As the fencing tournament began, Coran realized they didn't really understand the rules of fencing. Sure, they'd tried paying attention the times they stayed after school with the club, but it still didn't make sense to them. Robin seemed to be focused on the match, muttering things to himself. Three minutes passed, and with that, the first bout had ended. Coran continued to be confused as they watched Robin get a notepad out and begin to scribble things down. Frowning, they glanced over at Tharja, who had her eyes closed, not paying attention to the tournament as Reflet was nowhere to be found as of then. Lissa was watching with the sort of mild interest one would normally have for an extremely important recurring event that one's sibling was always involved in. This was understandable, as she'd likely been to multiple fencing tournaments in her life. She would lean over to say something to Emmern every so often, and Coran kind of felt left out. They should really learn the rules.

After a few bouts, they decided they would enjoy themself more if they just watched, without trying to figure the rules out. They thought the outfits the contestants had to wear looked rather silly, though they made sense in practical terms. Coran watched with interest at the different styles, watching the jabs and slashes being dealt back and forth. Partway through the first round, Coran noticed a rather tall girl with dark skin and black hair. The hair was pulled up into a bun, but even then it was clear just how much of it there was. Coran couldn't make out her features but the sight of her made them uncomfortable, for some reason. Even as she donned her mask, Coran felt uneasy taking their eyes off of her, as if she could simply teleport beside them and do unspeakable things without any issue. As she stepped on the matt for her match, it was with clear confidence, and Coran heard Robin mutter from beside them.

"That's the vice principal's daughter, from PAMI." Coran frowned.

"S-something about her k-kind of f-freaks me out…" Robin nodded in agreement.

"She's insane. I think she was in charge of punishments, and she was always manipulating people. The only reason I got off the hook was because I was quiet and tried not to get on her bad side."

Her movements while fighting were incredibly fluid and smooth, as if she'd been fencing for longer than most others in the tournament. There were only really two people who could compete with her, one being someone who hadn't removed their masked the whole time, and the other being a male who had a distinctly Chon'sinian look to him. Even Chrom probably didn't stand a chance against her, which was a real shame as he was their best fencer. As the first round ended, it was clear the victor of the tournament would be one of the three unless another person pulled out some sort of unprecedented hidden potential. After glancing around, Coran's eyes fell on the dark skinned girl once more, and they had that same feeling of unease. A part of them swore they could feel a red glare from across the room.

"I-I think I'm going to g-go get some w-water…" To their surprise, Tharja stood up with them.

"I'm also a little thirsty." Her gaze flicked down to where the competitors were going off on their separate ways for the break. "And I don't like seeing Carel again. It's been years." Coran assumed she meant the vice principal's daughter.

"Y-you went to P-PAMI too, d-didn't you?" Tharja nodded as they began to walk. There would be around an hour for break time before the second round began.

"It wasn't for very long, though. I only went for around two years before moving to Ylisstol." She paused. "That was around four years ago. PAMI starts early, and doubles as a college, so a lot of people don't leave until they're in their twenties."

"Is that w-when you m-met R-Robin and R-Reflet?" She nodded again. "W-what about C-C-Carel?" For some reason, they stuttered heavily when speaking her name.

"She's a bitch." Tharja stated flatly. "I can appreciate someone doing some dark magic here and there for fun, but she goes out of her way to torture people for no other reason than to make them suffer. She doesn't even care if her victims live in the end, and she does it for her own sick amusement because she's a sadist, and as the vice principal's daughter, nobody can fault her for it." Coran was a little surprised by the animosity she held towards the girl.

"... D-did something h-happen?" Tharja was silent. "S-sorry, you d-don't have to t-tell me…" She nodded.

"All you need to know is that she's the main reason Henry and I had to leave." Coran got the feeling that they left at different times, and they frowned, nodding. They decided not to ask further questions.

The two of them walked towards the concessions, near the entrance. Emmeryn had given Coran enough money to buy anything they needed while in Ferox, though they didn't really want to spend much of it. It wasn't as if they deserved it, or earned it in any way, after all. It was with mild sorrow that they bought water as opposed to the delicious looking tea they were serving. After the two of them got their bottles of water, they decided to wander around slightly. Tharja seemed to be drifting rather close to where the contestants were supposed to be waiting, and though Coran wasn't completely sure if they were allowed to go back there, they didn't want to be left alone. The Plegian girl stopped directly in front of the door, looking as if she were pondering something. An argument could be heard from inside.

"Oh, it looks like the little white bird is trying to spread its pathetic little wings." The voice sent chills down Coran's spine. "It's a shame you're about as useless as a kiwi." It took Coran to remember that was a kind of bird.

"I didn't come here to listen to you talk down on me or my friends, Carel." Coran had never heard Reflet put so much hate into her words. "You're just mad because I left before you could break me." Carel let out a dark laugh.

"Oh please, you think you're special? I could have broken more than just your spirit with a flick of my wrist. In fact, I could do it right no-" Tharja seemed to have had enough, and she pushed the door open.

"Why don't you leave her alone before she stabs you, or worse- I set my nastiest curse on you." Coran followed after their friend, though they didn't exactly want to. Reflet looked rather shocked, and Coran got their first proper view of Carel.

She was tall, towering over most other people in the room. Her skin was dark, though not as dark as Tharja's. The black hair she previously had pulled up into a bun was in a simple ponytail, though it still almost managed to reach her thighs. It was rather silky, though somehow Coran could sense that she'd used magic to make it that consistency despite having just been wearing a fencing mask. In fact, no visible part of her had any sweat, a stark contrast to Reflet, whose white hair was sticking to her face due to perspiration. She even seemed to be wearing makeup; something that couldn't possibly look good after taking a fencing mask off. A beauty mark that reminded Coran an awful lot of their own rested just below her eye, which was a very distinctly red colour. They shuddered, wanting to run away from her. Everything about her appearance was telling them to run as fast they could and find Emmeryn.

"Well, well, well, look who we have here. It's the dirty lesbian and…" Her smirk fell when she caught sight of Coran. It became a frown, and they slowly began inching behind Tharja. "... Where the fuck did you find him." It wasn't even spoken as a question, and Coran flinched at both the cuss and the pronoun usage.

"Who's he?" Tharja questioned flatly, crossing her arms.

"That worthless boy behind you." She scoffed. "I can't believe how pathetic he is, hiding behind you of all people." Coran hugged themself, shaking heavily as they tried not to hyperventilate. They weren't sure what this girl had against them, and they wanted to disappear. "Looks like he's gotten even lower than I thought was possible."

"Sorry, I don't know what you're talking about. The only person standing behind me isn't a boy." Tharja glanced behind herself, and something changed in her expression. "I don't know what your connection to Coran is, but if you try anything, I'll have you cursed to death so fast you won't be able to ask daddy for help no matter how hard you try."

"Ha! I'd like to see you try." Carel's red eyes took on a rather sadistic glint to match the smile on her face. "I don't even need to do anything to break that white little abomination."

Coran's vision had blurred at that point, and they squeezed their eyes shut, heart beating wildly in their chest. Tharja put a firm hand on their arm, her skin cool and dry in contrast to their own. They heard Tharja saying one last thing to Carel before directing Coran out of the training room, where they weren't even supposed to be in the first place. Coran wasn't sure where they were when they sat down on the ground, but every part of them seemed to be telling them to curl into a ball and cry. They didn't know why they felt so overwhelmed by just hearing the Plegian girl talk, or why their body seemed to ache with bruises that had long since faded. Cruel laughter rang in their ears, and the fear that shot through them any time they even thought of the dark skin paired with red eyes was enough to make them never want to look at anyone ever again.

"Coran." Tharja's voice broke through their thoughts. "Hey. It's just me and you." They felt her hand lightly touch their head. "Nobody else is here, you're gonna be fine."

They took a long moment trying to focus on the physical contact, the slight tousling of their hair anchoring them to reality. Coran's chest was heaving, and they realized that the reason their vision had blurred earlier was in part due to them beginning to cry. They tried to wipe their face with their sleeves, but it seemed they hadn't stopped crying yet. Tharja very slowly adjusted their position so they were curled up against her, head on her shoulder. She rubbed their back as they tried to calm down.

"Th-Th-Th-Tharja, w-what colour are y-y-your e-eyes?" Their voice was muffled, but still clear in the empty hallway.

"They're grey." She answered simply, continuing her soothing motions. Coran's breathing slowed, returning to a more normal pattern.

"Y-you're s-s-sure?"

"Yes." Tharja answered patiently. "They're definitely grey, and they've been grey all my life." Coran wiped their eyes successfully this time, looking up at her and confirming that they were, in fact, grey, and not red.

"W-what about m-m-mine?" Tharja looked at them, thinking for a moment.

"They're hazel." She frowned. "Or maybe amber. I can't really tell." She gently put her hand on their cheek, angling their face to get a better look. "Amber, but I'm definitely seeing some flecks of brown, too." The Plegian girl wasn't exactly sure why eye colour was so important to Coran, but she knew it was best to go along with what they wanted at that moment.

"P-positive?" Tharja nodded.

"Positive. Are you feeling any better?" She combed her hand through their hair, trying to fix it the best she could. It wasn't very easy, seeing as it was always messy anyways.

"A l-l-little, m-maybe…" They looked away.

"It's okay, we can stay here as long as you need." Coran took her up on that offer, and the two of them stayed in that empty hallway for a while longer.

"D-did the n-next p-p-part of the t-tournament s-s-start?" They asked quietly when they felt up to maybe talking again.

"Yeah, probably." She glanced down the hall. "Ms. Esaltare is probably worried." Coran was mildly surprised by the formality directed at Emmeryn.

"I'm s-s-s-sorry…" They mumbled.

"She's not going to blame you. You're okay, you don't need to apologize."

Coran sniffed, mumbling another apology. Tharja said nothing of it, letting them use her as a literal shoulder to cry on before asking if they felt up to going back to watch the game. A quick shake of the head, and Tharja nodded, taking her phone out and texting Emmeryn. Everyone in the group had her number, just in case something happened. Coran stayed close to her, more in her personal space bubble than she would let most people tread. She made an exception for them before leading them towards the exit. They stopped before the door, Tharja wanting to decide where to go.

"We could go eat something." She glanced at their rather thin figure in concern. They mumbled an agreement of sorts, and they went to a nearby restaurant. After getting their food, Coran spoke.

"I-I'm s-s-sorry for m-m-messing up…" Tharja shook her head.

"It's fine." The hint of a smile graced her face. "I used to take care of Henry like this all the time." Coran looked surprised.

"B-but they don't- I-I mean, he d-doesn't…" They stopped talking, likely confused by the initial pronoun usage they'd gone with for the taller teen. "S-sorry…"

"You're fine. I don't really think Henry cares about pronouns." She sighed, sipping her drink. "He was a lot different when we were kids. His parents didn't spend any time with him so I had to take care of him instead." Coran frowned.

"Th-that's t-t-terrible…" They nibbled at their food. "... C-can we t-t-talk about s-something else?" They didn't want to talk about anything negative.

"... How's school been for you?" She asked after a moment, not really sure what to say.

It seemed to do the trick, and the two of them branched off to the topic of magic theory in general, before discussing the differences between the three types of magic. They had long since finished their food, and Tharja spoke of the specifics of hexes and curses. After what was likely over an hour, Coran felt that they had mostly recovered, and Tharja stated that the fencing tournament would be over soon. Wanting to see the victor, Coran decided they would work up the nerve to look at Carel again, albeit from a great distance. The two of them arrived, and several battles stuck out to Coran.

Chrom had been defeating his opponents with incredible dexterity. It seemed there would be no trouble for him, and would end up as a semi finalist at the very least. Lon'qu (the Chon'sinian male Coran had noticed earlier) had much of the same success. Unfortunately for him, however, it seemed his skill was overmatched by the person who had stayed masked the entire time. Looking up at the scoreboard, Coran realized with a start that their name was listed as Marth. Could this masked swordfighter be the same one who had saved them when the Risen fell from the sky? They hadn't removed the fencing mask the entire time, and Coran had to wonder where their sword was. If they remembered correctly, it was the legendary Falchion (or at least an exact replica of it), and the swordfighter didn't seem the type to let the weapon out of their sight. Their skill was unparalleled, and Coran hadn't seen them struggling in any way while fighting.

It wasn't until they faced off against Carel that they seemed to come anywhere close to losing. Both of their movements were so incredibly fluid and natural that it almost looked like they were dancing. The two of them, oddly enough, seemed to both be on the offensive side, swinging and jabbing their blades yet not being able to land a hit due to the incredible finesse the two of them had. In the end, it seemed that Marth had more stamina, as Carel's movements began to grow sluggish the longer they fought. After Marth scored the last point, Carel practically ripped her mask off, sending the swordfighter the most heated glare she could manage. She refrained from saying something as the other walked off somewhere else. The semi-finalists ended up being Marth and Chrom, and Robin turned to inform Coran that his predictions had been correct. Coran had been frowning, focussing on the fighting rather intently. Robin's words startled them slightly, but they couldn't help but smile at his happiness. His eyes were lit up with such pure enjoyment that Coran found themself feeling less stressed.

A small break was announced before the final match would be fought, and Chrom used the opportunity to rehydrate in preparation for his battle against Marth. He suspected it was the same Marth who had saved Lissa's life in the park that day, and after drinking an entire water bottle in the span of less than a minute, he looked around for them. They weren't easy to spot, due to the fact that they hadn't removed their mask. The only reason Chrom could safely say that it was Marth was because they had a sword across their lap as they sat with their legs crossed. It was most definitely the sword they'd fought with at the park. Chrom sat next to them, but they made no movement to show that they'd noticed. He cleared his throat before speaking.

"Marth? Can I ask you something before we fight?"

"..." Marth was silent, and Chrom decided to keep speaking.

"Where did you get that? There's no way…" Even sheathed, Chrom recognized the distinct hilt of the legendary Falchion.

"Mm." Was their simple response, and it was clear that Chrom wouldn't be getting an answer to that question.

"Who taught you to fight like that?" He questioned, lips turning down into a frown.

"... My father."

Their answer was simple, and their voice scratchy as he remembered from the first time he met them. Despite the lack of emotion in their tone, he noticed their hand grip the hilt of the sword tightly. He couldn't help his curiosity, however. Chrom continued to speak.

"Who is your father?"

"I've…" Their voice cracked. "I've said enough for today." Chrom huffed.

"Is that how it's going to be? You saved my sister's life, so I can't help feeling like I owe you, but that doesn't mean I'll be holding back. I plan on winning this tournament."

"... Arrogant." Marth muttered, but said no more.

Chrom stood from the ground beside Marth, knowing he wouldn't be able to get any more answers out of them. That didn't stop him from having questions, however. There was so much mystery surrounding them that Chrom had no idea where he would begin. Soon, it was time for the match to begin. Marth had left their sword propped up against the wall, though Chrom could have sworn he saw them cast some sort of spell on it before joining him on the mat. He couldn't help but feel nervous as he faced against the other fighter. They were still as a statue, though he knew they could spring forward at any moment. From watching their fights with others, he knew he didn't stand a chance against the other blue haired individual. Oddly enough, he'd noticed that the more difficult contenders were the ones he never had to fight. It was clear to him that he had the upper hand in brute strength, but he very much doubted that would help him in this scenario. Marth's skill and speed were more than enough to work around Chrom's only advantage, but that didn't stop him from trying his hardest.

The match began, and unlike Chrom had predicted from watching their other matches, they hung back, not taking the first strike. They stood as still as they had before, and it was enough to throw him off. Despite Chrom clearly being confused by the different tactic, Marth didn't move. Completely unsure as to whether or not it was some sort of trap, Chrom took the offensive. It almost seemed as if the majority of Marth's skill had drained away, and the two of them seemed evenly matched despite Chrom knowing they could do better. They didn't even seem to be making an effort, and it was clear even to the spectators that something was off. Much to Chrom's frustration, he won. Marth had thrown the match. Afterwards, he approached them.

"What was that?"

"..." Like he expected, Marth said nothing, grabbing their sword before disappearing. Before he could say anything, a hand was put on his shoulder, and he was directed to the awards ceremony.

"Marth… Just who are you?"

Word Count: 3,523

Ch21 aka I know nothing about fencing it happened and there was also some drama.

SO I'M REALLY SORRY THIS IS SO LATE OGM! If you saw my last author's note, I couldn't post this yesterday because I went to my girlfriend's house and so I didn't have the time to focus on writing the rest of it, so I'm really sorry.

I don't know if this chapter is good I'm sorry :c

I'm also going to stop the "Next Time" kinda thing bc I haven't written the rest out and I don't know exactly what's going to happen from here on out.

Anyways, I'd like to remind you to PLEASE check out the poll on my profile :0 It'll help me decide what to post more of in the future! Feel free to PM me with any questions uwu

Love you guys, hope to see you again?