A/N: Well, uh, here we are! I've been working on this for a bit with a friend, and I'm finally posting chapter one! Fun fact: I love FE:A, especially the kids, and ESPECIALLY Lucina (and Lucisev, haha). I've actually worked to start a buffer with this story, so I've already got chapter 2 and most of chapter three written. Hopefully with the buffer to help me, I'll be able to actually stick to weekly updates! Fingers crossed!

Lucina was jolted from slumber at a clattering sound from just outside her window. Silently, she sat up, reaching for Falchion with one hand and clutching at her sheets with the other. The clattering came again, more insistent, and she stalked towards the open window. A pebble flew in along with the night breeze, bouncing along the floor of her room before rolling to a halt underneath her dresser, and she peered out of her window. A cloaked figure stood in the grounds below her window. Her grip tightened on Falchion before-

"Ho there, dear cousin of mine!" Lucina sighed in exasperation, before smiling and setting her weapon down.

"Owain! I wasn't expecting you tonight!" She called, trying to keep her voice as low as possible so as not to wake anyone inside the castle.

"Well, the time was nigh and the stars aligned! This was the most opportune moment, so I came to retrieve you, that is, if you're still up for this?" Owain flashed her a grin, lowering his hood. Lucina nodded resolutely.

"I am. I'll be right there. Just… try and keep your voice down. You're lucky that the guard hasn't heard you yet!" Hurriedly, Lucina padded to her dresser, curling her feet at the cold, worn stone of the floor. She carefully pulled open the drawer where the clothes she had picked out for this very occasion were sitting in a neatly folded pile. She tugged her white nightgown over her head, leaving it in a heap on the floor, a silvery pool in the shafts of moonlight coming from the window. Dressing quickly, she fastened a belt to her waist and sheathed Falchion at her side before reaching under her bed for a tightly coiled rope. She wouldn't risk the echoing hallways and stairs, her father's hearing was nothing to be trifled with. Fastening one end of the rope to a leg of her bed, she gently fed the other end through the window. She gave a firm tug on the rope, and, satisfied that it was securely anchored, swung herself out the window and leant her full weight into it. She rappelled downwards as quickly as she dared, before reaching the ground. Owain dramatically swept out a hand towards her.

"As nimble as ever, princess Luci!" He exclaimed, giving her his goofiest grin. She returned the smile, clasping his outstretched hand in her own.

"Thank you, sir Owain! You yourself are as chivalrous as the last time we met!" Lucina made a mock curtsy. "But really, we must be going. The guard could come around any second, and I'd like to have as much time for our trail to go cold as possible. We shouldn't underestimate my father's tracking skills."

"Good point, fair maiden! Then away we shall go," He gestured grandly to a portion of the castle wall, hidden behind a screen of bushes. "You know, they really should get this wall fixed."

"Hah! But Owain, where would we be if they fixed the hole? We'd never be able to sneak out!" Lucina teased, and the two of them easily slipped through the small opening.

"You've stumped me yet again!" Owain said, in mock defeat. Lucina allowed Owain to take the lead, following him around the corner of the castle walls, and into the grove of trees beyond.

"This way, m'lady. Stick to the shadows, for we will not be seen if we are one with the night!" He said, in a low, theatrical tone. Lucina giggled to herself, and complied, darting from the shadows of one tree to the next.

It was a chilly night. Colder than Lucina had expected, and she was glad the garb she'd prepared was warm. Her breath frosted, and curled upwards towards the sky. The trunks of the trees seemed black in the dim light, and the sky was a patchwork of watery gray moonlight and the dark underbellies of the clouds scudding along with the stiff breeze. Lucina thought that it looked a bit like a map, each cloud an island in an ever-changing silver sea. A parallel, perhaps, of the mysterious adventure she had just flung herself into.

"Here we are. Luci, allow me to introduce you to my trusty steed, Mystle! She has carried me from the far reaches of Ylisse, under the blackened night sky and cover of darkness, kept me safe from harm, been at my side through thick and thin, and all this since I met her this morning!" Owain joked, bowing deeply to Lucina.

"Oh, Owain! She's lovely!" Lucina said, giggling as the horse snorted and nibbled at her tunic, "But I thought you didn't like horses? You were never the best rider."

"Well, I'll admit I've got more than my fair share of bruises just from trying to ride her over here to you. But while I may not keep good company with the beasts, you certainly do, and I'd never want to disappoint my cousin! Besides, I've grown rather fond of this particular girl," Owain said, gently stroking Mystle's neck. "Not to mention that we'd do best to move as quickly as possible. Would you take the reigns, m'lady?"

"With pleasure!" Lucina replied, putting her foot into a stirrup and swinging herself over Mystle's back. Giving Owain a hand, she helped him swing up to sit behind her. He wrapped his arms around her middle, and she tapped her heels into the horse's sides.

"You'll have to give me directions, where are we headed?" She asked, as the wind picked up along with Mystle's canter.

"We'll be heading to Southtown. We shall reconvene with my colleagues there, and thus shall your grand adventure begin, Luci!"

"I don't know whether to be excited, or terrified." Lucina said, truthfully.

"A little bit of both wouldn't be misplaced," Owain answered. "But you've nothing to fear! Soon they shall speak of your name in legend! Lucina, the princess who ventured into the unknown to shape her fate! Slayer of beasts, protector of the innocent! The kindest and most talented maiden in all the land! Ah, but you'll need a brave, heroic name. I shall fabricate one for you! What about… Scourge of the Sea…? No, the Masked Menace! No, the Dread Pirate Rob-"

"That's quite enough, my own name will do just fine, thank you very much! And who is this 'they' you speak of, Owain?" Lucina cut him off with a laugh.

"Why, everyone, of course! You'll be more popular than your father, I guarantee it!"

"More popular than the Exalt of Ylisse? Hah, I highly doubt that. And besides, I'm not going with you for the fame or glory. You know that full well."

"I do, but if destiny sees fit to hand you such, well, never scoff at fate's plans, says I!"

"Hm, well, we'll just have to see what happens." Lucina said. But she couldn't help the bubbling feeling of nervous excitement in her gut, and with the combination of adrenaline, cold night air, and the exhilarating pounding of Mystle's hooves on the grassy fields they were cutting across she felt it was quite appropriate when she yelled in pure euphoria to the sky, and the infinite stars.

Southtown, in all regards, is not a big place. Which is a miracle, considering it is one of Ylisse's most renowned port towns. The buildings are few, and cramped together, the most popular being the pub, while the second most being the bustling marketplace. Nightfall did nothing to quiet the activity in the little town, in fact it only seemed to amplify it. The rowdy shouts and raucous laughs coming from the pub only got louder as the night drew on, and crowds of drunken folk were soon pouring out of the building to parade down the streets and spread the lively atmosphere. It was a curious little place, centered around a few, large canals where traveling merchants, navy ships and even a few, shadier customers could dock without concern. Bridges spanned the channels, lit with charming paper lanterns. Every now and then a splash and peals of laughter would fill the air, as some absolutely plastered individual would plunge into a canal by accident. All in all, it was someplace strange and completely alien to Lucina.

She and Owain pulled up short at a stable near the entrance of the town, where the two reluctantly said their goodbyes to Mystle, and Lucina followed her cousin as he led her into a dark and narrow alleyway between the stable and a grimy looking inn.

"Alright. Here's the plan, Luci. First of all, are you sure you don't wish me to return you to the Ylisstol? There won't be any going back after this," Owain's voice had dropped its usual pomp and eccentricity, it was low and deadly serious. Lucina shook her head. She'd come this far, and wasn't planning on backing out.

"Good. Now, the people we will be going with, my comrades, they're… well, to put it lightly, they're a rowdy bunch of unsatisfied youths. I won't mince my words. We're considered pirates by many good folk. Our good deeds go unnoticed, and our mistakes are blown out of proportion. We're not quite so infamous that we've reached the ears of people like you father, but all the army and navy along the coasts have an eye out and a price on our heads."

"But you aren't pirates, are you? I mean, not really. I thought you told me-" Lucina butted in.

"What I told you was true. There is a threat out there, and, as far as we know, we're the only ones doing anything about it," Owain whispered. "However, the fact remains that as much as I enjoy the company of my crew, I don't know how far I can trust them. I know nothing about their backgrounds, and for now, I feel that the safest option is to withhold information on ourselves. Especially the fact that we're-"

"Royalty." Lucina finished.

"Exactly." Owain nodded. Lucina glanced at his upper right arm, where his brand was. It was hidden underneath the sleeve of his yellow jacket.

"How will I hide mine?" Lucina asked, suddenly acutely aware of how the crest in her left eye stood out.

"Fear not! I have a solution for that!" Owain proclaimed, reaching for a small pouch attached to his belt. "Tadah!" He brandished forth something small and made of stiff cloth.

"An… eyepatch?!" Lucina said incredulously.

"A perfect solution, is it not?" Owain grinned.

"Are you serious?"

"Well, I see no other immediate fix, unless you wanted to go parading around in a mask! Which would be highly suspicious and strange, if you ask me. And this way, you'll already look the part of a pirate! Now come along, and let me do the talking." Owain said, and, taking Lucina's hand, led her into the town proper.

As she kept pace with Owain, Lucina examined the eyepatch he had handed her in the flickering light of the lanterns they passed. It was hard to tell in the dim lighting, but she concluded that it was a dark blue, matching her hair and outfit. With a sigh, she awkwardly fastened it over her left eye, immediately realizing that she'd be very vulnerable in a fight with it on. She wished there was a better alternative, one that didn't leave her with a gaping blind spot, but Owain was right. A mask would be… extremely conspicuous, to put it lightly. As the two of them came closer to the few hulking shadows that Lucina knew to be ships, a small group of people standing by the water caught sight of them. One of them immediately began striding over, and Lucina stopped in her tracks.

"Don't worry, these are my comrades," Owain whispered to her. But as the figure stalking toward them revealed herself to be a girl with a business-like swagger and sour look on her face, Lucina couldn't help but think that she didn't look very comradely.

"Owain!" She snapped, long, red twintails bouncing angrily. "Where have you been?! We should've set sail hours ago!"

"I was collecting something!" Owain proclaimed.

"By 'something' do you mean that person next to you?" The girl sneered, running a scrutinizing eye over Lucina.

"I do indeed. How very observant of you, my dear Severa!" Owain smiled, pulling Lucina into plainer sight.

"This, my dear lady, is our newest crew member! She is ready to embark upon the perilous waves, risk life and limb to stand beside us and aid us in our quest to rid the sea of evil!" He raised one hand dramatically, gesticulating wildly towards the sky.

"Would you keep it down?" The girl, Severa, hissed. "We're trying to be inconspicuous here! Do you want the navy to get wind of our location? For Gods' sakes, you're the first mate, Owain!"

"Indeed I am! Which is why I'm telling you to take my young friend here and get her settled on the ship while I find the captain!" Owain shoved Lucina unceremoniously towards Severa, and turned on his heel, intending to make his way over to the huddled group of people still standing on the edge of the canal.

"Kjelle's not going to like this. She's not going to trust her," Severa snapped, but Owain just smiled, and continued on his way. Severa turned back to Lucina and frowned.

"Fine, then. Follow me." And she turned and headed towards the mass of docked boats bobbing gently in the canal.

"Is your entire crew over there?" Lucina asked, craning her neck to look at Owain's receding back and the group of people standing beyond him.

"...Most of them. We're not stupid. We have a watchman on board, obviously. Gods, that idiot wasted so much of our time. We finished loading up with supplies two hours ago!" She turned to look at Lucina once more. "You better be worth it." Lucina gulped. She was definitely more nervous than excited, now. And intimidated, and suddenly unsure of herself and her sword skills, even though she knew for a fact she was second to none with a blade, with the exception of her father.

Severa led her up to a medium-sized boat that sat low in the water. Four masts stood, dark against the stars and pointing accusingly at the sky. The white sails hung slack, fluttering gently in the night breeze. Lucina recognized it from the books she had read on the subject as a four masted Schooner. As the two of them stepped on board, the deck creaked ominously under Lucina's feet, and the breeze picked up, singing through the rigging.

"Why hello there, Severa. You're looking as lovely as ever. And who's this beautiful lady you've got with you?" A voice said, and Lucina nearly jumped out of her skin.

"Shut up, Inigo." Severa said, ignoring the young man Lucina had just noticed standing at the stern of the ship. Inigo's smile never faltered, as he watched Severa lead her charge as far away from him as possible. Must be the watchman, Lucina thought.

"How big is the crew?" Lucina wondered aloud, realizing that space was much tighter than she'd first imagined.

"Ten. Eleven, now, if we include you." Severa responded, with palpable disdain. Lucina looked back at Inigo, and wondered if everyone on the crew was going to be unpleasant to talk to.

"What's your name, anyway?" Severa turned around abruptly, and stared at Lucina.

"Um, Lucina." She answered.

"Hmph," Severa responded, and turned her back to her once more. "You're lucky we have an extra hammock." Giving Lucina barely any time to cast her gaze about the ship, Severa led her below deck, where the smell of salt and mildew was almost unbearable.

"Does it always smell like this?" Lucina asked, crinkling her nose.

"Well, duh. We're on a ship. Have you ever sailed before?" Severa replied in a very condescending tone. Lucina decided that maybe she should keep her questions to herself. She found herself led down into the belly of the ship by her unenthusiastic guide. They went past the galley and storage area, the captain's quarters and the smaller cabins meant for the rest of the crew. There was one more area, underneath them, Severa explained. The hold where the gunpowder and cannons were kept, and then, the bilge.

"You can have this room." Severa said, haughtily, opening to the door to a cramped little room at the end of the row. There was barely enough space for two people to comfortably stand in it, and all it contained was a hammock and a flickering, kerosene lamp swinging gently from the ceiling. Lucina nodded her thanks, gripping Falchion tightly. She didn't have anything with her aside from the clothes she was wearing, and the sword, which she didn't feel comfortable not having at her side. On second thought, not bringing an extra set of clothes was probably a poor plan.

The scuffing of boots on the top deck, and muted murmurs alerted the two to the rest of the crew coming back on board. Severa swept out of the room, and Lucina, having nothing better to do, followed, hoping to find Owain.

"One more move like that, Owain, and you'll lose your position, y'hear me?" A tough, broad-shouldered girl with short, dark hair was saying. Lucina assumed this must be Kjelle. "Oh, and is this her, then? The rookie?" Lucina realized the girl was looking at her, and she gave her a faltering smile. Kjelle didn't return it.

"Indeed, this is she!" Owain strode over to Lucina. "She's inexperienced in the ways of sailing, yet unparalleled with a blade. A heroic-" He yelped and dived out of the way as Kjelle suddenly lunged at Lucina with a lance. Without stopping to think, Lucina drew Falchion, parrying the strike, and running her blade down the length of the lance until it was tickling Kjelle's throat.

"What'd you do that for?" Lucina gasped.

"Heh. Fine. She can stay!" Kjelle withdrew her lance, and Lucina slowly let Falchion drop until the tip of it was biting the wood of the deck. "Alright, now let's get a move on! We're losing darkness, I want this ship out of sight of Southtown before dawn!" The captain strode off, barking orders left and right as the crew scrambled to hoist the sails and make the ship seaworthy. Bewildered, Lucina gravitated towards Owain.

"What just happened?" She whispered to him.

"Kjelle respects the strong. And charismatic," He winked at her. "Well done parrying that, though, Luci. Alright, I've still got work to do before I can turn in. Ah, the burdens of being an officer! But I don't think we'll be bothering with you until we're clear from this port. You should go get some sleep while you can." Lucina nodded, and sheathed Falchion. She made her way back below deck to her tiny room. She was more confused than ever, and the nerves were jangling in her stomach like butterflies as she heard the anchor being lifted from the water, but exhaustion quickly muted everything else. Unhooking Falchion from her side, she clutched it to her chest, and curled up in the hammock under the thin quilt provided. And soon, she was drifting off to sleep to the sounds of the waves sloshing against the ship.

A/N: I hope you're enjoying the story so far, this is my first time writing for Fire Emblem so I'm still working out how to write these characters. See you in a week! Let me know your thoughts, reviews are much appreciated!