Lon'qu and Hana - Peace at Last

A few weeks before the commanders get kidnapped

For the most part, Lon'qu didn't mind a brief conversation with the not-so-new arrivals.

Mainly because of her.

Then again, ever since Princess Camilla had so brutally traumatized him and so awkwardly reminded him of the other end of a woman's danger, he had been forced by his charge, Princess Lissa, to interact with the Nohrians and Hoshidans, along with the female Ylisseans. Primarily herself.

Obviously, seeing to her happiness was not as important as her safety, but Lon'qu didn't have a choice when Camilla's ax was pressed against his neck, its owner smiling all the while.

He agreed after a brief pause, and Camilla released her hold of the swordsman and he cowered away instantly.

But that wasn't the woman he was primarily worried about.


"You've been out and about, sword guy," Vaike mentioned as the two of them sat after a spar. Lon'qu shrugged and grunted his acknowledgement to the claim.

"Anyway, the Teach can't help but notice with his all-seeing-eye the attraction our fair Princess harbors for her bodyguard." Once again, Lon'qu silently nodded and took a sip from his cup.

"What, no excuse? You're not keeping any secrets from the Teach, are you? I'll let you know, my method of prying secrets out of their hidey-holes are just as masterful as my wielding of the ax."

Giving a slight exhale that almost resembled a laugh, Lon'qu lowered his cup and smiled weakly.

"If that's the case, I might as well tell you now, and save myself an eternity of nagging."

"Hey, what's that supposed to me-"

"How would you react if you saw a child from the future, claiming himself to be the result of your procreation with a woman you have come to... admire?"

"I-" Lon'qu waited patiently as Vaike's process tried to comprehend the verbiage of his more eloquent friend, and finally understood.

"The Teach'd think you'd be fixing to propose to Lissa, any second." Lon'qu nodded, and it impressed himself how open and vulnerable he was now, as compared to a year or even two years ago. Perhaps Lissa was on to something when she tried to open up the heart of her guardian. Perhaps his heart wasn't open, but his thoughts and expressions surely were.

"Perhaps. I had the thought to vow to her my loyalty and love once or twice, too." Vaike froze, trying to piece together this new information.

"Wait. Had is a past-tense word." Lon'qu raised his eyebrows in anticipation. When nothing else came, he bowed his head again.

"Congratulations. Your silver tongue will be melodious in the songs of legends." Vaike ignored the sarcasm and tried his best to continue his train of thought.

"Had is a past-tense word... Did something happen? Why is it 'had' and not 'have?'" Lon'qu exhaled, finally at the part where he had come to seek counsel.

"I have come to realize that it is not my desire."

"But... you two work so well together! Lissa even knows your backstory- Shit."

"I knew she would tell someone, eventually," Lon'qu sighed. "It was the risk I took when I told it to her."

"So I'm safe to assume... you're still afraid of women?"

"Not just any woman," Lon'qu corrected. "There is one I've seen over and over again. Her face, her voice, her everything... it is a phantom of the ghost I have failed to protect."

"I... I think I understand."

"I'm not one to reveal my past, but-"

"The Teach knows," Vaike reassured. "Lissa came to me one day and... I promised not to tell, but this is for her own good. She told me about your story, and how to handle someone with a past like yours. She cares that much for you that she would risk your trust to gamble something even better."

"She would do something like that for me? She would go out of her way to comfort me?" Lon'qu was at a loss now, clearly underestimating the maturity of the princess.

"You don't give our young Princess enough credit. She's smitten over you, sword guy."

"That has been a fact since we met in Ferox."

"So why won't you mirror it? You both clearly have such an admiration for each other. Do you need The Teach to provide an appropriate mood?"

"You're fine exactly where you are," Lon'qu hissed. He softened up afterwards after considering his situation.

"So how much do you know of me?"

"Everything except her name," Vaike hesitated. To be honest, a lot of things had escaped his mind, but he knew enough that Lon'qu had a reason for having lady problems. A serious reason.

"Then I suppose telling the whole story would not hurt," Lon'qu admitted, stretching out his back and getting right to it. He hoped she was still in here to listen in. His voice certainly was louder than necessary.

"As you can tell, I was not born in either Ferox or Ylisse. I am originally from Chon'sin. I lived in the slums, my parents disappearing before I was able to remember them. I... met a girl, who cared for me when no one else did. She was of better standing..."

"You don't have to-"

"No. This is for my good as well." Lon'qu forced himself to think that. He had already told his story once, to Lissa. Vaike wasn't much of an audience but he had to be able to face his fears.

"Her name... was Ke'ri. She was a swordsman in training for the royal house of Chon'sin. I strayed upon her one day as she was..."


"Hey, thief! Come back this instant!"

A young boy, no more than twelve, slid underneath a market stand and onto the main street, his footsteps making nary a sound.

The host of guards chasing after him were much less graceful.

Even despite the athleticism the young boy had, he could hear the guards chasing after him. The fact that the footsteps, as loud as they were, were growing in both frequency and volume had him slightly worried.

"Perhaps I got too greedy," he realized, sadly dropping a few apples from his baggy pant pockets. The extra mobility gave him a little more speed to widen the gap between him and his pursuers. However, it did nothing against the guard that strayed into his path. With a crash, he fell over and groaned in pain as flesh on metal and stone did not feel very good at his current speed.

"Hey, watch out, kid- Oh, look at this!" When the guard turned to see a number of his own chasing after the boy, he hauled the boy to his feet and held him tightly. "Looks like you're in a bit of a scuffle with the law, lad."

"..."

"You know, you're just a kid; I have enough compassion to let you just run off with a few apples. However, you just ran into me without so little as an apology. Guess I'm bringing you in to learn some manners on the stockade." Lon'qu rolled his eyes, not struggling in the slightest at his punishment.

"That's fine with me."

The boy scoffed as the man's iron grip wasn't going to be anything to get away from, even if he tried. Not to mention his second wind was long gone and any attempt to escape was going to be thwarted by the fresh guards on scene. The stockade wasn't too awful, minus the neck creak he was going to get. He might as well face his sloppiness with grace-

"Excuse me, guardsman. That boy is under my jurisdiction now and is to be released."

The guards turned to see an oddly composed man, much darker than they. He was dressed in furs, though his muscular chest was exposed. Then again, so was the enormous ax he wielded.

"What is the meaning of this?" The guard holding the boy asked.

"Ah, I suppose it would be my luck to run into the few people who would forget of the only FEROXI LIVING IN CHON'SIN - THE CAPTAIN OF YOUR GUARD?"

"C-captain Basilio!" The guard exclaimed, letting go of the boy and pushing him towards the man. "My apologies, we did not recognize you-"

"Bullshit, but carry on," Basilio laughed, grabbing the boy by his shoulders and kneeling to his level. As much as he tried to shy away, the boy could not.

"You are one lucky son of a bitch," the boy reeled at the man's alcohol-ridden breath. "Luckily, my student here thinks it was a good idea to rescue you." The boy glanced behind Basilio to see a young girl, roughly his age, behind him. She had a katana sheathed on either side of her uniform, and despite the messy hazel hair and headband, not to mention her more feminine physique, could pass as a boy.

"What's your name?" She asks him. He looked at her oddly and found himself disarmed by her light smile. Still, he couldn't find it to say anything.

"..."

"I'm Ke'ri, daughter of Lord Ka'na and Lady Ha'za." The boy was relatively unimpressed at her status and instead looked at the ground.

"..."

"You do have a name, don't you?" Even after being let go by Basilio, the boy didn't look too cheery at being freed.

"Lon'qu, son of... no one." Ke'ri nodded, whispering the name to herself to see how the sounds rolled off her tongue. Focusing back on him, Ke'ri nodded in pity.

"I saw you stealing apples from that stand, so... I kinda figured..." The bluntness of Ke'ri's words didn't exactly resonate with Lon'qu, and he scowled in response.

"If I'm getting nothing but a berating and your pity, I would rather face the stockade and have my daily food thrown at me than having lost all of it and be forced to walk along hungry." Ke'ri noticed the implications of her words and she bowed in apology, not wanting to come off as haughty. However, Lon'qu's reasoning seemed to be a bit... odd.

"W-wait, you were willing to eat the food people throw at criminals?" Lon'qu looked at her as if this was common knowledge. "Don't you realize how... filthy it is?"

"So? People are already wasting food to throw at me. Why let it go to waste? It's perfectly fresh."

"Like I told you, Ke'ri," Basilio explained, "Some people are of harder constitution than others. You're a noble's kid, so no doubt you are still delicate. This one on the other hand... he's smart, and has the stones to match. I'd even say he's probably tougher than you."

"H-hey!" Ke'ri pouted. "I am not as delicate as before! I can even take a full swing from your practice ax now! ...And have both my wrists sprained as a result, but that's besides the point!"

"I suppose so," Basilio sighed. He turned to Lon'qu, putting a firm hand on his shoulder just to remind him of his hulking presence. "Ke'ri here thought you needed help, so naturally she exploits my soft-spot for her and forces me to step in. Even if I'm her master."

Ke'ri spat a raspberry at the Feroxi, but he paid no heed.

"Anyway, it's a few hours before sundown, and I have an extra room at my table for one more." Lon'qu appeared surprised at the random kindness, but accepted it quickly, though it was through his stomach that acquiesced, not his tongue.

"I-"

"Save it, kid. I'm not gonna take no for an answer and I'm pretty sure Ke'ri won't, either."

"Nope! Now come on!" She grabbed Lon'qu by the arm, and he looked at her strangely. "What, never held a girl's hand before? It doesn't hurt, does it? And don't lie to me, those guards threw you a lot harder than I could!"

"No... It's... fine."

"Then come on! Master Basilio makes some really good Feroxian food!"

"Feroxian? Isn't that... on the other continent?"

"It's where he's from! What, you don't expect him to be a Chon'sin like us!"

Basilio couldn't help but smile as both Lon'qu and Ke'ri walked arm in arm in front of him, their words droning on towards home.


"Do you know what they say about full moons?" Ke'ri asked, dancing in the rain as her midnight picnic was ruined by the falling water.

One of the odd things about Chon'sin was that on some nights, the skies could be clear in one spot but move an inch to the right and one could find themselves in a torrential downpour. Another inch to the right and one could be on dry land again. Such was the weather of this particular night.

"No," Lon'qu replied, trying to salvage what food he could from being soaked, not particularly concerned with Ke'ri's motives in the question.

"Well," Ke'ri began, "They say that people's emotions are at their strongest when the moon is full!"

Lon'qu shrugged at the thought. Of course Ke'ri would be superstitious.

"So that's why you planned our secret picnic for tonight? In hopes that I'll be more... moody?"

"You're not one to mince words, Lon'qu. Then again, you always end up saying the right things."

"Well, that's your fault for saying all the things, with no care on what makes sense or not." Ke'ri laughed as she span again, drawing her swords in the middle of her dance and going through her intricate movements in the pale light.

"You've gotten a lot smoother," Lon'qu admitted, admiring Ke'ri's graceful form as even the rain seemed to dance with her. She smiled back and kept flowing, the glint of steel and her keen eyes refracting the moon's glow from time to time.

"Master Basilio's boat left today, you know. He did his time in the guard and he moved back to Ferox. Said it's time he settled his score on the political front. I'm gonna miss him."

"Me too," Lon'qu grumbled, thinking of the broad-chested drunkard and his... unique personality.

"He says I'm gonna be a great retainer for Princess Say'ri, if I keep working hard. Do you think so?"

"I don't want you to go," Lon'qu blurted, and Ke'ri stopped, a coy grin on her face.

"What was that? Say, the moon sure is bright tonight. I almost didn't hear what you said!" Lon'qu cringed, but he softened up as he leaned against the tree away from her prying eyes.

"That made no sense. But...I don't need your superstitions to share how much you mean to me. When it's your time to go... I'll miss you." When the footsteps of Ke'ri stopped, Lon'qu wondered what she was up to now. When she came closer to him, he smiled.

"Lon'qu..." Ke'ri sheathed her swords and enveloped his off hand with both of hers. He turned to her with his rare smile, but didn't move. He was too busy glancing at the moon.

"Like you said, I'm not one to hide behind white lies. I mean every word I say, don't I?"

"Y-yes. Sorry, I didn't think..." Lon'qu interrupted her with bold step, offering her a dance in the rain.

"You rarely do, Ke'ri. We're fifteen now. Soon... you'll be in the palace, protecting Princess Say'ri and Prince Yen'fay. I'll still be burrowed next to your house, scrounging off scraps from your family." They danced, and Ke'ri pressed her head against the taller boy's chest.

"I'll find a way to bring you with me. Have you practiced what Master Basilio taught you?" Ke'ri asked hopefully. Lon'qu shook his head, already knowing what couldn't be.

"We both know you'll best me in a fight. I'm not even close to becoming retainer material. Not for a princess, at least."

"Well, I'll find a way for you to be useful."

"Maybe I'll find Basilio," Lon'qu joked, and Ke'ri laughed with him.

"Maybe you should."


Even before the fight began, Lon'qu knew they were going to die.

"Ke'ri, get out of here." Lightning punctuated his plea, and Ke'ri's bright eyes were now filled with fear. It was an emotion he had never seen before in the girl.

"No. It's me they want..." Ke'ri gulped in fear as her twin katana were drawn in front of her, wreathed in both lighting and rain. She was sixteen now. She could handle this.

"The girl is right," one of the ronin mocked. "This wannabe is tampering with the court's plans. Her family has nothing to do with the palace circle, and here her daughter is, waltzing in like it's a free spot. We can't have her as a retainer, but she's proven herself a pain in the ass to get rid of."

"A-all this... to get rid of my chance of being a retainer?!"

"Dishonorable scum," Lon'qu growled, his knife the only thing keeping stray swords from turning his face into a pile of flesh.

"I'll quit, if that's what it takes! Don't hurt Lon'qu!"

"Oh, we're not here to kill him, Ke'ri. We're here to silence you. Besides, you leaving on the brink of your new station is sure to arouse suspicions. It would be more convenient if you die, right?"

"There will be a lot more than one death today, if that's what you're inferring!" Ke'ri lunged forward and beheaded the imposing swordsman, his blood spraying onto her muddy uniform as Lon'qu struggled to keep up with the highly trained swordmaster. His street instincts could only get him so far, and even with multiple samurai motionless with stab wounds all around their body, Lon'qu's body count was much lower than Ke'ri's. His fatigue however, was much higher. So was his blood loss.

"Y-you gotta get out of here, Lon'qu," Ke'ri gasped between sword swipes.

"No!" Lon'qu bit his lip, even in the face of their impending deaths. "You won't die alone. You mean too much to me to die alone..."

"Lon'qu, please."

"Not... yet!" Lon'qu slit the throat of another assassin he disarmed, and promptly found his chest burning in pain as the dying man's katana found its mark between his ribs. "Gyah!"

"Lon'qu!" Ke'ri struggled to her feet after rolling out of the way of two other swordsmen, and even amidst the rain and lightning, her swift figure was too slow to evade the carefully honed blade that pierced her stomach. In a flash of lightning, Lon'qu saw the pain that lined Ke'ri's face as she stumbled on weak knees.

"K-ke'ri!"

"T-that's... my... blood..." Looking downwards, she fell to her knees as a katana lay embedded in her gut. "I've... never... seen... this much..." Her own swords clattered to the stones next to her, never to be swung again.

"Ke'ri!" Lon'qu ignored the fleeing killers and crawled towards his best friend. His only friend.

"Can't... feel-" Lon'qu cradled the dying woman's head in his lap as he held her face, sobbing into her chest, hearing the heartbeat fade. "M...y l-legs."

"I wasn't fast enough..."

"...I... w-wasn't... g-good..."

"I'm sorry..." Lon'qu already knew Ke'ri's fate.

But how could he accept that? He looked at her beautiful face, deep into those brown eyes he had come to... love. Finally, they closed.

"Me... too... I'm s-sorry too... I... love-"

Lon'qu held the corpse in his arms, sobbing even as the rain and blood pooled around him. Even when the guards came and tried to pry answers from him, they couldn't take away Ke'ri.

"I love you..."


"He doesn't look too bad," Basilio jabbed, seeing 'Marth' in the ring across from Lon'qu.

"..." Lon'qu raised his katana out of its sheath and didn't mutter a word.

"Well, good luck out there. Drinks are on me if you can take him out within thirty seconds!"

"I don't drink. But you have my word."

He leaped off Basilio's balcony onto the dirt floors of Arena Ferox. Katana at the ready, he twirled it around before assuming an offensive stance.

"I represent the office of the West Khan, Basilio."

"I represent the future East Khan, Flavia!"

Within ten, he disarmed Marth.

Within fifteen, he caught up to Marth and grabbed him by the chest, forcing him to submit.

Within twenty, he realized what his hands were on and fell backwards, hyperventilating. A woman? He had never felt a woman... since...

Within twenty-five, Marth had picked up her sword again and held it against Lon'qu's throat.

And amidst the screams of foul play at both Lon'qu and Marth, she had won before the timer hit thirty.


"So that's how she got there," Vaike reasoned.

"Of course you only pay attention to the fights," Lon'qu groaned. "Well, I've idled long enough. I intend on training some more. Good luck advising Lissa. And... thank you, Vaike."

Yes, thank you for being the person I was pretending to talk to.

I knew she was listening in the whole time.


C


There you are, you show-off.

"Hey, you! I have something to settle with you!"

Lon'qu faced his challenger with a blank face, already drawing his katana with a slow, unceremonious flourish. Likewise, she drew both of hers with a slightly angrier attitude, the metal resonating in a much higher frequency as opposed to the male's. With her white headband and sepia hair fluttering in the wind, along with those twin katana, Lon'qu couldn't help but see Ke'ri on the other side of the sparring ring instead of her.

"If you intend on inflicting vengeance due to your sloppiness yesterday against that scouting party, you are pointing your katana in the opposite direction," Lon'qu suggested coldly.

"Oh yeah? Well I think they're fine exactly where they are!"

"The ax my neck almost ate for you suggests otherwise. You should be training, like me."

"No way! I am training on you! We're running low on practice dummies, and you're the closest thing that we have!"

"I tire of this. You are wasting both my time and yours. Are you going to attack or can I attend to my own training?"

"H-hold on there! We'll get to fighting in a bit! And besides, since when would you risk your life for a 'woman?'"

"I always have," Lon'qu scoffed, growing impatient with his own indecisive emotions. "And since when did you get so sloppy! You've always been a peerless swordsman." Hana stuttered at the subtle compliment, but she shook her head and continued her rant.

"I- Lady Sakura was in trouble, alright! I heard her scream and I thought-"

That's a horrid excuse, Hana. You knew you were sloppy.

Lon'qu rose his hand in acceptance.

"I understand. J-just be more focused next time, alright?" Freezing at Lon'qu's change of tone, Hana lowered her swords.

"W-what?"

Those few seconds of vulnerability... He sounded so... helpless. Is the presence of a woman really that intense upon him?

"I said Be. More. Focused. Just because you're Lady Sakura's retainer doesn't mean you turn into a liability the second you can't protect her."

And there he goes with his bluntness again.

"Hey, if you're so critical of my form, why don't you just show me some pointers then! You lost to Lucina, didn't you? Didn't even last thirty seconds!"

The smile Lon'qu gave made Hana nearly shit herself from fright.

"I won't even need ten with you."


Sporting a new nasty bruise to her chin, Hana limped over to Robin's tent and opened the door, determined to see the roster. Finding what she was looking for, she couldn't help but punch the image of her target that was drawn onto the page. Her hand complained at the effort, and she scowled at her own brashness.

"Designation Y012: Lon'qu, Swordmaster (Okay maybe he has that right,) born October 10th. Cold, quiet, though polite and respectful to anyone he has the time to acknowledge... Hmm? Basilio says he's Chon'sin, which makes him decidedly not Feroxi. Has a seemingly unnatural fear towards women, though any attempts of asking why have led in failure. Has a soft spot for Lissa. Hah! I knew it!

[Tactician's Note] On further scrutiny, he seemed to 'recognize' one of the Hoshidans when we came back across the portal, though I could not trace his gaze to who he was stunned to see. Who could that be? And this happened on the first few days we met?

[Tactician's Update] Suspicions definitely confirmed. He went completely out of his way to save Hana from a wyvern rider during yesterday's patrol. I have never seen him run that fast before. I'll let things handle themselves. Either of them will be bound to read this at some point, now that I've made the roster accessible to anyone...

[Tactician's Taunt] Did I get you?

What the hell?! How'd he know I'd come? And... he ran across the woods just to save me from something I could have handled myself?"

"You wouldn't have blocked that attack," Robin interrupted, hiding in a pile of books. Hana nearly shit herself again, but Robin told her to calm down.

"It's fine," Robin muttered, freeing himself from his own trap. "To be honest, I was expecting Lon'qu to check your file out first."

"How'd you even know?" Hana asked in disbelief of the tactician.

"When I cornered him about the past, he was fine with telling me the parts he was comfortable in. When Lissa was assigned to him, that's when things got weird. He opened up more, among other things. Then, I find him being cornered by Camilla, and he opens up even more, even telling his story to Lissa, who by extension, would tell half the camp."

"It's not my business to inquire, but are him and Lissa... Does he-"

"He's not romantically invested to Lissa," Robin flatly replied. "A man of his emotional insecurity would have done something about it by now. I believe you have a part to play in this."

"What?"

"He was going to take things further, mind me, at least until he began to notice you."

"But why would he even care about me? I have never even seen him do anything besides fight and train until yesterday," Hana wondered, recalling the ferocity Lon'qu had beaten her with. "And today! That's the most I've heard him talk to anyone female!"

"You remind him of someone," Robin guessed. "If I knew more of his story, I'd probably know. I'm guessing you're curious?" Hana sighed, and looked outside just in case anyone was listening.

"I know his story; I happened to be eavesdropping this morning during breakfast. I think... I know who I remind him of. The way we sparred just now made me think I must have slighted him simply by existing. I don't know why else he would come at me so viciously... And why he would save me yesterday."

"Well, help him out then. Lon'qu has a dependable habit of doing things asked of him when sharp things are at his neck." Hana lit up, a plan in the works.

"That's it! I'll spar him until I beat him! Then I can prove to Lady Sakura that I am better than him! Wait, does she care? Nevertheless, I'll beat him up! And then he'll respect me! What a great plan, commander! Thank you!"

"That's not exactly what I had in mind..." Robin gulped when Hana drew both her blades and ran out of his tent. A few seconds later he heard a loud crash and the sound of Lon'qu's surprised yell.

"Are you insane, woman!?

"Fight me!"


B


"She was much like you," Lon'qu said with closed eyes, lying down. Just as he would do with Ke'ri, he was looking up to the clouds as Hana practiced next to him. "Just like you, she was a trueblade and a future retainer to the princess in our country. She... had brown hair and brown eyes, just like you; odd traits for a Chon'sin. Pink was her favorite color, and that isn't the first time I've seen a certain white headband. And... your voice... It's like I'm hearing her. That's what scares me the most."

"That's... odd," Hana replied, swinging her swords and enjoying the whistling of air as she conducted a symphony of death around her. It was a pleasant distraction from Lon'qu's softer side.

Ever since she knocked the living shit out of him, the two had alternatively come out of the blue to surprise the other and physically assault their swordsman counterpart in a deranged game of vengeance under the excuse of vigorous sparring, as she put it. This game had gone on for a while until their respective charges, Sakura more insistent than the playful Lissa, ordered them to stop making punching bags of the other. Of course, the moment both of the Princesses turned their heads away, the two were back at it. On this certain instance, Lon'qu was the victor this time, and he lay peacefully resting in the field while Hana vigorously trained right in front of him, as to not draw suspicion from Sakura and Lissa.

Of course, the peace was put on a five second moment of suspense when she asked him about Ke'ri.

"Then again, you have your own unique qualities that Ke'ri never had," Lon'qu offered, closing his eyes. "Qualities that separate you from being a walking phantom of the woman I failed to protect."

"Like?"

"She was much less sloppy with her blades." Even with his eyes closed, he drew his katana with blinding speed and blocked his prone body from being skewered just in the seeming nick of time.

"Dammit!" Hana groaned, backing off from Lon'qu and going back to training. "I have to work even harder!"

"Your determination outshines hers," Lon'qu offered. "But not by much. Especially from a girl who was years younger than you. But that's saying a lot; you truly are one of the hardest workers I've seen." Hana huffed proudly, brushing her wavy hair from her face.

"I'm only eighteen! I'm not too old! Especially as a retainer for a princess a year younger than me!"

"That in itself is impressive," Lon'qu commented. "Ke'ri and I would be nineteen now, if she would have kept count."

"Can't you keep count?"

"No," Lon'qu growled, though they both knew he could.

"Your birthday is October 10th," Hana blurted again, this time revealing the secret that she had read his file. Lon'qu didn't mind. "It's coming soon."

"That was Ke'ri's birthday. I adopted it as my own, seeing as I never had parents. But you knew that, didn't you."

"Y-yes. And I bet you know my backstory too!" Lon'qu shook his head.

"No. I'm not one to intrude on other's property." Hana almost burst from embarrassment, but focused on her blades.

"Oh." Hana blushed and turned slightly to avoid Lon'qu's eventual gaze.

"..."

"..."

"The sounds of swords in the wind... it is oddly calming to hear that again," Lon'qu sighed. Hana smiled but didn't stop.

"My father used to lead me out to the fields as a girl. I would play with the flowers while he focused on his blades. After a while my focus wasn't on the flowers, but on the swords he held. That's when I started training to be a swordsman."

"Most girls would stick with the flowers."

"Well... some girls didn't have that opportunity," Hana hinted.

"Perhaps. Ke'ri was always tomboyish. You are too. I'm fine with that."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Ke'ri was forced to become a retainer," Lon'qu explained. "Her family was in poor standing in the royal court, so they had to secure their position in the most selfish way possible - they offered Ke'ri to Say'ri's service. They were just lucky Ke'ri enjoyed the work. Most girls wouldn't like training with weapons and mannerisms all day."

"Well... most girls don't get that privilege," Hana boasted, feeling pride in her station.

"I assume you take your work as a retainer very highly then," Lon'qu guessed. "Ke'ri saw it as a high honor, even when it was forced upon her."

"Maybe we are similar!" Hana chirped, pausing her drills to take a breath. "I chose to be a retainer, though. After my father died when King Sumeragi died, I vowed to uphold our family, just like Ke'ri's family did. I trained even harder to prove that I could match my father-"

"What you did, you did out of honor and loyalty to both your family and your liege," Lon'qu corrected. "Ke'ri's family imposed her to servitude. And yet... both of you handled the yoke of duty with grace and diligence. That in itself is highly respectable."

"Heh." Hana gave a brief laugh, her relatively high voice dropping for an instant.

"What?" Lon'qu asked before feeling steel at his throat, just as he reached for his blade. She was getting faster.

"You don't mince words, do you?"

You don't mince words.

"N-no... I don't," Lon'qu stuttered, redness filling his cheeks.

"What other ways do me and Ke'ri differ?" Hana asked with curiosity, relishing her slight victory over Lon'qu. She'd pretend she didn't notice him stumble over that phrase.

"I had the strength to save you, but not her," he finished, sheathing his blade.

"That was hardly your fault," Hana blurted, forgetting for a few seconds the despair Lon'qu had when he shared that part of his story to Vaike. She'd think that he wouldn't have reacted as harshly as he did when she mentioned it. He didn't mind though, and sighed again.

"There's a phrase... Let a man never say 'Had I only had the tools and the training...' I had neither. I acquired my skill with the sword at the age of seventeen, a year too late. Ke'ri was already long gone."

"I'm sorry."

"No. I am, I still am. Nothing could have saved her but me, and I failed that duty."

"Is that why you are Lady Lissa's retainer?" Lon'qu frowned for an instant, but he nodded.

"That would be Chrom's fault. But I have learned as time had progressed that she is a woman of her own right. I have learned many things by her side."

"So why not accept her?" Lon'qu smiled this time, waving it off.

"There are men better and more dependable than I."

"Perhaps," Hana jabbed. "But none more loyal." Lon'qu wasn't one to accept flattery, and scowled.

"That is because I know the price of failure," Lon'qu warned. "Trust me, should you fail Lady Sakura even once, you'll feel as if your whole life has lost its purpose. All your sacrifices, all your dreams, shattered in an instant, just from a split-second of incompetency. All that... and the eternity of nightmares and burning regret following."

"I see," Hana whispered, swinging her blades to the tune of the wind. She'd never forgive herself if Sakura were to come to harm under her watch. Plus she had to pick up after that slacker Subaki's weight. "I'll try not to let that happen to Lady Sakura, then."

"Come to think of it... I almost felt that sensation again when that wyvern rider near took off your head."


A


"Is a retainer's duty to die for his liege?" Lissa asked Lon'qu one day, but the swordsman merely grunted the question off.

"No."

"What is it, then?" Lon'qu thought for a split second, already knowing the answer but not how to phrase it.

"It's a retainers duty to die before his liege."

"That's very noble of you."

"Anything to rid myself of your incessant ramblings," he complained.

"Our son shares the same habit, y'know!" Lon'qu froze, closing his eyes as he was reminded of Owain.

"He shares your mannerisms. None of mine. Perhaps I was his father in the future. Perhaps, where everything was different." Lissa took this hard, and she struggled to mumble before she recomposed herself.

"What's not to say you can't be in this world?!" She panicked, her fears taking control of her emotions. Lon'qu looked her straight in the eyes and bowed to her level.

"It is not my place to be a burden at your side forever," he apologized.

"You were never a burden!"

"Now you're lying."

"B-but... Owain! What would he think?"

"He'd understand that things change," Lon'qu sighed. "After all, that's why he's here, right?"

"Yes... but... Lon'qu, I love you!" The Feroxi grimaced at the inevitable words but he did not return them.

"I would die for you Lissa. Willingly. I would lose my life, my honor, and my memories to see you unharmed. But I am not suited to be your husband. Not in this life." Lissa looked at him stunned.

"But... all this time... we had together. D-did that not..."

"Lissa, my... dear. You opened up my heart to things I would have never experienced again. You taught me how to smile, laugh, and you have grown as both a woman in your own right and in your sister's memory. I would never regret the time I have spent by your side, but it is not mine to have."

"B-but..."

"Lissa. Trust me. There is a man better than I for you. There is a father better than I for Owain."

"How do I even know I'll have a child anymore! This alone changes everything!"

"For the first time since they met, Lon'qu embraced Lissa and she sobbed into his chest.

"Things don't only change, Lissa. They'll improve. It will get better with time, and with patience. Trust me. In another world, I have loved you. But not this one, because everything is going to be better for you." He let go of her hand, and he realized just how cold they were.

With that, Lissa fell onto her bed and sobbed into her pillow, and Lon'qu took a breath and left the room.

Walking over to his favorite spot by the training pits, he drew a practice sword and on reflex, deflected a blow coming at his head from behind.

"Lady Sakura says you're working even harder for her," he began. "I'd say so too."

"I have you to thank for that," Hana said with a smile. "I've improved so much, and even you have to admit that you have as well! Soon, we'll be the best retainers in the army! Me slightly better than you, of course." Lon'qu couldn't help but smile at Ke'r- Hana's jab, but frowned when he remembered the state he left Lissa in.

"Something the matter?"

"I broke Lissa's heart five minutes ago. Owain may not like the news either. I never was good at dealing soft news." Hana nodded slowly, knowing what he had said just by his composure.

"Hey, you're not one to mince words, right?"

"R-right," Lon'qu muttered, frowning at Ke'ri's description of him. "Let's spar... I need to distract myself."

"Yeah, 'cuz you won't need all of your effort to LOSE!"

Obviously, Lon'qu was distracted by far more than his own actions when Hana beat him on her first strike. She noticed this and lowered her blades when they charged again.

"What are you doing, woman?" Lon'qu asked, annoyed at the younger swordsman.

"Can you not call me that anymore? Besides, a 'girl' just kicked your butt! You're not even focusing!" Lon'qu looked at his own quivering arms, and the reflection of his worried face on the sword's flat. Things were definitely not in focus.

"W-what if... this is the wrong thing, I'm doing? What if by my actions, Owain loses faith and becomes a liability? What if Lissa does likewise? Should I have accepted?"

"Since when are you so unsure of yourself? You stab bandits, not wallow in emotion! And what you did was the right thing! You'll always be the Lon'qu that protects Lissa, no matter what! So stop feeling sorry and stab me!"

"It hasn't always been so simple," Lon'qu sighed. "Ke'ri- Hana... Gods... See?"

"Do I really remind you of her that much?" Hana asked, almost impressed in herself.

"Yes. I have no idea what I'm feeling... this confusion, this hope... And not just because you've reminded me of Ke'ri. Your own uniqueness... it is... difficult to process."

"What's that supposed to mean?!"

"I mean no ill towards you, Hana," Lon'qu said. "I just find it strange... these emotions I feel when you-"

"W-what?" Hana interrupted, flustered beyond belief. "You are getting too nervous. Calm down!"

"R-right," Lon'qu sighed, raising his blade and charging again once Hana raised hers. This time, he lasted a little longer, but was bested nonetheless.

"That's twice now! C'mon, Lon'qu. Put up a fight, at least."

"I can't find it within me to focus. I know it isn't like me, but can we talk?"

"No! We fight, it's our nature! It's our destiny as swordsmen and retainers to fight each other!" Hana scoffed with mock arrogance, trying to snap Lon'qu out of his misery. "Besides, I can't really control my emotions around you either-" She cursed at her lack of verbal control once more.

"Wait."

"W-what?" Hana asked innocently

"Did you just... admit... I-"

"Since when are you one to shy from flattery?" Lon'qu only frowned and sheathed his blade.

"Never, in my life. That was something more profound than flattery." Hana stuttered on her feet and ran off, blabbering all the while.

"R-right! I'll... I have to see Sakura! Go away!"


A+


"He's been ignoring me, avoiding me, as of recently," Hana complained. Sakura trailed behind her, listening to her friends rants. It was going to be a long march today, and conversation always spiced things up. As the tall trees passed by them, the abundance of humidity and the lack of direct sunlight made both of them rather nervous.

"D-does he know... y-you like him?" She nervously piped, and Hana groaned again.

"I am rather horrible with secrets. We were just supposed to be sparring partners! I'll never be as good a swordsman as he... And now I'll never get that chance to fight him again without being so... awkward!"

"I'm sure you'll beat him one day! B-but... Does he like you?"

"Earlier, he kept comparing me to his... Ke'ri. She died, in his childhood, and he's traumatized by that. That fact that I apparently resemble and remind him of her doesn't help the fact that he wants to kill me every time he sees me. But recently, he's been taking note of my uniqueness and less of my similarities to Ke'ri. It's strange."

"I've n-noticed... you two don't fight each other anymore."

"That's because he's getting... emotional? Have I really changed him, that much?"

"Yes. You have," Lissa interrupted, her expressions still sad and depressed. "But why?! What does he see in you that he doesn't see in me?!"

"Princess Lissa, I was unaware that..." Lissa sighed again and looked behind her, where Lon'qu was talking to Robin while keeping the Princess in his peripherals.

"It's fine. It's not your fault. It's mine, for falling for that big... dummy! Ugh!"

"You mean a lot to him, Princess Lissa," Hana offered.

"But not as much as the ghost of his dead..." Lissa sighed at her own jealousy. "What will Owain say?"

"I'm sure things will turn out fine, milady," Hana offered, still feeling incredibly awkward at who she was talking to.

"I hope so," Lissa sighed.

A muffled scream was heard in the rear, and all three girls turned their heads to the noise. They met Lon'qu's gaze as he stood atop the corpse of a dead cavalier, cleaning blood off his freshly stained katana.

"Enemies, here?!" Sakura stuttered, drawing her bow and scanning the skies. Hana drew her katana and stayed by her liege, while Lissa crouch-ran towards Lon'qu and safety.

"W-what's happening?!"

"Valmese. Stand behind me, Lissa." Stuttering on her own name being mentioned for once, she hid behind Lon'qu as another cavalier charged in, this time being intercepted by Sakura's shining bow.

"Focus on the skies, Princess!" Lon'qu ordered, and Sakura nodded as she scanned above the many tree branches for the silhouettes of airborne troops.

"There! Lady Sakura, wyverns!" At the sound of the familiar beast, Lon'qu tensed up.

"She'll be fine," Lissa hissed, not intending to sound jealous.

"That's her own concern, not yours," Lon'qu retorted. "You're my responsibility."

"And Owain," Lissa huffed. Lon'qu pushed her out of the way of an arrow just as it whizzed by her head, a scowl casting a shadow over his face.

"Seriously woman? Now is not the time- Agh!" Another arrow found its mark, and Lon'qu growled as he pulled out the protrusian from his lower chest. Lissa gasped and healed him immediately, apologizing all the while. Her staff was running on its last few uses, and she cursed for not resupplying with Robin earlier.

"Sorry! My Mend is on its last charge!"

"Of all the times..." A shadow flew over Lon'qu's head and he couldn't help but hide his fear as Hana was right in the wyvern's crosshairs.

"Ke'- Hana!" Hana turned just to see an ax fly towards her, but she nimbly leaped onto it and forced it to embed into the dirt, while at the same time catching airtime and stabbing her katana onto the wyvern's belly, forcing it to spiral into the ground as both beast and rider died on impact. She rolled off just in time and ran back to Sakura, who gazed in astonishment.

"D-did... whoa!"

Smiling at her own accomplishment, Hana flashed a thumbs-up to Lon'qu who nodded in return. Another shadow flew over but Sakura shot it down after a few tries.

Lon'qu focused back at his own liege and found her gazing in sadness at the swordsman that rivaled her.

"Focus, Princess."

"R-right..."

Deflecting another arrow from striking Lissa, Lon'qu groaned as he pulled one from his chest before Lissa could see. Hiding his gasps of pain, he stumbled before catching a blade of another myrmidon with his. Staring into his eyes, Lon'qu growled in anger as he shoved the enemy away. The facial structure, his stance... it gave away his heritage.

"Chon'sin. You disgust me by fighting with the Valmese."

"You look familiar, Ylissean. Have I stabbed you before?"

Those eyes...

"You murdered Ke'ri!" Lon'qu screamed in recognition, slicing so furiously that the man disappeared in piles of flesh and blood before he could mutter a word. Stealing the final traces of life from the corpse, he reveled in his accomplishment immediately before looking over at Hana, who was surrounded by the same group of myrmidons from his childhood nightmares.

"N-no.."

"Didn't we kill you before?" The group laughed, and Hana stood in front of her liege with both swords drawn. "I thought we killed Ke'ri years ago! At least you're not a retainer for Say'ri, because she's not even a Princess anymore! Hah!"

"If you're referring to me, then... I'm afraid I'm not Ke'ri. But that doesn't really matter. You've caused my friend so much heartbreak and anger... I will slay you all!"

"W-what? Who are you? You look exactly like Ke'ri!"

"Oh yeah? Well you look like you're going to get slashed up!" Hana responded weakly, fully aware of her odds now.

"You'll die just like her," the assassin grinned. "It feels good doing this a second time."

Lon'qu wanted to rush over to defend Hana so badly... She was going to die alone... With him, maybe they could win.

He couldn't let history repeat itself... Lissa looked at him and nodded. The area was clear, as far as she could see. This party was small, too small to be an attacking force.

"Help them."

"B-but..." Lon'qu stuttered.

"It's okay!" Lissa replied softly. "You can do it."

"T-thank you, Lissa." Lon'qu moved to help Hana, but she seemed to be completely overwhelmed now. He ran even faster...

But the archer aiming between his Princess' eyes needed another target. Lon'qu spun quickly, leaving Hana at his back.

"A retainer... dies before his liege," he whispered to himself before tackling Lissa out of the way.

The arrow struck him through the neck, and Lon'qu couldn't help but gasp gurgled blood as he rolled in the dirt and blood of his downfall. Lissa screamed too as she saw her guardian go down, and she covered his body with hers.

"Lon'qu! Oh gods, how did I not see that?! You'll be okay!" She pulled out the arrow with a spray of blood, using the last of the of her Mend to seal the wound as best as she could.

"S..." Lon'qu wheezed, blood pooling around his neck as the Mend wasn't near enough to heal him. He glanced at Hana, where she and Sakura stood triumphant over the piles of dead Chon'sin traitors. Seeing Lon'qu's dying form, they ran over, but not even Sakura's festal was enough to stop the bleeding.

"S-sorry... I couldn't... help... you," Lon'qu struggled, keeping his eyes open as long as he could as he held Ke'ri's hands... no... Hana's hands in his own.

"I l-love you... Not as... K-ke'ri... But as... H-hana. S-sor..."

"You'll be fine, Lon'qu! Ke'ri has been avenged!"

"No... You have... done... more than that." Lon'qu whispered as he finally let death take him.

"Lon'qu..." Lissa breathed in disbelief, before beating the ground next to him to a pulp. "N-no!"

Hana stood over him, gazing at Lon'qu's corpse in fear and finally pain.

"Please... no... This isn't the retainer's duty... You need to live for them too! Live for me..."

"..." Lon'qu didn't move. What was left of his life was pooling at Lissa's knees and Hana's feet.


Grima heard the screams of pain from far away, and he made his best to run up to what appeared to be a Shepherd conflict. An archer took note of him and he groaned in bewilderment when an arrow pinged off his body.

"Ow." Impressed for an instant before realizing he was mortal, Grima obliterated the archer into nothingness and kept running, trying to stay low this time.

"Lon'qu... died?"

"Wow, he actually did! That's..." Grima pondered in thoughts, trying to recall the last time the Chon'sin myrmidon had met his match on the battlefield.

"That hasn't happened in a while. But... with the evil me still up there trying to kill off Naga... Robin's gonna need all the help he can get. Sorry Lon'qu, but you're not getting away from this so easily. At least... It's gonna take a lot more than that to be rid of mortality."


S


Lon'qu suddenly burst upwards, knocking into Hana's kneeling body as he gasped his first breaths since dying.

"H-how..." both he and the samurai whispered.

"Y-you're alive?!" Lissa screamed, but Lon'qu paid her no heed.

"You're alive..." Lon'qu felt Hana's hands around his, and he immediately hugged her amidst the noises of battle. Hana shook her head and buried her head in his tunic, tears mixing with the blood.

"What the hell were you thinking, Lon'qu! I had that under control! And then I see you dying..."

"I was diving at Lissa. Not you," Lon'qu stuttered. "She is my liege, and my priority-" Hana shut him up with a simple kiss, one that seemed to block out all the noise around them.

The blonde princess couldn't help but smile in sadness, but the redheaded one was absolutely ecstatic at the scene.

Whoa, that's new, Grima whispered to himself.

"I failed Ke'ri... I almost failed you and Lissa. I promise, upon my blade, and upon my honor-" Hana silenced the swordsman with another kiss, and Lon'qu couldn't help but relish the gentle touch of her lips on his.

"Not another word. From now on, both you and Lady Sakura are my priority now!"