Thursday Enters With a Bang and Exits With a Roar

Sanaki kept herself close to the roaring fireplace, keeping herself warm. Chattering voices echoed around the room, jovial and warm. She smiled to herself. She wasn't much of a conversationalist, it wasn't like small talk was normal in the royal court. But Micaiah seemed happy, talking to a plethora of new friends. If her sister was happy, who was she to complain?

She felt a tap on her shoulder. She slowly turned around to see a glass of deep red wine, sat in the hand of Lute. Sanaki frowned slightly; was this another attempt at mockery by this mage? An insult from a girl who couldn't even remember a simple name?

"I noticed you didn't have a drink." A simple, awkward statement from Lute cleared the air. "Everyone else has already had at least two."

"Even the child?" Sanaki motioned to Nino, who was sitting on a couch between Tharja and L'Arachel. Lute tapped her chin.

"I suppose not, but the rest of us are indulging." Sanaki noticed that Lute was blinking repeatedly and had a wide grin, different from her normal inquisitive look. Realization struck Sanaki.

"A-are you drunk?" Lute giggled.

"Am I?" Lute answered. "I've never been, so I'm not sure. I feel warm and a little happier, is that normal?" Sanaki took the wine out of Lute's hand, in order to avoid a spill. "So I wanted to tell you that your tome is very, very intriguing, Sanaki Empress of Begnion!"

"It's San- you got it right?!"

"I know, I'm just that good." came the smug reply. Sanaki was both amused and angered. What was with this woman? Lute sat cross-legged in front of the fire, scooting towards the Empress. "You certainly didn't do your tome justice. Fire and a miniature sun are quite different, you know?"

"Are you scolding me?"

"Should I not be?"

"I think not!" Sanaki replied angrily, "I'm the Empress of Begnion! Respect should follow me, no matter what world I'm in!" She didn't fully believe that, not anymore; but this little urchin kept insulting her!

Lute just smiled, much like she had discovered an interesting secret. "I think we have quite a bit of parity. I, the best mage in all of Magvel, perhaps in any world; and you, the strong ruler of a country that I can't bother to name." Sanaki hissed. "It would make me seethe with insecurity, normally. But I feel like we're kindred spirits or something." Lute began looking into the fire. "I'm not … good at talking, am I?"

Sanaki paused, choosing to focus on the deep red of the wine given to her.

"You don't have to say anything, I see people's faces when I talk." Lute smiled, though her eyes reflected her true feelings. "I never needed people before, so I thought I wouldn't care so much. But seeing everyone get along so well …" Lute took a deep breath. It rattled a little. "I feel a pang of something."

"Something?"

"I'm not good with emotions, so something might be as good as it gets." Lute admitted. "I just saw you here, and I thought we were pretty similar, so …"

"How so?"

Lute lifted one of her small twin-tails from her shoulder. "Purple hair?" She suggested. Sanaki involuntarily cracked a smile, earning a look of of hope from the other mage. "So can we be friends?"

"I suppose you have humored me..." Sanaki thought aloud.

"Great, the number one and two mages in this castle will be unstoppable!" Lute said, flashing a radiant smile, though it earned the ire of Sanaki once again.

"Wait, who is number one and who is number two?!"

A sharp thunderclap echoed throughout the castle. Kiran shot up out of the bed, facing Clarisse. The archer, ever diligent, was already looking out the window, bow in hand. Her face expressed annoyance, rather than alarm. Another flash of light illuminated her face, and Kiran looked out the window.

"Why are Lute and Sanaki shooting off spells like fireworks?"

Dance Hall: 9:50 am

"Oh no no no no …"

Olivia paced the floor, her petite frame racked with worry. It was nearing 10 am. She had overheard several people expressing interest in her dance class over breakfast, which only increased her worry tenfold. Where should she even start? A simple dance might be too much for a beginner, but there might be a few people who just want to enjoy some dancing, and teaching basics would be boring. And of course, she hadn't thought about music. She may have been content, dancing with just her thoughts, but she doubted everyone would be okay with that. As she paced and paced, there was a small knock on the door. Olivia jumped.

"C-c-come in!" She managed to stutter out. She was relieved to see Henry walk through the door. Well, until she saw the bag being dragged behind him. "Henry, what is that?" Olivia asked, her tone gaining a scolding quality to it.

"Well, you did say you wanted a musician for the first day of this class, right?"

"I d-don't like where this is going, Henry."

"Relaaax," Henry replied, "I got somebody that I'm sure won't be angry at me!" He opened the bag, revealing a person, hexed to sleep. Olivia grew pale, looking at her husband with a mixture of fear and anger.

"You hexed him?!" She nearly shouted. Robin was prone in the bag, snoring heavily.

"Nyahaha! Alright, lemme counter-hex him..." Henry knelt next to the tactician, muttering words into his ear. Robin shot up, shouting a mixture of swears at Henry and things from various dreams he had during his time asleep. Both made Olivia blush heavily. After his rant, Robin stood there, panting heavily.

"R-robin," Olivia began, "I'm sorry that Henry hexed you, b-but this is an emergency!"

"Yeah, Henry filled me in before he knocked me out." Robin said, scowling at the mage. Henry shrugged, grinning all the while. "I was going to help out anyway, so don't worry." Olivia's shoulders sagged as she sighed in relief. One thing down.

"Oh thank Naga." She said breathlessly. "Thank you, Robin." She turned to Henry, giving him a hug. "And thank you, Henry."

"Nyahaha! It's no problem!" Henry replied. Robin rolled his eyes.

Nino walked out of Fir's room. She was really looking forward to learning to dance with her friend, but now she had a concussion. No excessive physical activity, which was a joy for both of them to hear. The mage scrunched her face in thought. If Fir couldn't spend time with her, she needed to find someone else …

A flash of inspiration struck as she passed by one of the many armories in the castle. She began running towards the training grounds. Sure enough, taking the normal place of Nino's newest friend, stood a woman with bright pink hair. Her face was emotionless as she struck down training dummy after training dummy. What is her name? Nino thought desperately. Melissa? Marzipan?

"Marzipan?!" Nino shouted in a half-question, running towards the swordswoman. Marisa turned to face the green-haired mage, now panting and doubled over.

"Did you run all the way here?" Marisa asked, concerned. "Is there an attack?" She waited for a moment for Nino to respond. Nino shook her head. "Then why did you run here so fast?" She questioned.

"I – haaa – wanted to – haaa – see if you would go to the dancing class with me?"

Marisa's face was unreadable, a stark contrast to her flustered self when she knocked out Fir.

"Why?" was her only response.

Nino puffed out her cheeks in frustration. "Fir promised me she'd go dancing, but now she can't do anything for a week. So I figured maaaaaybe …"

"No." Nino's face fell at Marisa's response. She began looking at her with puppy-dog eyes. "Stop, that won't work on me."

"Why nooooot?" Nino whined.

"Because I'm not a dancer." Marisa said simply.

Nino frowned. "But you look graceful when you fight." she argued.

"Fighting and dancing are two separate things."

"I bet you'd be great at dancing though!"

"I doubt that." was Marisa's harsh reply. Nino pouted. Why was she being so difficult?

"Do you just not want to go dancing?" Nino asked sullenly. "It's alright if you don't, you know." Marisa paused for a moment, before sheathing her sword.

"It's not that I'm not interested." She explained plainly. "I'm just no good at that sort of stuff." Marisa looked wistful.

Nino smiled at the swordswoman. "That's why I'm learning a bunch of new things! I'm not good at any of this!" Marisa cursed herself internally. What was up with this girl? There was something in her demeanor. A little spark that seemed to scream 'you can do it!' Marisa felt her will caving in to the eager, green-haired mage.

Marisa smiled back. "Alright, I'll go with you." She relented. Nino squealed with delight, dragging Marisa behind her.

Olivia felt like her head was going to burn away. Her furious blush made her want to shrink into the floor. There were an astounding amount of people here. She looked at Henry pleadingly. Henry smiled calmly, holding the dancer's hand. It was surprisingly warm. She had already decided on a dance, a simple Valmese Waltz; it would be relatively easy to learn, and it's fast tempo would be fun for beginners. Robin also had learned a few different Waltzes, which made the decision even easier.

But still, to teach so many … Olivia was a little hesitant.

"Um, h-h-hello everyone." She said shyly. "Welcome to the Dance Club. My name is Olivia, and my partner is Henry." Henry waved enthusiastically.

"Hello!" He said jovially. Olivia grinned to herself. Henry might have been a little odd, to say the least; but his positive attitude was infectious.

"So … today I was thinking we could do a simple dance that anyone can learn! It's a simple waltz!" There was a murmur that rose among the crowd. Some of the fancier looking individuals looked delighted. Olivia was relieved. It seemed like some people were familiar with the type of dance. "Alright, I would like for all of you to get into pairs, and we can start from there."

Hinoka squirmed a little bit. She had certainly felt bad for having to cancel on Leo earlier in the week, but her promise to make it up was already biting her in the butt. Here she was, a warrior, forced to learn how to dance. I mean, it's with Leo, but … She felt her hand being taken gently. She turned to Leo, who was smiling in that cocky and slightly patronizing way that she still hated.

"Shall we go, Princess?" He asked with a grin. Hinoka glared at the prince, but moved with him nonetheless. Olivia began explaining the steps to the waltz. As she explained the distinctions of lead and follow, Hinoka began to grin in a sinister fashion. As the pairs began to get into position, Hinoka grabbed Leo's hand and wrapped her hand around his waist. The sorcerer began to stammer, his face red as the tomatoes he loved so much.

"W-w-w-what is the meaning of -"

"Oh relax, Prince Leo, I'm just taking the lead." She said, smirking. As they moved around the room, she felt warmth reach her face as well. She lacked a lot of grace in her movement, but Leo seemed to take this as second nature. After a minute of silence, Hinoka spoke up again.

"You're – uh – surprisingly good at this." She commented.

"I helped Xander learn several dances when Camilla and Elise were preoccupied." He replied. "So I am … used to it." Hinoka frowned.

"... I didn't mean to insult you, Prince Leo." She finally said. "I'm not used to being a … lady in these situations."

"You're quite a wonderful woman, Princess Hinoka." Leo replied evenly. "I don't mind being the follower if that means I get to dance with a beautifu- OUCH!"

Hinoka had stepped on Leo's foot. Hinoka grimaced. What perfect timing.

"I'm so sorry, Leo!" She apologized, while the pair kept moving around the room. Leo attempted to smile through his pain.

"I forgot you're a novice at this, I apologize for my reaction." He said reassuredly. "You're rather impressive, dancing this well with this little experience." Hinoka furrowed her brow. Was that an insult or a compliment? She pulled the prince in closer, his blush deepening. If she couldn't decipher him today, the least she could do was make him uncomfortable.

"I'll show you experienced." She muttered.

"So... fancy a drink, Mr. Accompanist?"

Robin looked up from the piano. Standing over him, holding a glass of water, was Cordelia, smirking and attempting to look suave. Robin rolled his eyes, taking the glass from her hand. The pegasus knight leaned over the piano, closing the distance between the two of them. Her smirk grew even wider.

"Well, did that sate your thirst?" She asked seductively. Now it was Robin's turn to smirk.

"Dear, are you attempting to seduce me?" He asked mockingly, "You're usually much more for- mmmph!" His lips and her lips collided. It was short but passionate kiss. Cordelia smiled triumphantly, as Robin was rendered speechless.

Cordelia paused for a moment, before stating haughtily "You're right, I do prefer this method more."

"W-w-why did you?" Robin stammered. The pegasus knight flicked her head towards the door. Almost perfectly hidden was a seething Tharja, who disappeared into the shadows.

"I'm just making sure that Tharja and I reach an understanding about you." She said, sounding a little harsher, "Nobody hexes you, especially her."

"Um..."

"I mean, where does she get off?! Hexing someone out of their own bed, the nerve of -"

"Ummm... Tharja didn't hex me."

"And then you go out of your way to defe-"

"Henry hexed me." Cordelia crossed her arms, looking at Henry expectantly. The mage shrugged, earning a reproachful look. She then looked around the room, hyper-aware of every person staring at them in shock. Her face began to match her hair.

"Well, now I feel embarrassed." She said, sighing. She looked at Robin with pleading eyes. "Was the kiss good at least?"

"It looked good from here!" Henry called out happily. Cordelia spun around to glare at him again. She found herself face to face with the glowering visage of the archer Clarisse.

Clarisse generally spent all her time with Kiran, so this was a surprise. Cordelia attempted to change her glare into a smile, which made the archer's face darken even more.

"Hey." Clarisse snarled. "I saw you didn't have a partner earlier."

"Well, y-yes," Cordelia replied, "My usual partner is right here, as a matter of fact..."

"Good. Then you can help me learn how to dance instead of fraternizing." It wasn't a question. Robin opened his mouth to protest, but Clarisse shot him a look that gave him pause. Cordelia gave him a nervous smile, and walked with the archer to the dance floor. Hopefully she wouldn't get killed when she inevitably stepped on Clarisse's foot.

The dance class had gone off without a hitch; at least from Olivia's perspective. Despite some stomped feet, everyone seemed to be in bright spirits. She even had moments where she was a teacher and was sociable! She even saw Clarisse with a small smile on her face! Though she make a threatening gesture to her soon after.

"Well, hun, what did you think?" asked Henry. "Not too bad, would ya say?"

"Yes! It was very exhilarating, don't you think?"

"Nyahaha! If it made you excited, then I'm happy as well." was his simple statement. She gave him a quick peck on the cheek, before running out of the room. Henry touched his cheek, smiling all the while. He looked at Robin, who was leaning on the piano. He stood up and walked over, clapping the mage's shoulder.

"Alright, I'm glad that I helped." Robin admitted. "Just … don't hex me like that again, okay?"

Henry laughed. "No promises, friend-o!" he replied.

Robin sighed, pinching his nose. "Sometimes I really hate you, Henry."

"So?"

"Hmm?" Marisa glanced over to Nino, who was skipping next to the swordswoman.

"I had a lot of fun! Didn't you?"

"Hmm." Marisa responded, "I think that I showed my lack of dancing ability, if that's fun." She looked down at the sorceress, who was still walking with a bit of a limp. Still, Nino kept up an eager smile.

"I thought you got a lot better, though!" She exclaimed, to which Marisa snorted in response.

"Yeah, I only stepped on your feet three times in the second hour." She retorted.

"You're even talking to me more! I say we've made a solid improvement!"

Marisa opened her mouth to speak, but quickly shut it again. Nino was loud, flighty, and – in the one day that Marisa had gotten to know her – very demanding. But she was right; Marisa had talked to her almost as much as she had conversed with anyone. With the exception of Tana, Tethys, and Berik, she supposed. She was confused. Why would someone like this girl make her so social? As Nino ran off, Marisa ran to catch up.

She supposed that this kid was just too adorable to disappoint.

Library – 1 PM

It was raining. A large storm system had placed itself right over Askr Castle, and while she could hear the clamor people like Clair and Cherche, rushing to put steeds in shelter and such, Sonya simply flipped another page. The darkened skies meshed well with the musty smell of old books and ink, the pitter-patter of droplets accentuating the sounds of turning pages. Sonya had come to enjoy the rain over the past few years. It provided a sense of calm, and provided a soothing soundtrack to read to.

Which was what the History Club was doing; reading about various civilizations that were not their own, so that they could give presentations over the next few weeks. She had been spending her time reading about Hoshido. She smiled to herself, reading about various facts about the country. Why, perhaps she would ask that Oboro to make her something to wear …

"I thought I said you didn't have a chance with my sister, you Nohrian -"

"Ha ha! So it does bother you that I went dancing with her!"

"I'm just surprised she felt that sorry for you, that's all!"

"Admit it, you are just fighting the inevitability of having another big brother!"

The sounds of a scuffle, filled with half curses and insults, shrouded over the rain. Sonya sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. This was agony, listening to two grown men bicker like children. The shame being that the two were normally very intelligent; well, until they were in close proximity to each other. There was another sound, similar to a heavy thud, followed by an exclamation of pain. Sonya slowly turned around, and attempted to hide her amusement. Over the two now whimpering princes stood an aggravated Soren.

"Some of us are busy learning, you imbeciles." He said harshly. "Rather than listen to you two argue."

Sonya chuckled to herself. Soren was prickly at best, but she was enjoying him put people in their place. It was then that she noticed three others approach her. She turned to face, to her surprise, Tana, Eirika, and Nephenee. Well, Nephenee was a surprise. Sonya had no recollection of hearing the woman talk at all, much less be friends with such distinguished company.

"Well, Princess Tana, Princess Eirika, and Lady Nephenee," She began, "What a pleasant surprise! Are you here for the History Club?"

Eirika nodded. "Yes, we thought it would be a refreshing thing to learn about other cultures! What are we doing today?"

Sonya ran her right hand through her hair. "Well, there were only 6 of us initially, so we were planning on studying other kingdoms and giving a presentation each week." She eyed Leo and Takumi, who were still getting berated by Soren. "I suppose we might be down to 4 if Soren kills those two, but …"

Tana clapped her hands in excitement. "Oh, this sounds like fun! Doesn't it, Nephenee?" Nephenee didn't respond, biting her lip instead. Sonya raised an eyebrow, but instead pulled out a small box with paper slips in them.

"Well, if you're interested, just take a name of a kingdom." Tana pulled first, getting Nohr. She looked at Leo, who was now silently smirking at a furious Takumi.

"Maybe I'll ask Lady Camilla instead …" She muttered, moving towards the various bookshelves. Eirika was next, and she pulled out Zofia. Sonya smiled.

"Oh! I would tell you about Zofia, but Celica is the princess there, maybe she can tell you more!"

"Oh, wasn't she summoned this morning?"

"Is that so?" Sonya replied, trying to hide her excitement, "She's an amazing leader, so I'm sure you two will get along well."

Eirika smiled. "Well, if you hold her in such high regard, I'll make sure to talk to her." As she followed Tana, Nephenee walked up to the box. She slowly pulled out the slip of paper and squinted at it.

"Yullise?" She parsed out. Sonya was only moderately surprised. Nephenee looked the part of a warrior, but a country girl? She decided not to pry. After all, she didn't want to scare away the girl.

"Yllise." She corrected gently. "Quite of few of them here. Cordelia, Tharja, Chrom, Robin, and so forth." Nephenee nodded, before hastily making her way to the labyrinth of bookshelves. Sonya settled back into her seat. She hadn't been aware of Celica's summoning. It was an exciting development, as she felt they were good friends, and she did miss her terribly. She giggled. Maybe the rain was a good omen.

"I thought I told you to stop tapping my shoulders!"

"Now, is that any way to address your soon to be brother, Takumi?"

"I'LL KILL YOU!"

Not even legally related, and already acting like brothers. Sonya made a note of that in her parchment. Perhaps it was a Hoshidan thing.

Dining Hall: 5:45 PM

The storm had only intensified over the next few hours. As the dining hall was open for dinner until 9, the dinner crowd had not quite migrated in. There were a few occupied tables, mostly filled by the Pegasus Knights and Wyvern Riders, who had been spending the past few hours tending to their steeds.

"Who was the genius that invented hail?" whined Shanna, splayed out on a bench almost by herself. There were a few chuckles from the fliers, who were mostly eating soup and various breads.

"All jokes aside, this weather could affect our flight schedules for the next few days." Cordelia commented. She had been pacing amongst the group for the past 10 minutes. "We'll have to look into changing everything regarding security." Shanna groaned in response.

"Just get your husband to do iiiiit!" The remark caused Cordelia to blush slightly.

"Shanna's blunt, but she's right." Cherche commented. "The tacticians all work well together. Let them figure this out." She patted the bench next to her. "Your soup is getting cold while you pace."

Cordelia accepted the seat, sipping on her soup. There was relative silence for a moment, before Camilla spoke up.

"Well, we all know who Lady Cordelia swoons over, but I propose we play a game."

"Lady Camilla, all you want to do is gossip." her retainer, Beruka, said with no emotion. Camilla rustled her hair, attempting to hide her irritation.

"Oh ho ho, Beruka, you always say such ridiculous things!" She said, attempting to laugh it off. "But I do think such a discussion could be quite fun, don't you think?"

One of the three males in the room, Subaki, leaned on the table. "I agree, it would facilitate an increased camaraderie among us, which is valuable."

"I'm with Beruka on this. I don't feel like gossip is the most helpful thing for our group," the green-haired knight, Palla, said quite nervously, "We should learn more about each other, though!" A few other knights agreed with her. Camilla smirked.

"Ah, then how about you, Lady Palla? What is your story?" Palla stammered in her seat.

As if some faraway prayer was answered, the doors of the mess hall were shoved open, and in walked 8 rain soaked individuals. They were instantly recognizable. In the front stood the broad shoulders of Xander. He and seven others had been sent to the Askrian border on a two week patrol, and it looked like their arrival was poorly timed. Xander, however, seemed in good spirits.

"Alright, men! Let's get ourselves warm and make ourselves at home!" He was pushed out of way by two tall women with black and green hair, respectively.

"Yeah, yeah." Replied Lyn playfully. "I'll make sure we don't break anything." She ran over to the Fliers, waving all the while.

"Ah, welcome back, Lady Lyn!" The smallest flier, Florina, said eagerly. Lyn picked up the small woman, embracing her.

"Oh, I've missed you as well, Florina!" She said, laughing. The two girls, giggling all the while, caught the attention of the amused group.

Camilla turned to her brother, who gave her a knowing nod. Xander was as strong as he had ever been, but it was still nice to know he was back. He faced some of the other members of his group.

"I should meet with Kiran and give him our report." He stated bluntly. Most of the members ignored him, with little Lissa giving a flippant "Have fun!". Cordelia looked over the returnees. There was Lyn, still talking to Florina. Lissa and Felicia, the latter attempting to drink her tea cleanly without much success. Ayra was wolfing down food with a purpose, and she was joined by Ursula, who looked at her food with a disdain usually saved for an enemy. Cordelia also noted that Tana was staring down Ursula with a similar look. She knew that Ursula and Nino had a history, and considering Tana's feelings about the child, Cordelia could only imagine what that history was. Tana quickly and coldly excused herself from the room, passing by the last two members of the away team, Athena and Reinhardt.

"What was that about?" asked Shanna to nobody in particular. Athena and Reinhardt approached the group, holding a familiar piece of paper.

"Much excuses," Athena said, "But what is 'Activities and Clubs' that is on paper here?" The foreign swords-woman pointed at the paper for emphasis.

"Ah, Kiran suggested that after several members of our Order kept injuring themselves." Palla explained. "Though I don't think many of said offending party have actually participated..."

"Hmm, the idea is intriguing," Reinhardt commented, "I imagine that mental stimulation would help with camaraderie in the group, without risking bodily harm."

"Reinhardt, you make with the big words again." Athena scolded.

"Ah yes, my apologies," Reinhardt continued, "I think it's a good idea. Sometimes training gets tough on the body, and this could help."

"I think it has," Cherche commented, "People seem to have gotten closer to each other over the past week."

"Closer is good thing," Athena agreed, "Hard training is good too, but some are not yet ready." Athena turned to the door. "Weather looks good for run, I'll ask Ayra and Fir to join. Any of you join?"

The group laughed in response. Well, until they realized she was serious. The sounds of heavy hail had stopped, but that was replaced with a heavy rain. She looked at Ayra, who nodded silently, getting up and walking towards the exit. Ursula followed them out.

"The loss is yours, I guess!" Athena said jovially. And with that, the duo had left as well. Reinhardt sighed, sitting next to Camilla and Lyn.

"You have no idea how tiring this past week has been," he lamented, "I felt like I was trying to raise juvenile Wyverns the whole time." Lyn laughed at the mage, clearly amused at his misery. There was a sound of several plates crashing to the floor in succession. The others turned to the noise, while Reinhardt groaned and Lyn laughed even harder. Felicia had dropped two plates, and Lissa had thrown one on the ground in an attempt to lift her spirits.

"You know, I actually forgot about that sound." Shanna noted. There was a long silence surrounding the table after that, taking in the sounds of the rain. It was this moment that Cordelia thought about Reinhardt's strange analogy.

"On the subject of Wyverns," She began, "How do Wyverns fare in rainstorms, Cherche?"

Cherche mused on the question for a minute. "Not too well, but Minerva is a level-headed Wyvern."

"The other Wyverns are well trained as well," Beruka stated, "I doubt they would be aggressive."

"Still, perhaps I'll go check on them." Cherche said. "Better to be safe than sorry." She left her seat, excusing herself, and made for the exit. Beruka and Camilla followed, also concerned for their steeds. Lightning illuminated the dining hall, and another crashing sound echoed through the room.

"Oh no, I did it again!"

5 Minutes Prior: Wyvern Pens

"Are you sure we should be in here?" A nervous Robin asked the bundled figure in front of him. Zephiel didn't look back or answer, instead staring at all the Wyverns sitting in their large pens.

"Truly a glorious sight," he murmured, turning around to face his class, "Do you not agree?"

There was nervous muttering amongst the group. Robin had been dragged to the Dragon Appreciation class by Nowi, who had also managed to bring Tiki and Soren. There was Lute, Sanaki, and Henry, already eagerly visiting each pen with Fae, another Manakete. Takumi was standing aloofly, pretending not to be paying attention. Julia was conversing with the white haired Corrin and Ninian, and were being followed by Roy, who kept shooting glares at the king at the head of the group. The group was surprisingly large for what seemed like a limited subject, Robin noted. But then again, most everyone in the group seemed to be a dragon or related to a dragon in some way. It was partially why he didn't fight Nowi earlier. Well, that, and he wanted to avoid another trip with Nowi's dragon form.

"As you can see, Wyverns are not quite true Dragons," Zephiel began lecturing, "We can see some similarities."

"Wyverns have two legs while true dragons have four, for instance." Lute interjected robotically.

"Quite, and Wyverns don't have the same intellect as Dragons."

Nowi spoke up. "They're plenty smart, Zephy! They just can't talk like you and me." Zephiel patted her head like an old man to his grandchild.

"Ah, my mistake, Nowi." He said affectionately. "Would you care to explain some of the intricacies of the Wyverns here?"

"Sure!" Nowi jumped from pen to pen. "This one enjoys chicken more than pork, which is weird, cause pork is really good!" There was a snort from said Wyvern. As she kept going, Robin approached Roy and Takumi, who were both near the back of the room.

"So, what bring the two of you to this class?" He said, making an attempt at humor.

Roy answered first. "That Zephiel was always up to no good back home, so I wanted to make sure he wasn't planning anything …"

"He's a strange one. Prickly with everyone but Nowi and Tiki." Robin noted. Roy nodded in agreement. The tactician turned to Takumi. "And you, Prince Takumi? What's your story?" Takumi muttered in response. Robin caught a 'rather not talk about' from there.

"Ah, the old 'dragon possession' story? Classic." There was a small voice from behind the trio. They turned to see Gaius, hiding in a bale of hay. "Bubbles knows all about that one."

"Gaius," Robin hissed, "What are you doing in the hay?"

"Well, I was gonna watch my wife annihilate that Zephiel guy, but I figured I should at least give you warning, Bubbles." Robin grew pale. Cherche wasn't going to like the idea of strangers in the Wyvern pens. Robin was remembering vivid memories of unexpected and unwanted Wyvern dental inspections.

"We need to leave." He stated bluntly to the other two. Roy and Takumi looked at him with a mixture of dread and confusion.

"What about the others?" Roy asked.

"The best tactic to survive Cherche is to scatter and regroup."

"I don't want to ruin your day, Bubbles, but it's her and those other two Wyvern riders. Takumi stiffened.

"If Princess Camilla is coming as well, we needed to be scarce minutes ago." He said, fear etched in his voice.

"Quite an observation, Prince Takumi." Came a sinister voice from the entrance to the stable. Three silhouettes stood in front of the only exit, lightning illuminated three large axes in their hands. Robin looked over to the haystack. Gaius was already gone.

"Princess Camilla!" Robin said, attempting to hide his fear. "Cherche! Lady Beruka!"

"Hello Sir Robin," Camilla's voice was dripping with menace, "Might I ask why there are a large group of people in the Wyvern stable?"

"I-uh … Zephiel brought us?" He responded meekly.

"Ah," Cherche spoke up, eyeing the king. "I see." The three wyvern riders passed by the trio. Takumi exhaled in the relief. As others began passing by them, Robin realized they were still in the stable.

"Go go go go gogogogogogo" Robin began saying over and over again, dragging the two princes behind him.

It had only been a week, and Lucius was already busy again. First it was Athena, bringing in Ayra, Marisa, and – to his chagrin – Fir again. They had gone running in the rain, and they had started feeling ill. True to form, the four all had the symptoms of a cold. He chastised Athena, and healed them, before another group walked into the medical room.

Standing before him was Zephiel, a giant lump forming on his head.

"What on earth happened to you?" Lucius shouted. Zephiel was attempting to look stoic, but he kept blinking. Two concussions in two days, lovely.

"I am nothing more than a martyr for a beautiful future." was all that Zephiel said.

Lucius sighed. Even organized activities couldn't account for stupidity.

Sorry about the wait, everyone! This chapter was a little difficult to pace out.

As always, I appreciate all of you for reading this silly little story! I promised I would answer some reviews, so here goes!

Equach: I have a couple of ideas for other clubs, but I'm waiting for some new Heroes characters for those. And Zephiel tends to get in trouble in my mind!

Kpgokj: I'm hoping I'm still striking that balance of well-known characters and the side characters. Some of those characters are extremely interesting to me, and I'm glad Heroes is giving them a little more limelight.

Whut and G: I didn't realize that about LeoSaku! Seems like a wholesome pairing, but I like the dichotomy of Leo and Hinoka a lot.

Everyone: I'm so glad you all enjoy this story! It means a lot to me!

Again, any comments, questions, or critiques are welcomed with open arms!

Next Chapter: Friday - Frederick's Revenge

Thanks for Reading!