Kiran was digesting a not so insignificant amount of eggs, cheese, and meat when Alfonse called the emergency strategy meeting. Now he was sitting in the War Room, attempting not to fall asleep while everyone discussed the nature of the emergency.

"A whole battalion, just gone?" Soren asked, incredulous, "I know none of the heroes were out on that patrol, but still…"

"It is quite unlikely," Aversa agreed, "Are we absolutely certain the report is correct?"

Alfonse nodded. "I see no reason for this to be false, unfortunately," He stated, "The 15th Battalion of Northern Askr has disappeared without a trace, and with the lack of aggression from Embla, we are not quite sure what has happened."

Ishtar spoke up. "I am under the assumption that this is being investigated, at the very least? Is there much that we can do from here?"

"We have to do something," Chrom insisted, "Those lives are at stake!"

Alfonse closed his eyes. "Until I hear from my father, we cannot take any action. He is heading the investigation personally, and will arrive here the day after our celebratory ball."

"Still having the celebration?" Kiran asked, "Alf, are you sure that's the way to go?" The prince nodded.

"The hard work everyone put into protecting the kingdom needs to be recognized," Alfonse explained, "and it would help boost morale. It will also give us the opportunity to gather support and funding for the investigation and defense of the kingdom, if needed."

"A rational take," Titania spoke up, "But there are bound to be some that will want to use said funding for more invasive forms of defense."

"Right, and that's why the rest of you will have to keep me in check." Alfonse turned to Kiran. "Especially you, my friend."

Kiran blinked slowly. "Right," he replied slowly, "So should I start panic summoning now or-?"

"Why would you need to?"

"Because you're already talking about gathering support and money for defense, Alf." The summoner crossed his arms. "Which suggests you know more about whatever this is than you're saying. To your strategists, might I add." The others looked on quietly, but some nodded in agreement.

Alfonse sighed. "It's merely a story that my father told me about a long time ago, Kiran. It has put me on edge, but there is no imminent threat to my knowledge."

Kiran frowned, but eventually nodded. "Alright, I'll hold off. But remember that we've assembled this fine group to assist us, not to withhold information from."

Alfonse smiled. "You are already holding me to account. Thank you, my friend." He looked at the others. "Meeting adjourned; I will immediately notify all of you when new information comes in." With no other words, the prince walked off, out of the War Room and into the depths of the castle. While others stayed and discussed the new rumors. Kiran stood as well, and headed towards his room.

"Summoning after all, Kiran?" Ishtar's voice was cutting; clearly he wasn't being subtle. "One might think that you do not trust Prince Alfonse's judgement."

"Just summoning a few people," Kiran replied quietly, "And please don't announce it to everyone! Sharena is going to have enough trouble convincing Alfonse as it is."

The mage smiled mercilessly. "If Alfonse finds this breach of etiquette too much to bear, just remember you would always have a home under my employ."

"He might be a little upset, but I doubt I'm getting fired for this," Kiran rolled his eyes, "And wouldn't me working for you be even more inappropriate?"

"With your excessive use of contractions, perhaps it would be." Ishtar smirked, "What heroes are you attempting to summon?"

"I've been speaking to Seteth, the new guy that was recently summoned? Apparently there are still quite a few heroes that he claims would be beneficial to us."

"Yes, I have spoken to him as well," Ishtar replied, "Pleasant man, though a little curt at times. And you say he has knowledge of other heroes?"

"Yeah," Kiran noted, "He had whole writings about them, it was pretty interesting. I figure it's better to be safe than sorry."

"Be wary."

"I'm… sorry?"

"You might be able to use Breidablik to nearly its full potential, but that does not mean you should feel obligated to use it whenever you fancy," Ishtar warned, "Power corrupts, even someone like you."

Kiran raised an eyebrow, but said nothing. "... Wanna come along? Make sure I don't get corrupted?"

Ishtar hid her face. "That is quite bold of you, Sir Kiran; though you do not need to invite me in such a roundabout way."

"I'm being serious," Kiran replied, "Though I wouldn't mind some tea."

Ishtar smiled and rolled her eyes. "Certainly, Kiran; let us retire, then."

The pause after Severa's outburst was deafening. "Say that again, Lucy?"

Lucina hesitated. "Well, I don't want you to get angry with Cynthia, Sev…"

"It's a bit too late for that!" Severa paused, "Deep breaths, Severa… Deep breaths." She pulled herself together, and faced Lucina again. "What did Cynthia say?"

"She told me everything, Sev," Lucina explained, "And yes, I think you have every right to be upset; I would have rather heard it from you, if I were in your shoes."

"I… I see." Severa replied lamely, "Gawds. She told you everything?"

Lucina nodded. Severa's whole body sunk. Gee, thanks Cynthia. She thought. "You know how bad I am with keeping secrets, Sev," Lucina continued, "So I thought I would… help you along?" She winced at that.

"...Help me along? What do you mean by that?" Severa frowned. "Ugh, you're always like this, Lucy."

"What? It wasn't like you had told me yet."

Severa ignored this. "You're just doing this to make me feel better, aren't you?"

Lucina stepped back. "No! Sev… I… I find you… I just want you to be happy, too." She winced at her word choice yet again. That would certainly not go over well.

Severa's frown deepened. "Right, once again you're doing something while not thinking about what you want." She paused. "Look, Lucy; I'm really sorry. This has kinda taken me off guard, and I can't give you an answer at the moment." A deep breath. "And if I just talk, it'll be that whole … thing where I say a bunch of mean things to cover up what I intend to say." She felt a hand on her shoulder. Lucina gave her a soft smile.

"Sev, I know you, and I'll wait if you need the time." She said quietly, "But I am being sincere, and I hope you know that."

"Just," Severa snatched the flowers from Lucina's hands, "Give me those, and I'll talk to you after I get some sleep! Ugh, this is so embarrassing!" Severa stormed off, but took a second to smell the flowers, which made Lucina smile.

"Still the same old Severa." Lucina bit her lip, fighting back a scream of frustration. She was so close that time, and she still found a way to mess it all up. "Still the same old Lucina."

Nephenee was looking over the plants in the greenhouse with curiosity. It felt like there were more carnivorous plants in here than normal. A whole row seemed to be dedicated to the various plants.

"Kag, did ya plant any of these?"

Kagero looked up from her plants. "They are adorable, but regrettably, I did not."

"Tharja?"

"Unfortunately, I didn't either. They have been well looked after."

"Well, they weren't in here yesterday." Nephenee huffed, "An' I'm the one who's gotta do all the listin'."

Tharja looked over Nephenee's shoulder. "The colors on this one are marvelous; quite sinister."

"Oooh! Tharja! Did you plant these?" Tana walked through the door, Eirika and Hinoka in tow. Cordelia, Donnel, and the others were already hard at work on their plants, so those were the last people Nephenee was looking for. "They look quite interesting!"

"They aren't mine or Kagero's," Tharja replied, "Hinoka?"

Hinoka shook her head. "I'm still a novice at this stuff! I don't even know how to plant those!"

Nephenee stood up. "A mystery gardener…" she said, pausing for dramatic effect. She closed her eyes, opening one after a few seconds.

"Um… what are you waiting for?" Tana asked sweetly.

Nephenee blushed in embarrassment. "Just, uh… Lute tends to pop outta nowhere when you say the word 'mystery', but I guess she isn't here."

Tharja smiled wryly, "Truly a great day." The sounds of commotion outside made her expression dour. "Perhaps I spoke too soon…". She peered outside the door. "Oh joy, it's that self-important white haired brat."

"Come oooooon, Dedue!" Hilda whined as a tall and intimidating figure entered the greenhouse. "CHOP could really use a big strong guy like you!"

"While Hilda will definitely try to slack off, I do agree with her assessment, Dedue," Edelgard continued, "CHOP could use your talents and help you reach new heights!"

"And I've told both of you that I would consider it." Dedue replied, a voice like granite, "Please leave me be."

Hilda and Edelgard both looked displeased by this, and even more so when Nephenee walked up.

"Uh… um… pleased ta meetcha!" She spoke up. "I'm Nephenee, and this is the Botany Club! Are you interested in joinin'?" Dedue nodded silently, while Edelgard and Hilda shook their heads. "O-okay! I need yer name, and ya can get right on with planting in the garden!"

"This is Dedue, D-e-d-u-e!" Hilda replied sweetly, "He's a classmate of mine!"

"Classmate of ours." Edelgard said pointedly.

"Classmate of ours." Hilda acquiesced, "Well, we'll be waiting on that answer, Dedue! Have fun with the flowers!" Hilda skipped off, while Edelgard wandered in a different direction. Dedue let out a sigh of relief.

"Is there anything you need?" Dedue asked Nephenee. She gave him a tentative smile.

"Nope! Just do whatever ya like! We're all here to help each other, so feel free to offer advice or ask questions!" Dedue nodded, and walked over to the carnivorous plants. "Ah, so these are yours?" She asked.

Dedue shook his head. "I'm checking on them for someone else."

"May we ask whom?" Kagero chimed in, "We are all very intrigued by who would have such fine taste in plants." Tharja nodded in agreement.

"I promised to not tell others, I'm sorry."

"Ah, that is fine, our apologies for prying." They all continued working in silence for a bit, until Donnel came by with some vegetables.

"Hey folks! Wanna try some tomatoes?! Just washed them off!" Donnel looked particularly proud of these. "How 'bout it?"

"Certainly, Donnel," Kagero stated, "Thank you for the offer." The others grabbed theirs as well.

"Fancy a tomato… er…"

"Dedue," the reply was stoic, but not unkind, "it is a pleasure."

"Donnel! Pleased to meet another gardener!" Donnel shook Dedue's hand. "Wanna give one of these a taste?"

"Yes, I wouldn't mind." He took a bite. "It is quite good, refreshing on a day like this." Donnel gave him a wide smile.

"Consider that a good hearty hello from the Botanist Club!" He exclaimed. "Glad to have ya onboard!"

Dedue smiled. "It is good to be onboard."

"Hey, Red."

Titania sighed. "Petrine, you and I are not friendly enough for you to call me nicknames…"

"Yeah, yeah, shut up for a second," Petrine pointed to the training grounds. "Have you seen that girl before?" A girl with small red pigtails was attacking a training dummy with zeal. "Her technique with that hammer is not bad."

Titania squinted. "No… I don't believe I have. That's strange."

"A fresh face, like myself, huh?" Petrine put a hand on her hip. "Maybe I'll go give her a nice little greeting!" She felt something bash her head.

"Both of you will do no such thing." Maribelle stated coldly, "We have work to do, feeding all the horses, and I will not stand to let you too waste away the day prattling about with your petty little disagreements. You have wasted enough time as it is!"

Petrine clicked her tongue. "She started-" Maribelle's face twisted into a gaze of fury, "Right, sorry ma'am." She looked at Titania. "What's her deal?" She whispered, before another sharp whack of the parasol struck her. "OUCH!"

"My deal is that both of you are old enough to act like proper ladies, so act like it!" The three of them marched towards the stables. "Honestly, were both of you born in a cave?"

Titania stopped. "Wait," she whispered, "Someone is already here…" The three of them peeked around the corner. A young blue haired girl was talking to the horses while feeding them.

"Oh… hello!" She called out to one of the younger foals. "You remind me of a horse I know back home… his name is Dorte! His favorite food is carrots, though I suppose all horses enjoy carrots to some degree…" She giggled. "My name is Marianne, it's a pleasure to meet you!"

"She's… talking to the horses," Petrine noted, "Is she some sort of Laguz?"

"Some people talk to their animals, Petrine."

The general snorted at Titania. "We should check for ears and a tail, just in case."

Maribelle's lips tightened, "How inconsiderate," she remarked, "Treat her with some respect, I say!" The last remark must have been too loud, for the girl whipped around, looking scared and apprehensive.

"Who's there?" She asked nervously. Petrine, Titania, and Maribelle came out of their hiding spot.

"Our apologies, we weren't trying to spy on you or anything," Titania began, "We were just here to feed the horses."

"Which you seem to have handled," Petrine continued, "So thanks for that."

"Oh… I'm sorry," Marianne replied meekly, "I didn't know."

Petrine looked around, confusion etched on her face. "Uh… I was thanking you sincerely, kid. You don't have to apologize."

Marianne nodded, "Right, of course. I'm sorry."

Petrine approached her, before the parasol came crashing down again.

"Petrine, you brute!" Maribelle called out, "I know you mean well, for once, but can you not see that you are absolutely frightening this girl?!" Petrine backed off, and Maribelle stepped in. "My apologies for Petrine's… abrasive behavior-"

"Hey."

Maribelle glared at the general, before looking back. "I'm Maribelle, and it is quite the pleasure to meet you…"

"Um… I'm Marianne Von Edmund, ma'am." Her voice was meek and riddled with nerves. "I didn't realize that there were people already feeding the horses…"

"Oh, Marianne, that is quite alright!" Maribelle replied softly, "This is no trouble at all!"

"Oh, that's a relief."

"We can add you to the feeding rotation as well," Titania offered, "It's nice to see someone who cares so deeply for the horses." Marianne nodded, but didn't say anything.

"Speaking of which," Petrine continued, "You were speaking to the horses earlier, huh? But I don't see any Laguz features on you. You got some special ability or something?"

Marianne's eyes shifted away, "I- I don't really know what you're talking about…"

"Oh, you don't need to be so coy, kid! I'm branded too, see?" Petrine showed her brand to Marianne, who stood up quickly.

"I'm sorry, I… I have some place to go!" Marianne burst out, before running away. The parasol landed on Petrine's head once more.

"What did I do this time?!" Petrine yelled.

"Ah, greetings, Summoner. Lady Ishtar," Seteth stated to the man and woman entering his office, "Forgive me, but you look a little worse for wear. Is there something I can do for you?"

Ishtar spoke up. "Yes, thank you, Sir Seteth. The summoner and I summoned some more heroes as a precaution last night, and I believe you may be familiar with them?"

"Please, Seteth is fine, and who are these heroes, may I ask?"

Kiran sighed. "The first one is Dedue…"

"Ah, a model student, though his loyalty to Prince Dimitri of Faerghus can be off-putting to others around him…"

"He seemed kind, if a bit quiet when we met him." Kiran explained.

"He is rather guarded. He lost his whole family after an event known as the 'Tragedy of Duscur'. His people have been looked at… well, not highly after the fact." Seteth explained. "Has he caused any trouble? That would be… odd."

Ishtar answered for Kiran. "No, in his short time here, he has had most excellent behavior."

"Wish I could say the same about some others." Kiran muttered.

"Who else is there?" Seteth felt concerned. If the summoner was this despondent, it must've been someone rather hard to deal with, like Felix or another Hilda somehow.

"A 'Marianne Von Edmund'?" Ishtar recited, "I believe that was the name. She was very quiet, and it looked like she had suffered from a lack of sleep, amongst other things."

Seteth nodded sadly. "Yes, Marianne has been through quite a bit," he confirmed, "Her parents went missing, and she was adopted into the rather strict Edmund family. I could not tell you why, but she holds a very low opinion of herself." He paused. "In actuality, perhaps this change of pace could be good for her. But I would recommend you have someone guide her more often than not."

Kiran put his head in his hands. "Poor girl, just my luck I brought her here."

Ishtar patted him apologetically. "I will have Princess Sharena see to that," she stated, "The lady never hesitates to make a new friend."

"Very good." Seteth sounded a little relieved. "Who else?"

"Annette? I believe that was the name." Kiran replied. "She seemed put together; she was eager to go train."

Seteth nodded. "Annette Fantine Dominic. If there ever is a person more deserving of the word 'overachiever', I would be quite impressed."

"Oh," Kiran exhaled, "That's a relief. I was worried her whole family was dead or something equally horrifying."

"I am… speaking as a professional, her father is quite the soldier." Seteth paused. "Were that he be an equal father… but an absent father is preferable to a cruel one, I believe."

Ishtar shifted uncomfortably. "Truly." She replied. "As for the last one…"

"Right," Kiran sighed, "She seems to be a handful…"

Seteth raised an eyebrow. "Who?" He asked.

"La la la, swing and swing… I'm going to make all these dummies ring!" Annette smashed another training target. Not her best rhyme, by far, but she was still getting adjusted after being transported with the others. She even overslept and missed Botany Club! She swung again. "La La La La La Then I'll have jam and steak and crumbs and yums!"

The bushes rustled next to her. It was the 3rd or 4th time already, but she didn't hear any voices. There were also those two wyverns perched on the training grounds wall…

"Are people spying on me?" She asked loudly. Not out of the question, especially if Claude was here…

"HEY!" That familiar voice shouted, "Hold on a minute!"

"Ah! Wait, Lady Camilla, Aunt Cherche, I can explain- "

Claude and Inigo flew over the bush, landing heavily on the ground at Annette's feet. The girl stammered and blushed.

"Claude!" She shouted, "You're spying on me again?!"

Claude gave her a weary grin. "Just can't stay away from that voice."

"It is a rather adorable one, isn't it?" A sultry voice proclaimed. "But spying on an unsuspecting lady is a very unkind thing to do." Two women in armor walked past the bush, axes in hand. "How do you do, sweetie? I'm Princess Camilla of Nohr, and this is Lady Cherche of Ylisse."

Cherche smiled. "How do you do?"

"A-Annette Fantine Dominic, from the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus!" She curtseyed quickly.

"Oh, I suppose we should introduce these little spies as well." Cherche glared at Inigo, who whimpered. "I suppose you're familiar with Claude."

Annette stuck her nose up at the Golden Deer's leader. "I am aware of him." She said haughtily.

"Ouch." Claude remarked.

"And this is Inigo." Cherche noted.

Camilla chuckled. "I know him as Laslow. He's Prince Xander's retainer, and quite the ineffectual ladie's man."

"Ouch." Inigo replied, before attempting to explain himself. "We didn't mean to spy, we were just- "

"Before you continue, Inigo, let me ask you this: How would your mother and father react if you tried to explain yourself to them?" Inigo shut up. "Precisely what I thought. Now run along, before I decide to tell Olivia."

"Come on, Claude, let's get back to training." Inigo and Claude walked away as quickly as possible.

"Showing mercy?" Camilla asked, amusement in her voice, "I thought you might feed them to Minerva."

"Inigo is a good child at heart," Cherche replied, "He just has a singular... annoying habit." She turned to Annette. "You have a good form with your hammer, Annette."

"Ah! You think so?" Annette asked excitedly, "I just started, but I've been practicing really really hard!"

"It's quite impressive," Camilla remarked, "And I have to agree with Claude and Laslow, your voice is absolutely adorable." She approached the redhead. "I might know someone who would enjoy hearing your songs."

Annette looked bashful. "Oh no, I'm a novice at that as well, I just do it for myself…"

"Nonsense, I can tell a talent when I see one. And my retainer is even more adept at such a thing; you'll see…"

Annette gulped. She suspected that she had little to no choice regarding the matter.

Morgan stared at the door. It was one of the standard dormitory rooms that heroes stayed in, that much she was certain of. But what was odd was the prestigious company this room seemed to have! The summoner, Lady Ishtar, Princess Sharena… even that grumpy newcomer Seteth deigned this room worth a visit! Morgan was intrigued, to say the least.

"Why, falicitations, Morgan!" The green haired, bright eyed Flayn approached the mage. "What are you doing, hiding behind this column?"

"Ah, Flayn!" Morgan said happily, "I'm investigating the mystery of this secret door."

Flayn gasped. "A secret door? How remarkable!"

"So far the Summoner, Lady Ishtar, Princess Sharena, and that Seteth guy have all spoken to whoever sits in that room."

"Who would my brother deem important enough to visit?" Flayn wondered aloud, "This is quite the riveting mystery!"

"And I tried knocking on the door earlier and that scary Hubert guy told me to 'remove myself from this location,'" her impression of Hubert gave Flayn a chuckle; how accurate! "So the plot thickens."

"So, what will you do now?"

"I will wait, Flayn! She has to come out to eat sometime!" Flayn looked disappointed, "Okay, it's not the most interesting plan, but it is the best plan I could come up with for this situation."

"What you will do is come to Tharja's Magic Club with me, little Morgan." Aversa towered over the two girls."

"AUNTIE AVERSA!" Morgan blurted out, "I- I wasn't spying or anything!"

Aversa smiled. "Of course not; that is certainly something an innocent person would say." She turned to Flayn, "And who are you, my dear?"

Flayn bowed. "I am Flayn, ma'am. From Garreg Mach Monestary." Aversa chuckled.

"Well, you are just brimming with adorable energy, aren't you?" She motioned to Morgan. "Come, Morgan, your education won't come to you."

Flayn followed behind the two. "Oh, may I join you?" She asked, "I have endeavored to learn as much as I can while I am within these walls!"

Aversa shrugged. "Certainly," she replied, "Though be warned, the two teachers are particularly odd."

"Look who's talking." A voice noted from an entryway. Robin stepped out into the corridor.

"Oh, what a fortuitous meeting!" Aversa's voice dripped with sarcasm. "Flayn, this is Morgan's father, Robin! He's my little brother!"

"Adopted," he countered, "And it's a pleasure, Miss Flayn."

"Adopted?" Aversa replied, "That's an irrelevant point, don't you think?"

Robin put his hands on his hips. "I'm not going to be brought into your little word games today, Aversa. I'm going to be the adult in the room."

"Oh, how responsible of you, big brother!" Aversa's words were mocking.

"Wasn't I just the little brother a few seconds ago?" Robin smirked, "Does calling me 'big brother' make you feel like less of an old h- ow ow ow ow!"

"The elasticity of your cheeks never ceases to amaze me, big brother!"

Flayn clapped and giggled. "What fun japes! I wish my brother and I could be so fun!"

Robin rubbed his red cheek, turned around and flared at Aversa. The dark mage stuck her tongue out at the tactician, who responded in kind.

"Wow Robin, got yourself a real good pinch, huh?" Henry asked. "I'd recommend a few hexes, but Aversa would probably manage to get snakes growing from your cheeks or something, nya ha!"

Robin scowled, "Somehow, I feel like you'd enjoy that, Henry."

Lute and Tharja were explaining the interactions of anima magic today, which was an interesting topic, if a bit dry. Since today was more of a lecture, everyones tables were squished together, meaning that Aversa was seated right behind Robin, and she didn't hesitate to remind him, pushing on his seat with one of her legs.

"Just grin and bear it, Robin…" he muttered to himself. "She's just being a brat…"

The pushing intensified. Robin closed his eyes iand breathed in through his nostrils and out through his mouth. Severa taught him that trick.

"Aversa, if you're quite done bothering Robin, perhaps you would be interested in testing out my latest hex for me." Tharja stated coldly. Aversa stopped and pouted. Robin turned around and stuck his tongue out at her this time. She glared and replied in kind.

"Your father and aunt don't get along, do they?" Lysithea asked Morgan.

Morgan shrugged. "Honestly, this is pretty tame compared to how it used to get. One time she tricked him into trying to ride a Pegasus. That didn't go well."

"That seems… beyond normal brother-sister behavior."

"Right? Mom had to rescue dad while he was screaming. Aversa still can't finish the story without laughing."

Lysithea pondered the ramifications of such an action for a brief moment, before changing the subject. "Unrelated, what is this mystery door you and Flayn talked about?"

Morgan's face lit up, "Oh, right!" She whispered, "There's a room that people have been visiting, some big wigs; I think it's Kellam."

"Kellam?"

"He was in the Shepherds with my dad," came the explanation, "But he was naturally gifted at hiding his presence. We never knew where he was and half the time he'd be in the same room."

Lysithea furrowed her brow. "That sounds… tedious." She replied. "If he was behind that door, would anyone be aware of that fact?"

Morgan pondered this. "I suppose not," she commented, "Darn, I thought I had that all neatly put together."

Lute's voice called out from across the room. "Lysithea, Morgan; could one of you explain why magic isn't used more often in practical situations?"

Lysithea stood up, "Magic, in most forms, are short bursts of energy, far too concentrated to be used in a long term practical setting!" She recited.

Lute applauded. "Very good. We were actually talking about hexes that could make people feel less embarrassed, but an excellent answer nonetheless."

Morgan and Lysithea took careful notes for the rest of the club meeting.

For Marianne, dinner was more of an obligation to keep going through the day.

There were foods she enjoyed, though whether or not she should be allowed to was a different matter entirely.

"Marianne, isn't this delicious?" Hilda asked. Marianne smiled. Hilda always tried her best; and she did appreciate it, even when the timing wasn't always the best.

"Yes," she nodded, "It's good."

Hilda gave her a wide grin. "Hehe, glad to see you, Mari."

"We're all happy to see you, Marianne." Lysithea interjected, "Here, try this Key Lime Pie, it's delicious!"

Marianne looked around. She was told by Sharena that everyone here was a hero. Her, a hero? It was beyond belief. The pie was good, though.

"I think… I might go to bed early." Marianne finally said, "This is… a lot."

Claude nodded sympathetically, "I totally get it. Just remember that all of us are here for you."

"Do you want me to come with you, Mari?" Hilda asked. Marianne shook her head.

"No… I'm fine," she replied, "But thank you." She stood up and left her friends behind. She couldn't help but notice how worried they looked, which stung a little.

"Stop right there."

Marianne stopped in her tracks. The hallway was empty, save for herself and the owner of the voice behind her. The woman with dark green hair and sinister mahogany eyes approached her. She was the scary woman that she met at the stables. "Um… h - hello?" She asked meekly.

Petrine looked Marianne over. "Hmm… You really aren't Branded, how strange."

Marianne looked at the woman. "I'm sorry… I don't understand. What's a Branded?"

"A child of a Beorc and Laguz," Petrine explained bluntly, "That woman flapping about in the mess hall? A Laguz. You? A Beorc."

"Oh." Marianne looked down. "I don't think I'm one, no. I'm sorry for wasting your time."

Petrine raised an eyebrow. "What are you on about? You haven't wasted my time yet, kid." She walked around Marianne, "No, there's something about you…". The general looked her over again. "There's a reason behind all this shattered confidence. And why did I think you were Branded? Quite the mystery." Petrine paused.

"I'm sorry, I don't think I can help you…"

"Why are you apologizing? I haven't even asked you to do anything yet!"

"Oh, right. I'm sorry."

Petrine groaned. "Right. I think I get it now." She put her hands on her hips. "I won't pry about whatever's eating you, but I'm gonna help you out a bit."

"Help… me?" Marianne hesitated. This woman didn't exactly look like someone who helped.

Petrine grinned. "Take you under my wing a bit! What are you good at? Lances? Swords?"

"I-I'm not sure I'm good at anything…"

"Magic and Staves, got it." Petrine rubbed her chin. "Well, that's no good for me, I'm awful with that crap."

"I'm- "

"It's fine." Petrine countered, "You like working with the horses, right?" Marianne nodded, "Good, from now on we'll work together on the horses. I'm still not great with them, on account of my 'temperment' or whatever Titania claims it is on any given moment…"

"Can I really? Are you sure I won't be a bother?"

Petrine sighed. "Kid, the way I see it, you can't do worse than some of the idiots here, so why not."

"Oh," Marianne smiled a bit, "O-okay! I will work hard tomorrow!" She walked briskly to her room, leaving the general behind.

"Ha ha," Petrine said to herself, "Got myself a … 'friend'. Take that, Fizzart."

Lysithea woke up to furious knocking on her door. Now, she wasn't superstitious or anything, but everyone knows that furious knocking on doors is a sign of poltergeists.

She tucked herself further into bed. "Did I lock the door?" She asked herself. Her heart sank as she heard the latch open and the door creak. No, Lysithea von Ordelia forgot to lock her door. She huddled into a ball.

"Poltergeists can't throw you if you're too heavy, just grab whatever is nearest to you…"

"What can't grab you?"

Lysithea shrieked, tossing a pillow at the phantom. "G-g-ghost!" She wailed.

"I could've been with a scream like that!" Morgan retorted. "Gawds, you shook me out of my skin!" Morgan and Flayn were on either side of a redheaded man with a sinister looking mask. Lysithea nearly fainted. Clearly it was some sort of demon, come to finally take her.

"Is he real, or a figment of my imagination?" Lysithea asked, pointing to the masked man.

Morgan laughed. "Oh, that's just Gerome, he's harmless. He insisted on joining us!"

"I thought I was here to drive away the gho-" Morgan covered his mouth with her hands.

"Goulash!" She shouted, "Horrible stew, never cared for it. Anyways, Gerome and I were staking out the room, when I saw someone exit it and head to the greenhouse!"

Flayn pulled Lysithea up from bed. "Come, Lysithea," she exclaimed, "Let us unmask this mysterious visitor!"

The lightning that illuminated the room made all four of the room's inhabitants jump. Then the thunder made them all jump again. Lysithea tried to jump back under the covers, but Flayn and Morgan were surprisingly strong.

"Come on, we're more than enough for any g-" Morgan cleared her throat in a totally inconspicuous manner, "Ghost that comes our way, haha!"

Gerome rolled his eyes. "Morgan, ghosts wouldn't bother with the 4 of us anyways."

"You don't know that," Lysithea argued behind chattering teeth, "Do you have empirical evidence suggesting the contrary?"

"I- " Gerome didn't finish his answer and pressed forward.

Lysithea clasped onto Morgan. "No evidence, Morgan, he has no evidence!"

"What the heck, Gerome!" Morgan looked sufficiently frightened as well, "I thought you said we'd be okay!"

Gerome sighed. He certainly missed these nights.

The greenhouse door opened slightly, allowing cold wind and rain to peek through. A small, unkempt person wandered through with a small lantern, mumbling to herself. "Good job, now you're all wet and cold, ooooh great job, Bernie…" She looked over her carnivorous plants. "Well, Dedue did a great job, at least!"

"I concur." A sinister voice replied. Tharja stood over the plants, holding a now lit lamp. "So you're our little mystery botanist." The girl had messy purple hair, and the expression of a rabbit about to be hunted down.

Bernadetta took a deep breath, then screamed. "A vampire!" She screeched, "You're here to remove all of Bernie's blood, aren't you? Please don't eat me, I'm not ripe!"

"What are you blabbering about?" Tharja asked, taken aback.

"You're going to take me back to your horrifying coven, aren't you?!"

Tharja looked around. "Listen here," she replied, "I have no idea what you're talking about." The girl wasn't listening, as Tharja expected. "Be. Silent." She ordered, just as the greenhouse door flung open.

Bernadetta screamed. Lysithea screamed. Flayn screamed. And Morgan screamed. And as soon as they started, each of their voices were cut out. Tharja was covering her ears and looking at all of them with a look that could kill.

"I am going to count to 5, and each of you is going to explain yourself, calmly, or I will hex you into oblivion." The others nodded slowly. "Good." She released the seal on Bernadetta's voice first. "Who are you?" She asked.

"Um… I'm Bernie. Bernadetta Von Varley," Bernie explained, "Just don't hurt me with your dark magic!"

"It's a hex, and I don't plan on hurting you," Tharja replied, "But why didn't you just show up to Botany Club like the rest of us?"

Bernadetta pouted. "Bernie does what Bernie wants! And sometimes I want to be left alone! Is there something so wrong with that?"

The dark mage shrugged. "To be quite honest, I understand it completely." She replied, "So the carnivorous plants are yours? They are… very adorable."

"Yes they are! Don't get rid of- wait, you like them?" Bernadetta looked at Tharja in a completely different light. "You don't find them creepy or weird?"

"Why would I? They're such interesting plants." Tharja stated, before turning to Lysithea. "Alright, why are you here, child?"

Lysithea stopped screaming. "Bernadetta! What are you doing here?!" She asked.

"It's not my fault, Lysithea!" Bernie insisted, "There was a bright light, and I was suddenly in this scary castle!"

"Answer my question," Tharja interjected, "Why are the 4 of you here?"

"Well, someone insisted that there was a mystery to solve, even though I was never scared of anything silly like ghosts or mysteries!" She looked at Morgan, who glared back.

"Okay, Morgan, say your piece."

Morgan took a deep breath. "Okay, so there was this weird room, right? And people kept visiting it, and I thought, 'Huh, that's pretty odd'; so I started investigating. Then Flayn noticed me investigating, and then I told Lysithea. I may have dragged Gerome and Lysithea along, but we were just looking into-" Sound stopped coming from her mouth.

"Thank you, Morgan; let me hear from these other two." Tharja looked at Gerome. "Gerome?"

He shrugged. "Honestly, I couldn't tell you." Tharja expected as much from Gerome. He was always the level-headed one.

"How about you?" She looked at Flayn.

Flayn smiled. "Hello! I am Flayn, it is a pleasure!"

"Tharja," came the blunt reply, "You don't seem very frightened."

Flayn clapped, "Everyone else was screaming and it seemed like an oh so fun thing to do!" Tharja nodded awkwardly.

"I see…" She undid her hex on everyone. "Now why don't we all go to the mess hall and have a nice glass of hot chocolate. That's a thing you like, right?"

"Careful, Lysithea," Bernie whispered, "I bet she's just fattening us up to eat us later."

"Where do you get such ridiculous ideas?" Tharja retorted, "Now move, I have some sleep I need to catch up on, and I don't want to spend any more time in this greenhouse." The rainstorm was nearly upon them, and Tharja did not want a repeat performance of the last time she ended up stuck in the greenhouse.

The next chapter is entitled: Marianne and the Dark Forest

Note: Petrine might be a little ooc here, but there is a reason for it that we will delve into with time!

As always, comments, questions, etc are loved and appreciated! I'm going to take the time to respond to all of the ones I've recieved in the past, and I apologize for the wait on that front. Thank you all for reading!