A/N: Well, this is quite the doozy. Enjoy.
Vallite: Purotekutā no Kyōdai ai (Protector of Sibling Love) [Corrin's Naginata] | Hoshizora Seiza (Starry Constellation) [Lilith's Mother] | Jiyū (Freedom) [Lathna's F!Pegasus] | Kanpeki (Perfection) [Subaki's M!Pegasus] | Shi no Mirai (Tides of the Future) [Izama's Crystal Ball] | Kuronikurā (Chronicler) [Forgotten Dragon God of Records/Time-Keeping] | Fuka-sa No Kage (Depths of Shadow) [Afterlife for the Damned] | Todoku No Hikari (Reaches of Light) [Afterlife for the Blessed] | Mizumare (Waterborn)
Hoshidan: Baranotsubomi (Rosebud) [Elise's Mare]
Nohrian: Katáktisi (Conquest) [Xander's Stallion] | Ouranós Trómos (Skyterror) [Camilla's M!Wyvern] | Μαύρο άλογο/Alastor (Dark Horse) [Leo's Stallion]
Antex: Perhaps, but she also has over seventeen years worth of emotional backup, who knows? Perhaps she'll take back what she said, like… in her 'A' Support?
Consort: Well, she actually undone her Mine Shaft quite a while ago, but she did summon up a Hunting Grounds as per Lathna's request, so perhaps that's the real reason why she asked for gems.
Well, not that I'm one to admonish a place of a leader just because it doesn't line up with all I've ever known about Castles, but… this place is rather empty. Oh sure, I can hear the pitter-patter of feet and the occasional servant walking around, but other than that? Or, rather… there seems to be a lack of people, decorations, on the other hand… Chairs and tables line on the walls, set atop plush rugs. The walls boast paintings of various origins, some are of towns, some of oceans, air… anything barring someone's personal room is there.
I lead Azura, Sakura, Mizumare, and Lilith further into this castle, "Iz-" I start to call out, but…
"Ah, the venerated guests have arrived! How joyous!" The source of this voice is… a man, dressed in a robe, flip-flops, smooth-skin, and hair so long and well-tended that it would make Noble Women jealous. "Princess Corrin! Your words have written their way into my heart, singing to me!" A generous smile forms on his face.
I return the smile, "When looking for peace, who better to ask. It's good to finally meet you, Lord Izana."
"Bah, just Izana. No need for these fancy titles here!" To double-down on that, he offers me a more casual handshake, which I gladly accept. "Princess Azura! Seemingly as calm as the ocean's waves, yet undoubtedly a tsunami's worth of power underneath, hm?"
Azura lightly giggles, "If you speak of swaying an audience with singing, then perhaps. If one were to speak of raw power, then your own bloodline precedes you," She pauses for a moment, as her tone adopts an even more fluid tone, [Descendant of Kuronikurā.]
Another handshake, [Now now, don't go confusing our non-Vallite guest here.] He chuckles, "Princess Sakura! The youngest of the Hoshidan Royals, sweet as a peach and bright as the Dawn Dragon himself!"
Sakura, who was briefly more curious about the change in language, is now heavily flushing when Izana turns his attention to her, "I-I, um… it's good to meet you, I-Izana."
"Again!" Izana smiles. "Though, I suppose you were too young to remember our last meeting." A pause, "The… late Sumeragi and Ikona had brought you here once." He then looks to… "And two new faces! Oh wonderful! What is your name, ma'am?"
Mizumare steps up first, her introduction quick and clean. "Mizumare." She attempts to curve her mouth upward for a smile, but it seems… well, I can't quite place what's 'wrong' with her smile, but it doesn't seem like a smile. "Retainer of Princess Corrin."
"Ah, the stern type, gotcha!" Still, Izana doesn't seem perturbed about it. "And you?"
"I am Lilith, a close friend of Lady Corrin. She saved my life many years ago, back in Nohr. It is an honor to meet you."
"As it is you! I haven't seen a Manakete in ages! If I dare say, your kind are even shorter than I had imagined!" He laughs once more.
Lilith narrows her eyes, but takes the comment in stride.
Izana then claps his hands, "Now that the introductions are out of the way… please, come in! We have much to discuss, and I dare not hold you up more than required!" He turns and leads the way…
I follow, as does the rest, though I still reach out to say, "I was planning on staying the remainder of the day, anyway, Izana. If there's more that needs to be said."
"I had a feeling… but I think you underestimate what needs to be said." He replies, just as cheerily, but… I feel something under his tone. Something kept hidden.
The journey through his castle is simple, yet quite relaxing. The scent of Lavender still lingers in the air, slowly unwinding my long-since tensed muscles. The rugs are a welcome reprieve from days of marching over dirt and gravel, even though the soles of my feet have long since accustomed to even the worst of rocks.
At one point, I see steam leaving one of the rooms… a sauna! Ooo, I think I'll take Hinoka there!
Soon enough, however, the trip ends and Izana opens a screen door. "Come in, ladies."
Which we do, naturally. Filtering into this new room, there are a number of cushions lined around the floor, a gap, and then another cushion on the other side. We each take our seats, and Izana sits on the far-side cushion. "I realize it's probably too late to call for a peace meeting, but…" I start off.
"That is one of the topics I had on my plate, so to speak." Izana replies, his tone dropping any humor and becoming more serious. "I had sent out two couriers, one for Shirasagi, and one for Krakenburg. An invitation to talk things out… but I never got any replies. One week later, and I found out that they had been assassinated."
"Wh-what?! But, why?" Sakura gasps, tears already starting to well up, empathy and sympathy radiating from her.
"To stop a peace meeting?" I suggest.
"That would seem most likely, except I do send out more than Peace invitations. I also do Dinner invitations, parties, or even just a normal 'How-do-you-do' letter… so either both ended up very unfortunate… or my invitations have been founded by a third party and they were taken out."
"Bandits?" Azura asks. "Will we not include them?"
He shakes his head, "Bandits loot and pillage. My peace invitations were the only thing missing. Bandits are also rarely precise, and each of my couriers died through a single wound… a puncture in their necks, an arrow."
"By the Gods…" Sakura whispers.
"We're dealing with a group with… wait."
"An arrow?" I ask. "What kind of arrow?"
Izana startles, and briefly seems confused, but then realization kicks in, "Ah, you've studied arrows, Princess Corrin? Well…" He claps his hands again, and a servant comes in. "Would you please fetch those foul arrows? Oh! And some tea!" The servant bows and leaves.
"S-So, there could've been a Peace Meeting, and… we might've n-not be at war?" Sakura asks.
"Sister, I'd like to believe that, but I cannot deny that Mother and Father both died due to Nohrian intent." I reply.
"Indeed, while a Peace Meeting might have calmed both sides down, the act of Regicide would have instantly sparked war. In fact, it's only due to the late Queen Mikoto that Hoshido and Nohr avoided war after Sumeragi's ill-fated departure." Izana explains, "Now, please wait one moment, I wish to finish this before moving on to the next."
And as such, a few minutes pass, and two servants walk in. One provides tea and candles, the other has a bundle of two arrows. The tea tray is laid on the floor, and the candles are lit. Izumo accepts the arrows and passes them to me. As I undo the wraps, Izana proceeds to pour tea. After unwrapping them, I take a moment to pull out my half-Manakete senses, eyesight sharpening…
"Extremely dense wood, metal lacking density. Feathers are too deteriorated to match them to the ones that was on the arrow that nearly killed Reina. The shaft has been mishandled, the 'letters' aren't there, though I can tell it has been carved on by some point." I wrap the arrows back up right as Izana hands me my teacup.
"It's very similar to the arrow used by the assassin that almost took Reina's life by shooting her Kinshi down." I announce. "However, the feathers have experienced too much degradation and the shaft has had too much post-attack damage, I can't tell what the carvings were."
"Wait… Reina?" Izana gasps, giving the bundled arrows to the servant, who leaves.
Sakura nods, tears forming, "Sh-she was on patrol with a squad, and while she was heading b-back… a 'person with orange-red hair' managed to snipe her mount… she was st-still in recovery when we headed out for war."
"And you think this is the same work?" He asks me.
"Think, yes. Know, no. I know that arrow has been carved on, so that makes a three out of four when comparing those arrows with the one that Reina had. We're dealing with a highly skilled assassin, but…" I pause. "It's one thing to get a lucky shot on an expert Kinshi rider… it's another to have access to on-demand Teleportation."
"Perhaps there are two assassins for this case?" Azura suggests.
I nod, "Perhaps this could be a group-for-hire, which means it would be best to scour the more… unregulated depths of this world, but there's no time for such a search." I finally sip that tea, precious… relaxing tea. "Anyway, that's all I can offer for this, Izana… what is next?"
"An apologies for being unable to gather your request for a Peace Meeting." He simply replies.
"It's alright, I had a feeling… but I dare not not try." A gentle smile to go with that. "I do have a question though, about your Crystal Ball?"
The atmosphere changes, seemingly charged with magic. "You wish to peer into the future? Well, first off, know that whatever you witness is not set in stone. Whatever you witness is what will happen, should you follow whatever steps it believes you will take in that moment."
"How far?" I ask.
"No more than one year. Though, in my honest opinion, you're best off stopping at about a month's time, there's just so many variables that you can come across in that time."
I nod, "I understand, so…"
He claps his hands, "I will require Silence and Solitude. Princess Azura, Princess Sakura, Lilith, and Mizumare… please, step outside of this room for the time being. I will gladly answer any remaining questions or Crystal Ball uses afterwards."
One by one, they filter out, leaving me alone with him.
"Among other things, Princess Yasei." He calmly speaks and from his cushion and uttering, [Waters may flow, Earth can shift, but Time… Time remains unbreakable.]
A pedestal appears, and on top of it is a Crystal Ball. "You know who I am?"
[Your father, but yes. Anankos does not sit well with Kuronikurā, nor does any age-old Dragon.] He replies, rising up to meet the Crystal Ball head to… surface.
[Azura mentioned Kuronikurā, who is he?] I ask.
[The Chronicler, a being as old as Time itself. He who has record of all events, all persons who ever was and ever has been. He who commands Time to an extent, and whose bloodline my ancestors have partaken in… some odd who-knows how many generations ago. This Crystal Ball is actually one of his relics, entrusted to my ancestors, down to me. We are the only mortals allowed to gaze into the future without paying The Cost.] He holds his hands around the Crystal Ball, and magic begins to surface.
[Everyone?! That's, insane! How? And what is The Cost?] I ask, about as interested in this as my upcoming 'Future' question.
[Believe it or not, that is the knowledge he has. The Cost is what one assigns them self to by using what is known as a Fate Stone. A Fate Stone can do exactly what this Crystal Ball can, except that it also details a second vision, one of your own demise. Once a Fate Stone is used, whatever you saw yourself die, is what will happen. It is one of the few times that Kuronikurā will directly intervene.] He explains as the Crystal Ball alights with power, [Now, Daughter of the Silent Dragon and Queen Mikoto of Valla… Yasei, what is your desire?]
A million questions swim by, but there's only a few I can pin as what I truly want to know, [Will my Nohrian Siblings survive this war?]
He frowns, [I'm afraid you'll need to choose one.]
[Choose between them? That's the deci-]
[Ah, pardon. There is a misunderstanding. I can only foresee one of them.] He corrects himself.
...One question turned into four. My heart races, adrenaline kicking in for whatever reason. How can I choose? They are all precious to me and… think.
Xander. The most stalwart and immovable of my siblings. I think that he has the resolve to stare death in the eyes and walk away alive… unfortunately, it's that same devotion that could cause him to never yield or surrender. However, I think that if I can rally the others to my side, then I could convince him.
Camilla… heh. As long as I'm alive, she would find a way to close the Bottomless Canyon's gap if I asked. She would travel into Fuka-sa No Kage and bring my body back to life if given even the slightest chance.
Leo. He has a plan for everything, and I'm confident he will also have a plan for when he gets swayed to Hoshido. Leo is smart, he'll see reason.
Elise… the youngest, and the only one not trained in battle. While her sunny demeanour does wonders on a day to day basis, I'm worried how she'll handle the more grisly affairs, if and when she sees war crimes.
I know my choice.
[The youngest of the Nohrian Royals, the sweetest little ball of sunshine in Nohr… I want to know if Princess Elise will survive.] I answer.
[Kuronikurā, I, Izana, beseech you a question. I wish to part through the waves of Time and peer into what-has-yet-to-be to ask: Will Princess Elise survive the war between Nohr and Hoshido?] There is a brief pause. The Crystal Ball flashes, and images begin to form on it. Izana mouths the word 'Watch' to me, and I focus on the Crystal Ball's surface.
The image is primarily blank, a pure black void, though I can hear the faintest of talking. Moments pass and the added sound of something metal hitting metal rings out. No! I will not be denied such an important moment. I double-down on my senses, drawing out my inner Dragon as much as I can.
But it's no use, the limitations of the Crystal Ball are clear. It does not want me to know every detail.
Elise's form comes into view, a running position, her arm outstretched. Her mouth opens, and while she can't speak, I can read her lips. 'Noooo!' She jumps forward and my heart drops.
The front side of her armor is ripped open with a single slash and she falls to the ground.
Some more faint 'clacking' sounds are heard and Elise's body is raised, as if someone is holding her. Her head tilts towards whoever is holding her, and I'm no longer able to see her lips. Several minutes pass like this, before Elise is gently lowered to the void's ground, no longer breathing.
Izana is silent, his facial features trembling and on the verge of tears.
I'm also silent, but my face is caught between grief… and anger. Someone is 'fated' to harm my sister, and by the Gods… no force on this world will stop me from shredding them apart. "She will not die. Elise…" My teeth grit against each other, holding the message of the Crystal Ball close to me.
"Exercise caution, Princess Yasei." Izana speaks and my eyes snap on him. "If you focus too much on preventing one, you may very well end up causing another to fall." His eyes are watered, yet he speaks with wisdom… advice.
"Not the first time?" Is all I can manage.
He nods, a frown forming. "I have given similar revelations before, and one that won't ever leave me was a father going out on a quest to retrieve a very rare herb so he could treat a lethal disease his daughter would end up catching. However, in his haste to find this herb, he himself ended up contracting venom from a toxic snake in the same area… the father died before he returned… the daughter succumbed to the fated disease, and the mother was far too overcome by grief to continue on."
I take a moment to process that, "Thank you for your wisdom and insight, Izana. I'll hold your words close." I bow to him. "Now, I believe you have others to tend to?"
He hums, forming a natural smile, despite his tear-stained cheeks. "Yes, and please… have a good day, Princess Yasei."
"You as well." With that, I leave the room… I have things to plan.
A/N: Well then… quite the contrast as to what happens in canon, eh? No mention of a Fire Emblem, Yasei/Corrin doesn't have Yato, no appearance of Zola, a short explanation on Izana and the Crystal Ball… on Izana'a own origin, and of course… without a doubt. The single biggest change as of late.
Using the Crystal Ball to divine Elise's fate, let's see how that changes things, eh?