Please read the A/N at the end. Thanks!

How to Find Peace

Chapter 1: Upon the Battlements

A bitter wind blew through the field, bringing with it the promise of an equally bitter winter. The field, though green now, with changing trees dotting it, would soon be covered in a layer of multi-colored leaves, followed be a thicker layer of snow. Now, however, the green that highlighted the norther portion of the border separating Nohr and the smaller port country of Nestra was dimmed by the dark red of numerous corpses that were strewn across the field. Most of the bodies wore the darkened plate armor common to those serving in the Nohrian army, and far fewer were donned in layered armor that was as equally common among Hoshidan troops. Indeed, both sides suffered casualties in this war that would see many more before it would see its end. And what even was this war about? A deep hatred that ran through the very genetics of both countries? A grudge that neither could let go of? No one for sure knew, the only answer being it was the way things were; Nohrians despised Hoshidans, and vice versa. So it was no surprise when a war finally broke out between the two kingdoms.

And what of the peasants, the civilians, those who did not fight in these wars? What was their opinion on such a pettiness? Of course, if any nobleman or woman asked them if they hated the opposing kingdom, they would answer with a simple, "Of course, milord/lady." But that was when they were asked by the people who fanned the flames of this rivalry between kingdoms the most. What of when they were working the fields, or their stands at the market? When they drank their sorrows away? What then? Did they share that same gung-ho, nationalistic mentality that was expected of them 'just because'? Or would their answers change? It was a difficult question for sure, with no clear answer as everyone's opinion differed. But everyone who fought, fought because they were bred to hate Nohrians, or Hoshidans, or whoever it might be. Those who fought did not question either, so they were stuck fighting a war that could possibly end in their deaths. All for the glory of victory…

Those were the men and women that lay on the field now, dying or having died long before the end of the battle. Cries could be heard from those who were on the verge of breathing their last as they were tended to by the servants of the now-captured fortress that loomed over the battlefield, sent out by the occupying Hoshidans to tend to the Nohrians while they tended to their own. In this case, that was quite a courtesy to give to one's enemy, yet it was just who Corrin was. His Nohrian upbringing wouldn't allow him to just rule his once-countrymen with an iron fist, yet his Hoshidan blood wouldn't allow him to show total amnesty to his now-enemy. So, a compromise: let the border gates' servants care for their dead, while the Hoshidans tended to the dying. Hoshidan casualties were sent back to Cyrkensia to begin the long rehabilitation process or the journey home; Nohrian causalities were tended to and then held prisoner at the Nohrian border gate.

A fair compromise, or as fair as could be in war, Corrin believed. His brother, Ryoma, agreed. His sisters, Hinoka and Sakura, shared the same view. Yet it was his other brother, Takumi, who scoffed at the show of mercy. Of course it was due to the Hoshidan's distrust of Nohrians, but also the fact that he still had issues agreeing with his newly-rediscovered brother on many subjects. This being one of them.

These thoughts drew a sigh from Corrin as he stood from the massive, cobblestoned border gate walls overlooking the battlefield. His eyes turned to the sky, anywhere but examining the field of the dead and dying for a few moments. Numerous clouds stretched from the Nohrian portion of the border into the Nestra side, covering the sky in an all-to-familiar dull grey that reminded Corrin of his days being held inside the Northern Fortress. An unbidden smile rose to his face that was all too quickly wiped away as he thought back on memories of the past. Gunter. Flora. One a knight who raised him from birth and would never see again, and the other one of his personal maids – no, a friend who cared for him that was now most likely his enemy. This war had taken so much from him before it had even began, so why was he still so willing to fight against Nohr and not try again for peace? He knew why. Corrin closed his eyes for a few moments and took a deep breath before turning away from his painful past and back to the equally painful present.

Neither side wished for peace.

This thought crossed his mind as he watched his younger sister, Sakura, walk from soldier to soldier, examining wounds and healing them when she could. It warmed Corrin's heart to see how caring his sister was. No matter who they fought for, Sakura would try to help a wounded soldier as best she could. However, at other times she would come across a dying man or woman whose injuries were just too severe. It was then she would openly cry and turn to her retainers for the emotional support she needed. She would clutch onto her best friend Hana in a desperate hug. In return, Hana would hold Sakura for as long as she needed, tears streaming down both of the young women's faces.

Sakura's other retainer and Hana's husband, Subaki, would simply rest a hand on Sakura's shoulder and give Hana a solemn look with his usually smiling face. Then, he would set his naginata on the ground and kneel down beside the dying man or woman and give them a proper prayer to send them off, adding to his already impressive repertoire of skills. The bangs of his long red hair would cover his solemn eyes from Corrin's view, adding even more to the mixing air of reverence and loss. Once finished completing what would usually be Sakura's job, Subaki would then grab his weapon, stand, and guide both women to the next breathing casualty. It was a daunting task, one that Corrin did not believe Sakura was ready for, yet she handled it as best as she could, denying herself a break until she was either finished visiting those who needed her help… or collapsed.

Corrin sighed. Indeed, his sister was a strong woman, one he gladly claimed as such. He just hoped she would still be her optimistic, if sheepish, self once this war was over.

He shook his head, the white locks of his hair and his cape shaking from the combination of body movement and wind. No time for such thoughts now. Again, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

Then another.

And still, another.

Until his abnormally elongated ears twitched in response to the familiar sound of armored boots on stone. He turned his red-eyed gaze to see who had come to check up on him this time. Last time it had been Ryoma, and Felicia before that. So he expected the newcomer to either be his recently rekindled childhood friend Silas, or Hinoka. Yet, Corrin was surprised to see that it was their army's most recent crimson-armored recruit: Scarlet.

Corrin opened and closed his mouth, meaning to greet her. Yet he did not utter a word and instead nodded at the blonde, short-haired woman. She nodded in turn. Corrin then returned to examining the battlefield as Scarlet came to his side, joining him. A few moments of silence passed as the two warriors stoically looked over the healers and servants tending to the wounded and the dead.

It was then that Scarlet sighed. "Not the talkative type, then?" she questioned in her (oddly-comforting) Nohrian accent. The only other friendly people to have a similar accent in the Hoshidan army were Jakob, Felicia, and Silas; it was always refreshing to meet another person with the same, familiar accent.

Corrin smirked. "Usually, I am. I've been told I am very inquisitive… especially when discussing battlefield tactics. But, right now…?" His smirk disappeared as the young Nohrian-turned-Hoshidan prince bowed his head in silence.

"That is understandable," Scarlet toned in quietly as she followed suit. Again, silence ruled between the two as they stared at their feet.

"So, who sent you?" Corrin asked, finally facing his newest companion with a soft smile, which Scarlet matched with a grin of her own.

"Ryoma, of course. After all, he's really the only one I'd take an order from," she replied, and added in quickly, "well, besides you."

"I'm glad to hear it. You really look up to my brother, don't you?" Corrin commented, keeping the pace of the conversation going in a lighthearted direction.

Scarlet nodded her head once. "Who wouldn't? He's amazing! Even with having a whole country to run, he still sneaks into an enemy kingdom to help a budding rebellion. MY budding rebellion! It takes quite a man to be able to do that, don't you think?" Corrin simply nodded in response before Scarlet finished. "Just wish he would have let me known sooner who he actually was instead of joining us in disguise."

Corrin chuckled. "True, but I'm sure he had his reasons. Though he can be brash, he thinks things through carefully. It's funny, he's actually just like my brother, Xan-" Here, Corrin stopped himself before he continued, a dour look now replacing his smirk. It obviously sullied the mood of the conversation, like rain on a sunny day. Scarlet's grin was wiped away from her face as well.

"You mean Crown Prince Xander?" Scarlet intoned.

"Yes, him."

"It must be hard, fighting against your former countrymen – people you thought were your family no less," Scarlet remarked. Before Corrin asked what she would know about such a thing, she continued. "I've been doing it myself for a while now. My father, my mother, my former brothers-in-arms… I've been having to knock some sense into them, forcing them to see the unfairness of Garon's rule." She sighed. "…But even going through all of that, I still know that you and Ryoma fight for a just cause. Everyone should be free to do as they please, not living scared wondering if what they're doing will go against some lame crown's wishes. And our kingdoms should be at peace, not at each other's throats constantly. It's for both those reasons that I – that we fight."

At this point, Corrin turned back to Scarlet to see her still facing him, a smile back on her face.

"So I'll keep following you and Ryoma, and fighting for a peace that will rule over both of our kingdoms," Scarlet gave Corrin a wink. "So please, wipe that sad look off your face. We're going to kick some butt!"

Corrin, who was staring blankly at Scarlet, finally blinked his eyes for a moment before joining in smiling with the crimson-armored wyvern rider. "Thanks, Scarlet. Glad you're here to help us."

"Anytime," she responded, punching Corrin's shoulder lightly.

He responded with a nod before saying, "Too bad we couldn't just have a peaceful path to peace, as redundant as that sounds. It would just be so much easier on the people, and us."

Scarlet brought her finger to her chin, thinking on what Corrin had said for a moment before responding, "Don't you think that's a little naïve? After all, peace can only taste best if it's worked towards."

"True," Corrin responded slowly, taking a little offense to Scarlet's comment. "But that doesn't mean that that work has to be war. It could be something else, something… collaborative, or…"

"War?" Scarlet finished with a smirk, wiping away the remainder of Corrin's smile. "We fight for what we believe in, and at that moment it is peace. Other countries fight for greed, religion, or some other dumb reason. But I fight for equality and peace, and those reasons are two of the few that are worth fighting for."

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean it's true peace. It's just the victor's idea of peace, which might not fit in with the loser's," Corrin countered, and Scarlet's smile likewise disappeared. Both furrowed their eyebrows, staring the other down and not backing away from the forming argument at hand.

"Peace is peace, Corrin, no matter what. As long as the fighting has stopped and no war is waged, who cares what the victor's terms are? If peace rules over the land and fighting has stopped, I will gladly fight for that and whatever else is tagged along with it!" Scarlet responded aggressively as she took a step forward towards Corrin. He replied in kind, bringing the two closer together.

"Then what of the losing kingdom and their people, huh? What will happen to them if their way of life is threatened by the 'peaceful' victor? They know no other way to live, and wouldn't be able to find another way so easily. So the best way to obtain peace is through talking, negotiating, and coming up with terms that benefit everyone, not just the victor of a war," Corrin rejoindered with an escalating voice. "I thought you of all people having been raised in Nohr would agree with me. Don't you want your countrymen to be able to live as prosperously as Hoshidans?"

Scarlet let out an annoyed noise as her pale, freckled cheeks started blushing with frustration. "Of course I do! But most of them either want me dead or are blindly following that tyrant Garon! So, if we must achieve peace forcefully – which will happen – then some sacrifices will have to be made! You're so innocent and naïve; in trying to find a way for both Nohr and Hoshido to get what they want at the end of this war, you're blinding yourself to the damned truth! And not fighting with our all, hoping for a peaceful resolution will only lead to our defeat."

"But isn't it worth trying for at least!? I know it isn't possible now, but in the future? If say Xander, or even King Garon saw that waging this war is pointless, wouldn't you wish to try talking before fighting!?"

"Not if it's only gonna lead to more fighting! As long as it ends in peace… You know what? No," Scarlet backed off, stepping away from the argument she was having with Corrin and heading away from the battlements to the rest of the border gate. "I see that nothing will get through your ignorant, thick, princeling skull. So I'm just gonna leave it at that and go find Ryoma, see what else he needs me to do. Goodbye, Prince Corrin." Scarlet made a short, forced bow before leaving Corrin along again on top of the battlements.

Corrin let out a breath that he hadn't known he had been holding. He sighed, turning again towards the battlefield and looking onwards before commenting to himself, "What an infuriating woman. And what got into me? No one's ever been able to bring me into an argument like that so quickly. But Scarlet… Argh…" The young prince ruffled his hair in confusion and agitation. "What's with her?"

He turned to leave the battlements, figuring a nice round of training would be just what he needed to cool himself down. As he started walking down the stairs, he shook his head and repeated, "What an infuriating woman…"

A/N:

Thanks for reading through the first chapter, y'all. Really means a lot, especially when I'm starting a new fic, like this.

Now, many of you may be wondering why I'm starting a new fic. Well, that's because I feel like I've lost my original style of writing, and I want to return to my inspiration for writing these fics in the first place. If y'all have read my first fic, True Bonds Never Break, then you'll see what I mean. I want this fic to be a way for me to get back into writing fun, light-hearted stories, something that people will pull up, have a nice hot drink, and read through. If any part of this fic brings a smile to your face, or makes you laugh, then it and I have done our jobs.

Also, this is the part where I want to state where I got this idea from. After reading Be Careful What You Say on this website (a Robin/Olivia Fire Emblem fic, if you haven't read it, check it out) again, I figured that going back and writing a much lighter story would be a great idea. It will give me a break from my other fics, allow me to generate ideas, and let me have fun writing something I truly wish to write – three chapters are already done, and the fourth is being written. So, if you're reading this, thank you for the inspiration MrWatch.

As for my other fics, I'm sorry to say that most, if not all, of them will be put on hold. Yes, that includes More than One Hero can Mend. I'm sorry, y'all, but the inspiration and want isn't there right now. I've been wanting to write something like this for a while to help me get back into all of this and put my heart into writing, once again. I don't want to give any promises here, so I'll just say it now: I don't know when I will be returning to my other fics. Again, I'm sorry, but I hope this fic satisfies y'all in the meantime.

Finally, I'd like to take a moment and address my beta, TheRepeat. He's helped me a lot with editing these first few chapters, and hopefully will stay along for the journey. It's thanks to him that these chapters are nice and clean. He's a great editor, and has definitely given me some great advice to help write this fic. And if you haven't yet, go check out his fic Dissonance. It's a really good, short and sweet fic set after Fire Emblem: Awakening. Definitely worth reading, in my opinion.

Wow, that was a lot...

Again, thank you all for reading this fic so far. This isn't the most notable Fates pairing, but I feel Corrin and Scarlet do have a story there that should be written. Plus, I'm no stranger to cheering on or writing for the underdog pairings, ain't that right Ilia/Link fans!

So, leave a review if you can and let me know what you guys think about this fic. Hearing from my readers is what keeps me going on fics like these, and also gives me an idea of what people think of it. It helps me to become a better writer and write better stories for y'all.

Hope you enjoyed the story,

nickdaman6