Lady of Ballads

 There was no mistaking that song; one heard many a time throughout the army’s ranks, whether from their resident Songstress or others repeating it as they worked. To be entirely honest, Mozu had caught herself shakily singing it as she tended to some plant or another in her downtime more than once.

 Habits kicked in and she hummed along to Azura’s singing, getting lost in the notes and entirely missing the fact that the actual singer stopped, leaving her performing a rather strange solo act. The note she was on came to an abrupt end the moment she did realise, jumping a little in place.

 “Ah–! Um, sorry, Lady Azura! I-I didn’t mean to interrupt, s’just… y’know, it’s a pretty song and all!”

     Beyond what her songs meant to her personally, Azura was comforted knowing that they brought happiness to her comrades throughout their travels and battles. She always seemed to reinvigorate her friends just with her voice, and though the songs were bittersweet memories of her childhood, they provided positivity and hope to those who mattered in the present. 

     So it brought the songstress joy to hear Mozu delivering her own rendition of it when she herself had stopped singing. Stifling a giggle -- it was cute really, but she didn’t want her laughter to come across as insulting -- Azura smiled at the girl.

      A hand covered his mouth on reaction. With several sneezes blasting out of him. His nose sniffed, arm were raised to clean any residue that was hanging off the edge of his nose. This certainly wasn’t a good start to the new year. Developing a cold. Just fantastic. Though fortunately for him. His day was starting to wind down after having his day focused on his studies at the cities academic forums. Leo took a moment to sit by one of the benches by himself as he waited for the train to arrive.   

     There was no one who had seen Kamui through as much as Azura had. Every leap Kamui took, Azura was at her side, and everywhere that Kamui had led, Azura had followed. Family ties were just barely scratching the surface of their connection, it was too simple to account the trust between them to that. Kamui grew up with no family other than a host of lies. Azura’s song by the lake had led her to her own decisions, her own destiny where she could lay out her own path and determine everything in life for herself. There was a bond between them that was unparalleled by any other because they had built it together and from the moment Azura broke the spell of Kamui’s lack of self control, Kamui had learned to live.

     That feeling was not unrivaled now, the two women staring face to face with each other. Reunion caused Kamui’s heart to swell, her pulse to quicken, and before either of them had room to speak, to enunciate any emotion, Kamui crashed into Azura, sweeping her into a tight embrace that was punctuated with a joyous sob. “I’m so glad you’re hear. I don’t know how I’d figure this land out without you by my side.”

      “Kamui... I’m glad to see you, too.” Somehow the songstress knew that her closest friend and confidant would appear in Hive City; it was fascinating the way fate tended to bring them together in trying times, and even stranger still the way it happened here, in what seemed to be a completely alternate world. Kamui’s embrace caught Azura off guard, but her hands came up to rest on Kamui’s back nonetheless, the joy of seeing her friend taking over her actions. Letting go and holding the other woman softly by the shoulders, Azura offered her a rare genuine smile. 

     Hoshido was one of two lands of legend to those from their world, especially to those of Ylisse, and Olivia had heard stories of them from a young age. The notion of conversing with a woman who called this world home made an honest smile tug at her lips. “I’ve heard of your home before, however. Chrom has spoken of meeting those who come from your world but to me it was still just a legend.” Breathy but amused, a laugh sounded from Olivia’s before she answered the question posed. “I dance, yes, I have my whole life. It would not surprise me if some of our attire drew upon the sketches and accounts in the legends we have seen. We have been inspired, though sometimes subconsciously.”

This is not the first time a hunting night hadn’t gone according the plan. In this city with multidimensional people guessing if people are just human or something else can be complicated. For the ghoul’s dismay, some of her prey weren’t ordinary. Which led on a badly injured ghoul, and having no other option then crawling away and wait for her wounds to heal at a painfully slow pace. Needless to say that this is humiliating, that even normal weapons can pierce through her skin that used to be like steel back in Tokyo. 

Her chest heaved with great effort, trying to keep her conscious from slipping away and focusing on breathing instead. But the lacerating pain on her side and he broken ribs made it difficult. How ironic that the binge eater herself would ever be part of such ridiculous scenery.

Having someone walk on her like this however had happened only once. And it still annoys her. The fact that it’s about to happen again doesn’t make her any happier, either. It is barely night, but she can’t help tensing her jaw when yet another person would sight this prideful monster like this.

             "Could it be that you possess a sixth sense for people who are in distress? Gah– Sorry, it’s kinda hard to keep up a smile, but you’re lost, darling. This is not place for someone like you.“ Despite the urge to lure that girl in, there was doubt that she could handle even a human the way she is. Without a meal, or a miracle, this will take more than a day to heal up.

      Without the ability to partake in her typical nighttime routine back home, Azura had grown accustomed to making do with her environment within Hive City. It wasn’t the same, of course, but traveling the streets in the nighttime was the closest she could come to the solace she missed so dearly. The city was never quite silent, people going about their strange business and activities throughout all hours of the night, but she had learned to ignore and filter out anything she wished to have no part of. 

     Her kind and compassionate nature led her to the pained breathing of a clearly injured woman during her travels. She appeared to be alone, although Azura knew based on her experiences here that something or someone had done this to her. As the woman began to speak, Azura knelt down with her hands placed gently on her knees as she listened intently, paying no mind to the stranger’s assertion that she shouldn’t be here. 

     “I wouldn’t call it a sixth sense,” she began with a deep breath, eyes gazing towards the wounds. They were serious, and her condition was not something Azura was willing to leave alone, stranger or not. “I do have a bit of a habit of encountering people who need help, though.” 

     Recognition sparks in Robin’s eyes for such a manner of dress is not common here and forgetting a face subsequent to her amnesia was high improbable for Robin. “You are Lady Azura, yes? Chrom has spoken quite highly of you since your visit to Ylisstol.” A moment for pause, the appreciation of this coincidence. “It is, perhaps, cause for amusement that we should both find each other in a world that does not belong to us now.”