Wow... A pretty long time since I've posted anything. Anyways, this kind of... hit me today. I don't really know why, but I had to write it.

A bit about the story, though. It's a little bit different style of writing for me. This is more like a long drabble. It's pretty much in Florina's POV, but, it's in third person. I hope it's not too confusing, though. Like I said, I just kind of wrote it up. And decided to post it. I hope it's not too bad...

It may be a bit OOC, but that could be because I was more or less basing it on myself. I'm just venting out some pent up emotions :D

Well, the main pairings are RathXLyn, and HectorXFlorina. There are some hints of JaffarXNino and NinianXEliwood. This is mostly taking place before, during, and after the Nergal battles/war.

Well, I hope that's it! Please, read on.

Disclaimer: I don't own Fire Emblem, or Florina (unfortunately...) They belong to Intelligent Systems and Nintendo

A Little... Misunderstood.

Tri17

Florina was a powerful fighter. She was a good friend to Lyn, and Hector, and Ninian, and Nino, and Serra, and everyone else. Except the really scary people, like Sain and Raven and Karel and Jaffar. But Jaffar wasn't that bad. Nope, Nino introduced them, and he was pretty nice. Hector used to be scary, too, but Eliwood and Mark introduced them (and they were battle partners so Florina had to get used to them really quickly). So, even though they were all her friends (heck, everyone in the army liked her and was nice to her. She could get along with everyone!) she still felt a little... wierd.

But why was that? Florina always asked herself that. Was it because her best friend was suddenly a princess and so much older than her? Florina was only 15 and Lyn was 19 now. She was so mature and kind and everyone liked her. But she was royalty!

It made Florina feel awkward. Like, when people would ask "Who's that, Lady Lyndis?" "Oh that's my best friend, Florina." But those ladies were nobles and Florina was a Pegasus Knight. Lyn never seemed to notice, but Florina still felt a bit... underrated. Like she shouldn't be there. Which in a way, she shouldn't.

And, even with the war against Nergal, Florina helped a lot, right? She knew that. And she felt comfortable talking to Lyn, and talking to Hector (well, now at least), and talking to Nino, and Ninian, and Rebecca, and Serra, and sometimes even Rath! But, Florina realized, she could only really talk to them when she was alone.

Sure, she got to the point where she could talk to Lyn and Hector, Hector and Ninian. Now, she could talk to Ninian and Nino together. Or Serra, Nino, and Rebecca. Still, she just couldn't seem to talk to Lyn with her other friends.

Florina could talk about Lyn to her other friends, though. Of course, it was nothing bad. It was usually around the lines of "I want to be a lot like Lyn!" or "I want to talk to Lyn... She'd know what to do." Always praising things.

As Florina went along in the war, always saying how she would go back to Caelin to be with Lyn, it just seemed to change. Lyn was with Rath... and though Rath was nice, Florina just seemed intimidated by him. He was so serious and so... so intelligent and just... scary.

Still, Lyn loved him. That was great. They were even going to get married! Florina was happy for them when they announced that when the war had ended. But... with that revelation, Florina felt just a little... alone. She didn't want to bug Lyn. Lyn was a married woman, a once princess, and respected by everyone. Sure, she was once a plains-woman, but Lyn just seemed so out of reach now.

Once, Florina referred to Lyn as her "best friend". But now, Florina just couldn't say that. "Ninian is my best friend. And so is Nino." True statements. "Serra and Rebecca are my good friends." But Lyn... what did she say about Lyn now? "I look up to Lyn." "I respect Lyn." "I want to be like Lyn." Yet, she just couldn't say, "Lyn is my best friend." It felt so one-sided anymore. It felt like Lyn had better friends.

Lyn had Hector. And Eliwood. And Rath. And even Mark. It hurt, but more and more, Florina just realized she didn't deserve the title of being "Lyn's best friend". She hardly knew anything about Lyn. Sure, Lyn had told her she was getting married to Rath. AFTER she had told Hector, Eliwood, and Mark. Sure, Lyn had helped her a lot. Sure, Lyn had been such a great friend.

But it felt like, with the war, they had drifted apart. With the war, it felt as if Florina had no one like she once thought were her best friends. She had her sisters, and Ninian, Hector, Nino, Jaffar, Rebecca, Serra. Not Mark, Sain, Kent, Wil, or Eliwood. They were in two different leagues (excluding Hector).

Everyone was friends with Lyn, not so much as friends with Florina. Did Rath even consider her a friend? Or just a "friend of Lyn's." Eliwood was nice and exchanged plesentries with her here and there, but could that be because she was friends with Ninian? And Mark... Was Mark really anyone's friend besides the lords? Then again, he was so busy, so haunted, so... everything. The poor boy had enough going on in his life then to be caught socializing with the army.

Hector and Florina were friends because they were battle partners. But, Florina could tell Hector liked Lyn but had given up on her because she was with Rath. Was Florina a rebound of sorts? He had constantly told her that they would "pursue" something when she was older. "Five or six years" he would always tell her. Florina liked him. He was the closest male to her! Though... it just seemed like Hector was so different around Lyn, Rath, Eliwood, and Mark.

Florina remembered how many nights she'd be sitting at the campfire talking to Ninian or Nino and Hector would come and sit beside her. They would always talk (until Nino would decide to find Jaffar or Ninian would decide to find Nils). Yet, when Lyn was there with Hector, and Eliwood, Rath, and Mark where there too, it just felt so weird.

It made Florina so... depressed, in a way. All these people so much stronger, smarter, and just... better than her. Florina would stay there sometimes for politeness, but she just couldn't talk. She felt awkward and like she was intruding, even if she was there first.

She felt like she wasn't worth it. Most of the time, Lyn would leave, as would everyone else. Florina would be left alone. Other times, Florina would walk away quietly, unnoticed. Or she would say goodnight, and leave. She just had to. Lyn hadn't really changed but it just felt like she had. There were no more long talks, just pleasantries. No more deep connection where they could relate to each other. Lyn had been replaced by Nino and Ninian.

It was starting to show, Florina realized. The large age difference. Lyn was 19, while Florina was 15. And there just seemed to be a greater maturity. It seemed like that with Rath and even Hector sometimes. Like when he'd say something like, "You're a good kid." It hurt her, deep, deep down. She'd always thank him, though, plastering a smile on her face. It just seemed like Hector was shoving her age back in her face.

Rath was even worse. Not so much that he would say something like that, but just the elegance he had when he talked shoved his maturity and authority in Florina's face. Even if he didn't mean to.

Part of Florina just wanted to sever everything with all of them, except Hector. And just stay secluded to her own friends, those around her age (well, excluding Ninian who was over 500 years old. But she looked like she was about 16.) Yet, she didn't do that.

She wouldn't do that. No, that wouldn't be nice or fair or kind to Lyn. Florina didn't have to bug Lyn anymore, not with her problems. If Lyn wanted, she could tell Florina any problem, though. (Then again, she had Rath, Hector, and Eliwood to confide into. Why would she pick Florina?) Lyn may not see anything to have changed (maybe she didn't even think they were best friends to begin with so there was nothing to ever change) but Florina had decided to stop pinning onto her relationship with Lyn. Yes, they would still be friends. But no longer "best friends" as Florina had always thought they were. It was probably better that way.

Their relationship would be a little less... misunderstood, then.

I hope you liked this! Or, if you didn't, please no flames. Critiques are welcomed, though . (But this a drabble... I didn't really try too hard on it XD)

Thanks for reading!