both times i've played this game, my combat decisions allowed me to form really cool narrative headcanons. as i've just beat my second run, i'd like to share those with you :)


first run:

(for context, florina had a support with fiora and b with lyn. she died in the prologue and then came back in eliwood's story. she dealt the final blow on nergal)

florina is a child fighting in a war to save the world. in support conversations with lyn, it is revealed that she has been a pegasus knight since she was a little girl. even during this war, she can't be more than a teenager. and this shows in her character. a support conversation with lyn reveals that they met when she was scared off her pegasus by a swarm of bees. she is a self-described "crybaby." her relationships with both lyn and her sister fiora have more mother-daughter vibes to them than that of equals, siblings, or friends. she relies heavily on these two, and they fill the rolls exceptionally.

however, florina's over-reliance on lyn to survive backfired; because, naturally, lyn can only fight so many battles at once. and when her head was turned, florina was gravely injured in the prologue. she was left unable to fight, and had to abandon lyn's journey to save her father while she healed.

much time passed. florina's injuries healed. but lyn's resolve to protect florina grew even stronger. she became very worried about florina's well being.

"Are you well? ... I was worried... Don't go out alone if you can. You never know where archers might be lurking. Are you carrying enough healing salve? Your weapons—are they all in order? ... Take your time. I'm here should anything happen."

florina's injuries seemed to even further infantilize her in lyn's eyes. and when fiora joined the party, it became clear that their relationship was just as codependent.

throughout early support conversations, it is clear that fiora wants florina by her side in ilia. two traveling mercenary sisters. and this, much like lyn's motherliness, is based much more in her desire to protect her sister. "Then I’ll be able to help you anytime you need it. I would feel much better that way."

both of these relationships, while well-meaning, weigh heavily on florina. she doesn't want to need to be protected. she wants to be the one doing the protecting. she takes her training seriously. she takes on enemies that earlier would have been nightmares for her. and all this time, she thinks on these invitations - to work with her sister, to travel with her friend. and neither of them sit quite right.

so, towards the end of the journey, she sits fiora down. and she explains to her:

"Well, you see. I really love you, Fiora. And it would be great to be with you, to have you to protect me always... But... But... That wouldn’t be good for me... You’re so kind, you would probably protect me for the rest of my life... That’s the problem... If I rely on you forever, I’ll never become my own person. So...I’ve decided not to return to Ilia yet. It’s because I do love you... You see, I don’t want to always be the crybaby Florina who needs you to protect her... I want to be more like my sister, a fine pegasus knight."

and she keeps training. and she keeps improving. and in the final confrontation, standing beside lyn and fiora this time as equals, she knows she made the right choice.


second run:

(this one's a lot less involved. though it is still fresh as i just finished it today, so i will probably develop on it as time goes on. not much context here. all you need to know is that heath romanced priscilla and died in the final battle against the dragon)

"I'm a soldier, but... I'm trying to be human, too."

heath is similar in a lot of ways to eliwood. his sense of justice is clear from the very first conversation he has. he seeks to do good above all else. what becomes evident later is his equally undying sense of honor. the interesting thing about this is, where these traits in eliwood are beloved by all, these traits in heath are the main source of his conflict. and ultimately, these attributes are what make me view his story as one of extreme sacrifice.

see, heath is born in bern, a country with a corrupt ruler. this ruler demanded he slaughter unarmed people thought to be behind an uprising. and when he refused to do so, he was labeled a traitor and sentenced to death. he was forced to flee the country he loves for refusing to murder innocent people.

knowing this backstory, reading through his support conversations with priscilla show us a massive contrast in tone that i really appreciate.

heath is immediately very open, informal and friendly with priscilla. "You! You our medic? ... Name’s Heath. I’m a wyvern knight, as you can see. My wyvern is Hyperion. He may look scary, but he’s all right. I trust you’ll be there if any of us get hurt." he wastes no time in treating her like a true friend. he wastes no time with formalities. he is in touch with people's feelings, humanizing his wyvern with a name to priscilla to dissuade any potential fear the animal might bring her.

this relationship is immediately refreshing to priscilla too. considering that priscilla is a princess hiding as a commoner, it is interesting that heath is the only one to talk so informally to her. there's immediately a really warm feeling between the two.

this relationship grows even more friendly as the two begin to rely on each other in their own ways. where she was at first timid around him, she opens up. she initiates their b support by asking if he's injured. she learns more of heath's upbringing, how his military captain used to say "If you can feel the pain, you’re not badly wounded.” She makes him promise to visit her, "even if [his] wounds are slight."

and then, sometime between b and a supports, he learns of her royalty...

priscilla, now very open with heath, immediately notices something is off. he is avoiding her. she begins to talk to him about it, but the openness in the conversation is gone now. he responds slowly and vaguely. in his head, he is retroactively trying to "correct" his behavior toward her. he apologizes for having "spoken too frankly." and it is everything priscilla feared would happen.

because, again, heath is a very honorable person. and, even if he acted out of justice, refusing to kill innocents, the country he loves views him as a criminal. and criminals aren't supposed to talk to princesses.

in the final battle against nergal, heath is going to sacrifice himself. heath will always choose to sacrifice everything to do good. he did it in bern, and he will do it again to save priscilla and all the friends he's made. in death, he tells himself, he will find redemption. "I fought with honor... I can ask nothing more..."

but for the moment, he is face to face with a now crying priscilla, realizing all at once that their relationship will never be the same again.

" Priscilla... I... can call you that, can’t I? If it’s so much that you are moved to tears, I will stay by your side. Even...for just this battle... I’ll be here."

"Heath... If only... If only... time... could stop."

"... Yes... If only..."


---

i would not call the story of the blazing blade good. i doubt anyone plays the game for its plot, myself included. both of these stories, while backed up from support dialogue in the game, were made into what they were through the actions i made in combat. these characters do not have any lines pertaining to the main story of this game.

and yet, this game allowed me to make these stories. i will always remember florina and heath and priscilla. i'll always remember my sweet sweet rath who i didn't even get to talk about, and the sweet, healing romance he and lyn shared in my game. i will always remember eliwood and hector, and the sad gay forbidden love story i made about them in my head ("You know, back then, I’m proud I took your hand." "Heh, I’ve got no plans to break my oath. Not now, not ever").

it is so cool how people personalize the stories they consume. how we're able to relate to them in a way the writers never intended us to.

i am really thankful to have art in my life