Around two decades ago, the Nohr-Hoshido war came to an end with the Nohrian army defeating the Hoshidans. Despite said war being instigated and won by Nohr, Hoshido ended in a good place. This was thanks to the efforts of King Xander, as well as the leader of the Nohrian army, the woman behind it was one who believed in peace. One who tried her best to reduce sacrifices as much as possible. Mikoto Marwood was kidnapped by King Garon as a child, and was raised by him. When Mikoto had to make a choice between the family who raised her and the family who she was related to, she had to pick her beloved Nohrian siblings. This led to the demise of King Garon, and the rise of King Xander.
Mikoto didn't just have her siblings though. She had her good friend Arete and her eventual lover, Anankos. Together, along with the rest of the army, they managed to end the war. Sadly, the three of them along with Arete's daughter, passed away several years later. Corrin is the only of them still living. Many of the other Nohrians had children, and so did some of the living Hoshidans. The crown prince of Hoshido had a child before his untimely demise. He will one day become king, but for the time being his uncle Takumi is handling ruling the country. Currently, he maintains a relationship with Nohr for the sake of politics, but he isn't particularly fond of the royal family who took away his older brother.
Lethe, the continent containing Nohr and Hoshido, has enjoyed peace for all these years, partially thanks to the efforts of King Takumi and King Xander. Unbeknownst to them, there was another threat beneath the surface. However, that truth died with Anankos…
A bright light was the only thing keeping a dark room lit. The wax was slowly beginning to melt. The candle sat on top of a brown desk, and the only real visible object was a large book, filled with hexes. A young woman, 22 years of age, was scrolling through the pages. Hexes were one of her favorite things. Though she wasn't finding much that interested her. She found a hex that would change someone into a frog, but she felt that was a bit far, even for her. She found another, one that would kill someone unless they told the truth. That also felt like a bit much. There was also a mind control hex. That one might be interesting. She giggled a bit to herself thinking of the practicality and versatility of such a spell.
A knock on her door triggered a sigh. She felt she was truly getting somewhere, and it was always then that she'd be interrupted.
"Come in." She told the pest.
And of course, it was none other than her Father. He was a short man, who wore the same headdress as her. He wore a blue shirt and dark brown shorts. He looked around the room, but was unable to see anything. He knew his daughter was here. He heard her voice. But she knew how to blend in.
"Rhajat?" He called.
"What do you want...?" she hissed.
Her father,Hayato, spoke somewhat loudly. "We need to talk," He said.
"Can it wait?" She huffed.
"Not really, it's pretty important." He replied.
She groaned, not even bothering to attempt and hide her frustration. She stood up, not bothering to push her chair under the desk, and walked around it. Hayato wondered how she could enjoy darkness to the extent that she did, but that was neither here nor there.
Rhajat upon leaving her room, shielded her eyes. The light never agreed with her. Or at least, for most of her life. Hayato rolled his eyes at her, feeling she was being dramatic. The village they lived in, the wind tribe, was inside of Hoshido. As anyone would expect, the village was filled with wind, but it was also laying in a desert with a lot of yellowish sand. The sun pounded brightly on them. Rhajat was met with her pseudo-grandfather, Fuga, a bald very muscular man who wore white pants. Rhajat noticed that the sun reflected off of his head. He almost was always seen with a smile on his face, and today was no different.
"Young Rhajat," he called.
"What do you want...?" She asked. "I was in the middle of something important..."
"You're always working on your hexes." He said with a smile on his face.
"Yes, and that's important." she bit back. She was rather used to people not understanding her, even if Fuga meant no harm. It was hard for her to not be a bit defensive.
"That's understandable. But what I wanted to talk about today is also important. But maybe less so". Fuga was always rather patient with his grand daughter. He understood just how important this was to her. "I apologize for interrupting, but Asugi is here to see you."
Rhajat's eyes widened. "Where is he?" She asked. She felt she hadn't seen him in a while. Rhajat and Asugi were old friends. The two had such a strong bond, that even time apart couldn't hurt their relationship. They met after the war ended, which was when the kids left their deeprealms, for better or worse. The two hit it off rather quickly. Whenever they'd meet up again, it had been as if they'd only been apart a day. Rhajat felt a tap on her shoulder and turned her head around. Nothing was there. With a hint of confusion on her face, she looked forward again and jumped back when Asugi was right in front of her. "Stop doing that!" She exclaimed.
He shrugged. "It keeps my skills sharp. Anyway, how've you been?"
"Dark." She responded.
Asugi grinned. "Ah, so the usual."
Rhajat smirked back. "You know it."
"I'll leave you two alone. You can take a walk around the village." Fuga recommended.
"Thank you." Rhajat replied before walking away with Asugi not far behind.
There was a gentle breeze as the two friends walked through the village. They were in a comfortable silence, until Asugi spoke up. "Sorry I was gone for a year, but my last mission required a lot of time." Asugi, as a ninja, was constantly at work. His last mission required him to stay in Nohr for a year. Just to make sure they weren't planning anything. Ever since the war ended things have been peaceful. However, there were still Hoshidans who didn't trust or care for Nohrians, and vice versa. Asugi was neutral in the affair, he just followed instructions.
"How is Nohr?" She's always been curious about there, but her mother would never let her. She had her own anxieties about Nohr, having been involved in the war. She had no hatred for the royal family, but she was hesitant to let her go there, less some angry Nohrians take their anger out on her. Hayato felt similarly, despite having fought for Nohr as well.
"It's a pretty dark place. Way darker than Hoshido." Asugi explained. "It wasn't particularly awful though. Everyone seemed happy there. I even got to see the royalty. They were good people. They all treated me with respect."
Nohr had been better off ever since the war. Most didn't know all the details, but it ended with the fall of King Garon. King Xander took over afterwards, making Nohr a much better place.
"Were you ever caught?" Rhajat half-jokingly asked. She was a bit worried about him, but she already knew the answer.
Asugi laughed. "Who do you think you're talking too? I had some close calls though. Some people recognized me as a Ninja, and Ninjas aren't common in Nohr. Thankfully they didn't realize I was there as a spy. Changing the topic, how has your hexing been going?"
Rhajat giggled mischievously. "Deliciously. I feel I've improved a lot in the last year. I'm hoping that I'll go even further if I gets into the Officers Academy."
Asugi nodded. "Right, you tried to get in last year too."
Rhajat sighed "Indeed. I was angry when I didn't get in. I hope I'll get in this time."
"Actually, I applied too. Or at least Dad did for me. I was surprised when he said he did that, but I was always talking about wanting to go there."
Rhajat was a bit surprised. "Didn't think you'd care about something like that."
"Who knows? Maybe I can sharpen his ninja skills. They do offer a lot of stuff." The officers academy was in Fodlan, which was only a boat ride away. Lethe was the only territory that wasn't a part of Fodlan that had a house. Fodlan and Lethe had history. Lethe soldiers fought alongside the legendary Seiros, and Lethe was even once part of Fodlan. Despite this, Lethe and Fodlan had different religious beliefs. Fodlan believed in a goddess, whereas Lethe, the nation containing Hoshido and Nohr, believed in 12 divine dragons, among other things. Yet the two areas were rather close. The territories were considered allied against outside threats. However, Fodlan did not interfere in the Nohr-Hoshido war, as that was internal.
"Let's hope we both make it in!" Asugi placed his hand out. "It'd be fun."
Rhajat took it and shook it. "Yeah. No doubt."
The two talked for hours about various topics. As the sun began to set, Asugi told Rhajat he needed to head back. "If I'm not back before nightfall, my dad will throw a fit." While Saizo didn't like showing it, he did worry a lot about his family.
Rhajat understood. "Keep in touch. Or else." Despite her threat, there was nothing but camaraderie in the air.
"Yeah yeah, I know." Asugi walked off, lifting his hand in a goodbye motion.
Rhajat sighed, as much as she hated to admit it, she really hated being alone. Her childhood wasn't filled with others. She scared off many people, and her parents were off with handling the war. Her mom was still in Nohr even, handling some post war affairs.
The people she scared off weren't just other friends, but even care takers. That one was intentional, she didn't want them to get hurt while she was still learning how to learn dark magic. But it had the tragic side effect of giving her issues with isolation. It didn't help that she missed her Mom. She showed up as much as she could, but it still hurt that she couldn't always be here.
Rhajat heard running, it was her father Hayato. He stopped in front on her, hands on his knees panting.
Rhajat rose an eyebrow. "What's the issue?"
"A... A messenger just arrived!" He replied between breaths. "All the way from Fodlan."
Rhajat jumped in surprise. "Have you opened it yet?"
Hayato shook his head. "I wanted to give you that honor." It was a letter with an owl sticker keeping it sealed. With it was a package. Hayato handed the letter to her, and Rhajat quickly ripped it open, not worrying about keeping the envelope intact. She pulled out the letter, and read it out loud.
"Greetings Rhajat Hoshino, we received your application. You have been accepted to the Officers Academy."
Rhajat paused, unable to believe what she was reading. Hayato couldn't contain his excitement, he jumped for joy.
"As a member of the wind tribe, we would like you to lead the house this year. We hope you will choose us for your training. Thank you."
Hayato's mouth was agape. Rhajat was the house leader, he was amazed. Rhajat just wanted to get in. She didn't think she'd get such a high honor.
"So..." Hayato began. "How do you feel?" He asked despite knowing the answer.
"I'm ecstatic but... I don't know how I feel about leading."
Hayato looked a bit frustrated. "Why is that?"
Rhajat shrugged. "Too much responsibility. Which means too much work. And more time away from my research."
Hayato sighed "I should've expected that. But it's such a high honor, do you really want to waste it?"
"I don't really care."
"Well... I can't force you. You do what you want. But you should at least think about it." Hayato knew there was no way of changing Rhajat's mind. The best he could do is put the idea in her head and hope she came to the "correct" conclusion herself. "Anyway, I'll leave you be." Hayato walked off, leaving Rhajat once again by herself. She almost forgot to open the package. Inside was the basic girl's uniform. Apparently she had the ability to personalize it. Regardless of whether she declined or not to lead the gray dragon house, she had a long road ahead of her.
Rhajat had already begun to pack. If she chose to be house leader, she'd need to make her way over to Fodlan early. If she didn't, she had an extra few days. But she figured she should probably prepare to head there regardless. She needed to leave by tomorrow. Rhajat wasn't lying when she said she didn't want to lead because it was too much work, however it wasn't the only reason. She didn't see herself as a leader. She didn't want to let her classmates down. If it wasn't for her father's insistence, she'd have immediately said no. But now she found herself thinking about it. She dismissed the thought, deeming it foolish.
She looked at her uniform again. She didn't know what she'd do to it. It looked pretty nice already. She enjoyed the colors. She supposed there was no harm in trying it on. She undressed and put the uniform on. She loved how it looked. The door opened, revealing Hayato behind it. He looked at her and smiled. "You look so pretty."
Rhajat blushed and glared at him. "Have you ever heard of knocking?!" She stomped her foot down in a combination of embarrassment and frustration.
"Sorry," Hayato apologized with a smile. "I just wanted to check up on you."
Rhajat calmed down slightly. "I'm fine."
Hayato smiled even wider. "You really are growing up. You're gonna be on her own."
Rhajat rolled her eyes, albeit somewhat affectionately. "It'll only be for a year."
Thanks partly to Hayato being apart from Rhajat for a long time thanks to the deeprealms, Hayato didn't like being separated from her for too long. "That's a year apart from our favorite daughter."
"I'm your only daughter, not that I'm complaining."
"Doesn't mean you're not my favorite." Since Hayato had met his wife and had a child, he ironically realized he didn't always need to be mature. It was fine to be silly from time to time. "You're still young. You just turned 22. You should enjoy yourself."
"I'm trying to." Rhajat said sincerely. Her definition of enjoying herself was being cooped up in her room, but that didn't mean she wasn't having fun.
"Good, this next year is going to be hard. That school doesn't play around. You'll be sent on real missions. You could die..." Hayato responded sincerely in return. He knew Rhajat was her own woman, a strong woman, but it didn't stop him from being concerned.
"You worried?" She asked with a smirk.
Hayato folded his arms. "Of course I am."
Rhajat's expression softened. Sometimes she forgot how much he and her mom genuinely cared. It was a bit difficult for her to comprehend. The idea that there were people out there who loved her that much. Given how alone she was for so much of her life. "If anyone's gonna return in a bag, it'll be my enemies. Not me."
It was Hayato's turn to smirk. "Well said. You got your confidence from me it seems. But anyway, I need you to promise me something?"
Rhajat rose an eyebrow. She wasn't the kind of person to break a promise. Her word was her law. "What?"
Hayato looked somewhat solemn. "Promise... that you'll come back safe."
Rhajat smiled genuinely. "I will. I promise."
Hayato perked up. "Good! I won't be happy if you break that! I'll learn dark magic just to bring you back, and ground you for the rest of your afterlife!"
Rhajat rolled her eyes again, but smiled afterwards. "Dark magic can't do that. Believe me, I've tried."
"I'll find a way!" Hayato shouted over his shoulder before he shut the door.
Rhajat was reminded, she'll also need her hexing tools. She looked at her bag, and realized she's gonna need more than one. She wasn't going to go anywhere without them. In a way, it felt like they were a part of her. She needed them, almost as much as she needed air.
Once she packed them all, Rhajat decided to take a walk around the village. It was probably her last chance to do so for quite some time. There were so many pretty homes, and just the general atmosphere was appealing to her. It was such a nice place. On her walk, she came across the graveyard. She spent a lot of time here just working on hexes. If the village was a normal home, the graveyard was a vacation home. It was even better at night. She briefly remembered the time last year when she rose faceless. Hayato and everyone dispatched them quickly, but it was nice to know she could pull it off. She needed to work on actually getting them to listen to her however.
She did consider doing it again briefly, but figured she shouldn't scare everyone in the village right before she leaves. She put her hand on a tombstone. Death didn't mean much to her. She had never killed a person, but she wasn't averse to the idea. She never really lost anyone close to her to death. Her parents were young, and Fuga had a lot of years left in him. She did somewhat understand though that everyone in this graveyard was someone somebody lost. Some felt her actions were disrespectful as a result. But she didn't particularly care. They had done nothing to earn her respect anyway. They seemed more afraid of her after her faceless episode.
She wondered if Asugi would also make it into the academy. He did have an impressive resume as a ninja. But part of her was still uncertain. There would always be that bit of concern. But of course, she wouldn't know until the day came. She'd just have to be hopeful. She suddenly got a bit of anxiety. There would be many new people there. Not just from Nohr or Hoshido, but Fodlan too. She was going to be around so many people she'd never met before. She hadn't even thought about that until now. It was just another reason why her being a leader wasn't a good idea. She didn't even like most people, she didn't see why she should lead them.
But on the other hand, she'd probably lead the village one day. Once Fuga passes, Hayato would take over. But if something happens to him, it'd fall to her. She didn't want to think of her family's death. She didn't know what it was like to lose someone, but she didn't want to find out. Just because death didn't mean much to her doesn't mean she wanted to see it happen to people she cared about. She did think it'd be good practice for if that day ever came. Inevitably, it'd have to happen someday. Not to mention, her family had so much faith in her. It was to the point that they were going to spend so much money to get her into the school.
She guessed it was the least she could do for them. They wanted her to be leader, but they weren't forcing her. She figured she could pull it off. She just hoped she wasn't marching into hell. Tomorrow would be the day. The start of the rest of her life.
