Chapter Text
Arya I
She stares at the castle from Shipbreaker Bay. It had taken her 2 years to realize the mistake she’d made and another to get back to him. But now that she was here she was scared. Arya was used to fear. It had been her constant companion since her fathers head was taken by his own sword. Ironically he had been the one to tell her that in order to be brave you must first be afraid. But this was a different fear. One that she felt before But only ever in relation to one person.
She knew he was in the castle. That’s why she was here. She wouldn’t be here if he wasn’t. She had to know if there was a chance he could forgive her. She had spent the past year imagining their reunion but now that the moment was upon her and she was here, she froze. What would she say? What do you say to you childhood friend turned lover after a 3 year absence. Especially after bedding him, turning down his marriage proposal, and then leaving him for years without saying goodbye.
Gendry I
Sweat trickled down his exposed torso as he brought his hammer down for the final time. Gendry sighed. She had been watching him work for while now. He knew it was Arya. No One made his heart race like she did. He didn’t stop working when he first realized she was there. He didn’t know what to say. She was here and he was angry. The past 3 years had been long. It had become apparent pretty quickly that he had no interest in nor aptitude towards being a lord, but it was too late and now here he was trapped in a castle full of servants that thought him odd. They weren’t used to having a lord who tried to converse with them. No matter who his father happened to be he was always going to be a bastard blacksmith from flea bottom. To him they were people just the same as he was. Honestly a little better than him actually. They worked in a castle whereas he had only been a blacksmith in flea bottom. They didn’t know how to react when he asked them to share a meal with him or where he could go to chop wood for his forge himself. So they mostly avoided him. They did their jobs but anything further than “yes m’lord” or “no m’lord” was rare. The irony was not lost on him.
Without turning around he spoke.
“What do you want Arya?”
The soft gasp behind him confirmed that he had been right. She was here and just like him, she had no clue what to say.
“So this is how the lord of Storm’s End spends his time?” She stated. It was not a question. He knew that.
“Don’t do that Arry. Just tell me why you’re here”. He move to quench the small blade he’d been working on. This was good a place to stop as any. He couldn’t avoid this forever.
The weapons he made now were always small. Too small for most because they were always for her. No matter what his original intention was they always ended up that way.
“Well?” He tired again
“I- I just..” Arya started but trailed off quickly.
“You Just what? Want to come see the lowly stupid lord for yourself?” He spat “you just wanted to come admire your handy work? Wanted to laugh at the messed you’d made of me. You-“
“I missed you!” She cut him off. “I didn’t…” she started only to stop again. “I couldn’t…”
Gendry laughed unkindly He was about to tell her exactly what she could do about the fact that she missed him when she exploded.
“I was wrong!” She yelled. “Alright”
After a pause Arya continued. “I was wrong. I realized it a while ago and I’ve been trying to get back to you ever since.”
“And what? You thought you could just stomp back into my life and everything would be fine!”
“Not again.” Finally he said little too loudly.
“I can’t mourn you a third time Arya.” He whispered. His voice sounding fractured and desperate.
“Please Gendry” She pleaded.
He felt her small palms press gently against his lower back and her forehead rest on his shoulder blade.
“Please look at me.”
“I can’t” he whispered “ If I look at you then its real. Youre real. I can’t look at you only to have to watch you walk away again.”
“It’ll kill me this time. I know it will”
They stood like that just breathing for a few minutes the fire from the forge crackling.
Finally Arya spoke.
“I won’t.” She whispers. “I can’t, because just like you, I know that walking away again would kill me too.”
He didn’t know if he believed her. If he could trust her but he knew he wanted to.
“Please Gendry” she whispered again raising her head from his shoulder blade to look up at the back of his head.
A watery sad kind of laugh left him as he slowly turned around to look at Arya Stark for the first time in 3 years.
“I know this is a fight that we have to have, but for right now, for tonight….. Please” she whispered a final time slowly rising onto her toes to pressing her lips to his.
Pulling away she looked at him. Her grey eyes meeting his blue ones searching.
When he finally lowered his mouth to hers she let out a sob then wrapped her arms around his neck pulling him as close as possible.
“Alright” he said into her mouth. Lifting her up so she could wrap his legs around his waist. “Lets go inside Arry”.
Deepening the kiss, Gendry started slowly making his way out of the forge and back in to the castle.
The servants knew him odd for sure as they watched him slowly making his way towards his rooms with the youngest Stark girl wrapped around him. Leaving a trail of discarded clothing and weapons in their wake.
Arya II
The next morning found Arya asleep still in Gendry bed. Coming to life slowly Arya was disoriented. Something was wrong. She reached across the bed feeling for Gendry but all she found was the warm spot he had recently vacated. She sat up quickly. How had he left with out her noticing. The years of training she had been through had made her better then that. But here she was. Apparently love was making her soft already
Pulling on his tunic she started toward the door. Bare feet padding against the cold stone floor Stretching and yawning she started towards the door right as it flew open. Crashing into her gendry flew into the room.
“We have to go now!” A crazed look in his eyes and complete terror in the way he held his shoulders.
“What is going on Gendry?!?!?!”
He was scrambling around the room grabbing things and stuffing them into a bag slung over his shoulder.
“Where are your weapons? Where’s Needle?” He demanded
“Somewhere between here and the forge. We weren’t exactly cautious about were we started shedding layers. GENDY! What is going on?!?!!”
“Someone is attacking the castle. The battle has already made its way inside.”
“What! But we are at peace! Why would a battle even be necessary” she exclaimed
“Apparently not anymore. I don’t know why this is happening but it is. So let’s go”
Aryas brain finally kicked into action. Scanning the room she lunges for the first few weapons she sees. A Warhammer hanging on the wall and a thin sword so reminiscent of needle she did a double take.
Those few wasted seconds were all it took. Behind her she heard the sound of metal through skin. Turning around she saw gendry standing in the doorway bag still slung over his shoulder. The look of confusion in his changed to understating as he slowly looked down to see the point of a sword sicking out the center of his chest.
A scream left her throat as the weapon withdrew from his chest and he dropped to his knees. Behind him stood a man. He only got a second to leer at her before the blade of her newly found sword was driven directly though his eye.
Falling to her knees in front of gendry just in time to catch him before he fully hit the floor. She Cradled his head in her lap. Gendry looked up at her and gave her a sad smile. The blood was coming quickly and she didn’t know what to do.
Gendry II
Using all the strength he could muster he lifted his hand to her cheek. If this was to be it for him he wanted her fierce eyes to be the last thing he saw.
“M’lady” He whispered. Then nothing.
Then Gendry Waters wakes up.
Arya III
The Final piece of Arya Stark died that morning. After escaping storms end with Sea Davos sh found out what had happened.
Her sister, Sansa Stark, Queen in The North had committed suicide. Apparently a letter and a sword had arrived at Winterfell attach to a great white dire-wolf. Ghost.
Since she’d returned from Essos she’d wonder if there was more between Jon and Sansa than they let on. Seems there was. Its highly unlikely she would have killed her self at the news that a brother, or I guess cousin, had died. Especially not the way that she did it. She didn’t when Robb died. She didn’t when Rikon died. She didn’t when she thought Bran and I were dead. Only Jon. It was Pneumonia for Jon and Longclaw for Sansa.
Sansa died unmarried and without an heir which threw the realm into war. That instability had lead to the attack had set her on the course she was now on. To Cross one final name of her list before she offered her own name to the god of death.
The person responsible for the domino effect that had killed all of the people she loved in the world with one fell swoop.
Bran I. King of the Andals and the First Men, Lord of the Six Kingdoms, and Protector of The Realm.
They were siblings once a long time ago but she iwas no longer Arya Stark. She is No One and he was no longer Brandon stark. He was the Three Eye Raven and he had taken everything from her. So she would do the same to him.
Bran I
Bran knew she was coming. Had always known she was coming long before she did. He hated what was about to happen but he knew that in order for them to sucessceed they need key player there. And the only way to get there was to die here.
The plan had failed the first time around. The old gods had not intended them all to be flung to the far reaches of the world. Each dreaming of seeing their siblings again but knowing they wouldn’t. the victory, if you could call it that was hollow.
Arya was right. It was his fault. If he hadn’t sent Jon north of the wall the pneumonia wouldn’t have taken him. If that had not happened the realm would not be quickly spiraling towards distruction like it currently was. How had he been so wrong?
He had to finish this.
Bran waited for her in the Godswood. He knew Myra lurked somewhere around here. Unfortunately his plan depended on it. His life depended on it.
Arya did not keep him waiting. He knew she wouldn’t.
“I’ve come to kill you” she said out right. Knife held to his neck from behind.
“I know.” Bran stated neutrally.
“Do you know why I’ve come to kill you?” Arya asked sounding confused at his lack of emotion
“Yes.” He again stated neutrally. “You’re right you know? It is my fault. I’m to blame for his death.”
“So you admit it!” She yelled.
“Yes I do.”
Arya IV
“So you are going to let me give your name to the god of death?” Army demanded
“I would.” Bran said sadly. Emotion finally entering his voice. “unfortunately I don’t think meera will.”
At that Arya felt a hot sting in her back. She knew this pain. She had felt it before. Only this time she knew the blade struck true. She wouldn’t recover this time.
“I’m sorry Arya. We’ll talk about this back in Winterfell” Bran said emphatically. “Please forgive me.”
Before she even had the time to question what the hell he meant the nothingness took her. And for the first time She truly was No One.
Then Arya Stark woke up.
Bran III
With his sister dead on the ground and Myra standing confused over the body Bran wheeled around.
“Quickly Myra! Give me the knife. We haven’t got much time” Bran yelled
“She was going to kill you” Meera said feebly. The knife in her hand was shaking and tears were falling freely down her face.
“I need the knife now! We haven’t got much time”
“I killed her” Meera uttered sounding more despondent by the second.
“Meera! Please” he tried again.
Finally she moved handing him the knife only to scream when he immediately turned it on himself.
Rolling up his sleeve and cutting his forearm from wrist to elbow.
“What are you doing?” She sobbed dropping her knees and tried to stop the bleeding.
“Meera” Bran said, sounding more like himself than he had in years. “This is the only way”
Lifting her face and looking into her eyes a reassuring smile one his face.
“I will see you again. This isn’t the end. Trust me.”
“Do you promise?” she asked her tears slowing as she looked into his eyes
“I do.” He said smiling again.
“Stay with me and follow me quickly when I go. You don’t have to. The choice is yours” He urged “ but know that if you do we have a chance to set things right this time”
And so she did.
She stayed with him as he said the words that the old gods wanted to hear. Offering the three eyed raven as sacrifice in exchange for his family. For Her. For The Seven Kingdoms and the lands north of The Wall.
And then they waited. Foreheads pressed together. Bran enjoyed his few minutes and then Just like the rest of his siblings before my the nothingness came for him.
The Brandon Stark awoke.
The Godswood started to shake and the wolves started to howl all around Meera as she sat there staring at the body of the person she loved most in this world.
Taking the knife from his lap like he knew she would Meera followed him into the nothing trusting for what she hoped was to the last time.
And just like the other before her Meera Reed awoke in a different time and location than she had been.