DISCLAIMER: I do not own Fire Emblem or related characters. They are property of Nintendo. I have created names for Castor's nameless mother and siblings.

It's been a while since I wrote a Fire Emblem fanfic. I hope you like it!

THE ESTATE OF NIBIRU-MUL PRESENTS

CASTOR'S FAMILY FIASCO

One cool night in Talys, Marth's troops were resting.

Castor was feeling lonely and bored. Not much action had gone on today, and there was not much to do at the barracks. This evening, he decided to pay a visit to Marth.

Marth was laying down in his bed, clad in a blue nightshirt and matching nightcap. He looked up and saw Castor. This surprised him. Most of the time, Castor only talked to Caeda or other Talysians. He was not familiar with Alteans.

"Castor?" said Marth. "I see you're still dressed. It's late - I'm about to go to sleep."

"Sorry, milord," said Castor. "I was feeling bored. There's been no action in nearly a week."

"Don't worry about it," yawned Marth. "Our next campaign will be here in a couple of days."

Marth saw that Castor had a necklace in his pocket - something he plundered from his last campaign.

"Who's the necklace for?" asked Marth.

"I'm planning on giving it to my mom," said Castor. "It's turquoise - her favorite gemstone."

"That's really sweet of you," said Marth. "I know that your mother is ailing. I can only imagine how hard it is for you."

"It's been a nightmare," said Castor. "If you want, I can tell you a bit more about my family."

"I'd love to hear," said Marth. "I'm all ears." He yawned.

"I have a big family," said Castor. "I am one of nine children - five boys and four girls. I'm the oldest, so I have a lot of responsibilities. My father Algernon used to live with us, but now he's in Galder, so I basically took over as the man of the house."

"Wow - nine kids?" said Marth. "That's a lot. I just have me and my sister Elice."

Castor's eyes rolled.

"Furthermore," continued Castor, "my mother Geraldine has been pregnant many times - in addition to the kids she's had, she's had several miscarriages, so I'm used to her being pregnant. By the time she became pregnant with my youngest brother Sylvan, she was very advanced in age - Sylvan was born not long after her 44th birthday. At that age, some women are grandmothers, so it's definitely too old to be having more children. I had even warned her that having more children could potentially kill her. She had so many children because she loved being a mom. My oldest sister, Lily, acted as midwife when my mom gave birth to Sylvan. Mom fell ill after Sylvan's birth, so we sought help. I had to leave home as a consequence so I could support her."

"I see," said Marth. "What was she like before she fell ill?"

"She was the best mom I could think of," said Castor. "She was kind, gentle, and attentive. She sewed quilts for me and my siblings for whenever it was cold. I took one of her quilts with me when I joined the Galder Pirates."

"So," said Marth, "since you and your father are gone, and your mother is ill, does Lily call the shots?"

"She does," said Castor, "and it's very difficult for her. Mom's two orphaned nieces, Anita and Karen, who are a little older than me, are helping her. Their guardian, Mom's dreaded maiden aunt, wanted to find husbands for them, but they decided to postpone marriage and help Mom through her illness."

"Dreaded?" asked Marth, chuckling.

"I could never stand my great-aunt Clio," said Castor. "In all the 84 years she's been alive, she's never found anyone to put two and two together with. She was the oldest, like me. Aunt Clio rules our family with an iron hand, plus she's got a real short temper. She's amassed a lot of money over the years, but she takes care to avoid spending it. She cares more about herself than she does about my family, so I cannot trust her. She could afford the best medicine, but she doesn't want to waste money."

Marth shuddered.

"I'm very sorry to hear that," he said. "I know you'll keep your word to your mother and bring medicine to her. I have faith in you."

"Thanks, milord," said Castor. "I'll tell you more about my mother. Every fortnight, she would take me and my siblings to the seashore and observe the sunset. The sunsets along the coasts of Talys are notably very beautiful. The breeze there is very pleasant, and the rustling of the waves brings a calming atmosphere to the place."

"Do you miss your mom?" asked Marth.

"All the time," said Castor. "I worry about her."

Castor saw Marth frowning with a small tear flowing down his face. He reckoned that Marth was thinking of his own mother.

"I am sorry for what happened to your mother, Marth," said Castor.

"I miss her terribly," said Marth. "I'm devastated to lose her. First my father, and now my mother too. At night, I pray to the gods and ask them to take care of my parents. I've lost so many other relatives in this war too. Me and Elice are just about the only ones left."

"I feel for you, milord," said Castor, hugging Marth.

"Thank you," said Marth. "I do hope this war is over soon."

"I hope so too," said Castor.

Marth yawned.

"But now, I need to get some sleep," said Marth. "It was nice talking to you, Castor."

"Good night, milord," said Castor.

Castor went to bed. Marth looked out at the nighttime sky, wiped the tears from his eyes, and smiled.

"I know you're watching over me, Mom," he said. "Thanks for everything. You'll always be in my heart."

THE END