Thanks for checking out my first (published) fanfiction! It's most likely gonna suck, but I'll appreciate it if you take the time to R&R.

I don't own the Fire Emblem name or series (trust me, you don't want me to.) All credit goes to Intelligent Systems and Nintendo for the series and characters.


Chapter One: Not like a family

"Well, shit, I botched this one... Over a girl, no less..." A wounded teen said aloud, clutching his side. His black tunic covered in fresh blood, his hood concealing his purple hair, a streak of blonde carefully hidden away.

Close nearby are the bodies of those responsible for his pain, slowly dissipating into dust. Assassins, more specifically, assassins he was leading on a mission. Their names did not matter, as they were morphs, humanoids born of darkness, who only exist to follow the orders of those who made them.

He was given a nine man team, ten including himself, having the mission of infiltrating Castle Caelin to assassinate the newly rediscovered heir: A plainswoman by the name of Lyndis. His team had silently cleared each room, dispatching any guards that may prove a problem upon their exit, and everything was going according to plan.

That was, until one of the morphs decided to cut off from the group. Feeling unsettled by this, the leader broke off as well, catching the rouge in a matter of seconds, finding him poised to strike a sleeping female guard. Moving faster than the arm pulling the knife down over the guard's heart, the leader prevented the act from continuing further.

'Our targets are guards that may pose a problem, and Lyndis. There is to be no more deaths than necessary.' The young leader telepathically told the morph. 'And why should I listen to you, whelp? If we so wished, we could eliminate the entire castle here and be on our way.' It retorted, obviously irritated he was being talked down to by someone who hadn't even been outside the Black Fang controlled territories for missions before.

A snarl forming on his face, the leader reached for his own dagger, feeling more eyes set upon him. 'So, you would all turn against your superior?' After a brief, tense filled silence, the morph over the girl took a few steps away from the younger assassin. 'You are no superior to us!' He stated as he struck out, catching the leader off guard and stabbing into his side.

Quickly recovering from his shock, he quickly rushed the doorway, dispatching two of the morphs while evading the rest. He hoped that they would all attempt to pursue him, and much to his relief (and dismay,) they had. Leading them into a large room, where he promptly turned, only to take a fist to his gut. Being knocked several feet back, he felt the pain from his stomach being replaced with the pain of hitting a wall. Allowing no time for a follow-up strike, he leapt forward, catching two more morph's necks with the teeth of his knife.

'Oh boy,' He thought to himself, 'this dizzy from the blood loss, and there are still five left.' Rolling away from a kick, he quickly found his next target, only to quickly dispatch of him by throwing a knife. The last four got on the defensive, not allowing anyone else to be picked off. They formed a small group, which would only serve to end their little rebellion quickly. As they went on the defensive, the wounded teen had already devised, and was now executing a plan: To use a chandelier above them to break their guard, then finish them while they're dazed. Sure, it would alert all the remaining guards to his presence, but his wounds were too severe to escape with, so either way meant death. He sure wasn't going to Hell alone.

As soon as he freed the chandelier, the remaining morphs broke away from one another in a panic. Using this opportunity, the teen made his way around to each morph, slitting their throats or stabbing their hearts, and with the last morph, he gladly returned his knife: through the side of his head.

He now sat opposite to the bodies of his former team, halfway underneath a window, eyes closed as he could hear the shouts of the guard's drawing closer and closer. 'Won't be long now,' He thought grimly to himself, 'until I'm finished off. Might as well take the poison from my pouch...' As he reached down to his pouch, he had to fight the urge to open his eyes in shock. "That sneaky bastard..." He whispered to himself, as that first stab wasn't just to wound him, it was also to destroy his poison capsule. Sighing in defeat, he braced himself for his eminent death, delivered to him by the knights of the castle.

And after what seemed to be years, he felt the cold steel against his neck. "You there, open your eyes." Taking a few moments of weighing his options, his thoughts were interrupted. "I know you can hear me." He complied, however upon opening them, he was not greeted by just any knights, but the Knight Commander and Sub-commander themselves. However they were not the ones with their blades against his throat, it was the heiress herself, Lyndis. "Would you care to explain why you were in this estate this late at night?" She asked, her voice colder than the steel pressed against his skin. "If I like whatever excuse you have, I may have your end be swift." Again, weighing his options, he might as well die like a human that he was trained to never be.

"I was sent here to kill you, Lyndis." He matched her words and her gaze with both feeling as if they could freeze even the hottest of blood. Lyn, never shifting her gaze, raised her sword over her head. "Who sent you? Was it the Fang?" He slowly nodded his head, closing his eyes as he waited for Death to take him. As Lyn brought her sword down, a pair of small hands grabbed her by the arm.

"Lyn w-wait!" The girl called out, slightly stumbling on her words. The sudden outburst jolted the assassin's eyes open, as he had expected steel, not words. "Florina! Why did you stop Lady Lyndis?" Called out the Green Armoured knight. "Because, that m-man saved my life earlier!" The entire group's eyes grew wide with surprise. "Is that true?" Lyn asked him. Holding back a sneer, the assassin began speaking again. "I have no idea what that girl is talking about." He replied coolly. "Th-that's not true!" Florina suddenly yelled, "You stopped one of these men from killing me, and got stabbed in the side because of it!" Everyone turned to examine the teen's tunic, only for him to cover his wounds as best he could.

"Listen, whether or not I saved your life matters not at the moment, as I'm an assassin, who was tasked with taking your Lord's life. Even if you were to spare me, I failed my mission, and failure means death." He said grimly, Florina's expression fell, deeper than sadness, yet it couldn't match the darkness on the assassin's face. He was ready to die. There was no changing that. If they showed mercy, he would have to kill himself, or wait for another Fang member to come and finish the job for him. "If you truly wish for me to have mercy, you would do well to end me now. Word of failure travels fast in the Fang, and as soon as you would lock me up, another assassin would be here to do away with me. And after I'm gone, they'll finish the original mission..." the leader finished, only to be struck on the head with the shaft of a lance, effectively knocking him out.

"Kent! Why did you strike him!" Sain questioned, shocked at his recent action. "Because, Fang or not, any assassins must face proper justice. If he is killed, it may as well be an execution to serve as a warning." Kent finished, slightly annoyed at Sain questioning his actions. "Why not do away with him as we did with the morphs before him?"Sain rebutted, reminding Kent that morphs are nothing more than puppets bound to serve their masters. "While you give a valid reason Sain, a very large question remains. Why did he do away with his allies if he's a morph as well? Why did he harm himself to protect Florina?" Lyn interjected, reaching down at his hood with the curiosity of a kitten. In a swift motion, the hood went down, and everyone was speechless.

The assassin couldn't be a day older than themselves, and his hair was quite odd. Most morphs had solid dark hair, this boy had streaks of blonde and lighter purple along with the solid dark purple that dominated his head. The only thing that left his identity a mystery was his eyes, Lyn however saw them. They were the same as a morph's, but she had to check again, just to be sure. Opening his eyes, she was taken aback. His eyes were bluer than the plains above Sacae, not anything at all like the gold she saw earlier. Getting up, Lyn gave Sain the order to fetch a healer while Kent bound the assassin's arms and legs. They would have a long night ahead of them...

Waking with a start, the assassin looked around. He hadn't been killed... but that doesn't mean that this fact couldn't change. As he looked around he noticed another figure in his cell. His blood instantly ran cold. He had expected them to send a proven morph, like one of the commanders, but the figure in front of him was none other than Nergal, the creator of the morphs and leader of the Fangs. "It seems you've failed boy, and such a shame that is. One as loyal as you must obviously know the penalty for failure." Nergal said as he began to raise his right arm. "It really pains me to do this, since I have invested so much time into molding you. You were almost like a son to me." Nergal stated before releasing a burst of magic that engulfed the teen. "Almost." Had Nergal stayed behind for another moment, he would have seen his magic dissipate, with the teen never having moved anything more than his right arm.

"I have no more patience for your games you bastard. I have much to repay you for..." He stated to himself before collapsing from him expending most of his energy disrupting the devastating spell, the last sight he saw was the girl named Florina run into the room, followed shortly by the Knight Kent. Puzzled by the scorch marks that were everywhere in his cell. He awoke again, only this time he was not in his cell. He was back at the Headquarters of the Fang. One of the commanders had returned, only to leave shortly after. Asking whom he believed to be something akin to a father what he had returned for, only to be shocked by what he was told. The plan in Laus had failed. Asking for a mission to stop the Tactician and the two young Lords, the teen eagerly awaited a response, and he got one. His first mission outside the territory, and it was to assassinate a Marquess-to-be before the remainder of the Laus forces mobilized an attack on Castle Caelin.

The young man wasn't always so eager to please his "Father", however, he knew that the only way to get his answers was through him. This man, Nergal, knew what the teen did not: His past. Nergal had found the infant and sensed a hidden power in him, so once he was old enough to hold a sword, the man had him drugged and forced through the Dragon's Gate. Nergal had nothing to lose, it wasn't his child, and he felt more like him out there, but if this child could survive in their realm, then a being as powerful as him could as well.

Much to everyone's surprise the boy had come back several years older, and was tempered into one of the best assassins of the Fang, in only a few months. This astounded Nergal, and he wasted no time in placing spies and guardians everywhere around the teen. A few months after the incident the teen started to grow weary of his guarded life, and less trusting of his Father. Of the many things he learned in the strange realm was how to blend perfectly into shadows, which helped him survive his encounters with the inhabitants of that world. He also had developed extreme hearing and eyesight, which helped him learn their language. He was, in a sense, the perfect assassin. Yet he craved knowledge of his past, knowledge denied him, but granted to his "Father". If it wasn't for that, he would have done away with the bastard shortly after he returned from the Dragon's Realm.

He was pulled out of his dreams by the stinging pain of a vulnerary being applied to his stab wound. He attempted to slowly move his arms and legs, only for them to meet the resistance of ropes. They had bounded him before applying the medicine. Smart. He could feel only one presence in the room, so he felt it safe for him to open his eyes, expecting to see a healer or one of the castle servants, but it was that girl he has saved, Florina. He couldn't help but stare at the small girl as she dressed his wounds which has reopened from his encounter with Nergal, possibly mere moments ago, she did it slowly but effectively, making sure not to miss any of his wounds.

Although she was preoccupied and unaware of his gaze, her fear of men (or her Androphobia, if you will), started to react, and she soon found herself leaping back with a terrified yelp. She started for the door, but before she could get anywhere near it, Sain busted in, followed by Lyn. "Milady Florina! Whatever is the matter?" Sain asked before Lyn shoved him out the way to check on her friend. "What happened?" Lyn asked, in her soothing and motherly tone. "Th-The man... He woke up and... I-it surprised me. I was shocked to see him awake so early is all..." Florina replied, still flustered from his staring.

Everyone but Florina turned their attention towards the captive would-be assassin. Sain was the first to speak regarding him, and it wasn't with his usual demeanor. "Milady Florina, why were you wasting your time fixing that rogue's wounds? He does not deserve such kindness. After all, he did come here to end Lady Lyndis' life." Sain put on the best face of disgust he had, only for a cold gaze from the assassin making him lose it almost instantly. "Well, as it seems you're awake now, I think it's time I got more answers. First of all, what's your name?" Lyn asked, hoping to address him as something more than "the assassin." Pondering a bit, he decided that the best course of action, albeit a long shot, was to be honest, and pray that they believe him.

"...They called me 'Zyre', though I do not know my real name. I was raised by the Fang since I was an infant, and let me just say... the conditions for growing up were...less than savory." Zyre took a pause, awaiting the next question, hoping that it would be asked soon. "Why did you betray the Fang, your family?" "They were no family of mine, just a means to find my past." "Then why did you kill your group?" "They refused to follow me, and my orders. They also plotted to include me in the assassinations, reporting back to Nergal about my death at your hands before you met your end." Zyre kept up with her questions for several minutes, answering each questions without a second thought. After her last question, Lyn leaned back onto a nearby wall, taking in all the information.

"Lyndis," Zyre started, being cut off by Sain. "What makes you think you have the right to say Milady's name? Ill-mannered cur, hold your tongue!" "That's enough Sain, he's been fully cooperative so far, let him call me whatever he wishes, he's earned as much." Lyn said, scolding Sain for his harsh words. "As I was saying, Lyndis. There's a force coming to attack this castle as we speak." "What!" Sain cried out. "Why did you not tell us sooner!?" "I tried, but I was unjustly interrupted." Sain's expression fell. "It consists of the remnants of the Laus army, which your companions Eliwood, Hector, and Mark destroyed." As Zyre finished Lyn's eyes flashed with fear, for an army marches against her, yet also with happiness. Mark was safe with Eliwood and Hector.

"How long until they arrive?" Lyn began, but as if to answer her a guard came in. "Milady! We've spotted a large number of soldiers approaching the castle. They're...they're flying Laus banners!" "Dammit! We've got no defenses prepared after the war with Lundgren! What are we to do Milady?!" Sain cried out. "You flee." Zyre replied, sounding extremely calm and collected for someone in his position. They all looked at him flabbergasted. "You expect me to flee and leave my grandfather here?" "Yes, actually. I believe your allies shall be arriving shortly." Zyre replied, still talking in a calm demeanor. "I think it'd be best if you allow me to travel with you. I have... invaluable experience with situations such as this." "HELL NO," Sain bellowed, "I will not allow you to-" "Sain! Hold your tongue! While I understand what he's asking is complete lunacy, and I agree, I don't plan on taking him with us." After Lyn had finished talking, she could hear the Laus troops rallied cheer, and the sounding of war horns, signalling the beginning of the charge.

"I do believe you have no choice in the matter now Lyndis. Either you take me as a soldier, or I turn to a freelancer, having no restrictions of allies." Zyre stated. He wasn't taking no for an answer, even being prepared to escape the cell if she refused again. After a long silence, the soldier that came to warn then began urging Lyn, Sain, and Florina to quickly flee. The enemies were fast approaching with another sound of the war horn, this time it was much closer.

"...Sain, cut him of his bonds." Lyn ordered, her voice hinting at defeat. "But Milady!" Sain interjected, sounding more like a child whining than a knight advising his Lord. "Sain, do not make me repeat myself." Lyn replied as she left the room to search for Kent. Sain, begrudgingly, did as he was ordered, never losing the scowl on his face.

Soon after being cut from his bonds, Sain left. 'Good, one less pain to deal with...' Zyre thought to himself. He had given his allegiance to Lyndis and her nation, whether they wanted him or not didn't matter, he was going to stay around for a while. 'Not like I had much choice,' He thought to himself again, 'These people are the best hope I have to encounter Nergal again.' The next statement he thought, made him chuckle a bit. 'I gotta hand it to Nergal though, he did make me as powerful as I am today But, he stole my past and childhood from me...' His chuckle quickly turned to sorrow, for he knew the facts. He wasn't natural. He didn't belong in this world. He knew he would die after this endeavor is over, having nothing more to obtain, nothing to gain that he desired. He just wants to know the life he would've had, if not for Nergal's interventions.

Searching around a bit, he found his pack. Checking to make sure everything was inside where it should be, he took a rather large piece of folded steel out of it, and secured it to his back, taking a wooden handle out and attaching it to his side. After refilling his pouch with vulneraries, and other supplies, Zyre headed for the door leading to the main hall of the castle. The rallied cheers from the Laus soldiers were deafening at this point. For soldiers who has lost their home and pride, they sure did have spirit... Something didn't set right with him, and he soon found out why. He was being watched.

Out of the shadows stepped a woman clad in mostly purple, with a yellow cape flowing and her footsteps resonating throughout the halls as she walked. Stopping about a foot away from Zyre, the woman was soon joined by a hooded man. He hadn't seen the woman extensively, but he knew the man all too well. Ephidel, one of Nergal's most prized morphs. Zyre got on the defensive, blocking attacks being launched by the woman, but he failed to block a surprisingly weak blow from Ephidel. After repelling the woman and gaining distance, his entire body felt as if he was burning from the inside out, his strength beginning to drain from his body.

"Did you really believe you could dispel Lord Nergal's attacks so easily?" Ephidel began. "Nergal knew you could be troublesome, but he couldn't risk destroying certain pieces, that reside in this castle." Looking up at him, Zyre couldn't speak through the pain. Only glare. Ephidel scoffed, then turned to the woman. "Come Leila, we have business with the Marquess." Following her orders, Leila followed the morph to the Marquess' chambers. "Oh, and Lord Zyre," Ephidel began, "The pain you feel is a seal, one so powerful that only someone with arcane powers equal to Lord Nergal's may break it, but unfortunately for you, one with such power doesn't exist anymore." Ephidel smiled as he walked towards the chamber door.

With Ephidel's departure, Zyre could feel the searing pain lift, and he was soon on his feet, only for a moment though, as his strength was significantly weaker than he could imagine. He probably wasn't at a tenth his original power, but he knew he could handle the remnants of a fallen army. Picking himself up, he ran the opposite way Ephidel had went. Near the exit stairway Zyre had heard wood being smashed apart and the satisfied cheers of the hoard responsible. They were in, and were no doubt going to raid the entire floors. Caught on the second floor, Zyre decided to test what little strength he had: by jumping out a window. Not very subtle, I know, but he landed unscathed. Pleased that he was not as weak as he once feared, he decided to try to find Lyndis before the real battle started. The majority of the forces must have invaded the castle, for only a few dozen soldiers were holding positions outside. They were quite pissed about something, and that was Lyndis with her knights cutting down any enemy that approached. All this bloodshed was gonna be quite interesting...


(A/N) Yet again, thanks for taking the time to read this fic, and if you would be so kind, CHEW ME OUT about any mistakes you catch. It'll help me in the long run if I get hate comments every now and again about how I suck at wording things, or if I word things too much! I spent the past few days writing this on and off, so I'm surprised that, for one thing, it got done in the first place, and that it's almost 4K words. R&R, and until next chapter. Kerota, out.