Author's Note: It's been quite a while since I've written a Fire Emblem fic, let alone a multi-chapter fanfic. But here I am! Anyways, this is a spin on Radiant Dawn. In this, the madness of Lehran's Medallion begins to spread throughout Tellius, infecting the people like a plague. There will be plenty of pairings in later chapters- both canon and crack. Whether there will be yaoi, I'm not sure of yet, but most likely not (along with no yuri). That's about it for introductions so here is Chapter 1 of Inner chaos!

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[Inner Chaos] Chapter 1: Madness Rising

-…-

Hundreds of boys and girls ran to her every day, asking for their fortunes to be told. But never before had she seen something like this, not in all her days as a fortune teller.

She had read the palm once, then twice, and a third time just to make sure her eyes were not deceiving her. It was inconceivable, illogical even, to believe that the fortune of such a young boy could change the whole world.

The fortune teller traced her delicate fingers along the lines of the boy's palm, rereading and rereading, hoping desperately to find a different answer. The boy, however, was becoming frantic. Never before had a fortune taken so long, nor had he ever seen a woman so lost in her own world.

"Um, Miss Micaiah?" Her head snapped up almost immediately, topaz eyes dimming from her lack of concentration. "Are you alright?"

Her gaze lingered on his innocent features for a moment longer before she smiled warmly at him, attempting to remain composed. "Of course it is, little one." She leaned in closer to him, her words coming out little more than a whisper. "You have an unimaginable future ahead of you."

"Ike!" A shrill voice called from behind the pair. A young girl stood behind them, hands placed firmly on her hips. "Ike, come on! Mom's been looking everywhere for you and she's starting to get worried!"

The woman released the bluenette's hand at once, retreating back into the shadows. The boy made no attempt at moving until his sister began dragging him down the alleyway, though his eyes never left the fortune teller's. "Goddess, Mist, don't pull so hard. I'm coming!"

Micaiah drew her hood over her head, slipping into the shadows that began to cover the alleyways of Crimea. She decided that she had overstayed her welcome. The silverette slipped on her gloves and pulled her cloak closer- she had a long road home to Daein, where someone would be waiting for her.

-…-

"It's getting worse."

Micaiah grimaced, hands clenching in her lap. "I know, Sothe." The boy's eyes blazed as his gaze fell on Micaiah. She knew that he worried for her safety, but sometimes he cared too much.

"The madness is starting to spread. Soon, it'll have infected everyone in Daein. What do you plan to do, Micaiah?" He asked, a sharp edge tainting his words. He put a rough hand on Micaiah's shoulder to emphasize his point.

She took his hand in her's, rubbing her fingers against the callouses. "Sothe, I know you're worried. But trust me on this- we need to stay here a bit longer." Her gaze turned to the nearby window. "There's someone here we're supposed to meet, I just know it."

At that moment, the shack they resided in shook and a scream resounded from outside. Micaiah and Sothe looked at each and nodded, retreating from the building without another word, weapons in hand.

-…-

Micaiah and Sothe sped through the alleyways, ducking behind garbage and planks of wood, searching for the owner of the screech.

"Gimme your money, pretty boy."

A hooded bandit stood in the alleyway, holding a blonde by the hair, pressing the cold metal of his knife against the boy's neck. The boy struggled, causing the steel to pierce his flesh, and a droplet of crimson blood trickled down his throat. "L-let go of me! Edward!"

He called once more, before a rough hand was slapped over his mouth. "Shut up, or else I really will kill you. Either way, I get what I want." The knife pressed deeper into the skin. "Now, the money."

Without a word, Sothe and Micaiah leapt into action. Micaiah flipped through the pages of her tome, speaking the Ancient Tongue aloud. Rays of light sprung from her hand, blinding the enemy. "What the-?"

Before the man could react to the situation, Sothe dashed forward and in one flourish, plunged his dagger deep into the chest of the thief. As he withdrew the knife, the body slumped to the ground.

Micaiah approached the young man who was still shivering. "Are you alright?" She brushed a stray strand of golden hair from his face, revealing a set of brilliant blue eyes. The teenager reluctantly nodded.

Sothe set his hand on Micaiah's shoulder, causing her to turn her head slightly towards him. "We should get going, before-"

Suddenly, the metallic touch of steel was on his neck. "Let go of my friend, bandit!" Micaiah gasped at the sight of the young boy threatening Sothe, and she felt Leonardo stiffen behind her.

"No, Edward don't!" The blonde stepped forward. He approached the brunette, whispering words Sothe could barely make out. "Thief….help….friends." Edward nodded hesitantly and eased his grip on his sword. As the blonde finished his explanation, he replied with a loud "Oh!"

He chuckled nervously, scratching his head. "Uh, sorry about that. I thought you guys were hurting Leo here.." He extended his hand. "My name's Edward, and this here's my best friend, Leonardo. Nice to meetcha!"

Micaiah shook his hand, smiling softly. "Good to meet you too, Edward. I'm Micaiah and this is my friend, Sothe." Sothe proceeded to shake hands with the boy before the girl finished speaking. "If I may ask, what were you two doing out here all alone?"

Edward's gaze turned downward, shyly kicking a stone beneath his feet. Leonardo was the one to answer. "We're orphans. We don't have anywhere to go, so we wander these streets. What were you two doing?"

Micaiah's smile turned to a frown. Though she was used to telling the tale by now, it did not lighten the severity of their situation any. "We grew up in Daein, before Sothe here went to the war. We reunited afterwards but, like you, we don't have a place to call home either. I make what little money we have by fortune telling, but we're always ready to help someone in need." Her face hardened. "The Occupational Army has overstayed their welcome."

Edward bent down to examine the bandit's body, hoping to change the subject. "Sure is strange." He murmured, catching the attention of the rest of the group. "Why would a bandit travel alone around here? Normally there's a group of thieves so that they can gang up on one person. Why would-"

He never got a chance to finish the question, for in one single moment, the once lifeless body had sprang from the ground and tackled Edward to the ground. The thief bit down hard on Edward's shoulder, drawing blood. He cried out in pain and shoved the man off of him.

"What the heck? I thought you killed him!" Edward hissed, clutching his bleeding shoulder. A gasp escaped Micaiah's lips, drawing the group's attention. "What is it, Micaiah?" Sothe asked.

"Look at his eyes." She replied, her hand pointing straight towards the man's face. The boys' eyes widened when they looked at him. His eyes were crimson, the color of blood when it hardened on flesh. His eyes were wild, glancing about fervently, as if he could not stay still. His whole body twitched madly.

"The madness has infected him, too." Sothe remarked, drawing a surprised gasp from the younger boys. His grip on his dagger tightened- they could be in grave danger.

The bandit's gaze suddenly fell on them, and his head turned at an awkward angle, making him appear deranged. He let out a wild cackle as he drew his knife. "You children cannot kill me! Now I have power! Prepare to die!"

The man charged forward, slashing furiously with his knife. Micaiah and Leonardo backed away, Micaiah readying her tome, while Leo strung his bow. Sothe blocked the man's strikes with his own knife, metal meeting metal.

Edward swung with his blade, but the steel narrowly missed the thief's shoulder as he rolled out of the way. Another knife was drawn from the bandit's belt and in a flurry of violent movements, steel clashed against steel. Edward and Sothe had no time to strike against him, for all they were able to do was hope that the man would not break their guard.

"It would be wonderful if you guys could help us out here!" Edward shouted to his companions who were still preparing their attacks. Sothe growled as another blow landed against his dagger. "Micaiah, be careful! This guy's much different than before."

Micaiah nodded and readied her Light spell, speaking the Ancient Tongue once more. Thin rays of light sprung from her fingertips, slicing the pickpocket's flesh. His attention immediately turned towards the girl, eyes burning with bloodlust.

He raced towards her, but just as he was about to strike, an arrow cracked his skull. His body froze for a moment, his cold breath brushing against Micaiah's cheek, and then he collapsed to the ground, lifeless at last.

The group panted and recuperated, sheathing their weapons and catching their breath. Micaiah reached down and studied the face of their assailant. It was wrinkled and cracked, as if age had crippled it, yet he could not have been over thirty years old. Was this what madness did to a living being?

"So," the maiden whispered, "this is madness."