Author's Notes: This work follows the story of Rebecca, Wil, and Dart of Fire Emblem: Rekka no Ken through the game. However, there are three important bits I need to shell out:

A. I'm going to ignore the actual game mechanics of the support system and pretend any character can get as many supports as I want.

2. For simplicity's sake, the tactician's name is the generic Mark.

D. I consider Eliwood x Ninian canon.


4 years before Lyn's story…

As of that moment, everything was going exactly according to plan. Dan rummaged through his pack one last time, trying to stay quiet. He didn't want to disturb anyone in the house. As he looked, he checked off things in his mind as he accounted for what was inside. He had his spare clothes, food, and everything else he could need for a trip. He closed up the bag and slung it over his shoulder. With a sigh, he looked around at the room that made up the kitchen and living space of their small house. Since it was in the middle of the night, it was dark and he couldn't see very much. But he was determined to commit the whole thing to memory before he left. Dan had a brief moment of uncertainty and almost set his pack down, figuring he could apologize to Wil tomorrow for backing out. Then his eyes landed on the doorway that led to his little sister's bedroom.

Rebecca was more important to him than anything and he would do anything to make her life better. He would do this for her. Steeling his resolve, he tiptoed his way over to the front door, trying not to knock into anything in the dark. He wasn't successful as his foot ran into a chair at one point, causing him to stop and strain his ears. When no sound came to alert him that his parents had woken up, he continued on his way, but once again did not make it very far.

"Brother?"

Dan froze at the quiet, tired voice. He turned slowly, hoping he wouldn't find her. His shoulders drooped as he saw Rebecca standing in the bedroom doorway and rubbing her eyes. She looked adorable in her nightgown with her green hair plaited into twin braids over her shoulders. Her ragged stuffed bunny was hanging from one hand, trailing along the floor. She clung to the toy despite the fact that she'd said many times that she was grown up and didn't need it any longer.

But she couldn't know he was leaving—he and Wil had decided not to tell anyone else that they were going. Their parents would complain and make a big fuss of how they weren't old enough. It was why they were sneaking out in the middle of the night, making sure that no one was there to stop them. He thought he might be able to distract her for a minute, feed her some story of how he couldn't sleep or something. Some sort of story to get her back into her bed none the wiser. Hopefully, she wouldn't realize what had happened until tomorrow morning. "Rebecca, what are you doing awake?" he whispered, succeeding in keeping the panic from his tone.

Wobbling, she wandered over to him as she said, "A noise woke me up." Her hand dropped from her eyes as she blinked. Her head tilted to the side in the way she always did when she was trying to figure something out. Suddenly, her eyes widened and she asked, "Why do you have your pack? Are you leaving?" Her voice was almost hysterical.

In two steps, Dan had walked up to her and gathered her into his arms. It was partly to comfort her but also partly to make sure that she didn't wake up their parents. He felt her grip his shirt as he heard her start sobbing into his chest. "Shh…please stop crying, Rebecca," he pleaded. He tossed a glance over his shoulder, wondering if Wil was waiting for him. Somehow, he had to get her back into bed.

"But…why?" Rebecca stuttered between her hiccups. She had pulled enough away from him to lift her face to look at him. He was grateful it was dark so that he couldn't make out her glistening eyes and tear-stained cheeks. Dan knew he would never be able to leave her like that if he could see it. It was bad enough imagining it.

"It's for you," Dan explained as he patted her shoulders with his hands. "For you and Mom and Dad. We're going to make lots of gold and come back and live like royalty forever," he finished enthusiastically yet still trying to keep his voice to a whisper.

"We?" Rebecca repeated confused. But then, even in the dark, he could tell that her eyes narrowed as she stated, "Wil. Wil's going with you."

Dan nodded. He pulled away from her grasp and pulled his pack higher up onto his shoulder. He made a move to the door but was stopped once again by Rebecca as she gripped his sleeve with her hand. "You will come back?" she whispered in a hesitant tone. There was a trembling in her voice that almost broke his resolve again. He had to get away from her before he decided to stay.

So, he smiled down at his sister and laid a hand on her head. "Of course," Dan said. "We'll be back before you know it." He grinned before he teased, "Then you can marry Wil cause I know you like him."

"I do not!" Rebecca protested as she stamped her foot on the ground. Chuckling, he turned and opened the front door. Suddenly, he was gripped from behind and he knew without looking that it was Rebecca once again. He sighed, prepared to tell her to let him go, when he heard her whisper in a choked voice, "Goodbye, brother. Don't let Wil get you into too much trouble." Then she let him go on her own.

"Goodbye, Rebecca. Tell Mom and Dad I love them, okay?" he said as he stepped out of the doorway.

"Okay," she whispered back to him. He heard the door shut behind him and he didn't look back as he made his way down the street.

Wil was waiting for him at the end of the street. His own pack was lung over his shoulder with his quiver hanging around his waist and bow in hand. In the moonlight, he could see Wil's grin as his best friend, said, Ready?"

Dan threw one final look back at his home before he nodded and together they set out to make their fortunes.


After Noble Lady of Caelin…

He was a dead man. It had been quite a bit of rushing from place to place, from battle to battle. She knew that they had gathered some new members in the last few battles, but she didn't know one of them was him.

Rebecca didn't know when they'd picked him up. But he was a dead man because she ought to go over and wring his neck herself.

She had been so focused on finding Dan that she'd never thought of what she'd do if she encountered Wil again. She fumed until she realized that Wil had left with her brother all those years ago. So, Dan could be here in the army right now. As discreetly as she could, she crept around the camp, looking for Dan. It stood to reason that—five years or not—if she recognized Wil right away, it would be even quicker with Dan. But she'd checked with Lowen. Other than some Caelin knights and, oddly enough, a monk that Rebecca had to triple check to make sure he was indeed a man, there were no other new recruits besides Wil. Her heart began to beat in her chest. She found herself terrified that something might have happened to Dan. Why else would Wil have separated with him?

Rebecca was petrified to go over to talk to him—afraid to learn that the truth was something she didn't want to hear. There was plenty of anger left as well—both at the fact that he left and that he might have survived when Dan had not. That line of thinking made her so ashamed of herself; she should be happy that Wil was alive. His parents were still her next-door neighbors and good friends of her parents.

At a lost, Rebecca knew she needed time. Time to sort out her feelings and what she wanted to say to him—time for the courage to ask about her brother. She determined to avoid Wil until she got that.


Port of Badon…

He grabbed a pile of sand in his hand and let it trickle through his fingers. Since it was wet from the water that kept rushing up the shore in waves, swirling around his boots, it came out in clumps that fell to the ground. The sand made an unappealing splattering sound as it hit. There was nothing smooth or soft about the cold wet sand beneath him.

The remaining sand was stuck to his palm. He brushed it off on his pants as he rose from his crouching position and stepped back from the water. A cool sea breeze rushed across the beach from the blue mass before him, tugging at his clothes and hair as it passed by him.

The Port of Badon was the last place Wil had seen Dan.

Wil was not always so thoughtful, which may have been one of the reasons they had separated in the first place. It had been such a stupid argument—he didn't even remember what it was about or what started it. Both of those were indications of probably exactly how dumb it had been and how dumb they had been to leave home in the first place.

All he knew now was that, whatever the argument had been, it had caused him to be unable to see his best friend for the last five years. Or to have the courage to return home alone with none of the goals or aspirations he left with accomplished. He lived in Caelin, which wasn't even that far from Pherae. He was now currently serving in Lord Eliwood's army. It was through Lyn, of course, but it still basically counted. How many more signs was it going to take to get through his skull?

A commotion on the dock caught his attention. He turned and looked to find his group fighting some pirates under Marks' direction. He began to run over to help, but he glanced back to the water once more. Maybe it was time. Maybe, when they were finished helping Lord Eliwood, he'd return home again to see his best friend.