A/N: A fic written for Philip 'cause it's his birthday. So I figured I'd write him some shojo ai.

…Again. Pointless, kind of odd, fluff. Seriously, we need a genre for oddness.

Disclaimer: I don't own Fire Emblem.

WARNINGS: Shojo ai, some not-so-subtly-hinted (or is it beyond the realm of hinting?) shonen ai. Mild language.

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Moonlight Angel

Dedicated to Philip

By Amethyst Bubble

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In an army where more then half of the fighters were teenagers and young adults, any excuse for a party goes. If they won a battle, they at least have to get a keg of ale and stay up late into the night celebrating. If someone had advanced in their weaponry level, another such celebration was needed.

But birthdays? They were a whole other story.

Lady Lyndis' excuse was that someone turning a whole year older was certainly an excuse for a celebration.

Lord Eliwood agreed wholeheartedly with Lyn, saying that parties boosted the army's spirits anyway.

Lord Hector said something along the lines of "Anything for beer". ("HECTOR!" Eliwood had shouted, as Lyn stepped none too gently on the blue-haired Lord's foot.)

Rebecca couldn't comprehend why they had gone to such extravagant lengths just because it was her birthday. She didn't need a large celebration, really she didn't. But everyone had insisted so very much…

They had found an inn with a decent sized ball room and rented it (the fact that they'd found an inn with a ball room at all was quite an accomplishment in itself). Rebecca really did wonder if they could afford this. Wouldn't the money be better spent on new weapons? They were running rather low on spell books and lances, that she knew from Merlinus' rantings. For Elimine's sake, they had even found a band somewhere! Now she knew there were better ways to spend gold then this! And just where was all that alcohol coming from?!

She felt a hand land on her shoulder and she turned to see what it was. Warm brown eyes and a silly grin. She'd know that grin anywhere…

"C'mon, 'Becca!" Wil smiled down at his childhood friend, "Go and dance or something! Have some fun, don't just stand there in a corner! Everyone else is enjoying themselves and so should you!" She saw him send a quick glance to the other side of the room, to a certain green haired man. Catching the other's eye, he mouthed 'just a minute' and Rebecca had to resist to urge to grin knowingly. Wil was a good friend, she decided. He had come over to talk to her when he'd most definitely rather be over there on the other side of the room with Rath.

"I will in just a minute, Wil," She said. "And you don't have to stay here with me for that minute, you know. Take your own advice and go have fun," She nodded towards Rath and gave Wil a wink.

Blushing slightly at what was implied by that wink, Wil placed his hands on his hips, "Do you promise you won't just stand here in this corner all night?" He asked, giving her a 'and you'd better mean your answer or else' sort of look. "It is your birthday after all, 'Becca."

"Yes, Wil," She gave him an exasperated sort of look. "But only if you promise to do the same!" She gave him a playful shove in the Nomad's direction.

As Wil made his way over to Rath, throwing Rebecca a glance here or there to see if she'd removed herself from her corner yet, Rebecca knew she only had a little while before she'd have to go mingle. Wil would just keep pestering her if she didn't.

She decided to take a moment to see what everyone else was doing. She'd never quite been certain how to act at these sorts of events (especially if the main reason it was happening at all was because of her) so she might as well observe the others. Hopefully, she'd pick up some sort of clue.

She saw little Nils playing his flute along to the tune that the band they had hired (or perhaps had Karel threaten into working, if they were low on gold) was playing. He really was quite good at playing that musical instrument. Occasionally, he'd skip in circles around Ninian, who looked about as out of place as Rebecca felt.

She noticed that the Lords seemed to be taking turns dancing with each other. First it was Hector and Lyn, until Hector said something that made Lyn kick him. The green haired girl then went over to dance with Eliwood. Though Rebecca could not hear what they were saying, she could see their lips moving the entire time, signifying that they were having a conversation. In less then a minute, Lyn was shoving Eliwood towards Hector, grinning evilly. The lordling was about as red as his hair as his best friend raised an eyebrow. Lyn's evil grin became almost demonic as Hector gave her a 'you're kind of creeping me out' stare, grabbing Eliwood by the arm and dragging him away from the still grinning Lyndis.

Hector's loud voice drifted above the music, "What the hell was up with her?" Eliwood didn't answer and Rebecca just had to roll her eyes. Men were just so thick-headed sometimes…

The only thing louder then Hector's voice was the SLAP that issued across the room moments later. Rebecca didn't even have to look for the source of it, her eyes traveled there automatically. An angrily flushing Heath glared daggers at Legault, who was grinning in a predatory sort of way, seemingly not caring about the hand-shaped bruise that was forming on his cheek. Honestly, what was that? The fifteenth, maybe sixteenth time Heath had slapped him that night? She didn't even want to know the nature of the relationship between them. She figured it would probably scare her.

A flash of red and gold caught her eye and she realized that Raven and Lucius had re-entered the room. There had been an incident earlier, where that quiet girl with red hair…Rebecca paused to remember her name. Oh, yes, Priscilla…there had been an incident earlier where Priscilla had accidentally drunk liquor instead of the fruit juice that was set out for the nowhere near the legal drinking age members of the party. Obviously she could not hold her liquor, because shortly afterwards she had started quite loudly professing her love to Raven. The red-haired mercenary had quite forcefully dragged the girl upstairs, presumably to her room, looking quite angry about the attention she was attracting. Lucius had meekly followed him, looking rather concerned.

Finally, her eyes landed upon saw the red-haired assassin, silent and stoic as always, leaning against a wall, glaring at anything that moved. Her gaze fell to the area immediately to his right, fixing on a point around his elbow. She found it empty. Wait… wasn't there supposed to be something there? A green haired, anima magic wielding, eternally cheerful something there? Nino was almost always by Jaffar's side, and if she wasn't, she was with Legault.

She was pretty sure that Legault was too busy harassing Heath to entertain the little green haired girl. She checked, just to make sure. Yep, definitely too busy harassing Heath to pay much attention to Nino, and the mage was nowhere in that area. She bit her lip. If Nino wasn't with Jaffar or Legault, then just where was-

"EEEK!" She found herself being tackled from behind, the sudden weight almost making her fall over.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY REBECCA!" A feminine voice near her ear cried. Arms unwound from around her neck and Rebecca spun around to see the girl she had been looking for minutes ago.

Nino stood in front of her, smiling that sunny smile Rebecca adored so very much. And even though her neck ached from where Nino had accidentally almost strangled her, Rebecca could never bring herself to be angry with the well meaning younger girl.

"I wanna give you something," Nino said, rocking back and forth on the balls of her feet. She was almost always in constant motion, Rebecca noted. Nino was a child of the sun. She was bright and cheerful and full of energy. She was exactly what Rebecca had always tried to be; happy, with a smile that brought joy to others. "But it's too noisy here," She continued, reaching out to grab Rebecca's hand, tugging the her in the direction of the main hall. "C'mon, I'll give it to you outside!" She exclaimed, leading Rebecca out of the ball room, through the hall and out the front door.

The cool night air blew across Rebecca's face as Nino continued to lead her to whatever destination the green haired girl had in mind. She wondered if Nino was heading to one spot in particular, or if she just continued to lead Rebecca, her hand clasped tightly around that of the older girl, to some random spot, picked on a whim?

Whim, she decided, as Nino slowed to a walk. They walked for a good couple minutes in silence. A comfortable silence. It seemed so odd for Nino to be silent, but somehow, it fit. It fit the quiet atmosphere, where neither a bird dare sing or a cricket chirp for fear of disturbing the peace that settled everywhere. That was so very odd as well, to have peace in a time of war. A time where they could wake up tomorrow, go into battle, and be so utterly defeated by the end of the day. They had been lucky so far, but how much longer would their luck last? It couldn't possibly hold out forever…could it?

She was jostled from her thoughts as Nino stopped short. The smaller girl just stood there, observing the area she had discovered, the wind blowing through her short green locks. Rebecca almost tentatively reached out, tucking one of those silky green locks behind its owner's ear.

Nino's hand slipped out of her own, and the younger girl turned, bright blue eyes staring straight into Rebecca's own green ones. The younger girl smiled in a serene, almost lazy sort of way, the moonbeams highlighting her soft features. She looked like an angel, Rebecca decided. Nino was a moonlight angel.

And then, Nino started to speak, so soft that at first Rebecca thought it must be the wind whispering, "Happy birthday Rebecca." She said almost shyly. The small girl reached into the pack that hung on the belt around her waist, fishing around for something. "It's not much, but… Here." She produced a necklace, a long loop of string threaded with so many colorful dried berries that it was as if Nino had threaded a rainbow onto the string. Nino leaned up and hung the necklace around Rebecca's neck, before taking one step back to admire her work.

Slowly, Rebecca lifted one hand, brushing her fingertips against the necklace so very gently. She smiled; it was perfect. She would have loved any gift from Nino, but this was so utterly perfect she could barely open her mouth to say, "I love it." The wind whispered what she dared not; I love you.

"You're the one who taught me how to make them. The berry necklaces," Nino said, smiling softly. And then, as if on another whim, for Nino was a creature who acted upon her whims and fancies, the green haired girl slowly wrapped her arms around Rebecca, laying her head on Rebecca's shoulder in a tender hug.

Rebecca felt the color rush to her cheeks. She was frozen. She could not move. She could not even muster the strength to wrap her arms around Nino in return.

It was not needed. Slowly, Nino pulled away, smiling that ever present smile that was as priceless as the handmade necklace around Rebecca's neck. She did not completely pull away from the other girl, though. Moving her hands up so that they rested on Rebecca's shoulders, Nino stood on the very tips of her toes and brushed a feather light kiss against Rebecca's cheek.

A sudden gust of cool wind blew across the inn yard, wrapping the two girls who stood underneath the starry sky in a comforting, soft embrace. And then as soon as the wind had gone, Nino's heels lowered to the ground and her hands left the braided archer's shoulders. She retreated a few steps, still smiling that beautiful smile with those lips that had touched Rebecca's face mere seconds ago.

"…I'm going to go back inside," She said, turning and running back towards the inn. She got a little whiles away before she realized she was not being followed. Turning around, she cupped her hands around her mouth and called, "Aren't you coming, Rebecca?"

"No," She called back. "I'll be there in a minute!" She watched Nino nod, turn and retreat, her white skirt flowing around her legs as she ran, the slight breeze ruffling her hair, and for a minute, she swore the other girl wore the wings of an angel. Then again, hadn't she thought it herself just moments (had it really been moments? It felt like so much more, like decades had passed in mere instants) ago? Nino was an angel. Nino may have appeared like a child of the sun indoors, in the harsh yellow light, but now, in the moon's soft glow, her true nature as a moonlight angel was revealed. A beautiful, moonlight angel.

Rebecca's hand touched the cheek Nino had kissed, moving down to meet the berry necklace Nino had given her, and finally to rest over the heart she was ready to give solely to Nino. Yes, Nino was her moonlight angel.

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Le Fin

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…Geez, why do all of my attempts at shojo ai turn out so damn weird? This one is just ODD. It started out all normal, and then somewhere, the normalness said goodbye and left. And it's got the fluff consistency of cotton candy. Well, Philip, as long as you like it…I don't care how weird it was towards the end…or the middle…or both… Just gonna stop ranting now…

Anyway, happy birthday Philip! Enjoy your shojo ai! (And yes, I'm getting you a real gift, this is just extra.)