Notes: I think you should know by now, but, I don't own Fire Emblem the Sacred Stones.

Chapter Two: I'm Just Not Like You

You know you've either had a really bad night, or are about to have a really bad day, when you wake up somewhere you don't know. While also feeling like your head's just been smashed in with a hammer and having only faint recollections of the previous night, most of which involve a scandalous near-stranger. Who may or may not be the owner of the arm that was currently draped over your naked body.

Or at least, that's what Melody thought as she leaped out of bed with a killer's stealth. She quickly got dress and recollected all of her weapons which she had taken off before she had engaged in what she, sadly, deducted as an intimate activity with someone she barely knew.

As she left the room Cole began to stir, she muttered a string of curses and left like her life depended on it. Knowing that the inn she had been staying in was compromised due to Cole's 'watching' her the past week she carefully left some gold for the owner and decided to leave town.

"Where do ya think you're going little missy?" A rough voice demanded ahead of her as she crept through back alleys.

"I'm going wherever I feel like going." She replied back coolly and kept walking, however before she could walk past the ruffian several more street thugs and bandits has filled the alley. Melody didn't skip a beat, just sighed slightly to herself and drew her shamshir. She so wasn't in the mood to kill these fools.

Six of them charged at her, she smirked, "Six against one? Seems a little unfair to your men." And with that she cut down half of them in one stroke. She then blocked another's feeble attempt to attack her and retaliated with a swift counterattack that made sure the bandit would never again try to attack someone.

Almost like a dancer, for her moves were graceful and beautiful to behold, she leapt and spun over the head of another one of her attacks and hushed him in a matter of seconds. Now there was only one attacker left to battle her, she held up her sword and smiled a sly deadly smile at him, then she struck, the man's cry was silenced before it could ever be heard.

She heard a low whistle, "Wow Mel, you are one bad ass fighter, remind me not to piss you off." Cole commented as the rest of the ruffians fled the alley and as he walked up to her, "Where'd you go by the way?"

Melody groaned, "Look, Cole was it? I'm not Mel, not to you, not to anyone, and I was trying to get the hell out of this city before you woke up."

"Again with being so harsh babe, geez, I mean, don't get me wrong, you were probably the best I ever had. But your attitude could use a little help when you're sober." Cole stated, Melody's shamshir was at his throat in a second.

"I am not your 'babe' and my 'attitude' keeps me alive. Last night was a mistake, a huge one that I regret deeply. So just quit while you're ahead. And while you still keep that head of yours."

"Tch, think you can get rid of me that easily?" He flashed a sly and cheeky grin, "You're stuck with me."

Melody narrowed her eyes, "Leave or you're dead night now." She pressed her shamshir against his throat a little harder to prove her point, a thin trail of blood began to flow.

"One question before you try and kill me." Cole asked.

"Yes? After the one you've already said?" Melody said exasperatedly.

"Yes, well, whatever. Question is, did you remember to take Maiden's Weed?" He asked her while her face drained of colour.

"Oh Sh-" A large explosion shook the area as a silver streaked blond girl went flying and landed on the two, she jumped up quickly on her feet again and shook her head as if to clear the explosion from her mind. Her short hair swished slightly. Cole and Melody stood up.

"Wow, that sure was a blast, wasn't it?" She said before proceeding to laugh, it was a bubbly sound.

"BITCH! GET BACK HERE!" An angry male voice shouted.

"Whoop, gotta go!" She chirped to the two before preforming a one-handed flip over their heads, "Catch you later!"

14 years before the current year… (It is currently the year 828 in the time of our Lord)

A five year old girl stood on the manicured lawn of the Frelian palace's vast 'backyard' though acreage would be a more appropriate term. Her hair was cut short, falling just below her chin in silver and blonde gently spiked strands, her pale aquamarine eyes were filled with determination.

"I swear I'm going to hit it this time!" She said as she struggled to pull the bowstring, her father chuckled as he watched her loose an arrow only to have it miss its mark by a longshot. The girl turned and glared, though it wasn't menacing at all considering she was just a five year old girl and Innes had seen menaces he wished she'd never ever run into.

"Dad, I'm never gonna get this right!" She put her bow down and crossed her arms and pouted, "Show me again."

He smiled at her and chuckled again before drawing his own bow, a beautiful silver engraved weapon, he skillfully drew an arrow and with a twang of the bowstring and a whistling of the air, the arrow was lodged in the centre of the target. He gently ruffed her hair, "Don't worry Sarah, you'll get the hang of it."

Sarah looked as skeptical as a five year old could and then shrugged and picked up her bow before trying again. This time, she hit the target, it was nearly a miss, but it made the child grin, "Told you dad, I'm gonna be just like you when I grow up."

Back in the present…

"Topaz, you mustn't keep running off like that, how do you expect to become the next guardian of Darkling woods if you keep shirking your duties." The older Manakete scolded, her purple eyes flashing.

"Oh lay off it mother, I don't plan to be the next guardian. Let some other chick do it." Topaz grumbled her blue and gold hair falling in front of her coal black eyes as she huffed a protest.

"Topaz…" Her mother's tone was dangerous, but before Topaz could let a snarky comment fly, a townsman who lived near Darkling woods ran up to the two, he was covered in blood.

"Oh Great Dragon… We need your help…" he said before collapsing on the ground, though whether or not he was alive or just passed out wasn't apparent.

"Topaz, stay here." Her mother ordered.

"Myrrh…" Topaz complained.

"You are not to call either me, or your father by our first names Topaz, I have taught you that before. It is respect, now just stay here!" And with that Myrrh used her Dragonstone and flew off.

"Stay here? Pfft, yeah right." Topaz muttered before wandering off into the forest. That was probably the first mistake she made in the long list of events that followed. But defiance is a tricky thing, it makes you ignore that tiny little voice inside your head. Or in Topaz's case, screaming as she ran straight into another person.