Meep.

I was going to post to post this one first, but the Mafia got ahold of me, so...yeah.

Fair warning, this has a bunch of supernatural elements, so if I call someone a vampire or something, that's why. I also have a few OC's. Their descriptions will be posted on my profile page soon under 4-5-15. Note that not all of the ones on my page are going to be in here.

4-14-15 Update: I originally wasn't going to put this in as a crossover with Vampire Academy because there aren't really any of the characters in this, only the elements and references. But, according to my sister, who has been at this a lot longer, I should. So it is. If you were hoping to find Rose or Sydney or anyone else from the VA cast, I'm sorry to disappoint, but they'll probably only be referenced.

Disclaimer: I don't own the Fire Emblem cast or the Vampire Academy plot and elements included. Or else, this stuff would be realer than it really is.

So, onto the story!

"Attention," the intercom sounded. "All first-year students must report to the gymnasium for orientation. I repeat, all first-year students report to the gymnasium for orientation."

Edward stuffed his thin black jacket into his duffel bag, picking up his pace to match Volug's longer strides. He was only half listening to the werewolf's conversation as he glanced around, taking in the sights of the 'prison' he would once again be stuck in for the next nine-and-a-half months. They were returning for their third year at the boarding school, and he inwardly groaned at the idea of potentially facing some of the previous year's teachers.

"…place is packed this year," Edward heard from the last clip of Volug's conversation. "It seems Shiner's reputation as the safest school for the supernatural is holding true this year."

"…Hm…" the shorter teen let out a small hum of agreement, scanning his eyes over the students standing around the main lobby. The more preppy students were hanging around the office in one huge group, per usual: Roy, Merric, and Wolt cracking jokes that only they would understand, the redhead with an arm slung around Lilina's shoulders; Marth silently leaning against the way nearby, his nose in a large novel that looked as if it could be even bigger than the Harry Potter series; Caeda, Eirika, Tana, and L'Arachel standing right by him chatting loudly, Caeda occasionally glancing at the teen with her usual love-struck gaze; Ephraim, Innes, and Ike discussing training, Soren held close to the last by his waist. The half-dragon seemed odd compared to the rest of the group, his dark green hair a stark contrast to the brighter colors of the rest. Maybe Ike liked them different from the norm…? Edward couldn't help but chuckle at the thought of the jock chasing anyone, really, let alone someone so reserved and soft-spoken, and an outcast from the rest.

It was also a surprise that Ike wasn't with the other athletes, Edward noted. The group hung near the gym entrance, some itching to get to practice, others not so much. The group partially consisted of the McGinty brothers, five – well, now six with the inclusion of a first-year – teenage boys related through one large adoption. Wolf was the heart-breaker of the lot, with looks and skills that would make any girl drool at the sight of him. He wasn't too fond of speaking, however; he simply preferred to keep to himself, unless an issue arose with one of his brothers. Will and Vyland were the jokers, with Will being just a little more flirtatious than the other redhead. But the real player of the boys was Tomas, the only second-year of the five. Along with his spotless streak as an award-wining tracklete, he had that perfect combination of boyish charm and good looks to get him just about any girl he had his eyes set on. Of course, it wasn't as if Sedgar, his blood-brother, entirely approved of his endeavors. He and Vyland were the two of restraint; they would wait until the right person came into their lives to make any real moves.

They were some of the stars, though the group didn't consist entirely of them. Fir and Noah always hung close by, the former eager to get some tennis practice in, and her boyfriend ever willing to stay by her side and coach her. Cain and Abel were discussing – well, Cain was practically yelling – with their ever-clashing ideals, sparking a reaction of amusement from the other teen. Franz balanced a football (A/N: Not American football; soccer – for everyone else in the world who call it football.) on his head, starting up a game of cat and mouse with Ross, who was – keyword: trying – to get the ball away from the younger second-year. Minerva stood by on her own, her elder brother and idol, Michalis, graduating the year past. She was nowhere near shy, mind you; she was simply more of a loner type. She and the two – now three – Dallas sisters made up part of the best volleyball team imaginable, combining perfect teamwork and coordination that would take most teams months upon months to master. However, Palla and Catria were off aiding in the first-year orientation, where both their and Minerva's younger sisters were present, leaving the eldest teen by her lonesome.

Edward looked from the jocks to the bookworms close to the lobby door. He had always wondered how Marth and Merric never tried to fit in with them. The two were often reading – the former much more often than the latter – and Marth's elder sister (and Merric's crush, but don't tell them I told you that) was once there before her graduation the past year. Laura and Lena were close to one another, sharing tidbits on healing and the like, while Laura's 'brother' Aran kept an eye on her close by. Julian, the class clown of the decade, was attempting to flirt with the clerics, though Aran, along with Lena's own brother, Matthis, gave him harsh glares, prompting him to keep his distance. Rhys and Ewan seemed amused by the engagement, sharing their own knowledge with the girls. Rhys was never one to talk, really, but he would enthusiastically speak his mind on the topics that interested him. Ewan was a bit more outgoing, frequently playing mind games with Ross, who had yet to ever solve the boy's riddles. Amelia and Neimi were nearby, chatting on the perfect recipes they could try out over the course of the school year, Neimi leaning back against her boyfriend Colm, and Amelia absentmindedly turning the bracelet Franz gave her around on her wrist. Artur occasionally put in his own opinions, glancing at Lute every so often, who was placing nearly every ounce of her attention in a large novel, taking only a rare second or two to glance back at the monk. Caesar sat a little further away, absorbed in a book and paying little attention to the others. He was one of those mixed-bag-types of people. When he wasn't on the court or at the forge, he was in the library, reading up on who knows what. Either way, he was popular with the ladies, though he didn't seem to show all that much interest in dating.

And then there were the laguz off to the side of the large room. They were full-on shifters, like Volug, though they had to keep their animal side physically present in some way at all times, whereas the wolf could hide those features, being half laguz, half werewolf. They weren't outcasts, – in fact, nowhere near that – but they preferred to stick in one group when possible. They and most normal beorc had running tensions between them, and it would still be some time yet before the two races would fully accept one another. Ranulf seemed to run the group, cracking the most jokes and leading the way. Kyza and Lyre were constantly fighting for the blue cat's attention, much to his own chagrin. The two were complete opposites in most ways: Kyza was hard-working and dutiful, always doing his upmost in every class; Lyre was a wild-child, throwing parties and enjoying being in the spotlight. There was one thing they had in common, though – they would willingly throw the other to the gutter if it meant being the center of Ranulf's attention. Lethe was the voice of reason for her twin sister's crazy antics; she was serious and straight-forward, though she harbored the most distrust of the beorc. Reyson sat off a little ways to the side, chatting quietly with Ulki. Reyson was bold, but at the same time still gentle and serene, as required of a heron royal. Ulki was the most reasonable of the birds, keeping the prince and rash Janaff out of trouble. Even so, Janaff was still a prankster and a flirt, causing trouble with quite a few teachers.

And he wasn't the only one. Xane perched near a set of stairs, a mischievous set of eyes scanning the room for someone to prank. He was a sort of drifter; he never stayed with one group for too long. He was the person to cause THE most trouble in the building, with the ability to shift into most any form he chose. With the ability to mimic voices and actions perfectly, he could pretend to be a teacher at one point or another, and no one would notice. He was the man of mysteries to quite a few girls, and his flirtatious habits weren't too much of a good side for him, either.

"Are you really even paying any attention, Ed?"

Edward jerked his head back to Volug at the question. "S-sorry," he apologized. "I was just thinking."

Volug raised his eyebrows, a grin rising on his face. "Thinking? That's a new one."

"Oh, shut up," he said, playfully swatting at the wolf.

"Hey! Eddie, Volug!"

The two headed toward the sound of the voice, calling out greetings to those at the table near the main hall. None of them really seemed to change all that much, personality-wise: Pelleas and Sophia were quietly reading the same book and chatting on its contents, Alexis leaning against the blunet's arm, silently following along; Chad had his music in his ears and was fully absorbed in his sketching, as his girlfriend, Cath, seemed to be nowhere around.

Tormod bounded over to the pair, arms spread wide. "Hey! How have you guys been doing?"

Edward returned the redhead's embrace, then clapped a hand on his shoulder. "Pretty good. Got to see where Volug came from for the first time in, like, ever."

"You've been living with him and his mom for almost five years, and you're just now getting to see their hometown?" Sothe jumped down from the table and leaned against it, next to Micaiah, who put down her own novel to pay further attention to the conversation.

Volug sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Yeah, well, my mom's not a huge fan of going back there. It has some…unpleasant memories for her."

"Oh…" Micaiah's gaze lowered. "We didn't know anything like that may have been a possibility."

He waved a hand. "Don't worry about it. So," he started, walking over to the table and stepping on the seat, "who here actually had something interesting happen over the break?"

Chad removed an earbud and looked in the wolf's direction, finally taking notice of his and Edward's presence. "Oh, hey. Were you just saying something?"

Alexis giggled lightly, sitting up straight. "Look who's paying so much attention. Of course, beautiful artwork takes concentration, but, nevertheless, it wouldn't entirely hurt to at least have the music low enough to hear everything else around you." The girl seemed to have changed the most over the summer, compared to the rest; her once porcelain-fair complexion was now a semi-deep tan, and her flowing, deep purple hair now went down to her waist, though she still had bangs ringing her soft face. She had grown much more beautiful…Edward ceased his thoughts on the matter, holding back a blush. She was Pelleas' girlfriend and Wolf's twin sister; if either of them caught him thinking such thoughts, the confrontation would be nowhere near a pleasant one.

The corner of Chad's lips tugged upward for a moment before settling back down into a neutral expression. "Sorry. I've just been trying to get this finished for the past week."

Edward leaned over the second-year's shoulder to get a good look at his project, but he quickly covered it up with his arm. The elder brunet sighed. "Come on, Chad. Why do you never let anyone see what you're working on?"

"It's not that," he said, closing the flap of his sketchbook and putting his pencil on his ear. "I just don't want anyone seeing it while it's not finished."

"But even when you do finish something, you never let us see it," Tormod complained. He crossed his arms and lightly smirked. "I bet you let Cath see them," he said in a tease.

A soft blush rose on the younger teen's face. He closed his eyes. "She's my girlfriend. Of course she gets the privilege to see my unfinished work. Besides, it's far too tiring trying to keep anything from her anyways."

"Wonder if that's the only thing only she gets to see," Volug teased, waggling his eyebrows. "Perhaps you're the one here who had the most interesting experience this past summer."

The blush on Chad's face immediately deepened, and he gawked at the wolf, eyes wide and at a loss for words. "…Ah-…"

Tormod and Edward were doubled over in laughter almost as soon as the words came out of the dark-haired teen's mouth. Sothe snorted and attempted to hide his hilarity, though he wasn't doing the best possible job at it.

"Oh Volug, was that really necessary?" Micaiah scolded, though in reality she still found the thought somewhat amusing.

"That was completely necessary," the elder teen answered matter-of-factly with a short nod, a wide smile on his face.

Pelleas put his book down and put his face in his hand, quietly chuckling and slightly shaking his head. "It's Volug, Micaiah," he spoke as he looked back up. "It's to be expected by now."

Alexis sighed and shook her head. "You boys, I swear…"

The blunet feigned offence. "What did I do?" He wrapped his arms around her and held her close to his chest. "Are you saying I'm not a good boyfriend?"

She laughed softly and rested her head in the crook of his neck. "Don't be absurd. It could never be like that, my love. You're everything a woman could ask for," she said, causing Tormod to pretend to gag at the mush.

Sophia sighed at the pair in a dreamy way. "You two are so perfect together…" Her voice was still soft, but it was much steadier than it had been the past year when she first came to the school. (A/N: Have to make a My Little Pony and Glee reference; just imagine a mixture of Fluttershy and Tina's voices, respectively, and you've got it. Blame me having to watch a marathon of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic with my niece. Not trying to insult it, but I'd rather not watch 20 episodes in a row, thanks.)

"What, no boyfriend yet, Sophie?" Edward asked, leaning forward to rest his arms on the table.

The second-year blushed lightly. "Well, no, but there was this first-year I had met earlier today…"

Chad sighed quietly, glad that the focus was no longer on him or his love life. "Join the love club, then. Might be able to keep you further away from him," he lightly jerked his head in Volug's direction, "and his never-ending torture. After all, he's single."

Sophia giggled, louder than expected for someone as soft-spoken as her. "I'm sure I've not much to worry about anyways, seeing as you seem to be his main focus."

Cue the return of the blush. "W-well…"

"Hey guys!" Cath ran over to the group and jumped into the seat next to her boyfriend, Sue trailing right behind her. Those two hadn't changed a bit over the past two-and-a-half months; Cath was still loud and semi-wild, and Sue was still quiet and reserved. "You'll never believe what we heard-" She paused for a moment and cocked her head at Chad. "What's with you?"

"Please don't ask," he said, suppressing a groan and shutting off his music.

"Fine, whatever. Anyways," she continued, "guess what we just found out!"

"Reglay finally got fired?!" Tormod guessed enthusiastically, perking his head up.

She scrunched her face. "What? No. They'll never get rid of him. In fact, I think he got a raise or promotion or something like that this year."

Tormod groaned loudly and looked up at the ceiling. "Why must they keep him?! He's evil and torturous!"

Sue giggled lightly, sitting down between Cath and Micaiah. "You just don't like him because he gives you a hard time. He only acts that way towards you because he sees potential in you. You just won't take the initiative to further you're magical ability."

The redhead crossed his arms. "Humph. Murium says that I don't have to do anything I don't want to do. And the last thing I want to do is spend an hour after classes every day with the guy in some dusty old library reading about spirits and all that."

Sothe tsked and shook his head. "You really don't like the idea of potentially setting a bathroom on fire or anything?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

He thought for a moment, then slightly nodded his head in agreement. "That DOES sound like fun, I admit, but that doesn't mean I wanna spend an extra hour with Reglay, either way. If it was a different professor, I might be more inclined to try it out."

"ANYWAYS," Cath said loudly, drawing the attention back to her, "we just found out that apparently the orphan son of some noble Moroi is coming here this year."

"A Moroi noble?" Edward asked, sounding surprised. "Don't they have a school specifically for Moroi and dhampirs? What's he coming here for?"

"Remember what I said earlier about Shiner having a reputation for being the safest school for the supernatural? That's probably why," Volug replied. "Especially considering the barrier breach last year, I'm surprised there aren't any more coming in than normal."

"And it isn't as if we've no such thing as Moroi or dhampirs in this school," Alexis added. She nodded at the brunet. "You of all people would know this."

Edward glanced down at the bandages over his right palm, wrist, and half of his forearm. He had them there to cover the tattoos defining him not as a dhampir guardian, but rather as something else entirely. Something the supernatural had come to fear and resent. Something they would willingly discriminate against and kill to protect themselves. He was the only one at the school, having a family history he abandoned and would rather not think about. Hence the reason for living with Volug and his mother for five years. He sighed. "Yeah, yeah, I know. But that doesn't mean I'm not surprised there's a noble here. I mean, sure, there ARE nobles and royals here, but not in regards to Moroi. That's what's bugging me, I guess."

"Even though all graduating dhampir guardians are assigned to noble and royal Moroi?" Pelleas asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Ugh, don't remind me. Most of them are stuck up and snobby. I want nothing to do with them a majority of the time."

Micaiah gave him a quizzical look. "Are you sure you're a dhampir, Edward? Other than you, I've never met one who's so open about their distaste for upper-class Moroi. They all keep it in and don't speak about it because they know it's the duty of their bloodline to protect them."

Edward sighed. "It's…complicated."

"It's not our place to question him," Sue stated, her eyes closed. "If he doesn't want to speak about it, we shouldn't make him."

The brunet gave a small smile. "Thank you, Sue."

"Think nothing of it."

"Hey, there he is!" Cath cried softly, pointing to the lobby entrance.

The group moved their gazes to where the second-year was pointing. In the doorway was a blond third-year teen in the required red, black, and white school uniform, a beige messenger bag slung over his right shoulder. He opened a piece of paper in his hand and glanced at it before looking up and around. When his steady gaze reached the table, everyone quickly returned to whatever they were doing beforehand, to seem as if they hadn't just been watching him.

Cath let out a dreamy sigh. "He's sort of handsome, isn't he?" She laughed at Chad's bewildered expression and leaned up against him. "I'm only kidding, sweetheart. I'm not going to leave you for him."

"'Bout to say…" Chad muttered, wrapping an arm around her.

Edward looked back into the crowd, searching for the blond. Why had he seemed so…familiar to him?

"Hey, Ed," Volug started, patting the younger teen's shoulder, "you alright?"

The brunet turned back to the wolf. "Huh? Oh. I'm…fine. Don't worry about it."

"Well, if you say so…"