Chapter 11

AN: This chapter is fun! I may have took some dramatic liberties with some things. When has that been a problem before? For disclaimers, see the first chapter.

As always, enjoy.

The sun beat down on the hot white sand, and the tired troop of Shepherds trudging through the desert. Half of the Shepherds have already shed their armor, and the other half had no armor to shed. We had now degraded to the goal of any army invading a desert country. Find water. There is no way to predict where the water was, and we were already marching full pace, with half rations. Combine the hot sun, and everyone was just about ready to drop. The only thing that made this trip even semi bearable was the fact that Olivia was marching with us. Instead of her dancer garb, she was wearing a much more functional cloth outfit that was pink like her hair. The first few days she was joking and happy, but now she was starting to feel the effects of thirst as well. Instead of the wide smile she was getting when we began this march, whenever I spoke to her now, all I got was a shy, sad half smile. To her credit, she didn't complain even once. I was not so considerate.

"Olivia, it is hot, and I am thirsty." I said. "If we don't find water soon, I may die."

"I am hot too." Olivia, you have no idea. "But we need to find some Um... positives in this situation." She put a friendly hand on my shoulder. We then heard a scream towards the back of the caravan:

"Grrr! Get away from me you fool man!"

"What is going on?" Liv asked looking the other way.

"When he passes, don't make eye contact." I warned her.

"What?"

Then he ran up the line of wagons that Liv and I were guarding. His only article of clothing that he was wearing is a pair of yellow, smiley faced boxer underwear. His messy red hair streamed out behind him as he ran. He appeared to be holding a piece of cake. His face looked gaunt, and grey. His eyes hungry. The Doppler Effect happened as he passed.

"sssssSUGAAAAaaarrrrrr!" The scream came and faded away. It was Gaius. Of course it was Gaius.

"Gaius' candy stache must have run out." I informed Olivia. "We are in truly dire straits now."

Then a certain pegasus knight landed next to us.

"Excuse me," Cordelia said. "But did you see which way the thief ran? Apparently he stole Lon'qu's cake." She wasn't wearing her normal armor and… um… Apparently the armor was compensating for something on her… ahem… chest. I know that they talked about that in the DLC and the manga, but I didn't know the difference would be so… dramatic.

"The cake is a lie." I muttered to myself. "He went that way." Pointing out the direction to where he ran.

"Thanks" She said as she and her Pegasus took off. I looked to Olivia, who was looking gape jawed at me.

"I have no idea." I admitted.

"Umm… Okay." She said slowly.

Then Sully rode up to me on her horse.

"Hey, Noah." She said. "Sumia spotted an oasis up ahead where we can refill our water supply and drink our fill. You need to grab your girlfriend, and hop to it!"

"She is not my girlfriend..." Is what I said as Olivia just blushed fiercely.

"Har!" Sully barked. "You are just about as bad a liar as Vaike is. And you are a thief!" Sully rode ahead laughing. Olivia was getting even redder than she normally does, and I don't think that is a sunburn.

"Are you alright Liv?" I asked her.

"Yeah!" She reassured me forcefully. "I am fine!"

When we got to the oasis, I saw the glitter of water reflect across a hopeless, barren wasteland of heat and thirst. It was a tiny paradise of passionate blue and green in the heartless white and brown. The water was nectar on my cracked lips. A cool refreshing end to a hot, and tiring journey. I just looked to Olivia, and grinned a little. She decided that it would be a good idea to splash me.

"Olivia, I regret to inform you that this is a war you will be unable to win." I bowed to her. "I am the splash master where I am from…" I choked on the wave that Liv threw in my face. Most of the Shepherds ignored it, but those who were paying any attention laughed, and wolf whistled. Liv was growing a deep crimson. I doubt that she can get any redder than she is now.

"If only we were alone..." She muttered, pushing her fingers together.

"What?" I asked, not hearing the last part.

"Nothing."

Then all hell broke loose. We heard a little girl scream:

"Get away from me old man!"

"Oi! What is with all of the insults, and kicks to groin? Can you not tell that Gregor is trying to help you?"

"Get away from her." Chrom's voice. "You disgusting pervert."

"Why is everyone saying that? Gregor is just saving little girl from slavery and sacrifice."

"I doubt it." Robin's voice.

"You no believing Gregor? Why? Gregor have innocent baby face! You have to believe him!"

"Hrrrm." Chrom said.

Then the Grimleal came. Lucky for us, we were already armed up and prepped by the time they came in to assault us. Bad news was that there were two villages that were under risk because of them.

"Sumia! Cordelia! Ride with Chrom and Lon'qu to save the villages. The rest of us need to cover for them. Vaike! You are with me." Robin called out.

"Well Liv? You ready?" I asked her. She nodded. Robin shouted at us as he passed us:

"No sex on the battlefield you two! That is a tactical disadvantage!"

What do you know. Olivia could get redder. Even her ears were a deep crimson.

"WHAT?" She said extremely loudly.

"You heard me. Behave you two." Robin laughed.

"Why does everyone assume that we are a thing?" I asked his turned back. I turned back to Olivia's blushing face. I was heating up too. Oh gods, I was blushing too? "Come on Liv. Lets go." She nodded in quick embarrassment, and we hurried off to battle.

I drew Donny, and surveyed the field. There were a whole lot Dark mages, and I noticed two of them were aiming at Chrom and Sumia.

"Liv, each take one." I told her, and I stabbed one in the back, while she decapitated the other. Then a dark mage aimed a spell at Liv.

"Don't you dare!" I told him as I deflected it harmlessly off of Donny. Olivia took that moment where the Dark mage was wondering how combat in this world exactly worked to impale his heart. Then FIVE units appeared to try to rain on our parade. Then Nowi took that moment to run out in front of us. (Seriously, put some clothes on.)

"GET AWAY FROM US!" She screamed, and turned into a dragon. The Grimleal were surprised as the pink and green dragon the size of a two story building burning their flesh. Olivia was just as surprised, and she latched her body onto my arm with a:

"Eeeep!"

I was not complaining about anything involved in this arrangement. In fact, this arrangement is very favorable in my opinion. The giant dragon girl wearing nothing but a chasity belt, and a strange ribbon was roasting the Grimleal forces in front of us, and I had a massively beautiful woman clutching my arm. Perks.

When Nowi changed back, Olivia loosened up and released my arm. The magical moment was gone, and the horrors of war took hold once again. When Nowi left to roast more Grimleal, I caught sight of Gaius. He still in nothing but smiley faced boxers, and was fighting off three Grimleal at the same time. We did the exact same thing, each backstabbing one of the Grimleal fighting Gaius, and he stabbed the final one through the chest.

"Thanks Babe, Stretch." He said, obviously having ingested the cake that he stole from Lon'qu.

We parted ways, and Olivia and I charged towards the final soldier just as he said:

"Grima… Take my life force."

He then collapsed and died. After that, we set up camp around the oasis. Then we were treated with the sight of Sully's horse chasing Robin and Vaike. Then we took dinner from the fruits of the oasis we even got some food from the villages that we saved! They came to the party too, and it was the best way to end the battle, and the journey. I was enjoying my dinner when I realized I was going to get some entertainment as well.

"This is not about pies Sumia!" I heard Chrom shout. "Just listen!"

"...Muh?" She asked in confusion.

"S-sorry, Sumia." He apologized. "This isn't how I thought…" He facepalmed. "Oh I'm ruining this whole thing! What I want to ask is: Sumia, will you do me the honor of being my wife?"

"Is… is that the signet ring of the Ylissian royal house?" She said, shocked. "That is a Ylissian royal treasure!"

"It is. my mother told me that I should give it to the woman I wanted to spend my entire life with. Now it is attached to a greater treasure."

Holy Shit. Chrom got game. I looked over to Liv, and she was watching the scene, enraptured. Her violet eyes were sparkling with joy at the scene.

"I'm so honored!" She squealed. "I will wear it for all my days."

"Our future will be filled with happiness and pies both!"

"Oh Yes! We will have pies morning, noon, and night!" She smiled widely. "Er, but would you mind terribly if we hired a cook?" There was much laughter at this, as the Shepherds cheered, and wished them luck on their impending marriage.

"All the Shepherds are invited!" Chrom shouted to us as Sumia practically dragged him back to her tent. There was laughter, and cheering as this happened as well. For everyone except for one red haired pegasus knight. The entire corps of shepherds were cheering, so I took this moment to walk over to where Olivia was sitting.

"Well we are invited." I said awkwardly, knowing what I wanted to say, but not exactly how to say it.

"Yeah." Olivia shyly smiled.

"Lets go together." I blurted out, and I mimed dancing. I was not very good. "We could go dancing, and um… you could be my date!" Oh gods… This was the most terrible thing that could happen. She was standing up.

"One condition." She said, wrapping her arms around my neck. "I have to teach you how to dance. You are worse than I am!" I could not agree more. Everyone is not as good as you at dancing.

Then we kissed. Dancing lessons with this woman?

I could deal.

The kiss was not short, as we forgot our surroundings, and focused only on each other. In that magical moment, only me and Olivia existed.

"Get a room you two!" Sully shouted, breaking up the moment. I realized ALL of the remaining Shepherds were cheering at this. Robin was laughing, and nudging Lon'qu on the shoulder. He was just smiling at this sight as he was probably remembering his past. Even Cordelia, who was crying bitterly a moment before, was clapping. I wrapped my arm around Olivia's waist.

"Just you and me." I whispered to myself.

Just you and me.

AN: I took some dramatic liberties with Chromia's S rank support, combining some of it with… I believe Chromarribelle? Or was it Chromully? The "Even greater treasure comment. I tell you, when you collect them all, the knowledge of individual support conversations disappears into the void along with pencils. And left shoes. Anyway, Gaius runs around in his underwear too. So that is cool. Please follow and review, I would really appreciate it.