Chapter Text
“That is what compassion does. It challenges our assumptions, our sense of self-limitation, worthlessness, of not having a place in the world. As we develop compassion, our hearts open.” - Sharon Salzberg
L’Arachel would argue later in her life, that it was destiny that brought her so near the Darkling Woods at such a young age. She’d been escaping her uncle’s watchful guards that were assigned to follow her closely whenever she wanted to go outside the palace’s walls. It hadn’t been easy, but she enjoyed the momentary freedom.
Until she was ambushed by monsters.
She had been alone when they attacked so she ran, unintentionally, deeper into the Woods and had gotten more and more lost within the seemingly never ending forest. L’Arachel in the midst of being hunted, encountered a rather strange creature that came to her rescue.
L’Arachel took pause behind a large tree to catch her breath. She wasn’t sure if her legs could handle much more running. The irony of falling to one of those dark creatures hadn’t escaped her- what an end to the Princess of Rausten, sharing the same fate as her parents. Except instead of dying as a hero, she’d die as merely another victim to these fiends. A foolishly native girl who’d be forgotten besides as a tale to warn future children against running off on their own.
Tears had begun forming in her eyes when she heard a voice.
Up here! They won’t be able to reach you from here! The voice cut through her thoughts. Had she been saved- Had someone noticed she was gone? Frantically, L’Arachel looked up and around to the source of her possible savior. Above her, sitting on one of the higher branches, sat a white...cat? With red eyes?
Hurry! They’re almost here! It was certainly odd but L’Arachel wasn’t in a position yet to question what this creature was. It wasn’t trying to kill her and that was good enough for her at the moment.
As quickly as she could, she climbed up the tree, trying to be mindful of which branches she grabbed and where she placed her feet. At the same time she was attempting to keep her raising anxiety in check as she heard the monsters approaching closer.
That was close. Don’t worry, you’ll be safe for now. The cat ‘said’ once L’Arachel had secured herself safely on a branch that could support her weight. She looked down and saw the tree they were in being slowly surrounded by monsters. Luckily none of them had ranged weapons.
“What are you?” L’Arachel asked, looking away from certain doom should she slip and fall.
My name is Kyubey. That was when L’Arachel finally noticed the creature hadn’t moved its mouth when she heard his reply.
“How do you talk without opening your mouth?”
I don’t need to use my mouth to communicate. I can speak directly to you through thought.
“Oh.” Although L’Arachel hadn’t heard of any type of magic being able to allow for direct clairvoyance, she supposed there were always new things to be learned about the world even during times of distress. “What kind of magic is that?”
A different kind of magic than what you’re used to. You could do it too, if you make a contract with me.
“A contract? What kind of contract?”
If you make a contract with me, I’ll grant you one wish.
“A wish? What kind of wish?”
Any wish! No matter how impossible, it’ll become real. You have enough potential for it. L’Arachel’s eyes narrowed at that.
“And what do you get in exchange? Must I sell my soul to you? I think not- My soul is happy right where it is, thank you very much!” She emphasized her point by slamming her hand against her chest.
Oh no- In exchange for a wish, you’re tasked with fighting and destroying monsters. Like the ones currently hunting you down.
“Well! Fighting monsters is a noble and worthy cause in itself. I don’t see why I should be gifted with a wish for wanting to slay these beasts!”
That’s because not everyone can make a wish. Only certain types of people can make wishes- people with potential. And those that make contracts are duty bound to fight monsters for the rest of their lives.
“A life of fighting monsters…” L’Arachel thought for a moment, thinking of her parents who had lived and died fighting monsters. They’d been heralded as heroes and she had grown up hearing countless stories about their bravery and courage.
Isn’t there any wish you want badly enough to risk a life of monster hunting? He asked, hopping in front of her as his tail swung around. It was almost cute.
The young princess stared silently at Kyubey for a few seconds. She took several moments to wrap her mind around the situation she was in; dangling high in a tree in the middle of the Darkling Woods, hanging just above monsters that had killed her parents while being offered an extraordinary wish by a creature she had no prior knowledge of.
L’Arachel glanced down once more at the monsters surrounding their tree. It was a small amount now- but for long? How soon until other, stronger monsters came upon them? L’Arachel closed her eyes.
She tried thinking of her parents- Faceless as they ever were. Dying before she could form memories of them, before proper portraits could be painted so she was left with whatever faces she could imagine from her uncle’s stories.
It wasn’t enough. It never would be.
But it wasn’t just L’Arachel that was impacted by the weight of their loss. They had been loved and revered by all Rausten, especially after their sacrifice. In the deepest part of L’Arachel’s heart she could admit, she craved that love and attention. It was unbefitting to be jealous of the dead and yet.
L’Arachel wanted it. But more than that, she wanted to earn their love and admiration. She wanted, desperately, to be a person worthy of being the Princess of Rausten. If she could prove herself just as talented and powerful as her parents, the people of Rausten would love her as they loved her parents. They would crowd around her, praise her, love her-
“You say you could grant any wish.”
I can.
L’Arachel took a deep breath and outstretched her hand.
“Then I...I wish to be a great and divine protector for my people!”
For a moment there was silence except for the rapid beating of L’Arachel’s heart. Then she felt a sharp pain in her chest. It burned ferociously like nothing the princess had ever experienced before and she cried out in agony, squeezing her eyes shut as tears threatened to spill out.
Thankfully, it was over quickly and L’Arachel was able to feel herself breathe again. When she opened her eyes, she was met with a small but bright ball of light hovering in front of her face.
Your wish has been granted. Reach out and take your soul gem.
Reach out L’Arachel did. Her hand closed around the light and a feeling of pure magic rushed over her. Light engulfed her body, changing her- transforming her.
As the light faded, she realized that a staff was now in her hand, which eerily looked like one of Rausten’s Sacred Twin weapons - the Latona. Well. Wasn’t that something. Although L’Arachel had never held the Latona, she had a feeling that her new weapon might outmatch its ancient power.
Along with the addition of this Latona look-a-like, it seemed L’Arachel had undergone an outfit change too. It seemed to suited her just fine, perhaps not something one would be dressed in for battle but it certainly was stylish.
Down below, L’Arachel heard more monsters approaching.
It’s time! Unleash your new power and embrace your new destiny!
It was all the encouragement L’Arachel needed.
With a fierce smile, the Princess of Rausten twirled Latona and leapt from the branch to face the monsters head on.
--
As destiny had brought Kyubey to L’Arachel so too did it bring Eirika.
L’Arachel had gained the ability to sense fellow magical contractees as well as potential candidates after she’d made her own wish. From the moment they met, L’Arachel felt the potential seeping from Eirika. Surely Kyubey had already offered her a contract with that much potential.
But when L’Arachel questioned Kyubey after their encounter, he said that he had yet to approach her.
It’s better to wait until someone with potential has a wish worth a lifetime fighting monsters.
And L’Arachel had left it at that. She trusted Kyubey’s judgement. He had granted her wish spectacularly after all.
When her uncle’s guards found her that fateful day, they’d been shocked to say the least that not only had she survived so long in the Darkling Woods alone but that she had simply strolled out of the forest completely unharmed. She had, however, been scolded for wandering off alone of course.
Afterwards she had been ushered towards Rausten’s best clerics once she began demonstrating a knack for light magic. L’Arachel was careful not to show too much power to go beyond that of a prodigy.
Kyubey explained that magical contractees worked in secret. It was easier since no one but said contractees and candidates could see him anyways. She’d been advised to keep their secret to keep the world ordered and balanced. There was no telling what havoc could be brought about should the world find out about them.
Of course, L’Arachel could stretch their agreement just a bit. Boldly stating she was chosen by the powers above to serve the world by ridding it of monsters- proven by the ease in which she could channel magic. Not a lie, just a half truth really.
And her people accepted this wholeheartedly. They saw their princess excel in light magic and slay monsters by the hundreds by the time she was of age. A princess as, if not more, powerful than her parents. A princess worthy of ascending to the throne and leading them with pride.
Then destiny took the world in another direction- one L’Arachel hadn’t seen coming.
Grado invaded Renais, slaughtering many of its people and assassinating its king for reasons beyond understanding. The news of the invasion hadn’t reached Rausten yet and the sole reason L’Arachel knew was because Kyubey had told her.
Something dark is happening there. He said and she believed it. L’Arachel never met Gardo’s Emperor but she had heard stories of his compassion and kindness. She didn’t know to what purpose Vigarde would start a war with Renais.
At the urging of Kyubey, she began making plans to travel in secret to find the reason for the war and possibly assist in putting an end to it.
L’Arachel enlisted the help of one of her most loyal followers, Dozla, and hires a talented guard from Carcino named Rennac to escort her across Magvel. Honestly, she would have preferred going on her mission alone as it would have been faster and easier without non-contractees slowing her down, but her uncle insisted on taking at least some protection even if she was traveling undercover.
Although maybe there was a secret blessing in bringing Dozla and Rennac. Rennac had been the one to remind her that normal humans wouldn’t be able to throw themselves off cliffs into sheer danger without perishing on the rocks.
Wouldn’t that have been a memorable first impression though; Lady L’Arachel charging off the cliffs like a Valkyrie sent straight from the heavens to exterminate those foul beasts, bending strands of light to pierce through rotten flesh and bursts of light to incinerate those unholy creatures. Eirika undoubtedly would have been impressed with her from the start with a performance like that.
But alas, she needed to keep the world in balance.
--
The third time they meet, L’Arachel joins Eirika’s small but growing motley army. She learns Eirika’s name and that she is the princess of Renais. Furthermore, L’Arachel learns the reason behind Gardo’s invasion.
It’s disturbing; Frelia’s Stone destroyed and Gardo’s was likely gone as well.
It is not a sign L’Arachel can ignore as Princess of Rausten. She asks Kyubey to inform one of Rausten’s messenger contractees about the situation and ask for her uncle to send reinforcements.
L’Arachel had learned at some point that Kyubey was not the only one of his kind. In fact, he wasn’t unique in the slightest to other Kyubeys. He said that there were many of him, almost one for each contractee. All shared a mind and were able to communicate seamlessly over great distances. It had proven to be very beneficial, especially now.
With an entirely new group of people that had yet to hear of L’Arachel’s wondrous accomplishments, she was in a good mood and ready to share these stories until General Glen arrived.
If Innes hadn’t stepped forward when he did, L’Arachel was sure she would blasted the General into an early grave - secret be damned. But Eirika’s kind spirit and Innes’s silver tongue saw the General lay his orders aside and allowed them to continue on their journey.
Battle breaks out on Hamill Canyon and for the first time, L’Arachel properly sees how Eirika’s army can fight. They’re uncoordinated, clumsy, but they’re a force to be reckoned with nonetheless. What they lack in strategy, they make up for in zeal and protectiveness towards each other.
But an army is only as good as its leader. And their leader is just as fierce and protective as the rest of them.
L’Arachel keeps watch of Eirika from the corner of her eye during the battle.
She sees how sound and focused Eirika is on the battlefield, the way her rapier pierces through armor and cuts down foes twice her size. The way she gives orders while blocking an attack from the side.
It’s more than her attacks and movement. Eirika is reading her allies and enemies alike.
She predicts how a soldier will attack and acts before the strike can land on Neimi. She races to take a fight with a soldier who tries to attack Natasha as she’s healing Franz. She pulls Artur out of the way from an arrow meant for him. She presses her back against Joshua as they fight off a swarm of soldiers together. She jumps to join Seth on his horse as they charge against the new wave of enemies coming.
Eirika is a force unlike anything L’Arachel has seen before. For a moment, L’Arachel cannot believe Eirika isn’t a magical girl like her.
Possibly one of the most extraordinary feats Eirika had shown during the battle is her ability to change minds. General Glen’s brother joins the battle halfway through as an enemy but leaves as an ally by the end of it. It is the most mystifying thing L’Arachel has witnessed.
She’s so awe inspired that she has to check with Kyubey again to see if he’d made a contract with Eirika. But no. Eirika’s achievements are her own.
L’Arachel is humbled. She wished for the power she flaunts now.
Eirika earned hers.
She’s earned the trust and loyalty of her army and she shows her own faithfulness back in spades. She isn’t just a princess of an invaded, divided land; she is a leader. Their leader.
When Rausten’s knights arrive, L’Arachel has no hesitation in declaring the country an ally of Renais. Eirika is an extraordinary leader and kind hearted friend whom L’Arachel is more than willing to fight alongside to the end.