#AND some very good sharenas as well ...... at one point i thought about trying to make an icon

[moe-broey]

Very Occasionally I think of picking a new FEH comic Alfonse to make an icon but ....... I am...... so emotionally attached to him....... this very specific Alfonse illustration that's ☝️😯

[kanda44]

Secret Confession - Alfonse x Reader

A/N: Unclear if you know the true meanings behind flowers Alfonse ends up giving you a small bouquet that represents his feelings. Only...you know exactly what this type of flower meant. Note: Forgive me if the characters that I have here are OOC...haven’t written too much for Fire Emblem nor have I ever played Fire Emblem Echoes so yeah...also if I got the meaning of this flower wrong then sorry!

“You sure this is gonna work?” Alfonse asked, cheeks tinted in a pink hue. “Of course! You two are close so I’m sure she’ll love them!” Sharena smiled. “Do you think she even knows the meaning of these flowers?” Anna asked. “I’m not sure...we rarely speak of flowers anyways so...” Alfonse replies.

Well, that was completely true, with the war going on it’s not like the two of you had the time to speak of such little things such as flowers...though he did wonder what your favourites were considered at one point in time he caught you crouched down near a small pond smiling as you talked about one of the lotus flowers that had bloomed.

“Wow! I’ve never seen a lotus flower before! It usually takes a thousand years for it to even bother to bloom...I’ve heard they sleep within the mud. We’re really lucky to see one Al!” You smiled.

Ahh...that memory was his favourite, your smile and the way your eyes shined. It might have been that very moment that Alfonse figured out he had fallen for you quite hard.

“Hello! Alfonse!” Anna shouts. “W-What?” Alfonse asked snapping out of his thoughts. “You were thinking of (Y/N) weren’t you?” Anna smirked. “Aww so cute! Don’t worry brother! We’ll help you two get together!” Sharena smiles.

Blushing away he coughed as he held out the package for Feh who took it then flew off to where you were...Alfonse wasn’t sure how much of this his heart could take so he stumbled over his words and walked off leaving the girls to giggle at his actions.

**With You**

Currently, as of this moment, you were busy training with both Alm and Celica, two new heroes who had been summoned together along with Conrad as well as Faye along with Emporer Rudolf.

Though Faye and Rudolf had gone elsewhere as the other three stayed, usually you’d get to know the new heroes first by training alongside them to get a good grasp on their fighting styles which would provide you with the task to easily place them in whichever area on the battlefield that would best benefit them.

“So do you have anyone special for the Day Of Devotion?” Celica asked. “Um well...” You laughed and blushed a bit. “Oh, you do!” Celica smiled. “Come on now Celica, don’t tease our summoner.” Alm chuckled. “Aww but I wanna know who it is!” Celica pouts.

And as if fate decided to step in and reveal the answer to the heroes who saw the feelings between the two Feh arrived with the package.

“(Y/N), you have a package from Alfonse!” Feh announces. “Thanks, Feh!” You smiled gently taking the package.

Not sure what it was you opened it and gasped at the sight, you were rather shocked since inside the package was some Gardenias flowers. These were rather rare and once you thought about it...your face flushed red at the meaning behind these flowers.

Purity and sweetness...they also indicate secret love. Not to mention it’s pretty much flowers from Alfonse telling you that he thought you were rather lovely.

Placing the basket they were in you then read the note that came along with it.

‘Dear, (Y/N). I hope you understand the meanings behind these flowers, I’m sorry if I’m being a coward to hide behind some flowers and a note. But I fear if I told you face to face that I’d stumble over my words and never get my feelings out to you at all...but here goes, I love you, not only have you been at my side since we met but you’ve never given up on any of us. Even when odds were stacked upon us you continued to find ways to push us forward. I’m internally grateful for all you’ve done and I hope we can continue to work together side by side not just as partners but also maybe as lovers?’ - Alfonse.

Your face was beet red, not only were your feelings mutual but you were given something rather sweet by Alfonse on the Day Of Devotion pretty much as a sign of being asked out. Smiling a bit you were cheering a hell of a lot in your head while you did try to remain calm on the outside but...Alm and Celica could tell you were over the moon about this.

“Oh, this is so cute!” Celica smiled. “Yeah...” You whispered with a smile. “Go on, go see the prince. We’ll catch up on getting to know each other again some other time!” Celica says pushing you out of the room. “Heh, alright alright.” You laughed as you held the gift given to you in your hands.

‘Thanks, Alfonse, you’ve managed to make this day feel so special...I’m glad my feelings are mutual...so hold on a minute I want to confess to you the right way as well.’ You thought.

[bouquetwrites]

AU I cant think of a title for part 5

Alfonse and Kiran get to know each other better the morning after he moves in.

Upon rising from his slumber that morning, Alfonse sat up in the bed, stretching his arms behind his back. He looked to find that both the other couch and the floor in front of him were no longer occupied, meaning that Kiran and Julian had already woken up. As he moved to stand from his bed, he heard some noise coming from the kitchen, walking in to find Kiran standing over the counter, seemingly working on something. Her dark brown locks were slightly more disheveled than the previous day, which made the purple ends stand out a bit more. In a strange way, seeing her in that state drew him to her more, and he was baffled by this feeling. Quickly, she caught his attention when she lifted her head and saw him standing there.

“Oh, good! You’re up!” She spoke, smiling. “Question: do you like coffee? If you do, how so?”

It was then that he saw her standing before a machine that had a mug sitting underneath it. The aroma of the beverage being made was quick to hit him once he realized what she was doing, and it was a welcome scent for him.

“Coffee would be wonderful. I’ll take it with just some cream. ” He replied.

“Your wish is my command.” Kiran affirmed, turning her attention back to the machine. “So, how’d you sleep last night? Rascal didn’t hog the bed, did he?”

“Ah, you saw him…” The Askran chuckled, a hint of a blush rising to his cheeks. “No, he was very generous with the space we were given. In truth, it was nice having someone at my side throughout my first night here.”

“That’s good to hear.”

The two were interrupted by the sound of the dog in question climbing off the bed, walking into the kitchen and sitting in between them, his tail wagging as though he were expecting something as he looked up at Kiran. When she didn’t acknowledge him right away, he let out a quiet sounding bark in an effort to get her to do so.

“Rascal, I’m glad you’re using your inside voice, but we’ve talked about this.” She laughed. “You’ll get your breakfast once I’ve finished making my coffee… well, and Alfonse’s, too…”

“Oh, would you like me to feed him?” Alfonse offered.

“Knock yourself out.” Kiran answered. “His food is in the blue bag in the top right cabinet. Pour until you can’t see the bottom of his dish.”

“Er…” 

He looked down at his bandaged hand, wondering how exactly he was going to be able to carry an entire bag of dog food with just one hand. He supposed he would just have to try as best he could, and pray that this wouldn’t end in disaster. He stepped towards the cabinet, opening the door and finding the blue bag in question. He went to grab it, noting that it seemed slightly heavier than he anticipated, and set it on the counter before him. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Rascal stand and quickly walk towards him, the wagging in his tail significantly picking up in speed.

He promptly picked the bag back up, setting it on the floor in front of the empty bowl. All he had to do now was figure out how precisely he was going to get the food into the bowl. Perhaps tipping the bag over and then lifting it back up once there was enough food in the dish would suffice? There was only one way to find out. He proceeded to lay the bag down on the side with the hole in it, allowing the pieces to fall into the bowl before picking it back up.

“Oh fuck, I am so sorry. I completely forgot about your hand.” He heard Kiran from behind him, sounding as though she was holding back laughter. “And I’m sorry if I forget in the future. Also, I promise I’m not laughing at you, I’m laughing at my own forgetfulness.”

“Ah, there’s no need to apologize so much. I understand.” Alfonse assured her.

“At least let me put the bag back for you.” She offered, approaching him and reaching her hand out for it. 

As she went to pick it up, she felt something on her hand, looking down to find that his own had brushed against it. Unbeknownst to her, he felt it too, and they both wondered if the other person noticed as they hid their blushing from one another. Their thoughts were soon interrupted by Rascal barging in between them, startled by his determination to not let anything get between him and his breakfast.

“I know he looks grown, but at his age, he’s technically still a puppy.” Kiran remarked as she returned the bag of food to the cabinet. “I guess he still has an excuse for acting like one.”

“Some dogs maintain that personality well into their senior years. Although that won’t be for quite a while, that could be a possibility for him.” Alfonse told her, taking his seat across from the kitchen at the counter.

“Did you have any pets back in Askr?” She asked, handing him the mug with his coffee.

“There would often be stray dogs and cats outside of the castle, but no. My father never allowed us to have such a companion. The closest thing we had to one was our messenger owl.” He explained.

“Your father sounds like a buzzkill.” Kiran bluntly told him, taking him by surprise as he nearly spat out his coffee. “I’m sorry, but I’ve always seen even the toughest of dads be swayed by animals.”

“Not him. His mindset was not one that could be changed so easily. It’s part of why he hasn’t spoken to my sister and I ever since we joined the Order of Heroes… which was almost a year ago.”

Upon hearing that, it was Kiran’s turn to be taken aback and almost choke on her beverage. She had friends that had gone significant amounts of time without coming into contact with their parents before, but it was usually the friend cutting the parent off for something they did; rarely was it the other way around. It angered her to hear that someone could be so nonchalant about their own kin like that; especially for something that other parents would be proud of. However, she didn’t want to show that to him.

“You have a sister?” She questioned in her attempt to change the subject. “What’s she like?”

“Ah, she’s quite different from me, actually.” Alfonse replied. “Despite that, we have a very strong bond. I think she would really like you.”

“How can you be sure?” Kiran inquired, arching one of her eyebrows. “You don’t know that much about me yet.”

“Perhaps, but I don’t believe that would matter to her. She loves meeting and getting to know new people.”

“And what about you? Do you not like those things?”

“I don’t dislike them, but it takes me longer to open up to others.” The prince confessed. “However, I wouldn’t mind if you told me more about yourself.”

“Oh?” Kiran wondered. “What do you want to know?”

Ah, right. Now that he made it this far, he had to think of a question. Well, he did have plenty of questions that he could think of, but he wasn’t quite sure which one he wanted to narrow it down to.

“Well, to start…” he spoke. “You asked me about my sister, so I’m curious. Is Julian your only sibling?”

“He isn’t!” Kiran replied. “I also have two sisters, one older and one younger. The older one is actually his twin!”

“Ah, how intriguing.” Alfonse enthused. “The thought of what having a twin would be like has crossed my mind before. Tell me more about them.”

“Well, let’s see… my older sister is named Iris, and she absolutely loves animals. She’s a veterinarian, so it’s safe to say they’ve had a pretty big influence on her life. Oh! She’s also getting married next spring!”

While Alfonse was still hesitant to open up to Kiran or her brother about many of the details concerning his life before they met him, he found it rather easy to listen to her tell him about hers. For him, it was a relief that once he told her that it might take him time to divulge into his past, she didn’t try to force it out of him. It was also nice that she didn’t seem to mind being the one to do most of the talking.

“My younger sister’s name is Leah, and she can be a pain in the ass from time to time. But in her defense, most people are like that in their teens. She wants to be a dancer when she finishes school, and she for sure has the talent for it.”

“I see…” Alfonse commented. “And what is it you do?”

“Well, right now I’m a teacher.” Kiran answered. “Whether or not I’ll spend the rest of my working years being one, I haven’t really decided yet. I studied photography when I was in school, and as much as I would love to just to be a photographer, I haven’t been that lucky.”

“Photography…?” 

“Photography is kind of like instant portraits.” She explained. “Rather than sit and wait hours on end for someone to paint you or some type of scenery, they point a camera at the thing they want a portrait of, push a button, and voila!”

“And you teach others how to do this?” He followed up.

“Well, not just how to do it. If it were that simple, I wouldn’t have had to go to school for it.” Kiran joked. “There’s different types of photos that a person can take, so I show them what those types are, and give out common examples of each type. I also teach them about the history behind it all. If you want, I can show you sometime.”

Before Alfonse could accept or decline her offer, they heard a tiny click from the living room, followed by the sound of the door opening and closing. The pair turned their attention to Julian as he stepped into the kitchen, covered in a layer of sweat with the front of his hair soaked and clinging to his face.

“Coffee smells good.” He breathed. “Did you make me some?”

“You were up long before either of us were, Mr. The Grind Never Sleeps.” Kiran told him. “You could’ve made your own coffee. Now, go shower before you stink up the apartment.”

“Ouch. It’s “the grind never STOPS”.” Julian playfully retorted.

Alfonse couldn’t help but laugh at their banter. He could certainly relate, as while he and Sharena wouldn’t often speak to each other in such a manner, there had been more than one occasion where such responses had crossed his mind. He was certain it had been that way for her as well.

Later on in the day, he accompanied the siblings as they took Rascal to the park. It felt nice to get some fresh air, and it helped that it was a gorgeous day outside as well. The temperature was comfortably warm, with the sun shining down on the park and making it feel more lively. He learned more about this particular part of this world from Kiran and Julian, like how days like today were rare during the spring for this particular part of this world. It made him appreciate its beauty even more.

The prince couldn’t pinpoint why precisely he felt this way, but sitting at the picnic table chatting with Julian while they watched Kiran and Rascal play fetch put him at ease. Perhaps his time here would be an enjoyable one.

[fire-emblem-heroes-supports]

Summoner/Anna C-A Support

Written by @unsuspecting-person

C SUPPORT

(y/n): [yawns] Morning, Anna. What are you doing this early in the morning?

Anna: Perfect time, (y/n)!  I need some help carrying these clothes to the Shoppe’s storage. Mind to lend me a hand?

(y/n): Sure, no biggie. Wait, are these…

Anna: Right on track, Summoner! Oboro gave me the first finished set of Earth Clothes last day and-

(y/n): Let me guess, you got so excited about putting them on sale you ended up not sleeping?

Anna: …Maybe~

(y/n): [sighs] What would I do without your shenanigans?

Anna: You’d get bored to death, since you keep helping me with them.

(y/n): Still, I’m surprised Oboro is letting you sell those.

Anna: She did, but at a couple of conditions. First, the majority of the profit goes to her to cover the time and material spent, and second, she asked to have complete monopoly over them in Hoshido, and a helping hand with marketing.

(y/n): Wait, she wants to sell those clothes in Hoshido of all places? It’s not exactly the most welcoming place to foreign culture, especially to something so… outworldly.

Anna: Don’t worry. With her determination and my wits, I’m sure they’ll be a success!

Anna: But back to the subject, I also came up with the perfect slogan! Ahem… “Inspired by the Great Hero’s mystical land of legends… A breathtaking line of clothes for all ages! Buy them now at the Shoppe of Heroes!”

Anna: So what do you think?

[(y/n) stays quiet for a moment , then starts snickering.]

(y/n): Oh my God, it’s so cheesy! [laughs loudly]

[Anna starts looking slightly annoyed.]

(y/n): Sorry. But honestly, I get hyping a product, but this is a bit too much.

Anna: [sighs] Alright, I’ll try making a slogan a bit less outlandish. But I need your help preparing the Shoppe for today.

(y/n): Coming, coming.

(y/n): (I swear, I’ve been in Askr for almost five years and I still can’t get over the Shoppe of Heroes’ name.) [giggles]

 [(y/n) and Anna have reached support level C.]

B SUPPORT

(y/n): Good news, Anna! I finally managed to borrow some books on Fòdlan from another Summoner, so we won’t be completely clueless on who I just summoned anymore!

Anna: Oh, finally! This should work while we find an expansion to the library. I still don’t understand why we have literally NOTHING about that continent when Askr’s library should be the most complete in the Outrealms.

(y/n): Well, we’re not the only ones with that problem. A bunch of other Askrs I asked around didn’t have any information either.

(y/n): Should probably make some notes and send them around to help. I really wouldn’t want a fellow Summoner to get almost stabbed by Kronya too, haha…

Anna: …speaking of near-death experiences, there’s something we need to talk about.

(y/n): I’m listening.

Anna: Ever since you got ambushed by Veronica years ago you’ve been taking the backseat on leading and the battlefield. I wholeheartedly agreed to it since despite everything, you’re still a civilian that got dragged into a war without warning or consent.

(y/n): Anna, I already told you, I don’t blame you for-

Anna: I know, but you’re still in this situation because of me, and as your Commander, you’re my responsibility.

Anna: And while I wish I could just let you help around in the Castle as you did until now, we’re getting overwhelmed with tasks and missions, and since our tacticians are already working as best as they can we need all the manpower we can get.

(y/n): I see. You want to leave the simplest missions to me?

Anna: Correct. Now, I know how self-conscious you feel about your fighting and tactical abilities and I can’t or won’t pretend you’ll become a powerhouse or a tactical genius, but at the same time I want you to be able to perform some simple quests and ESPECIALLY know how to defend yourself. Understood?

[(y/n) nods.]

Anna: Good. I’m going to teach you the very basics of battle and tactics in our spare time, but I’m afraid you’re going to have to ask some of the Heroes for help after that. Meet me tomorrow in the training camps.

(y/n): Got it. I’m ready when you are, Commander.

[(y/n) and Anna have reached support level B.]

A SUPPORT

Anna: Alright, we can take a break now.

[(y/n) falls to the ground and starts breathing heavily.]

(y/n): Huff… Puff… I’m so exhausted…

Anna: Come on, (y/n). You’re actually doing well!

(y/n): …Really? I thought I sucked.

Anna: Well now, you can’t pretend too much when you’ve just started. And you know, you reminded me of my days as a squire, so how about some storytime from yours truly while you recover?

(y/n): Sure, why not…

Anna: As you know by know, I come from a family of merchants all across the Outrealms. We’ve been doing that for decades at this point, and very well if I say so myself!

Anna: Anyway, ten years ago I had to choose where I wanted to settle down my business. It's… sort of an initiation for us.

(y/n): So you went to Askr and started your merchant business there? As a kid?

Anna: Of course! It went pretty well, and I really enjoyed working on it… for a while. After almost two years my shop was relatively famous and I made a pretty good profit, but at the same time everything felt dull and uninspiring.

(y/n): You wanted something more from life than just earning money?

Anna: Don’t get me wrong , I love earning money, especially when I can get creative with planning around! But the shop, well… it didn’t give me satisfaction anymore.

Anna: Over those years I had actually grown attached to Askr and its people, so I decided to enroll in the army. And you could guess how my family reacted when I told them.

(y/n): They… didn’t take it very well?

[Anna rolls her eyes.]

Anna: Oh, that’s an understatement. They threatened tooutright dishonor me. And training wasn’t going well either. Like yourself a few days ago, I could barely lift a training weapon. It felt… horrible.

(y/n): I’m sorry for that… but why did you continue then?

Anna: Because oddly enough, I still felt the path of a soldier kind of rewarding. Not to mention seeing all the townspeople’s happy faces… and I was also dreaming of traveling the Outrealms someday, and Askr was the perfect opportunity for that.

Anna: As time went by, I got better and better, and I also slowly realized I don’t need the approval of some elders who think building an exclusive super-elite secret shop underground with outrageously high prices is a good idea.

Anna: I even started using an axe just to spite them. And while I did keep doing business from time to time it was mostly for personal fun, and not some “family legacy” or similar nonsense.

(y/n): [chuckles] Yeah, that’s the spirit!

Anna: Eventually I got promoted to Commander, I met Alphonse and Sharena and well, you know the rest.

[Anna hugs (y/n), who looks surprised.]

Anna:What I’m saying is don’t give up, okay? Even if it doesn’t seem like it now, I promise things will get better.

[(y/n) returns the hug, smiling.]

(y/n): I really needed that. Thanks, Anna.

Anna: Every time, (y/n).

[(y/n) and Anna have reached support level A.]

[cinnbar-bun]

New Family

A/n: okay so,,, I love the baby summoner idea a lot and I wanted to do... an interesting take. @pokemagines hope you enjoy!!! Baby Summoner is gonna be a young girl and will just have a made up name I choose, but if you choose to see them as smth else, that’s cool too!!! This is just to make it easier for me, and there is slight... Alfonse x reader??? Or Sharena x Reader, if you want it. ~Spoilers for FEH~ also, this is like a... part one? Of sorts?

Alfonse, Sharena, and the Summoner were patrolling once more. They walked in a clearing that edged between a large forest, making sure no enemies were taking refuge there.

A small rustle came from some nearby bushes and the group stopped. Alfonse drew his sword as the Summoner slowly pulled out Briedablik. The others followed suit and waited with bated breath as the rustling grew louder and closer.

Alfonse stepped forward, leaning his head over to see what was causing the noise, when a small squeak made him jolt back. A small figure jumped out the bushes before they screamed loudly.

“Get away! Get away!” They yelled, falling backwards as they sobbed in terror. Alfonse and Sharena dropped their weapons hurriedly as they went to comfort the young child.

“Hey, hey, don’t worry. We won’t hurt you!” Sharena reassuringly smiled. “Are you alright?”

The young girl sniffled before she nodded. Alfonse crouched down and did his best to smile.

“I’m Alfonse. Prince of Askr. This is my sister, Sharena, and that’s our Summoner, (Y/n).” Alfonse pointed to every person, and looked back at the child. “What’s your name?”

The child shook its head.

“Lif said I shouldn’t talk to strangers.” They quietly mumbled.

“L-Lif?” The three gasped. The child nodded before their eyes watered again.

“I-I... I went off without him and got lost. I don’t know what to do anymore. H-He’s probably very mad at me now.” The child hiccuped and did their best to rub their eyes.

You frowned as you knelt down in front of the child and held their hand gently.

“I don’t think he is. Here, come with us. We’ll keep you safe, okay? You shouldn’t be out here alone.” You knew exactly how it felt to be so lost in a strange new world. The child clung onto you and you squeezed their hand as a sign that you would protect them. They seemed to relax with you.

Alfonse and Sharena got up and looked at the young child again. With what they could see... strangely, they looked similar to you. As if they were a smaller version of you. But something felt off about them, almost familiar, that differentiated the child from you.

It wasn’t the time to think of that, as your patrolling session was coming to a close, and you wanted to make sure your new friend was safe. Sure, they may have been affiliated with Lif, but given his recent disclosure on his real identity, you knew there must be more to this. If he really was the future Alfonse, the one who carried your weapon so long even after he lost you, the one who thought of Sharena almost every waking hour, then surely, he made sure to care for this child for a reason. They didn’t even seem fearful when they talked about Lif, so you could only assume they cared as much for the undead warrior as he seemed to care for them.

The young girl beamed at a bushel of multi-colored flowers and tugged herself away from your hands and ran to them.

“So pretty!” She gasped, she reached out a hand to pick one out but she flung her arm back to her side. “S-sorry... I don’t wanna kill them... Lif said that if I pick flowers I’ll kill whatever life it had. I don’t want to do that.”

You three looked at each other in slight confusion and shock, before Sharena stepped forward. She picked a rose from the bushel and placed it in the girl’s hair.

“You’re fine. Really. These flowers are grown for everyone. Besides, we can always just plant more!” She smiled. The girl opened her mouth before she grinned and nodded.

“Thank you Miss Sharena!”

“Just Sharena is fine.”

“Okay Miss- I mean... just Sharena.” Alfonse couldn’t help but chuckle at the conversation, and he looked at you.

“Hah, it’s almost strange but... she kind of reminds me of Sharena when she was young.”

“Is that so?” You responded. “I think I see it though. She looks so happy no matter what.”

You two looked as Sharena and your new friend were happily babbling about flowers, and the previous tension faded away.

“-and this castle is for the Order of Heroes!” Sharena pointed, and the girl gawked.

“Really? There’s an Order of Heroes? Can I be a hero?” She asked, her doe eyes glimmering hopefully.

“Of course you can.” Alfonse answered.

“Yay! Lif should join too! He’s so nice! Besides, he’s so shy and needs new friends. I think he’d love these flowers!” The girl clapped her hands together.

The awkward silence that ensued went unnoticed by her. You three looked at each other once again, unsure of what to say. Despite his reasons, Lif was perhaps anything but a hero. But in a small part of your heart, perhaps even everyone else’s, the tiny, inkling feeling about how he once was, maybe even still, Alfonse.

“D-do you want to meet other heroes?” You asked, trying to break the silence. The girl held your hand and cheerfully exclaimed for you to take her.

As you two stepped into the castle, Anna came marching in, a tight frown on her face.

“Where were you guys? You had us worried half to death! Time is money and-who... who’s this?” She pointed at the young girl in confusion, and you three awkwardly laughed.

“She was a young lost girl. We can’t have her outside all alone! Especially now with...” Sharena rose her eyebrows and motioned her hands wildly.

“Alright but... what’s her name?” Anna asked.

“Uh...we don’t know...” Alfonse looked off to the side.

“You two...” Anna sighed before she looked at the child. “Sweetie, what’s your name?”

The girl hid behind the crown prince and princess, and Alfonse stroked her head lightly.

“Don’t worry. You can trust Anna, she’s our friend.”

“I-If you say so...” the girl stepped forward. “My name is Henriette.”

You all gasped, and the two siblings froze.

“S-sorry. Repeat that?” Anna asked.

“Henriette. Is my name ugly?” The girl’s lips began to quiver. “B-but... Lif said my name was special...”

“Oh uh... no it’s great it’s just... sorry for scaring you. The Queen is named Henriette too. She’s our mother!” Sharena tried to comfort Henriette.

“Really?! She’s a queen?!” Henriette exclaimed. “I wanna be a Queen too!”

“You will be. Anna, come on, I wanna show her around. I think lots of the heroes would love to meet her.” Sharena explained. Anna seemed to think about something before she shrugged and agreed, the two walking off.

You looked at Alfonse, who seemed troubled as he furrowed his brows.

“Alfonse? Are you alright?” You asked.

“Yes its just... Henriette...”

“What about her? You don’t think she’s a spy or planning something bad do you?”

“While I don’t think it’s out of the realm of possibility, I’m more curious about her... family...”

“Huh? Family?” You rose an eyebrow.

“Well... she just looks um...” his cheeks turned pink and he seemed embarrassed to speak.

“What? Alfonse what are you trying to say?”

“I think she might be...our future child. I-I mean not you and me specifically! But like... maybe? But also, possibly Sharena?” He waved his hands in front of him as his cheeks flared red. You cocked your head.

“What? What in God’s name gave you that idea?” Now that he mentioned that, you could almost piece together a somewhat coherent idea. Alfonse was always good at reading into things like this.

“I mean... she looks almost like you. But similar to us too. She acts just like Sharena. Lif has been watching over her, and he’s...” he couldn’t finish that part. “And her name is Henriette. The coincidences are too big.”

You understood now.

“But... what do we do now? Should we ask her or...?”

“I think it’s still too early to tell. We might need to get it out of her slowly. But this is just my hypothesis. I think it’s best we protect her and let her relax. If she’s been with Lif then... there’s no telling what she may have had to deal with.” He trailed off.

“I understand. I think maybe we should just... let them be? I don’t think they’ve had the chance to be a kid. But we should probably go find her before Anna tries to teach her about swindling people out of money.” You chuckled. You were about to walk away when Alfonse grabbed your hand.

“Um... (Y/n)... I know this is a lot to take in but don’t tell this to anyone else. I don’t want to make things awkward or give them hope about something that may or may not be true. I don’t think it’s fair to Sharena to tell her that Henriette may be her daughter or niece.” You nodded.

“Your secret is safe with me.” His face softened.

“Thank you, (Y/n).” He said your name breathlessly and smiled, “I know I can trust you with this.”

You two walked around the castle trying to find Sharena and Henriette, and after about an hour of searching and asking around, you found the two in the kitchen. Sharena was gushing about vanilla cakes while Henriette munched on some cookies, engrossed in every word the Princess was saying. Feh was on Henriette’s lap, the bird being stroked by the young girl.

“There you two are!” Sharena waved you over. “Come on, I want your opinion about my cakes.” She stabbed a fork into her creation and placed it to your mouth, eagerly awaiting for you to try it. You opened your mouth and ate the cake, sighing euphorically as you tasted it.

“That’s so good, Sharena. You always make the best desserts.” She blushed at your compliments and waved her hand dismissively.

“Oh you’re just exaggerating!”

“But I’m not! Seriously!” You exclaimed.

Henriette looked curiously at you two, and you looked back at her.

“Henriette? What’s up?” She pointed at the window, meekly raising her index.

“W-who is he?” She asked, pointing to a young green haired archer.

“Oh? Do you mean Rolf?” Sharena asked. Henriette nodded. “Oh I see! Do you want to be his friend? I’m sure he’d love to have someone his age as his friend!”

Henriette stood up, causing Feh to flap her wings erratically from the sudden jump.

You held out your hand and Henriette skipped over to you.

“I’m going to have a friend! That’s going to be so fun! What do I say? What do I do?” She nervously asked.

“Hey, don’t be afraid. Just act natural. Rolf is very nice, so he won’t hurt you.” You assured.

You two walked outside and you waved your arm in the air while shouting for the young boy.

“Rolf! Hey, Rolf!” You called. The archer looked up at you curiously and ran over to you.

“Summoner! Hey!” He greeted.

“Rolf, I want you to meet Henriette! She’s a new friend who’s going to be staying with us for a bit.” You placed your hands on Henriette’s shoulders as she bit her thumb.

“Really? Hi, Henriette!” Rolf extended his hand. “I’m Rolf!”

“Hi, Rolf!” She bit her lip before she gripped his hand back and shook it.

“She’s new here and since you’re about her age, I thought it’d be nice if you two got to know each other.”

“Will do, Summoner! Henriette, what do you like to do?” Rolf asked.

“Um... I don’t know? Usually I read or play hide and seek.” Henriette responsed.

“Oh okay! Do you know anything about archery?” He asked. She shook her head. “Alright! Then I’ll show ya!” He extended his hand for her to grip, and she did so without a second thought. Rolf grinned as he began to run, Henriette giggling as she ran with him.

You watched as their figures became smaller and smaller. It was a cute sight to see.

But the happiness was short-lived as you thought of what Alfonse said.

This was possibly my child.

It haunted you, honestly. It was just such a sudden notion, and one you didn’t know how to process. In a future where all hope was destroyed, you had a child... with Sharena or Alfonse. Or, this child wasn’t even yours at all. It was tough to think about. You pushed it in the back of your mind. It wasn’t something you should think of now. Besides, maybe Alfonse was wrong. Maybe Henriette really had nothing to do with any of you, and you were just overthinking.

It’s still too early to tell...

[fehspinning]

A Hero’s Journey Part 1 - A Summoner Malachi fic

Malachi inwardly breathes a sigh of relief. People have relented and are going to allow him to have his meal alone. This is good for many reasons; he needs time to center himself, it feels like ages since he's been able to eat a properly cooked meal, and it allows him to start a new journal.

He'll admit it was very nice of Alfonse to give him a journal of such quality. The book has leather covers filled with high quality paper. Getting the journal did create a moment of tension though as Malachi was exceptionally grateful and almost unwilling to accept it but to Alfonse it was just a journal having the Prince wanting to know why it's being viewed as such a big deal. Thankfully Malachi was able to play off the incident without addressing the actual issues, but has since needed to remind himself repeatedly that it is just a journal and there was a time in his life where that would have been the case.

Going from one lifestyle extreme to the other has been rather shocking to him and been hard to adjust to.  The kingdom of Askr has decided that the heroes who are here should be without want within reason of course but still.

Compared to where Malachi has come from...

The young man opens the journal, not paying attention to his salad for now. It had been deemed strange by the others that all he had wanted was a large salad for dinner but they seem to have quickly accepted it. The salad had a very rich creamy dressing and smelt heavy of garlic, Malachi wants to dig in given how long it has been since he's had fresh vegetables but he needs to do this first; clear his head, gather his thoughts, and grow his understanding.

Taking the quill out of the ink he begins to write.

This is the dairy of Malachi Heltren. I will officially be labelling this day one; as this is a new world and at least for now a new life. I have been taken from my home through the use of magic and brought to a place called Askr. A rather beautiful, and abundantly wealthy kingdom.

They say I was brought here due to prophecy, that I have the power to summon other heroes from an endless variety of worlds to fight on behalf of Askr. You may think such a notion to be preposterous but I've done it and unless you're someone who has never interacted with Askr before you have probably seen these heroes with your own eyes. So there is little way I can be a naysayer about this.

Though the summoning process rarely works the way they want it to, I can't just pull a high calibre champion out of thin air every time I try. With how much I have tried, and the results I've received I will say there appears to be some element of luck involved.

They say though that the more I do it, the more successful I will be and they have planned for me to be very successful even before my arrival they knew with with any form of certainty that I truly existed. The dining hall I am in as I write this for example could easily sit over a hundred people and is set aside solely for what is being referred to as the Order of Heroes.

It looks very pitiful at the moment; as the Order only consists of thirteen people counting myself. We have the swords of the green but determined and genuine Prince Alfonse, a warrior from a world that apparently suffered some form of apocalypse Lucina, and, the uncertain royal Alm. The friendly to a fault Princess Sharena has found a spear sister in Tana though the shock of coming here seems to have bothered her greatly as she hasn't revealed much of herself to us yet. To be fair though, neither have I. When asked about my world I vaguely describe the past version of my world using as many words as needed to satisfy them.

What bothers me is that I have no choice in who I summon and the process of fate seems to either be blind or uncaring for I summoned a child! A magic user named Ewan; he assures us that he has been a mercenary and a veteran of combat for some time but still. Thankfully from my experiences with magic users in the past they tend to flock together always looking to exchange knowledge and techniques so I have to hope that Reinhardt and Soren look out for the child. 

Soren...poor guy caught up in the first issue we found out with the summoning ritual. When he appeared he was dressed in finery which he later explained he had been wearing as he was on a date with someone named Ike during something called the Day of Devotion, whatever that is. The next thing he knew he ended up here. I've done some bad stuff because I've had to but nothing made me feel as bad as hearing him say this, and the ensuing concern over Ike that followed.

Thankfully I managed to randomly summon Ike except...it wasn't the right Ike. Well it was, but it wasn't. It was the same Ike but from a different point in their lives; the Ike that had awkwardly spent the day trying to do everything he could to give Soren the best Day of Devotion he could carried a sword. This Ike carried a mountain of an axe with him, something I'm thankful for. While the profiteering Commander Anna is very skilled this man exudes physical power through the very act of being. Despite the time variance everything else seems to be correct; and the two lovebirds have picked up where they left off though I asked Soren not to tell Ike of his future as we have no idea of the effects doing such a thing could have.

It will help not cause potential issues for him or Ike as well, which makes life much easier for the rest of us as the Ike may be a different Ike altogether. An Ike from another world. I know that is another idea that seems insane but once again I have had my hand in the proof. For I summoned a woman named Veronica who, in her world, is a force of good yet in our world she is the bitter enemy who started this mess to begin with. Our Veronica appears to be genuine with her words and Sharena has convinced her brother and the commander to give her a chance. She believes she convinced me as well but honestly it was pragmatism that convinced me. I don't know how to unsummon people  and if she is bad she will attack us and then join up with the other Veronica, if she is good she will help us and potentially offer us huge insight into our enemy, is she is good and we expel her she very well could end up in the company of our enemy and help them. Two of the three options are better if we try to trust her initially, and as far as we could discern all possibilities are equal so we trust her for now; to a point.

And finally there is

“Malachi!” The cheerful voice startles the summoner who almost scratches the quill into the page. He takes a calming breath and raises his head to see someone with light blue hair and deep red eyes sitting across from him. The draconic bard.

“Nils. Is there something I can help you with?” Malachi has to be careful to make sure his irritation doesn't come through in his voice.

“I just wanted to make sure you're OK over here by yourself, while everyone is over there telling stories and stuff. You sure don't want any company?”

'Everyone but you.' Malachi thinks to himself. He smiles; “I'm positive. Thank you though.”

This answer doesn't seem to suit Nils but he at least accepts it. “Ok well if you change your mind don't hesitate and don't forget to eat!”

There is no time to give any reassurances to Nils before he is up and moving back to the group. Sharena calls out to him if he has any stories he wishes to share with the group and Nils responds by offering instead to play his flute for everyone.

'Interesting.' Malachi muses to himself as decides to take a break from writing, give into his desires and start working on his salad. It also gives him the chance to observe the bard to see how often he manages to dodge the story sharing request, or what other questions he tries to dodge.

[pokemagines]

slipping. (alfonse x reader)

anon asked: “I know FE requests are closed...but can we maybe have a little angsty thing about Alfonse's impending doom? Pwease? You're good with these things..”

a/n: LISTEN THIS IS SO GALAXY BRAIN IVE BEEN IN AN ANGST MOOD AND I SAW THIS AND ??? im screaming miss hel please give back my blueberry boy !!! please he is my husb i have children ,,,,

also this is def nothing canon i just really wanted to write angst but stil @ intsys hire me --mod touko

day one:

   you had not had enough time to process what was going on. in some strange way, it was like a fever dream. her words, cold and bitter as ice didn’t even seem to reach you. you were far away in your own thoughts, as you tried to push down any proof that your boyfriend was going to die. it wasn’t real, and you weren’t going to accept it. 

   and then he got sick.

day three:

   it started out with a small cough, one that he tried to hide from you as you spent all day at his side, refusing to leave. alfonse assured you that you would find a way to undo her curse, but you didn’t know. it seemed impossible: odds that you had beaten before, yes, but you weren’t sure your luck would hold on for much longer. he notices how distant you look despite keeping a grip on his arm at all times as you flip through ancient books on curses and anything you can find on the realm of the dead.

   alfonse sits beside you, flipping through book pages with one hand and letting you hold his other. every so often he finds something that could prove useful for you to write down in your notes. so far you really don’t have anything besides a bit of information on hel and others who have succumbed to her curse. 

   eir doesn’t seem to want to speak on it, as she says she doesn’t remember much about her mother’s curses, but she looks grim when you ask her if there’s any way you can get rid of it. 

day five: 

   each day you spend time with alfonse, trying desperately to find answers in askr’s library, but it seems hopeless. the prince seems determined though, reassuring you over and over that you would find a way to fix this. anna was working to help eir remember anything, while sharena was keeping watch. if hel struck again you would be ready.

   you started noticing physical changes in alfonse, where it was just once a cough, now he seemed paler and more tired. when you mentioned it, he said he was fine, that he just didn’t get enough sleep last night (despite the fact he slept soundly beside you from what you remembered. if anything, it was you awake worrying about the next few days). he even fell asleep on your shoulder during the day’s meeting, something that he would never do were he well.

   you let him sleep, while you listen to all of anna’s intel gathered while talking to eir and some of the villagers who had heard of hel. it wasn’t much but you were clinging to every bit of knowledge you could get. anna’s gaze softens as she looks at you, the prince still asleep on your shoulder.

   “we’ll save him,” she says, her usually chipper voice now serious. “i promise.” you want to say you know, that you’ll do it together like you always did, but your voice catches in your throat. 

   “gods, i hope so.”

day six:

   it’s over halfway to the day where hel promised to take alfonse. you feel desperate, like an animal slowly being cornered with no where else to run. 

   you can’t stand how people shoot you sympathetic glances in the hallway like he’s already dead. he’s not, not if you had any say in the matter. despite the pessimism of the first few days, it’s like a fire had ignited in your chest. you couldn’t mope around and do nothing, reading books and trying to find a way around this was better than nothing. 

   meanwhile, alfonse refused to leave your side, despite the some of the healers pleading for him to go to the infirmary ward. he didn’t seem to be showing signs of any certain disease. every day he grew weaker, until the point he could hardly walk without leaning against you for support. you didn’t mind helping him, you could handle helping him around for the rest of your life if you needed to. 

   he can’t keep his hands off you. you don’t know if it’s weakness or what but seems to have lost all his inhibitions as he kisses you over and over no matter where you are, even in front of others. 

   “why all the affection?” you chuckle, as he places another kiss to your cheek. you’re in his lap as you continue to rummage through books in the library, your tired eyes hardly able to understand what it is you’re reading, but you press on nevertheless.

   “just... in case.” he mumbles, resting his chin on your shoulder, his arms encircling your waist. “you deserve so much love, [name], i’m just giving you everything i was too afraid to give you when i wasn’t... sick.” it sounds like he’s given up, so you turn to face him, straddling his lap.

   “hey, you’re going to be around for a long time, okay? don’t say things like that...” tears threaten to spill over, but you force yourself to be strong. for him. 

   “...of course.” his voice sounds sad.

day seven:

   he could now not walk. he was confined to the bed in the medical ward, you and healers surrounding him all day. nothing seemed to be working though, and with each hour, it seemed like he was slipping through your fingers.

   “i brought you something.” sharena says, and despite a smile stretched out on her face, it doesn’t reach her eyes. you know she’s suffering as much as you, and so you accept the small gesture. placing the soup she has on the bedside table for later. 

   “any news?” you ask her, your voice gravelly from lack of use. she grabs your hand, squeezing reassuringly.

   “no, nothing we haven’t thought of.” she sighs, leaning her head on your shoulder. “hel’s forces have been silent. there’s nothing we can do now but wait.” hearing that from sharena, a carefree optimist somehow hurt more than the words from hel herself. 

   “when hel comes to take him... i’ll...” you clear your throat, “i’m going to ask her to take me instead. maybe she’ll--”

   “no. you can’t do that!” she squeaks, “you mean so much to this army and--”

   “but he means so much to you. and to me. he’s a prince and i’m sure there are other summoners out there the universe can choose but--”

   “but none of them are you!” her voice breaks, tears stinging at the corners of her eyes. “you... you can’t... you think alfonse will ever forgive himself if you do?”

   “i’ve decided. i’m sorry sharena but...” you squeeze her hand, “i have to. it’s the only way.” she’s silent, the gears turning in her head. it’s then she makes up her mind. she smiles at you, a real smile this time, full of warmth.

   “i don’t think you’ll need to do that, [name].” 

day nine:

   you sob, holding onto alfonse’s hand as he slowly slips out of consciousnesses. he’s so deathly pale and weak he hardly looks like the man who confessed to you, nervously spilling his guts to you with the brightest blush on his face as he awaits rejection. it never came, much to his delight. you could never reject someone as sweet and kind as him. his eyes were bright and full of hope as he thanked you after you told him how you felt in return. you can still remember those words loud and clear: 

   “i don’t know the true reason why you were brought here but… without you, i dare not think where we would be… where i would be. you make me want to be a better man, so… stay by my side forever?”

   he promised forever. he promised. it wasn’t fair. 

   hel sits on the railing of the balcony, looking at you with pitying stares. you, sharena, and anna all hugging each other and crying. you begging for him to keep his eyes open, stroking his face lovingly. despite his weakness, he told sharena to be the responsible leader he knew she could be. asked anna to continue leading the army with courage. he assured you that you could be happy, even without him there. to not lose your optimism and hope that you gave to everyone in the army. alfonse apologized for not being able to be there for you three.

   you couldn’t save him. you lost. he was going to die and you had to sit helpless and watch him suffer until his last breath. god, why didn’t he listen to his father for once? why did you encourage him to take on hel? you sob harder into his chest, his hand gripped tightly in yours.

   hel creeps closer, slowly as to let you say your goodbyes. the three of you finally notice, and anna draws her weapon. she looks to the redhead, then back to alfonse. 

   “hel! please,” you beg, voice breaking off, “take me instead, i p-promise just... don’t let alfonse die. please.” you’re desperate, and now that you’ve got her where you want her, you have to say your part. nothing could kill her, she was death itself, but maybe she would make a trade.

   “it is not destined for you to die, little one.” she touches your head, her fingers ice cold and you feel like lunging at her. hel floats above alfonse, readying her scythe, and you scream at her not to. “i would say my last words, if i were you.”

   “wait, if not them, than me.” sharena’s voice is defiant, angry tears in her eyes. “you want a child of askr? then take me.” anna grabs her arm, telling her to stop, but hel freezes, turning her steely, indifferent gaze to sharena. 

   “very well.” she says, “either child will suffice. and i see a determination in your eyes that intrigues me.” you scream at sharena, telling her to stop. hel extends her hand, and the blonde gives the two of you a smile, leaning over and kissing the tears on your cheek. you grip onto her, telling her not to do this, before she extends her own hand to hel.

   “i'm sorry.” she whispers to you, “take care of alfonse for me, ‘kay?” she tries to sound chipper, before the two disappear into nothingness.

   “...[name]?” alfonse whispers, rubbing at his head, “i’m... what happened?” you sit in shock, both you and anna silent as you try and process what just happened. “you did it.” he squeezes your hand, which you had been gripping the whole time.

   “where’s sharena?” he asks, and you can’t look in his eyes. once more, he repeats the question. hot tears fall down your cheeks, your eyes puffy and red from all the crying you’ve been doing. anna looks to you to see if you’re going to answer. his grip grows tighter.

   “where is she, [name]... anna?”. he says, much quieter and scared this time. you can only whisper out a weak: 

   “she’s gone, alfonse, i’m sorry.”

[iturbide]

Gustav wasn’t exactly my favorite person, but gdi the whole “stern dad that actually ends up caring in the end” thing is probably one of my favorite tropes. RIP Gustav.

I zonked out really early last night and waking up to this ask in my inbox had me really confused until I remembered oh yeah new Heroes and new chapter drop today

I’m really glad there are people out there who like that trope though because I’ll be honest?

I hate it. 

I hate it a lot. 

I have been a seething ball of rage since finishing so I apologize profusely in advance but there’s going to be a lot of ranting under the cut. 

So I’ve actually seen a lot of really interesting posts cross my dash today regarding Gustav, namely Avistella’s break-down of how he could have been a good character and jejecchi’s two part speculative analysis based on the full chapter in hindsight.  And they both make good points!  As a character, Gustav is certainly interesting, and I do respect him – but I can also respect Frederick and Validar as characters, and I think I’ve made it clear in the past exactly how I feel about them both. 

And the issue that I have with Gustav is very much about the choices he made.  We haven’t known him in person for long, but we’ve certainly heard about him in the past two books, and what we’ve learned paints a troubling picture: Alfonse states outright in Book Two Chapter 4 (Fiery Resolve) that he and his father had a falling out over Alfonse’s choice to join the Order: 

In fact, when I decided to join the Order of Heroes…there were many who opposed that choice. My father is one of them. He was very angry with me. He still won’t see me when I’m at the royal residence…

That’s an incredibly harsh response to someone who is only trying to do their part in helping the people they’ll someday rule.  He clearly never explained what his problem was with Alfonse joining the order, either, clearly demonstrating that Gustav is a man who demands obedience, rather than giving his children reasons why.  And that’s extremely troubling to me, because it heavily implies that Gustav is an emotionally neglectful parent at the very best (and possibly an abusive one, at worst).

And then we get to Book 3, and it gets infinitely worse.  Gustav himself gives absolutely no indication that he cares for his children: only Henriette does at the start of Book 3 Chapter 2 (The Dread Gate), and is then chided for it:

Gustav: Son.Alfonse: Father… It has been some time since we have spoken. I am honored to be invited to this audience.Gustav: And?Alfonse: Er…Henriette: Oh, Alfonse! Don’t be nervous. He’s missed you so much! It’s been far too long.Gustav: Henriette… Please, be discreet.Henriette: My mistake!

What’s worse, though, is that this chapter shows in unmistakable terms how harsh a father Gustav is, even when his children obey his orders.  At the start of the chapter, he tells Alfonse that protecting the people is their top priority: 

Gustav: We must stop them. No injury can befall our people. Do you understand, my son?Alfonse: Yes, Father. I will not fail you.

But when the Order comes across Hel’s army marching toward a defenseless Askran town and attempt to delay them until the main army arrives, Gustav’s response is not one of pride:

Gustav: I’ve heard about what happened here. Why would you take such a foolish risk?Alfonse: The people…Sharena: Father, we—we had to protect—Gustav: I was speaking to your brother, Sharena.Sharena: Yes, sir.Alfonse: The enemy was on the march. The town had no defenses… We had to do what we could to stop them, so I came up with a plan.Gustav: You thought you could face an army? Hardly. If you had miscalculated even slightly, you’d be dead now. Dead, Alfonse.Alfonse: Yes, Father. That is so.Gustav: I commend the Order of Heroes for its victory over Múspell. There is something you need to understand, however. You are not a Hero, Alfonse. You need not be amidst them, waving your sword about. Your place is elsewhere.

Gustav: You are moved to save people. Is that it? But a king’s duty is not to rescue those he sees in front of him… A king’s domain holds thousands. Protecting each and every one of them—that is the duty of a king. I am not sure you are capable of that—not yet, at any rate.Alfonse: I…I can’t… No, I am not ready, so I… While you reign—I thought I could help the people.Gustav: And if I die? You would be king. Are you ready to rule Askr?Alfonse: I… No, I am not. Not yet. I am no match for you, Father.Gustav: And if you died in battle, what then? The time I have left is shorter than you realize. I will die one day, and it will be sooner than you think. What will that day mean for Askr and its people?Alfonse: I… They…Gustav: Your life is not that of a swordsman rushing to the rescue. Your role is to lead this land and its people. If you can only comprehend the suffering that is right in front of your face… Then your compassion has its limits. You are far from ready to be king.

Alfonse did exactly what his father told him to.  He put the lives of the people first.  And Gustav not only chides him for it while completely changing the context of his original order, he does it publicly, in front of the entire Order (and won’t even let Sharena speak, which is on another level of cruelty entirely).  So Gustav has not only berated Alfonse for following his initial orders exactly, he has placed all the blame on his son rather than admitting that he gave poor guidance.  Again, this points to a worrisome pattern of psychologically abusive behavior. 

Now, I fully believe that Gustav cares about Alfonse, and always has: at the start of Book 3 Chapter 3 (Countdown), he specifically warns his son not to engage Hel, and to run should he see her.  But the way he demonstrates his affection in most cases is extremely problematic.  He takes an authoritarian approach in his interactions with Alfonse, trying to mold him through what amounts to ‘tough love, but offers no support, no guidance, no clear examples or explanations for exactly what he wants.  In hindsight, this distance he has placed between himself and his children may be a consequence of how he lost his own father in his youth – but that by no means excuses the behavior.  Frankly, it makes things worse because it shows how selfish he is: in order to spare himself the pain of a possible loss, he made the choice to raise Alfonse and Sharena this way, to give them little to no emotional support, to demand complete obedience without explanation, to provide no guidance that could mold his heir into the king that he so clearly wants Alfonse to be based on his harsh criticisms from the end of “The Makings of a King.”

And then, of course, we get to A King’s Worth. 

It’s very likely that Gustav made the decision from the outset to give his life in order to save Alfonse.  His dialogue in the opening of “No Cheating Death” is very striking in that he never states explicitly that his son is the one who will die: 

Gustav: So you have been cursed by Hel.Alfonse: I disobeyed you, Father.  I am sorry.Anna: If I may, your majesty…the attack was sudden.  Our scouts never even saw her.  They appeared suddenly, like ghosts…we had no chance to disengage. Gustav: Your mistake was setting foot on the battlefield at all.  This is the consequence of Alfonse’s rashness. Alfonse: Father…I’m so sorry.Gustav: Hel…she claimed my father’s life, too…there are no options left, Alfonse.  There is no escaping her curse. Henriette: Gustav!  This is our son’s life you’re talking about!Gustav: Henriette, please, listen.  All of you must listen to what I say now.  The royal family of Askr, our family, has suffered a loss.  We must accept that and move forward. Sharena: Father!  You can’t mean that!  Alfonse is alive!  He’s right here beside you!  There must be something we can do…Gustav: Death will not be turned away.Sharena: We can’t know that unless we try!Gustav: Enough.  I will rejoin my forces.  I must consider our next move. Sharena: Father…Alfonse: I have failed you, Father.  I am sorry.  But until the moment I die, I will continue to seek a means of defeating Hel.  My only hope is that, in the time I have left, I can find some way to be of use…Gustav: Very well.

Now, in the moment everyone understandably jumps to the conclusion that he’s talking about Alfonse.  But aside from his rather customary harsh beratement, he is evasive in his terminology, saying that the royal family of Askr has suffered a loss, rather than saying that they’ve lost an heir or anything similar.  But you know what else he does?  He leaves.  He doesn’t stay with his son, he doesn’t offer any comfort to this young man who believes himself fated for death – he just leaves, allowing Alfonse to believe himself a failure and desperately seeking a way to atone, despite the fact that he is almost certainly going to be putting his life at greater risk in the process. 

And then we get to the post-chapter moment of “Wolfskin Family,” the first moment where we see a true glimpse of something more like traditional parental affection from Gustav as he privately meets his son: 

Gustav: Son.Alfonse: Hello, Father.Gustav: This isn’t a social call, Alfonse.  I am on my way to a conference with my knights. Alfonse: I understand.  If you have no objection, however, I’d gladly guard you ‘til you join up with the army. Gustav: There is no need.  Am I so infirm that I must lean on my son’s arm? Alfonse: M-my apologies. Gustav: *sigh* Do you remember this, Alfonse?Alfonse: A dead branch?  It looks quite old…no, I don’t remember it. Gustav: I see.  Well, never mind.  Do not concern yourself over me.  I will rendezvous with my forces. Alfonse: Father, wait.  Please, let me–Gustav: I told you, boy.  There is no need.  Worry about your own skin. Alfonse: My apologies.  Again.  What was that branch, I wonder?

I was admittedly shocked going through this section because of the softness in Gustav’s expression as he talks about that branch.  I have no doubt that it has some sentimental value, likely something associated with Alfonse.  But equally striking to me is how Gustav treats his son immediately before and after that: First he snaps at Alfonse for wanting to accompany his father and spend some of what little time he has left with a man he deeply admires and knows so poorly (and while Gustav may have been attempting to joke, Alfonse’s immediate deference proves that it was poorly done – and then rather than apologize while he has a chance, he just sighs and presses on); and then snapping at him again, patronizingly calling him boy and telling him to worry about his own skin – and once again chasing him off and leaving him apologizing profusely as though wanting to spend time with his father is some offense. 

And then there’s “Death’s Arrival.”  Once again, we see this brief moment where Gustav shows something that looks like parental affection as he seeks Alfonse out, likely knowing that this will be the last chance he has to spend time with his son, and tries to prepare him for what’s to come:

Alfonse: *sigh*Gustav: Alfonse.Alfonse: Father!Gustav: It’s today, isn’t it…were you able to find a way to dispel Hel’s curse in time? Alfonse: No.  I have no excuse for what has befallen me. Gustav: Do not apologize, my son.  We knew this day would come.  There is no escaping death.  Alfonse…stay close to me today.  Keep your allies close, too.  When the curse comes due, I expect Hel to appear and pluck the life from your paralyzed body herself…Alfonse: Giving us a chance to strike. Gustav: No.  You cannot kill Death.  Even if we attack her then, she will not fall.  However, we may catch a glimpse of something…a weakness, perhaps, that will lead to her downfall. Alfonse: I understand.  I will do as you command, Father.  Even though I die, it may not be for nothing.  I hope so, anyway.  I am sure you will defeat her, Father, or perhaps Kiran.  I will hold fast to that hope. 

Not only that, we even see what could be construed as a moment of self-reflection: 

Alfonse: Father…heh.Gustav: Is something amusing? Alfonse: Ah!  I’m sorry.  I’m just reflecting on something Mother told me.  She said that, in your youth, you were much like me. Gustav: Did she, now?  I must admit it.  Wet behind the ears, I was.  Weapon in hand, I traveled the realms, always ready for battle…I was no different than you, it is true.  Yet look at me now, lecturing you…Alfonse: You misunderstand me, Father.  I was happy to hear that I put Mother in mind of you.  As for your concern and your guidance…they mean everything to me. Gustav: *sigh*Alfonse: Today is the day I will die.  I have failed in my duty as your successor.  That is my deepest regret.  Yet to be able to speak so frankly with you here and now…I am overjoyed. Gustav: Alfonse…

It’s heartbreaking to see how much this brief contact means to Alfonse, how starved he is for parental affection.  And even Gustav seems to notice this, given how he sighs at his son’s heartfelt confession.  But though he has an opportunity, he offers to encouragement to his son.  He does not tell Alfonse that he is proud of him.  He holds his tongue, and lets his son resign himself to death with the belief that he is a failure. 

Of course, then comes the climax, when Hel appears to claim Alfonse’s life – and Gustav takes the blow instead. 

Hel: You…shielded him. Gustav: I understand your curse, Hel – it is a curse on the blood of Askr.  That lesson, I learned from my father.  I am Askran royalty, and it is my life that will be added to the numbers of the dead.  The conditions of your curse are fulfilled.  Depart this place, death god. Alfonse: Father? Hel: Fool.  Look at you, awash in sentimentality…what has it cost you?  You have no right to call yourself a king. Gustav: You comprehend nothing. Hel: What? Gustav: My life exists only for the people of this land.  I have never lost sight of that.  Since the day I lost my father…I swore never to forget that duty.  How much longer would I have lived?  My son is young, and he is certainly worthy.  As king, what choice did I have? Hel: So you think this princeling has the makings of a king…then die without regret.  As ruler of the dead, I declare your life at an end. Alfonse: No!Gustav: Alfonse…become a king, my son.

This is the first time we ever hear Gustav speak of his son with any kind of pride.  This is the first time he has ever expressed any kind of approval for Alfonse.  After four chapters of cruelty, this act is supposed to absolve him. 

And it doesn’t.  Because all he was doing was being selfish.  He states outright, in his own words, that this is practicality: he gives his life because his own is short by comparison, and his people are his primary concern.  He claims his duty is to his people, so he forfeits his life for their sake…

…and in so doing, leaves behind the son who he has constantly belittled and accused of being unready to rule with the burden of rule.  He has taken no time to try and teach Alfonse how to be a king, has made no effort to teach him what it takes to rule, he simply abandons his son to this task. 

He is a coward. 

That’s really what it comes down to, as far as I’m concerned: his final act was nothing but pure selfishness, foisting off his duty on his unprepared heir after a lifetime of emotionally distancing himself for his own sake.  He left his children idolizing him in the same way that the Kanas idolize their parents: as distant, unreachable figures – and in the same way, Alfonse has sought so desperately to prove his worth to someone who only in his last moments treated him with anything approaching care.  

I honestly don’t want Gustav to rest in peace.  I want to march straight into Hel and drag him back out to make right the mess he made. 

[reuska]

6, 18 and 42

6. Something they instantly liked about the place?

The landscapes and architecture. Shortly followed by the fact that all the knightly traits were still alive in that place. You know, honor, chivalry, selflessness, bravery… Especially in men, that was very attractive to her. And made her feel even more like a complete trash. xD

18. How are their tactician abilities discovered?

It was Chrom’s doing. Besides Sharena who’s universally friendly, Chrom was Reuska’s first friend in the FE realms. While the Order (mainly Anna and Alfonse) perceived her as a complete disappointment and a joke of a Summoner, Chrom’s first impression of her was completely different. He was Reuska’s first summon and he eavesdropped on her as she was arguing with Geir (seemingly with herself). She was refusing to perform the summoning on a country’s ruler, that was strongly against her morals. But Chrom was in a difficult stage of his life, three years after the war, feeling like a prisoner in a golden cage and mourning for his lost wife. The more Reuska tried to talk him out of going, the more he wanted to rebel and do just that. But he saw that she was putting his country’s interest before her own and that earned his respect. Besides, something about her demeanor reminded him of Skara and it felt intriguing and refreshing to him. That’s their dynamics in a nutshell.

Well, and during the first stage of her stay, Reuska spent her time by just slacking around, feeling like a miserable piece of trash, only summoning when possible. No one wanted more from her, no one expected she would be capable of more. She was already framed as a useless human being. Well, not at summoning, she made an impression by bringing Chrom so early, but that was pretty much all.

At some point she got a short introduction to basic strategy, just so she would not mess up and go in someone’s way. I’m not yet sure who would teach her, maybe even Alfonse, out of obligation, but certainly someone else with him.

Since the strategy is not decided by just one person in my HC, but a war council consisting of important royals and commanders, Chrom one day suggests they should invite Reuska as well because she is crucial for the whole thing. It doesn’t exactly meet with an excitement on neither side but the invitation is made and as much as Reuska doesn’t want to go (she always tries to avoid any exposure of her uselessness), she would feel even worse to refuse. She feels really bad at the meeting, trying to stay back, out of sight, only imagining what a bother she must be for everyone. It gets worse when Anna starts to present her strategy plan because Reuska just can’t see any sense in it. As she is listening to Anna’s presentation, she’s making faces: frowning, raising eyebrows, raising her lips… and Chrom notices. Skara used to do exactly the same thing when she didn’t agree with something which makes him ask Reuska what’s wrong. As happy as she can be, Reuska has to admit that even though she has been introduced to the strategy basics, she still fails to understand the positioning in Anna’s plan. That sparks some interest in the council and Reuska is asked, by Anna herself, to explain.

Well, and Reuska burns down the whole plan. One by one, she points out gaps in the troop positioning, unconsidered scenarios,… and she’s completely oblivious. She’s seriously convinced she’s just exposing her lack of knowledge, making herself look like an even bigger idiot.

I don’t have to add she made an impression that day… ;D

42. How will their story end?

That’s a long and detailed story, get ready xD

Nearly at the very end of the Feh story, whatever the final battle will be, Reuska makes an attempt to summon Skara - to make Chrom happy, as a thank you for everything he has done for her. She almost suffocates in the process but she actually manages to bring Skara back from the void (in a really bad shape, skinny, almost bald) which sparks a negative reaction among most of the Heroes as they fear that bringing back Skara brought Grima back as well. Alfonse is not part of the opposition, he freshly discovered the true nature of his feelings for Reuska so he tends to make excuses for her, besides, he’s worried about her as she has been unconscious ever since the summoning. The final battle draws near and neither Reuska, nor Skara have awoken yet so the Order has to leave them behind in a base camp. When Reuska finally wakes up, Skara is already conscious and the two talk. It turns out, to Reuska’s horror, that Skara is still Grima as well. Even though the Fell Dragon is under Skara’s control now, she has changed, becoming more “grima-ish” (more selfish, little caring about the greater good, she only cares about her closest ones). However, upon talking with Reuska who’s strikingly honest in her terror, Skara takes a liking of her and decides to join her cause. She summons the dragon and the two women fly on its back to the battlefield where they side with the Order and kick the final villain’s ass.

There is this moment of happiness when Reuska hugs with Alfonse and he whispers to her that she did it, she won the war. But since the war is really over, Geir’s curse is finally lifted and the original summoner finally materializes in front of them. It’s not a happy meeting, though, as he immediately informs them that together with the curse, his unique ability to open a portal to Earth is vanishing as well and they have literal seconds to send Reuska back. He opens the portal and Reuska has to choose. She’s still paralyzed by the sudden turn of events so she looks at Alfonse and he, just as paralyzed, says “Go!”. So she leaves. The portal closes and it’s over.

This pretty much breaks Alfonse. We all know how badly he took Bruno’s disappearance and he had already developed a tighter bond with Reuska during the years of war. And that doesn’t even take his romantic feelings in account. And worst of all, he can’t handle the guilt that he chased her away himself (as he sees it). (It’s not hard to guess why he did it, in the limited time he had, he thought more of her than of himself and he didn’t want Reuska to miss the chance to get back home.) He drops his Order membership, stops his daily sword training and locks himself away from the world in a library and his study and rarely comes outside. He begins to study magic which he always had a decent affinity for but never liked. Generally he gives up all the things he loved and takes on things he hated - to punish himself and keep twisting the dagger in the wound. He doesn’t really care much about his appearance, he lets his hair grow, that’s why my older Alfonse has a ponytail.

This takes two years. In that time, while Alfonse is emo in his quarters, Geir is actually working hard to find a way to Earth to fix things (this all is ultimately his fault, it all goes back to his failure hundreds years ago). After two years he is finally successful and approaches emo Alfonse with his findings which kicks up the emo boy (well, emo man now) back into a hopeful mood. They need both Askran and Emblan royal blood so they are joined by Veronica and together travel to Reuska’s home city. Luckily, Geir knows the place a bit thanks to the years of him “living” in Reuska’s mind so they manage to find her and she, overjoyed, accomodates them at her place. What was two years in Zenith was only four months on Earth but it was still very painful for her. And Alfonse, similar to Reuska after entering the FE realms, experiences a heavy case of suddenly lowered self-esteem. He loves the place, all the technology, science, knowledge - but it also means a painful realization that his own world is stuck with its development and has been stuck for centuries. Suddenly he’s certain that they all must have seemed like savages to Reuska which kind of complicates his initial plan to confess, grab her and live happily ever after. He is certain she would never willingly leave that wonderful place and go back with him. And Reuska never considered the option that Al could actually love her back, so she thinks they just came for a visit to properly say good bye and will leave soon. So the two dance around each other in a denser and denser atmosphere, they actually even have a fight because of all those unspoken things. And then they finally have a proper, honest talk, confess and after a round of getting parent’s consent (it’s an honor issue for Al) they leave for Askr and marry. Yaaayy.

They have three children, Geir, Zacharias and Alice. After Zacharias is born, Alfonse becomes the king (this version counts with either of his parents being alive at the time - might change) because there is a tradition of handing over the rule once the successor successfully fathers at least two of his own successors xD Geir (named after “uncle Geir”) is an impudent pacifistic healer and that kind of person you really, REALLY don’t want to get into an argument with because he won’t stop. But he’s a direct, just man and a good king material. Zacharias is a technical mind and the family black sheep. All he thinks about is Earth (they occasionally visit their granparents) and he doesn’t care about his Askran heritage, training and studies. He would probably be a green mage but… he studies physics texbooks from Earth instead. And once Alice profiles as an another ideal, responsible royal child, he makes a scene that he’s moving to Earth and eventually gets an unhappy consent from both his parents (Al is especially salty because that’s what he would do as well if he could) and leaves for Earth where he becomes a mechanical engineer (with the support of Reuska’s parents).

After Geir marries and has his own two children, Alfonse gives him the crown and that’s when Reuska can finally tell him that they are moving to Earth as well. She knew Alfonse never stopped loving that place, no matter what she told him, and that he dreamed of living and studying there. She waited for Geir to start his family because she didn’t want Al to be impatient with his son and giving up the rule. Alfonse is thrilled and SOOO happy when he’s finally told about the plan :). So the two finally go back to Earth. Alfonse gets his degree in astrophysics and becomes a professor. He might give it a try as a local politician too, I’m not yet sure. They travel a lot and stay in touch with Zacharias and his family. Interesting note: they are about the same age with Reuska’s parents when they leave Askr (the time difference).

Phew.

[clauderiegan]

A Spring Surprise [bruno/kiran]

(Bruno in a bunny suit is doing strange, strange things to Kiran's heart)

"Are. You. Serious?" Kiran gaped, open-mouthed at the sight before him.

"Believe me, this was not my first choice of costume either."

Kiran went red, unable to take his eyes off the Emblian Prince now wearing one of the bunny costumes Askr used in their Spring festivals. He'd been hoping so long for Bruno to arrive back in Askr, but this? This was almost too much for Kiran's poor heart to handle. The other looked unfairly good in white and purple and Kiran was fighting down the mad urge to pet the other's ears. Bruno huffed, fluffy rabbit ears swaying in the breeze as he crossed his arms.

"You may blame Loki for this. I had no part in this, I assure you."

"You look so, um-"

"Ridiculous? Laughable?" the other supplied, eyebrow raised above his mask.

"Cute" Kiran blurted out.

Oh Naga, why had he said that?! He spluttered, instantly mortified as the other looked bewildered.

"You think this outfit looks good on me? I can't say the same..." Bruno said slowly, looking down at the white and purple silk.

"Well, um, purple is your colour! And er, the ears are kind of charming... it makes you look less intimidating!" Kiran assured him, trying not to trip over his words in his embarrassment as he rubbed the back of his neck.

Bruno's lips quirked up slightly at that, amused.

"Perhaps I desire to look intimidating? Who would be scared of a rabbit?" he replied.

"A carrot!" Kiran grinned, laughing as the other sighed and buried his face in his hands.

This wasn't quite what he was thinking of when he wanted Bruno back in the Order, but right now he wasn't going to complain too much. He could totally handle this.

He couldn't handle this. He was infinitely wrong in his assessment of his ability to handle anything that was going on right now.

"So warm..." Bruno mumbled, popping open the top of his shirt, his slick toned chest peeking through the white silk.

"I-it is, isn't it? Kiran replied, willing his eyes away from the sight with determination and wondering where his life went wrong.

Having Bruno around was both a blessing and a curse; the Order was complete again with his presence for the first time in years. Kiran hadn't seen Sharena, Anna and Alfonse so overjoyed in quite a while; he knew how much the Emblian meant to them both as Zacharias and as Bruno. And after hearing so much about the mysterious Zacharias, Kiran was finally getting to really know him as a person. His likes, dislikes, favourite book genres, the way he'd wrinkle his nose when he was embarrassed, the beautiful script of his handwriting and the low timbre of his voice whispering healing incantations-

Hence the crux of the matter; Kiran was completely, unbearably enamored with him. And seeing the object of his affections in a bunny suit, murmuring about how hot he was while rolling up his sleeves to reveal the most beautiful arms he'd seen on a man was going to send Kiran to an early grave.

He sighed, resolutely keeping his eyes in front of him and away from the man on his right. They were winning this battle quite handily, but there was always the chance for a mistake - hence Bruno's presence as a backup healer. Still, Kiran was slightly beginning to regret having stationed him right next to Kiran in the hot spring sunshine.

"Is something the matter?" Bruno inquired at the other's pensive gaze.

"Ah, it's nothing. I'm just getting a little hot in this coat! Maybe I shouldn't have turned down Sharena's offer to wear a lighter coat for the event" Kiran replied, not untruthfully.

"You have no plans to dress as a rabbit? I feel the look would suit you, Kiran."

"M-me?" he said, taken aback at the teasing smile on the other's face.

"Yes. You're always resplendent in a white coat in the first place. I feel one look at you with bunny ears on would raise any unit's morale" Bruno replied, smile now dangerously genuine.

'Kiss me you beautiful man'  thought Kiran.

"I think Camus might need a bit of healing over there" is what he blurted out instead.

"Ah, you're correct. Well, consider it at the very least, Kiran. The season only lasts so long..." Bruno said readily, before mounting his steed and riding in the direction of the knight from Grust.

When he was sure the other had ridden away, Kiran buried his face in his hands and groaned. Of course he had to fall for a blood cursed prince of another kingdom, not anyone in his league! Silently cursing his taste in men, he continued to watch the battlefield with his heart lowly fluttering. He had to get his shit together and soon, or he wouldn't be able to look the other in the face.

"Autumn seems to be almost upon us."

"You were right about Spring ending so quickly" Kiran replied absent-mindedly, watching the orange and brown leaves slowly drift towards the ground around them.

It had been months since the Spring Festival had ended and Kiran was slightly less flustered at the sight of Bruno in his seemingly eternal bunny suit. In truth, he hadn't had time to feel much of anything other than anxiety. The warm hues of Spring had faded and so had the high mood of the kingdom with the menace of Hel looming over them. Patrols had been more frequent around the castle town, with the army of the dead appearing with little notice or warning. Kiran was running ragged and the last few withered leaves falling to the ground seemed to represent his mood perfectly. He'd been ruminating out in the castle's garden feeling sorry for himself when Bruno had appeared by his side, taking a seat next to him on the worn white bench.

He eyed the other, wondering what the other had approached him for.

"Is there something I can help you with?"

"I was planning to ask you that, Kiran. You cut such a lonely figure out here I felt like I had to make sure you were alright."

"Pfft, thanks. I'm fine, just a bit sleepy" he said with a smile, running a tired hand over his face.

"I'm hardly surprised. I've seen you run around the entirety of Askr in the last few weeks." Bruno commiserated, moving closer to the other.

"It has been stressful lately. Problems seem to be popping up all over the place, Hel has some bullshit immunity we can't figure out how to crack yet, we're in need of new heroes but we don't have the resources..." Kiran listed, feeling more fatigued as he went on.

Bruno nodded silently, not saying anything. Kiran hunched over, suddenly feeling overwhelmed. Naga, what WAS he going to do? He wasn't a military strategist, he wasn't royalty and he was way over his head. Veronica and Bruno were still cursed. He'd failed to save Gunnthra and he was almost entirely sure Fjorm was lying about her sickness not getting worse. And now Hel?!

"I just have this crazy, sinking feeling like I'm not ready for what's coming."

"You're not alone, Kiran. You have the Order and all the Heroes by your side, myself included. Do you think we would let you fall?"

"My failures are my own" Kiran replied quietly, hands clenching.

"And what of my failings? Of deceiving you and the entire Order to facilitate my own suicide?"

"You had a good reason for doing that, even if it wasn't the right choice! I barely know what I'm doing at this point..." he mumbled, downcast.

Kiran looked up, startled at the gentle gloved hand on his knee. Bruno smiled back at him, expression beautifully soft as his hair fluttered in the cool Autumn breeze.

"You have what it takes, Kiran. Do you think so many of us who stand behind you believe in a fool? Do you think I put my life in your hands believing you won't take care of it?"

"That's not what I meant! I trust your instincts, but..." the summoner stuttered, bright red.

"I came here for a reason. I believe in your strength, your wisdom, your compassion, your brilliant light-"

Kiran didn't get to hear the rest of what talents Bruno thought he supposedly possessed, because he was entirely too busy kissing him.

It seems the warmth of spring had not yet faded.

[umbrahighpriestofgiratina]

Heroes After All Bonus Chapter 2: Fire Emblem Heroes After All

Surprise! You thought I was DONE with Fire Emblem crossovers after Rude Awakening?! Well think again! This fic is going in a whole new direction with more FE characters than Smash Bros, starting... Now!

Bonus Chapter 2: Fire Emblem Heroes After All

Polly was resting on a bench outside the monastarey. It was a peaceful day - the sun was shining, Butterfree were flying about, there was a soft breeze blowin-

A noise. A specific noise Polly didn't recognise. She saw Metagross trudging toward her.

~Polly! Soldiers. They're approaching a village to the south.~

"What? We should evacuate the citizens right awa-"

~There's something else.~

"What?"

~They came out of a portal.~

------------

A young girl in elaborate royal attire looked out over the landscape, curious.

She was pretty sure she had set her sights on the World Of Blazing. Her troops were ready to conquer and make contracts. But something seemed... off.

It wasn't until she noticed a very strange brown and gray bird perch nearby that she realized how off.

She tapped a soldier on the shoulder. "Do you know what bird that is?"

The soldier looked over. "Er, no, your highness."

"Doesn't look like anything native to the World Of Blazing."

The bird gave a chirp and a "star, staravia."

"...We seem to be far from our intended destination," said the soldier.

"...Keep going," said the girl. "Perhaps we can find something useful here."

She ordered the troops onward.

----------

Aaron was idly scratching doodles in the dirt with a stick when he noticed the older Aura Guardians scrambling around in a panic. For a second he considered heading inside, where he'd be safe.

But then he thought a bit. If he couldn't really help with the dead and missing Aura Guardians back then, he could stand to benefit from helping now...

He quietly placed his stick down and started following the senior Aura Guardians.

----------

The purple creature noticed a rush in activity in its new home. Curious, they quietly hovered over the hurried bipeds and their companions, evading notice.

Then they saw a strange, pink creature hovering nearby.

~Heh... They're really in a hurry! Looks like fun.~

The purple creature eyed the pink one quizzically. The pink one looked at them and smiled.

~Wanna watch them with me?~

The purple creature gave a chitter of affirmation.

~Alright! Let's go.~

The pair headed off after the bipeds.

-----------

Polly, Vince, and Carol all hid behind some trees, watching the strange enemy soldiers walk by.

"This is so weird," said Vince. "These soldiers are like nothing in the Genesis Mountains."

"Well they did come out of a portal," said Carol.

"We need to find out what their deal is," said Polly. She turned a bit. ~Dunsparce?~

Dunsparce slithered out of some nearby bushes and toward the soldiers, burrowing underground when she got close. After a bit Polly could pick up on Dunsparce's thoughts.

~Woah,~ said Dunsparce. ~They're some... Embian Empire, they came from another realm, and, uh, they don't know what Pokemon are? Weirdos.~

Polly relayed the information to her companions.

"This is... concerning," said Vince.

"We need to report this to Ryan," said Carol.

Dunsparce slithered back to the group and they snuck back off to camp.

------------------

Aaron trudged through the forest after the senior Aura Guardians, trying to find where they'd gone. He had no clue what was going on, but he'd be darned if he couldn't-

He bumped into a leg coming out of some bushes and fell over.

"Ow..."

A boy noticeably older than him with blue hair looked down at where he lay. "Are you all right?"

"Ugh, yeah..."

"Oh, he's so cute!" said a blonde girl peeking over. "Is he one of the Heroes of this world?"

"Calm yourself, Sharena," said another, redheaded girl. "He's probably just a civilian."

"N-no I'm not!" said Aaron,sitting up. "I'm an Aura Guardian!"

"Hmmm, Aura Guardian?" said the redhead. "That sounds impressive... and marketable."

"Anna knowing you you'll just bring it up as a side thing and forget about it completely later."

"Don't question my strategies! Well at least not more than Kiran's. But Kiran has the flu so you all will have to listen to me!"

"Point is, can we keep him?" said the blonde girl, holding up a squirming Aaron.

"Sharena we can't just adopt every Hero we find," said the blue-haired boy. Sharena pouted and put Aaron down. "A girl can dream Alphonse."

"Wait, so who are you guys?" said Aaron.

"We're the Order Of Heroes!" said Alphonse. "Dedicated to protecting the multiverse from the Emblian Empire and similar threats!"

He looked around. "Though, uh, this seems a bit far from home multiverse-wise...."

Aaron's eyes were sparkling. "That sounds so cool! I totally wanna join!"

"Well, normally, Kiran has to summon you," said Anna. "But we could let you meet the team we brought along if you'd like!

"Sure thing!" said Aaron.

He followed the three away.

---------------

Mithos and the purple creature were hovering over the advancing Emblian army, ogling them curiously.

~Man these guys look like bad news,~ said Mithos.

The purple creature gave a chirp of agreement.

~Wanna mess with them?~

Another chirp.

~Good. Now...~

There were telepathic whispers, and the two separated to wait.

----------------

Polly, Vince, and Carol were talking to Ryan and Nightjar in the camp the group had set up.

"So yeah. They're extradimensional, they're here to conquer, but they have no idea what this world really is," said Vince.

"If that is the case, we may be able to convince them to look elsewhere with minimal casualties," said Nightjar.

"Are you sure diplomacy is the best idea in a situation like this?" said Polly. "When we're potentially outgunned, certainly," said Ryan. "And at the very least we have our Pokemon if worst comes to worst."

"Very well," said Carol. "Let's get ready."

They started preparing.

-------------

Aaron was lead to a camp populated by four people - a girl in a blue dress clutching a gemstone, a man with two large wings sprouting from his back, a green-haired man in blue with a book, and a green-haired woman tending to a Mudsdale.

"Hello there," said the girl in the dress. "I'm Ninian."

"I'm Tibarn," said the winged man.

"I'm Merric!" said the green-haired man.

"I'm Lyndis, but you may call me Lyn," said the green-haired girl.

"Nice to meet you all!" said Aaron. "I'm Aaron."

"I still think we should have brought Ballista Wolt on this mission," said Anna.

"No," said Alphonse, fear in his voice. "He's too powerful."

"But we use Grima and Duma on missions all the ti-"

"TOO POWERFUL."

Meanwhile, Aaron was inspecting Ninian and Tibarn in particular.

"So, what are the wings and stone for?"

"Oh, for this!" said Ninian.

Ninian raised the stone and suddenly transformed into a Hydreigon. Tibarn similarly transformed into a Braviary. Aaron's jaw hit the floor.

"That's so cool! I wish I could do that!"

"Their forms do look... different here," said Merric. "As does my magic." He cast an Air Slash.

"My horse looks different too..." said Lyn.

"Huh... You're not from here?"

"None of us are," said Tibarn, shifting to his normal self. "We're from other realms."

"So that's why you can do all this cool stuff?"

Lyn chuckled. "Pretty much."

"Attention!" said Anna. "Emblian troops are heading this way! We need to engage!"

The people in the camp immediately began to move. Sharena picked up a protesting Aaron and carried him following the others.

-----------------

The Emblian army's journey was almost at an end. They had almost reached the village.

"Halt."

The girl's head turned. There was Ryan, flanked by Polly, Vince, Carol, Nightjar, and several other senior Aura Guardians, as well as their Pokemon.

"We wish to negotiate."

"With what?" said the girl.

"This world is not the one you wish to intrude upon. It has nothing for you. Turn back and avoid wasting your time."

"Bah, you think I, Princess Veronica, am so easily swayed? The strange creatures of your world have so much potential... If we can fully harness it then-"

"Princess Veronica! We aren't going to let you do that!"

Saying this was Alphonse, who was leading his party up to the front lines. Veronica simply scowled.

"You all are interfering again? Very well. Troops, charge them both!"

Veronica prepared her dark magic spell, but since the author of this segment forgot what her personal tome is, let's say she left it at home and cast Fenrir instead.

The Aura Guardians managed to evade the blast of magic, and they and their Pokemon fired back with their powers. Shades of blue, pink, black, and lighter pink flew across the battlefield, knocking down a few soldiers and causing Veronica to scowl further.

From above, Ninian (in her new Hydreigon form) fired off a stormy Draco Meteor, the thunderbolts and lightning causing many enemy soldiers to be very frightened, scampering off the battlefield screaming “Galileo, galileo figaro, magnifico!” (hey they were from the Italian localization of FEH, don't blame me)

Tibarn swooped in and used Brave Bird, a move which disrupted the enemy formations enough for Merric and Lyndis to come in with an Aeroblast and a couple of Murgleis shots. Soldiers soared through the air like dragons and their dragon mounts crashed to the ground like humans.

Aaron had been sticking behind Sharena the whole time. Then he noticed Veronica nearby and got an idea.

He hid behind a small tree near her and started charging a Focus Blast right next to it. There was a crack and a flying of splinters as Aaron fell and so did the tree, straight toward Veronica. Veronica wasn't crushed due to the tree being small, skinny, and dead but it knocked her asunder, sending the troops into a panic.

It was then a booming laugh echoed across the battlefield and a Zekrom descended.

~Foolish mortals! I am the dragon god Morkrez, patron deity of this world! All who interfere shall suffer two punishments - one the sticky threads of fate!"

The purple creature flew around, leaving a poisonous glue that bound the panicked troops in place.

~And two... THE RAIN OF DEATH!~

“Surprise motherfuckers!” announced Ballista Wolt, who began firing Arrowspate bolts from the heavens. He then launched some Hoistflamme shots and some BlizzardBlasts, scorching and freezing the battlefield. Zaps of electricity from the brave-effect magic-based Zap Cannon ballista rained down from the sky. And to top off the siege of doom with the icing on the cake of increasingly potent siege weapons, Wolt loaded a trebuchet full of hatchets and fired, thus finishing with the very same weapon that slew the Demon King Fomortiis: the AxeLauncher.

Everyone stared in equal measures shock, awe, and horror, except Anna and Lyn, the former of whom grinned.

"I knew bringing him was a good idea!"

"My hero!" said Lyn, sighing wistfully.

Veronica got up, glowering at the others

"Imbecles! I'll be back for this world! And I'll have backup!"

She opened a portal and stormed through it, the remaining troops following. The Zekrom disappeared and a pink wisp was vaguely visible exiting the area.

"We... We did it," said Vince.

"Woo!" said Aaron. "...Ow, splinters."

"Your world is threatened no longer," said Ninian.

"Whee!" said Sharena, picking up Aaron and spinning him around. "You did great! One of our healers can probably fix up those splinters-"

"And after that you are giving him back because he's ours," said Polly. "Kid how did you get here?"

"I followed them!"

Meanwhile Ryan was conversing with Alphonse.

"The Genesis Mountain Aura Guardians are grateful for your support," said Ryan.

"And the Order Of Heroes is grateful for yours," said Alphonse.

"I'm not certain our respective groups will cross paths again but I have a feeling our worlds might."

"Well, the multiverse is pretty big, and we've got a lot closer to home to defend," said Alphonse, grinning, "but I certainly wouldn't mind coming here again. These Pokemon are fascinating!"

"Indeed they are," said Ryan. "I guess only time will tell."

-----------

Riolu, making his way through the human town he'd encountered, felt like he'd missed something.

He decided it was probably nothing.

***

April fools. :P

You can blame both Fire Emblem being my second-favorite Nintendo franchise after Pokemon, Fire Emblem Heroes being the one mobile game to ever hold my attention for long, and my friend Vanillite the Dragonslayer/Purple Mage - this whole shebang was his idea and he even wrote some of the fight scenes. The all-powerful monstrosity known as Ballista Wolt also originates from a FE8 romhack he did.

Anyway yeah this is canon but has no effect on the rest of the story so don't worry I'm not pulling any permanent crossover plots.

[moe-broey]

i wanna say, you've made me enjoy the heroes ocs WAY MORE with your stuff!!! triandra and alfonse in particular r reaching blorbo tier for me... what made you like them? did you like the story out of the gate, or was there a specific moment that made it snap into place?

for me, i was rather neutral on it until book 3 hit all the tropes i like (big news: grima fan also likes lif, how suprising), but after that i needed to simmer on a lot of it to see its depth.

also your art is super cute.

I AM. SO DEEPLY HONORED TO HEAR THIS LMFAOOOO that's so fucking funny and cool 😭🥺 (also THANK YOU!!!!! 😊)

I've def been ruminating on this one! Triandra is a lot easier to place an exact timeline on her.

I have extreme Alfonse autism, he IS my primary fixation I think LMFAO 😅 And I think what happened was like. Alfonse autism spreads like mold to characters that are connected to/significant to him -- so, I ended up having (intense!) Sharena autism as well, and THAT spread to Peony of course (less intense, but her connection to Sharena is Huge and can't be overlooked), which spreads to Triandra. Triandra was also significant in the back of my mind, since she would be in the exact same situation as Alfonse when it comes to their sisters potentially being swapped, just on the other side of it. Which I think is SUCH an intriguing premise that hasn't been explored in canon at all.

I think I doubled down on it more when I decided to impulse summon for her bunny alt for Sharena autism reasons and got her -- at this point, I didn't have Triandra's base form (just the Peony duo!). Having her as a stand-alone unit helped me flesh out her vibe/character way more! WHICH ALSO was important cause like. I did completely forget her backstory. I blocked out most of Book 4 actually LMFAOO IT WAS SO UPSETTING FOR ME 😭 And the fairy who left the deepest impression on me was Plumeria, actually.

So! My deep-dive exploration of the fairies has been way more recent! All that, combined with one Book 4 revisit and the dream realm centric TT event that excluded Sharena kind of just. Fueled my spite LMFAOO like okay FINE. I'll reconcile all of this myself if I have to 😤

As for Alfonse... man.

It's hard to say which came first, my affinity for Alfonse or the intrigue of Lif. I almost want to say they happened side by side, parallel to each other. I got into FEH a couple years after it launched, so I was able to go through Books 1, 2, and most of 3 at my own pace. I think my affection for Alfonse WAS solidified in Book 3 though, not even because of Lif.

THIS IS. THE VERY FIRST PHOTO IN MY DEDICATED ALFONSE ALBUM ON MY PHONE LMFAOOOOOOO IT'S NOT EVEN OF ALFONSE........ IT'S HIS BITCH ASS DAD 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭 I thought this moment was SO insanely funny though like MAN. Real "Sometimes I can still hear his voice...." "Stop telling everyone that I'm dead" moment 😰

Though Gustav does NOT get credit for anything.

This dialogue especially in response to Gustav really did touch me. Like for him to go from trying his damnest to remain detached to standing up to his dad (scary) for someone he only recently met. To believe in the strength of that connection ESPECIALLY in the face of conflict (his own fears, and his bitchass dad) (and also the death curse.) To be THAT important, to have that much faith in me. Damn I guess I have to trust you and let you into my heart. 🧍

And prior to that moment, like... I absolutely had a slow burn with him.

Idk how personal I want to get about it esp cause I've rambled SO much already lmfao... but for me, Alfonse is very much like looking into a distorted mirror. Some things are extremely similar, other things are direct opposites but in a way that reflects the other. He's very much like me. He's something I'm not, and something I can never be. Sometimes that's good. Sometimes he has something I wish I could grasp for myself. There's feelings of affection, recognition, admiration, hostility, envy, desire.

Maybe one thing I'm comfortable sharing is that I have a lot of trouble letting people in. I kind of go about it in the complete opposite way. Everything I know about connecting with others, I've had to go out of my way to learn. None of it came naturally to me. I am very intentional, almost meticulous, in what I do and say. To be likable, to be the best person I can be. I've had to work really hard, and I still have to work hard to not push people away or isolate myself completely.

In short PVP was activated when I got a sense for his character LMFAOO LIKE COME ON MAN. I've done XYZ and A THOUSAND OTHER THINGS. I may not show it but AAAUAGJGHGHGH EVERYTHING IS SO HARD ALL THE TIME BUT I AM FACING MY FEARS EVERY DAY. To be A CHILL and FUN super laid back guy who also helps the best he can whenever he can however he can. And you???? What about you?????? What are YOU doing?!???!?? I'M GONNA FUCKING KILL YOU

[zenithgays]

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Fire Emblem Heroes Rating: General Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Alfonse/Bruno | Zacharias Characters: Alfonse (Fire Emblem), Bruno | Zacharias Additional Tags: Trans Male Character, Pre-Canon Series: Part 2 of can you tell me what it's like (or how it's going to be?) Published: 2018-08-03 Word Count: 1093 Summary:

Zacharias had known all about his plans. He was Alfonse’s closest friend, someone the prince could tell about anything. Alfonse asked him for advice even before he went to Sharena.

(Or, Alfonse talks to Zacharias after coming out.)

my thoughts under the cut

i feel like this is a prime example of the stuff i write? at least when it comes to fics. basically just very niche shit without broad appeal. which is fine, fanfic is meant to be self-indulgent and i never intended to make money off it (i have original writing for that). write what makes you happy and all that junk, and what makes me happy is gay as hell, trans as hell fanfics

besides, there ARE people who appreciate the stuff i write, so it’s not so bad

anyway. the second fic in the trans alfonse series, and also the most recently posted one, because while i do have more i intend to write, between depression and my inability to focus on one project for very long, i... have not gotten very far in writing the third one yet. it is happening though... but

maybe if you liked this one because of the ship, you might not like the next one. that one’s gonna be kiralfonse (because my own personal summoner is trans and i should probably make some posts about him here eventually because i kind of want people to know about him aside from just people who are on my server)

and then i have ideas for at least two more? maybe a third

buuuuut none of that is commentary on this fic. whoops

somehow i didn’t realize prior to this that i chose two song lyrics from the same band for titles of both fics in this series. guess i gotta fix that with the third one and use another band’s lyrics, since there’s no way i’ll ever come up with a title on my own. titles are hard. like i might spend hours searching for a good lyric to use for these but it’s still easier than coming up with something myself

this fic takes place literally the day after “there’s not so many ways” did. somehow despite knowing by this point what gustav’s name is, i never used it. i guess i must’ve felt like it’d be weird to use it since it’s alfonse’s pov. anyway it takes me 6 paragraphs to even mention zacharias by name because i needed to explain what happened in the meantime. probably most of the beginning part could’ve been cut out, it’s not entirely necessary, but it’s definitely not bad so i don’t regret writing it and leaving it in

honestly, i could’ve elaborated on it even, and it would’ve been pretty good, but then it’d defeat the whole point of this fic series, which is just alfonse interacting entirely with other trans people, because i would’ve had to actually write dialogue and stuff between alfonse and gustav. i could maybe write something about that eventually but not as part of this series. i don’t know. i don’t like gustav very much so i probably wouldn’t (or if i do it wouldn’t go on ao3)

but back to zacharias and alfonse

tbh i. forgot how gay this fic is? every time i do these posts, i reread the fics while i’m making the post so i can think of things to comment on. and rereading this one, all i can think is that alfonse and zacharias aren’t together in this yet but they are still so gay. i guess i really wanted to justify the ship tag here!

it’s kind of cute. i really like zacharias playing with alfonse’s hair, the mental imagery of that was too good to pass up

of course, i immediately ruin that by having the blood curse actually kind of come into play for once in one of my fics (most of my fics are set in my ideal post-canon, where the curse has been dealt with and everyone is happy, so that’s why it rarely comes up. it’s self-care) and have zacharias try to rush alfonse out of his room

but alfonse obviously doesn’t know what’s going on, just sees his friend/crush trying to get rid of him, and zacharias is aware he’s hurting alfonse, so i tried to give the fic a more hopeful note to end on because zacharias is VERY sweet on alfonse and wanted to do something to make him feel better, even a little

favorite part: They’d still asked to join the Order, though, even though their father had said he couldn’t bear to speak to them if they went through with this. That was enough to give Alfonse pause, but it wasn’t like he could just stop after coming this far. It had led to a huge argument that lasted much of the morning, but then their father settled back in his throne, the fight draining out of him like water from a sieve.

The armor Alfonse had been fitted with soon after was proof enough that he’d gone through with it, heavy and incredibly tangible on his body. Normally, he’d take it off since there was no need to wear it while in the castle, but he needed the reminder. Besides, he wanted to show a certain someone, since it had been a full day since they last saw each other.

ha i bet you thought i was gonna pick one of the gayer parts. well i already mentioned the hair playing part earlier which is the only other part i would’ve called my fave. but this whole fic’s one of my faves so honestly it’s a little hard to pick a favorite part anyway

[fellwritings8999]

Castle of Fear

Chapter 1: Beginning

‘Twas a quiet evening in the castle where the Order of Heroes resided. Alfonse, unable to sleep yet again, stepped out on a balcony to look at the moon and think. It was a full white moon, and the sky was clear, save for a few clouds. Alfonse stood there, taking in the moonlight, thinking of his old friend. He worried that maybe there really was no way to save him from the curse of his bloodline. There was a loud sound from below, and he was snapped from his thoughts back to reality. He looked over the balcony to see what was happening. It was Kana(F) and Tiki(L), watched over by Grima(F) and Xander. The two dragonlings had been playing, when one of them accidentally hit the other and they went into their dragon forms as things started getting heated. Xander was trying to stop the fight while Grima(F) laughed at the whole scene. Sighing in relief that it was nothing serious, Alfonse rested his chin on his hand and returned to his ruminations.

Elsewhere in the castle, Sharena had been awoken by a loud crash. She cautiously got up from her bed, then picked up her shield and Fensalir and stepped out to investigate. She stepped outside her room and was greeted by Anna, who was similarly dressed in pajamas and wielding Nóatún, and Lyon, who was in his standard gear, as he had been up reading in the library. They silently acknowledged each other and slowly made their way to the source of the sound. The trio quietly made their way down the dark corridor, eventually making their way outside to a courtyard. The clear sky and rust-colored moon gave sufficient light for them to see. They saw a shattered ruby orb on the ground, the size of a cantaloupe, a red fluid has been inside it and was now trickling out into the grass and dirt. Sharena crouched down and inspected it.

“What is this thing?” She poked the liquid and picked up a shard of the orb.

“Be careful, Princess Sharena, we don't know what it is, and it could have some dark magic attached to it” Lyon cautioned. He stepped closer to her and stretched out his hand to pull her away, when a loud rumble roared throughout and shook the earth beneath them. Sharena yelped and almost fell face-first into the broken orb when Lyon grabbed her, then they both fell back, Sharena now on Lyon. They looked up, and the moon was now bright red, and the air around them grew foggy.

Alfonse, Xander, Grima, and the dragonlings had heard Sharena yell from a nearby courtyard after the sudden quake. Alfonse yelled at them that she may be in danger, and they all rushed over to her location. They made their way to the foggy courtyard, weapons in hand, Alfonse yelled.

“Sharena!”

“Alfonse, I'm fine” She responded. She got up from Lyon. “I'm sorry, I didn’t mean to land on you Lyon”

“It’s alright. I pulled you back so you wouldn’t fall, but we just ended up falling backward instead.” Lyon dusted himself off as he stood up. The fog around them began to clear, and standing in front of them was a man wearing crimson robes with black symbols embroidered into them. His hood covered his face, and he looked around as he muttered to himself. “Yes… this place will do nicely…”

Alfonse pointed his sword at him. “Who are you?! What are you doing here.”

The stranger looks at them curiously for a moment, his eyes land on Lyon, and he smiles, before finally answering. “I am seeking the revival of my master. It would seem that not only have I found a suitable location, but a suitable vessel as well.“  The hooded man then grabs a sapphire orb from his robes, and smashes it on the ground. There is a flash of light, and they are knocked unconscious.

When he came to, Alfonse realized he the man was no longer there. He looked around frantically. Laying on the ground near him, he spots Xander also just coming to. Panic spreads across his face as he realizes that Xander is the only one with him.

“Xander, where is everyone?!”

“I don’t know Prince Alfonse. That scoundrel from before seems to have kidnapped them. But why did he…” he trails off as they both look at the sight before them. They were just outside a large castle, but this was not the castle belonging to the Order of Heroes. This was a far larger castle, more gothic in style. Everything about this castle seemed to emanate darkness and evil. From it’s long fang-like spires, to the towers that seemed to go on forever, the nearby forest that seemed darker than the darkest night, and the blood red moon in the sky. They stood there in awe for several moments, then Alfonse went and picked up his sword and shield. “If the others are anywhere, its got to be there. Let’s go Prince Xander.” and he began walking towards it. Xander nodded, and picked up his equipment as well, and they walked solemnly into the castle.

Deep within the castle, Sharena was also waking up she was in a cage. She looked around, she appeared to be in a dungeon, hanging from the ceiling in a cramped birdcage. She yelled, “Hey! Is anyone else here! Help!”

Grima woke up, rubbing her head as she said, “not so loud worm...”

Sharena turned around. The others -Tiki, Grima, Anna, and Kana- were in cages like hers.

“Thank goodness! You’re all safe too. But where are we? And where are Alfonse, Xander, and Lyon?”

“They were probably taken by that damned sorcerer. He mentioned needing a vessel for his master, so it's likely he took one of them.”

“Wait, why don’t you dragons turn into your dragon forms and help us out of here?” Anna asked

“If I could, don’t you think I would have by now, worm?! That accursed sorcerer must be very skilled in magic, he’s somehow managed to block my connection to my powers. I’m as worthless as this body now.”

“I can’t transform either” Tiki said sadly

Kana sniffled “Uncle Xander will come rescue us, right?”

“If this man can cancel out my fell powers, then it's unlikely a human like him could save us worm.” Grima snarked.

Kana started to cry quietly, and Tiki tried to reassure her while Anna scolded Grima. Sharena just sighed and tried to process.

Deeper within the castle, Lyon was tied to a table. They appeared to be in some library with a glass ceiling that allowed the moonlight in. The hooded man from before was at a bookshelf with some scrolls in hand. Lyon called out to him, “You! What have you done to the others? What do you intend to do to me?”

The man answered without looking away, “I told you, I intend to revive my master. You are the vessel I will use to bring him back. However, in order for this to work perfectly, I need you to spill the blood of a powerful hero from your world. We left the two swordsmen outside, and they surely fighting their way here. If they can make it they are surely strong enough for this to work. As for the others, I’ve sent them to the lab for experimentation. I find it quite interesting that you have people that can transform into dragons in your world.”

“No! I won’t spill their blood, nor will I become the vessel for your master!” Lyon protested

“You don’t have a say in the matter. Your soul is already susceptible to becoming a vessel, and your magical abilities will be of great use to my master. Once I have summoned his spirit, it will slowly flow into you, and he will return.” He then takes out a scroll and begins chanting. Dark shadows appear and begin swirling in the air around Lyon, and all fades to black.

(Author’s notes: originally intended to be a one-shot, it seems this’ll take a bit longer.)

[fire-emblem-heroes-supports]

Gerome/Sharena C-S Support

Written by @apenaseumarina

C SUPPORT

Sharena: Oh, finally found you, Gerome!

Gerome: Princess Sharena…? Were you looking for me?

Sharena: I was indeed! And please forget the formalities, you can call me just Sharena! Anyway, (y/n) – the Summoner – put us together for the next battles, so I thought it would be nice to come to you and chat for a bit.

Gerome: … Chat?

Sharena: Yes! Since we’re going to spend some time together, it’s a good idea to know each other better, right?

Gerome: …

Sharena: What? Is something the matter?

Gerome: I just fail to see how this chatting thing would be useful in battles.

Sharena: Well… It could help us perform better when wefight together in the battlefield, I suppose…

Gerome: We can train for that.

Sharena: But-

Gerome: Princess. With all due respect…

Sharena: Yes?

Gerome: I do not wish to get too involved with other heroes here. The only thing we have in common is this war, and I’d like it to stay that way. Excuse me.

[Gerome starts to walk away.]

Sharena: …

Sharena: This guy is going to be hard to get along, huh?

[Sharena and Gerome have reached support rank C.]

B SUPPORT

[Gerome is training by himself.]

Sharena: Gerome?

Gerome: … Yes, Princess Sharena?

Sharena: Do you mind if I join you?

Gerome: I already told you that-

Sharena: Not like that, hold on. I would like to spar with you.

Gerome: Just spar? Nothing else?

Sharena: Well…To be honest there is a small something else.

[Sharena looks at the wyvern near them.]

Sharena: Any chance I could take a close look at your wyvern?

Gerome: Why do you want to see Minerva?

Sharena: Oh! So she has a name! Well, I don’t really have a special reason. It’s just that I never get to see one this close. Never got paired with a wyvern rider before, too. I’m just curious.

Gerome: I don’t recommend getting near one if you’re not familiar with them.

Sharena: I see…

Gerome: You can look from a safe distance, though.

Sharena: Wait, really?

Gerome: *nods* Sure.

Sharena: Thank you! I promise I will take care to not disturb or scare Minerva!

Gerome: I appreciate that, Princess. Now, about the training…

Sharena: Oh, right. I have to get a training lance, wait just a moment. It won’t take long.

Gerome: Go ahead. I will wait here.

[Sharena leaves. Geromethen approaches his wyvern.]

Gerome: A determinate one, it seems. What do you think, Minerva?

[The wyvern growls in response.]

Gerome: Yeah, I agree.

Sharena: I’m back. Are you ready?

Gerome: Yes. How about you?

[Both got in fighting stance.]

Sharena: Ready. Please don’t hold back.

Gerome: As you wish, Princess.

[Sharena and Gerome have reached support rank B.]

A SUPPORT

Sharena: I’m still seeing you.

Gerome: …

Sharena: Go more to the left! No, no, your left!

Gerome: Princess Sharena, what are doing exactly?

[Sharena jumps a bit with the sudden apparition.]

Sharena: Gods, Gerome! Your surprised me, I didn’t see you coming!

Gerome: I apologize for that. But again: what are you doing exactly?

Sharena: Why do you ask?

Gerome: Well… For a start, you are giving orders to, apparently, nothing. Even though I can tell that’s not the case.

Sharena: …

Gerome: *whistle* Minerva, you can come now.

[The wyvern appears from behind the trees and walks towards them.]

Gerome: So? What do you have to say about this?

Sharena: Well… *laughs nervously* I was trying to teach her how to play hide and seek. She had already found me three times, so I figured it was time to show her how to hid- Why are you looking at me like that, Gerome?

Gerome: It’s a curious situation, that’s all. I suppose Minerva has become accustomed to your presence.

Sharena: Do you really think so?

Gerome: I do. She seems to have started liking you, Princess.

Sharena: That makes me happy! Minerva is an amazing wyvern, and hearing you say that means so much. Thank you, Gerome!

Gerome: … What are you thanking me for?

Sharena: *smiles tenderly* For letting me get close to Minerva. And you too. It seems like you didn’t notice, but we ended up spending some time together in these last days. I enjoyed it very much.

Gerome: I… Well, I-

[Minerva shrieks.]

Gerome: I have… to take her to the stables now, Sharena. I shall take my leave.

Sharena: Oh, right. I will see you at dinner?

Gerome: Of course.

[Gerome and Minerva walk away as Sharena waves happily.]

Sharena: …

Sharena: Wait! He called me by my name only!

[Sharena and Gerome have reached support rank A.]

S SUPPORT

Gerome: So this is the situation. What do you think of it?

[Minerva makes some noises.]

Gerome: *sigh* Yes, I know that. But it’s more complicated than it seems. I mean, I doubt she even realizes what’s happened to me in the meantime.

Sharena: Hah! I found you!

Gerome: Gods! Sharena? What are you-

Sharena: Oh! Sorry, Gerome! I was playing with Minerva again and… I didn’t know you had come to talk to her.

Gerome: … You didn’t tell me that.

Sharena: Told you what?

Gerome: No. Not you. Her. *points to the wyvern* She didn’t told me that you were near.

Sharena: Oh, I see. *holds a laugh* It was almost as she did that to surprise you.

Gerome: … It does seems like that.

[The wyvern growls happily.]

Sharena: You two share a strong bond, don’t you?

Gerome: Yes, we do.

Gerome: … And she is opening to you too.

Sharena: … *smiles* I’m glad she is. Minerva is a great wyvern, I even dare to say she’s a great friend.

Gerome: Want to try to pet her? I think she is comfortable enough with you.

Sharena: I do! Ok, I’ll try to stay calm.

[Sharena approaches the duo. Gerome holds out his hand and she takes it.]

Gerome: I’ll put your hand here then I’ll let go.

Sharena: Okay. I’m a bit nervous.

Gerome: There.

Sharena: …

Sharena: Didn’t you say you were going to let go? *giggles*

Gerome: I did, didn’t I?

Sharena: Are you worried about me?

Gerome: That’s not exactly it. I’m worried about how you… make me feel.

Sharena: What do you mean?

Gerome: Since you started trying to get closer to Minerva and me, I’ve been allowing myself to lower my defenses. And I do not regret doing it, because I got to know you better, but… These days I was afraid I could end up pushing you away.

Sharena: But you didn’t. I’m still here with you and Minerva. I told you: we’re all great friends now.

Gerome: I know. But that’s not the reason. I think… I might… Have fallen for you…

Sharena: You what?

[Gerome pull his hand away.]

Gerome: I don’t know exactly when, but it happened. I developed feelings for you, Sharena.

Sharena: Gerome, I- Well, I’m flattered but I thought-

Gerome: That I disliked you? I won’t blame you if you thought this.

[She holds both of his hands and smiles.]

Sharena: No. I thought I was the only one feeling like this. I fell in love with you too, Gerome.

Gerome: Really?

Sharena: Yes, silly. I’m so happy right now I could- Wha!

[Minerva pushes Sharena and she falls atop of Gerome.]

Gerome: … Well, I suppose someone else is happy too.

Sharena:  I don’t blame her.

Gerome: Sharena? *blushes*

Sharena: Yes, Gerome?

Gerome: Do you want to keep fighting by my side? As my friend and lover as long as we live?

Sharena: From all my heart, I do.

[Sharena and Gerome have reached support rank S.]

[archer3-13]

Fire Emblem Heroes Book III,Initial Trailer First Impression: Spooky Scary Skeletons are 4 edgy 8 me

the long and short of it is that im pensively optimistic about what’s in store, especially from a story angle, but that theme song can go suck a donkey’s tit.

anyways, book III and it seems were gonna be doing the tango with spooky scary Victorian skeleton warriors and a scary lady with a big ass scythe. Fuck Yeah!

so ignoring the theme song since it’s just... fuckin awful or at the very least unfitting, lets get into this by first talking about

THE TRAILER

So I gotta admit, i enjoyed this one a lot more then book II right off the bat.

opening on some flowers, we immediately know that shits gonna get fucked but my story telling instincts are telling me that this might possibly, probably, definitely, be a metaphor for this characters happy childhood in her kingdom when it was not fucked however

shit got fucked, unsurprisingly. instead of the villain looming ominously overhead like fucking doctor claw or no-heart however, we get a shot of our new hero twirling into the villains strangely comforting embrace by accident which does get me curios since it might imply, heaven forefend, that she willingly sold out her kingdom or home or whatever to the devil here and now has to fight to get it back and correct her own mistake in some sort of possible and interesting character arc here? just my take on it anyways.

moving on, we get these idiots in the woods as the fuglyness of them gives me whiplash from the actually pretty rad looking duo earlier. I kid but seriously if lokis a 0-2, alfonse a 3-5, then the hero and villain of book 3 are at an 8-10 each. my point being, there is quite the contrast in my opinion. anyways, alfonse is looking sad lost and afraid and loki’s pouting since she probably gonna be barely relevant yet fucking intrusive again.

also sharenas there in a similar state to her brother.

also veronicas just kind of there, and im getting a bit worried since we just got lokis douche smirk a few seconds ago and veronica just seems to kinda be there again.

the promotional shot, so shits about to get real again!

we get a nice shot of these two new lovely faces, doing the naruto run for a bit when the leading runner decides to pull out his fancy sword with an intense close up, definitely indicating that hes probably gonna be a blood knight of some sort. anyways he and alfonse begin to fight with blood knight pushing alfonse back and red energizer lady decides to fight

alfonse as well. man it is not alfonses day here is it? anyways, psychidelic drugs kickin at this point and the floor dissapears under alfonse as he starts to sink into sticky black goo well reaching out to sharena as-

oh?

oh! well, sharenas dead now and alfonse just can’t take the death of such a... memorable sister... and so he crys well the black goo decides to try and eat him if hes not gonna sink himself. this transitions us nicely to

our new hero looking into her dagger to see sad alfonse, and then she begins crying on a battlefield of weapons, with the heroes trios main weapons clearly in the fucking foreground implying they all died horrible deaths. quick, happy flashbacks to imply she, or you, or someone is thinking of all the good times!

there we go.

i did not kill her it’s not true, it’s bullshit, i did noooot

oh hi mark

we get this nice panning shot of a battlefield littered with weapons, implying corpses, as the hero and villain of book III stare each other down with the villain being a smug fuckin asshole and the hero clearly ready to cut a skeleton bitch.

our hero does a slight turn of the knife, and looks determinedly ahead as the trailer cuts out.

so, aside from the theme song being kinda out of place in my opinion (like, i guess it works for being unsettling but it really does feel like some marketing exec being 8 edgy 16 me cause he thought the kiddies would like it) i rather enjoyed the trailer. it set up a lot more and teases a lot more interesting story elements and ideas then book II did, its grim oppressive atmosphere is nicely out of place in comparison to feh’s other stories, it’s just better shot and paced as a trailer, and the characters look like they have an interesting history going on. speaking of looks...

THE LOOK

cause i was not expecting to be digging the look as much as I do. well the fiber glass looking stuff, that i feel was intended to be spoopy etheral light, on the villians looks a bit cheap and silly and hides the skeleton bones a bit much requiring a second closer viewing to catch that they are spoopy skeletons, the overall look im really liking. 

the sword general especially has a get up that reminds me of a reanimated suit of armour and if they had leaned into that by giving him a helmet i think it would have been even better, but for what it is he looks pretty good and threatening. the other major complaint i have aside from them not leaning into him being a reanimated suit of armour by giving him a helmet is that his face looks to much like alfonse’s which annoys me. mind you, it could be leading into some sort of plot twist later on so if it is, all i can say is i hope it’s a good one.

the lady general looks the weakest of the three in terms of visual design, but thats not as bad as it could be since she still looks a hell of a lot better then anything book II produced. still, the red stuff hiding her skeleton bits looks the most like plexi glass. Although thats about the only thing i outright dislike on her, aside from not leaning into spoopy skeleton territory more, it really does hold her design back in my opinion. i mean, fucks sake make it look more like ethereal light, add some armour here and there if need be, and boom it would be another winner of a design.

hel here, the big bad, has no such problems however. I love every bit of this lady, and i dont even care that if the glowy bits of her were actual skin she would have a design that’d comfortably fit in with kill la kill. she’s a lady villain, which isnt a requirement but something im damn well happy with especially if she ends up being well written, and she has many things i love in villains and characters in general. grim reaper theme, Victorian goth aesthetic, a black, white, and purple colour scheme, tattered flowing cloths, long wavy hair, a threatening appearance and most importantly shes a spooky scarcy skeleton. a purple spooky, scary, skeleton. I will cherish you forever, and i am crossing my fingers and praying to you that your well written and entertaining. plz be good, plz be good, plz be good...

oh right, and the mandatory good guy/gal of the book. well that bit sounds dismissive, i honestly gotta say that im digging her a lot as well. shes not a spooky scary skeleton sadly, but the victorian gothic elements of her design work really well, and shes nicely distinct from the heroes trio this time unlike fjorm who was basically sharena 2.0. im gonna hope shes well written as well, so that i can seriously grow attached to the new hero this time cause from her design alone.

so yeah, looks wise im digging this a lot more and though the artist for this is clearly Yusuke Kozaki, an artist ive vocally disliked in relation to fire emblem for a while now, i feel ike his style works to much better effect here with the ridiculous bdsm Victorian gothic style and the darker colours.

GAMEPLAY STUFF

nothing particularly interesting to note, mythic heroes definitely sounds like a dumb cash grab and i dont feel the aether arena quite has the pull in terms of gameplay to justify hinging a new summoning type gimmick on.

on a much more important note though...

beast units, huzzah!!  and tibarn and nailiah seem to be some of the first ones up which is even better! not sure what the gameplay video is implying on how their gonna play though, since it seems a bit gimmicky and raises the question of how that gimmick might effect manateke units, but they are here so thats cool. bird pirate king is ready to roll!!!

OVERALL

all in all, from the look and what the trailer hints at alone, i am optimistic, but the caution comes with what sounds like very lukewarm gameplay deals which might not keep people hooked for very long. idk, im looking foreward to it but im not gonna be heartbroken if its third verse same as the first.