"Ouuf!"
I woke up with start, only to find my tent mate, Sumia, face first on the floor.
"Sumia?" I asked sleeply.
"Sorry I woke you." Sumia said sheepishly.
"It's alright. But did you just get back?" I asked my clumsy friend. I know that Sumia had still been out when I went to sleep, but that was hours ago.
"Yes." Sumia said, collapsing on her cot.
I unfastened the tent flap beside my cot and looked outside. The sky was starting to light up. "Sumia. It's almost dawn."
"I know." Sumia said tiredly as she started unbuckling her armor.
"Where have you been?" Sumia said as she took off her final piece of armor, her breastplate, leaving her clad in her Pegasus Knight uniform: a pale pink tunic with elbow length sleeves, and brown leggings.
"Sumia, what have you been doing?"
"Nothing important."
"Sumia!"
"Goodnight Cordy."
"It's morning now!" I scowled at Sumia, who was already fast asleep.
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Having slept at a reasonable hour, I also woke up at a reasonable hour. The same could not be said for Sumia.
"Sumia...wake up." I told my friend.
She didn't stir.
I sighed and grabbed a cup of water, which I promptly splashed on my tent-mate's face.
It worked.
"Coooorrrrdddyyy." Sumia whined. "You didn't have to do that."
"Yes I did. Now hurry up and get dressed, or you'll miss breakfast."
Sumia changed into a fresh uniform, and strapped on her armor, as I did the same.
Sumia took longer to get ready, because of her hair. She pulled two locks in front and tied them with her white bead hair bands.
'Wait...' I thought to myself. 'Her hair bands looks different...'
"Sumia, are those...real pearls?" I asked questioningly.
Sumia froze. "I— um..." She stuttered. Finally she sighed in defeat. "Yes Cordy, they're real pearls."
"Where did you get those!?"
Sumia stubbornly refused to answer.
"Sumia..did you steal those?" I asked in horror.
The brown haired knight frowned. "Of course not! They were a gift, Cordy. Relax."
"Oh? I'm sorry Sumia. I shouldn't have jumped to conclusions like that." I said sheepishly.
Sumia smiled warmly. "It's alright. Now let's go get some breakfast."
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Lissa had pulled Sumia away to talk in private, so I was eating my breakfast with Maribelle.
"You look troubled darling." Maribelle said out of nowhere.
"What? No, I'm just worried about
Sumia." I answered absentmindedly.
"Oh?" Maribelle said curiously.
Now I've done it. Maribelle is going to force me to tell her. She likes to be caught up on all the gossip, after all.
"It's not important." I said, trying to play it off, and probably failing miserably. "She just came back late last night." I decided not to tell her about the mysterious pearl hair bands. I can't say something when I don't know the whole story.
"Hmph. I'm sure it's nothing to worry about. Sumia's a big girl, and she can take care if herself, I'm sure. But for now, the final battle approaches!"
That's right. Tomorrow is the day we strike against King Gangrel, the tyrant king of Plegia. As Robin had so eloquently said the other day, "This damn war needs to be over already."
I agreed wholeheartedly.
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The Shepherds were amassed at the edge of the Border Wastes, a large, barren desert. Gangrel's troops stood vigil over the desert, and from the air, you could see a thick layer of guards around the King himself.
Shepherds milled around camp, trading weapons and armor, and as he usually is before a battle, Robin was running around like a chicken with its head cut off, handing people armor and weapons he decided they would need and telling them their battle stations.
"Cordelia! Take this lance! Left flank!" Robin yelled and was gone as abruptly as he came.
Examining the lance as I walked, I made my way over to the left flank. Sumia was already there, and she too had a new lance.
"Nice lance." She said to me as I came close.
"Yours is nice too. Did you get it from Robin?" I asked. The quality of the lance was excellent, and it looked expensive.
"Actually..." Sumia began. "someone else gave me this lance, but I checked it over with Robin."
That's unusual. Most weaponry is issued by Robin, even Chrom's own weapons. But I'm sure it doesn't matter.
"And your armor too?" I asked, noticing her new, glossy armor embossed with the seal of the Pegasus Knight and the crest of House Ylisse.
"Yeah." Sumia seemed relieved that I wasn't questioning her about her mysterious new lance and armor. But unfortunately for her, I was.
"Where have been getting all this expensive stuff Sumia?" From personal experience, I knew that a Pegasus Knight's stipend was not enough to buy such high quality armor and weapons. Not to mention the pearls.
"I told you Cordelia. They were gifts..." She mumbled as a light blush glowed on her cheeks. She tried to turn her head away so I wouldn't see her face, but she wasn't quick enough.
"Sumia! Are you...seeing someone?!" I said like a giddy schoolgirl.
"Maybe." She said, trying and failing to hide her blush.
"Who's the lucky guy?" I teased.
We have a battle to focus on!" Sumia said, clearly panicking over my questions. I simply sighed.
"After the battle Sumia, you and I are gonna have a talk." I said sternly.
"Sure, sure." Sumia said, as she took up her lance and mounted her pegasus.
I steeled myself for a long, hard battle as I mounted my own Pegasus.
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Not a single casualty. As insane as Robin seems, he sure does his job well. Even assigning me to the left flank must have been a carefully calculated decision, as the left flank was full of mages. Magic has little to no effect on Pegasi, whose very blood hums with magic. The only mages that posed a threat were ones the wielded wind-based magic that could shred a pegasi's wings.
And Chrom. He sliced King Gangrel's throat open like it was nothing. This new, vengeful side of him frightened me, but it wasn't all that defined him. His kindness, his generosity, his battle prowess, his morals...they all made up the person I had come to love.
"Cordelia, why don't you teach Olivia to ride a Pegasus." Robin said as we were reorganizing after the battle.
"Right!" Sumia jumped in. "You can let her ride my Pegasus."
"Are you sure Sumia?" I asked her uncertainly. Sumia is usually very overprotective of her Pegasus, Sheeda. Since that day she found it on the road to Regna Ferox, they've become as close as any mount and rider I've ever seen.
"Alright...that's settled." Robin mumbled, writing down something on his clipboard. He looked up at the other army members who were all awaiting orders. "I need Lissa and Maribelle to go scout in case Plegia makes a move. Cordelia, you and Olivia can do some rounds while you show her the ropes. Sumia, I guess you have no choice but to stay. Do you mind taking care of the horses?"
"No problem!" Sumia yelled as she dashed off towards the stable.
Sumia and I were the only professional, full-time Pegasus Knights in the Shepherds, but at Robin's insistence, Lissa and Maribelle were both instructed in basic riding maneuvers so, as Robin put it, they could 'scout for danger.' And despite the strain on the treasury, each was given her own Pegasus. It looks as if Olivia would be getting her own Pegasus too.
"Follow me." I told Olivia kindly. Olivia, the gorgeous pink haired dancer, nervously followed me to the makeshift stables while Robin continued calling orders and muttering to himself.
"Umm...your tactician..Robin...is he okay?" Olivia asked shyly.
"Why? Did he say something to you?"
"No...he's just always mumbling under his breath and starts calling orders out of nowhere...it's awfully startling."
I laughed. "He's always like that, mumbling and shouting and a constant stream of words coming from his mouth.
I assisted Olivia in mounting Sheeda, as I mounted my own pegasus, Catria. I robotically told Olivia the directions for handling a pegasus, the same words I had repeated to countless Pegasus Knight recruits. As I did that, I watched the small meeting going on between Robin, Chrom, Lissa and Flavia.
"Gently tap the Pegasus with your heel; They don't appreciate being kicked into action." I told Olivia, who was a bundle of nerves.
"O-okay." She did as I said, and nearly fell when the winged horse launched into flight. Sumia had trained Sheeda well.
"Go in a circle!" I yelled over the rush of the wind as Catria kicked into the air. Olivia tugged on reins, her terrified expression fading fast. She successfully pulled Sheeda in a circle. I flew up next to her, and we continued practicing basic handling. "Do you want to go scout?" I asked Olivia.
"Sure!" She said enthusiastically, and immediately wheeled Sheeda around.
"Don't go to far!" I called, but I couldn't help but smile.
From my aerial perch, I saw Chrom, Lissa, and Flavia still talking. Robin had disappeared, presumably gone to shout more orders. He seemed to be fond of that. I was about to circle camp to see if I could spot Robin, when I saw Sumia run up to Chrom and wrap him in a crushing hug. A stab of envy ran through me, but I pushed it down.
'Just a hug.' I told myself. 'It doesn't mean anything.'
Our conversation from before the battle flashed in my head.
"Sumia! Are you...seeing someone?!" I said like a giddy schoolgirl.
"Maybe." She said, trying and failing to hide her blush.
a Pegasus Knight's stipend was not enough to buy such high quality armor and weapons. Not to mention the pearls.
'It doesn't mean anything.' I said firmly.
When I looked down again, Lissa and Flavia had left. Chrom and Sumia were standing with their arms wrapped around each other, immersed in conversion.
Nothing. There's nothing going on.
Chrom dropped to one knee, and offered Sumia something small that sparkled from even this high up.
A ring fit for a queen, no doubt.
Oh Chrom...hot tears dripped down my face. I was already smitten with you when Sumia met you. I was already in love with you when Sumia had a schoolgirl crush on you. I guess you'll never realize that I loved you first.
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I kinda skipped the battle scene because I didn't wanna throw action in here. Also I dream of reclassing every possible female unit into a Pegasus Knight, and then a Dark Flier, and then just doing all the levels with nothing but an army of Dark Fliers. (And Chrom in the corner.)
If no one gets the irony, Catria and Sheeda (/Caeda/Shiida) were both Pegasus knights that had crushes on Marth. Marth and Sheeda are canon, leaving Catria forever alone.
AHEM. Because I really hate loose ends, there will be a second chapter, which will consist of a companion one-shot: Sumia's Story. Stay Tuned.