This is the first one-shot songfic I've ever written. GASP! This is also the first shonen-ai themed fic I've ever written. DOUBLE GASP! Usually, I'm not big into shonen-ai. When it comes to hooking up people, I prefer malexfemale couples. It irks me especially (that's irk, not Erk) when people will just hook up guys simply for the novelty of it, without any kind of logical foundation to the relationship. However, I will accept a plausible shonen-ai couple should one arise. And in this case, I've found one I like. Ah yes, Raven and Lucius, the original odd couple (in Elibe, anyway.) Think about it, and it makes no sense. Think harder about it, and it starts to sound appealing. Think even harder, and your brain shuts down (that's what mine does, at least.)
The night stripped the land bare of any detail. Dark shapes danced along the ground and among the large rocky outcroppings that dotted the land.
Even though the moon hid its face behind a veil of clouds, the eyes of the brigand were sharp in the murk. He leapt precariously on top of a large rock to get a better look at the congregation of tents that lay in the distance.
Lowen stopped his circulation of the camp for a moment to yawn and take a quick stretch. Watch duty on a night such as this was the worst detail. Clouds were rolling in and discouraging any moonlight from reaching the ground. The overcast weather also created an uncomfortable atmosphere, the kind whose moisture clings to the skin and chills to the bone at the same time.
A movement on the horizon caught Lowen's attention, and he watched the site of disturbance carefully. There was a strange shape looming off in the distance.
"That sure is a funny shaped rock..." Lowen muttered. "I could almost swear it looks like a man with an axe."
The cavalier gave a heavy sigh and continued on his rounds of the camp. He eventually came round full circle, and stopped again at the spot where he noticed the disturbance. There was a dark shape but a few feet away. It had frozen in place when it noticed Lowen.
"Oh..." Lowen mumbled. He called out to the dark shape, "Good doggy! C'mere, boy!"
"RRRGH!!!!"
"Bandits! Bandits are surrounding the camp!"
The shouts coming from the edge of camp startled everyone in the vicinity, coaxing them out of sleep and out of their tents. There was brief chaos, with soldiers running madly about the camp in preparation for the skirmish. The Lords promptly met at the centre of the camp, along with Mark.
"Why didn't this warning come sooner?!" Hector demanded, infuriated.
"Who was on guard duty?" Lyn added.
"Lowen had this shift," Eliwood replied.
Hector raised an eyebrow at Eliwood. "You mean the guy with the hair in his eyes?"
Eliwood shifted his eyes back and forth. "Yeah, that's the one..."
Hector shook his head sadly.
"What's everyone doing?" Eliwood demanded of the tactician.
"Running like bats out of hell," Mark replied drily. "But basically, keeping the brigands back. We've not been penetrated yet."
Wil ran out from behind a clump of tents several feet away and shouted, "They've got archers to the south!"
Lyn looked to the tactician. "Mark?"
"Keep all flying units grounded," he replied, going into his rapid-fire command mode as he did in critical situations. "Send melee units out to keep them back, but leave your lance-users at home. They'd be better off protecting the camp anyway. And send Matthew out to light torches around our perimeter."
"And our magic-users?" Eliwood prompted.
"Send them all to the edge of camp. If any bandits get by our melee units, magic can finish them off."
Raven stormed into Merlinus's tent and began rummaging through the first pile of things he found.
Merlinus looked up, startled. "Oh, it's you Master Raven. Can I get you something for the fight?"
Raven turned his fiery gaze on the merchant as he started tucking a torch into the belt encircling his waist. "Where's the Hero Crest we acquired recently?"
"Oh, it's around somewhere, I think..."
Raven crossed his arms and tapped his foot impatiently as Merlinus searched frantically behind him for item he sought.
Much to the merchant's relief, he found it quickly and handed it to the temperamental mercenary. "Here you are; a Hero Crest." Merlinus smiled cheerily up at Raven. "Are you planning on becoming a Hero, Master Raven?"
Raven studied the small metal crest in his hands, red with intricate patterns of gold.
"Perhaps... That's what this is for, isn't it?"
"Is everyone accounted for?" Eliwood asked of Mark. The battlefield had been cleared, and no more sightings of bandits had been made.
"All but one," Mark sighed. "Raven's missing."
"Where is he?" Lyn demanded.
Mark scowled. "Well, I was trying to round up all the swordsmen I could find for the battle, and he was gone before I could find him. So, basically, he's left without anyone's permission, and now can't be found."
"Peachy," Hector growled.
"Let's go ask around and try to find out if anyone's seen him," Eliwood suggested.
The Lords and tactician agreed, and split off into the camp.
Sain stared off into the distance, studying the figure not more than a few feet away.
He nudged Kent in the ribs and whispered, "What's he doing?"
Kent searched for who it was that Sain spoke of, and noticed a blue-robed figure, with long blonde hair undulating in the breeze.
"Who, Lucius?"
"Yeah,"
"I don't know," Kent replied. "It looks as if he's waiting for someone, judging from the way he's looking off into the distance like that."
"Who could it be?" Sain wondered, stroking his chin thoughtfully.
"I heard Raven went missing," Kent offered helpfully.
"Ah, that must be it!" Sain said, snapping his fingers in inspiration. He leaned closer to Kent and whispered conspiratorially, "You know, personally, I think there's something--"
Sain stopped when he saw Lucius turn his head to look at the two cavaliers.
Sain immediately straightened up and waved at Lucius, smiling weakly. "Eh heh heh... Hellooo..."
Lucius blinked, sorrowful longing tarnishing the brilliant blue of his eyes. "Do you want to know why I'm waiting for him?"
Sain shifted his eyes to look at Kent, then returned his gaze to Lucius. "Uh, do we want to know?"
Kent elbowed Sain in the side. Sain tried to protest, but Kent just shook his head at him sternly.
Lucius turned all the way around, hands folded in front of him. He smiled and said, "I'm holding out for a Hero, you see."
Sain and Kent shared a glance, then returned their attention to Lucius. A moment later, though, there was a flash of light. They shielded their eyes from it, and when it subsided another moment later, they discovered that before them stood a large amphitheatre.
Next to a piano stood Lucius, who threw his clothes off in one motion to reveal a red sequined gown.
(Middle-of-the-Story A/N: Okay, this is one of those weird anime things that doesn't make sense. You know when they'll rip off their clothes, somehow in one fluid motion, and will be wearing a complete outfit underneath it, even though it defies every law of time and space? That's what this is. Just thought I'd clear that up.)
Lucius now had a microphone in his hand, and Erk was seated at the piano, fingering out a simple, solemn tune.
The sequined monk sat upon the back of the piano, legs crossed at the knee, and began singing the sweetest baritone the cavaliers had ever heard.
"Where have all the good men gone, and where are all the gods? Where's the streetwise Hercules to fight the rising odds?"
Lucius reclined sensuously on the piano. "Isn't there a white knight upon a fiery steed? Late at night, I toss and I turn, and I dream of what I need..."
Sain and Kent shared yet another look.
Suddenly, a huge pop-techno-orchestra began to play from out of nowhere. Lucius hopped off the piano and stood centre stage, and a chorus composed of most of the women in the camp appeared in rows behind Lucius.
"Ah, now this is my kind of performance!" Sain chuckled.
"I need a hero!" Lucius belted. "I'm holding out for a hero till the end of the night. He's gotta be strong, and he's gotta be fast, and he's gotta be fresh from the fight.
"I need a hero! I'm holding out for a hero till the morning light. He's gotta be sure, and it's gotta be soon, and he's gotta be larger than life. Larger than life..."
Kent leaned over to Sain, who was doing a little dance on the spot to the music. "Just how long is this song?"
"Who cares? It's catchy!"
"Somewhere after midnight, in my wildest fantasy... Somewhere just beyond my reach, there's someone reaching back for me. Racing on the thunder, and rising with the heat. It's gonna take a superman to sweep me off my feet!"
A crowd had gathered around Sain and Kent. Everyone else wanted to watch the show as well. They took to forming the first mosh pit in the history of Elibe.
Lucius began performing some rather scandalous dance moves, as far as being a monk was concerned. Seemingly endless waves of shimmering blonde hair cascaded around his shoulders and swished to the movements of his head.
Rebecca turned to Kent. "Hey, that dress is strapless. What's keeping it up?"
Kent replied solemnly, "The collective will of everyone in the camp."
"And when the mountains meet the heavens above; and when the lightning splits the sea; I can swear there's someone, somewhere, watching me. Through the wind and the chill and the rain, and the storm and the flood; I can feel his approach like a fire in my blood!"
The chorus began chanting, "Like a fire in my blood, like a fire in my blood, like a fire in my blood, like a fire in my...BLOOD!"
"Blood?!" Karel exclaimed from the mosh pit. "Where?!?! All for Karel, all for Karel...!"
Elfire magic exploded from either end of the stage, care of Erk, making the audience gasp in awe.
Serra, among the chorus backing Lucius up, stopped singing when she saw Erk hold a hand out to her, clutching a rose in his teeth. The cleric giggled mirthfully and joined him to dance.
"I need a hero! I'm holding out for a hero till the morning light. And he's gotta be sure, and it's gotta be soon, and he's gotta be larger than life!"
Raven could feel a new power flowing through his body. After he'd felt he'd defeated enough enemies to earn it, he turned the power of the Hero Crest upon himself. Now, he felt like a new man.
There were no more bandits so far as he could tell, so he decided to return to camp. As he headed back in the direction of the small tent city, he could see bright lights at the very edge coming from a large building that wasn't there before. He also heard the faint sounds of music and singing. He wondered what on Elibe all the commotion could be about. Without a second thought, he knew he needed to return right away. He bounded away, running faster than he ever had before. His newly found power as a Hero propelled him back to the camp.
"I need a hero! I'm holding out for a hero till the end of the night. He's gotta be strong, and he's gotta be fast, and he's gotta be fresh from the fight! I need a hero!!!"
The crowd before the stage cheered ecstatically, whistling and being generally vociferous.
"This is the best morale I've seen in our troops!" Lyn exclaimed. She shouted to the stage, "You go, Lucius!"
"Elimine girls kick ass!" some random voice among the crowd shouted.
Lucius's eye twitched, but he continued to wave and bow and blow kisses all the same.
"Oh, Erk!" Serra swooned, being held in a low dip. "Take that rose out of your teeth and kiss me!"
Erk shifted his eyes nervously. "Um...no."
As Lucius scanned the crowd, his eyes drifted off to the left, where a figure was approaching, mysterious in the dark of night. As it moved into the light cast by the amphitheatre, Lucius recognized the figure immediately. Just as he remembered him, only even more muscular and with sweat glistening on his brow. Lucius had to fight to keep from turning the same shade of red as his sequined gown.
"Hey, look, everybody!" Wil shouted. "It's Raven!"
"And he's a Hero now!" Matthew added.
"He must be stronger and faster now, too!" Nino pointed out.
"A-a-a-and it looks like he's fresh from the fight!" Guy finished.
Lucius's eyes lit up. "Oh... Lord Raymond!" he exclaimed. He ran to the edge of the stage and leapt off.
Raven gasped and rushed to catch him. The Hero managed to grab Lucius by his slender waist, and Lucius wrapped his arms around Raven's neck.
The crowd gave a collective "Awww..."
"What was that for?!" Raven demanded of Lucius's leap of faith.
Lucius smiled up at him. "I knew you would catch me, Lord Raymond."
"And if I didn't?" Raven said sternly.
Lucius narrowed his eyes. "Then I would have to hurt you."
Raven stared at Lucius for a moment, stony-faced as every. Finally, he smirked and snorted a laugh. It's all Lucius needed to hear.
Geitz wiped a tear away. "So touching..."
Dart shot him a wry glance. "Uh, you do realize the one in a dress is a man, right?"
Geitz's eyes grew almost completely round. "WHAT?!?! Ahhhooohh...wah..." He collapsed in a fainted heap on the ground.
Huzza! Well, whaddya think? Not much of a songfic, really. More of a fic with a song in it.
Lucius: H-how could you do such a thing?! I would never behave with such blatantly sinful conduct!
Calum: Lucy, it's humour. It's not supposed to make sense. I mean, who would mistake a brigand for a dog?
(Lowen runs into an armless statue of a woman)
Lowen: Sir Marcus, is that you? Y-you've lost your arms in battle!!! But you grew some nice--!
Calum: Okay, we're gonna stop that line right there before we get sued.
Erk: Any particular reason you made me dance with Serra? With a rose?!
Calum: That's simple. The tactician, which under normal circumstances is me, will hook you up by any means necessary. Even if it means I have to hook you up at arrow-point.
Erk: -.-' Understood...
Calum: Okay, time to appease the anti-shonen-ai enthusiasts. If you'd prefer, this fic could be about Raven & Lucius friendshipping. How's that sound?
Lucius: Appalling...
Calum: Oh, snap out of it. That thar face is far too adorable to be consumed by sadness.
Lucius: (smile)
Everyone in the general area: Awwww...