Lavender AU: alt weird route
Note: Some concepts similar to those of the Lavender AU, but not at all canon to the story.
Additionally, it's recommended to read these posts (Lolia and Master Sword) in order to fully understand this post.
In my au, there is a lot of inspiration taken from the weird route/snowgrave route from Deltarune. Something similar will happen in the story, but it is not an exact replica to the actual route in Deltarune.
However, I still wanted to explore the idea of this route, but with the lorule duo, and by using some already established ideas from my own au.
I wasn't entirely sure on what the "soul" would be in the context of albw, but I ended up deciding it would be the undead goddess, Lolia. I already have the hc that Lolia is the dying and starving goddess of Lorule, overlooking the land and its people hopelessly wither away. The idea would be that at some point Lolia has had enough, believing that both Hilda and Ravio are incompetent. Therefore, she takes matters into her own hands by possessing Hilda in order to impose her will onto both the princess and her advisor, Ravio.
Hilda is not strong enough to fight against the possession at times, so this "route" would have the goddess taking control of Hilda's actions.
The goddess's first task: make Ravio stronger.
To begin, Lolia forces Hilda to trick Ravio into accompanying her to the Dark Ruins, the excuse being that Hilda wants to test Ravio's knowledge he acquired during his squire training to see if he is actually as good as she believes he can be. Ravio, being skeptical, questions her, but is eventually convinced to go with her (despite how dangerous it is).
The two sneak out of the castle by nighttime, having nothing but a couple potions with them. As they arrive at the ruins, Lolia forces Hilda to tell Ravio his task: Kill all the guards in the ruins. Ravio, knowing these guards were once innocent people, and could perhaps still be, hesitates and asks why? Hilda simply tells him, it's to make him stronger. Eventually Ravio caves in and goes forward with the task.
Because Ravio specifically specializes in magic, he first begins to kill using his magic. As they go deeper into the ruins, guards begin to run from the two. Eventually Hilda hands Ravio a small dagger (substitute for the FreezeRing), and tells him to kill them using that instead. Ravio convinces himself to go ahead with the task as Hilda is just trying to make him stronger.
Once all the guards are dead, Lolia forces Hilda to take Ravio to Skull Woods, in order to find and take the Master Sword (substitute for the ThornRing). When Ravio acquires the blade, he notes it has not an ounce of power in it, but pushes it aside and heads back to Lorule Castle with Hilda.
At this point the castle has become aware of their absence, so both return to a group of guards and the King of Lorule. They eye Ravio and believe he is responsible for dragging the princess out in the middle of the night. Ravio, being in a slight trance, snaps back to reality and panics, trying to explain the situation. Before he can get a coherent story out, Lolia commands Hilda to tell Ravio to PROCEED. Ravio is confused as she has been saying that as they slaughtered the guards back at the ruins. He sees her finger pointing at her father, and repeats the word: PROCEED.
She wants him to kill the King, her father, in order to seize the throne. Lolia has been convinced that the King has made no progress with the restoration of Lorule, so she believes that for Hilda to reach her true potential, she must become the Queen of Lorule as soon as possible.
The guards, sensing the danger, begin to approach Ravio. He does kill them using the Master Sword, but stops when he hears Hilda commanding him to use a "Sword Beam" on her father.
He falters and says he doesn't know what that is.
Hilda repeats the words "Sword Beam".
Ravio once again states he doesn't know what that is.
She repeats it again, and eventually, in frustration, Ravio does as he is told.
The King, Hilda's father, then lays on the floor. Lifeless.
In shock, Ravio convinces himself he is having a bad dream and excuses himself, saying he feels sick, and slowly walks out of the castle, and towards his house. Ravio abandons a bloody Master Sword on the castle tiles, as guards and nobles are in shock for what they just witnessed.
(I don't know exactly how Hilda would get away with this, but let's pretend she got away with the patricide).
The following day, Hilda, now being the Queen of Lorule (by technicality), now has full control for the affairs regarding the restoration of Lorule. But before she does anything, she finally has the strength to fight back against the possession of Lolia. In absolute distraught over the events of the previous night, she heads to Ravio's house, carrying a pouch to conceal the bloody Master Sword, in hopes of explaining herself to him.
She arrives and is greeted by a tired Ravio. Ravio, thinking the previous night was nothing but a nightmare, welcomes Hilda in with a smile. They talk for a while and Ravio tells Hilda of a strange, and terrifying dream he had. He laughs it off and states it felt rather real, not noticing the slight twitch in Hilda's body (who is actively fighting the possession of Lolia in this instance).
Ravio slowly approaches Hilda and tells her how grateful he is to have such a wonderful person in his life. He is glad the dream was not real, saying that, despite the terrible nature of this world, he is glad she is nothing like that dream version of herself.
Hilda tightly grips the pouch holding the Master Sword, focusing on keeping control of her body. Ravio keeps talking and getting closer, happily recounting how much she has done for him.
Suddenly, Hilda tells him to stop talking, forcibly covering his mouth. Confused he motions her hand down and laughs, saying that it's only them. He asks her, "Who's going to hear us?"
Lolia takes control of Hilda and responds: ME
Ravio, terrified, recognizes the cold tone of voice Hilda just spoke in. It was the exact tone he heard in his dream. He spirals in his head questioning if it was real, with Lolia responding to each mental thought through Hilda. Ravio keeps asking questions, trying to convince himself that this is another bad dream, and suddenly Hilda takes out the blade from the strange pouch she brought with her.
A bloody Master Sword emerges from the pouch.
Despite his panicked state, Hilda slowly approaches him, blade in hand, offering it. Ravio backs away but at some point, the two no longer have space between them.
Hilda forcibly makes Ravio hold the Master Sword and states in a cold, hushed tone: EQUIP
In horror, Ravio croaks out Hilda's name one final time and then, finally, takes a hold of the Master Sword.
The Princess now has her hero.
She will help her hero become stronger.
She will help him save Lorule.
