Disclaimer: I don't own Fire Emblem.
Warning: Shounen-ai, possible shoujo-ai, language, violence in later chapters, AU
Pairing: Ike/Soren (dunno about the other pairs)
A/N: No, Soren and Ike are not childhood buddies. I want to try something a smidge different, so there.
Soren stood perfectly still outside of his new homeroom class. This boarding school would be the third one he had been moved to that year. Supposedly, it taught how to use weapons, spell casting, and academics. A rare combination, especially in Japan, but his foster parents seized the chance to get rid of him by registering him into their program. They were afraid of him, understandably so, and Soren had yet to see how he had to be grateful to them for taking him in. All he ever got from his foster parents was abuse, verbal and emotional.
He sighed, wishing he could get away from the tediousness of it all. Soren hated his life and practically everyone he had encountered. His only escape was in his studies and by communing with the various Elementals.
As far as I can tell, I'm the only one who can see, let alone hear, the Elementals. Soren thought, absently adjusting his black Mage robes to sit more comfortably on his slim body. The only good thing about the school was that there were practically no uniforms. Of course, Mages had to wear loose clothing, robes were preferred, and Warriors had to wear something cool and fairly tight.
"You can come in, now!" called his homeroom teacher. Soren steeled himself and entered the room. The students were silent, which was always a miracle. Half of them were fellow Mages and were sizing him up. He felt them probing his shields and allowed them no further. Most disregarded him as nothing special, but others were way too curious. Those curious Mages made him uncomfortable and he made a note to avoid them.
"Right. This is Soren Night, a Wind Mage. He's moved from England to be with us. If you have questions, ask them later. Why don't you sit next to…Rhys," she nodded her dismissal, absently pointing to an empty desk. Soren silently took his seat next to the orange-haired boy. He smiled, his serene blue eyes twinkling with an inner light. Soren merely nodded, brushing black bangs aside as he picked up the textbook for the first class.
History was their first class for the day. After came math, then composition, and, to finish off the academics portion of the day, English. Soren sighed in relief when the last class finally ended. He pulled out his map of the school, frowning as he looked for the training grounds.
There it is. Soren thought with triumph. He marked it with his pen and left the classroom. Soren ignored the stares and whispers as he strode purposefully out of the building. He exited out onto the grounds and glanced at his map. He nodded to himself absently, resuming his ground-eating stride to the practice arena.
The grounds were well kept. The grass was at a proper length and sakura trees lined the dirt road's edges. Pink petals softly fell from the blossoms, lining the way in petals. The air smelled of earth and faintly of cherries. It was soothing, peaceful, and Soren could see that the Earth Elementals loved it here. He gave them a small smile as he passed them by.
Abruptly, the road widened out to the outdoor practice grounds. The area was huge, leveled, and bare of greenery. Warrior students were filing in with their practice weapons. Most stopped and stared at Soren, who ignored them. He simply waited for the weapons teacher to arrive. Soren did not have to wait long.
A muscular man with short, brown hair and hard blue eyes exited out of the weapons shed. In one hand he held an axe and in the other was a sword. Slowly, silently, the man made his way over to the petite Mage. He stood in front of Soren, sizing him up without a word.
"You sure you're supposed to be here, son?" the man asked, not unkindly. Soren knew in an instant that he could trust the man. He also liked him fairly well, considering it seemed like the man was not going to mince words or waste time with Soren.
"Yes, sir. Since I have completed my Mage training years ago, it was suggested to me that I should consider weapons training, since I have no natural talent with that skill," Soren replied curtly. Their eyes locked and Soren allowed the man the luxury to study him further. After a moment, the weapons teacher laughed, surprising his students.
"All right. We'll see how you do. You may call me Greil or sir, I don't care which," Greil told the small Mage. Soren nodded his comprehension.
"Then you may call me Soren," he replied. Greil also nodded and gave the black-haired boy the steel sword. The blade was long and sharp, but Soren could sense that a spell was put on the blade to make it blunt. A simple spell, easily broken, but he saw no need to break it.
After he gained the sword, Greil drilled Soren and the rest of the students. He showed them how to guard, thrust, swing, and the other basics needed for swordsmanship. After he showed them, Greil made them go through intricate practices in which he yelled out what they should do. Soren had instantly seen the reason. The drills were to make sure that the muscles and reflexes knew exactly what to do, even if their minds could not react in time.
Still, it was hard work and at the end of the lesson, Soren was ready for dinner, a hot bath, and bed. Dinner was easy to get in the Mess Hall and that was where he was going. Soren took his place in line, not really expecting the food to taste good. When it was his turn, the petite Mage grabbed a slice of bread, some fruit for dessert, some cheese, and a water bottle. After paying for the meal, Soren went off to find a table.
Luckily, there was one table that held nobody in it. He took it and started eating while reading a book he had taken with him that morning. His ruby eyes concentrated on the writing, puzzling out the ancient language it had been written in. In all of the other school Soren had been in, the teachers had vigorously taught the Mages how to write, speak, and read the ancient language. That language was mainly used by the laguz (a race that looked like common beorc, but they could change into the animal of their tribe) and in most spell books.
Once the evening bell sounded, Soren threw away his trash, closed the book, and made his way to the dormitories. He opened the door to his room, which was on the topmost floor. Inside there was a wooden desk, a comfortable looking bed, a lamp on the desk, an alarm clock, a kitchen area, and a bathroom complete with sink, toilet, and shower/bathtub. Soren sighed in relief and turned the faucet on the bathtub part. He made it equal between the cold and hot water, although he made it a shade hotter than warm.
While the water heated up, the petite Mage went through his suitcase and pulled out his sleeping clothes. He placed them on the sink and proceeded to strip himself. When the water was at a good level, Soren turned off the water and slipped into the bath. Carefully, he washed his hair and body. Carefully because it would not be the first time an undine decided to pop into the bathtub unexpectedly. Soren frowned at that memory and shook his head.
When Soren was done, he dried himself off, got into his pajamas, and set to work on his homework. It was easy and took about 25 minutes. After that, Soren brushed his teeth and took out the gold band he used to hold his hair in a low ponytail. In the past there had been two bands, but he had lost that other band and decided that it would be easier to just have a ponytail. Soren put the gold band on the dresser, finished unpacking his clothes, and slipped into bed.
Fairly good day, if I say so myself. He thought lazily as his mind drifted off to sleep.
A/N: Don't kill me for giving Soren a sword. There is a reason he is getting lessons on swordsmanship, but it is a secret to be revealed at a later date. ;) Hope you guys enjoyed his first uneventful day. Chapter two will have a little more action, though. And we meet some more familiar faces!