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femslashficlets2018-01-26 10:30 pm
samuraiter) wrote in femslashficlets2018-01-26 10:30 pm
Entry tags:
FIC: Hour Before Leaving [Fire Emblem Echoes – Celica / Faye (All Ages)]
Title: Hour Before Leaving
Fandom: Fire Emblem Echoes – Shadows of Valentia
Pairing: Celica / Faye
Rating: All Ages
Prompt: 142 – Clock
Word Count: 930
Summary: Faye is about to return to Ram Village, but Celica has a plan for her.
* * * *
Note: This most likely happens in a version of the story that sees Alm leaving Faye behind upon leaving Ram Village, only for Celica to recruit her separately (which can be done in the game). I decided to have Faye be a Pegasus Knight here.
* * * *
"I ask that you stay, Faye. Please."
Faye looked up from her saddlebags, blinking her eyes. Celica stood before her, almost invisible in the dimness of the stables, her black-gloved hands folded in front of her, her expression unreadable. No one accompanied her, and that seemed strange to Faye, considering that the Queen-to-be of all Valentia had no shortage of retainers.
"I can't do that, Your Majesty," Faye replied, returning to stocking up her supplies as her Pegasus regarded her in silence. "The war's over, the coronation's already happened, and you're –" She did not say married, but the unspoken word filled the air between them. "– really, it's best for me to go home. There's nothing left for me to do here."
"I'm ... 'Your Majesty' to you now?" Celica averted her eyes from her. "It doesn't have to be like that, Faye. I don't care if they call me Queen Anthiese. I'm still Celica. A title doesn't change the person." She paused. "I mean, it does, but ... not me. I can't let it. There's too much riding on me continuing to see the world with clear eyes." A note of desperation entered her voice. "And I can't do that on my own, Faye. I need you here."
"What's so special about me, Celica?" Faye turned to her, bitterness flashing in her brown eyes. "I'm just a soldier in an army. Over time, we all become ... just faceless rank and file, nothing more. I helped, but I didn't change the world, not like you did." Her voice dropped. "Not like Alm did, and I've spent so much of my life defining myself in relation to him that it's left me ... empty. It took me a long time to realize it, but there's nothing left. I've just got to go back to Ram Village and start from the beginning. That's all." She closed up her saddlebag and sighed. "You don't need me. Just let me go."
"No." Celica did not budge. "I can't let you go back, not like this." She reached for Faye, took her by the shoulder, made her look her in the face. "There's a place for you here, Faye – not by his side, but by mine. Look at all of us. So many of us have dirtied our hands to make this dream come true that I know we'll all have to answer for it, sooner or later. But not you. Your heart's just as pure now as it was when you left your home all those months ago. Yes, you've killed, we all have, but you've never compromised." Her voice started to tremble. "You're still Faye. That's something I can't bear to lose."
"What exactly are you trying to tell me, Celica?" The Queen-to-be did not answer. "Why did you come here, right when I'm on the verge of leaving to go home?" Again, Celica said nothing. "What are you so desperate to try and tell me? Why are you being so –"
Celica cut her off by kissing her. Faye only stiffened for a second before relaxing into it, and silence reigned in the stables for a long moment as she returned the kiss in kind.
When they separated, Celica said, quickly and quietly, "Before you ask, it doesn't matter that I'm married. I'm going to make as much room in my heart as I can, so that it doesn't shrivel up. And –" She had tears in her eyes. "– you know what's waiting for you if you do go back to Ram Village: loneliness, cold and complete. Now that you've fought for something greater, now that you've seen the life you can have, closing that door will leave you always wondering what could have been. I can't let you do that to yourself."
"You're selfish," Faye said, hugging Celica and resting her cheek on her shoulder, "but ... you're not wrong. I'll give it a chance. I'll give you a chance. If you need me to help you keep your feet on the ground and see what's real about the world, I'm here. Just –" She sighed. "– remember that I'm human. I can do a lot, but I can't do everything. I can't stop time, nor can I turn it back." She forced down tears. "I can't heal old wounds. There will always be scars. But I can at least offer ... comfort." Celica kissed her again.
Another long moment before they separated, Celica saying, "I know it's selfish. That's why I only came down here at the last possible opportunity. I had to convince myself that it was all right to take a chance for myself and myself alone, for once." She shook her head. "I'm terrible, but it's all right. I don't mind if you see me being terrible. You're probably the only person I can't fool. ... Yes, even Mae, if that's what you're wondering."
"Give Mae a little more credit," Faye chided, "and –" She pulled Celica to her for one more kiss. "Three times makes the seal, the saying goes. We'll share a destiny, no matter what." She patted her Pegasus on its neck. "I'll tell you what, though: Ride with me. I want you to see how the world looks at night. Look down on Valentia from the sky, see the lights of the people looking like mirrors of the stars above. You'll feel like you're seeing the whole world for the first time." She smiled. "Really and truly. I promise."
Celica smiled in return. "Lead the way, Faye. Let's ride ... together."
END.
Fandom: Fire Emblem Echoes – Shadows of Valentia
Pairing: Celica / Faye
Rating: All Ages
Prompt: 142 – Clock
Word Count: 930
Summary: Faye is about to return to Ram Village, but Celica has a plan for her.
* * * *
Note: This most likely happens in a version of the story that sees Alm leaving Faye behind upon leaving Ram Village, only for Celica to recruit her separately (which can be done in the game). I decided to have Faye be a Pegasus Knight here.
* * * *
"I ask that you stay, Faye. Please."
Faye looked up from her saddlebags, blinking her eyes. Celica stood before her, almost invisible in the dimness of the stables, her black-gloved hands folded in front of her, her expression unreadable. No one accompanied her, and that seemed strange to Faye, considering that the Queen-to-be of all Valentia had no shortage of retainers.
"I can't do that, Your Majesty," Faye replied, returning to stocking up her supplies as her Pegasus regarded her in silence. "The war's over, the coronation's already happened, and you're –" She did not say married, but the unspoken word filled the air between them. "– really, it's best for me to go home. There's nothing left for me to do here."
"I'm ... 'Your Majesty' to you now?" Celica averted her eyes from her. "It doesn't have to be like that, Faye. I don't care if they call me Queen Anthiese. I'm still Celica. A title doesn't change the person." She paused. "I mean, it does, but ... not me. I can't let it. There's too much riding on me continuing to see the world with clear eyes." A note of desperation entered her voice. "And I can't do that on my own, Faye. I need you here."
"What's so special about me, Celica?" Faye turned to her, bitterness flashing in her brown eyes. "I'm just a soldier in an army. Over time, we all become ... just faceless rank and file, nothing more. I helped, but I didn't change the world, not like you did." Her voice dropped. "Not like Alm did, and I've spent so much of my life defining myself in relation to him that it's left me ... empty. It took me a long time to realize it, but there's nothing left. I've just got to go back to Ram Village and start from the beginning. That's all." She closed up her saddlebag and sighed. "You don't need me. Just let me go."
"No." Celica did not budge. "I can't let you go back, not like this." She reached for Faye, took her by the shoulder, made her look her in the face. "There's a place for you here, Faye – not by his side, but by mine. Look at all of us. So many of us have dirtied our hands to make this dream come true that I know we'll all have to answer for it, sooner or later. But not you. Your heart's just as pure now as it was when you left your home all those months ago. Yes, you've killed, we all have, but you've never compromised." Her voice started to tremble. "You're still Faye. That's something I can't bear to lose."
"What exactly are you trying to tell me, Celica?" The Queen-to-be did not answer. "Why did you come here, right when I'm on the verge of leaving to go home?" Again, Celica said nothing. "What are you so desperate to try and tell me? Why are you being so –"
Celica cut her off by kissing her. Faye only stiffened for a second before relaxing into it, and silence reigned in the stables for a long moment as she returned the kiss in kind.
When they separated, Celica said, quickly and quietly, "Before you ask, it doesn't matter that I'm married. I'm going to make as much room in my heart as I can, so that it doesn't shrivel up. And –" She had tears in her eyes. "– you know what's waiting for you if you do go back to Ram Village: loneliness, cold and complete. Now that you've fought for something greater, now that you've seen the life you can have, closing that door will leave you always wondering what could have been. I can't let you do that to yourself."
"You're selfish," Faye said, hugging Celica and resting her cheek on her shoulder, "but ... you're not wrong. I'll give it a chance. I'll give you a chance. If you need me to help you keep your feet on the ground and see what's real about the world, I'm here. Just –" She sighed. "– remember that I'm human. I can do a lot, but I can't do everything. I can't stop time, nor can I turn it back." She forced down tears. "I can't heal old wounds. There will always be scars. But I can at least offer ... comfort." Celica kissed her again.
Another long moment before they separated, Celica saying, "I know it's selfish. That's why I only came down here at the last possible opportunity. I had to convince myself that it was all right to take a chance for myself and myself alone, for once." She shook her head. "I'm terrible, but it's all right. I don't mind if you see me being terrible. You're probably the only person I can't fool. ... Yes, even Mae, if that's what you're wondering."
"Give Mae a little more credit," Faye chided, "and –" She pulled Celica to her for one more kiss. "Three times makes the seal, the saying goes. We'll share a destiny, no matter what." She patted her Pegasus on its neck. "I'll tell you what, though: Ride with me. I want you to see how the world looks at night. Look down on Valentia from the sky, see the lights of the people looking like mirrors of the stars above. You'll feel like you're seeing the whole world for the first time." She smiled. "Really and truly. I promise."
Celica smiled in return. "Lead the way, Faye. Let's ride ... together."
END.