Comms and Other Long FE Oneshots

The New Year

*Divine and Fell Timeline if you're interested in that info. Anyhow, this is for the Winter Prompttest!

Tharja was not entirely certain what was going on. Adults moving around, rushing back and forth and talking in all sorts of tones of voices was not something easily understood by one so young. Her mother had cried over her earlier, and had given a smile when the gray-skinned man with scary red eyes had come. Tharja had felt the distress from her family when the man took her away, though.

She had been placed on the stone table beside an eerily quiet baby, whose eyes were... not baby blue. She snuffled almost in greeting when Tharja was placed next to her. Lines were traced all over both of their naked bodies, spells were recited and took hold. All of the people present had the same smile. She wasn't sure what the smile was, but it wasn't real.

Clothing was placed on both of them, and they were taken to a dark room, placed in side by side cradles. The chatter faded away as soon as the heavy door closed, and the room was dead silent except for the other baby's restless shuffling in her crib. Tharja... did not feel like crying. Did not feel like doing much of anything. Though she wanted her mother, she should not cry.

A rustle of robes caught her attention, and she blinked in the darkness before two witch lights appeared above a woman's head as she leaned over the crib. Strikingly beautiful, with blonde hair and piercing gray eyes outlined with kohl. She also looked irritated, exhausted, slightly ill. "I believe he called you Tharja," she remarked softly. "I apologize. This isn't exactly a wonderful way to kick off the new year. especially for one so young."

Tharja reached a hand up, and the woman lowered a finger for her to grab. Tharja gave a soft coo, and the woman's expression softened. "You are making the best of the situation, though, and so must I. I hope you will not make me silence you, little one, but your friend must leave this place."

The baby blinked once again, shifting on the mattress. Her friend. The other baby. She needed to do what was best for her. Was this woman what was best for her? The woman took her finger away, going over to the other crib and picking up the other baby, who had been shifting restlessly. The moment the woman picked her up, however, she snuggled up to her, dark eyes closing.

Yes. She was happy with the woman. Tharja would not cry. Especially when the woman smiled, truly smiled, a mother's smile. Babies should be with their mothers. She wanted her mother.

The woman carefully lowered the now sleeping baby into a travel bag that looked like it was very comfy. "Validar took my ability to warp and use tomes, not to do parlor tricks," she explained, voice still soft. "Validar, my husband, is the one behind this, you see. Though it was my father-in-law who placed the curse on you." She waved her hand over the bag, and it vanished. The woman made a movement like she was putting it over her shoulders, then stood and leaned over the crib again. "All I have to do is leave this castle, and I will be free. You, however..." she sighed. "You are cursed to serve my daughter. My daughter, thankfully. Not the fell dragon Grima. His Majesty the crackheaded fool does not seem to be able to tell the difference, and my husband is only slightly more aware of the truth."

Tharja wiggled a bit, and the woman reached into the crib, picking her up and rocking her gently. "Robin cannot stay here," she whispered. "Thank you for understanding. Perhaps you two will meet again someday under happier circumstances."

Tharja's eyes slowly closed as she was rocked, comforted by the familiar movement even if this woman was someone else's mother. That someone was precious. She fell asleep in the woman's arms.

The young baby slept on as Menorah and Robin crept out of Plegia castle and trudged into the night, the sorceress's face hard and determined as she took her baby away from the Grimleal despite the lingering pain from her pregnancy. Away from the cracked mirror of destiny her fool of a husband and his entire family believed in. And away from the war that Ylisse was about to bring crashing to this country's borders.

The blood moon shone down on the palace on the start of this year, when a catalyst had been born.