Hi, guys. As of late, I have been taking a break from writing anything at all related to my SornxLucia story, but I plan on getting back on it in the next couple of days. Until then, I have this.

It's a three part fic about Leonardo, the archer of the Dawn Brigade. He actually has a pretty interesting backstory, and when I found that out, I thought I could expand on what it might be. Thus, this.

Idea for the title and the theme comes from the base conversation in one of the beginning chapters, in the desert, when Leo tells Eddie that "one person can only do so much". Eddie will show up later.

All names that are not canon are ones I made up for the sake of backstory.

I do not own Fire Emblem. If I did, Soren would smile more.

"Leo! It's time to head in for the day! Put your bow back in the storeroom, you've had enough practice."

"Only a few more shots!" The blonde archer turned pleading blue eyes onto the face of his mentor, Zephyr. "I'm getting better!"

"Of course you are, as would anyone who practices as much as you do," he said.

Leo's eyes shut for a moment. "Well, I don't have anything else to do," he said. He notched another arrow. "With conditions as the way they are, archery seems to be the only thing that distracts my mind from everything else."

His mentor came to his side. "You know, Leo, it's never good to hold things in. You need a kind ear?" he asked, looking to the boy. The young archer had recently become his charge. Leonardo had been the son of a noble, but that had all changed in the war. Now with both of his parents dead, the only place Leo had to come was the military school that his father had sent him to right before the war broke out. When the boy had learned that the fighting had reached the city of his parent's home, he'd taken a short leave from the academy to go see if they were all right. He'd come back in a state of misery.

But Leo only shook his head. "I don't want to speak of it." He had been incredibly close to his family. And now they were gone. Zephyr knew this. He watched as Leo let a few more arrows fly, the clapped his hand on the boy's shoulder.

"Things would have been different if you were there," he said.

"Yes. There would have been three deaths instead of two."

Zephyr frowned. "Don't doubt your abilities, Leo. They will carry you far."

"One person can only do so much."

"Yes, but…"

"I am ready to go in, now," Leonardo said. "This was a nice conversation, Master Zephyr."

"Right. Let's go in for supper."

Soon after these words, there was a cry from the main building. "Beginion soldiers! Help! They're attacking!"

Running their way was another student, with a huge gash in his side. "They're attacking!" he cried. Zephyr and Leo ran over to him.

"Th-they got me…" he murmured, looking to the wound, which gushed blood. "I-I can't…" He collapsed, in shock from blood loss. Zephyr caught him and handed him to Leonardo.

"Get out of here," he said. "Take your bow. Beginion will not stay their weapons, not even for children…" He had said the last bit to himself, but Leo heard it.

"Master, let me go with you!" he said, trotting after Zephyr as he started towards the academy. The man shook his head.

"I'll send as many as I can to the woods after you. You have to escape when you have the chance! Now, go!" he said.

Leo was never one to disobey. He turned and started for the cover of the forest, in a slow walk. He heard shouts, all at once, and then saw torchlight. He turned, seeing soldiers barreling up the hill towards them.

He made a mad dash for the woods, traveling as fast as he could with the weight of the other boy in his arms. He was faintly aware that the front of his shirt was now covered in blood, and thought that he should maybe do something to slow the other's bleeding, but it would have to wait until they were to safety.

The shouts grew louder. The soldiers were gaining on him. He heard a whizzing sound by his head, but did not stop to look. He knew the sound of an arrow when it flew. This one had just barely missed his neck. He didn't think about it. He didn't think about the fact that someone had just tried to kill him.

His feet carried him into the woods, but his pursuers continued the chase. This was mad, the archer thought. How could they be so driven to go after him? One person running away, when there was an entire academy of people behind them? Terror rose in his chest. They weren't about to let anyone escape. They were going to massacre everyone. Including himself.

He pushed the thought back, concentrating on running. He carved a path of zigzags through the trees. He threw himself through the underbrush, hoping it would slow his pursuers more than it did him. His legs grew weary, but he knew he could not stop. Stopping would mean death.

No, don't think about that. You will live, he tried to convince his mind. It wasn't working.

His legs felt dead. The only reason he knew that he was still running was because of the jolt that shook his body every time his feet pounded the ground again.

He tripped. Leo's arms flew out in front of him, dropping the person he'd been holding to catch himself. The rough ground bit into his hands, skinning them. He pushed the pain back, though, and rose once again to shaky legs. He scooped up his wounded classmate and started off again, but only managed a few unsteady steps before his legs gave out. He shuddered as he sat there, just listening. And he realized, due to the lack of the sound of footfalls and shouts behind him, that he must've lost the soldiers.

So he was safe.

Leonardo tried to still his nerves. He was safe. He'd made it. He took a few deep breaths, looking himself over. His hands were skinned horribly, with bits of plant matter and splinters from the forest floor embedded in them. He shuddered again. How would he ever be able to draw his bow for self defense? He tried not to think about it. He was safe now. He had no reason to draw his weapon on someone.

His shirt was covered in red. The sight made him gasp, but then he remembered that it was not his own blood. He turned to the other boy, looking for something to bind the wound with, but halted as he realized that the other archer was no longer bleeding. There wasn't any blood left in him to come out. The boy had died in his arms.

And Leo hadn't even noticed.

He fell to the ground, shock sweeping over him. Why…? Why did death surround him so? He got up shakily, moving to close the other boy's eyelids. He tossed a few fistfuls of dirt over him and said a few words. Leo was no priest, but even he knew that this wasn't enough. He just didn't have the strength, mentally or physically, to do any more.

He pushed the thoughts of sorrow and anguish in the front of his mind back. If he were going to survive this, he would need to keep a level head. And if that meant not thinking about the situation he was in, then so be it.

But suddenly, one thought flew into his mind.

His Master had gone back.

It was suicide. Leonardo hadn't been thinking. He should've joined the man, should've helped. He shouldn't have run like a coward. He should've…

But no. Leo pushed this back as well. One person could only do so much. He would've just been one more casualty. He had to survive. He would live, and that would be enough revenge. Beginion had set out to kill everyone at the academy. He would avenge, through his own survival.

He needed to keep moving. Surely, if they had pursued him through the woods, the soldiers would not give up their hunt so easily. He pushed himself up.

Pain ricocheted up his spine. Leo's legs gave out and he fell, unconscious.