melodiesofeternity | [Closed] Serge has a present from the Cloud

As soon as Corrin beckoned the sword, Kid's arms went up in front of herself defensively, then squinting through the assault of voices and song— the clamour of weapons and horses. With that bright flash of light she has to turn away, just at the moment that black haired woman threw herself in front of Corrin, and keeping her eyes closed as that empty voice speaks.

When things suddenly go quiet, that's the moment those arms finally lower just a little, trying to make sense of what she'd just been blasted through.

She dug her heels in, leaning just slightly in search of the warmth of Serge's back— and looking around at their new surroundings as things slowed down, at last.

"Cripes! That was..." she turned, finding no trace of their friend. "Corrin?"

It’s hard to make sense of it all, though Serge has to admit it’s at least easier to keep his bearings now he hasn’t got a whole other set of memories twisting around in his head.
In the end, the darkness fades, and he finds himself backing against Kid as well, reassured at least by the fact that she’s there. “Okay! Kiiinda starting to not like the Cloud too much. Just checking, we’ve both got our heads screwed on straight, right?” He grins back a little, getting used to the weight of the spear in his hands, familiar but not.
“Right. So is it Corrin’s turn to get all… like I was, or was that just because that was kind-of-my-memories-but-kinda-not?” Either way, finding her is gonna be important.

As they take their bearings however, Serge and Kid will see flames erupt from braziers in the barred room ahead of them, revealing what appears to be a large training hall or dojo of some sort. Inside the chamber, cut off from them, is Corrin, wearing a decidedly different outfit than what they will have seen her in, holding the sword that put them all in this mess to begin with.

Standing in front of her is a man dressed in the ornate red armour of a samurai, with a wild mane of long brown hair. In his right hand he carries a long katana, the blade of which crackles and sparks with electricity. His expression is one of absolute fury. Corrin has her her other hand up, and appears to be pleading with him.

“Ryoma-big brother-please, I can explain everything, even Hinoka if you just-”

“ENOUGH OF YOUR LIES!” The samurai-Ryoma-roars. "I wanted so badly to believe that your actions were not your own, that I could save you...but now I see that Nohr has corrupted you completely. If I had only acted sooner, I could have saved Hinoka and the others.” He raises the katana. “You are no sister of mine, Princess of Nohr! I will avenge my family, save Hoshido, and put to rest the spirit of my beloved sister Kamui…by slaying you!”

“No! We don’t have to do this, listen to me, please!”

“Defend yourself!” Ryoma leaps forward to attack her, Corrin only barely managing to raise her own blade in time. Sparks fly off Ryoma’s katana as the blade connects with Corrin’s. “I see you brought reinforcements like the honourless Nohrian dog that you are.” He spits at her as they cross blades. “They can’t save you. Saizo and Kagero guard the controls to the gate, and they will never allow any of your lackeys to interfere!”

Corrin manages to glance back at the others briefly, through the gates. It’s…members of the Nohrian army? Yes, they must be, but she’s too occupied right now to see which ones. Her siblings must have sent them, because they’re…elsewhere. They had to…do…wait, this doesn’t matter right now. “Help me, please! I need to get Ryoma to listen to me!”

[Corrin has forsaken her Birthright as a Princess of Hoshido, and has joined her adopted family, the royal house of Nohr, in its Conquest of her one-time home. To help her, Serge and Kid must reach the gate controls, which are being guarded by Ryoma’s two retainers, the ninja Saizo and Kagero. Corrin will hold out as long as she can, but it is unlikely she will be able to defeat Ryoma on her own.

Good luck.]

Edited 2018-12-01 04:37 (UTC)

There's a scowl to meet Serge from over her shoulder, but it's half-hearted at best. "Head's all there," at least, it seemed like it was, "but this dagger's sure new!" New, and a lot more shiny— just the way she liked it. "Whaddya ya say we—" whatever she was about to say was cut off by the sudden fire lighting the torches to the way ahead.

There's a low grown that comes from Kid just after that— usually when braziers had a way of lighting themselves and offering a pathway, it meant nothing good. "Nevermind, that answers that. C'mon!" And she's off, right up to wrap her hands around the bars of the gate that blocked their way, pulling at them with futility as a confrontation with some decked out-probably-nobleman-but-apparently-Corrin's-brother spouted some crap about laying her friend with a new fashion sense to rest.

"Oi! Ya heard her, didn't ya?! Cut it out!" Family... was so complicated sometimes.

Serge looks back at Kid, at the gate, at Corrin in danger... and back at the guarded gate controls. "Well. It's only a memory, right? What's the worst that could happen?" Other thanme having to watch you get hurt again.

Serge grips his lance, and advances. "No chance of you guys letting us at the controls?"

The two ninja don't respond, but simply ready their weapons. It's going to be a fight.

The first, a brawny man in a dark red gi that matches his hair and a ninja's half-mask that does little to hide his expression of intense anger produces a single shuriken in his hand with a flick of his wrist. As Serge approaches, he whips it towards the boy, and somehow, as it spins through the air towards him, it erupts in flames.

Meanwhile, the second ninja, a woman with dark hair in a long ponytail and a much calmer expression than her partner, draws a silvery katana from a sheath at her waist that gleams much like Kid's dagger. As Saizo's shuriken flies toward Serge, Kagero darts forward towards Kid and slashes at her with the blade.

Edited 2018-12-12 03:34 (UTC)

"Take that as a 'no' then—" she answers Serge's question in the ninjas' place. "Well!" Kid proclaimed, lowering herself into a battle-ready stance, "No one can say we didn't try to keep it friendly! Ya ready, mate? Here they come!"

With a loud CLANG she meets the katana with the blunt side of her silvery dagger, the pain in her abdomen almost completely forgotten thanks to this new world, and pushes back.

"Gonna have to try harder'n that!" she seethes through her teeth, allowing herself just a half-second to see that Serge is handling the other guy all right.

Edited 2018-12-12 05:32 (UTC)

"Whoah!" Serge rolls to duck under the shuriken, before charging. "Okay. Hey, I was gonna seriously offer you a shot at walking away, but if you're gonna keep me from helping a friend-"

He throws all his weight into a thrust, going straight for the ninja's gut. "Then I'm not gonna keep playing nice!"

Kagero attempts to force her blade through, but Kid is able to force her back. As she leaps backwards however, there's a glint of metal in her hand and she throws a shuriken of her own at Kid, more to distract her than anything else and ready a second attack.

Saizo meanwhile, sees Serge's thrust coming and then is suddenly...just not there. The movement happens so quickly it appears almost instantaneous. Hoshidan ninja are well known for their evasiveness in combat. And then again he's leapt in from the side for an attack, holding yet another shuriken but this time grasped tightly between his fingers, and attempting to slash Serge directly with it. At least this time it's not on fire.

From within the chamber where Corrin is battling Ryoma, the sounds of battle can still be heard, the clang of steel on steel. For the time being she appears to have given up on trying to convince her brother to end his attack and is focused mainly on surviving until Serge and Kid can get in.

Once their connection breaks, Kid whips her dagger-hand away, ready to strike again if need be but instead— finds herself evading the throwing star with ease. In fact she felt... light. Lighter than usual, like her agility had been boosted somehow.

With that, she's sprinting forward, arms straight behind her as she runs, heading straight for the female ninja with a mischievous glint in her blue eyes as at the last minute she jumps— and brandishes her weapon again, twisting her body into a spinning slash with the intention of landing a flurry of blows with the constant motion.

"We ain't got time for this, Corrin needs us!" if the battle-sounds coming from that way were any indication.

Serge tries to duck out of the way- but he's not the fastest or the most evasive. He gets a shuriken to the shoulder, and responds by changing tactics and using his spear as leverage to push the ninja back, in an attempt to bear him to the ground.

Kagero is taken by surprise by Kid's sudden leap and isn't able to properly defend herself in time, taking multiple quick strikes from the dagger. In fact, Kid strikes truer than she realizes, as Kagero's eyes-at least the one eye that's visible and not hidden behind her hair-go wide and she gasps in pain, and falls backwards, apparently mortally wounded by Kid's [Lethality].

As she lies on the ground, her breath ragged, she finally speaks. "This is it. This is the end. Lord Ryoma...Saizo...It was an honor...to fight beside you both. If only I could have lived to see...Hoshido achieve...true peace..." and then, with a small sigh, she dies.

Unfortunately, her death seems to have only galvanized Saizo as with a roar he leaps at Serge with his shuriken, taking a blow from the spear as he does so, but fighting with the fury of a corner animal. Even as he slashes again at Serge with his shuriken, the poison that coats it-Hoshidan ninja are well-versed in all manner of debilitating toxins-takes effect, causing additional damage.

Serge feels the burn in the wound. He's never actually been poisoned before, but he knows that, somehow, something's gone wrong. He blocks a thrust before swinging downwards in a two-handed overhead. "Dammit- you could've stood down!" He keeps advancing, swinging instead in a diagonal slash from below. "We asked you to let us help her!" He charges, putting as much speed and weight into a forward thrust.

There's a moment where Kid is just standing there, as the blood drips from her blade, looking down at the dying Kagero... and with those last words, and those agonal breaths— she bows her head. She didn't know what any of it meant, Ryoma, Saizo, Hoshido... but she didn't like taking a life needlessly and that was what this felt like.

It's a memory... She tried to remind herself. Just a memory...

It's Serge's voice that brings her back into the moment. As he poised himself for that forward thrust, she's running, then leaping up from behind him, ready to strike down from the top, a wild look in her blue eyes as the motion pushed her bangs back.

Kid's timely attack leaves Saizo no room to dodge, and he is struck by both of them. Again, even though their intent was not to kill, Saizo-or at least the memory of Saizo-reacts as though the wounds are fatal, falling to his knees with a gasp, clutching at his chest.

"I have failed...Lord Ryoma." He whispers through ragged breaths. "Though I must die...my words remain true. I will always believe in Hoshido..." He stares up at Serge and Kid with burning hate in his eyes. "We will win this war...the world will...one day...know peace..." And then he slumps forward onto the ground, and is silent.

They do not have long to reflect upon their actions however, as suddenly they hear a cry of pain from Corrin, still trapped with Ryoma. The two levers that will open the door to help her are now accessible.

Serge is panting, looking down at the dying man, and he feels ill- It wasn't me who did this. It's Corrin's Memory.

He's taken out of the moment by Corrin's cry, and already he's scrambling for the controls, pulling at them to open the gate. No time to waste. "We're coming, just hang in there, Corrin!"

With the two levers flipped, the doors that bar the way to the hall where Corrin is dueling Ryoma slide open. Rushing into the room will see their friend just barely holding off an assault from the red-armoured High Prince. With one hand she clutches Yato; the other is held to a wound on her side. The problem is apparent; Corrin is not fighting to kill, but Ryoma is.

"It's time, Corrin!" Ryoma snarls. "Show me the power that you used to slay our sister! Or does the Yato repel at your touch now that your heart and soul are dead?"

"Ryoma...brother, please, stop this!" Corrin manages through panting, heaving breaths. "I don't want to fight you! I can explain everything, even Hinoka if you'd just listen to me!"

Ryoma barks out a laugh. "As though I would allow you to distract me with false remorse. How dare you call me brother after killing Hinoka? You are nothing to me! Just a filthy coward like the rest of your kingdom. I have said all I wish to say to you. Nothing you can do will sway me. You are no sister of mine, Nohrian princess! I swear by my sacred blade, I shall take back whatever Hoshidan blood still remains in you!"

"Ryoma, no!" Corrin cries, but then she sees Serge and Kid rushing in, and she cannot stop the look of elation at her rescue. Ryoma catches it, turns, and sees them.

"Only an honourless boor would interfere with a duel!" He raises his katana, and after a moment points it...at Kid.

"Kid, watch out for the lightning!" Corrin calls to her just before the lightning that continually surrounds Raijinto's blade arcs forward at Ryoma's command towards the other girl.

But with his attention now divided, Corrin presses her attack, leaping forward to engage Ryoma, her hand dropping away from the wound as she does so. It would seem she was feigning how badly he had actually hurt her, and now with her allies here, it's time to finish this.

It's a dishonourable tactic, she knows, but she was forced into this duel against her will in the first place, and frankly, she doesn't have time for this. After all, duels of this nature are the Hoshidan way...and Corrin is no Hoshidan.

Edited 2019-01-14 05:32 (UTC)

"There's nothing honorless about fighting for a friend!" Serge charges headlong into battle, spear-first. Corrin doesn't even seem to want to fight, and this jackass is keeping her separated from them!

She could have spat at being called 'honourless'— but was quick to heed Corrin's advice and jumped to evade, thanks to that enhanced agility. There's enough momentum to send her into a forward flip— and sending her dagger flying...

She was aiming to catch at one of the ends of Ryoma's coat to pin it down, in hopes of giving them an opening— even if just for a second.

Ryoma is a master swordsman, but even he struggles against three enemies at once. He is able to deflect Serge's spear thrust, but Corrin's attack from behind catches him by surprise, causing him to stumble; especially once Kid's dagger finds its mark and pins his coat, badly restricting his movement.

"Don't kill him! He needs to live!" Corrin yells, and then she leaps in to make sure of that outcome. There's a quick exchange of blades before Corrin's free arm...changes. It takes on a silver-ish, metallic hue, and her hands become far more like claws. Similar-looking antlers seem to sprout from the sides of her head as a metallic-looking round mask with a strange sort of stylized animal-like design appears over her own, open at the back, leaving her hair trailing behind her. Corrin's mutated arm visibly extends farther than it should be able to, catching Ryoma by surprise with a clawed swipe as the claw seems to grow in size. This is followed by a swift kick from a similarly changed leg that almost seems to take on a drill-like quality that knocks the High Prince of Hoshido's leg out from underneath him, causing him to fall to one knee. And with one final swipe of her sword, Raijinto is knocked from Ryoma's hand, falling to the ground.

Having finished her [Dragon Fang] combo, Corrin's limbs return to normal and the antlered mask dissolves. Yato is pointed directly at Ryoma's throat. Ryoma's look of fierce anger says it all; he's defeated, and he knows it.

"My kingdom...my honour..." He mutters through gritted teeth, and then closes his eyes. "All is lost."

Suddenly, a thought occurs to Corrin; a very important one. "Serge, Ryoma's sword. Hand it to me, quickly." Good thing she thought of that. She hadn't last time and it-

Last time?

No, that's...Corrin shakes her head. Ryoma was a masterful swordsman, and Raijinto a powerful blade. It simply made sense to deprive him of it now that he was defeated. She was just wound up from the toll the invasion was taking on her, but it would be over soon. Ryoma's defeat was the last barrier to completing the Hoshidan conquest and getting King Garon to sit the Hoshidan throne.

Then everyone would see him for what he truly was.

Serge picks up the fallen sword, hefting it and offering it to Corrin... "Are you... okay?"

Whether he's asking if she's hurt or not is up for interpretation. This had been a particularly stressful encounter. "He was your brother, what... what happened?"

As she landed, it was from that same spot on the ground that Kid's jaw seemed to nearly hit the floor. Sure, Corrin had been up front about the fact that she could turn into some sort of dragon and that... is what this thief had to assume that was.

Finally closing her mouth now that it seemed Ryoma was subdued, picked herself up and approached the group from behind Serge, looking the other woman over to make sure she was... okay.

Corrin nods, breathlessly. "I'm all right, Serge. Thank you." She doesn't seem to hear the second part of his question, still lost in the memory as she is.

Even in defeat, Ryoma keeps his dignity. "Hoshido has fallen. I am a disgrace to my people. Corrin...Kill me. Do it now. Once you do, the war is over. Please...end my suffering and let me join Hinoka."

Corrin shakes her head. "I can't do that, Ryoma."

Ryoma looks up, fire in his eyes. "Are you really going to deny me even the mercy of a quick death?!"

Corrin kneels down so the two of them are face-to-face. "My brother..." She begins, causing Ryoma to spit to one side. Corrin carries on regardless. "To kill you now would not reunite you with Hinoka. I did not kill her Ryoma. She's still alive."

Ryoma does not for one moment look convinced by this. "This is a trick of some kind." He spits. "Another one of your lies."

"It isn't." Corrin replies earnestly. "She and I fought, but I refused to kill her, just as I refuse to kill you now. I couldn't do it. It may cost me my life and my mission, but she's too precious to me. I knew Father would not tolerate there being any survivors, so I lied. I made it seem as though she were dead and told her to hide until the war was over. That's why I took her lance as proof. If I had really killed her, don't you think we would have taken her head instead?"

Her words actually seem to give Ryoma pause. "I suppose." He admits finally. "But how can I trust you after all you've done?!"

Corrin sighs. "I'm sorry, Ryoma. I don't know what else to say." She admits. "I know you have no good reason to take me at my word, but I swear it's the truth. Sakura and Minister Yukimura were taken prisoner when Fort Jinya fell, but at least they're still alive. Takumi fell from the Great Wall of Suzanooh, but his body is missing, I'm sure he's out there somewhere. I want to save you too, Ryoma." Her voice breaks with emotion. There are tears in her eyes. "I don't want anyone else to die! Please, Brother! I would rather die than lie to you a moment longer. The truth is that I am not your enemy. All I have done has been for the good of us all."

Ryoma seems genuinely surprised by the surge of emotion coming from Corrin. And yet, from his expression, as the hardness and anger drops away, he seems moved by it as well. Almost...convinced, it appears, of Corrin's intentions. "Corrin...I-"

Corrin suddenly looks up in alarm, as though hearing a noise (though Serge and Kid hear nothing). "Quiet!" She whispers suddenly. "Father is approaching...Let me say all I need to say. I may have given up my Hoshidan birthright, but I want nothing more than to save you and this kingdom. I promised Hinoka I would." She wipes the tears from her eyes so as not to give herself away, and then gives Ryoma a sad, yet earnest smile. "You may hate me, but know that no matter what happens...you'll always be my brother."

Ryoma is silent, seemingly lost in thought. Corrin rises quickly, and turns towards the open doors, apparently hurrying to meet her "father". "I promise you, Ryoma, this time it's going to be different." She says as she walks away, a fierce determination in her voice. "This time I am going to-" She stops, halfway across the room, in sudden surprise. "-save you." She says quietly, as realization begins to set in. "Oh...that's...that's right." She says to herself. "This already happened, didn't it?" She turns to look at Serge and Kid, her face a mask of confusion. "You two...you're not Nohrian soldiers, are you? You're...my friends. You came with me..." She looks around at the room. "...This isn't real. I remember now." She realizes finally. Then she looks down at her hand.

Raijinto is gone from her grasp. "I didn't take Raijinto the first time." She says quietly. She closes her eyes, takes a deep breath, and then forces herself to turn around.

Ryoma kneels hunched over where Corrin left him, impaled by his own katana, the blood mixing with the lightning that still continues to pulse around the blade. Even in death, his grip on the hilt is tight, and from the way he's holding it, it's clear the wound is self inflicted. He took his own life.

Corrin takes a deep, ragged breath and begins to approach the body. "King Garon ordered Ryoma's death. And that I was to be his executioner." She says slowly, her voice quiet, but level. It's clear she's fighting to keep it that way. "One last godsdamned test of my loyalty he said. But it was just to make me suffer. I was so close to unmasking him, to showing Xander and the others the monster he truly was. To hesitate then would have meant my death, and there would have been no saving Hoshido from his madness. All the lives lost, all the destruction caused...because of me, it would have all been for nothing. I had to keep going. And yet, I...he was my brother, despite everything that had come between us. I made a promise I would save him."

She's back in front of Ryoma's body now, and once again she kneels down in front of him. "In the end, he took the decision out of my hands." She says sadly. "He called it a samurai's final duty, but that wasn't it. In that last moment, he wasn't a samurai, or the High Prince of Hoshido...it was the duty of an elder brother to his sibling. To save her from pain and torment. He recognized me as such in the end, and put his trust in me to make it right."

Thank you, Corrin. Ryoma's voice has an ethereal quality to it as it wafts over the room, the Dream Width seemingly reacting to Corrin's own recollection of the event. He sounds at peace. I finally understand. It's all right. Everything is going to be all right. My beloved sister...I'm counting on you. I will trust you.

Good...bye... the voice-and the room itself, begins to fade away into darkness around them.

"Goodbye, big brother." She answers softly as Ryoma's body fades into the darkness around them. "I will see you again in the green fields."

And then they are back, floating in the Dream Width. In her hand, Corrin clutches Shadow Yato, the Sword of Salvation, the Seal of Flames. She regards it for a moment, and the sight of the blade seems to bring her peace. It's a link-her first real one-to her home.

"...Come on." She says as she turns and begins to make her way back to the ship. "We can talk more once we're back onboard."

Edited 2019-01-18 03:45 (UTC)

Serge is... at a loss, as they make their way back to the ship, reeled in by the pilot. "I... Jeez. I'm so sorry, Corrin."

What else is there to say? He'd felt... everything that'd been done by Lynx, but it hadn't happened to him. This was something Corrin'd been forced to experience herself, and it hurt to see both Kid and Corrin hurt like this.

That was... a lot to unpack, to say the least. As Kid pulled along on her tether back towards the ship, on her part, it was a mostly quiet trek back to the Phoenix. Kid didn't really know how even start offering words of comfort, if the occasional looks she shot both Corrin and Serge, then quickly averting her eyes away from them, was any indication.

"Ah—" she had started a few times, followed by a more dismissive, "Mn..." of whatever she had planned to say, she just rubbed at the back of her neck as Serge said it plainly.

Although their situations were completely different, Kid knew the pain of losing someone so close, a sibling...

"But y'know... it did seem like maybe— you guys finally understood on another there. Er— right?"

[Closed] Serge has a present from the Cloud

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