"Ah, what a long day," Ananias mumbled to himself, stretching his back while raising his arms above his head as he made his way to nowhere in particular. It was then that he noticed two familiar figures privately conversing with one another in the distance. "Huh? Who's that?" He squinted his eyes as he attempted to recognize just who the familiar figures were. "Isn't that... Lady Azura and Lady Corrin? Hmm. That's strange. Just what could they be talking about all the way over there?" Ananias thought about it for a moment before shaking his head and muttering, "Ugh, what am I saying? People should be allowed to talk in private with one another, shouldn't they? It's none of my business." He then crossed his arms and thought about it further. "Is it?" It was then that Azura and Corrin seemed to finish their conversation, with the two making their separate ways as they said their goodbyes, with Azura walking towards Ananias' general direction and Corrin walking the direction opposite of that. "Oh, they're done."
Ananias waited patiently as Azura spotted him, smiled, and made her way towards him. "Hello there, Ananias. Another wonderful day we're having, don't you think?"
Ananias awkwardly nodded. "Uh, yeah, it's nice."
Azura frowned at this. "Is... everything alright?"
"Of course," Ananias said. "Why wouldn't they be?"
Azura eyed him suspiciously. "Because you're acting a bit strangely."
Ananias hesitated for a moment before insisting, "I'm always a bit strange."
Azura smirked knowingly. "Stranger then." She then frowned. "Ananias, is something wrong? Are you not feeling well? Should I go get a healer?"
"N-No!" Ananias answered. "You don't have to do that, honest! I feel fine."
"You don't look fine. And quite frankly, your insistence that you are is only making me worry more, so why don't you just spit it out so that I can help you?"
"I-It's more my problem then yours."
"I'll be the judge of that," Azura sternly said. "Now, out with it! I want to help!"
Ananias sighed before awkwardly scratching he back of his head and explaining, "I... spotted you and Lady Corrin talking to each other."
Azura let out a tiny gasp of surprise before nodding her head. "I see. And?"
"I don't know," Ananias shamefully muttered. "I guess I just... wanted to know what you guys were talking about, that's all."
"Oh." Azura smiled. "Well then, why didn't you just ask? I would've told you."
"I don't know. I guess I just assumed that it was none of my business."
"Well, if you had walked in on us and demanded we tell you, then yes, I suppose we would have responded that way, but there's no harm in asking me now. Especially when what we were talking about wasn't very important to begin with."
"It wasn't?" Ananias incredulously asked.
"Well, I suppose it was a bit private," Azura admitted. "But it's nothing I can't share with you." Azura took a deep breath before explaining, "You see, this war, it's a war that Corrin realizes she has to win, no, needs to win. And to carry such a heavy burden, well, sometimes it can be a bit overwhelming, so I simply took her aside and let her confide in me. That's all."
Ananias raised an eyebrow in surprise. "It is?"
Azura nodded. "Yes, and I'm trusting you to keep this a secret between us, okay? We wouldn't want word to get out that the struggles of war were getting to our fearless leaders, now would we?"
Ananias smiled. "Nope. Definitely not."
Azura chuckled. "Thank you, I knew I could count on you."
"What type of friend would I be if I couldn't? Though I am a bit surprised by how quickly you and Lady Corrin have bonded. Didn't you two only meet each other fairly recently?"
"Well, yes," Azura said, "but we've had such similar upbringings that we've become fast friends."
"Did you?" Ananias asked. "Because, no offense, but Lady Corrin was kept in a castle all of her life, wasn't she? And you, from what I've heard, had a horrible time in Nohr and were treated rather well over in Hoshido, all things considered."
"Well, it's certainly more complicated than that, but yes, I suppose I see your point. But what of it?"
"Well, for better or for worse, our upbringings shape us. They make us the people that we are today. And while Lady Corrin couldn't remember anything about her past family, you did, so all of the horrible things that happened to you in Nohr, they're still engraved within your memory, aren't they?"
Azura cautiously nodded. "Yes, I suppose they are."
"So you understand what I'm getting at, right? The two of you, despite the similarities in your upbringings, are pretty different in the grand scheme of things, so how can you have been such fast friends?"
Azura thought about it for a moment before answering, "Well, I suppose it's because we both wish to see an end to the fighting. Nohr and Hoshido, these kingdoms have been at war for far too long, don't you think? So shouldn't we try our very best to stop the fighting?"
"I guess," Ananias admitted. "But there's a difference between wanting the war to end and believing that the war can end, and well..."
"Yes?"
"I can buy Lady Corrin believing that. She's been locked up in a castle for most of her life, so a little bit of naivety is to be expected. But you? That's a bit harder to swallow."
"..."
"Shouldn't you be, I don't know, a little bit more cynical about all this? And, I mean, realistically, war is just something that happens, you know? There's nothing you can really do about that."
"... Is that what you believe?"
"Well, I don't mean to sound so cryptic, but it's not like wars are always started by the bad guys, you know? Good people go to war too. Even if the fighting stops today, another one may start in the future."
Azura nodded solemnly. "Yes, I see your point, about both me and war. I'll admit, my time at Nohr has haunted me more times than I care to admit, and the point you've made is a nuanced one, but I refuse to let my past define the type of person that I am today, and I refuse to let the reality of war keep me from at the very least attempting to help stop the fighting between the two kingdoms. I just wish for all this fighting to end. Is that so wrong?"
Ananias shook his head. "No, of course not, but...," he crossed his arms, "I can't help feeling that you're leaving something out. Your desires, they seem a little bit too clean cut."
"... I see."
"Sorry. Maybe it's just me. I'm... I'm probably going to need some time to process all of this."
Azura nodded understandingly. "Of course. Take all the time you need."
Author's Note #1: The next supports after Azura will be Flora, followed by Odin, Laslow, Rinkah, Arthur, Silas, Leo, Keaton, and Subaki. Kanna's supports will be like Ophelia's and Soleil's, with Kanna being Odin, Laslow, or Selena's kid and Ananias being an honorary uncle to them. The supports will also be written as if Kanna is a boy, but will be generic enough to fit both genders. Got someone else you want to support with Ananias that isn't on this list yet? Request it. Remember, all Nohr first generation characters, Soliel, Ophelia, Anna, Kanna, Rinkah, Subaki, and Setsuna are allowed to support with him as well and it is a first come, first serve system.
Author's Note #2: The Fire Emblem Warriors poll is now officially up on my profile! Vote for which five characters you want for Ananias to support with from that game the most and, in the end, ten characters will be selected for Ananias to support with, so make your voices heard. Happy voting!
