Fire Emblem: High School Years (High School AU) - Sophomore Year

Moment of Truth

Anna

Today was the day. Today was the trial that would determine the course of the rest of my life.

I stood outside the courtroom, fidgeting with the ends of my blouse. This is it: the final battle.

Mom pulled me against her side, kissing my hair. "Everything will be all right, Little Bird. It'll all be over, soon."

I wrapped my arms around her, hugging tightly. "But what if the court doesn't rule in our favor, Mama?! What if-"

"Then I'll fight tooth and nail to get you back," she murmured into my hair. "I won't let that monster control us any further. I promise."

Just then, Mr. Lowell stepped into our area, adjusting the cufflinks on his suit. "They're about to start the hearing, you two should head inside."

Mom asked for him to also do some requested speaking during the hearing, like how he did with the social worker a few days ago. A few of our other family friends and whoever we could find that was credible were also asked to appear to speak for our case. Sadly, Chrom wasn't here to support me. He begged his father to allow him to come, but given the circumstances and laws, it would be easier for him to stay home.

Mom took my hand, squeezing it. "Are you ready?"

My heart was going to beat out of my chest. "Y-yes. Let's win this..."

...

The first hour of the hearing went by like a blur, most of it consisting of remarks by our lawyers and social workers giving what information they collected to the judge. From what I was hearing so far, it seemed like things were leaning towards our favor, especially when the social worker who interviewed Validar spoke about what living conditions he had. They certainly were not bad, but an apartment near a shady part of the city was not good either.

However, when the people Validar asked to come spoke, there was a shift. They praised him for how much he has improved these past ten years, what an amazing civil servant he was, and how he frequently expressed his desire to put me far more forward in life. The whole time, that bastard kept glancing over at us, smirking with premature triumph.

The words from our witnesses helped some, but I knew we were bogged down by nerves. This case didn't appear as one-sided as we thought.

The judge looked over a few of her notes, the expression on her face unreadable. Then, she spoke. "We will take a short, ten-minute recess, then we will hear the remarks from the parents and child. Dismissed."

The loud pound of her gavel echoed in my ears.

Before I knew what was happening, Validar was at our bench. "Well, it looks like I will be having Anna back in my life, again," he sneered.

Mom pulled me away from him. "You haven't won yet, bastard."

He chuckled. "Careful, Evelina. Such cruel words carry weight in court..."

She ground her teeth. "Ngh..."

I'm not scared. I'm not scared anymore. You have to fight back. "I will never go back to you, you hear me? Do you even understand the multitude of problems you have caused me? The pain that continues to ache?" I growled.

Validar rolled his eyes. "And such wounds will heal once we are reunited," he said. "I am your future, Anna. I will lead you to greatness."

"I don't need your 'greatness'. You don't even know what's good for me."

His face twisted into a snarl. "Listen here, you little brat..."