To Protect, a fire emblem fanfic

Summary: Guy has never truly been close to the people in the group. But he has always wanted to be. What happens when he chooses someone to try and protect?

Author's Note: Yep, back to working with Guy again. Considering he's one of my favorite characters (moreso than Erk, even), I am somewhat surprised to see that I've only written a single 'story' about him so far, and it was with a canon pairing no less. This time though, I'm not holding back any of the stops if I can help it. I expect this to be a five chapter (give or take) story that will also be influenced heavily by my other story, "Erk's Journey." Consider this a kind of sequel, because I'll be including that particular pairing in there. Oh, wait, you want to know about the pairing in this one? Too bad. I'll let you know eventually.

Oh yes, a few more details.

One- Guy will not be paired with Priscilla.

Two- Karel will not be joining the party. Instead, I'll be having Harken join instead (deal with it), so as to allow Guy some peace rather than competition. Overall, Guy would beat the two hero-class characters if they were using axes, after all. Please, no flames about Karel not joining in. I've warned you in advance, after all.

Three- I don't write yuri fics, so anyone who's expecting certain pairings between the women shouldn't expect such a thing.

Four- I don't write yaoi/slash fics either, for that matter. Don't expect Guy to be paired with Matthew or anything like that, as a result.

Five- This story begins roughly just after "Erk's Journey" begins, so I'm starting during Chapter 18 in this one. You won't have to read "Erk's Journey" to understand this one, but it may help.

Six- I don't own Fire Emblem. I wish I did. This is a great series!

Seven- I'll be writing in first person while using Guy, and in third person if I need to go to someone else to try bringing in another perspective to things. Just warning you.

Chapter 18

The words that I was given from Mark burned at me. "You're too sick. Get better, then you can join a battle." he had told me, and I muttered the same words under my breath angrily as I attempted to find some way to deal with the anger that burned inside of me. I'd left home to become a knight, left my tribe- and look where it got me. Nearly starved, forced into an agreement on an oathpaper with a thief, working for bandits only to lose the job thanks to that same thief, and now part of a band of warriors that wouldn't even allow me to do my share of the fighting! Was it truly my fault that I was seasick? How was I to know that I would get sick on a boat... I'd never been on one before, let alone a huge ship that could cross an ocean.

With a sigh, I leaned against a crate that our transporter, Merlinus, had emptied and stacked outside the tent. Even Erk had been allowed to go into battle, and he was a mage. A friend of mine, no less... I was a bit worried about Lady Lyndis as well, especially after that thing with the nomadic trooper. I'm glad that no one's around to see men, as I smile a little at the memories I have of Lady Lyndis. Seeing her in battle is a joy to behold, a dance that I could only wish I could join in. Her speed and grace is that which I hope to obtain for myself one day, to be able to move in battle in the same way. I've only just begun to learn, in comparison to Lady Lyndis from Caelin. But her clothes... She is obviously from Sacae, I thought, and I smiled softly. I shall have to ask her to spar with me should we find the time to do so sometime.

I looked away from the site of the little tent that our transporter, Merlinus, had kept up for the duration of the battle. Of course, it took a few of us to make sure that we had everything ready to go once the battle was finished. Fortunately, Mark's words also bound me from helping with such preparations, and instead I was stuck watching as others fought, even if I couldn't see very far. The damned fog that had rolled in was simply foul and difficult to see through, but I looked in the direction that I had seen Erk and Florina sent to protect, back towards the shoreline that none could see anymore.

That Pegasus Knight... she'd always been sort of interesting to me. Meek and rather scared of the men that were all about in the camp, I couldn't really understand why she was even here. I remember the other day when Kent and I spoke, but even he had been unable to tell me much about the girl. We probably weren't very far from the same age, I considered, smiling a little as I remembered how she had attempted to speak with Lord Hector on the battlefield. He'd even walked away before Florina could utter a single word, and the scene made me frown a little bit. You might think she would try speaking with Erk or Matthew before someone like Lord Hector, I thought to myself, even as I looked into the haze away from them to where I heard the sounds of fighting.

With a sigh, I walked away from where I had been standing and wandered into the forest. When not in battle, one must train, I considered, and soon enough I drew my Killer Blade. I looked upon it's barely used blade and smiled. This was my most worthy companion. My blade... my life, I thought, and I closed my eyes as I allowed myself to feel its strength in my hand. None others, save Lady Lyndis, knew of the ability of a blade like this when held in the hands of those who knew how to make the most of it. Calm spread through my body as I breathed in deeply, exhaling after a moment as my eyes opened again. In place I stood, and waited, feeling the blade grow heavier in my hand. I wanted that weight, that pressure to attack, for it would do me good to at least train myself. None of the others save for the cavalier, Kent, had really provided me much challenge. Raven had provided some sport, but his lack of finesse allowed me past his guard anyway.

Then I lashed out, beginning my practice. As a result, much time passed as the sweat beaded upon my brow and I began to feel my muscles tense. My training continued, parrying and striking out at imaginary foes made of fog and imagination. A blade to the right, an axe from behind. A lance from straight ahead. All these forms flew at my mind's eye and I reacted as well as I could. I was invincible, completely self deluded in my own skills. My mind flew with my arm, my feet taking me out of reach of all comers! It almost seemed I was actually in the thick of battle.

But then my movements died as I began to think of it. I wasn't sick. Why had the tactician kept me out of the battle? If there were any sort of axe-users, I would have done well against them. But no, I had been left behind. Was I useless to the tactician? My blade was settled back into its sheathe as my mind continued along this path. I looked to the ground, so unlike the grassy plains of my homeland. Grass yes, dirt yes... but dark, darker than the lands that I hail from. From Sacae I came, and I was now far from home. I even was forced to endure a ride on a boat! I couldn't help the shiver that flowed through my body as I remembered just how ill I had been while on that ship of the pirates. The continuous back and forth movement of the boat, the rocking from side to side... it makes me almost ill just thinking of it, I found myself thinking.

I knew I was faster than most of the enemies that we had faced so far. Even more, I had found myself more in tune with the flow of nature thanks, in my mind, to my befriending Erk. Not even mages or monks had been able to hit me, and when they somehow managed to do so, it was little more than a scratch ever since then. But, I'd begun to notice something almost... disturbing. When I was in battle, I had found that our tactician had begun to station people with one another, most often those who would work well together. For instance, Lyn was nearly always near Kent. Sain was often near Ninian. Eliwood? He seemed to stay be himself so far, but was often accompanied into battle by Lord Hector. Erk and I often were stationed with one another, an unusual combination that Erk had mention on occassion.

I considered my friend, as I waited in the small clearing of the fog-infested forest. We are quite the same. He was always trying to become more, to be stronger, to overcome his mentor. I want to be the strongest swordsman in all of Sacae. I want to protect my people... but I cannot be allowed to fight. How then can I possible protect others? It was a question that I felt in my mind. It hurt me deeply. So badly, in fact, that it took someone's arrival to shake me out of it. The footsteps were light, almost too light to even hear. And I was quite aware that they were the steps of a woman's, and I turned slowly. The enemy rarely employed women, and as I turned, I found that though it was a woman, certainly it was not one which I need worry of.

"Ah, you're here." came the clear voice. She had a voice of strength and beauty, a calm from within that I could only wish that I could possess. I bowed to her slowly, but smiled slightly as I saw her wave at me to stop. The smile she gave made me grin and I shrugged slightly. "We are from the same plains, my friend. Never bow to me." she told me, and I nodded to her in understanding. I will have to make it a point to bother her like that from now on. "We are to be leaving soon, just so you know. Serra and Priscilla are healing Lord Eliwood and Kent now, and then we'll be off." Lady Lyndis informed me, and I nodded in return at that. Of course, that whole while I fought the blush that had nearly appeared when she had come to Erk and myself during the boat ride, after the battle had been finished.

Fortunately, she didn't know that, and she seemed to be rather patient with me as I struggled to come up with something to say. Finally, after a few seconds I smiled again and then actually spoke. "Thank you, milady." I told her and I saw her frown immediately upon the usage of her title. I blinked, and then understanding dawned on me. "I mean, thank you, Lyn." I said this time, a blush creeping onto my face as I felt the heat rise. She nodded now, a smile creasing her features before it turned into a grin. Damn... she was nearly as bad as Matthew, I thought, as I smiled sheepishly when she turned to head back to camp. "Wait, Lyn... is Kent alright?" I asked her, and she stopped in midstride before turning somewhat to look at me from over her shoulder.

"Kent will be fine, Guy. He took a few arrows, but he just would not give up and leave that man to live after what he did earlier." she told me, a flat sound in her voice causing me to wonder just how badly he had been hurt. The man that she spoke of... must have been that nomadic trooper, a kind of person I had not seen in years who hailed from our homelands. I nodded slowly, and began walking after her as I worried. How was Erk and Kent? Kent was someone I wanted to become like, eventually. A strong knight, one who could protect those that he wanted to keep safe. She began walking again, a bit faster as if to leave me behind, and so she did after a few moments.

Then and there, I knew that I would need to speak with him. As far as I could tell, and I was by far one of the worst 'loners' (as Matthew had put it) of this entire group, Kent was always there to protect Lady Lyndis. He was always within some short distance to her, either by earshot or within visual distance as well. I had never heard of a time when he hadn't been there to protect, not since Sain had told me of how they had first met... and then I had asked Kent to tell me the true story. Unlike many of the Kutolah warriors, I found that Kent, though a powerful warrior, was not a great speaker of deeds and history. I learned several things then, however. Such as, never ask Sain of an account of heroism when he might possibly be in it, and just how the aptly named Lyndis' Legion had come about thanks to the tactician that even now directed us all.

That fact bothered me when I thought of it. The tactician had obviously thought of me as not worth having in battle. I am not sick, I told myself. Over and over. The mental chanting soon changed, however. I am not weak! But someone thought I was. I came out from the forest as I soon found the others had already packed up everything and were on the march. To become stronger... even Matthew had sought me out, chastised me. Among these already strong people, I had no one who I could truly call my friend, save for Erk. But I cannot spar to become stronger against a mage. It would be folly to do so, of course. And I had sparred often with Kent, and Raven. Only these two provided the challenge required. Lords Eliwood and Hector. Lady Lyndis. No, I could not face these three in battle. It would be approaching others far above my station, and to challenge them would simply force me to disgrace myself if I should be spurned.

"Guy!" I heard from a familiar voice, and I turned slightly with my right hand resting upon the hilt of the killer blade that I wore at my side, sheathed away from being in use. I smiled a little, seeing Erk coming up closer to me. He seemed to be smiling, which was a rather nice thing to see on his face rather than the normal dour look that he kept. Then again, knowing him, he'd likely been busy keeping away from Serra. It was rather unusual to see those two, and how Erk had managed to go from Caelin all the way to Ostia in an effort to escort her... well, I believe learning the ways of a Pheraen nobleman would be easier to understand.

"Erk, it is good to see you well. Did you come from the battle uninjured?" I asked him, and he nodded slightly as he looked to the air for a moment. I gazed upwards as well, and saw another pegasus knight above us both. The knight seemed to be speaking with Florina, and I couldn't help but to wonder as to who this new person was. I could not truly see her well from such a distance, and as Erk began to speak, I looked from the heavens and back to him again.

"Yes... And the new pegasus knight's name is Fiora." Erk informed me, and I nodded slowly as I looked around slowly. We were at the tail end of the group, it seemed. Appropriate- the two of us could provide support to the pegasus knights if required, after all. It wasn't as if they were infallible- in fact, the two of us had been found to be an effective deterrent against most any foe, especially when someone who could use a lance was about as well. We had been teamed up with Fiora once before, and truth be told, even our tactician had been impressed by the teamwork that had been provided. There had not been a chance since then to try it again, however, though I do welcome the chance when it does become available. Fiora? How unusual. The name sounded much like Florina's...

"Any relation to Florina, per chance?" I asked him, and he nodded slightly, looking ahead as he pulled the hood of his cloak over his head. I found myself somewhat amused by this, though I did not say anything after that. Well, not aloud at any rate. A sister, I wondered, even as I felt the wind pick up and the heard the sound of the winged beasts behind us though on either side. I looked to my right, and found Florina there, trotting along astride her pegasus... what had she named it? Huey? To the left, on Erk's other side, from which he was looking to the newcomer, was the older woman. Obviously older than I... and Erk as well, I considered. Still she had a polite and warm smile for the two of us.

"Florina, shall we give our comrades a ride?" she asked, and I blinked in surprise. Horseback? Or rather, pegasus-back... Well, I had been rescued by Florina once before, and suffered no ill effects from the short ride at least. Strange choice, I thought to myself, even as I looked over to Florina when Erk did, just in time to see the blush that crept onto her face. I heard footsteps and a small push from the ground, and I looked over to Fiora and Erk in time to see the mage climb up behind the older pegasus knight. My own face began to heat up as I glanced back to Florina, perched upon her pegasus, and I saw her reddened face as she watched her sister with Erk behind her.

And then she caught sight of me, as if she was someone who just found herself under attack by a person with a bow. Her eyes seemed to widen, and within them, I saw a conflict much like the one I felt inside myself. I was nothing, no one... completely unimportant in the scheme of battles, as per what the tactician had hinted at by not allowing me to participate in battle. I heard Erk's voice as he thanked Fiora for the ride, and then I blinked. Did I see Florina nod? Her chin went down just the slightest amount, barely noticeable. But I did notice, and I returned the nod before I slid up behind the young pegasus knight. Mother Earth and Father Sky, just what had I done to deserve such a nice thing?

I felt and heard the girl gasp as I wrapped my arms about her waist, and when we heard Fiora's voice, I couldn't help but to look away while blushing. "I see that you have not changed since the last I saw you, Florina." she said, and I felt Florina shift a bit as she looked back at her older sister, glaring at the woman. I blinked, uncertain of such ways as this that I was now noticing. Florina was a bit more... what's the word? Confident. Yes, she was much more confident right now than I had ever seen her before.

It was during the next battle when I was given the opportunity to prove myself again. Finally! I couldn't wait, but when the tactician said that many of the troops we would be facing were magic users and knights, my hopes were dashed. Oh, just perfect... how could I possibly battle a knight and hope to bring my skills to bear against their heavy armor? I sighed softly as the march began, and the first few mages became known. There was even a shaman a bit further back as well. With a groan, I shook my head slowly as I received my orders.

Engage the nearest mage, the tactician told me. Oh, great... and I was being told to do that before anyone else? Perhaps I truly was simply holding everyone back, and the tactician wanted me out of the way? But no, that could not be the reason, for Lady Lyndis and sir Kent were soon beside me, with little Florina on Lyndis' other side. I smiled a little at the realization of just how wrong I had been... but with these three with me, or were we with Lady Lyndis? At any rate, at least I would not go alone, and I drew my killer blade as I came to the unsuspecting mage. It took no more than a single fluid movement to cause the mage to falter and fall, his blood staining the dark ground at our feet as we moved forward. There was a cry of pain elsewhere, and I looked over to see that Florina had done her own damage to another mage that had been threatening our small group.

Then I frowned upon seeing a knight and that shaman moving towards us. I sighed softly, and grasped the blade more firmly in hand as I headed towards them, even as Lady Lyndis and Kent moved to striking distance. Kent and the knight exchanged blow, and from the way that Kent was now almost limping in his saddle hinted at the wound he had been given by the knight's lance. I shuddered a little bit, even as I saw Lady Lyndis deal with the shaman. She glanced over to Kent, a look of surprise in her eyes at what must have been pure luck on the part of the enemy to inflict such a grievous wound to her protector. I felt myself shake again, and then I charged forward at the knight. Once within range of the man's side, I jumped back and darted forward again, and I felt my speed and anger take over as I flashed about the heavily armored man.

I came back to a resting stance after a few seconds. I'd attacked the man from four different directions, and I waited a moment to see what kind of effect it would have. I saw the armor hunch down, for I could not truly see the man within it, and the lance that the knight held very nearly fell from his grasp. But then it flashed out at me, and I barely had the time to avoid it by moving withing my own striking range to strike the knight again. Yet, still he stood, and I groaned slightly. If he recovered, I would likely lose my life! It was about then when I found a javelin arrowing in on the knight, and there was a cry of pain that escaped the man in the armor before he fell forward and lay still upon the ground. I looked up to see where the javelin had come from, and I found Florina not too far away, soon swooping in close on her Huey to pull the javelin from the broken knight's body.

I smiled, giving the meek pegasus knight a nod in appreciation that I doubted that she would have noticed. Her eyes seemed focused elsewhere, and I looked in the direction she was facing. The color drained from my face as I paled, seeing finally the pair of knights who were heading in our direction. Fortunately, this time, Lord Hector was between us and the incoming knights, and I smiled a little. I remembered what Lord Hector could do to knights if he had the advantage, and he certainly held a large axe to signify his advantage over the lance users.

All of us stopped after a moment, something in the air announcing the arrival of... something. Everyone seemed to feel it, but it was Canas who managed to describe it after he'd been attacked. He barely avoided the lance that had been thrust his way, but the strange thing was that the shaman never counter attacked! Very unusual, of course, and he hurried away from the battle to inform the tactician about it. I blinked in surprise as I saw a mage enter the same general area that Canas had been, and he even attempted to cast some type of magic- only to fail! I began to smile a little- maybe this was how I could prove myself, I thought to myself, as I moved forward quickly. Oh, there were a few knights, but with Lord Hector and Lady Lyndis heading forward to deal with them, it left myself and Florina to deal with the mages who seemed to be out of luck.

It didn't take long. I weaved in with an iron sword, to make sure that my killer blade wouldn't get badly used in a battle like this, and more than one mage lost his life to my attacks, despite using a weaker weapon. Florina managed to take out one opponent easily enough, but then found a bolt of thunder flashing upon her. The meek knight gave a cry in pain as she looked to the mage that had managed to cast the spell, glaring at the soon to be short-lived spellcaster. I darted forward, striking at the mage quickly and the man didn't even have a chance to try to defend himself before he slumped to the ground from the iron blade that found deep purchase into his flesh. I stopped a moment to wipe the blade clean of the mages' blood on the cape of the mage that had just died, not once looking towards anyone save the enemy as I did so. I would not be attacked while I was not aware anymore, of this I was certain.

Then I heard something very unusual from the tactician. Save Rebecca and Merlinus? Where is she? I looked back the way we had come, and sure enough, there she was with a pair of pegasus knights that were threatening to make their way to her and Merlinus. "Damn!" I muttered, and then sprinted back into the distance to try and make it there in time to save the lone archer that Mark had stationed to keep a watch over our peddler. But no, I wasn't the only one, fortunately, as I saw Florina speed away, winging quickly towards her friend. I had to slow to a halt after a moment to catch my breath, watching as the pegasus knights attacking merlinus and Rebecca sped away, and I thought for a moment that they perhaps had decided to retreat.

Wait a moment... my eyes went wide as I saw that they were getting closer, and not further away! A mental check of the situation revealed that I certainly was the only real inviting target now that there was an archer and a pegasus knight to keep them from attacking Merlinus. They had advantages of reach and mobility... I simply had my speed, and even that might not be good enough against such agile opponents. I grit my teeth before setting the iron sword away, and I brought out my killer blade. Now, these opponents deserved that much.

The first swooped in and I found myself very nearly impaled upon the lance. I struck out at the enemy, but the pegasus knight must have been ready for the move, for she took herself and her pegasus well out of range of my attack. The second came in on my right, and I cried out in pain as I felt the lance slide through my left arm as I turned to face my opponent. When the lance was removed, I gasped in pain as well when I felt my arm slowly become warm... but not in a good way. I shuddered as I drew my right arm back, then struck forward, causing my killer blade to find purchase just above the woman's leg and along her stomach. I heard her gasp, and then slide off of the pegasus, which quickly flew away as it left the rider to bleed to death in front of me.

But even as I turned to face the other knight who had already attacked me, I found that Rebecca had made her way down to fire a pair of arrows in a row at the pegasus knight, and she too fell from the saddle. Just as the other had, this pegasus flew off as well while Florina and Rebecca came close. I cleaned my blade, wincing at the pain that I forced myself to endure. Our tactician saw fit to not bring a healer to this battle, and so I was forced to use a vulnerary if I were to be healed before the battle was finished. Sheathing the blade, I then clutched at my left arm in an attempt to stop the bleeding that was making me feel light-headed, and I frowned a little as my walking finally slowed a bit.

I closed my eyes, and I couldn't help the feelings that went through my mind- the one of not being useful, of being used. Perhaps I was right at the beginning of this battle, I considered, even as I fell to my knees and then forward. The ground felt rather good at this point, but even that thought escaped me after a few moments as I felt darkness cloud over my mind. And I lay there as I attempted to regain my strength, only vaguely aware that someone had seen fit to try and help me to my feet. Another moment passed, and I wasn't aware of the fact that I'd been set into a hastily set up tent for the healers to do their jobs. But the feeling of magical healing, I could not feel as yet, and so I passed blissfully into a deep sleep.

Author's Note: No, he's not dead. And yes, I'll be writing more. Suggestions are always accepted via e-mail, but flames, comments, and compliments are preferred in reviews. Let me know what you think, and I'll see what I can do about writing another chapter with the actual pairings I have in mind. Yes, I realize that I haven't done a whole lot to try and make the title worth using yet, but that will change with the next chapter or two, I think. I just wanted to do this to see how I could pull off Guy's character in a situation like the ones I'm putting him into. I also realize that there's plenty of angst in here as well, and I hope that that in particular worked out. I personally think this is how Guy would feel at this point, because I think most people at that stage in the game choose Raven over Guy to be their swordsman in the party. Just my opinion, though.