Comms and Other Long FE Oneshots

You Called Me Sister

     Azura's bare feet on the wooden floors of Castle Shirasagi were silent as she walked- just like the rest of the castle. The guards eyed her as she passed them, some apologetic, some wary. She continued on her way, knowing that none of them would harm her. There was a treaty now, after all.

"Where are you going?" one finally asked. She had passed this man countless times on her way to the lake on the castle grounds, but they had never spoken to each other.

"I'm looking for Takumi," she replied. "I'm fairly certain that he went this way."

"He did," the guard confirmed. "He was rifling through the infirmary for a few minutes not long ago."

"I knew it..." Azura murmured, then dipped her head to the guard. "Thank you."

He nodded in return, and she hurried on her way, only pausing to grab a bottle of rubbing alcohol and a rag from a counter in the infirmary. Through the infirmary, through a couple more halls, and then outside onto the castle grounds. The crisp dawn air seemed to bite her cheeks... just like every morning. The smell of the air was the same, the sunlight rippling through the trees, the birds trilling softly. It was as if she had never been kicked out.

As if the war had never happened, and all of her wildest dreams had never been fulfilled.

Takumi wasn't near her usual spot, which she had expected. If he was taking care of his injuries, he wouldn't want to risk her walking in on him. He'd always been proud like that. There was a secluded area to the left, so she went that way, the cool grass soothing on her bare feet. She'd missed Hoshido. She honestly had no idea how Corrin managed being barefoot in Nohr for all of those years. Even the grass there was sharp.

She ducked under some tree branches into the secluded grove she had always known existed, and Takumi nearly dropped his bandages. The dark circles under his fiery brown eyes sent a pang through her once again, along with how pale he was. He'd already shed his jacket, it was lying on the ground next to his feet. "I thought that I was far enough away for you not to hear me if you came out here." His brow creased. "I'm sorry, I can move-"

Azura lifted the bottle and rag, and Takumi went silent immediately, his eyes narrowing at the items. "You left these in the infirmary," she told him quietly. "I know you haven't had time to clean any sort of wound since we arrived, and I know that you have them on your back. I want to help."

He shifted uneasily, then winced when he put too much weight on his right leg. "Ah- All right," he murmured, then gave a sort of grimacing smile, looking back up at her. "How did you know?"

"I saw the way that you were moving in the battle against Garon," she replied, coming closer now that she had his consent. "I've seen enough wounded soldiers move that way to have an idea of where your wounds were and how bad they were. Let me see them, please."

He sighed softly, but nodded, carefully removing his dark blue shirt to reveal several bloody bandages covering his chest and back. Azura gestured for him to kneel, and he did after a moment of hesitation. "You don't have to look at my leg, Oboro already treated it," he told her, moving his ponytail so that it hung in front of his shoulder. "I just didn't let her look at these."

"You hid these from her?" Azura carefully began undoing the bandages, and he clenched his fists on his pants when she began carefully peeling it off of what looked like a large scratch mark. "...You've always been proud," she whispered, staring at the wounds. There were three large slashes going diagonally from his shoulder to the middle of his back, and another group of three horizontal on his lower back. One slash was showing telltale signs of infection while the rest seemed fine, but the manner of wound... "These are kitsune claw marks, aren't they?"