationed for the night, bringing with it, the scent of fresh, clean air for a brief moment before the stench of animals overpowered it again. She stood up and stretched her stiff legs. As she walked briskly around her father's horse to the barrel of oats to feed her Pegasus, she rushed straight into another body, and crashed to the ground. Scrambling to her feet, and she began to apologize when she saw who she'd hit.
"Mother! Oh, I'm terribly sorry, I didn't see you!" she scrambled, bowing her head.
"Ugh…." Groaned Cordelia as she pulled herself to her feet. "Caught a face full of the brush."
"Agh! I'm sorry! Here, let me help you to a stool!" fussed Elena as she took her mother to one of the stools upon she had just been sitting.
"I'm fine, this isn't the first time this has happened to me." Said Cordelia as she sat down. "I've been looking for you, where have you been?"
"Oh, I've been grooming Marius!" said Elena matter of factly, "It's been a while since I've had the chance. What do you need?"
Cordelia took a deep breath. Elena frowned.
"What's wrong, Mother?"
"Two days ago, we picked up Jack."
Elena's frown deepened.
"Yes, what about him?"
"When we got back to the barracks, Lucina took me to the side and asked to speak with me. She told me that you two have had some … differences."
"Yes….one could say that." Said Elena uneasily.
"I want to hear your side of the story. I've already talked to Jack….."
"You talked to him first!?" asked Elena, shocked.
"Yes, I did." Said Cordelia evenly.
"Why?! You didn't actually listen to him, did you?"
"I gave him a fair chance. Now, you get your chance. Tell me, why do you hate your brother so much?"
Elena rolled her eyes
"Where do I even begin?" she muttered.
"Ok, Jack says you take issue with his fighting style. Why's that?" asked Cordelia.
"It's a mess, that's why! He's got no direction, no purpose, no nothing! He's always resorting to dirty tactics to make up for the fact that he likes to go hide and destroy the entire landscape instead of actually fighting the enemy and prefers to run before he draws his sword! And don't get me started on his bear traps!"
"Well…..Ok, I don't have anything for his bear traps – I'll admit – I don't know he catches anyone with those things, but you saw the trapped soldiers in yesterday's battle. They work….somehow! Beside that, he seemed to be handling himself well when we picked him up yesterday. He was literally fighting four armies with just his little group! His tactics at least work!"
"That's because he's always running away and he finally got himself caught out! He's lucky we were there to bail him out! He won't take anyone on in a fair fight! I've seen him use every dirty trick in the book! He has no chivalry and is totally unfit to be any sort of soldier, let alone a leader. Lucina sent him and his little group of idiots to try and slow down a group of Plegian reinforcements. Do you know what he did?"
"I haven't heard this one. What did he do?"
"He lured them to a mountain range in the MIDDLE OF WINTER, and somehow started an avalanche to sweep them away!"
"That…..actually sounds very effective."
"It took him nearly a month to pull it off due to how cold it was. If he would have just mustered up a little courage and planned a proper ambush, he could have slowed down the reinforcements and been back to Ylisstol in time to help hold the outer walls, which we COULD have held if he'd only SHOWN UP! But no, he goes off going for the glory and because of that, we had to abandon the outer walls, and fall back to the castle. You know what the best part is? Because they spent so much time gallivanting around the countryside, they were stuck OUTSIDE the castle for the entirety of the siege! His group was useless!"
"Didn't they do anything to help?"
"Oh, sure, they SAID that they hit the supply lines. They flooded Valestone too, while they were at it."
"They flooded VALESTONE!?" asked Cordelia in horror, thinking of the peaceful trading village.
"Yup! They busted the dam, right on top of the town. It's nearly 20 feet under water in our timeline. And all because of Jack."
"But why did he flood an entire city? Valestone is a big city! What about the people living there?"
"Oh, there were conveniently no civilians left, just a bunch of Plegian soldiers. So, he busts the dam and flooded them out. Well, that's what he said. Not that there's anyone to verify that other than the Moron Brigade, mind you."
"One of those "morons" is also your little sister. You shouldn't call her that. Also, I can't imagine him just flooding a city with civilians in it….." said Cordelia, "And he doesn't seem like the careless type…. but why the need to destroy the town?"
"Well, the Plegians were using it as a base to attack to Ylisstol…..not that he ever thought that we would have NEEDED IT LATER! And when we did, do you know what he suggested?"
"I have to hear this."
"Houseboats! And a floating city to go along with it! And do you know what the worst thing about it was? It actually partially worked!"
"Isn't that a good thing?"
"We wouldn't be in the predicament if he hadn't just WASHED AWAY AN ENTIRE TOWN! If he'd had a whit of foresight, he wouldn't have just destroyed one of Ylisse's most important trading centers! That, and it was the arrival of the Valmese who lifted the siege of Ylisstol and gave us enough time to escape the city by driving off the Plegians! Jack did nothing but hurt us! And then, in the middle of the fighting between the Valmese and Plegians, while we were trying to fight our way out of the city to escape, they come in and set fire in the enemy camp which got out of control, and we had to run straight through it! He got lucky that it didn't do more damage because of a sudden rainstorm! Of course, he said that the rainstorm was part of the plan! As if he knows exactly what the weather is going to do! He's reckless and cowardly, and the only reason he leads anything is because there's literally no one else! He follows no protocol, never coordinates, and doesn't think of anyone else! He's always making calls on the fly that aren't his to make!"
"Don't you think you're being too harsh on him? He couldn't contact Lucina from where he was. He was probably doing his best with what he had. Just like Valestone. If the Plegians set up a command center in Valestone, Jack probably had good reason to just destroy everything, especially since he has only himself and four other people to rely on against what must be thousands of soldiers. He's probably the reason the Valmese were able to drive out the Plegians if they were as entrenched in as you make them out to be by putting their forward supply depot in a lake. Or bringing the lake to the supply depot in this case. He's just working with what he's got." Reasoned Cordelia
"Which leads us to a new point. He has nothing to work with. He's more of a mercenary than a soldier, and he's even taken Severa down that path too! He's even affected the other members of his Moron Brigade with his mindset!"
"Who else is on his squad?"
"Inigo, Owain, and Morgan. At least it's mostly the idiots of the army. But still, they could probably be turned into half decent knights if they would just try!"
"You're saying that they're purposefully acting unlike soldiers?"
"Yes! They operate more like a group of bandits than a group of knights! Militaries are built the way they are for a reason! Cavalry for open areas. Armor Knights to hold positions. Archers to attack from range. Pegasus Knights to attack from the sky. Soldiers for their power in numbers. And here comes Jack, thinking he's all great, and makes a mockery of everything! He claims he's adapting to the changing times but what we have already works! He claims to have filled a role that we needed, when all we ACTUALLY needed was a squad of Soldiers and Archers to do what he does!"
"It seems to have worked."
"No! It hasn't! It's given him this reckless "I'm some hero" mindset, and he's become some sort of mix between a mercenary and a common bandit! Did he ever tell you about how he "looted" Validar's command tent?"
"Yes, I have. He was quite proud of it."
"Figures."
"Speaking of which, Jack mentioned that you were always very hard on Severa. Why was that?"
"She has a legacy to uphold, just like the rest of us! I can't just let her slack off!"
"But from what Jack said, she never did well with a lance, or with a Pegasus. Perhaps she just lacked the talent?"
"Impossible! I can't believe that the daughter of two of the greatest knights of their era could have no talent with the lance! I just couldn't get her to overcome the initial hurdles of lance use before Jack went and filled her head with busting dams, starting fires, and general property damage! But no, he just goes and turns her into a vandal! Is that a good purpose for one's life? Because that's what Jack's purpose is, and now it's Severa's too! Wanton damage and deluded glory!"
"Well what's your purpose in life?"
"To serve my lady and restore the kingdom of Ylisse! Well, to prevent Ylisse's destruction along with the rest of the world, now, instead of restoring the kingdom, now that we're in the past."
"And that's not Jack's purpose too?"
"No! He's probably just back so he can destroy Castle Plegia and Castle Valm again!"
"He did WHAT!?"
"Oh yeah, he never told you? After we'd killed both Validar and Walhart and Validar's dark monsters started taking over, it turned out that Validar had somehow conjured a giant war dragon he called Grima. Jack made it his personal mission to kill the thing with the maximum amount of property damage he could cause! He brought Castle Plegia, Castle Valm, and Castle Ylisstol all down on Grima in "the hopes of killing it"!" Elena said while attempting to impersonate Jack's voice. "Do you know what actually killed it?"
"What?" asked Cordelia, curious as to what could kill a dragon that could survive the collapse of three separate castles on top of it.
"Lady Cynthia and I threw javelins with balls of lead on the tips into its mouth, until it suffocated and died! The heroism and courage of two knights did what a team of cowards could not!"
"Wow….I'm really proud of you, Elena! Not many Pegasus knights would have the courage to attack an abomination like that. You truly are a great Pegasus knight!"
"Only because of you, mother."
"I assume I taught you to become a knight?"
"Yes, that's correct."
"And your father taught Jack become a cavalier alongside you, but his horse was killed?"
"Yes! He didn't follow proper protocol! And then he goes off and learns a bunch of useless skills. Like making whistles with grass! He technically does everything and nothing at the same time!"
"So…. a Jack of all trades? Literally?"
"I guess….."
"So how does such a wide skillset mean that he is a disgrace?"
"I've performed all of the duties of a Pegasus Knight, just like you did! I scouted in dangerous weather, rescued civilians and wounded, led charges, everything! I'm doing all the work, while Jack is just gallivanting around causing property damage and setting up pointlessly elaborate traps to do the job of simply attacking the enemy! He's a disgrace because he's a coward! He's a disgrace to himself, a disgrace to Lady Lucina, a disgrace to me, and a disgrace to you and father! Who would have thought that the son of Sir Fredrick the Wary and Lady Cordelia the Galeforce would turn out the way he has!"
"It's all about me?"
"Yes, it is! You were everything I aspired to! Father was everything I aspired to! You two were everything Jack aspired to! And then you and Father get killed in battle, he goes and throws it all away, and I'm the only one left!
Elena's rant ended abruptly as she broke into tears. Cordelia nodded as she hugged her sobbing daughter. Now she understood. But one thing remained unclear.
"So, if Jack is as you say, then why does Lucina keep him around?"
"She likes him." Was the blunt reply. "I can tell."
Cordelia started laughing.
"What's so funny? She likes HIM of all people! A vagabond who would bring shame and ruin upon the royal house of Ylisse!
"Why, if you succeed, you won't have to worry about that!" said Cordelia with a knowing look.
"Why's that?" asked Elena, confused.
"You'll be a noblewoman in a faraway land with a handsome, masked noble!"
Elena immediately reddened.
"I…I…."
"It's ok to have feelings, honey. You're not just a solder. You can't just ignore the rest of yourself."
"But I can't! Lady Lucina needs me!"
"Lucina is your friend, just as Chrom and Sumia are my friends." Said Cordelia, intentionally dropping the "Lord" and "Lady" prefixes. "I'm sure that she won't mind if you take some time off for yourself. You must strike your balance between work and…time off. I used to be just like you…." She said with a faraway look in her eyes.
"Really?" asked Elena.
"Yes. It was a few years ago, just after Sumia and Chrom got married. I'd planned the wedding for them, and was also taking over as the Pegasus Knight Commander. I was working 17 hour days every day of the week, training new recruits, leading missions, and starting a Pegasus breeding program."
Elena's eyes practically sparkled with admiration.
"How did you do it?"
"I didn't. I burned out after eight months."
"What!?"
"I burned out. I never took a moment to stop and take care of myself. I ended up getting very sick for three weeks and being really depressed for two months after that. Lady Sumia actually told me she thought it was a miracle that I lasted as long as I did."
"But!"
"Honey. You're on the same path that I was. You're approximately where I was before I got promoted. Always working hard, and the pinnacle of knighthood, but never taking a moment to take care of myself, unless it was an aspect important for my job."
"But you did so well! My Pegasus came from that program! The Pegasus knights were able to stave off absolutely and impossibly overwhelming odds for years! It was a success!"
"It nearly killed me." Said Cordelia flatly, "Sumia covered for me while I was sick. I was never so mortified in my life. What kind of knight makes her queen do her job because she was unserviceable for nearly three months?"
There was an awkward silence.
"Why did you never tell me?"
"I can't answer for my future self, but ... I would imagine that I knew that you looked up to me, and I didn't want to ruin your image of me. You obviously looked up to me greatly, and I probably wanted you to aspire to be an even better knight than I was."
"But you were perfection! It took three armies just to kill you and father! You were unstoppable!"
"Honey, I've never been perfect, and never will be. And neither will you. But because of that, you will always be able to improve yourself. Just as I always have."
Cordelia smiled, and ruffled her daughter's hair, as she hastily attempted to swat her hand away.
"Don't worry! As Jack said, you're basically the same as me. I know what I'm doing when it comes to you."
Elena rolled her eyes.
"At least he got something right!"
Cordelia sighed internally.
"Well, I haven't decided what to do with you two just yet. Why don't you go and enjoy the rest of your night? I can take watch over for you tonight. I'm sure I'll have quite a bit to think about."
"I…..ok. Just don't listen too much to that moron, please!" said Elena as she walked out of the stables.
"I'll keep that in mind" said Cordelia as she internally rejected the idea. She stood up off the stool, stretched, and relaxed for a minute. She turned on her heel and walked off to think.