Author's Note: This is the prize-fic for R Amethyst for winning my fanfic contest. It is about Naesala; however, be warned. There may be some actual fuzziness with the plot.
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He had always considered himself one of the good guys. It was a debatable matter, though not one any of his subjects were willing to take up. The fact stood that he was always there for his country men. He loved Kilvas with all of his heart, even if foreigners believed that same organ to be black and cold. It didn't matter what they believed, though; what they thought had no grounding in his country. And really, that was all that mattered.
When ever the chance arose to help out his struggling citizens, he'd take it. So what if it was considered to be shady dealings? He was King. It was his duty to do whatever was best for his country. If stealing from passing ships meant garnering more money for his citizens (and maybe a few extra gold for himself), then why not take it? Those ships were in his territory after all. The money could be considered toll for coming through. So what if there were a few causalities resulting from the tussles? They were mostly beorc scum anyways, so what did it matter?
Then there was Reyson. He was friends with Reyson, sure. He still considered himself that. Why, then, did people persecute him so for selling him off? It was for the best of Kilvas. He was adamant in his stance that he was giving up one for many. This was not something he could (or would) explain to Tibarn or that beorc boy who liked to play commander. They would never understand. Had he sent off another person in Reyson's stead, say one of his own crows, they would not care. Crows were common and coarse; they would simply dismiss it. "Good riddance", they would say and go along their ways. In his mind, the fact that Reyson was a Prince or the last of the herons meant nothing to him. The price of his head, however, caught his eye, and he knew what he had to do.
It all seemed to go down hill from there. No one was willing to trust him, and why should they? He always thought twice before trusting an outsider with the affairs of his country. They should have learned their lesson: stick with your kind and only your own kind. He was partial to the old adage "birds of a feather flock together". Part of him believed the mixing of beorc and laguz in their army was unnatural. His relationship with beorcs was strictly business—nothing more. There was a time when no one would have blamed him for it; so, why did they all scoff at him now and stare down at him with accusing glares?
He tried to change his ways. That is, he tried to change them after he realized that sticking with Daein would lead him nowhere. As hard as it was to believe, there was a part of him saying Daein wouldn't win. Then Kilvas would be mocked even further, and the rift of distrust between it and other nations would be torn even deeper. Instead of gain, they would lose valuable gold and resources. He had begun the relationship with Daein seeking wealth and power for Kilvas; where did it go so wrong? Now, that Ike boy wouldn't trust him, and as much as he hated to admit it, it was that silly beorc that held all the cards. He would not be accepted easily; he knew that. Reyson now hated him, and Tibarn was even warier of him.
He had proved himself to them, and they finally allowed him lenience. Still, in their eyes he could see the spiteful glances sent towards him. He ignored them. He did not care; their opinions didn't matter nor would they ever. They thought of him as a lowlife, dirt-crawling creature, to be despised if anything. They thought it was for his own gain; how wrong they were in that assumption.
It was never for his own gain…at least, it was never primarily for his gain. His thoughts were always connected to Kilvas in some way, shape or form. Yet no one could see that. No one except his kin. His own countrymen stood by his side, yet they too were seen as traitors and scum. It began to frustrate him. Why couldn't they see that these Crows- these honorable laguz- were just trying to help their starving families? How could it be so hard for them to realize that if you ever want to help others, you have to first help yourself? It didn't make sense how dense and close-minded they could be, and it wasn't just the beorcs either. Fellow laguz hated his guts.
And, he came to realize, they should. A crow is a bird of nasty repute. As their demi-human brothers, Naesala and his kinfolk knew this. Those other people would never know or understand just what it was all about.
They would never truly come to know the truth that Naesala, underneath it all, was one of the good guys.
Through scandal and cheat, battles against friend and foe, suffering of both body and mind, he stood for his country.
But like all true and misunderstood heroes, he would stand overshadowed.
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Author's Note: This, in itself, was a challenge to write. I must admit I didn't pay much attention to Naesala in the game, hence the fuzziness. I know it really doesn't have much of a plot, but I'm glad that I was able to portray Naesala in a different light. If you look at it, he really is a patriot for Kilvas. It was a lot shorter than I intended it to be, but honestly, I don't think I could write anymore on it without repeating myself. However, I am always open to constructive critique; I encourage it in fact. Review!