Shirou stood in front of a large table. All around him were various cooking equipment and tools. There was no sound in the kitchen other than those of Shirou taking one last look at the breakfast he made El and the noises caused by the second person in the room.
The other person was an older woman with the beginnings of gray hair. She wore the dress of a servant. It wasn't the same uniform as the one Shirou wore. The make was slightly worse, and it was all one color.
Normally, there would be one or two more people in the kitchen around this time, but they were missing for some reason. However, it wasn't any of Shirou's business, what they were doing, or where they were. If they asked for help, he would give it without hesitation, a moot point since they didn't.
The woman was one of the people Shirou had seen but never bothered talking to or learning her name. He didn't form relationships with anyone in the palace other than El, Hubert, and a couple of the Pegasus Knights. Conversely, none of the others cared about him beyond a glare or giving him instructions.
Shirou didn't say anything as he finished looking at the vegetable-based breakfast he made for El. Hopefully, it was better after applying the advice he got. He picked it up off the table and left the kitchen without speaking to the other occupant.
He began walking to the room El began to use following her meeting with her father. It was different from the dining room where that… reunion happened, one more private that El had Hubert make sure no one other than them would enter.
The trip to the room was quiet. He didn't pass a single person. The warm sun shined through the windows, promising a sunny day. The boy didn't stop to fill the rays. His expression was empty as if he wasn't feeling anything.
Shirou reached his destination in record time. He stopped outside the door before entering, doing another last check of the food before opening the door.
El was sitting at the table. She was looking to the side, staring into one of the stained glass windows that lined the room. The colored sunlight shining through gave the scene an almost ethereal mood.
"Good morning," Shirou said, glancing away from her as he walked over and placed the breakfast on the table in front of her. "I have your breakfast."
"Thank you," El said with a small smile. She grabbed one of the eating utensils that Shirou had placed there the previous night. "It looks good. You're continuing to get better."
"Thanks," Shirou accepted the praise, scratching his cheek as he sat in the chair beside his friend. "There wasn't any meat, so I had to make good with greens."
El gave Shirou a confused look before her eyes widened. She placed her head in her hands.
"Something wrong?" Shirou asked, shifting in the uncomfortably large chair.
"It's Langitinaz. I'd forgotten about Church holidays," El said with slumped shoulders. Shirou could hear the pout in her words. "They even control what we eat, don't they?"
"I guess, but you can always do what you want," Shirou consoled her as best he could. He still didn't know a lot about the church, but he was getting good at understanding El's complaints. "If you want, I can go and try to find some meat for you?"
"Thank you for the offer, but I must decline," El sighed before returning to her meal. A bit of the cloud on her shoulders faded as she did so. "Your flagrant disregard for church traditions continues to impress me. I pray others will be as open-minded."
"That's not how you should be thinking, El," Shirou crossed his arms over his chest, tilting his head to the side. "Praying wouldn't do anything, only effort."
Shirou didn't turn away as El looked over at him, staring into his eyes. The few seconds their eyes met felt oddly uncomfortable, especially once El started smiling again. It was weird how her smile could be so small but burn so brightly. "You're right, Shirou. There's no point in wasting thoughts on prayer. In light of that, we should move on to a much more important matter."
Shirou sat up straighter and uncrossed his arms. Did something go wrong? What could this important matter be? Countless options filled his mind.
He watched in anticipation as she paused to take another bite of her breakfast and chew it. The moments it took for her to swallow it felt like a mini eternity. "I must give you a nickname."
"Really, El?" Shirou muttered as he leaned back and pouted. "I thought you would bring up something dangerous or world-changing."
He understood that nicknames were a sign of closeness, and if he got to call El by one, the reverse was also true. But he was used to expecting much worse.
"This is important," El defended herself, glaring at Shirou. "I propose Rouy."
"What?" Shirou said in dull shock, slightly recoiling. Where did that 'y' come from? "That completely changes how my name is pronounced… and it sounds kinda girly, especially compared to 'El.'"
"Girly?" El gave him a look that made him feel stupid before her expression turned into a glare. Shirou could see the gears in his friend's mind spinning as they tightened her expression. "And what are you implying about 'El.'"
Shirou fidgeted in his seat, feeling uncomfortable. " 'El' it sounds kinda like a guy's name.. like 'Kal-El'… but it fits you!"
Shirou felt like fleeing, but he was a hero, and a hero never runs from a mess they made.
Plus, he was sure El would make him face her wraith with interest if he tried to flee.
"Who names their son 'Kal-El'?" El asked him, to Shirou's utter relief. He was sure she'd get mad or something.
"That's a name of a character I like," Shirou explained, thinking back to some of the American comics he used to own and the few dubbed movies he saw. Superheroes were epic and badass, but none were as awesome as Superman. "He was a cool hero who saved everybody and brought hope by just being there."
"I've never heard of him, but there are a lot of things I don't know," El said with a tinge of sadness. "Tell me more about him. Is this another story similar to Icarus?"
"No, not at all. He was a guy with the power to do anything. Flight, invulnerability, shooting lasers out of his eyes, frost breath, and so much more. None of that mattered, though, and wasn't what made him cool. No, what made him awesome is that he is a normal guy inside, filled with good and bad, but he chose to always do the right thing – to never give in to injustice or evil. To use his infinite power to save everyone and be a symbol of what humans can be at their best," Shirou explained, growing more engaged the more he talked. He felt something light beating back some of the shadows in his heart.
"What humans can be…" El repeated, closing her eyes. She got lost in thought for a moment, then shook for a single beat of the heart. She reopened her eyes and looked at her partially eaten meal. "It sounds like a nice fairy tale, but I can't imagine such a person existing in this world. How does their story end?"
"It doesn't," Shirou said, his mood turned somber in response to his best friend's. "The story of a symbol of hope can't have an ending because... hope is always necessary."
"Is that not another way of saying evil will never be defeated?" El asked.
Shirou paused, reflecting on his friend's words.
It was true that Superman was a hero, a symbol of hope and justice. But he can never win since he has to have an antagonist to fight against and cause situations for him to protect innocents. For Superman to be a hero, evil must also be a thing. Meaning he never truly defeats evil. He's stuck forever running in a circle and engaging in a hopeless battle without end.
Yet, that only made Superman cooler, didn't it? And wasn't there meaning in every battle he fought?
"No, because I like to think one day – a long time from now in some distant future – that evil and injustice will be defeated," Shirou said peacefully. "But hope will never go away since we can't live without it."
Shirou could see the minute changes in El's expression as she deeply considered what he said. Eventually, she began to loosen up a bit, her expression softening.
"Then that distant future shall become our present," El stated, sitting up straight and staring Shirou dead in the eyes, an endless inferno in her. For a brief moment, she felt larger than life, commanding a presence that pierced souls. "For we shall carve evil and injustice from Fodlan and burn them till nothing remains. Leaving Fodlan a land of hope in our wake."
Shirou didn't know if what El was saying was possible… if he was honest with himself, he had trouble imagining anything he did would matter in the grand scheme of things. But when he heard El, he felt like he could make a real difference.
The young teen felt a bit warm as he nodded in agreement with El.
Shirou walked into the stables. There was a woman in one of the stalls leaving with their pegasus. Her name was Sigrun. They'd passed by each other but didn't talk.
She gave him a second glance this time, but that was probably because he was carrying a plate of food.
"The stables were just clean, but I still wouldn't eat in here," Sigrun said as she passed by Shirou.
"I wasn't planning on it," Shirou politely responded, completing their interaction. There wasn't much needed to say anything else.
Shirou walked through the stables, reaching Icarus's pen. He opened it to find his partner fast asleep. At least she had the decency to open her wake up without Shirou needing to prompt her two.
"I brought you some more food," Shirou told his partner as he walked over to them.
Icarus neighed in response, happy to get better food than what they served in the stables. He put the plate in front of the herbivore. She began to eat it while Shirou leaned against the stall wall, waiting for her to finish.
"What are you doing?" a familiar male voice asked out of nowhere.
"Hubert?!" Shirou turned toward the source of the voice. He found Hubert standing outside the pen door. "Why are you sneaking around?"
"I needed to speak with you, only to find you feeding your pegasus human food," Hubert said, looking between him and Icarus. His pegasus was ignoring Hubert's presence.
"I need someone to give me feedback on my cooking, and who better than a herbivore," Shirou explained, glancing over at Icarus. "What do you think?"
Icarus gave several neighs of advice and opinions of their partially eaten meal.
"I see," Shirou nodded, noting his companion's review. He'd figure out how to apply it to his cooking.
"You're getting cooking advice from a pegasus?" Hubert covered his mouth as he asked the question. He kept his voice carefully neutral. "I see as well. I enjoy testing my poisons on animals. The underlying principle is similar."
Shirou glanced back at Hubert, finding him completely straight-faced. "You're lucky I know you; other people might think you were serious."
At least he hoped Hubert wasn't being serious.
"Did you know that it is said one can gain invisibility by making three cuts in the heart of a raven and placing a bean in each cut? You must then plant the heart and pray to the underworld. If you eat that which grows from the heart, you become unseen by all," Hubert spoke about mutilating the heart of an animal with a smile.
"Is that how you sneak around?" Shirou asked sarcastically, ignoring his pegasus's eye rolls. Hubert has to be playing up his dark image. He was sure Hubert wasn't being serious. He was sure. Completely. "Anyway, is there something you need?"
"Yes, or more accurately, there are some things I wish for you to clarify," Hubert told him. The older teen's voice gained a serious edge that wasn't there before, causing Shirou to tense and look at him. He could feel Icarus becoming more alert in response. "Your regeneration most prominently."
Shirou heard Icarus neigh in confusion.
"That's right, I never told you," Shirou turned back toward his partner and rubbed the back of his head. "I heal quickly, so if it comes down to one of us being injured, it should be me."
He ignored Icarus's sequent questions and neighs. His attention turned back to Hubert. "Is it safe to talk about this here? Shouldn't we go somewhere private? You'll probably want demonstrations…"
"I'm glad you're considering such things; I already have somewhere in mind," Hubert said, glancing at Shirou before taking a short look at Icarus. He quickly turned toward the exit. "We should depart soon, or we wouldn't have enough time. It wouldn't do for you to miss your training with Lady Edelgard for my curiosity after all."
Shirou nodded and said goodbye to Icarus. He'd come back and get the plate later if he's going to his training with El right after answering Hubert's question.
The two exited the stables and walked through the palace in silence. They passed some people who gave him no mind, but Hubert got a few bows that seemed to make the older teen slightly uncomfortable.
The room they entered was a small one with no windows. The slightly cold room would've been pitch black if not for the magic candles that illuminated it. There was a table in the middle of the room with several dusty chairs around it. Neither of them sat down.
Shirou wished he had some cleaning supplies. No place should be left this dirty, much less in a palace like this. But now wasn't the time for that. He could think about cleaning later.
"I don't expect you to understand how your body works, but I want to know its limits and specificities," Hubert explained, walking around the table. He stopped straight across from Shirou, placing his hands on the table. "Is there any weakness that I should be made aware of?"
Shirou shivered as his mind worked its way through its records. The countless injuries and traumas he was forced to endure blurred together into a massive gray stew. Going through them one by one was hard… but easy at the same time. He'd grown accustomed to the pain and the experiments. It was normal to be…
Shirou locked away those thoughts. He needed to answer Hubert's question.
"Sometimes it felt less like I was half-dead. I could still feel pain and my other senses, but I couldn't move, and the world became blurry. Like sleep paralysis," Shirou emotionless answered, placing his hands behind his back.
"Interesting, when did this occur?" Hubert asked as he stopped leaning on the table. His left hand was brought up to his chin.
"I felt it the longest when they placed something through my heart. Big brain injuries, too," Shirou's tone didn't change from his last answer. One of his hands tightened around his arm. "There may have been other times, but I remember those."
"That is a major weakness," Hubert muttered, pulling a small dagger from his sleeve. It had a black handle and a sharp blade, but it wasn't as cool as a full sword. "Does your healing push things out of your wounds?"
"I don't know," Shirou said after consulting his memories. Given the weakness he'd mentioned, he understood the importance of this question, so they might as well find out. "Can I borrow your knife?"
"Are you sure?" Hubert questioned with a hint of concern. He brought the dagger a little closer to himself.
"Yes," Shirou said as he took off the upper half of his clothing. "Don't worry about my body or pain, Hubert. Besides, this is clearly what you wanted."
He said he'd give a demonstration in the stables, and Hubert pulled out a dagger when probing a possible injury. There was only one reason he'd do that in Shirou's eyes.
"That may be true, but if we're going to work together for Lady Edelgard's benefit, I can't afford to be careless with your safety," Hubert said with a hint of rebuke.
Shirou blinked, not fully understanding what Hubert meant. No, he would understand if Hubert was talking about anyone other than him. No one should care about his safety.
Still, he felt a little warmth in his heart.
Shirou shook his head and walked around the table to grab the knife. He placed his upper clothing on the table.
Hubert sighed before giving him the knife. "I can do it if you wish."
"No," Shirou instantly denied while feeling the cold metal handle of the dagger. It barely glinted in the light of the candles. How did this blade compare to the ones he was used to? He remembered the small scalpel and the larger blades they'd sometimes bring out.
This wouldn't be anywhere near as bad as that was.
Shirou pointed the blade at his chest. The chilly point pressed against it. Blood began to drip down his chest. He held his breath. Pulling the blade back, he tightened his hand around the handle before thrusting it toward his heart.
Pain.
He felt it as the dagger carved through his skin. His chest. His blood gushed against his hands. His hands turned cold. His vision filled with dots. His held breath pitifully released. The taste of blood assaulted his tastebuds.
He kept pushing. And pushing. And pushing.
He was falling. His hands slid off the handle. He couldn't move. His sense dulled except for the pain filling his chest.
Something caught him. It was a black blur hidden behind the countless dark dots.
He struggled to breathe. The pain ebbed and flowed for an eternity.
Slowly, he felt the pain fading. His breathing returned to normal as the dark stars were blotted out. Reality returned to focus.
Shirou blinked several times, confused. He was in a different spot. Seated on a dusty chair. His hands were covered in blood. So was part of his chest, but it looks like none of it got on his pants.
He glanced to the side. Hubert was holding the bloody dagger, but the older teen's focus was on him.
"You caught me and sat me in this chair, thanks," Shirou commented as he regained his bearings. It took a few more seconds, but he was as good as new. "What happened?"
"The blade was slowly pushed out from your wound. However, if I applied force, it stayed in," Hubert calmly explained, his eyes briefly glancing down to Shirou's bloody chest.
"I see," Shirou nodded. He'll need to remove bigger objects so they don't block his healing. If he doesn't get a blade through the chest, he'll need to try to make sure something isn't keeping it in. "Do you have a towel I can use to clean up the blood?"
"A small one," Hubert responded after a few moments and a shake of his head. Was something on his mind?
Shirou tilted his head to the side, using one of his hands to push his white hair out of his eyes. Was something wrong?
"Here," Hubert reached into his pocket and pulled out a small hand towel. Shirou's nose wrinkled at the smell of blood. "It's magically enchanted to absorb large amounts of blood."
"Thanks," Shirou accepted the towel and used it to wipe the blood off his chest. The white cloth easily absorbed the blood yet never reddened. "What next?"
"That will be all for now," Hubert told him. "I have further questions, but it took you quite a while to heal from the blade. You must be going to meet Lady Edelgard."
"I get it," Shirou nodded. He hoped his demonstration was helpful.
Edelgard sat in the corner of the training room, a training axe right next to her wooden bench. It was leaning against the wall but within arm's reach. Her left hand stayed close to it, ready to grab it at any moment.
She stared off into space, enjoying this one moment of peace. But was it just one moment? Or was she being buried in 'peace.' Repeating routine day after day. Never making progress on her goal. Complacent when she should be doing more.
But some part of her did wish to take a break. To not have to worry about such things.
Edelgard glanced toward the training room's doors as she heard them open. Tension in her shoulder loosened when she saw it was Shirou coming in instead of Ourri or someone else.
"I made it in time," Shirou muttered aloud, barely loud enough for Edelgard to hear it as he approached. The princess noticed something strange in her friend's matching hair.
"Did something happen?" She asked, standing up from her seat. Her hand grabbed her training axe without needing to be told to.
"What'd you mean?" Shirou paused a little bit in front of her. He quickly glanced around the room before turning back to her.
Edelgard took the initiative and closed the distance. She pointed up at his hair as soon as she was within touching distance of her friend. "You have something in your hair… Is that blood?"
Their silver-white hair turned a particular color when dyed with blood. One she was familiar with, far more than any should be with such a thing. She knew it when she saw it.
Shirou broke eye contact and refused to meet her gaze. He brought his hand up to try and wipe it away, but it was already dried.
So, it was blood then. The princess placed her axe on the ground before crossing her arms and frowning, "Are you alright?"
"Yeah, nothing's wrong, so don't worry about it," Shirou told her, this time managing to look her in the eyes.
"Fine, I wouldn't force the truth out of you," Edelgard told him, her body shifting a bit so she was standing a little bit straighter. She'd trust him to tell her if something their enemies had made a move or someone had hurt him. Even if she had to restrain the part of herself that wanted to knock the truth out of Shirou… or… "Rouy."
Edelgard smiled slightly as she ended her acceptance with her brilliant nickname for Shirou. He may not have gotten its genius, but she was confident in her knowledge that it was.
"Ok, thanks," Shirou muttered, placing his hands on his hips and pouting a bit to the princess's amusement.
She thought about saying something else but was interrupted by the creak of doors opening again. The tension in her shoulders returned as Ourri entered the room along with someone else. The other one was a vaguely familiar teen around her age. Edelgard's eyes sharpened upon looking at the new teen's clothing, whose design and quality could only belong to high-ranking nobles.
The princess didn't react when Shirou walked behind her, his entire body language changing. It went from his version of friendly and open to an adequate mirror of a servant's. He was mimicking the body language some dressed in his uniform should have amongst nobles.
When did he have the time to learn this?
Shirou was already going through training to learn how to fly a Pegasus while trying to learn both the bow and sword, how to read, and cooking. It should be impossible for him to learn the etiquette of a servant to an adequate degree on top of all that in such a short amount of time.
How hard has he been working?
"We have an esteemed guest that will be sparing with you today, Princess Edelgard," Ourri announced. His stance was different than normal, his back straighter and his hands held behind his back.
"It's been quite a while, hasn't it, Edelgard," the teen with orange eyes greeted her. His amber-colored eyes were slightly brighter than Shirou's, which were closer to a mix of brown and amber. "When was the last time we met? Before you went on your adventure to Faerghus?"
"Yes," Edelgard said, barely managing to repress a wince at the almost friendliness exuded by this noble. It caught her completely flat-footed. She glanced back to see Shirou just as off-putted by this display.
"Ah, pardon my manners. I didn't notice your servant," the interloper turned and looked at Shirou. Edelgard watched her friend barely manage to hide his reaction to the attention. "Let me introduce myself. I am Ferdinand von Aegir of House Aegir, the legitimate son of the Empire's foremost house."
Ferdinand.
That was his name; hearing it helped the princess remember him a bit. The son of Duke Aegir, Ludwig. The man responsible for more than could ever be accounted for.
Suddenly, this encounter felt far more dangerous. Edelgard had no idea what Ferdinand was really like inside, but his father was a deadly snake. And they say the apple doesn't fall far from the tree.
Just how much does he know? What's his goal? Why was he introducing himself to someone he thinks is simply a servant?
"I see, your grace. I am named Shirou," Shirou responded with a controlled tone accented with a little bow. Edelgard was sure she was the only one who could recognize the flash of anger in Shirou's eyes at the mention of Aegir. He paused midbow, his hair hung downward, covering up his expression. "I am… Lady Edelgard's main servant."
A shiver ran down the princess's spine at being called 'Lady Edelgard' by Shirou. It was wrong to hear that coming out of his mouth. It was too distant and formal.
"You shouldn't worry about his presence, Your Majesty," Ourri interjected, speaking solely to Ferdinand. A hint of displeasure leaked into the man's voice. "He is only a commoner here due to needing… training to stand as the princess's servant and guard."
"That may be, but it is still a noble's duty to be polite and open to those below them," Ferdinand denied, to both Edelgard and Shirou's shock. "But that is neither here nor there. I am here to have a spar."
"Spar?" Edelgard repeated. Ourri already mentioned that just now, but did that mean she got the chance to clubber –
The survivor clamped that dark desire for now.
"Yes, I managed to overhear how strong your punch is from my father and knew I must challenge you to a spar. As a noble and rival, it is my duty to surpass whatever you are capable of," Ferdinand explained, glancing at Edelgard's axe. "And you have already armed yourself, excellent!"
Surpass her?
Edelgard glared at him with clenched fists, her pride insulted… for more reasons than Ferdinand knew. If he knew about what his father made her into, he wouldn't speak of such a ridiculous thing. She reached down and tightened her grasp around the axe. "Fine, get a weapon, and we'll spar –"
"Here," Shirou said, walking past her and giving Ferdinand a training spear. Where did he get that? He didn't have it a second ago. Wait, the weapon rack was out by the bench, and it was missing a spear.
Ferdinand blinked as he took the spear, and Shirou took several steps back all the way to the bench. He only paused to tell her something under his breath. "Please, don't kill him, El. That wouldn't be good for us."
Edelgard glanced back at him, her anger broken by the strange display. She was only going to beat Ferdinand up because of the insult and the chance to let out some of her pent-up anger… at everything. She wasn't going to kill unless he did something worth killing him for.
She and Ferdinand walked to the center of the training room and stood across from each other.
"It is time for me to demonstrate the nobility of the Aegir lineage," Ferdinand boldly exclaimed with a smile.
Edelgard sighed. If only he'd shut up and quiet down.
She tightened her hand around her training axe.
This may be a spar like the countless she's had with Shirou, but it wasn't for training. It wasn't for improvement like when she fought with Shirou.
She was simply going to crush Ferdinand before he had a chance to demonstrate his 'nobility.'
Ourri signaled the start of the match.
Edelgard activated her stronger crash, ignoring the pair it caused through sheer force of will and familiarity.
She heard Ferdinand gasp as she closed the distance between them in an instant and swung her axe. He barely managed to raise his spear in defense. It was useless.
The single blow threw Ferdinand back, his spear launching into the air as he landed on his back several feet away from her. A moan of pain rang out.
Edelgard glanced at the spear; it was still in one piece. Good. That meant she held back enough.
Ourri didn't have to declare a victor. The winner was obvious.
"What happened?" Ferdinand moaned as he slowly managed to sit up.
"I crushed you. Utterly," Edelgard coldly explained, flipping her hair behind her shoulder. Her hand clenched against her will, pain filling her arm, but she didn't let it show. "It is a thousand years too early for you to even begin to think of competing with me."
The princess expected Ferdinand to lash out because of her words; he was a noble. But she needed to say what she said.
"You may be stronger than me now. I will acknowledge that. I entered this spar expecting to win, believing I would win because I was stronger," Ferdinand admitted with a frustrated expression. "I underestimated you. It wouldn't happen again. I shall double my training and surpass you in no time. Then we shall see who is superior."
Why was he acting so… almost noble? Admitting fault and trying to better…
It wasn't right. It wasn't fair.
This was her chance to get a bit of payback by crushing a member of House Aegir. But she didn't get the chance to feel any joy or pride in her victory. He was making her feel petty and vindictive instead.
"You can try," Edelgard told him, turning away from Ferdinand. She didn't know if he would stay for the rest of the training session, but her business with him was over. If one could even say, they had any in the first place.
The night sky hung over the Empire's capital; the full moon barely managed to shine through the cloudy night. Under its dim light, a white-haired boy entered the pegasus stable. Most of the pins were empty. The other riders must be out patrolling, delivering messages, or the like.
"Hey, Icarus," Shirou greeted his partner. Icarus was a legendary magical creature, a being of myth and legend. In other words, fiction. Yet, somehow, seeing them had become routine. A part of daily life rather than a miraculous impossibility.
His partner neighed at him thrice, causing him to stop. His eyes glanced toward the stable's personal storage closet, a relatively small, hidden space he'd only learned about from Caia.
Why'd she sneak something in there? Was it all right for him to see? If it was true that she'd entered the stables several times and only brought it in when she thought Icarus was sleeping, then it might have something to do with him.
He didn't have any reason to think she was working against him or Edelgard, but some part of himself knew there was always the chance.
Shirou walked over to the hidden storage compartment. It was hidden in the stable's far wall, opening from the ground up. It had enough space to theoretically fit a pegasus in it if you disregard shape, but that wasn't much for the many pegasus knights who may want to store something here.
Reaching down and grabbing the handle, he was silently grateful when nothing tumbled out on top of him. The space was nearly full of stuff, but one thing caught his eye.
"Was it a white box?" Shirou turned his head to the side, back to Icarus. A single neigh confirmed it.
He looked back up at the white box, probably the single biggest individual object in the closet. It was placed on the highest of the two shelves, mocking him for being short. No matter how far he stretched, he knew he wouldn't be able to reach it.
Crossing his arms, Shirou walked the very short distance to open Icarus's pen. She more than happily stood up and walked to the open exit without any prompting.
"I'm going to need your help to reach the box," he told his partner, who promptly followed him back to the compartment. Icarus didn't have their training saddle on, but Shirou could manage climbing on her back. "Try to stay still, and I'm sorry if this hurts."
Icarus told him it was alright as he carefully stood up, trying to balance on his partner's back. She tried her best to stay still, and Shirou didn't complain the few times she shifted. After all their training together, they were synched enough for him to predict her movements and adjust to them before they happen.
He managed to reach the box and tried to pull it, but it barely moved. Shirou sighed, knowing what he'd have to do. The boy placed his hands on both sides of the box, gripping it tightly. His eyes glanced down to meet Icarus's stare. "Icarus, don't worry about me – just walk to the exit."
Icarus didn't immediately do it, keeping her glare on Shirou for a few moments. She probably thought he was planning something stupid, but eventually, she relented.
Shirou let himself fall off Icarus's back but kept his grip on the box. The object was pulled off the shelf by his weight… sending them both tumbling to the ground below.
The white-haired boy made sure to cushion the box with his body, making sure it fell on his chest.
Pain. Breath fleeing. Some things are broken by the weight.
He gently slid it off his body, ignoring the pain. It was going to be healed in a few moments anyway.
Icarus's worried neighs pulled Shirou to his partner. She'd turned back and was right next to him. "Don't worry about me. I'm fine."
Shirou sat up and turned toward the box. There was no lock on it, and it thankfully landed topside up. "Let's see what's in the box."
The white-haired boy opened the box. His eyes widened as he saw what was within. "This is…"
Inside the box was a brand-new white and black saddle. It wasn't a training saddle like the one he'd been using, but the same type the real pegasus knights around him were using.
His hand slid into the box and felt it. The seat was soft and conformed to his hand. Comfort was important for extended flights, and being able to change one's body position was critical when in the air. Something those wyvern riders didn't have to worry about. They didn't need any finesse and could just laze about on their dragons.
After touching it and staring at it, he somehow knew it was meant for him and Icarus.
It may have been a few sizes too big for them now, but they would grow into it soon enough. Otherwise, the saddle was perfectly made for them.
Caia had drilled the different types of saddles into his head, saying one can tell a lot about their opponent based on their saddles. Those lectures were among her most fascinating.
There were so many different designs. Some saddles were designed purely for defense, sacrificing speed for armor. Others were optimized to carry as much as possible.
The one in front of him was designed for speed and maneuverability. The box distorted how heavy the saddle really was. Now he can tell how light the contents were light, far more so than his training saddle. Most of its weight came from the multiple clamps meant to keep it attached to his partner, but there were far more of them on his saddle than most others.
No matter how fast he goes or how much he moves around, he doesn't think his saddle will move a millimeter.
Shirou looked up at Icarus, whose entire body language changed. She neighed twice and brought her head closer to the saddle.
"But what if she comes back?" Shirou said as he removed his hands from the saddle. Icarus neighed again. "It's true I want to…"
Icarus neighed again.
Shirou paused, considering his partner's elegant words. He'd be training for so long but never got to really fly. As long as he got back and put the saddle back before Caia realized it should be fine.
"Fine," Shirou managed, pulling the saddle out of the box. "Just tell me if I put the saddle on too tightly."
The white-hair boy put the saddle on his pegasus without any issues. He'd gotten used to this job after putting on Icarus's training saddle dozens of times.
He waited until they walked outside to put on the saddle's double reigns. Thankfully, Caia thought that through. Icarus was overly stubborn and only accepted double reigns. She'd be constantly complaining if they used any other.
"Are you ready, Icarus?" Shirou asked his partner as he climbed onto the saddle. There wasn't a word to describe how much better it felt sitting on then the training saddles. His body slipped into the position that had been drilled into it, his hands reaching out and grabbing the reigns.
Icarus neighed excitedly, stomping her hooves on the ground.
Shirou gripped the reigns. He pulled them back, telling his partner to fly up into the air. The pegasus's hooves beat the air as they took flight.
"Go fast. We don't want anyone seeing us," Shirou whispered to Icarus, his eyes keeping constant vigilance for anyone as he leaned forward.
His heart skipped a beat as he began to feel the air russel against his hair. He was high enough now to look down on the palace he'd spent so long in. Countless dead were buried beneath it, never knowing why they died.
Never seeing the sky.
Shirou looked up, only able to see the barest traces of radiance of the moon and stars.
He used his reigns to direct Icarus to go higher, to scale the world as fast as possible to pierce the clouds.
It was dangerous. Only the best pegasus, knights, and pegasi could do that. Here he was, trying to do it on his first flight. He could feel Icarus's desire to do It as well.
Shirou glanced back at the city of Enbarr. It was unlike any he'd ever seen. Ancient and foreign compared to what he knew as a kid from Japan. Instead of the light of electric streetlamps, parts of the city were illuminated with magic lights and burning torches.
Shirou paused, his hands using the reigns to signal Icarus to stop and turn around. To then 'hover' in place.
Icarus neighed in complaint but did as she was told.
"I've never experienced something like this before," Shirou said to Icarus. He'd seen pictures of cities, some far bigger than Enbarr, but there was something special about being there. In the sky, feeling the air blowing around him. The pleasant scent of the city rode the wind, reaching even far into the sky.
He could vaguely see some of the people from up here. They were so much closer and clearer than the hidden sky.
It was nighttime, yet the city felt alive. He saw the countless individuals who call this city home moving through it. Couples laughing together. A man putting on a show for his block. A woman buying a gift for her brother, and a smile of pure joy on the latter's face.
It was a type of happiness that seemed so far away.
He hoped his sister was laughing right now. He'd hate to think she cried because he disappeared.
If only no one had to cry again. If only everyone could be happy.
His eyes turned away from the joyous people. As far up as he was, he could see most of Enbarr.
He could see a street over from the random man's one-man show. Someone was starving on the street. Dirty children were bathing in a public fountain. The water must be so cold and dirty, but what else could they do? He saw a looted corpse decaying in a hidden back alley.
Shirou saw those full of joy, and those full of sorrow, and those in between. Where his amber looked, he was met with all the shades of life.
He loved the sight of happiness, of people experiencing the best of life, but he never let himself linger on them. He didn't deserve the warm feeling he got in his chest when he saw people smiling and laughing.
Yet, the orphan couldn't help but let his gaze linger on those suffering – who didn't get to experience the blessings of life. Every time he saw someone suffering, he wanted to help them from the bottom of his heart. Each individual was someone he wanted to save – to make happy. Seeing what should be theirs made his heart burn with sorrowful anger.
"If only everyone could laugh together," Shirou spoke melancholy.
Icarus didn't say anything. The silence was impenetrable.
The pair stayed in the air, simply watching the city.
Shirou's first sight of the people of this world was from so far away. He etched the beauty into his heart while engraving the ugly into his mind. Never to be forgotten, will either be.
In between the heavens and Earth, Shirou looked up and sent a longing gaze into the sky. He looked back down and tugged on Icarus's reigns, ordering her to take them back down and toward the palace.
A part of him wanted to recklessly risk flying into the sky now for the briefest glimpse of the stars from an infinitesimally closer position. But that would just be him selfishly chasing his desires, doing nothing for those suffering.
His path was the one he already decided, following behind El. A path he hoped would lead to a happy ending where everyone could smile and stargaze together.
At the end of the long road, he hoped he could spend countless pleasant days with El. Ones where she never has a reason to cry, but all those in the world to be happy.
Here's a new chapter.
My laptop's fan(?) broke so I have to send this through my desktop. I ran the chapter through Grammerly on my laptop, but that isn't perfect. And I didn't have a chance to go back through old chapters to tighten everything up, so please point out any mistakes.
This chapter was awkward to write since it is switched back to Shirou and El from Dimitri. I didn't want to jump straight into Edelgard's coronation and stuff, and timeline-wise it'd make sense for Shirou to start flying around this time. So, I used that to fill this chapter and set up a bit of other stuff + exposition and showing them not having much power over their lives right now/trapped in the spider webs as they kinda sort of loop on the same topics and actions day after day, falling into routine with making any actual advancements beyond training. Something that will change so they can begin to claim more power for themselves in coming chapters.
Have a wonderful day!
