Amongst Heroes

Almost every gamer's ideal fantasy would be to get sucked into a world of their choosing, where their actions will influence the plot of the game itself, where they become the main character and pull off insane maneuvers that will amaze their companions. And for whatever reason, you would gain stupidly broken powers that would aid you in your 'quest', despite the 'you' from the 'true' reality having absolutely nothing to offer. Oh sure, the occasional 'self-insert' would have martial arts training or some other type of combat expertise, but the grim truth was that we of reality had very little to offer in terms of skills as a warrior.

That was how I thought when I woke up to the knocking of Lon'qu. It was a shock to me when I woke, finding out that not only was I suddenly within the universe of Fire Emblem, but that Lon'qu was my brother.

I feigned amnesia and confusion when Lon'qu started speaking, leading him to think that I had suffered a concussion that shattered what few memories I had into pieces. With a bit of subtle prodding, I managed to extract from him that we were in Regna Ferox, where Lon'qu was still the champion of Basilio.

It was also revealed that I was apparently his partner in the Arena, fighting beside him as we protected each other's backs.

Naturally, I was excited, though I kept that from being shown. I mean, what gamer wouldn't be ecstatic, finding out that they could fight and live in the universe of their favourite game?

The moment I was handed a training lance and faced off against my brother, I realized that I was completely outclassed. I had no training, my body did not suddenly regain muscle memory of the weapon, nor did a voice speak to me in my head about how to fight. I was completely demolished by the first two hits from Lon'qu; One to knock my pathetic excuse of a thrust out of the way, the other to slam his fist into my gut, doubling me over.

I doubt I would ever forget the look of completely disappointment from his face when he helped me up. While I was recovering in the sidelines, I heard the rumours of where I was once one of the finest lancer to ever grace the battlefield, the few who could ever give Lon'qu a run for his money.

Now I was nothing more but a teenager with a stick.

I hated disappointing others, even back in reality. I could never stand the faces of my parents when they received my less-than-stellar grades, or the faces of my friends when I told them I wouldn't be able to hang out with them later, or even the disappointment of my goddamned dog when I didn't throw the ball to her.

I tried. I really did, training almost every day with the training lance, attempting to gain back my 'skills' my character had. I was always too slow, too weak, and each time I went into the training grounds I was sent back with wounds and bruises.

I slowly managed to gain some skill with a lance, but it was far cry from what I apparently was before my entry into the world. I could hold off the enemy long enough for one of my allies to come assist me before I died, but I would rarely ever be able to enter into a duel and expect to win; I was too unexperienced to predict the opponent.

You know all those fancy tricks that warriors from games would pull off? Those fancy spinning, a twirl of their lance for momentum, or even a huge overhead smash that would crack the earth? Yeah, that shit didn't work here.

There was no twirl of the lance over my head when I went in to attack. There was no gravity-defying leap into the air when I followed up after my ally's attack. I could barely manage the basics: Dodge, and Thrust.

But I kept at it, because I knew what the future held; a nightmare of Risen surrounding the fields, the oncoming war against the Plegians, and following that, the Valmese, all topped off by the resurrection of Grima. I had to be prepared for the horrors that would come, to be strong enough to aid the Avatar as the story continues.

So you can imagine the sinking feeling that went through me when Marth walked into the Arena and challenged my brother for the title as champion.

I was not prepared.

Watching Lon'qu and Lucina cross blades was fascinating. Where the regular Feroxians would prefer their axes and their blunt strength, the few Myrmidons of Regna Ferox were capable of displaying amazing feats of grace as they wielded their blades.

My brother was the best of all of them, able to dance through the gaps in their strikes, dealing a crippling blow before darting back, only to leap back when he saw another fatal opening. But watching Lucina keep up with Lon'qu, and occasionally force Lon'qu back, was awe-inspiring.

Her attacks were strange; the stances that she went through telegraphed the idea of a strong blow, swinging her blade up into the air after deflecting a strike before pivoting and bringing it down with unmatched fury. Obviously, this style was a copy of Chrom's stances, putting emphasis on strong blows to overwhelm the opponent. But in the same way, she managed to incorporate sudden bursts of speed, darting the Falchion forward like a whip, snapping at the small gaps in the attacks of Lon'qu.

I could see why my brother was having a harder time fighting with the masked traveller. Lucina was switching between two stances that resided on the opposite ends of the spectrum. Powerful cleaves and smashes quickly transitioned into lightning fast strikes, before abruptly ending with a blow that split the earth itself. And despite all this, Lucina was still a blur, forcing pressure and controlling the flow of battle as Lon'qu attempted to regain ground.

Despite knowing the fact that Lon'qu would be defeated, I still felt a slight amount of surprise at how easy Lucina took apart his style and overcame it within a matter of minutes. A small glimmer of respect for the person, not the character, formed. I walked over to Lon'qu, giving him a hand up while Basilio walked over to Lucina. He laughed heartily, congratulating Lucina as he accepted her as his champion for the next match between the Khans.

Lon'qu brushed off my worried questions before he directed my attention back to the approaching Basilio. I crushed my sudden urge to take a large step back as the giant towered over me, despite his mirthful visage. "Oi, girl, why don't you show this man around? Get him a room while you're at it, alright?" A heavy clap on my shoulder painfully reminded me of his incredible strength, before he walked away, whistling a jaunty tune.

I gave a quick glance back at Lon'qu, quietly asking whether he needed assistance to head back to the infirmary. His face gave a shake, gesturing me to continue, but his body shuddered slightly as he thought of the infirmary nurses.

It appeared that his gynophobia wasn't exaggerated after all.

A small smirk must have shown itself on my face, because his visage instantly turned cold as he dared me to say something. I raised my hands in a sign of surrender, before I turned and approached Lucina, or in this case, Marth.

I gave a short bow as I approached her. "S-sir. If you would follow me, please." A cautious nod was received, and I walked out of the arena, the time traveller right behind me. I quickly gave her a tour of the necessities, showing her where the cafeteria, the armory and the lavatories were. I tried my best to ignore her less-than-successful attempts at locating the female bathrooms. Showing pity, I subtly took the longer route just to walk by the female sections.

She was rather quiet throughout the entire tour, rarely giving anything else other than a small grunt or a nod. I uneasily shifted my lance strapped onto my back at the awkward silences that occurred, but I pressed on, until I finally managed to bring her to her new quarters.

I passed over the keys to the room, struggling slightly with the cumbersome gloves. "Meals are usually announced, but if you are ever hungry for a snack, just show up in the kitchens. There's usually a lot of leftovers, and the chefs work late into the night."

I turned around to walk away, slowly shuffling through the dreary corridors before a voice stopped me. "My name is Marth. What is yours?"

I shifted my body slightly, peering at her with a feeling of unease. My name had long been discarded upon my entry into this new world. My new name is now…

"Kae'li, sir."

With the arrival of Lucina, I threw myself into my training. From morning to dusk, I could be found in the training pits, sparring with men the size of giants. My skill in my lance was still lacking, due to my instincts from the real world yelling at me to turn tail and run instead of fighting back. I settled at a midpoint of my warring instincts. Retreat until an opening shows itself, before retaliating with lethal force.

Not that it happened often.

What usually ended up happening was myself running across the arena, leading my opponent into chasing me with my lance constantly deflecting thrusts and slashes as my legs pulled me backwards. This would last until my opponent finally overextends himself, which is when I would attempt to end the fight right there.

Keyword: attempt.

Simply put, while I could defend myself just fine, I could never go on a full offensive front. Sure, I could survive, deflecting blows and dancing back for space, but I could never end a fight. I could never force my lance forward to end the life of another.

But I could damn well hold my own in a duel.

This particular spar had lasted well over the average time, and I could tell he was getting frustrated. His axe swings were getting sloppy and leaving him with a longer recovery time. His legwork was slowing, and I could tell that with a few more swings he would be too slow to counter my weak thrusts.

I batted away his axe as it came closer, noting with surprise when the axe itself left the owner's hand. Pressing the momentum, I reversed the lance, smashing his arm before I turned the lance again and rested the tip at his jugular.

He raised his hands in surrender, and I withdrew my weapon. I passed his fallen axe back to him as I walked towards the sidelines where another duo was waiting their turn. I slumped on the ground, taking a deep swig from the water skin, before simply letting my body cool down.

My combat style revolved around outlasting and outmaneuvering my opponents. The range of my lance allowed me to force the opponent to come after me, whether they wanted to or not.

It wasn't honourable in the slightest, but I took whatever advantages I could get.

Gods know that I would need it.

A shadow settled over me, and I raised my eyes to meet the blue mask of Marth, staring down at my position.

"…sir?" I muttered out slightly, getting up slowly, hand still gripping my lance.

A moment of silence occurred. "A spar. Between you and I." I didn't have a chance to reply before she started walking to an empty training ground. Hastily capping my water skin, I plodded along behind Basilio's champion, ignoring the looks of curiosity from the other warriors.

I stepped over the boundary before turning to face Lucina. "Rules of engagement?" I called over to her, my nervousness showing in my voice.

"We fight until one surrenders." Was her curt reply.

I gave a short nod, letting out a great breath as I attempted to calm my nerves. I lowered my lance from my side towards her, keeping the point aimed towards the chest. I slowly started circling around, trying to find a distance where I could force her to engage me, but still remain with options of escape.

She hadn't moved since the duel began. Her sword was pointed towards the ground, and only her head was moving, tracking my actions.

And then suddenly she was off.

I pulled my lance back, bringing the shaft towards my side as it deflected the sudden appearance of the Falchion. Inwardly, I was panicking; she covered several metres in the blink of an eye, much faster than what I could ever accomplish.

My feet cycled backwards, attempting to find a position to regroup. My lance was slowly getting hewn to pieces with the powerful strikes of Lucina. She had found her rhythm and she wasn't giving it up. Blow after blow rained down on me, and I barely managed to dodge the crippling strikes, using my lance shaft to deflect the few that were too quick for me.

I grunted as a particularly strong blow swept my lance away from her. I quickly leapt back, already attempting to pull my lance back into her direction, but she was already upon me. A deadly overhead strike came, and I threw myself to the side, discarding my lance as I did so.

I did an awkward tumble out of the roll, and pulled out a small dagger at my hip, barely managing to grip the hilt correctly. I kept my body low as I kept dancing back from Lucina's blows, the adrenaline barely keeping me from getting skewered.

You know those moments in paintball fights, where your senses grow hyperactive? Where your ears strain themselves to hear in tight corridors, where your eyes notice every errant twitch, and your heart pushes itself beyond belief as paintballs fly around you?

That was nothing compared to what I was feeling right now. That was adrenaline, the thrill of the hunt, so to speak.

What I was feeling now was the fear of death. Lucina was like an avenging wraith, no hesitation in her strikes as she plowed forward, swinging deadly strikes with swift efficiency as she attempted to corner me. My body took over; there were no thoughts directing me now.

An overhead slash. Leap to the right. A powerful cleave. Lower my stance, the sword barely clipping my hair. Another overhead blow. Roll to the right.

I grabbed my lance from its fallen position, not bothering to turn it back towards her as I continued to dance away from the deadly sword. My legs were growing fatigued and I could feel my chest starting to revolt through the strain.

I was growing desperate. Grabbing the end of the lance, I brutally swung the entire weapon as a club, clashing with the Falchion. The lance easily broke, no surprise there, but my sudden turn on the offensive caught her by slight surprise. I shoulder-checked her as she was recovering, and I took my dagger out.

I blinked.

I was on the floor again, the Falchion sitting at my neck.

"Yield." The steely voice behind the mask sent chills down my spine.

I gave a meek nod.

It wasn't long before news of the Ylissean party spread throughout Regna Ferox. Rumors were everywhere as the clash between Khans approached, and the gambling pool was growing larger with each day.

I met with the Shepherds when Gate Commander Raimi escorted them through the gates. Similarly with Lucina, I was tasked to finding a decent area for them to reside in.

I was caught between feelings of being awestruck and dread as I realized just how intimidating they were. Even Sumia, arguably the weakest of them all, radiated a strong confidence as she brought her Pegasus in with her.

That was, until she tripped.

"Ah… Is she… is she okay?" I mumbled out, slightly bewildered by the interactions within the Shepherds.

"Nothing to worry about!" Sumia yelped as she quickly rose from her feet, a hand on the bridle of the Pegasus. I gave a shaky nod.

"Um… my name is Kae'li… if you would all follow me? I will show you your rooms while your leaders wait for the Khan."

Chrom gave a short nod as the Shepherds gave him a glance, and they began shuffling over towards me, hand still on their weapons as they watched me warily. I flinched slightly as Vaike got a little too close for my liking. "Aren't you a bit too small to be a warrior?"

I smothered my urge to give him a massive kick between the legs. For whatever reason, I was just as short as I was in reality, barely able to reach Vaike's shoulders. In fact, I'm willing to bet that I was probably just as small as Lissa.

"Yes, sir, I am..." I muttered softly. I took a step back to find my own personal space again, before starting to walk down the halls. I gave them a similar tour as I had given Lucina, pointing out the essentials and other convenient places while answering their questions every now and then.

I pointed out a long hallway with rooms at the sides. "This will be your rooms for the next few days. Ladies on the right, gentlemen on the left. If you ever need anything, please let me know. I will be mostly located in the training grounds so simply ask around for me."

I gave a sudden squeak as I realized that Virion had sidled up to me, taking my hand and giving a faint kiss. "Ah, what a rare gem you are in the barren lands in the North. But I suppose that even in the cold winter there are flowers that bloom, melting the frost that chills the land."

I instinctively withdrew my hand, jumping back from the flirtatious noble. "A-a-ah... no thanks…" I took another step towards the exit and jumped again when I bumped into someone. I whirled around, only to sigh in relief when I saw my brother. "Lon'qu!"

"Kae'li… you're late for practice."

Inwardly, I thanked my brother for giving me an escape. "Sorry, Lon'qu. It won't happen again."

"See that it doesn't." I caught a flash of amusement in his eyes, before I scurried away past him towards the training grounds.

I was pretty sure that Lon'qu was giving Virion a death glare.

I spat out my drink, caught in surprise at Basilio's words. I instantly started apologizing as I grabbed a towel and began to dry Lon'qu's unamused face. My face burned as I heard the various laughter from the men around us.

I turned back to Basilio. "You want me to what!?"

Chuckling, Basilio replied "I want you to fight in the Arena."

My heart thudded, and my mouth grew dry. I licked my lips nervously. "But sir, I'm not a very good fighter. Surely you can pick someone better?"

"I know how hard you have been training since you've recovered." Basilio intoned, his voice suddenly taking a somber tone. "I've watched you get beaten down, shoved aside and forced out of the ring too many times for me to count. But every day you return to the Pits. I know not what drives you to do so, but I am impressed."

The Khan downed the rest of his mug, slamming the empty tankard on the table before rising. "Call it an old fool's pride, but watching you, the underdog, rise up the ranks has gotten my interest. I wish to see you bloom upon the battlefield like the old battle-maidens from myths. Prove your skills tomorrow in the Arena, Kae'li."

The giant turned around, ducking underneath the door as he exited the tavern. Conveniently, the Shepherds chose that exact same moment to enter. I felt my face paling with dread as I imagined myself facing them tomorrow.

If even Lucina, arguably the most battle-hardened warrior with her experiences against the Risen, fell against the blade of Chrom, what could I, a meagre lancer do?

I felt my breaths coming in faster, my heartbeat acting erratic as my body began hyperventilating. A heavy hand gripped my shoulder, and I felt myself being led out by my brother.

"Kae'li… breathe…"

"I… I need… air…" I mumbled out in a delirious state.

He didn't say anything as we half-ran towards the nearest opening. He shoved the door open as he dragged my unresponsive body outdoors. I relished in the sudden chill from the wintry scene as I sat down on one of the piles of snow, head held between my hands.

"Oh… gods…" I whispered, still reeling at the fact that I would most likely be killed by one of the Shepherds. In the original game, only Lucina survived out of the dozens of Feroxians that engaged the six Shepherds. The actual battles was carried out in several duels between each member, with the final score deciding the winning side.

Unfortunately, these duels were to the death. Of course, one side could surrender, except there was no incentive for the other to accept that surrender.

Feroxians believed in duels to the death. Honour to them was dying in battle, covered in the blood of the enemy and weapon in hand. It was what made Regna Ferox a fearsome empire; a force that will continue to fight despite whatever you threw at them.

I was not like that. I could not kill in cold blood. But as one of Basilio's champions, I am called to follow his culture.

I took another deep breathe, feeling the chill in the air enter my lungs and clearing my mind with the subsequent shock that followed. I leaned against my brother, whose arm was wrapped around mine, pulling me to his chest.

"Breathe deep." He muttered. I felt comfort from his vibrations in his chest, and I admit I snuggled up to him. We sat in the cold for a long time, watching the sun disappear behind the tall evergreen trees and well after the moon rose.

"Kae'li…" Lon'qu muttered. I gave a short hum in response. "… in the Arena… don't falter…" He turned his head down towards me. "Return to me."

My head drooped as sleep embraced me. "… Okay."

The familiar sound of whetstone upon steel played havoc on my nerves as I sat in the small room. The other four men were laughing heartily as they downed their drinks and prepared their equipment. I kept myself in one of the corners, avoiding their attentions as I gripped onto my lance, hands shaking slightly as the oncoming battle approached.

I glanced over at Lucina, watching her stoically stare at the door that would lead to the Arena. She resembled a gargoyle at that moment with the shadows enshrouding her, the elegant Falchion hidden beneath her cape.

A loud gong sounded and the gate to our room opened. One of the berserkers let out a battle cry as he rushed out, axe gleaming in the torch light. He ran through the short hall and up the stairs into the Arena, roaring as he attempted to bisect Frederick. The Great Knight simply batted aside the powerful blow and shoulder-checked the berserker, before quickly plunging his lance into the head of the fallen berserker.

A short scoff sounded from him as he glared at us, before walking back to his companions. Loud cheers echoed in the stadium as blood was spilt, and the next warrior went up.

I watched with a detached feeling as the warriors sent out were easily disarmed and killed. Vaike's axe had easily cleaved the jolly myrmidon. Kellam had smashed his massive shield another fighter, throwing the Feroxian off guard as his spear found its mark.

And then, there was the Avatar.

A trickle of humour showed up as I realized he was the default model of the males in the game. The spiky, anime-like hair that shimmered like snow, the piercing eyes that took in everything, even the ever-famous cloak of his that covered him completely.

My curiosity instantly turned to horror as he melted the final Feroxian into nothing more but paste with a powerful Elthunder. His screams echoed in my ears while the crowd chanted for blood, roaring as they got their fill. My hands began shaking, and only through sheer force of will did I stop myself from turning tail and running.

A hand gripped my shoulder, and I turned with wide eyes to take in Lucina's form. "Calm yourself, Kae'li. Nerves will not help you in this battle."

I gave a shaky smile, before turning back to the entrance and walking forwards. 'Oh gods…'

I stepped through the gate and into the sudden glare of the Arena. I squinted as my eyes adapted to the sudden change in lighting, and froze when I saw the form of Sully, sword at her side and hefting a massive spear over her shoulder that was probably more useful in a mounted battle.

Her eyes widened too, and she turned and asked something from the other Shepherds. I ignored that and searched the crowd for Lon'qu, a smile forming as I saw him sitting next to Basilio as his right hand. He gave a small wave of his hand, before clenching it and bringing it to his heart, and then to his lips.

I clenched a fist to my heart as well, bowing. When I straightened, I turned back to face Sully, who was slowly approaching, her weapon still sitting on her shoulder.

I lowered my lance towards her, and she did the same. "Sorry about this." Sully called over the clamour of the crowd. I didn't say anything. I couldn't bring myself to say anything; my voice had simply given up in my nervousness.

A loud gong sounded, and the female knight rushed forward, the tip of her spear leaping at my chest. I leapt to the side, already follow my instincts of running in the opposite direction. I kept my profile towards her at all times, keeping my body small as the deadly spear tip chased after me.

An overhead smash came and I threw myself to the side, just barely being able to roll out of my position as Sully somehow managed to chase me relentlessly. A whirlwind of sand was being raised with the sheer speed of her spear, and I desperately threw myself back as another blow landed right in front of me.

"Well aren't you a fast one?" Sully commented as she rested her spear on her shoulder again, surveying me as I finished my jump and landed on the opposite side of the Arena. I took a shaky breathe as sweat poured down face.

'Breathe… breathe…'

I swallowed, as Sully began advancing again, this time attempting to box me into a corner. I unwillingly complied as her spear struck like a viper, forcing me in her direction. Before I knew it, I was only a step away from the walls.

A sudden thrust from Sully forced me to finally attempt to parry, and my arms shook as I attempted to bat away her spear from me. She quickly recovered from my sorry excuse of a parry and swept her spear back towards me, forcing me to duck. My small form was finally useful for once, as I felt the wind from the spear blow my hair back.

I rushed into her, blocking her from bringing back her spear. I swept with my lance from behind me as I brought my weapon into her. A screeching sound echoed as my lance slammed into her armour, cutting deep as I immediately leapt back, leaving my lance caught in her armour. She let out a cry of shock as she kneeled, her spear pointed back in my direction as she assessed her wound.

I yanked out the small dagger at my side, holding it in a reversed grip as Lon'qu had taught me. The clamour of the crowd grew as blood was drawn, despite Flavia having already won four out of the six total battles. I watched uneasily as Sully yanked my lance out from her armour and threw it away from me, her eyes brimming with pain and anger.

Taking another deep breathe, I started circling, but almost instantly began backpedaling as Sully charged at me with far greater speed than she had before. Blood was pouring out of her armour but the angry woman completely ignored it, bringing her spear around for a cycle of blows that struck only seconds from where I was.

I dived again as Sully cleaved the air above me with her spear, her superior range forcing me to prioritize mobility. I yelped as the spear tip grazed my back, easily cutting through the leather armour with her strength. I grabbed sand and whipped it at the angered knight, thanking whatever gods there were when they blinded her for a few seconds. I leapt forward with my dagger, allowing instincts to take over as I thrust it at her neck.

Unfortunately I underestimated Sully's experience. I was introduced to the butt end of her spear, knocked half-way across the Arena from the sheer power behind it. I groaned slightly as I gripped my dagger again and stood up, taking in Sully's form rubbing her eyes.

"To hell with you!" She roared, hefting her spear and throwing it at me with astonishing accuracy. I screamed as the spear slammed into my gut, forcing me back. My mind watched with disbelief as I gripped the spear embedded in my abdomen. Adrenaline hid the pain, and I hacked off the wooden shaft of the spear as close to the tip as I could, wincing as the spear-tip moved around within me. I watched behind lidded eyes as Sully approached, a sword drawn as she limped towards me.

'Oh gods oh gods oh gods… shit shit shit SHIT!'

I grasped at the fallen shaft of the spear, using it to pull me up as I spat out a glob of blood. 'Internal bleeding… not… not good.'

Taking a weak step back, I tossed the broken spear shaft at her, not surprised when she cut the damned thing in half, never stopping. I backpedalled desperately, hiding my dagger out of her line of sight as she approached. With a roar, Sully struck downwards, cleaving the area where I was.

Desperately, I stepped in towards her again, side-stepping her blow while driving my back into her as I slammed my dagger beneath my arm and into her gut. A liquid splattered on my neck as her grip on the sword dropped, crumbling onto the ground as the last of her strength gave up.

The crowd roared as I was proclaimed the winner of the match. I only vaguely heard it; like hearing through a glass window. 'Blood loss… senses… diminishing… probably'

A hand gripped my shoulder and lifted me into a bridal carry, and I gave a weak smile when I saw it was Lon'qu. "L-…Lon…"

"Shhh… you did well… Kae'li… rest now…"

"O-…okay..."

The darkness embraced me.

The infirmary was kept at a dim-light at all times to keep the environment at a relaxed state. Despite Regna Ferox not having the best clerics or sages around, they still did a respectable job at it. Nowhere near the level of the Ylisseans of course, but doable enough to keep one from the brink of death.

The spear wound that Sully had caused was devastating on my body. It wasn't fatal, but my movement caused the spear tip embedded within me to shred my internal organs. It was remedied with meticulous usage of the staff which encouraged rapid cell regeneration in those areas, but the damage to the womb was irreversible.

In other words, I would never be able to bear children again.

To be honest, I felt like that statement should have stuck with me harder. But when the cleric had said that with pitying eyes, I had merely given a nod, confusing the poor woman at my supposed lack of reaction.

I doubt I would be able to explain my apathy to the situation, since I did not know either. Nonetheless, I was grateful I survived the ordeal. Lon'qu had hovered around me as I slipped in and out of consciousness during the next few days as I was constrained to the bed.

Sully walked in once. She was fully healed from the expertise of Lissa's staff usage, but she had a melancholic expression on her face. My eyes were closed when she walked in, and I continued to feign being asleep.

"Hey. I heard about… I heard about what I did to you. I mean, I'm not happy that you won at all but… Gods damn it I can't even say it while you're asleep…" I heard rustling as she shifted uneasily, scratching the back of her head. "Look… I never should have fought you… You look like a kid, to be honest, probably only getting out of your teens. While this might not mean much, I just wanted to say I'm sorry… sorry for ruining your future… and-"

"What are you doing here?" The harsh voice of Lon'qu sounded in the infirmary.

Sully's stuttered out replies, but she was quickly escorted out of the room with several harsh words. I noted with a childish delight that his gynophobia didn't act up during that time. His presence returned and the bed sank slightly with the addition of his weight.

"Kae'li…" He whispered softly, as he patted my shoulder, already knowing I was awake. I gave a short hum as I moved my head to lay on his lap, resting as his hands slowly massaged my head.

"Stay with me…" I croaked out. A soft rumble from Lon'qu answered, and I slept again, resting against his lap.

Lucina watched through the slits in her mask at the woman… no… girl lying at the bed. Her chest rose softly, wrapped in thick bandages as she recovered from the devastating wounds she had received from Sully. A soft groan came out from the recovering patient as she turned in her bed, but it was quickly replaced with silence as she settled down again. Lucina reached over and pulled up the dislodged blankets, taking extra caution to avoid aggravating her wounds.

Lucina wasn't heavily wounded in her duel with her father; a few scratches and bruises, but her training and inside knowledge of Chrom's fighting style allowed her to avoid and deflect most grevious wounds.

She was finally defeated when she was disarmed, Chrom's superior strength overpowering hers when they locked swords. Thankfully, Chrom was a merciful man and Lucina was spared, but watching down the blade of the Falchion was something she would like to avoid in the future.

Another restless shift from Kae'li broke her from her thoughts, and a quick stroke across her hairline calmed the wounded girl. Kae'li gave a soft sigh of comfort as she wrapped her body around her pillow, striking Lucina with a sudden burst of déjà vu.

She compared the small, frail girl in front of her to the woman that had raised her in the aftermath of Grima's resurrection. At first glance, there were no similarities, but small subtle signs showed; the soft creasing of the brows, the instinctive urge to cuddle with any object in her sleep, and during the Arena, the stances and movements that she had used.

Lucina gave one last stroke over the midnight hair of Kae'li, before leaving, a new sense of determination.

The children peered up at the woman, tears shimmering as one clutched the cooling corpse of her mother, the other wielding a sword twice her side. "W…Who are you?"

The woman's eyes shone with regret as she looked down at the children. "A… a coward…"

The lance held by the woman was quickly moved onto her back as she lifted Sumia's bloodstained corpse from the ground, Lucina crying out in panic. "Wait! What are you doing!?"

The woman returned her empty gaze at the small child. "Atoning for my sins…follow me, little ones."

Cynthia leapt after the woman, desperate to follow any semblance of authority in the chaos. Lucina was forced to follow as she trailed after her sister and the mystery woman.

She led them out to the back of the castle, into a hidden caravan pulled by two strong steeds. She gently laid the cooling body in the wagon as the two daughters climbed through the back. A quick snap of the reigns had the horses galloping as they sped from the burning city.

"Where are we going?" Cynthia whispered to Lucina.

The woman interrupted as Lucina was about to reply. "Somewhere away from this chaos. Somewhere safe."

Lucina glared at the woman. "And just who are you?"

The woman returned a forlorn look, so empty of life that the children were taken aback by the sheer… nothingness in it. Even the dead had eyes with more emotion.

"My name is Kae'li. I was a friend of your mother. And now, I am nothing more than a coward."

Right; back to my specialty; Writing fics with lots of death, pain and suffering for our dear 'protagonist'.

I like making my characters suffer. I don't know why. I prefer fanfiction with lots of 'grittiness' and 'realism' that make the entire scenario hopeless.

'Asleep' by Gone2GroundEX is one that I draw a lot of ideas from; having a person go up against impossible odds, while losing and sacrificing everything.

Death is good. Especially if it makes the readers feel a connection with it.

No, I am not a sadist.

This will be extended over several chapters. I'm anticipating around 4-6 chapters if I have the attention span.

Well, anyways, hope you enjoyed this.

Reviews are appreciated, criticism even more.

Please leave your criticisms and/or flames in the review, such as grammar, spelling, plotholes and other stuff that doesn't seem to fit.