So, should I study, or should I write for a challenge? Study, challenge. Study... Oh heck, fanfic wins. For 
moonfall86's challenge, the incredibly apparent relationship between Stefan and Homasa. With a leeeeetle, tiny hint of Ike/Stefan to try and make it legit for this community.
Title:Love and Hate
The day was bright and hot, with nary a breeze to cut through the oppressive humidity. Though the sky overhead was clear and blue, no birds sang in the deep woods. Only the flies buzzed, swarming around the blood pooling on the forest floor. Two boys worked side-by-side, one dark haired, one light, digging a pair of graves.
Stefan labored on blindly, having given up on trying to wipe the sweat and tears from his eyes. The attack had come from nowhere, while his family was returning home from the market. Five men had ambushed them as soon as they were far enough into the woods that no one would hear, claiming to be keepers of the goddess’ laws. They had pointed to the mark on his forehead, called him an abomination that must be purged from the land, along with the sin that had created him. They had fought back, all four of them, though Stefan’s mother was unarmed and he and his brother were half-trained at best. When the fighting stopped, only he and his brother were left standing.
When they were done, their parents laid to rest in the loamy earth, Stefan stood staring at the two mounds of dirt, marked only by a pile of stones. “Brother,” he sniffed, “what are we going to de now?”
“You mean, what are you going to do.”
Stefan shrank back from his brother’s glare, “What do you…”
“I mean I’m leaving, and I never want to see you again,” he snapped, “Mother and Father are dead because of you, you freak! I hate you!”
“Homasa, no! I didn’t mean to be trouble.” Stefan reached to grab his brother’s arm, “Please don’t leave.”
“Don’t touch me.” Homasa snarled, jerking out of Stefan’s grip, “You’re a curse, just like those guys said! I’ll go far away, out of the country. To Daein, maybe. At least there, I won’t be plagued by your existence anymore. Don’t try to follow me, either. If I see you again, I swear I’ll kill you!”
He grabbed his sword, still covered in the blood of their attackers, and walked away without looking back, leaving Stefan staring after him with tears leaving tracks in the dust on his face.
---
Years later, in the thick-falling snow of the Daein mountains, Stefan found himself staring over crossed swords at the brother he had thought never to see again. He recognized him immediately, the shaggy green hair, eyes the color his father’s had been, were unmistakable.
“The crows have abandoned you, Homasa.” He said, “Stand down.”
“What? How—“ Homasa’s eyes widened with recognition, “You! My skills with the sword are unmatched. You won’t beat me!”
“Get off the field. Such arrogance will be your undoing.”
“Shut up, half-breed!” he snapped, and then rushed his brother, sword raised.
It was over in two lightning-fast strikes, too quick for Homasa to defend properly. He stared dully at the length of steel protruding from his gut, as if surprised to see it there. Homasa lifted his gaze from the sword to the man who held it, deep green eyes meeting blue, and a flicker of loathing kindled in them.
"...The shame..." he wheezed softly.
"So I won in the end." said Stefan, just as softly, "Can we not put our past behind us, Homasa? Can we end this with forgiveness, Brother?"
Homasa stumbled, and would have fallen to the snow, already stained with his blood, but Stefan moved with the swiftness of wind to catch him, slowing his descent, cradling his head gently.
"Please, my brother?"
The Daein's body spasmed, and he coughed up blood. Stefan gently wiped the trickle from the corner of his mouth, silently pleading for an answer. Homasa glared up at his brother and gurgled a bit in the back of his throat, then spat out something unintelligible—a curse, maybe, or a refusal, it didn’t matter—before even the fire of his hatred faded and his eyes only stared blankly.
Later Ike found them there, in the bloodstained snow, Homasa's head still in Stefan's lap. The swordmaster did not seem to notice his commander's approach as he brooded down at the stiffening body in his arms.
"He never could forgive me for what I am." he said abruptly into the heavy silence.
"Who was he?" asked Ike. He glanced between the two swordmasters’ faces and saw the same tall, strong build, the same square jaw.
"My brother."
Ike placed a hand on Stefan's shoulder, "I'm sorry."
"Don't be." Stefan laughed bitterly, "We would have wound up fighting each other eventually, anyway. At least this way, I can say I killed him in the name of a just cause."
The hand on his shoulder gave a gentle squeeze.
"Do you... want to bury him?" asked Ike after an awkward pause.
Stefan gazed out across the vast stretch of frozen fields and mountains, "The ground's too hard to even try. Cremate him, and when the war is over, I'll... take him home. To where our parents are buried. It's all I can do for him, now.
I couldn't find or remeber the exact wording of their fight conversation, so I sort of... fudged it. A lot. If anyone has it, I'd still like to see it.
moonfall86's challenge, the incredibly apparent relationship between Stefan and Homasa. With a leeeeetle, tiny hint of Ike/Stefan to try and make it legit for this community.Title:Love and Hate
The day was bright and hot, with nary a breeze to cut through the oppressive humidity. Though the sky overhead was clear and blue, no birds sang in the deep woods. Only the flies buzzed, swarming around the blood pooling on the forest floor. Two boys worked side-by-side, one dark haired, one light, digging a pair of graves.
Stefan labored on blindly, having given up on trying to wipe the sweat and tears from his eyes. The attack had come from nowhere, while his family was returning home from the market. Five men had ambushed them as soon as they were far enough into the woods that no one would hear, claiming to be keepers of the goddess’ laws. They had pointed to the mark on his forehead, called him an abomination that must be purged from the land, along with the sin that had created him. They had fought back, all four of them, though Stefan’s mother was unarmed and he and his brother were half-trained at best. When the fighting stopped, only he and his brother were left standing.
When they were done, their parents laid to rest in the loamy earth, Stefan stood staring at the two mounds of dirt, marked only by a pile of stones. “Brother,” he sniffed, “what are we going to de now?”
“You mean, what are you going to do.”
Stefan shrank back from his brother’s glare, “What do you…”
“I mean I’m leaving, and I never want to see you again,” he snapped, “Mother and Father are dead because of you, you freak! I hate you!”
“Homasa, no! I didn’t mean to be trouble.” Stefan reached to grab his brother’s arm, “Please don’t leave.”
“Don’t touch me.” Homasa snarled, jerking out of Stefan’s grip, “You’re a curse, just like those guys said! I’ll go far away, out of the country. To Daein, maybe. At least there, I won’t be plagued by your existence anymore. Don’t try to follow me, either. If I see you again, I swear I’ll kill you!”
He grabbed his sword, still covered in the blood of their attackers, and walked away without looking back, leaving Stefan staring after him with tears leaving tracks in the dust on his face.
---
Years later, in the thick-falling snow of the Daein mountains, Stefan found himself staring over crossed swords at the brother he had thought never to see again. He recognized him immediately, the shaggy green hair, eyes the color his father’s had been, were unmistakable.
“The crows have abandoned you, Homasa.” He said, “Stand down.”
“What? How—“ Homasa’s eyes widened with recognition, “You! My skills with the sword are unmatched. You won’t beat me!”
“Get off the field. Such arrogance will be your undoing.”
“Shut up, half-breed!” he snapped, and then rushed his brother, sword raised.
It was over in two lightning-fast strikes, too quick for Homasa to defend properly. He stared dully at the length of steel protruding from his gut, as if surprised to see it there. Homasa lifted his gaze from the sword to the man who held it, deep green eyes meeting blue, and a flicker of loathing kindled in them.
"...The shame..." he wheezed softly.
"So I won in the end." said Stefan, just as softly, "Can we not put our past behind us, Homasa? Can we end this with forgiveness, Brother?"
Homasa stumbled, and would have fallen to the snow, already stained with his blood, but Stefan moved with the swiftness of wind to catch him, slowing his descent, cradling his head gently.
"Please, my brother?"
The Daein's body spasmed, and he coughed up blood. Stefan gently wiped the trickle from the corner of his mouth, silently pleading for an answer. Homasa glared up at his brother and gurgled a bit in the back of his throat, then spat out something unintelligible—a curse, maybe, or a refusal, it didn’t matter—before even the fire of his hatred faded and his eyes only stared blankly.
Later Ike found them there, in the bloodstained snow, Homasa's head still in Stefan's lap. The swordmaster did not seem to notice his commander's approach as he brooded down at the stiffening body in his arms.
"He never could forgive me for what I am." he said abruptly into the heavy silence.
"Who was he?" asked Ike. He glanced between the two swordmasters’ faces and saw the same tall, strong build, the same square jaw.
"My brother."
Ike placed a hand on Stefan's shoulder, "I'm sorry."
"Don't be." Stefan laughed bitterly, "We would have wound up fighting each other eventually, anyway. At least this way, I can say I killed him in the name of a just cause."
The hand on his shoulder gave a gentle squeeze.
"Do you... want to bury him?" asked Ike after an awkward pause.
Stefan gazed out across the vast stretch of frozen fields and mountains, "The ground's too hard to even try. Cremate him, and when the war is over, I'll... take him home. To where our parents are buried. It's all I can do for him, now.
I couldn't find or remeber the exact wording of their fight conversation, so I sort of... fudged it. A lot. If anyone has it, I'd still like to see it.