The Fiery Queen of Nohr: Part 25 – Dawn Breaks Through
Author's notes: Happy new year everyone. I hope you had had great celebrations for the end of last year and the start of this one. Corona might be trying to whittle us down year by year, but we will do like our ancestors did for many other problems and just keep living despite it. That's the best middle finger we can give to that crappy virus. Best of thanks to my beta-reader pt1oef for helping to make this fic a better written one. With all that said, on to the reader's reviews.
Greyjedi449t – Thank you! I'm happy I could touch you with the plight of Corrin. It continues with this chapter!
TheHolyBlade – I'm really glad to have such a positive reaction to updating. I hope it didn't make you feel too bad! The Awakening children indeed deserve to be more than fanservice cameo.
Guest – At the moment? He really, really, really hates her for disfiguring Reina, killing Hoshidians and for being a Nohrian in general.
Spartastic 4 – Thank you for your kind words. Really glad to have not made a mistake, best thanks to my beta-reader again. I hope the payoff will really leave its mark as much as you anticipate it.
naufalrakha0104 – Yeah, Corrin is really not having a good time around here.
Orion De Aurora – De la part d'un auteur français, les couples éventuels ne sont pas encore gravés dans le marbre. Je suis heureux en tout cas de voir que mes efforts pour créer un vrai lien entre Azura et Corrin semble fonctionner.
ParadoxTheory374 – I really don't get why you got this impression; the text is in my eyes clearly saying the opposite… maybe I should make the aim clearer in the dialogues.
Neb – Hahaha, I can understand having that image in mind and wanting to see it, it would be literal mythological reenactment! Maybe it will happen, everything is possible.
As always, enjoy the story! Please leave a review if you liked it or if you have criticism to share, they are always welcome. Until next time, have a nice reading.
POV Lora
Lora attentively watched the last sparring between her royal guards, looking for any flaw in their forms or exchanges: A three against three, each side having one man wielding a spear, another wielding a sword, and the last wielding an axe, acting as either defender or attacker. They were the last groups to perform and seemed to have reached a stalemate under her critical eye, neither side able to gain or lose a significant advantage. With a gesture, she made them stood down. Then, she commanded all present members to line up in front of her, standing to attention.
"Listen well. Each one of you has proven his loyalty to the crown, his strength, and his ability to adapt to unforeseen circumstances. For these reasons, I have selected the fifty of you among the Royal Guard to protect the Crown Prince during the conquest of Mokushu."
The men and women she spoke to didn't celebrate outwardly, but their pride at being given the mission was obvious. Some of them were old veterans Lora has been training since her days as master of arms, a few were recent additions having proven their worth, and the majority was made of people she has seen entering the Royal Guard over the years. Just like the gray hairs of the King, it was but another reminder of the passage of a time she still didn't experience like them.
"Mokushu is a country of ninjas, trained not for direct confrontation but in trickery, deception and underhanded tactics. Danger will come in the dark, from trees above the tents, from tunnels under your feet, in the form of barbed or poisonous blades and projectiles. At all times, each of you shall possess vials of antidote and coagulant ready to administrate, either to the Crown Prince, a comrade in arm or lastly yourself."
Though the relationship between Nohr and the Ice Tribe has slightly improved since their aborted rebellion, Lora hoped it would come to a betterment once Flora finished her education in Nohr and went back to her people to play the role the King expected her to fulfill. Nonetheless, their production of mosses from Lordran has become a precious boon. If their properties were effective enough to work even by simply consuming the mosses directly, Nohrian alchemists found ways to create particularly potent potions using the colored plants in the last few years. As reward for their efforts, the alchemist guild of Windmire obtained a monopoly in selling these potions, at the condition they supplied the crown a large share of their creations. The Queen was quite satisfied by this turn of event, especially as the princes were going to war against opponents as vicious as ninjas. After all, death by poison was not an agreeable one. She never got used to them.
"You will meet the Crown Prince in the great hall. For the duration of the campaign, his orders will be equal to the King's and mine. Insubordination of any kind will not be tolerated, nor any action which would lead to the dishonor of the Royal Guard," Said Lora as she stared down the royal guards, trusting the few recent members to have been informed about the way past incidents resolved, "I expect you all to fulfill your duty and bring glory to Nohr. Dismissed."
The royal guards saluted, and Lora watched them leaving with a feeling of pride. Although the numbers in the Royal Guard were lower than they used to be in the past, she could still declare them worth of the years of work she has invested in them. The Queen was confident that they were more than ever the most elite soldiers of this continent. No harm would reach Xander or Leo as long as they were under her Royal Guard's protection.
"My king, are you ready?" She asked Garon, who has been standing silent at her side.
"I am, my queen. It has been long since our last exchange, and we will not have another occasion for some time."
Lora nodded and they both took position. Garon held his large engraved axe Bölverk, meanwhile she elected to use Gundyr's Halberd, the cast-iron weapon was a perfect balance of reach and power without sacrificing versatility. It has indeed been long since their last sparring, with both Garon's age sapping him of energy and their time spent over the coming invasion. That and… Corrin. Not just her disappearance: The loss of Gunter was a harsh blow, not only of an experienced knight but also of someone they had immense respect for, a trusted support whom Garon blessed with his own royal blood as proof of service. Besides him, Declan's death deprived the Queen of the one who had coordinated her own network of informants, and so far, Lora has found no one with the same initiative, cunning and loyalty to replace him. Deep inside, she also missed his lighthearted cheek...
Clearing her thoughts for the duel, Lora pointed her halberd and charged, imitating the ferocious guardian of Firelink Shrine. Garon immediately raised a hand and fired a spell. Instead of hitting her as she expected, the spell hit the ground which burst right before her feet. Rolling on the side to avoid falling, the Queen immediately brought her weapon up to parry the incoming blade of the King. Rising up, she swept his axe aside and they started trading cautious strikes. Garon was prudent, calculating in his approach and was used to many of her tactics. Deflecting a series of pokes, he didn't fall for her feints and apparent holes in her guard, moving back slowly but surely into a better position. Their weapons sparked in contact, similar in form and use with the long handles with sharp pikes at the end poking and the large blades blocking and swinging. Lora accelerated the tempo with a smile, shifting her balance to prepare for close quarters. A smile Garon returned, as he noticed her maneuver and started to press on as well to keep her at bay.
With a swift displacement, Lora locked the tip of his axe in the empty space between her halberd's blade and handle, locking them in a contest of strength in which the Queen knew her superiority. Little by little, she dragged the weapon out of the King's hands, waiting for him to do something to reverse the momentum as his heavy breathing was showing the toll it took to resist. Lora increased the pressure, watching as Garon's breath quickened and shortened, skin paling and grip weakening rapidly… Realization dawned upon her and she, reverse her momentum on the spot to support him as he weighed on the weapon rather than pushing it. The Queen was about to dismiss her weapon but she caught Garon mouthing something, his erratic breath eating the words he wanted to say:
Don't show it.
Lora understood and with a thought the shine of ember coursed on her body, a show of using more strength for the observers. With a powerful twirl of the halberd knocked the King's axe away and put the back of her blade at his throat, showing a clear victory to the servants and royal guards present. At the same time, she quickly and stealthily placed a hand under Garon's arm, supporting him and silently reciting a lesser miracle of healing. A gentle light came from her palm and Garon regained some colors, his breathing subsides, and his weight on her arm lessen. Dismissing her weapon, Lora kept supporting him under the pretense of looking for a wound before they separated. Leaving the training room without as much as a word, they went back to the royal apartments and closed the doors behind them, retreating into the sanctuary of their bedroom. Only there did Garon sat down on the bed, groaning in discomfort.
"I will be better in a few moments."
"I have seen Lord Kayn shows the same symptoms some time before his death. You do not need just a moment; you need your physician."
"I will not. He is with Xander and has already been informed he will be serving him from now on. Calling him back would raise too many questions at this juncture."
"The court can turn to ashes! Even if I have to drag you to a downtown apothecary, I will not leave you alone with this issue!" Retorted Lora, keeping him sitting with a firm grip on his armored shoulder. "Stay still, I need to focus to use this miracle."
The King stayed quiet as she dug deeper inside her Soul, uncaring of the trails of ember glowing brighter upon her body. The words alone were empty, a focus to the willpower and memories from which made the strength of Miracles were truly from. Then, from the dark, they came:
Rays of true sunlight seen at last…
A tearful embrace in a crypt…
The smile of a red-eyed child, filled with love…
Lora opened her eyes as the golden glow flowed from her body and expanded, a Bountiful Sunlight encompassing the entire room before slowly fading away, leaving her lightly winded. The coursing embers' glow intensified, but she silently smothered the Fire until it returned to a dim light in her Soul. Garon's color had fully returned on his face, his hands became strong again as he gently took her hand on his shoulder.
"My love. Please. Do not fan the flames any more. Even should I live for a few less years, to see you lose yourself would be far more cruel."
"… I… I could offer it to you. A piece of myself, a part of my Soul." Said Lora, the lump in her throat growing heavier. "Like the blood of dragons does to lesser men. You could live on, even if, even with that sickness…"
Garon looked at her, his eyes surrounded by wrinkles, so many wrinkles as he pulled her into sitting with him, still holding her hand.
"Lora, you told me yourself how dangerous it would be, for me, for you, for Nohr. If I cannot endure the Flame, if you cannot hold on to yourself after giving it to me, nothing would be worth the calamity that would be unleashed. And even though I am flattered by the thought, you know I might not be able to survive this gift."
"I know. I know, I!... I know." She repeated, eating her own words before they could come out, the sweet lies she would have loved to believe. That everything would be alright. That she could do something.
"What do you really fear, Lora? Please, tell me. What is it that make so flustered, so helpless?" Gently asked her husband, brushing Lora's short hairs to the side and taking her in a comforting embrace.
A few minutes passed away in silence, until Lora could string her words together.
"You told me that when a man dies, they move on to the spirit world... that's… what you told me." Garon nodded, and she forced the next few sentences to come through her suffocating lump, leaning closer on his shoulder. "But I… I do not know what I… what will happen? Will I simply vanish? Will I stay prisoner, inside the flame? Will I… Will I ever have a chance to be with you? Will I find you in the beyond? I didn't fear death, I never cared for an after, but now… now I… I cannot bear it, the very idea… you gave me that hope, and I despair it might not come true…"
He simple listened, allowing her to lean closer on his chest. Comfortable in their privacy, in that small moment of time, far away from titles and pretenses, holding each other in tenderness and support.
"Lora... go to the Rainbow Sage." Murmured Garon. "Go see him once you have sent Xander to Mokushu. I will wait for you, for the moment you will have your answers. You can leave me for just a bit more time. I promise, I will live until you return to me."
"I know when you are sweet-talking me, my love. I should not believe you." Grumbled Lora, but a small smile has already blossomed on her face. "Promise me again. Please. Promise me death will wait for us to be together. At least one last time."
"It will." The King kissed her forehead, tightening his embrace. "That promise, I will hold it. No matter what. But in exchange, you have to promise me something too."
Lora closed her eyes. Beyond Garon's reassuring words, tender touch and understanding… she took solace in the Soul only she could see. Worn out by conflicts and regrets, ruthlessness and deception woven together with fairness and courage, the wildness of dragons tempered by experience. A faded glow, quiet and enduring. No other Soul she has known so intimately, none other she wished as strongly to never leave her grasp.
"Yes… No matter what fate awaits me… I will let you go. I will let your Soul leave this world, to meet again all those who are waiting for you…"
POV Corrin
Corrin walked in the corridors of Castle Shirasagi, taking in the sunlight's last rays. Days have passed in a now familiar routine. Waking up, training outside, resting in the garden, eating alone, then strolling through the castle ground, inside or outside. Since Azura had brought her back sleeping and explained in her stead that she was not yet ready that evening, everyone was giving her a wide space. This solitude was… a welcome relief to think, but one she was also starting to tire of rapidly. The Princess was well aware she wasn't a solitary creature. Sooner or later, she would need to confront everyone again.
Her steps stopped at an intersection. One of the paths led to the wing where she could access the library, a place with both familiar and foreign content, with innumerable rolled scrolls accompanying many less books. A place she has frequented to learn as much as she could to learn about Hoshido and find something to speak about with Hinoka or Ryoma, or to ask Kaze about later. Yet… hesitantly, Corrin took the other path, like she did yesterday, the day before and the one before again. Halfway through, the Princess stopped once more, knowing exactly what was about to appear in her field of vision. She never went as far before. She could still go back and take the path to the library…
"Kaze." Quietly said the Princess to the shadow that always followed. "Is it forbidden to enter the throne room?"
"It is permitted for members of the royal family, Lady Corrin. Lord Ryoma once came in the past to privately pay homage to the Throne. You may as well if you wish so."
"Thank you Kaze."
With a deep breath, Corrin kept walking in the corridor. Even if she didn't go all the way today, she would still stand before the doors at the very least before making her decision. As the Princess almost reached her destination, she was surprised by the sight of a young man in sky knight armor in her path, leaning against the wall.
"Ah, Lady Corrin! I knew you would be here. I'm Subaki, retainer of Lady Sakura."
"Greeting, Subaki." Said Corrin, unsure of what to expect. "Do you need something?"
"Not me. Lady Sakura would like to speak with you. She is waiting for you before the throne room." Explained the young man with an assured smile. "Would you kindly follow me, Lady Corrin?"
"Yes, of course. Lead the way please."
Subaki bowed and they walked the rest of the way together. Soon, they arrived her original destination: the doors to the throne room of Hoshido. Closed at the moment, as they were neither ceremonies nor a court being held, something which was also quite different from what Corrin would have expected; in Nohr, the court was gathered around the throne almost every single day, with the sovereigns either holding council or hearing matters. In Hoshido, it seemed the local lords were mostly left to their own devices and only gathered for certain events or emergencies. There were ministers and officials, but they worked mostly in the capital rather than in the castle… Corrin's eyes fell on Sakura, the small princess fidgeting with her healer's staff as she talked to a taller girl in samurai armor, likely her second retainer. Her long ears picked-up snippets of their conversation as they approached. Something about a trip in the mountains?
"Lady Sakura, I have brought Lady Corrin. Since she was already coming here, as I told you, I didn't bother her at all."
The self-assured tone of the young man seemed to irritate the other retainer, but Sakura looked reassured at the mention that she hadn't been dragged here and she smiled meekly at Corrin.
"T-thank you Subaki. Please, can you leave me with Corrin?"
"Of course, Lady Sakura!"
"You're sure, Sakura?" Asked the samurai, looking at Corrin with suspicion.
"It's okay, Hana. I will be fine."
With an incredulous grumble, the samurai girl followed the sky knight to the end of the corridor. Corrin picked up Kaze stealthily moving away to the other side of the corridor, leaving her alone with the small Hoshido princess in front of the great ornate doors.
"So, what did you want to talk about?" Asked Corrin, the silence starting to drag on uncomfortably.
"I-I'm sorry. Just g-give me a moment..."
"Do you dislike me?"
"No! I mean… why w-would I dislike you?" Said Sakura with a low voice, her cheeks tinted with red.
"I'm sorry. You just looked upset at me."
"That's m-my fault. I'm sorry, I'm terrible around people! I'm just an anxious person." Said the princess, gripping her healing rod against her chest as if it was a lifeline. "I-I wanted to talk with you."
"Oh. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have assumed. I'm staying, don't worry." Reassured Corrin. "I can wait until you feel better."
"T-Thanks." Said Sakura and Corrin waited, leaning on the wall until the girl managed to gather her courage. "… What was it l-like? In Nohr?"
"Uh?" Was all Corrin could say, dumbstruck by the question. Not the question itself, but that she would ask it. With the exception of Azura, everyone so far has either assumed she suffered some horrible torment in Nohr or refused to even speak about it.
"I-I-I'm sorry! I shouldn't have asked! Forget I said anything!"
"No, it's okay!" Said Corrin, quickly holding Sakura's long kimono sleeve to keep her from fleeing. "I'm sorry, it's fine, really. I was just surprised. You're the first person to ask me that. Where do I start? I was raised in a secluded fortress, supposedly for my own safety, away from town and other children. Silas tried to help me sneak out, but we were discovered and he had to leave. I only met him again the day before leaving Castle Krakenburg."
"T-That's terrible…"
"It wasn't all that bad. I had four siblings, back in Nohr. One elder brother and sister, one younger brother and sister. Xander, Camilla, Leo and Elise. I'm not sure if it was coincidence or purpose but they have almost the same age as you all as well. They visited me often to relieve the solitude."
"Oh."
"I also made some friends at the fortress. Jacob is my butler, that's the name given to male servants in Nohr." Clarified Corrin, Sakura's emotions displayed like an open book now that shyness seemed to have left its place to curiosity. "He is always serious and hardworking even if he obsesses over it sometimes. He makes such a good tea too! I wish I could have him show you. Felicia isn't so good with chores, but she always cheers me up, and she also use an ice magic I haven't seen anywhere else! There was also Gunter! I'm still not sure how old he was, he was always strict and full of wrinkles, he always noticed when I skipped my lessons. Sighing every time I played hide and seek, calling me young lady when I made a tantrum… giving me the cake he pretended he didn't like… not scolding the guards when they let me go in the courtyard… playing ball with me when I was alone…"
And she never thanked him enough, didn't she? And never would have the occasion again. Gone, fallen in the darkness of the Bottomless Canyon. Her hand moved instinctively to her back where the blade pierced and twisted, a flicker of phantom pain coursing under the fingers.
"They sound like good people."
"You don't sound surprised." Pointed out Corrin.
"O-Oh. It-t-t's j-j-ust I, I m-mean, I th-thought... B-big sis Azura c-come from Nohr, b-b-but she is kind. I-I'm sure there are good peo-people in Nohr if you m-miss them. They must miss you too." Stuttered the young princess, fidgeting nervously as she looked around. "I k-know I shouldn't say that. Big sister Hinoka and big brother Ryoma told me t-that they are evil and k-killed many people. I kn-know they k-k-killed F-father. But n-not everyone can be bad, r-right? E-even nohrians can't just be all bad. There must have been good people caring for you, if y-you believed to be one of them."
Corrin listened speechlessly the small and timid girl trying to keep herself together, who barely managed to approach and stay for a talk, griping her healing rod so hard that it might break.
"Sakura… Thank you. I feel much better."
"R-really?"
"Yes." Corrin smiled, nodding. "To be honest, I thought I could never be open about what I felt about Nohr with everyone. Speaking about it with you, it makes me happy."
"I'm so glad…" Sakura's shoulder rose up a bit, as if an enormous weight had shifted away from her. "Ever since big sister Azura brought you back, I was afraid you would hate us."
"I would never… I'm so sorry, Sakura. How could I hate you when I'm the one being awkward, with no memories of you? You've all been nothing but kind to me."
"W-well, I was so young when you disappeared… I don't act-actually have memories of you before either… but you are gentle, and p-patient. I-I'm sure, even if I never heard of you, I would still want to be your sister. You d-don't need to try to sit on the Throne."
"Sakura…" Said Corrin, an aching throat betraying her words. "Thank you. I would be glad to be your sister too."
The blush upon the small girl's cheek deepened, not one of embarrassment but true expression of inner joy, a squirming of relief.
"T-thank you, big s-s-sister Corrin." Muttered Sakura. "C-can we ta-talk more lat-later? I-I'm late to m-my lessons of koto."
Corrin nodded again and smiled at the speed at which the youngest princess ran, overwhelmed by emotions and without a doubt the prospect of missing out her musical lessons. Was it as difficult as when she had to learn piano? That would be something to ask for later… looking one last time at the large ornate double doors leading to the throne room, then checking in the corridors if no one was present, Corrin looked back at the discreet shadow that has approached when Sakura left.
"Lady Corrin, is something amiss?" Asked Kaze, seeing as she was looking at him intensely.
"Kaze, can I ask you a very important request?"
"Of course, Lady Corrin." Confirmed the green haired ninja, his voice as deferent as always.
"I'd like you to promise me that you will not stop me when I will visit the throne room tonight. That you won't come, nor speak about it to anyone else either."
"Lady Corrin, may I ask why?"
"I've been running away for too long… ever since you brought me here, I haven't been able to resolve myself, and I can't let this continue. I want to face truth, all of it."
"You know I am your retainer, Lady Corrin, but something like this is…very well. Now, if you'll excuse me…"
The ninja's eyes were lowered toward the ground, tone even, expression and posture undecipherable. No, not entirely. He was about to leave, to move away at the speed by which ninja seemed to operate.
"Please, Kaze! This is my only chance to learn the truth behind my past. I cannot continue to reel one way or another any longer. I cannot keep hurting everyone."
Her exclamation ringed so loudly in her own ears and she couldn't help but quickly look around to see if anyone else had approached or was present, which fortunately seemed to not be the case. But her crimson iris kept staring at the ninja who has gone as still as a statue at her outcry, at her retainer who seemed to struggle with… something.
"Please." She pleaded once again, and Kaze sighed almost imperceptibly.
"As you wish, Lady Corrin. I promise I won't tell anyone, nor I will stop or accompany you… but please, consider the words of Lady Sakura and Queen Mikoto. You don't have to do this."
"I know… but I need to. Please, Kaze. Promise me."
"I promise. But please, be careful. I pray the gods will forgive you for what you will do."
"I hope they do." Acquiesced Corrin, steeling herself for what she would do soon…
POV Takumi
The girl was moving quickly and quietly, using the side corridors to avoid anyone strolling in the moonlighted night. White hairs and clear kimono caught the silver glint between windowless hallways yet her naked feet made no sound on the polished wood, a pale shadow one could barely glance at before a single blink led it to disappear. Only the relentless determination and bowman's eyes of Takumi allowed him to keep track of his target, alongside the irreplaceable advantage of knowing its destination beforehand. His own steps were measured and slow as if tracking a rare bird across a dark forest littered with dry and crackled sticks, aware of the fine hearing and eyesight his prey has already demonstrated.
Yet the prince's own mind could not help but show him the pathetic sight he would offer to anyone watching: a boy sneaking away into the night like a thief or an assassin, following and spying on a girl… gods help him, he was making sure that nothing bad happened to his sister! He was doing the right thing! Why did his mind never let him in peace even for a moment? Why couldn't he ever speak without his emotions taking the better of him? Every time, every single time, the words came out wrong, laced with hostility and mistrust sending him right into trouble. The first time he had crossed Corrin's path in the castle's stairs, he had simply meant to salute her. And then Saizo's words had come to the forefront of his thoughts, reminding him that she took the defense of Nohr in an argument with Ryoma… before he could stop himself, the venomous words had already left his mouth. And it had hurt her, he had seen it at her recoil, and what made him feel even worse was that she didn't even try to deny, admitting her own doubts without fighting.
Takumi had wanted to apologize. He truly meant to at that dinner in which Queen Mikoto wanted them all to be together for the first time in years. He had prepared his excuses and offer to start again with a clean slate… yet seeing Corrin being the sole focus of everyone else, her talents complimented and appreciated so easily… once again his foot had flown right into his mouth, leaving everyone rightfully angered. Even his idea of using the Throne to cast off the spell that has obviously been used against Corrin's memory came out of his mouth as an attack, a derisive and barbed arrow thrown right against his sister, who ran away into the night in tears. He didn't know if it had been this view or the disappointment and shock in Queen Mikoto's eyes that had made him feel more like a scum. Even the rightful remonstrances of Ryoma and Hinoka, in comparison, felt like mere slaps to the deep cut across his guts those sights had been.
He had been jealous, no, he was jealous. It had taken Takumi years of efforts and sacrifice to barely be able to use the Fujin Yumi and gain the respect of his siblings, only for Corrin to come in and simply take a place among them, admired for her skills like it was nothing. He had years spent in the shadow of Ryoma, who was gifted in every single area and could have without a doubt wielded the bow easily if he had wanted to, years being barely noticed by Hinoka who acted as free as the wind and whose martial prowess were good enough to get away with neglecting her etiquette and lady lessons, while he worked himself to the bone for barely a word of acknowledgement! How could any of them understand what it was like? All he had wanted was to make himself useful… and like the miserable he was, it failed miserably. He couldn't make amend, not after that. How would any of his excuses come any close to convince Corrin, Ryoma or Hinoka he really meant it? No, he could only stay silent and let it pass away. Even Sakura must have been shocked by his actions…perhaps it was why she went to Corrin?
He had been praying the Dawn Dragon and his ancestors for guidance in the throne room and was about to leave when he heard them speak. Just as he had been about to open the door, the voice of Sakura and Corrin reached him. Takumi had kept his hand on the doorknob and listened. Listened to his little sister evoke the preposterous idea of good nohrians, and Corrin speak about the impostors who had tricked her into thinking they were her family. And then, as he mustered his resolve and was about to leave the throne room after Sakura had departed, he heard Corrin's plan. A brief, vindicative joy had filled him, directed at Ryoma. Corrin had seen the merit of his idea; she understood as well how better it would be to act on the simplest solution! Even the prospect of offending the gods did not dissuade her, though he would lie if he said that the eventuality didn't worry him. But that's why he was following Corrin around, to make sure she was safe.
Stopping at the corner of the last corridor to the throne room, Takumi almost missed the doors opening and closing, barely noticing the white trail of hair slipping in-between. Indecision struck him in front of the doors, as he realized he wouldn't be able to enter the large room without Corrin noticing. What should he do? Wait in front of the door? Someone could see him and report it to Ryoma. Enter anyway? What if his presence discouraged Corrin and she decided to not follow through her plan after all? Maybe he was the one who would anger the gods by interrupting the process and create even more problems if he tried to enter… but if something happened to her, how would he know from outside? Barely stopping himself from walking left to right as he feared he might be heard even from inside the room, the second prince of Hoshido fumed. If only he had controlled himself, it wouldn't have come to such ridiculous situation!
POV Corrin
The Throne of Truth. A golden throne atop a platform of stairs, in the heart of a fan-like ornament, illuminated by ornate lamps hanging above. If Nohr's thrones were works of stone and cold metal casting their shadows upon those looking upon them, the Throne of Truth radiated light upon the approaching princess, awe and respect she barely understood coming from deep within at the sight. Another step. Neither and ears nor eyes had seen anyone in her path, anyone following. She was alone, alone to deal with the consequences of her decision. Another step. It was not the distant wrath of gods she feared. Not the disappointment of ancestors, the pain and mistrust of siblings and parents afterward. Memories of two drawings sprung, side by side like broken mirrors. In both of them stood a small girl, a badly drawn figure of white hair and red eyes, pointed ears drawn as sticks, holding the hands of vastly different peoples, smiling with different siblings. Who would she become after sitting on the Throne? The hoshidian girl? The nohrian girl?... The Throne was before her. With a last breath, she turned toward the room and sat down.
The Throne was cold. Weirdly, it was the first thought that came to Corrin's mind after sitting down. She expected something more. Didn't Father always seemed crowned with light when he sat on this throne? It wasn't doing anything like this right… Father... she closes her eyes. That man with a spiky brown mane, clad in white armor?... Father? She remembers. Remember running with Takumi in the hall. Drawing clumsily with Hinoka. Trying to not be bored praying in the temple. Sleeping beside Mikoto, Mother, in the night. Watching Sumeragi, Father, in awe as he trained in the dojo. Father smiling in the boat, lifting her so she could see the sea. Father falling on his knees pierced by dozen arrows…
"FATHER!"
POV Takumi
"FATHER!"
Takumi froze hearing the bloodcurdling cry and without thinking batted the doors open. Almost slipping down and barely catching himself, the prince raised his eyes toward the throne. His heart missed a beat and he stopped as he beheld his sister upon the throne. Scales and claws sinking into the throne's armchairs where graceful hands should have been, antler-like horns growing from the sides of her head, unfocused eyes turning into reptilian slits. Takumi stepped backward once, instinctively searching for his bow before stopping at the cold contact of the divine relic. What could he do? What was happening? Was it even his sibling on the throne? Something was humming, something he barely recognized as the Dragon Vein, flowing under the floor with more strength as each passing instant… gathering toward the throne. He instinctively tried to take control and failed, the energy recoiling and forcing through with barely a moment of stop, under the power of Corrin, he realized with a creeping shiver. Fujin Yumi was in his hand, the stringless bow feeling heavier than it ever had been as he glanced between it and his changing sister. He was about to rise it, to try to stop the incomprehensible madness before him… when he heard the sob. The bowstring dissipated, as he stared at the visage of Corrin, tears running down her unfocused eyes as scales slowly replaced more and more of her skin…
POV Corrin
A dolorous weep escaped her by hiccup as tears creeping through her eyes, her hands gripping so hard her bones could snap at any moment, blind to everything but the tumultuous storm inside.
She remembers everything.
Evidence illuminated what has been foreign, what should have never been. Feeling and emotions filled and replaced incomprehension tearing her heart apart in relief and shame. A dam has been shattered within her mind and the flood was knocking the princess away.
SoundswordsvoicescolorsshapefaceshappylovewarmthsadlosswingsflyfangsclawshornsragecousinhalfwarpainflameLordbetraytearslakebloodpainfearwarmsunraincloudnightmoonmother
The maelstrom was too strong for Corrin to understand anything, all of her senses assailed and her mind under a barrage of flashes. She swam against the current trying to grasp something, anything she could latch on to stabilize herself. A blur. Suffocating. Water, cold. Air, wind, colder. Mother. Crying, crying, hugging. She cannot grasp the visions any longer and it is taken away. Determination comes through, a searing pain she embraces. Swimming, running, flying above the raging sea, plunging into clouds. Clouds rolling all around, even heavier than the flow before, yet she pushes forward. She pushes amidst the mist, serpentine path she opens instinctively until she sees… something. A bridge. A river. A large plain. A human tide, two tides, two swarms of men. Red, red all over black and white. Blue lightning crossing purple clouds. Brother, brothers, fighting, killing! rejected the unbearable vision with an inhuman shriek, the mist rolling and swallowing her…
POV Takumi
Before his very eyes Takumi witnessed a shimmer arise around the platform, soon coalescing into glistening water droplets rising around the more and more draconic figure upon the throne. His mind jumped to the dances of Azura, the same phenomenon repeating in front of him not by a dance and a pendant's shine, but by the Dragon Vein's solidifying and flowing. Bewildered and frightened, the prince observed the transformation, the manifestation of draconic power, the air becoming cold and humid around him as divine power permeated the atmosphere.
"Corrin! Wake up!" Shouted Takumi without result, the wide-open eyes of his sister looking into nothing.
A sign? A curse? A blessing? He didn't know, he couldn't tell as his very mind struggle to comprehend the very sight of the princess transforming more and more. Yet something inside him was screaming, shouting at him to act, to stop whatever was happening in in front of him, that if he did not intervene something truly horrific would happen. A shrilling shriek aggressed his eardrum as Corrin screamed again, an animalistic sound far different from the plaintive cry before as she bent forward, the tissue of her kimono parting… no, was being ripped apart by two silvery bones born from her shoulders, deploying a whiter leather forming increasingly large wings.
"Corrin!" Shouted Takumi again as he rushed forward, throwing caution and thinking to the wind.
An indescribable pressure washed over him the closer he approached, his movements growing slower and slower as if the air itself was viscous. Grunting between his teeth the prince persevered, putting a foot on the stairs first step. By the fourth and last even breathing had become a torture as if he tried to inspire water instead of air.
"SISTER!"
POV Corrin
She drifted in the mist, glimpses of scenes and colors and persons flickering around her until suddenly, everything became silent. The mist had frozen, like clouds in a windless sky. In the corner of her eyes, she caught a shadow. Something distant, moving through the mist. Something massive eclipsing the sunless light, but that she found herself unable to catch fully. Something inexplicably familiar.
"-ake up!"
A voice… so far, far away. She ignored it, looking at what she was now certain was approaching. Coming closer as well, Corrin glanced around to discern where the giant shadow would appear. It manifested again, long and vaguely serpentine before changing, shrinking… Corrin squinted at the humanoid, hooded figure that replaced the immense creature, the clouds preventing her from seeing more details. And yet it was familiar. Terribly familiar.
"-rrin!"
The hooded figure's arm extended toward her, inviting. How strangely enticing, so much the princess instinctively stepped forward. Why? What was this aching in her chest, this longing for this unknown presence?
"SISTER!"
As if a spell was broken, she could suddenly feel the shadow's looming hunger, the menacing desire within. Corrin backed away hurriedly from the thing, focusing on the voice she was hearing. Little by little, the world around her moved, shifted. Then suddenly she became aware of reality once again. Pain and exhaustion almost drowned the princess immediately. Unfamiliar sensations coursing everywhere, her head weighting down like she was wearing a helmet, spears of pain through her back as if bones were escaping her spine. With a colossal effort, Corrin raised her eyelids, and through the blurry world she recognized the person reaching for her. The vivid memory of a small boy superposed itself to the hazy sight of the young man, and from her raspy throat came out words that has not been pronounced in too long.
"Ta-kun?"
POV Takumi
"Ta-kun?"
Barely a whisper born from a throat that was not entirely human anymore, yet they fell on Takumi like lightning on a clear day, jolting him with renewed urgency and purpose. Grabbing the now scale covered arms through the tissue, holding with all the strength cultivated by countless hours of training, the second prince of Hoshido pulled his sister away from the Throne of Truth. Instantly as she stopped to touch it the pressure dissipated, and they fell down the small platform together. Takumi groaned as he impacted the ground and Corrin landed on top of him vastly heavier than he suspected, emptying the air in his lungs. With a grunt of effort, he managed to push her aside and stood on his knees, holding her sideway to avoid having her choke. Relief washed over him as he saw the white horns and wings slowly retract, skin reappearing instead of scales, claws shrinking and leaving place to fingers. The floating water was dissipating, just as the torrential flow of the Dragon Vein subsided and returned to the ground and walls of the castle.
"… brother…" said Corrin in a hushed voice, her half-opened eyes once again showing round pupils.
"Keep quiet, you idiot." Hurried Takumi curtly before biting his tongue. "Look. You frightened me enough tonight. Just sleep for now."
"…sorry … Ta-kun…"
Her eyes were already closed, her last word barely a breath as she slipped into unconsciousness, the last traces of her transformation fading at the same time. He still couldn't wrap his head around the phantasmagorical scene he had just witnessed and wasn't sure anyone would believe him. He had a hard time believing it himself, and he had just been there! He had never heard of anything like that, and he was the one who read the most in the family. Never before he had heard about someone, anyone being able to change into such a form, into a deformed image of what the First Dragons had been thousand years ago, before they ascended beyond the mortal realm. He had never been too religious, but this… once again, he could only wonder if that was a blessing or a curse he had witnessed. Moving his hand to the wrist then neck of Corrin, he was reassured to find a strong, regular pulse. To think he had been almost ready to shoot…
"Ta-kun, huh? Of all things for you to remember." He said, yet his tone held no trace of bitterness.
The nickname born of her incapacity to pronounce names correctly for so long had stuck as one of the last memories of his childhood. And for her to say it, right now… relief, pride swelled within his guts and a smile crossed his face.
"We are a family once again, sister." Said Takumi as he positioned Corrin more comfortably, his hands coursing through her hairs while her head rested on his laps, a peaceful expression upon her sleeping face. "Now, don't ever leave again, ok?"
"I hope it will be so."
Takumi almost jumped with surprise and raised his eyes, meeting those of a panting Queen Mikoto who had apparently just entered the throne room running. Sweat dropped from Takumi's neck as he tried to think on a way to explain-both himself, and the scene he had been a witness of…
POV ? ? ?
A mighty roar shook the crossroad of time and space as the fog of ages once again covered everything. The colossal presence retreated to the frail, loathsome humanoid body standing at the cliff-side. Without the trail left by his daughter, both sides of time were no longer revealed to him. But what he has glimpsed was quite enough. Slit red eyes opened, glancing at the empty blue sky stretching around the floating land, indifferent to the fragmented landscape. Once more he almost had her. By her own will his daughter almost crossed that damnable Barrier in spirit, and yet something had stopped her from taking his hand. No matter. She was his and would come to him soon. Very soon, now that he knew exactly where she was hiding, in the heart of the land claimed by the Dawn Dragon. He would reclaim both Mikoto and their daughter at once, and he had the ideal pawn at hand…
With a stream of droplets, a spirit materialized by his will, one of the many souls obeying their god beyond death. One he had grasped easily due to the dragon blood it carried, full of anger and resentment at its death, its mind now subsumed under his command. Tools had no need for independence, as the previous one's failure had proven more than enough. But just as any other pitiful, disgusting and unreliable human, it wouldn't be able to do anything without a tool. With a scoff, he reached for an old thing left by one of his traitorous brethren, the one who squandered their divine power the most in the hands of those puny worms. The jagged and twisted sword answered his call, flying from afar and stopping mid-air in front of the spirit, now fully formed. The irony of having that impudent cockroach who had dared to touch his treasure be the one to bring her to him filled with him sadistic anticipation.
"Kill Mikoto and as many humans as you can."
After the Barrier's disappearance there would be nothing stopping those idiotic humans from tearing each other apart, like they always did. Once they had weakened themselves enough his army of puppet will easily make the rest no more than ugly dust, to never soil the earth again with their betrayer's flesh. And at last, his daughter would join him, in a world free of the stain of humanity. Oh, he didn't expect her to immediately come to her senses. Her mind has been poisoned, corrupted, defiled by these worms thinking she was as low as they were. But she had started to awaken her to her true self, his divine inheritance. Her partial awakening had been so strong it allowed him to detect her through the Barrier, but something had interrupted it in the end. No matter. With a few more pushes she would discard the ties binding her to rotten humanity and join him to remake a world free of that disease. Perhaps witnessing the just retribution suffered by Mikoto would be just the needed trigger…