Disclaimer: I'll tell it to you plainly. I don't own any of the Fire Emblem characters.
Rebecca: You FINALLY updated! I bet people were starting to think that you had died or something.
Me: Well...I've been drawing a lot lately—
Rebecca: That's no excuse! Now hurry up and thank all the nice reviewers!
Me: Meep...Yes, ma'am...
Houyoku: Yeah, sorry for all of the battle chapters...::smile::;;; I'm trying to follow the game, and they don't really do anything other than fight...::sigh:: It'll get better after Wil makes his appearance...I hope. Hehehe...yeah, the Lowen/Rebecca WAS pretty random... I think I was going through romance withdrawal or something...::shrugs:: If I could just see his eyes, he wouldn't annoy me half as much. Oh, thanks for the Sacaen hair-color problem I was having...hehehe. Hm...Karel and Karla have Sacaen blood? Wow...I really don't know anything about their past...bad me. I'm glad you can deal with most of my couples! Actually, I like Hector/Lyn much better too, but I didn't want Eliwood to end up with Ninian (I'd have to rant about that one...) and he needed someone to end up with... I'll probably put my reasoning for the couples at the end of this chapter. Thanks again for the wonderful review!
The Story Master 125: ::smiles:: Yay, I made someone laugh! I had such a fun time figuring out that abbreviation. There's another one at the end of this chapter...I had fun with that one too. Hehehe...Yeah, I knew you liked Rebecca/Lowen, and I'm glad you liked my last chapter! Sorry you don't like Hector/Florina, though...I'll give an explanation on why I chose those couples at the end of this chapter... Yep, your forte is definitely OC-Romance (so many OC's in your story...but it's so awesome! I should try to keep up with them all...). Thanks so much for all the reviews! ::hugs::
SweetMisery430: Hehehe. Yes, Nino/Jaffar forever! Their supports are SOO sweet, especially the A support when they confess their love. ::sigh:: So cute...anyways... Yeah, I just paired Eliwood up with Lyn because the only other choice was Ninian (and maybe Fiora—but she's with Kent!). I'll go into an explanation about why I chose those couples at the end of this chapter. I always thought that Rath and Guy had black hair too...but I guess all Sacaens have green hair... Maybe the guy's just have really, really dark green hair... Thankies for the review!
hyliansage: Alright! You're the first one who liked all of my pairings! Thanks for the Sacaen hair-color problem...I was so confused by that, but now I'm not. Whoa...Karel and Karla are Sacaen?? Interesting...yeah, I don't know anything about their past...TT Yes! Guy finally became a part of the group...sorry I didn't get to formally introduce him, but my chapter was already so freakishly long... Omg...I wish the gamers made Wil come in an earlier chapter!! Yeah...I think I had too much fun with that communicator gag... Actually, there's another one at the very end of this chapter...hehehe. I just made Serra call Matthew "Mattie", because she seemed like the kind of person to do that... Sadly, I can picture her calling Lucius "Lucy", which is kind of scary... SPOILERS! Gotta luv 'em! Thanks for the review...and update soon!
burning phoneix: Wow...Your review made me so happy! I'm glad my last chapter gave you satisfaction reading it...I hope that I'll be able to do that again, but it's not very likely...TT. Yeah, I have no idea where that Rebecca kissing Lowen thing came from...Maybe I was just romance-deprived or something...::shrugs:: I had so much fun making up that acronym for communicators! There's another one (but not so long) at the end of this chapter...I'm going acronym crazy... P.S. Thanks for the Sacaen hair-color solution! P.S.S. ::gulp:: Heh...I hope that I won't produce any bad chapters then...::nervous smile:: Thanks again for reviewing!!
Sword of Seals: I'm sure you could write long chapters if you wanted to. I should work on making mine shorter...::sigh:: I did a good job with detail? Yay! I try to put detail in, but most of the time it doesn't work...waah... To answer your question: Yeah, Guy was supposed to come in that chapter, but my chapter was so long already that I had to make his entrance short. He's in this one though! ::nods:: Rebecca/Wil to infinity and beyond! W00t! Thank you very much!!
secretagentjeeves: Thanks for sharing your FE knowledge with me! It sure helps a lot...and you know I need it...hehehe. Spoilers are the best, especially when they have to do with Wil, Rebecca, and Dan! So...you've gotten the support conversations for Rebecca/Dart and Wil/Dart? Awesomeness! I haven't gotten Dart in the game yet...TT Hehehe...Bramimond's hard to spell, isn't it? Thanks again for your lovely reviews!
warpstarmaster122: Wow...What a nice review! I'm glad you thought my battle chapters were good...but there are too many of them...::sigh:: Hehehe! I'm doubly glad that you like all of my pairings! Yeah, I should put them on my bio page, but I'm just so lazy...and I didn't really think that people read those...heh heh... That part with Hector kind of being sexist and all...I have no idea where that came from...my mind does strange things late at night...::shrugs:: Hahaha...Yeah, I absolutely LOVE Rebecca/Wil...I wrote that part with a little Rebecca/Lowen, because I was going through romance-fluff- withdrawal...Wil needs to get here soon! TT Thanks for Lyn's, Rath's, and Guy's hair colors! I was really confused about those... Thanks again for the really nice review! P.S. Please don't sic Dullahan on me...he sounds scary...meep...
It was too late to get to Laus now, since the sun had long past gone down. Rebecca didn't really mind the change. With the moon up, the atmosphere was so much more quiet and peaceful than it was with the sun's glaring rays. She sighed and shivered. Even though it was much prettier by moonlight, it was also unfortunately much colder. Why did she always have to wear a short skirt? She shook her head. Her mother would scold her harshly if she ever found out that Rebecca forgot to bring her traveling cloak. Perhaps Krista had one to spare, since she was always wearing hers even when it was burning outside. Either way, Rebecca knew that they would have to either stop here in this Caelin village, or she would have to get something warmer to wear.
Fortunately, Hector chose that moment to exercise his voice. "Bah! Dark already." Krista rolled her eyes at him for stating the obvious.
"We'll have to stop here for the night. We'll set out for Laus at the first sign of sunlight." Eliwood looked around at everyone. "Prepare the camp." Everyone, except Hector, nodded and went off to do as he said.
"So this is Caelin? You think we ought to present ourselves to Lord Hausen?" asked Hector, showing a rare exhibition of courtesy.
"We're simply passing through, so I don't see the need." Eliwood looked away suddenly, his eyes shining with a past memory. "I am curious how Lyndis is getting along, though."
Hector stared at his friend questioningly. "Lyndis?"
"Marquess Caelin's granddaughter."
"Oh, her—the missing heir who dealt with Lundgren last year." Hector frowned in trying to remember something. "Hey, didn't you have something to do with that?"
"Mm." Eliwood flushed ever so slightly, and refused to give a more detailed explanation.
"And?" asked Hector, determined to get more than a 'Mm.' "The granddaughter? Is she a beauty?"
Eliwood's flush got deeper. "A beauty? She's...I don't...she's..." he stuttered. "I think it must be her Sacae heritage. She's...uh..." He searched for the right word. "...striking..."
"Striking?" Hector smiled slyly, and poked Eliwood jokingly in the side. "Too bad, isn't it?"
"What?" asked the Pheraen lordling, a little afraid of the answer.
"That we don't have time to see her, loverboy!" snickered Hector.
If it was possible, Eliwood became an even deeper shade of red. "No! Lyndis and I are... We're not..."
"You're not?" Hector smiled knowingly. "Then why are you getting so worked up?"
Eliwood glared. "Hector! Don't make me angry!"
"Ha ha ha ha! You're so much fun to tease! I—"A shrill scream pierced the still night air, and Hector looked up into the air searching for the source. "Huh? What was that?" He turned to Eliwood to make sure that he wasn't hearing things. "Did you hear something?"
Eliwood nodded. "It was a scream. Someone's being attacked!"
Hector grinned. "Does that mean we get to help? A.K.A.-Beat the #$% out of the attackers?"
"Of course!" cried Eliwood, filled with righteous fury at the attackers. Hector fingered his axe, eager for a fight.
A man with gray-blue hair and rich clothing was struggling between what looked to be two bandits. "Oh noooooo!" he screamed. "Someone! Help!!!"
The bandit with buck-teeth, probably the underling, growled under his breath. "Grrr! Stupid old fool! He's kept us running in circles for hours!"
"My... My valuable merchandise!" pleaded the man in rich clothing. "What are you going to do?"
The bandit with sharp eyes, probably the leader, smiled. "Hey, look at this. The old fool's wealthy."
The underling laughed. "Our lucky day. Eh, Puzon?"
The rich man did not like where this conversation was heading. "Let go! Let go!! Will you let go!!!" But for all of his struggling, Puzon would not weaken his grip.
"What a racket!" complained the underling. "Puzon, can we get rid of this simpleton?"
Puzon shrugged. "I suppose so." An evil glint appeared in his eyes. "There's no reason to let him live."
The rich man's eyes widened as he realized what his kidnappers were saying. "Oh my!! Eeeyaaaaahhh!"
A voice came from behind Puzon, filled with righteous indignation at the scene. "Release him!"
Puzon swung around, still keeping a tight grip on his captive. "Who—"
Eliwood came quickly over to them, and repeated his order. "I told you to let the man go!"
Hector strode up beside his friend, wielding his axe and smiling. "If you move quickly, we'll let you live."
To their surprise, Puzon laughed. "Ha! A pair of dandies like you? You know what I think?" His expression changed to one of loathing and disgust. "Living off your parents' names, prancing about... I despise you! Come on! Don't hold back!" He brandished his blade. "We'll kill you all!"
It was at this moment, that Krista, Rebecca, Lowen, Bartre, Guy, Dorcas, Matthew, Oswin, Marcus, and Serra, ran up to Eliwood and Hector. They had heard the screams and had come to investigate after setting up the camp.
Puzon scowled, for he knew that he and his underling would not be able to take on all of these people. He pushed the rich man toward Eliwood, and ran off laughing maniacally. "I'll be waiting!"
Hector balled his hands up into fists, as he watched Puzon run away. "I'll get that little—"
His statement was cut short by an arrow whizzing out from the darkness. The Ostian lordling managed to dodge it, but only by a small margin. "Where the heck did that blasted—"
Again, Hector was not able to finish his statement, because another arrow flew out from the same source.
"Hector!" Eliwood slammed into his friend, knocking him to the ground and out of harm's way. He then took out his sword to prepare for the next attack.
"Aaah! Protect meeee!" cried the rich man. "I'm just Merlinus, a humble merchant! I don't know how to fight!" He grabbed Eliwood, and continued to plead and beg.
"Agh! Get him off!" cried Eliwood. "I can't fight with him hanging on me, and it's so dark anyway..."
Krista snapped her fingers. "I've got it!" She turned to Matthew. "Do you still have your torches?"
Matthew nodded, and lit one of his torches. The light flared high and bright, lighting up the area around them. The archer that had been shooting at them could be seen clearly now.
"Rebecca!" shouted Krista.
Rebecca smiled. She knew what to do now. She strung an arrow, aimed, and fired, all before the stunned enemy archer could lift his bow. Yes, she was finally getting the hang of this, and it felt good.
Unfortunately, Matthew's torch had also revealed enemies other than that archer, and Krista found herself in a difficult position. She could not really fight, but here she was, stuck in the middle of what seemed to an ambush. Having that merchant guy here wasn't helping any either...
There was only one opening—to the south. Krista focused on that opening. If she could just get through there with Merlinus, her comrades wouldn't be so hindered. There was just one problem. What if there were enemies down there? She shook her head. It was too dangerous for just her and Merlinus to try and make a run for it alone. They would need someone to cover their escape. Her trained tactician's eyes scanned the battlefield, trying to find an ally who wasn't fighting yet. Ah, there!
"Guy!" The addressed Sacaen turned around to face Krista.
"Yes?" he asked. When he saw that he was facing the tactician, he got confused. "Whoa! Um...what are you doing here?! Aren't you supposed to be...well...not on the battlefield?"
Krista nodded, and proceeded to explain that she and Merlinus had to escape. That way everyone else would not be hindered by the stress of having to protect them.
Guy saw the wisdom in her plan, so he agreed to help her. "So all I have to do is cover you?"
"Yes." Krista smiled. "Thanks, Guy!"
Rebecca watched Krista, Merlinus, and Guy leave, relieved to know that they would be safe. Guy was a pretty good swordsman, and he was trustworthy too—a little goofy sometimes, but still worthy of respect.
"Ow! Why you!" Matthew's cries startled Rebecca out of her daydreaming. After quickly notching an arrow, she looked for Matthew's attacker.
Matthew cradled his wounded arm, while an enemy brigand smiled in triumph. The brigand lifted his axe, which glinted eerily in the moonlight, and prepared to end Matthew's life.
The Ostian thief did not flinch. He was determined to show no fear to this brigand, so he stared right into his hating yellow eyes. It seemed like an eternity, but Matthew soon noticed the axe starting to fall. This is it, he thought, and although he tried not to, he flinched and closed his eyes.
He could hear a whistling, followed by a thud, and then, shuddering at the sight that would greet him, he opened his eyes. Immediately he wished that he hadn't done so. The brigand opened his mouth to howl, but blood gushed forth causing him to choke instead—not the nicest thing that Matthew had ever seen. The brigand then fell forward, sputtering and choking, with an arrow protruding from his neck. Now where did that arrow come from? wondered Matthew. He would not have to wonder for long.
"Hey, Matthew! Are you OK?"
The thief looked up at the sound of this voice. "Oh, Rebecca! Hey, thanks a lot for...you know...saving my life and all that."
The archer smiled. "Sure! I'm always ready to help a comrade-in- arms!" She paused, and then stated, "Just because I'm a girl doesn't mean that I can't fight, you know."
Matthew looked confused that she would say such a thing. "Well, of course you can fight." He smiled as if from a fond memory. "You remind me of a girl I know..." He trailed off, a goofy smile plastered on his face.
"A girl?" Rebecca persisted, a sly smile on her face.
She didn't think it was possible, but Matthew actually blushed. "Um...yeah...there's this girl I know... She works for Ostia too...and, well..." He trailed off again, but this time it was out of embarrassment.
Rebecca giggled. "So...you know this girl who works for Ostia just like you...and?"
"And what?"
Rebecca rolled her eyes, simply not believing Matthew's act of ignorance. "And..." she started. "Is she pretty? What's she look like? What's her name? Why do I remind you of her? Are you going to get married? How many kids are you going to have? What are you going to name—"
"Agh!" yelled Matthew, who had been getting redder and redder with each question. "Stop asking so many silly questions! My head's starting to hurt..."
Again, Rebecca giggled. "Well, are you going to answer my questions, loverboy?"
Matthew glared and refused to answer.
"Fine." Rebecca declared. "If you won't answer my questions, then I guess I'll just have to answer them for you." She smiled shrewdly and cleared her throat. "She's very pretty with her red hair and violet eyes. Her name's Rosella. You're going to get married and have twelve kids, and you're going to name them Matthew, Matthew Jr., Little Matthew, Mattie—"
"Aaah!" exclaimed Matthew. "Fine! I'll answer your silly questions if you'll just stop with the madness!"
Rebecca grinned in triumph. "Good. Now start at the beginning. What's she look like?"
Matthew sighed in defeat. "Well, you got the red hair and violet eyes part right, surprisingly enough. But her name's not Rosella, it's Leila..."
"Go on," commanded Rebecca, who was excited by the fact that Matthew was going to spill the beans on him and his sweetheart.
"Ah..." Matthew's eyes seemed far away—in another time and place. "I was going to ask her to marry me, but then she got sent on some secret mission..."
After a brief silence, Rebecca quietly asked, "You miss her don't you?"
Matthew looked at her in gratitude for her understanding. "Yeah..."
Eliwood narrowed his eyes, trying to see through the darkness. Hector sighed and twirled his axe in boredom.
"I doubt that there'll be any enemies over there, Eliwood."
The Pheraen lordling looked doubtful. "But this is the direction that we saw Puzon run off in..."
"Ugh..." Hector made a disgusted sound. "Don't remind me of him. He made me mad enough to kill."
A sinister voice came forth from the blackness in front of them. "You mean you aren't always this mad?"
Both lords pointed their respective weapons toward the voice. Eliwood stepped forward still holding his sword in front of him. "Who are you, and what do you want with us?"
A laugh arose from the darkness, ominous and menacing. "Who am I? I believe you already know who I am. And what do I want with you?" The voice laughed again. "I want...your DEATH!"
A man with sharp eagle eyes and a sword to match, leaped from the darkness—Puzon. With a yell, he matched swords with Eliwood, fighting with such passion that Eliwood struggled to defend himself, much less attack. He was fading fast, and this Puzon was just so strong and quick. What could he do?
Puzon was disappointed. He had thought that fighting a lord would prove to be a worthy battle, but this little red-head was much too frail. Puzon smiled. He supposed he would just have to dispatch him quickly and get on with life. So, seeing an opening in Eliwood's defenses, he jabbed his sword in swiftly, reveling in the lordling's cry of fear and pain. Oh yes, this would be sweet...
Hector couldn't stand it anymore. This Puzon had toyed with Eliwood long enough! The Ostian lord put his iron axe away, and pulled out his Wolf Beil. It pulsated with an inner energy, and Hector felt himself being strengthened. He licked his lips, smiling in anticipation. Puzon wouldn't know what hit him.
Eliwood's body strained with the effort of both his wound and fighting Puzon. Sweat ran into his eyes, making it still harder for him to defend himself. He was getting close to his limit, and he knew that he wouldn't be able to fight for much longer. Listening to the clash of sword- against-sword, he clenched his teeth and kept on fighting through sheer will. What he wouldn't give to hear a friendly voice, if only for a moment...
"Hey, Puzon!" Eliwood looked up, shocked and delighted to hear Hector's voice.
Puzon was also shocked out of fighting at the sound of Hector's voice. He turned around to face this new opponent, since it seemed like the red-head was no threat to him anymore. Puzon smiled when he saw that Hector's weapon was an axe—this would be too easy.
Hector focused on Puzon, determined to save his friend. As a youngster, he had gained the reputation of being reckless and clumsy, which wasn't that far off from the truth. However, he could be prepared and composed when he wanted to be—it just so happened that he rarely wanted to be attributed with those characteristics. He found them to be too sophisticated for him. In any case, Hector gripped his Wolf Beil, giving Puzon a mock half-bow in an attempt to anger him. It worked.
Puzon glared at Hector, and prepared to charge. He would shut this high and mighty lordling up—for good.
Hector glared right back, and lifted his Wolf Beil, ready to counterattack. Puzon's blow came swiftly, and Hector felt a shockwave run through his arm from the impact. There was no denying it—this Puzon guy was good. Nevertheless, the Ostian lordling refused to give in to someone like him. As if it could understand Hector's resolve, his Wolf Beil shone with a legendary power, giving him the strength to beat Puzon.
Krista's mouth hung open. Throughout all her years as a tactician, she had never been able to witness a marvel like this—a critical hit. And of all the people to actually get one, it had to be Hector. Krista shook her head and shrugged at the odd humor of fate, then went back to watching the wonder take place.
Puzon shut his eyes from the intensity of the light. This worked both to his advantage and against it. He was no longer being blinded by the light, but he couldn't defend himself either—the perfect target. Hector almost felt bad about cutting him down, yet, after seeing what he had done to Eliwood... The Ostian lordling decided that he would enjoy killing him without delay.
The next moment revealed Hector standing triumphantly over Puzon's smashed corpse, and Eliwood looking on in awe. The Pheraen lordling had never seen his friend so, well...distinguished...before. Had something happened that had changed him? Eliwood didn't know if he would like it if Hector changed all of a sudden.
"Hey," Hector's face was staring into Eliwood's, startling him out of his thoughts. "Are you OK?"
Eliwood nodded and attempted to smile, but it turned into a grimace of pain instead. "Ah...I don't know..." He winced. "Where's a healer when you need one?"
"Right here, m'lord!" Hector jumped up fifty feet into the air in startlement, as Serra came up behind him.
"D-Don't DO that!" yelled Hector. Eliwood smiled. No... It would seem that good ol' Hector hadn't changed after all.
"What?" Serra innocently inquired. "I saw all the pretty lights, and naturally, I followed them!"
Hector mumbled something under his breath, and Eliwood gave a little chuckle. It quickly turned into a cough, and Serra turned to Eliwood, concern etched on her face. "Oh...you poor thing!" She brought her staff out. "Don't worry...I'll fix you right up!"
Eliwood sighed, not looking very happy at all.
"Ooof... Blast!" cried the brigand with buck-teeth—the very same one that they had found with Puzon earlier. "I won't forget this!"
Hector picked him up, and shook him like a little rag doll. "Then you're smarter than you look!" He threw the brigand to the ground. "Get out of here!!"
Eliwood looked on, an odd half-smile on his face. "It looks like you're becoming soft, Hector. Before, you would have killed him, but now, you let him go."
Hector grunted. "Just...don't tell anyone, OK?" He turned to Eliwood. "I've got a reputation to keep, you know!"
"Of course, Hector. Of course you do." Eliwood replied, laughing.
A glare was all that Eliwood received.
After rejoining with the others, Krista introduced everyone to Merlinus—or, at least, she tried to. He kept demanding to see the leaders of the group. It would seem that he would only speak with Eliwood and Hector—something about them having the money. Krista wasn't too clear on the details, but she dubiously let him talk with the lordlings anyway.
"So..." sighed Rebecca. "What are we supposed to do?"
"Eavesdrop, of course!" stated Serra, as if it was obvious.
Krista shrugged. "Sure. Why not?"
"Well..." Lowen started.
"I think that was a rhetorical question." Matthew interrupted. "I'm all for eavesdropping. After all, it might give us important insights on this Merlinus guy."
"I agree," said Bartre. He looked at Dorcas, and smiled. "And so does my buddy, Dorcas, here." Dorcas sighed heavily, but didn't disagree.
"Sure!" Guy piped up. "And besides, we would want to know if our leaders were in trouble, right?"
At Guy's statement, Marcus, Lowen, and Oswin declared that eavesdropping would be fine with them too—only to make sure that their charges were safe, though.
Krista gave Guy a grateful smile. "It's unanimous, then?" Murmurs of assent filled the room. "Good. Then let's all tune our communicators to Eliwood's and Hector's signal..."
Always the selfless one, Eliwood wanted to make sure that Merlinus was alright. "Are you injured?"
Merlinus was surprised by such a question, especially from a noble. "No, not at all. As you can see, I'm as fine as fine can be."
Eliwood nodded. "I'm glad to see that. We'll take our leave then." He turned to go. "Let's go, Hector."
"Wait a moment, please!" Merlinus wanted to give them something to say thank-you, and perhaps, he would even get on the good side of a noble... "A token of my thanks..."
Eliwood shook his head. "Do not worry yourself. We did nothing to merit reward."
"That's right." Hector agreed. "Besides, we've no need of a peddler's junk."
Merlinus's eyes bulged, and he sputtered. "P-P-Peddler?"
Eliwood jabbed Hector in his side. "Hector!"
"Oops!" apologized Hector, trying to hide his smirk.
Fortunately, Merlinus did not see his smirk. He cleared his throat. "You'll find no other traveling merchant whose goods compare. Now don't let your eyes fool you; I'm actually quite prosperous."
"Huh?" Hector scratched his head. "You're a merchant? You mean, like books and knives and all that?"
Eliwood sighed. "Hector, your manners are terrible." He turned apologetically to Merlinus. "Merlinus, please... Pay no mind to what this oaf has to say." Again, he jabbed Hector in his side.
"No, of course not." Merlinus agreed. "I wasn't concerned at..." Hector narrowed his eyes, as if daring Merlinus to say anything else. "Eeep! Uh..." The merchant frantically searched for a safe topic. "Um... You two obviously come from highborn houses. Would you grant me the honor of your names?"
Eliwood smiled. "I am Eliwood, son of the marquess of Pherae."
"And I'm Hector," said Hector. "Marquess Ostia's brother."
"Goodness! Ostia! Pherae! The greatest houses in all of Lycia!!" Merlinus suddenly got very excited. He looked like his life's dream had been fulfilled. "Ahh... To be saved by noblemen such as yourselves... It is an honor beyond words!"
Hector grinned, basking in the praise. "It's nice to be appreciated for a change." A sly expression crossed his face, causing Eliwood to look at his friend in mild curiosity. "Hey, Merlinus, what are your plans anyway?"
"Pardon? My plans, my lord?" Merlinus didn't seem to understand why Hector would ask such a question. "Well, I had planned to travel Lycia selling my merchandise, but..." He hung his head. "It may not be possible in such dangerous times."
Hector's grin grew broader. "If that's the case, then why don't you come along with us?"
Finally understanding what Hector had been hinting at, Eliwood gave his friend a piercing look. "Hector?"
The Ostian lordling attempted to defend his decision. "Our travels will not be ending anytime soon, and we've gained more people and more items, right?" He shrugged. "It might be good to have help managing our things."
Merlinus clapped his hands together. "Oho! Now THAT is a splendid idea! Managing merchandise is my specialty, after all!"
Eliwood still didn't look too sure, as if he didn't want to burden the merchant with responsibility. "Are you sure?"
"Quite sure, my lord." Merlinus nodded, and leaned forward to whisper. "To be honest, I've dreamt of working for a noble house. To have my fondest wish granted in such a way..." To both lords' alarm, tears started flowing from the merchant's eyes. "I cannot stem these tears of joy!" Merlinus tried to wipe away his tears. "Lord Hector! Lord Eliwood!! Keep me safe forever!"
Eliwood seemed to think that Merlinus had gone crazy, so he didn't know exactly what to say. "Uh... Well met, Merlinus."
Although Eliwood couldn't find much to say, Hector had a mouthful. "We're counting on you!" he said, as he slapped Merlinus on the back in comradeship. "Now, I've got some things I want you to carry..." He then proceeded to pull out his axe, his extra set of armor, his personal food rations, his water...
"Yes, of course!" Merlinus seemed very eager to help out—perhaps maybe too eager. "Whatever you have, Merlinus will keep!"
Eliwood just hung his head, and sighed. Why did Hector always have to open his big mouth...?
Krista hung her head, and sighed. "Why did Hector have to open his big mouth, and drag Merlinus along with us?"
"Well," Rebecca began. "It'll be nice to have someplace to put my extra arrows..."
"And the food supplies..." continued Lowen
"And all my armor..." persisted Oswin.
"And I'm sure the tent would be big enough to hold large meetings in..." Marcus went on.
"And I can store all my precious jewels in there!" squealed Serra.
Matthew rolled his eyes, and said sarcastically. "What jewels?"
"Why, the jewels that people are going to give me, of course!" replied Serra.
"And why would ANYONE give you jewels?" imposed Matthew.
Serra flipped her pink pigtails, and gave Matthew a bright smile. "Because of all the work I do—healing people and such things."
It was all Matthew could do to not explode on Serra. He knew that she had the most acerbic tongue on the planet, but she also had very delicate feelings that could be hurt easily—not the easiest combination in a person. Instead of saying something that he would later regret, Matthew calmly nodded at Serra, as if her explanation was perfectly acceptable.
Wow, thought Rebecca. Now there's someone who can control his emotions... I wish I could do that... She sighed in resignation. Too often had she let her emotions get the better of her.
A ten-year-old Rebecca cried into her mother's shoulder. "M-Mommy!" she stuttered. "Dan's making fun of me again!"
"No I'm not!" shouted young Dan. "You just cry too much! Why can't you be like Wil? He's more fun to hang around with, 'cause he's not a crybaby like you!"
"Enough!" Rebecca's mother stood up, stroking Rebecca's hair. "Dan, try to be more understanding of your little sister. You know she's not as old as you, so you have to help her, OK?"
Dan stubbornly bit his lip, but nodded in submission nevertheless.
Rebecca's mother smiled. "Good." She set little Rebecca down, and ruffled Dan's hair affectionately. "Now go play, you two." She looked out of the window, and chuckled. "I do believe that your friend is waiting for you."
Rebecca followed her mother's gaze, and giggled in delight. Wil was making funny faces in the window, and gesturing for them to come outside and play. Both she and Dan complied eagerly to Wil's unspoken request.
After they got outside, Rebecca turned her huge innocent eyes to Dan. "Big brother?" she timidly asked. "Is it true that you would like me better if I wasn't such a crybaby? Because I promise I'll try harder not to cry..."
Dan looked down at his little sister. "Well... It might be easier—"
"I knew it! You do hate me!" Tears started to form in Rebecca's young eyes.
"Oh no!" Dan waved his hands frantically to try and stop her from crying. "It's OK! Really... I like you just the way you are! Ack! Please stop crying! I don't want to get in trouble with Mom again..."
Wil just laughed. "You two are just so funny to watch!" Rebecca and Dan stared at him, as if he had suddenly sprouted wings and a tail. "Come on!" Wil continued, undaunted by his friends' stares. "Let's just go play, OK?"
Rebecca wiped her eyes free from tears, and smiled. "OK, Wil!"
Wil turned to Dan. "Well? You're going to come play, right?"
Dan smiled too. "Sounds good to me."
"Yay!" shouted Rebecca, hugging her two best friends. "We're going to always stay together and play, right? Even though I might be a crybaby sometimes?"
Wil gave her a thumbs-up. "Sure! We'll always stay with you!"
Only you didn't... You left me...all alone...and you never came back...
"Hey Rebecca?" Krista peered closely into Rebecca's face, startling her out of her reminiscing. "You alright?"
Rebecca gave a small smile. "Yes. I'm alright. I was just thinking about..." She trailed off, not really wanting to finish.
"Oh, OK..." Krista seemed to understand her hesitancy, so she left the matter alone.
"Um..." Rebecca looked down at her hands. "This might be a funny question, but...I need to know..."
"Yes?" Guy prodded.
Rebecca took a deep, shaky breath. "Y'all... Y'all would never abandon me, right?" Several exclamations of confusion followed her statement, and Rebecca instantly regretted asking a question like that.
"Why would you think that we would ever abandon you?" asked a worried Krista.
"W-Well, I..." Rebecca had to steady herself. "A long time ago, my brother and best friend..."
She felt a comforting hand on her shoulder, and looked up to see Serra. "Hey there, girl! Don't look so down! You know that none of us would ever abandon you!"
"That's right," agreed Matthew. Then he whispered under his breath, so that nobody, except for Rebecca, could hear, "Even though I don't usually like to agree with Serra..." That made Rebecca smile, and a tiny bubble of laughter escaped.
"Oh, I have an idea!" Guy piped up. "Why don't we all try to make Rebecca feel better and laugh?"
Krista smiled. "That's a great idea, Guy! Now, we just need to find out one thing..."
Guy looked confused. "What thing?"
A sly expression crossed Krista's face. "Why... We just need to find out if Rebecca..." She paused dramatically.
"If Rebecca is what??" cried Bartre, exasperated by all this talking.
"TICKLISH!" proclaimed Krista.
Rebecca gulped nervously. "And what exactly would you do if I was...?"
Krista rubbed her hands together, a mischievous gleam in her eyes. "What do you think?"
"Uh..." Rebecca began to inch her way to the opening of the tent. "I- I think that I should be going now!" Then she quickly turned, and started running as fast as she could.
"Let's get her!" yelled Krista.
"Operation 'Take Rebecca back by Urgently Tickling Her' has now gone into effect!" laughed Guy.
"Ain't that the TRUTH!" shouted Serra.
Rebecca: That was such a pathetic acronym!
Me: Hey...I worked hard on finding just the right words for that you know!
Rebecca: Ha...You've been drawing instead of writing little missy!
Me: Uh...so what?? I've been drawing Fire Emblem characters...doesn't that count for something?
Rebecca: I don't think so! You should write faster. You don't want me to have to get other people's muses up here, do you?
Me: Ack! Don't give them any ideas!!
Rebecca: It's my job.
Me: ::sigh:: Alright...I'll try to write a little faster...but only if I get to draw some too!
Rebecca: You drive a hard bargain...but OK. Now...about your sadly lacking bio...
Me: Way ahead of you there! I actually stopped procrastinating, and fixed it up...kind of...
Rebecca: What do you mean..."kind of"?
Me: Uh...well...I didn't put any of the personal information, but I did put some other stuff...
Rebecca: Are you being vague on purpose?
Me: No! Of course not! I just...um...
Rebecca: What else did you put on your bio?!
Me: N-Nothing!
Rebecca: That's it. I'm going to go check now!
Me: Uh oh...
Rebecca: Hm...Aha! A link to your deviantart! So THIS is what you've been doing instead of writing!
Me: ::gulps:: Heh heh...sorry...I just like drawing!
Rebecca: ::glares:: I suppose that I could let it slide this one time...You just have to do one thing to make up for it.
Me: Uh...what do I have to do?
Rebecca: Draw some pictures of me!
Me: Uh...OK...
Random question: Um...What do y'all think about the couple Dart/Farina? I just read their support and thought it was pretty fun. It would be kind of interesting for Rebecca to have Farina as a sister-in-law...and then that would mean that Florina and Fiora would be her sisters too...and since Florina's probably going to end up with Hector, who's best friends with Eliwood...Rebecca could get close enough to Eliwood so that he would trust her to be the nanny of his son...since she's Roy's nanny in the next FE game...
2nd random question: Heh...Sorry about another question...but this kind of goes with my 1st question. Um...Does the game actually say how Rebecca ends up being Roy's nanny?
Random fact: This will be my reasons for the couples I chose.
Eliwood/Lyn – There were only two possible couples for Eliwood (not including Fiora, since she's definitely going to end up with Kent!)—Ninian and Lyn. At first, I was going to put Eliwood and Ninian together even though I don't like her very much, but then I found out that the gamers make such a big deal out of their relationship if they have an A support when Eliwood accidentally kills her. I just thought that that would be too much to put into my story, and besides, I'm supposed to be focusing on Rebecca/Wil, right? And then, if Eliwood and Ninian do get together, she would have to leave her brother alone...so sad. I have a little brother, and I wouldn't want to leave him alone looking so sad...::sniff::. Besides, Eliwood needs a more active partner—not a passive one like Ninian. Their personalities are just too alike for each other—opposites attract! Lyn would at least have interesting things to talk about, while Ninian would probably just keep apologizing for his father...blah blah blah... I also think that Eliwood/Lyn would be more interesting than Eliwood/Ninian, because Lyn's exotic and fiery and she actually has a mind of her own—attributes that would make for a fascinating marquess's wife. If she and Eliwood married, then they would be able to have peace between two countries (I don't know if you would call them countries...), and it would almost be like a union between the uncivilized and the civilized...although I'm not calling Lyn uncivilized! It's just that she was brought up on the plains, and he was brought up in a sheltered environment...so they would be able to combine their skills of plain-speaking and diplomacy to get a good balance. They wouldn't skirt around an important matter, and yet, they wouldn't bluntly blurt out hurtful, dangerous information. Yes, information can be a dangerous weapon, especially when you're talking about high-ranking people. Uh...sorry about my rant...I didn't mean for it to get this long...
Kent/Fiora – They're just perfect for each other, OK? They probably have the only support conversation that "mentions" marriage. I put mentions in quotes, because they don't really say it straight out, but they hint at it MAJORLY! Besides, there's really nobody else that would go well with these two...
Hector/Florina – Originally, I was going to pair Lyn up with Hector, because they make such a funny couple...but then I realized that if Lyn got paired up with Eliwood, there could be no Hector/Lyn. And I wasn't about to do one of those weird triangle love things...just too complicated and strange...meh. Anyway, Hector is really Florina's ONLY possible guy. Yeah, the makers should have given her more options... And I wasn't really that opposed from pairing Hector and Florina up...because Florina could be the one to reveal Hector's gentler side, and what better way for Florina to get over her fear of men, than to fall in love with the brashest guy ever? Besides, if Florina and Hector get together, and Dart and Farina get together, then [read random question #1...I don't want to go into another explanation...]
Wil/Rebecca – I better not have to explain this one to you!
Erk/Serra – At first, I was going to put Erk and Priscilla together, but then someone showed me how romantic Heath/Priscilla was...::sigh:: Great stuff...but anyway... Erk's and Serra's supports are just so funny, and in the A support, they actually admit how much they understand about each other. They insult each other, but still manage to tolerate each other, which makes for the funniest couple ever! Besides, their ending is so hilarious too—Erk is trying to study, but is distracted by his growing feelings for a certain pink-haired cleric. Then Serra leaves Ostia declaring that she'll stay by her dear Erky forever...or something like that. Oh, and if Erk and Serra do get together, Ostia will be free of Serra forever... Now who wouldn't want that?
Heath/Priscilla – This is just so tragic and romantic—the perfect angsty love story, after Matthew and Leila, of course. It's also a typical fairy-tale romance, because the guy is of a pretty low class, and the girl is of high-status. Their ending's just so sweet and sad too. I think it goes something like Heath tells a weeping Priscilla that he'll return for her...::sniff:: Now where have I heard that line before? Oh yes...In lots of the good angsty romance stories. The girl will wait for her guy forever...so precious... Anyway, in her supports with Erk, she seems a little too petty and jealous to me... That's just my opinion though...
Pent/Louise – Omg...If I have to explain this one to you...
Jaffar/Nino – Have you read their A support?? Their probably the only pair who actually confess their love for each other. No, Kent and Fiora don't count, because they just talk about getting married, which does imply love...but they don't just come out and say it. Jaffar/Nino all the way!!
I might have some other couples...but I can't think of any others right now... So, REVIEW please...Thank you.