DISCLAIMER: I don't own Fire Emblem, wheee
By the way, chapter one got another edit job. And chapter two is next. Yey.
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Chapter 4
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"Ah, Mia. I've been looking for you."
"Huh? What is it?"
"There's.. something you should know. Tell me... do you feel comfortable around me?"
"Um.. yeah... what do you mean by that?"
"Would you.. feel any differently if I told you I'm one of the Branded?"
"... Branded? I feel like I've... heard that word before. Is it something bad?"
"Mm, actually, it depends on how you view it I guess. Let me explain... a Branded is someone who has the mixed blood of both laguz and beorc. It's something that isn't too common, but I do know others of my kind."
"Wait, so... that really can happen? Wow... that's so interesting."
"I see. So, it doesn't upset you?"
"Not really... it actually fascinates me, in a way. I mean, Zihark told me that he once dated a laguz before..."
"Hah, really? He never told me anything like that."
"He told me that everyone looked down on them for it, and all of the pressure forced them apart... I feel almost sorry for him, really."
"Well, they all say that the Goddess forbids laguz and beorc to interbreed, and yet, people like us have still come into exsistence. And thus we are constantly shunned for it. We are outcasts. Others hate.. who we are."
"But... I think you're really amazing! I mean, simply watching you fight out there reminds me of how much I still have to learn, and even conversing with you... it's just so... fascinating, if that's the word I'm looking for. So.. really! I wouldn't hate you no matter what."
"Heh... you sound like Mordecai right now. I like that. Never... lose that way of thinking."
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Visiting someone's grave was always noticably depressing. It could be assumed that nearly everyone knew this, especially people like Ike, and especially people like Mia. Mia tried not to show how shaken she really was on the inside; times like this had made her almost envy Stefan for having the ability to look so, well, calm.
Zihark's grave was rather similar to Greil's in a way (only, picture a killing edge instead of Urvan), and so Mia came to the conclusion that it was probably Ike and/or some of the mercenaries that buried him. She just stood in front of it for a moment, as if offering a silent prayer. Her daze, or whatever sort of trance it was, was broken when she felt a hand rest on her shoulder. "You still believe that it was your fault. Am I correct?"
Mia found herself caught slightly off-guard by this; she was about to say something, but faltered. Instead, she just heaved a sigh, similar to the one Stefan heard the day before. "Mia.. don't blame yourself. I can tell you've been rather.. unlike yourself as of late."
"I... I'm sorry," came Mia's response after a while, "It's just kind of... hard, I guess."
"I could understand that," Stefan replied, "However, I don't think Zihark would've wanted you upset, would he?"
"Well, I know he wouldn't..." The girl's voice drifted off. It looked as if she were pondering for something to say, though she was silent for a while before continuing again.
"Hm?"
".. Mm," Mia finally responded, "It's just... do you remember, y'know, the day we all first met?"
"I can believe the memory is still vivid in my mind," Stefan said.
"I.. remember it now. I had a dream last night. It.. was about the promise we made. We said we'd stick up for each other no matter what, through thick and thin, all of that.. stuff.."
"Yes, I can recall. You feel like you broke that promise, don't you?"
There was no response. Silence ruled another moment once again, save for a few birds chirping in a kind of group chorus. It was rather difficult, of course, remembering minutes of time where you weren't exactly paying attention to the time around you, and Mia knew she had experience with this, probably. She was the excitable one, after all. Grieving was harder than she remembered it to be, but there was something else that she just couldn't exactly.. understand at first glance. Something indescribable, something...
This thread of thought was cut again as Mia all of a sudden felt an embrace; she blinked as a pair of arms wrapped around her suddenly, and she thought she could recall a certain moment in the dream, or whatever it was, once again. The confused girl then heard Stefan's voice say, "Mia, it really wasn't your fault. You couldn't have prevented it, you know. You must understand that, sometimes, there are things that must happen."
The familiarity of what her friend happened to say at that point made Mia almost want to cry again, but it wouldn't have helped anything, so she just nodded. She mentioned the similarity Stefan's words were to Zihark's at that moment; the reply she had recieved was, "Well, it is true. That, and.. I simply do not like seeing you like this, Mia. And, as I said earlier, I'm sure Zihark doesn't either."
Mia shivered slightly and replied with an "I know," and before anything more could be said, footsteps could be heard behind them. Stefan ended the embrace with his friend and stood up straight. The footsteps belonged to the one and only General Ike, who looked almost interested at that moment, but it sort of went away. He seemed to be straightening his hair, or something to that effect, as he asked, "Are you guys prepared? We're setting off now."
"Yes, I believe we are ready to be leaving. Right, Mia?"
"Mm.. yeah, I think we're ready, boss." The swordmaster was shocked at how long it seemed to have been since she had called Ike that name. Where had she been all this time, anyway?
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It wasn't surprising that yet another battle had resulted as they made it to the castle- more Daeins thought they had the upper hand, apparently. At least until Ike's troops came and started kicking ass, much to the displeasure of Elincia's escorting retainers, Lucia and Bastian, who resented the idea of getting into a skirmish. At least, until after a time. They eventually followed Ike's words of, "the Princess shall get what she wants from us", and decided to join in as well. Elincia, of course, almost didn't approve of this, but returned it with a, "come back to me alive". Like they usually do, really.
Stefan kept close watch over Mia the entire battle; she did fine, and so did he. The enemy general almost didn't make this so, yet Rhys had, and when Stefan heard Mia sigh with relief, he replied with a smile, "I promised you I wouldn't leave you, and I won't."
And that night, when she and him stood outside of the castle after the rain ended and the only light they had came from the fireflies illuminating around them, Mia had said, "Thank you.."
"Hm? For what?"
"For keeping the promise..."
Stefan chuckled slightly, "Well, you have Rhys to thank for that one as well." There was no response, except for another embrace, this time coming from Mia. Stefan returned it and replied, "You're welcome, Mia."
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I think the chapter after this is going to be the last one... oh, and it's going to skip to the endgame chapter of FE9, or I at least have it planned that way. If I end up skipping it to chapter 27 instead like I had planned it before, I'll update. Whee. Anyways, thank you reviewers, and stay tuned for chapter fiiiive.