Mother

Author's note: I recommend listening to the song Mother?! from Mother 3 when Severa says "Mother?".

Selena wore a red kimono and had a towel wrapped around the top of her head as she exited the hot spring. Her eyes drifted to the lone hill near the courtyard; a tree sat atop it and was illuminated by the moon behind it.

"More rest and relaxation couldn't hurt." She thought before she walked to the hill, while her damp feet picked up grass as she strode. Upon reaching the top of the hill, Selena discovered someone else had the same idea as her.

"Good evening Sev- I mean, Selena." Laslow flashed her a smile as he lounged on his back.

"Well, fancy meeting you here, Laslow." Selena stood over her resting friend while a smile crept along her face. "Or should I say... Inigo?"

"Hey, someone might hear you!" Laslow quickly examined the area to make sure no one was listening. "I favor the name Laslow, anyway." His worried expression shifted back into a calm manner.

"Whatever," Selena sat down on the grass as she outstretched her legs. "So what're you doing up here?"

"Getting ready to propose to the love of my life." Laslow took a long, drawn-out sigh as he looked to the edge of a far-off pond where Azura was currently sitting. Selena followed his gaze and was mildly surprised by his statement.

"Really? Laslow the Ylissean philanderer is finally settling down?" Selena snickered quietly as Laslow threw her a glare.

"I was a different man back then." His tone went from relaxed to dry within a single moment.

"We all were different back in Ylisse. I even dated your sister for crying out loud!" Selena noticed the look of shock on Laslow's face, who she assumed had still remembered that experience.

"Oh, gods, I forgot about that!" Laslow cupped his hand over his mouth and fought the urge to gag.

"I was… experimenting... okay?" Selena laughed mildly as she glanced to the side. "Although, I don't think I'm better off now, if we're being honest."

"How so? Your husband is ninety percent of our workforce here, and your daughter is quite lovely." Laslow raised his left eyebrow in a quizzical manner.

"Yeah, but that doesn't change the fact that I married the male equivalent of my mother, and then gave birth to the spitting image of her." Selena unwrapped the towel from around her head and placed it by her side. Her long hair hung downward and reached the ground; Laslow noticed the similarities to her mother's hair.

"And that's a bad thing, because…" Laslow gave her a joking look as she folded her arms.

"Because my mother was insufferable! She was always lusting after your father because mine was busy causing an apocalypse!" Selena's cheeks matched her hair color as her tone rose in emotion.

"First off, yes. Robin, or Grima, or whatever we should call that thing, was busying causing the apocalypse, but we averted that future. Secondly, when we went back in time to change our destiny, you saw how much your parents cared for each other. You were at the beach when your mother openly kissed your father in public, for gods' sake!" Laslow stood up and began pacing around the tree. "Cordelia cared about you deeply, and we're all sick and tired of you complaining about how she 'never loved you'." Laslow made little air-quotes with his fingers as he mocked Selena's tone.

"Why should I take your advice about my mother?" Selena looked quite angry now.

Laslow stared at her in disbelief; he was absolutely flabbergasted that she refused to accept the truth.

"Forget it, you're not worth arguing with." He seated himself against the tree and watched as Selena's face became more irate with every passing second.

"Define 'not worth arguing over' please?" She leaned over him with an imposing stare, and her fists were clenched.

"You're too bull-headed to accept other's opinions. You turn everything into your mother because you have a severe attachment issue, and frankly, I recommend you seek some therapy." Laslow let out another sigh as he gazed to the pond. Azura stood up and began walking to the castle. "See you later." Laslow hurriedly scrambled to his feet. A miniature box was clutched in his pocket as he rushed to Azura's side.

"What a jerk," Selena grumbled as she leaned against the tree while her arms were folded. She watched as Laslow got down on one knee. Azura blushed as she clasped her hands in joy. They hugged. "Of course, he gets a happy ending for telling me off." She seated herself on the grass.

"Are you holding up alright, fair maiden?" The familiar voice of Odin called out. He approached the hill while waving to Ryoma and Camilla as they passed by.

"Odin?! What are you doing up this late?" Selena smiled. Slightly.

"Well, Orochi and I are leaving for our 'vacation' tomorrow, so the gods instructed me to check on my friends before I depart." Odin seated himself next to the tree.

"I'm shocked that you consider me a friend," Selena grumbled as Odin gave her a worried look.

"Why would I not treat you like a friend?" Odin raised his eyebrow, and Selena was taken aback by the sincerity of his tone.

"Because I made fun of you non-stop back home. I already drove Laslow away, so I thought I did the same to you." Selena expelled a sigh from her parted lips.

"Well," Odin paused slightly while he began to meticulously choose his words. "Forgiveness is the sign of a strong individual. If I just spent all day grumbling about how someone called me 'dorky', or just simply wronged me, then I would be just as bad as those villains we fought back in Ylisse, because making mistakes is part of being human. Being able to forgive someone for their shortcomings shows you can treat your relationships with care, and that in itself shows that you are strong." Odin looked up to the pale moon. His ears perked up as he heard a sniffling from Selena. "Are you well?"

"That's the..." Selena muttered as she seated herself next to Odin; her knees were brought up to her chest.

"Can you speak up a bit? My yelling has worn out my hearing."

"That's the nicest thing I've heard in a long time." Selena's voice was rather calm, which contrasted her inner thoughts.

Odin watched as his friend curled into a ball and pressed her head into her arms.

"Are you well?" Odin asked as he gently placed a hand on Selena's shoulder.

Selena had fallen asleep, and began to dream about Ylisse.

Three figures stood atop a hill that overlooked a ruined house. One of the girls had long blue hair and a mark in her left eye. The other two people were sisters; one had short red hair, and the other had long strands of white hair that split into two ponytails.

The three friends were gazing in a solemn manner at a pair of graves on the hill. One of the graves had a large 'C' scrawled onto it, and the other had an 'R' symbol.

"Severa… I'm sorry…" Lucina spoke in a quiet voice as she walked over to the side of the white-haired girl. "Death is such a terrible thing, and I wish I could make your grief go away."

Severa didn't even respond; she just continued to stare at the graves of her parents. The only emotion she could feel was a massive wave of sadness. It didn't help that the last time she saw Cordelia alive, they had gotten into a massive argument over helping Chrom.

"I still can't believe they're… They're…" Morgan's eyes were watering, and she quickly covered her eyes with the purple sleeve of her coat.

Severa let out a wail as she grabbed Lucina by the arm.

"T-T-T-They're g-g-gone." Her voice became incredibly shaky as she buried her face into Lucina's shoulder. She simply couldn't believe it. Her mother wouldn't be there to comfort her anymore. Her father wouldn't be there to tell stories and teach her fun games.

All she had left was her sister and her friends.

"Everything's going to be alright…" Lucina attempted to soothe Severa while she gently patted her on the shoulder.

Lucina and her brother had experienced first-hand how it felt to lose their parents. They knew about the sleepless nights that occurred, where they wished that their parents would wake them up from this nightmare. They both wished that none of their friends would have to go through the pain of losing family.

Severa pulled her head away from Lucina's shoulder; the sides of her face were wet with tears.

"Thank y-you." Severa wrapped her arms around Lucina and felt the warmth of her body. It was a comforting warmth, and that only got amplified when Morgan joined the group hug.

"We should get going soon." Morgan's voice was muffled as she hugged her sister.

While the three companions were embracing, Severa's ears perked up when she heard a faint noise.

It was the sound of a harp being played.

"Do you guys hear that?" She pulled away from the group and scanned the area. Everywhere she looked, vast expanses of trees stretched into the sky.

Her eyes focused on a flash of red entering the forest. "Wait here. I need to go check something out." Severa tore off towards the forest; Lucina reached out to stop her but was too late.

"Severa! Please don't get lost!" She looked incredibly worried as Severa slipped into the forest.

When Severa emerged in the area underneath the massive trees, she quickly glanced around while the sound of a harp playing grew louder and louder. She used the sounds of the harp to guide her through the forest, and her feet crunched against the sticks on the ground.

Severa followed the noises of the harp until she found herself staring at a clearing. She panted for breath, seeing as she had sprinted the whole way to here, and exited the forest into the clearing.

She found herself on a cliff that overlooked a large stretch of land below. Grass and flowers swayed in the breeze, and her gaze was drawn to a person standing at the cliff.

The person had long, red hair, and Severa didn't even bother looking at her other details. She knew exactly who this person was.

"Mother?" Severa's voice sounded as though it would shatter. Her mother looked rather translucent, but she still turned around to give her daughter a bright smile.

Severa's footsteps grew heavier and heavier as she drew closer to her mother; she felt as though she were wading through knee-high water. Her eyes blinked as she struggled to fight back tears.

"Severa… Come here…" Cordelia's voice echoed and reverberated around the immediate area.

Severa's knees buckled underneath the weight of her emotions, and she fell to the ground. She began to claw her way towards her mother. Her entire body refused to stand. She made a quiet whimpering sound as her mother walked before her.

"You must be so exhausted… Here, let me help you up..." Cordelia gently held Severa by the arms and helped her to her feet. Her smile could practically replace the sun for all Severa cared.

"I can't… I thought you were dead…" Severa buried her face into the familiar warmth of her mother's shoulder and began to sob profusely. Cordelia's hands were delicately wrapped around Severa's back, and Severa could feel her tears staining her mother's clothing.

"Severa… Whenever you feel alone… just think of your family. We'll always be here for you…" Cordelia's soothing voice only served to make Severa cry even more.

Severa just wanted to spend time with her mother again. She longed for when her mother would cradle her in front of the fireplace while her father read stories; stories of a land where death was not certain, and everyone was free to have a happy ending.

Severa just wanted her mother to wake her up from this nightmare that was her world.

Severa just wanted her mother and father back.

Cordelia embraced her daughter for what felt like an age, then drew back. "I'm sorry, but I must go…" Cordelia's image began to grow more opaque, and Severa fell to her knees.

"Please… Don't leave me again…" Severa sniffled her nose as she looked up. Her mother was floating above the ground, and was ascending toward the sky. She gave her daughter one last smile as she disappeared beyond the clouds.

"I will always love you." Cordelia's voice echoed from beyond the sky.

It was at this point that Severa began to smash her fist into the dirt while she sobbed profusely. She couldn't believe it; her mother had just been taken from her, again.

She continued to sniffle her nose as she let out a blood-curdling scream toward the sky.

"Mother!"

Odin kept a watchful eye on Selena while she snored peacefully on the ground. When she began to stir, he helped her up to her feet before she quickly exploded into sobs.

"Selena… What's wrong?" Odin asked as Selena planted her head directly into Odin's chest.

"I want my mother back! I want my father back! I want Lucina and Morgan back!" Selena simply couldn't handle seeing her mother again, even if it was just a memory. Odin was taken aback but remained still as to not upset his emotionally-volatile friend.

"Everything's going to be fine, Severa. You don't have to cry," Odin reassured her. He watched as Orochi sauntered up to the summit of the hill while a towel was wrapped around her body.

"Am I interrupting something?" She asked before readjusting her cloth covering.

"I'll be at the hot spring soon, honey. I just require five minutes, please," Odin reassured her while Selena let out a wail.

"Okay, dear," Orochi stated before walking towards the hot spring. She stopped after taking a single step, and turned her head around with a worried look. "I hope you feel better, Selena." She continued walking to the spa.

"T-Thank you." Selena stuttered while she continued to cry into Odin's shoulder.

"I miss my family and friends too," Odin gazed to the night sky while sitting motionless. "But then I remember: the friends and loved ones here are our new family."

Selena pulled her head back and made a sniffling noise as she wiped her eyes.

"It's not just that." She looked to the front entrance of the castle where Laslow and Azura were embracing. "Lately, I've been having these nightmares of Grima."

"You don't have to worry about Grima. We sealed that beast for good." Odin stated as he looked to the sky.

"I guess you're right." Selena gazed to the stars as well; her eyes were still watering. "Thanks for the moral support." She wrapped her arms around her blond friend.

"Glad to be of help," Odin stated as he hugged her back. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have an appointment with my wife for some spa treatment." He released Selena from his embrace as he stood up and waved to her as he walked away.

Selena rested on her back for only a single moment when a bright flash of blue filled her vision. She looked to her right to see her husband and her daughter with their Hoshidan friends. Kamui was clutched in their arms.

"What the heck happened?!" She hurriedly stood up and rushed to them. Caeldori's face was covered with dirt and bruises, while Kamui looked much, much worse.

"Long story short, Kamui broke his back and needs medical attention." Subaki was relatively calm about this, which stood in contrast to the look of panic on Caeldori.

"Mother, is he going to die?" Her voice cracked as she clutched his frail body. Selena noted that her mouth was trembling and her eyes were watering.

"No, sweetie, he won't die. We'll get him to a healer and he'll be good as new." Selena placed both of her hands on Caeldori's shoulders and gave her a reassuring smile before walking towards the infirmary. She looked at Caeldori and motioned for her to follow.

After stumbling into the infirmary, Caeldori gently placed Kamui on the bed while Sakura rushed to his side.

"D-Dear gods, what happened to him?!" Sakura gasped; Leo did as well, who stood at her side.

"He broke his back after rescuing me," Caeldori mumbled into Kamui's broken armor.

"Okay, I've treated worse. He'll live." Sakura waved her staff in the air while pieces of paper encircled Kamui as a white light enveloped him. After the light dissipated, Kamui had a noticeable lack of bruises and a smile on his resting face. Caeldori wrapped her arms around his figure, and felt the rhythmic movements of his breathing.

"Well, now that's over with," Subaki stated as he stood next to Selena in the doorway. He handed Setsuna's attire back to her before she stomped off to the main castle. Caeldori jerked her head up and looked to Hisame.

"Hisame, thank you for helping to rescue me." She smiled at him, and he smiled back before nodding. Inside, he was practically screaming in delight that she had noticed him. He followed Setsuna to the castle.

"So why did Kamui break his back?" Selena asked.

"It was a complicated series of events that honestly sound ridiculous now that I think about it. Essentially, Kamui became a dragon and was swept up by a water current, then smashed into a tree." Subaki gazed inside the white interior of the infirmary before facing his wife.

"What the…?" Selena was slightly taken aback by how ludicrous that sounded. "Good thing he's okay."

"Hey, mother and father, I'm just gonna stay here with Kamui for the night. Is that okay?" Caeldori asked as she pulled a nearby chair next to the bed Kamui rested on.

"Yes, that's positively peachy, Caeldori." Subaki smiled as he slung his arm around Selena's shoulder. The two of them walked out of the makeshift hospital and towards the main courtyard. "Now, is there anything you want to do on this fine night?"

"I really want to go to sleep." Selena yawned as she coiled her arm around Subaki's back.

"Now that's something I can agree with." Subaki gave his wife a smile that could replace the sun for all she cared.

Severa having an emotional breakdown at the sight of her deceased mother breaks my heart.