Chris: I'm making this…Because I just got hit with more inspiration, this time reading entries of Erk's Journal. Old entries. When Fiora didn't want to kill Erk. Heh, anyway, hope you like. I no own Erk's Journal. Kate does. I no own Fire Emblem either. I'm kinda tired of saying that…I mean, isn't it obvious I don't own them?
"Dammit Fiora! Honestly! I don't need your help! Just leave me alone so I can study in peace!" Erk stood up in a rage, slamming his Fire tome on a desk. He glared at the teal-haired pegasus knight standing in front of him. He knew she was just trying to be nice, but hearing her voice constantly was getting on his nerves. His dark-purple hair bristled as he heard Fiora speak again.
"B-But…Erky…I'm just trying to help." Fiora trembled as she faced Erk's rage. She felt she had an obligation to help him out, since he was Lord Pent's student, after all.
"Sigh…I know…Just…Leave me alone for a while, okay? That should help." Erk sank back in his chair, his energy seemingly drained. He waved her off and sank back into reading his books again. Fiora silently closed the door and leaned on it from the other side.
"Oh…Erk…" Fiora walked away from the young mage's room, tears coming down her eyes. She stumbled into her room and slumped to her bed. 'Why do you always act like that…' She continued sobbing as someone else entered the room.
"You're crying again, Fiora? This isn't like you."
Fiora looked up to see her younger sister, Farina, staring down at her. The blue-haired pegasus knight was spinning her money bag around her index finger and grinning at her older sister. Fiora smiled and brushed her eyes. "No…It's nothing."
"Erk again, huh?"
Fiora nodded sadly. Farina sighed and ran a hand through her hair.
"Geez, why do you continue trying to help him. From what I can tell, he seems like a complete jerk. Go for…Eliwood. He's nice enough. Although he's kind of wishy-washy…"
"Erk isn't a jerk! I know deep down inside he's a caring, thoughtful young man!" Fiora stood up, eyes flaring. Farina backed away slowly, unused to seeing her sister angry. Fiora slowly stomped towards her sister, raising a fist. Farina got the message and quickly left the room. Now that she was alone again, Fiora went back to lying on the bed. The next to enter was Fiora's other sister, Florina. The orchid-haired girl saw her oldest sister lying on the bed and frowned.
"Um…Sister? Is anything wrong? Can I help?"
Fiora looked up again and saw Florina standing near her bed, a worried expression on her face. She was holding a small training lance in her hands. Fiora smiled. Even though she might be the youngest, Florina always wanted to help out in some way. Fiora sat on the side of the bed and motioned for Florina to join her. Florina sat down next to her sister and set the lance on the floor.
"W-what is it, Fiora?" Florina looked at her older sister.
"Weeeell…" Fiora rocked back and forth, wondering about how she could put this. "Supposed you really like this guy. You want to help him in any way you can…But every time you try to, he brushes you off and says he doesn't need you. What would you do?"
"Ah…Well…You're talking about Erk, right?"
"Wha? Is it that obvious?" Fiora looked stunned. She thought that she had concealed the truth fairly well.
"Uh…Um…Everyone's heard the shouts coming from his room…" Florina nodded.
"Oh…I see. But then, what should I do?"
"W-Well…Keep trying…It worked with me…" Florina stood up and waved her sister goodbye. Outside, she met Heath, and they went off together. Fiora heard sounds of their laughter as they left the inn they were staying at.
'Well…I'll try it out…' Fiora stood up and went to Erk's room again, knocking on the door lightly.
"Who is it?"
"It's me, Fiora."
"Oh, well…Fine, come in."
Fiora opened the door and entered. Erk was leaning on a chair, a Thunder tome open on his lap. Erk looked at her hopeful face and sighed. "What is it now, Fiora?"
"Um...Well…Can I help you?" Fiora bowed slightly and waited to see his response.
"Help again? Hah…I can manage without any help. Leave me alone…" Erk closed his Thunder tome, his taste for studying ruined. He tried to stand up but stumbled. He stood leaning on the chair, coughing. His face was pained as he was wracked by another cough. Fiora went forward and helped Erk stand.
"Wh-What's wrong? Is something the matter, Erky?" Fiora look concernedly at Erk's face, which showed signs of lack of sleep. He coughed again and motioned to his bed.
"Please…Just lay me down there…I'll be fine. Thank you…" Erk shuddered and suddenly collapsed to the floor. Fiora caught his fall and gently carried him to the bed, taking off his sweaty cape. She pulled the blankets over his haggard form and gave him a quick peck on the cheek.
'Poor Erk…He must have been studying since last night…' Fiora took one last look at Erk before closing the door and leaving him to his sleep.
---
The next morning came, and Fiora was busy cleaning the room she was staying in with her sisters. She was whistling happily as she set up the beds. Farina had already left for breakfast and Florina said she was going to go out for some food. Fiora smiled as she finished with the last bit of cleaning and decided to go down to the common room to see if she could find anything to eat. The smell of French toast hit her nose, and she knew that Karel was cooking again. Not that she minded, of course, Karel's cooking was pretty good. And also there was the fact that he would kill anyone whom he even suspected of disliking his French toast.
"Hey everyone!" Fiora entered, spotting several of the army members already there. Farina looked up from her food and waved to her sister.
"Mmph! Phello, fister!" Farina tried to swallow the food before greeting her. Fiora smiled at her younger sister's antics and looked around to see if she could find another place to sit. Eliwood and Hector were busy arguing who was the better warrior and Raven was the judge. He looked more likely to punch both of them out and say he was the best than saying that either of them was better. Fiora spotted a seat near Erk and decided to sit near him.
Erk barely moved as Fiora pulled up a seat near him. She leaned over to see what he was doing. He was picking at his food and secretly reading his magic tomes again. Fiora hissed and moved back away. Erk looked up and closed his book. He placed it on the floor and began eating his breakfast. Seeing this, Fiora cheered up and leaned over to him again, placed her head on his shoulder. "So…How are you doing, Erky?"
"Don't call me Erky." Erk didn't move his face as continued to eat his food.
Fiora sat up, saddened. "W-Well…Then how're you doing, Erk? Do you need any help? You were kind of sick yesterday…"
"I was only sick because you kept pestering me! These things wouldn't happen if you just leave me alone and stay out of my life! Go away, dammit!" Erk stood up and stalked away, leaving his food untouched. He stopped and then faced Fiora again. "You're the bane of my existence, even worse than Serra! I'd want you to help me like I'd want Nergal to make a Morph of me!" With that said, he continued his journey to his room.
Fiora sank in her chair, sobbing. Everyone else looked around, stunned by this astounding accusation. Farina leapt from her seat, wiping her lips, and stalked off, following Erk. Eliwood came over and tried to comfort Fiora, but she stood up and brushed him off. She stumbled towards her room, tears still falling from her eyes.
"Dammit! Not this again! I knew Erk wasn't that fond of attention, but he had no right to do something like that!" Eliwood slammed a fist into the table, causing people's plates to jump up. Guy, who was busy stuffing his face, looked up with a slice of French toast stuck to his face.
"Yeah, come on! We better talk some sense into them!" Hector stood up as well. He climbed over the table, eliciting several yelps and some "You oaf!"s,
"Not yet…Let Farina deal with him first. The sister always knows best." Eliwood put up an arm to stall Hector. "We'll let her handle this. And if Erk still doesn't listen to reason, then we'll make him listen."
---
Erk stomped into his room, slamming the door shut. 'Dammit Fiora! Why do you always have to be like that?!' He threw his book at the wall and knocked over some of the staves he had lined across the wall. He spun around when he heard someone break the door down. Farina was standing there, a Killer Lance in her hands and fire in her eyes. She kicked the door aside and pointed the lance at Erk.
"Give me one reason why I shouldn't gut you right now."
Erk stared calmly at the lance, which was pointed at his throat. "Simple. What you would be doing is murder. And, I believe the Ilian knights won't appreciate rumors of the…darker variety."
"Hmph." Farina lowered the lance. Erk let out a small sigh of relief and closed his eyes for a while. He heard a loud THUNK and when he opened his eyes again, the lance was embedded in the ground, a few centimeters from his feet. Erk leaped back voluntarily and then glared at Farina.
"If you've come here just to make a couple of threats, you've already proved your point. What do you want?" Erk folded his arms as he looked at the Pegasus Knight.
"I came here to ask why you're being such a…bastard…to my sister. Seriously, she's just trying to be nice. I don't understand why she even wastes energy on an asshole like you." Farina came up and started poking Erk in the chest.
"I believe I told her, I don't want her help. I'm strong enough by myself. Now, if she can't accept that-"
"Screw your strength! Dammit! You don't know how many times you owe your life to Fiora. In that battle against the Black Fang, you were walking into an ambush! And who came to save you?! Fiora did! She saved your life, and how do you repay her? You brush her off, call her worthless, say that she should leave you alone!" Farina poked Erk harder. "Do you know what you would be without her? You. Would. Be. Dead!"
Erk's mental barrier cracked a bit as Farina kept telling him of the number of times he owed her life to her. That time in Badon where she intercepted an arrow aimed for his heart. The battle in Dread Isle where she used her pegasus to shove aside a cavalier that was about to plunge a lance into his body. So many more times she had saved him, and he didn't do anything to care. His mental barrier cracked a little more, but Farina wasn't finished.
"You don't know how many times I've heard her, speaking about how "dedicated" you were, or how "brave" and "courageous" you acted in battle. Every day, when we were in our room, she would praise you. I'd grow sick in my stomach, listening to her speak of someone who doesn't even care for her in such glowing terms. Why didn't she talk with Kent? They certainly share an interest in order. Or how about Eliwood? He certainly has shown Fiora enough respect and kindness. But you! No, she had to choose you! You should be lucky that she still considers you a friend!"
Erk backed away even more, hearing the words, but unwilling to accept them. Farina had one, last barb to throw at him.
"But do you know what the worst part of this is? She's in love with you, god dammit! How, I'll never know! Last night, when you collapsed, she would take trips every…2 minutes or something just to go check up on you! And how did you respond to her today? You said she was the cause of your sickness! You moron! Dammit, you broke her heart there! You simple rebukes, she could handle. Your orders to leave, she could handle. But you calling her the bane of your existence, especially after she cared for you, she could not handle…You damned idiot!" Farina continued her tirade, but Erk had stopped listening. He slumped to the floor, his eyes wide.
'She loves me? Hah…That couldn't be right…I must have heard wrong.' Erk tried to convince himself of that, but found that he couldn't. The barriers he had set up in his mind and his heart collapsed, and he started sobbing. "I-I-I-I'm sorry…Fi-Fiora…"
"Wha?" Farina stopped when she heard Erk mumble something, but she had been too involved in her tirade that she didn't hear him. She sat next to him and shook him. "What was that?"
"I said…I-I'm sorry…Fiora…" Erk continued to cry on his robes. Farina softened and placed an arm around his shoulders.
"Well, I'm glad that you finally see it…Hey, why are you apologizing to me? Clean up and speak to her face to face! That way you can start things off anew." Farina stood up smiling.
Erk nodded his thanks and slowly peeled himself off of the floor. Farina winked and gave him a thumbs-up as she headed back down to the common room. She had forgotten about her Killer Lance, however, and tripped over it, landing on the floor, face first. She picked herself up, rubbing her nose.
"That totally ruined the moment…" She continued walking towards to common room, rubbing her nose. Erk let out a small laugh as he watched her leave, and then set about washing his face.
Downstairs, Eliwood and Hector rushed up to Farina, who had just arrived. "WELL?!" Both of them yelled at her as she descended.
"Ah, no worries. He's fine, he's fine." Farina waved them off and began stuffing her face with food again.
Eliwood looked ruefully at Farina, and then at Hector. "See? A sister always knows."
---
While Farina was giving Erk a tongue-lashing, Fiora was back in her room, thinking about what she should do. Sniffing, she reached under her bed and pulled out a small package. Inside was a gift that she had hoped to give to Erk. She had tried to build enough courage to do so, but for some reason, she had never given it to him. Coming to a conclusion, she shoved the box under her bed again and began fixing her hair and making sure she looked clean.
'That's it…If Erk doesn't care about me, then I won't care about him! He can just die the next time he tries to go to show off his power! If he doesn't want my help, fine! I wont' give it to him! I'd best forget about him and move on with my life!'
---
A week passed, and they were still at the inn. However, this time, instead of being worried about how Fiora was being treated, they were worried about how Fiora was treating everyone else. Ever since what people were calling the "French Toast Incident" (Karel wasn't too fond of that name.), things had changed, not necessarily for the better. Fiora was now spending a lot of time outside, away from everyone. She still talked to everyone like nothing had happened, but whenever Erk would enter the room, she would immediately leave. Although this caused some pretty hilarious incidents, it soon started to make people worry, especially for Erk's mentality.
After Farina had…chewed him out, Erk became a lot more open with everyone. He no longer spent his whole day studying. Lord Pent and Lady Louise proclaimed this as an extraordinary development and were intensely happy with this change in his character. In fact, a lot of people were. But whenever he tried to apologize for his behavior, Fiora would leave. So everyone, excluding Erk and Fiora, for obvious reasons, decided to find a way to break this never-ending chain.
---
"Guys?" Fiora wandered in the common room. Her sisters had told her that someone wanted to meet her in the common room, and she had complied. However, there didn't seem to be anyone here. The table was set and the lights were on, however. Today's breakfast was also there. Today it was apple pie. The army members had finally gotten tired of French Toast and decided that they needed something sweet and fruity. "Come on, Farina, Florina. If this is a joke, it's in really bad taste." Fiora placed her hands on her hips, her patience wearing a little thin.
"Fiora! I've finally found you!"
Fiora spun around, alarmed. Her sisters would do this on purpose, would they? She searched around the room and spotted Erk coming towards her. Spinning towards the nearest door, she was about to go through when it slammed shut. She banged on the door furiously.
"Hey! What are you doing?!"
Someone that sounded vaguely like Eliwood answered. "You're going to talk to Erk if it takes you the whole day!"
"Fine! Be that way!" Fiora humped and headed back to where she had entered the common room. The door shut as well. She kicked at the door, hoping to break it down. "Who is it this time?!"
"Sorry sister! But we're all tired of seeing you avoid Erk! So we're keeping you in here!" Farina's voice echoed from behind the doorway. Fiora cursed and headed for another door which led to the kitchen. As expected, the door slammed shut.
"Give it up, Fiora! You won't be able to leave until you two have finally patched things up!" Another person, Hector by the sound of his voice, rang out. Fiora clenched her fists in anger and finally gave in.
"Fine! But nothing is going to change, got that?!"
From behind the doorways, the various teams snickered. Their plan involved luring both Erk and Fiora into the common room and closing all of the exits. Sure, it was inelegant, but it worked.
Fiora sank into a chair angrily, looking away as Erk approached.
"F-Fiora? I've been meaning to talk to you…" Erk walked a little closer, taking halting steps as he approached the teal-haired girl. Fiora responded by turning away from him, vowing to kill every person responsible for this.
"Cause…I've…been meaning to apologize."
Fiora's expression shifted to bewilderment and she turned to face the mage. "Apologize?"
"Um…Yeah…"
She stood up. "An apology? That's it? Just a single, lousy, apology?!"
"W-Well…Actually-"
Fiora didn't wait to hear the next part of his sentence. Picking up one of the pies, she threw it at her with all her might. It crashed into his shoulder, spraying bits and pieces of apple and pie all over his clothes and face. From outside, muffled shouts were breaking out.
"Hey! No messing with our breakfast!"
"We're still hungry, ya know!"
"Leave the food alone! It never hurt you!"
Erk stood still, his face shadowed. Fiora stalked even closer. "You've treated me like dirt! Tossed me away like a dirty dish rag! And all you can do is apologize?!"
Erk nodded slightly. "But-"
"No buts! I'm not finished speaking!" Fiora started poking Erk in the chest.
'Wow…They're a lot more alike that their looks…' Erk thought dully as he continued to watch Fiora.
"You know what? I've decided to take your advice! I'm going to leave you alone from now on! Maybe that will make you happy, huh?!"
"Fiora…"
"What is it now, huh? Want me to go throw myself down a pit or something?"
"…"
"Well?! What is it? Spit it out already!" Fiora leaned in closer. She saw Erk's lips move, but didn't hear anything come out. She leaned in even closer.
"…" Erk grabbed Fiora and kissed her on the cheek. He backed away and looked at the floor, blushing.
"E-Erk…You…Why did you do that?" Fiora touched her cheek with one of her hands, rubbing the spot where Erk had kissed her. "Well? Answer me." Her tone wasn't harsh anymore. It had become softer, and Erk was heartened to see that she wasn't making any hostile moves towards him.
"Be…Because…I realized something when Farina was…shall we say…lecturing me."
"And? What would this be?" Fiora cocked her head quizzically.
"That…I don't know how I would live without you in my life…" Erk chuckled and scratched the back of his neck. "I guess…that I got so used to your presence that…I grew…fond of you."
"Fond? Is that it?" Fiora adopted a girlish and whining tone in her voice.
"W-Well…Fine! I fell in love with you, okay?! I just didn't know how to show it…So…When I was trying to find you, I was trying to apologize…and explain." Erk looked at the ground again. "So…I'm sorry…and…here." Erk placed a long, thin box in Fiora's hand and sat on a chair.
Fiora slowly opened it and gasped when she saw what was inside. "Oh…Erk…It's beautiful!" Lying inside of the box was a necklace made of sapphires and diamonds. At the center was a small pendant shaped in the form of a pegasus soaring through the sky. "Oh, Erky! It's lovely!" She sprang at him and enveloped him in a big hug. "Oh…I can call you Erky, right?"
"Heh…Of course…Fiora." Erk hugged her as well, smiling happily.
"Is it over?" Someone from outside said loudly. "I can't hear anything. Do you think she killed him?"
"No, you moron!"
"Oh…Well, soooorry!"
Erk loosened Fiora grip and gestured towards the doors. "Should we let them come in?"
"Sure." Fiora shrugged and hugged Erk again as he stood up.
"The doors are open guys! Come on in!" Erk shouted at the doorways, which burst open amid lots of cheering.
"Yay! Finally!" Everyone bustled through the doors, going to give congratulations to the new couple. Eliwood, Farina, and Hector stayed behind, watching the celebration.
"Haha! I told you my plan would work!" Farina grinned mischeviously at both of them before dashing off to join the festivities.
Eliwood turned to Hector. "See? A-"
Hector held up a hand. "Yes, yes, I know. A sister always knows…Sigh…I was certain my plan was better."
Eliwood looked skeptically at Hector. "What? Knock both of out and when they came to, knock some sense into them?"
"Well, it could work!"
---
Erk turned from reading a book when he heard someone knock. He spun around and saw Fiora standing in the doorway. He smiled and put his book away. "Come in! Come in!"
Fiora stepped through, smiling. "Still didn't get that door fixed?"
"Eh…Well, I've never gotten around to it. And I haven't gotten Farina's lance outta my floor. Even Hector couldn't pry it out." Erk looked dismally at the lance shaft lodged in the floor and at the broken door lying next to it. Fiora walked up to him and hugged him from behind. "Hey…I bet that we could get both of them done…Do you want my help, Erky?"
Erk smiled. "Of course…I would love to have you help me."
Chris: Blah…This is long. Too long. Eh, I might actually make this into a multi-chaptered fic if I feel like it. Tell me if you want to write sequels for this or not…And if I do write additional chapters, I don't know if they're just going to focus on Erk and Fiora. Ahem, anyway…since I feel that the Fire Emblem section is…well, it's really not lagging, but it ain't doing marvelously either. So, I'm going to arrange a little fic contest. Rules in my profile. Have fun!