Storm

Based off of melidichan's animation of the same name. Go check it out on deviantart, it's great.

Disclaimer - I do not own Lyn, Florina, or Fire Emblem. I do not own the animation Storm. All I own is a passion for words and writing. And currently, a fever.

It started off slowly.

At first it was but a single drop, nearly unnoticeable in the grand scheme of the world. It fell, almost drifting, before increasing in speed and splashing against the surface of the world.

Quickly after that, another drop fell. Another fell after that one, and another after that. And another, and another, and another….

Soon, what was once a single raindrop quickly spread into a heavy storm. Each drop fell with increasing speed and violence, splashing angrily against the land.

All except for one, that is.

Instead of meeting its intended target, the drop fell and broke apart on a pale-skinned, lilac haired woman.

Squealing at the sudden splash of water on her face, the woman grumbled. Trying to wipe her face dry, she grumbled once again as she realized exactly how ineffective her gauntlets were as towels.

Sighing, she settled back down, relaxing her tensed muscles. Sitting by the base of a tree, she drew her knees back up to her chest, her eyes blank as she watched the downpour before her. Feeling another droplet of rain splash against her face, the lilac-haired woman sighed inwardly.

Florina hated the rain.

As a Pegasus knight, Florina's hatred of that certain type of weather was pounded into her from day one. She could still hear the sharpness of Fiora's tone echoing in her ears, still see the dead seriousness in her sister's eyes as she warned Florina,

"The rain will be your greatest enemy, Florina. Your visibility will be cut to half, and the wind currents will be twice as strong. Pegasi cannot fly nearly as well with their wings wet.

But the most dangerous aspect of the rain is the lightning. Lightning will always strike the highest point. One single bolt of lightning has the same damage as ten arrows each from a hundred ballistae, Florina- and if you and your Pegasi are struck during a storm, there will be no chance of survival."

Florina had followed her sister's advice to the letter, carefully avoiding the rain whenever it could be avoided. Of course, due to certain recent events, she had been forced to take to the skies during rain- but even then, all precautions were taken.

The tactician realized how much of an advantage it was to have a Pegasus Knight on the field during bad weather battles. Although their movement was limited and the forces of nature seemed to work against the sky riders themselves, they were still much more mobile than the regular cavaliers or those who travelled on foot.

The tactician, however ambitious and calculating she was, knew very well about the danger that was posed to Pegasus Knights during lightning storms. For that reason, if possible, she kept Florina grounded whenever she could- and if she could not, then she had a member of their troop stay with Florina, in case anything should happen.

The tactician sent someone who would watch out for Florina. She sent someone who knew how to read the weather, and warn the petite woman of incoming danger. She sent someone who would (and could) catch her if she fell.

As lightning suddenly struck in the distance, the flash of white light brought Florina's guardian to the forefront of her mind.

'Lyn.'

Although all that laid before her was a soaking wet forest, in her mind's eye, Florina could see the tall Sacaen woman standing before her, a wide smile plastered across her face.

'Hello?'

Florina, pinned in fear to the branch of the tree, was trembling in her boots as she peered down through the foliage. Underneath her stood a girl, barely past the cusp of adolescence. She was adorned in traditional Sacaen garb, and though she looked like an imposing figure, the smile other face spoke otherwise.

'It's alright!' The young teen called up into the tree. 'The bees are gone now- I promise they won't be able to hurt you, or your mount. They were just frightened when you landed in their tree'

'…You saw that?' Florina squeaked, her cheeks flushing with colour.

Afoot, Lyn laughed boisterously. With the smile still in place on her lips, she scaled the tree quicker than Florina could keep track of, eventually coming to sit beside the knight-in-training.

"It's not every day you see a Pegasus in Sacae," the green haired Sacaen teased. "Especially those who have young female riders who have a tendency of falling into bees nests."

Seeing the way the lilac-haired girl flushed and looked away, ashamed, the Sacaen's laughter slowly died out. Before Florina knew it, she was sitting upright on the branch, one of her wrists grasped tightly in the dark-haired Sacaen's.

'Don't be afraid.' The nomad said gently, gazing into Florina's bright eyes. 'I won't let you be hurt.'

'Wh-what do you mean?' Florina whimpered. Normally, she would have had herself pinned back to the branch of the tree by now- but there was something, something in the stranger's eyes that made Florina trust her.

Sitting back, the teen puffed out her chest. "Sacaen's never lie." She declared proudly." My name is Lyn, and I am the daughter of the chieftain of the Lorca tribe. On my honour, I promise that you won't be hurt."

"But-"

With another grin, Florina was silenced.

"Trust me." Lyn smiled. Averting her eyes, she turned to look at their drop to the ground, just missing the blush that suddenly painted Florina's pale cheeks scarlet. With Florina's hand gripped in hers, Lyn smiled…

…and dropped out of the tree, pulling the young Pegasus knight with her.

And as they finally touched the ground, Florina saw that Lyn was right- instead of falling to their death, as Florina had feared, the woman had twisted her body around Florina's mid-drop, cushioning her fall.

Just as Lyn promised, Florina wasn't hurt.

Another searing burst of lightning overhead awoke Florina from her reverie. Shifting her eyes to the sky above her for but a moment, the young soldier quickly turned her blank eyes back onto the forest before her.

As the lightning struck, Florina's mind conjured up another image of Lyn before her. With each flash, the images changed in her mind.

Flash.

Lyn, her fist pumped high in the air in victory.

Flash.

Lyn, her arm slung across Florina's shoulders, smiling down at her like she was the only person in the world.

Flash.

Lyn hovering behind her, bare fingertips gently brushing against her scalp, taking the utmost care to painlessly work out the knots and kinks in Florina's windswept hair.

The dark rumble of thunder rocked the forest, and Florina with it. A drop of rain dripped down form the canopy of leaves above, landing once again on Florina's face. Instead of breaking apart on contact, the water kept its form, eventually rolling downwards.

Shivering at uncomfortable feeling of cool water trickling down her neck, Florina hugged her legs closer to her chest. Bowing her head, her mind reeled with images, all of Lyn, all of Lyn and her damned beauty. Biting her lip, Florina's dug her nails into her knee, trying in vain to stop the images flowing through her mind.

With the Mani Katti in hand, Lyn charged the band of brigands. Though her enemy was stronger and larger, Lyn was more than a match for them.

With a speed that was almost inhuman, she dispatched the bandits immediately, her sword cutting a bloody swath in her path. As she fought, her body twisted lithely, deftly avoiding every strike her opponent tried to land.

Florina couldn't take her eyes off of the woman before her. The bloodshed was terrible, but there was a grace in Lyn's movements. She moved swiftly, her style all fluidity and speed, sharp and precise attacks.

Barely after the battle had begun did it finish. Breathing in deeply through her nose, Lyn uncoiled her tense muscles, slowly straightening from her defensive stance. Looking over her shoulder, Lyn shot an encouraging smile at Florina.

"You don't have to worry anymore, Florina." She grinned. "You're safe now. The bandits can't hurt us anymore, I promise."

Florina didn't say a word. All she did was hesitantly nod, her grip tightening on her slim lance, her eyes silently tracing the contours of Lyn's smiling face, especially…

'Her lips.' Florina thought.

Even now, to think of the verdant-haired woman's lips was absolutely sinful. Though Florina was trembling and nearly soaked to the bone, she felt her face flush, warmth spreading down from her face and throughout her whole body.

But the warmth faded, only to be replaced by ice in the Ilian's veins.

In her mind, she held the image of Lyn's lips… and the unforgivable act she had committed against them.

She wasn't supposed to be looking at her like this.

'She's your best friend!' A little voice in her head screamed angrily. 'The noble you've sworn to protect!'

Perhaps it was the rumble of the thunder from over the hills signalling the coming storm. Perhaps it was the whistle of the wind through the grasses outdoors. Perhaps it was the soft sighs of breath emerging from her lips.

No matter what it was, something quashed that voice of reason in Florina's head, muting its advice as the lilac-haired woman drew closer to her sleeping comrade.

. Florina, sharing a tent with Lyn, had just came in from a late solo flight session. Intending on going to bed immediately, her plans had been swept clear from her mind as she caught sight of Lyn, fast asleep.

Every time Florina came back, Lyn was there, still awake and waiting for her. By the time Florina fell asleep at night, Lyn was still awake – almost as if she could not sleep without knowing Florina was safe and sound beside her.

'Wishful thinking.' Florina' mind barked at her, but once again she silenced that unwelcome thought and banished it to the far, forgotten corners of her mind.

This was the first time she had come back and Lyn was asleep before her. Drinking in the sight of Lyn at rest, Florina couldn't help but marvel at the difference.

While she was awake, Lyn was an exotic beauty. Her jaw, her eyes, her nose, her smile, her posture… every bit of Lyn was fierceness wrapped in elegance and grace, angles covered in sleek curves, the strength and force of the plains captured and placed into the body of one young woman.

Yet while she slept the ferocity melted away; Florina couldn't help but marvel at the beauty that was left behind. With the heat of the battle cooled and the worries of the day gone, Lyn's face, almost perpetually tense, relaxed.

Her sculpted features, a nod to the noble blood of her mother, were highlighted in the moonlight. Her skin, tanned yet fair, almost seemed to glow with an ethereal shimmer. Her hair was loose, fanned out behind her, creating an inky deep green river behind her head. Her eyes fluttered gently behind delicate shut lids, as she dreamt.

But what caught Florina's attention most of all, were Lyn's lips.

Lyn's lips seemed almost… accentuated in the dark. Her lips were parted slightly, allowing air to pass in and out as she breathed in through her nose and out through her mouth. Pink and soft, Florina couldn't take her eyes off of them.

Before she knew it, she was kneeling next to Lyn's bedroll. With one hand outstretched she tenderly cupped Lyn's face, her thumb gently brushing against the Sacaen's impossibly soft, impossibly smooth, impossibly beautiful lips.

And before she could stop herself, Florina leaned down and captured those lips with her own.

A rush of unadulterated happiness, unlike anything Florina had ever felt before, rushed through her body. Lyn's lips pressed against her own sent tingles through her, starting from her mouth and moving outward in a rippling affect.

It felt amazing. Her heart was pounding a steadily faster tattoo in her chest; it was like her first time flying, all over again. Her heart dipped into her stomach in fear, before soaring upwards in an explosion of joy. It felt good; it felt right.

'So, so right.'

Slowly, Florina's eyes drew open. She wanted to see Lyn's face, bask in its beauty at least once more before she pulled back.

But when Florina's eyes caught wide eyes staring back into her own, basking in Lyn's beauty was the last thought on her mind.

Florina froze. Eyes still locked with Lyn's, the lilac-haired woman felt a blush spread across her cheeks, the heat spreading and burning with the intensity of wildfire.

Had she actually just done that? Had she just kissed Lyn in her sleep, and then been caught red-handed?

Had she just… violated Lyn?

"Florina?"

Hearing Lyn's voice snapped Florina out of her thoughts. When Lyn began to shift, Florina realized that their faces were but inches apart. Reeling back, as if she had been burned, Florina clapped a hand over her mouth. Springing to her feet, Florina's gaze remained locked with Lyn's as she hesitantly took a step back.

When Lyn shrugged off the last dregs of sleep and began to sit up in her bedroll, Florina couldn't take it anymore.

"Florina! Wait!"

Ignoring Lyn's pleas, Florina ran as fast as she could out of the tent.

Legs pumping, arms flailing, eyes burning with unshed tears, Florina made her way into the night.

She didn't stop until her legs gave out underneath her.

…Which was how she got here. Under a tree, stuck in the beginnings of the worst rainstorm in Elibe.

'But you deserve it.' The voice, the same voice she had silenced earlier, admonished her harshly. 'You don't deserve to be back there, warm and safe in your tent. Not after what you did.'

Biting her lip, Florina rested her head back against the bark of the tree. Closing her eyes, she allowed the rain to fall on her face. The droplets fell more and more frequently, until Florina's face was so soaked, she might as well not have been sitting under the overhang of the tree at all.

As the cool water pounded upon her face, Florina choked back a tiny sob. The dam inside her gave way, and hot tears began to trickle down her face, melding with the cool rainwater as she finally allowed herself to cry.

'She'll never speak to you again.' The voice roared as the tears fell.

'She'll never trust you again, not after this. All because you couldn't control yourself, you couldn't handle your emotions, you couldn't stop thinking about how beautiful and amazing she is, you couldn't stop deluding yourself into thinking she could ever love you like you love-!'

It was then that Florina realized something.

The rain was still falling, the sound still evident in the background…

But Florina could no longer feel the cold upon her face.

Opening her eyes to gaze above her, Florina felt her brow furrow in confusion as she caught sight of a smear of red through her tears.

'Red…?'

Raising her hands to rub away the tears, Florina's eyes widened once again as she recognized the red smear as the underside of an umbrella.

Tracing her gaze down the stem of the umbrella, Florina's eyes eventually met a familiar embroidered leather glove. Coming out from the familiar glove was a familiar arm, and attached to that…

…Was Lyn.

Florina froze, her breath catching in her throat.

Fully dressed, hair once again pulled back in its familiar ponytail, Lyn stood tall. One hand balanced on her hip, the other holding the umbrella, Lyn's face remained forward, her eyes impassive.

The two remained like that – Florina hunched against the tree, Lyn holding an umbrella over her- for what seemed an eternity, wrapped up in that odd tension.

It was Lyn that spoke first, finally breaking the silence. When Florina heard Lyn draw in a breath before speaking, she braced herself, expecting the inevitable damnation of herself, her actions, and their friendship.

"…You're much cuter when you smile."

'Huh!'

With eyes the size of dinner plates, Florina whipped around to stare incredulously at Lyn.

The woman's face remained impassive, and her eyes remained forward… but there was no mistaking that gentle tone of warmth and affection in her voice.

"The next time you want to kiss me Florina, just ask. I wouldn't say no."

Scarcely believing what she was hearing, Florina's eyes remained wide. Turning her face and eyes back forward as well, Florina felt the heat from earlier scorch across her face once again. Tentatively, she leaned over, resting herself against Lyn's leg. Feeling no resistance, the young woman relaxed for the first time in what felt like forever.

And even though her clothes and armour were soaked through, even though it was impossibly dark and late at night, even though she was stuck in the middle of a forest during her least favourite and most dangerous weather, Florina couldn't help but smile and snuggle that little bit closer to Lyn.

'Perhaps the rain isn't so bad after all.'

My first Fire Emblem story. I can only hope I did the characters justice, Lyn and Florina are two of my favourite characters from Rekka no Ken. I've loved the game since I was first introduced to it years ago, and I can only hope that all of you enjoy this story :)