Alright, just a quick note. I've noticed (with the help of TheOneAndOnlyT) that my other chapter was a little lacking. So I slightly edited it, though I still don't think its good enough, but my brain isn't working. If you guys want, you can check that out, but it's up to you.
Anyway, I think this chapter's a little late, but then again, they usually are…
Guy: You got that right.
Matthew: But we all know that you're a "busy" person. So lets not keep you or the OTHER PEOPLE in this world waiting and start the chapter already!
FireEdge: Okay, okay…
Reviews:
The Blazing Blade: Haha, sorry. The Marcus thing is a joke I have with my friends. Its nothing you have to worry about. And yes, it does say that in the game, but it also shows Florina calling her pegasus "Huey" in her supports with Hector. So, I went with Huey, it's a cooler name too. :P
TheOneAndOnlyT: You already know the deal with the re-edited chapter. And yes, there is a bit of a love triangle, but not that much. There are definitely more chapters after this. Just keep waiting. :)
Ed, the Master Tactician: I can always count on you for the never-ending compliments, can't I, Ed?
Emarista the Torturer: Yeah, same here! Well, looks like Wil won't have to take care of Hector, you can do it for him!
Fury: Awww.
Poyo: Yes, I tease Guy a lot for many reasons. But no, you shall not see me kissing him in a tree.
Wyrmseeker: I'm glad I could help! And thanks for the compliment!
Ragnarok-legend: Hehe, it's no problem. I'm sure I can fit Haru in somewhere in the ending… I can't say, or it'll be spoiling it. ;)
Lord Cynic: Awww, leave Kirby alone, Cynic!
Ed, the Master Tactician: Eh, it doesn't really matter, since its taking me a long time to update anyway.
Guy/Matthew: OUCH!
Disclaimer: I don't own Fire Emblem.
Stray Arrow
Chapter 18
Florina sat quietly off to one side, tears streaming down her cheeks. It had only been a few hours ago that Eliwood and a couple of others had gone into the cave. Searching for the legendary weapon, Durandal, to help defeat Nergal. Everyone celebrated when the red-haired lord came out, the mighty sword in his hands.
It was all going so well, when suddenly they had heard a screech in the sky. Florina still couldn't believe what she saw. A dragon. Growing up in Ilia, she had heard many stories of ice dragons. But never thought she'd actually see one. But there it was.
Everyone was thankful, of course, when Eliwood struck it down with the sword of blazing fire. They thought it was over. But they were wrong. To their horror, Nergal had teleported in and told them the dreaded truth. The dragon was Ninian.
Florina had been devastated, and she still was. Ninian had been a good friend of hers. She was kind, quiet just like her. And she was even from Ilia! She didn't know anyone else, next to her sisters, whom came from Ilia.
The young girl swallowed as she remembered seeing the enormous dragon flying over head. How she had been afraid. How could she be? It was Ninian. She felt ashamed of herself for acting the way she had.
Suddenly, a shadow loomed over her. Letting out a gasp, she swivelled around and came face to face with Hector.
"H-Hello, L-Lord Hector…" She stuttered, trying to compose herself in front of the lord. She didn't want to look weak in front of one of the army leaders. But on the contrary, the man just smiled.
"It's okay, Florina. You can cry. No one here will blame you. We all know that you were friends with Ninian. We all were." He said gently. A sincere smile then spread upon his features. "And you can just call me Hector. I never really liked being addressed as Lord too much, anyway." The smile turned into a frown for a moment, but returned in a flash.
The girl blinked at the man. She wasn't too sure what to say to him. She was sure that he was trying to be kind and friendly, but the situation was making her a bit uncomfortable.
"Uh… Th-thank you, Lo-- H-Hector…" Florina replied awkwardly. She really wanted to leave. To be alone perhaps, or with her pegasus. Or maybe Wil… But to her slight dismay, the lord sat down next to her.
"So, Florina, what have you been up to lately?" He asked casually. Florina edged away nervously, trying to stay calm.
"N-Nothing much, Lord Hector." Her speech fell back to formal addresses in her uneasiness.
Nearby, Wil was struggling against Elfaiya. The tactician was trying to drag the sniper by the arm to where she knew Florina was. The other girl needed comforting, but Wil seemed to think the opposite.
"Elfaiya, I think she wants to be alone right now."
"No. She. Doesn't." The girl replied, punctuating each word as she tugged at Wil. "She's alone, just lost one of her friends, and is probably wondering where the hell you are!"
"… But what if she does want to be alone? Then what?" He asked.
"Whether she wants company or not doesn't matter. She'll like it if you come to her. To show that you care." Came the curt reply. Wil sighed. He should've known better than to question her. The blue-haired girl was as stubborn as a mule. Maybe more.
"Fine… I guess."
"Good." She let go of his arm, knowing that he would follow willingly. Suddenly she stopped dead in her tracks.
"By Father Sky… Look what we have here." She muttered under her breath. Wil followed her eyes and his gaze rested upon Florina. And next to her was Hector.
"What's he doing there?" He asked, surprised. He couldn't help keep the sharpness out of his voice. The young man hoped that Elfaiya hadn't noticed it. The last thing he wanted was for the tactician to think that he was possessive.
But the other girl didn't so much as raise an eyebrow. "… Are you going to interrupt?" She asked instead.
"Wh-What?" Wil exclaimed.
"Don't 'what' me. You know what I'm saying." She replied.
"Isn't that rude, though? After having Kent drill all of those manners in my head back in Caelin, I can safely say that."
"Not if he's trying to steal your lover." The young girl said in a slightly singsong voice that irritated more than a few people to no end. Elfaiya didn't need to see to know that Wil's mouth twitched at the comment.
"Fine. If it bugs you so much…" He said, swallowing despite himself. What have I gotten myself into? I shouldn't listen to Elfaiya. Now I'm going to look the fool in front of Florina, and a possessive jerk in front of Lord Hector. Think, Wil, think! There must be something you can use as an excuse to interrupt them!
"What are you waiting for?" The tactician prodded him.
"I'm not waiting for anything! I-I'm just thinking of a reason to interrupt them." Wil snapped, though his face quickly reddened. Elfaiya rolled her eyes.
"Say you need her that I need to talk to her. That should get her to leave and let you two have some alone time." She replied. "Seriously, you're what? 4 years older than I am, and you couldn't think of one lame excuse?"
"And what am I suppose to do after that? Tell her that I just said that in front of Hector just to get her away from him? You probably don't even need to talk to her!" The sniper accused.
"Or so you think. I do have some matters to discuss with her, you know. But you'll still be alone with her, even if for a little while. For you'll have to escort her to me. And I'm not that easy to find, if you get my drift." The girl replied matter-of-factly. The sniper sighed. The young girl seemed to have a response for everything.
"I guess that'll work…"
"Of course it will!"
"Right, whatever you say." He smirked. The tactician let out a haughty sniff and turned around with a sweep of her cape. She then walked away, leaving Wil alone to put the plan into action.
The sniper turned to look at Florina and Hector once more. Taking a deep breath, and calming himself, he strode into the clearing casually.
"Ah, Florina! I was looking for you!" He said cheerily, looking at the girl he loved. Pretending to see Hector for the first time, he blinked his eyes in mock surprise, hoping the lord didn't see him.
"Lord Hector! I didn't see you there for a moment. I'm sorry to interrupt, but could I take Florina away from you a bit? Elfaiya wants to see Florina." He was careful in choosing his words, somewhat hoping that the lord got his message.
The young girl's face brightened considerably when she saw Wil. Florina quickly jumped up without hesitation, and was soon by the young man's side.
"I-I'm sorry to have to l-leave you without c-company, L-Lord Hector." She murmured, her big eyes, blinking. The other man put on an obviously forced smile.
"It's alright, Florina. I don't mind, go and see Elfaiya." He answered, standing up and dusting off his pants.
"Okay, Florina, we'd better get going. Who knows where Elfaiya could be right now." He said with a smile. Florina returned the smile weakly. Tearstains could still be made out on her cheeks.
Turning, the couple went off in the other direction. Soon they were out of earshot of Hector, and Wil turned to the falcoknight.
"Are you okay? After… what happened…" He asked kindly. Florina nodded.
"I-I'm okay… I-I know that Ninian wouldn't want me to mourn for her… I'm sure she's in a better place. Where humans and dragons can coexist in peace." She replied quietly.
"Yes, that's the way to think." His cheery reply came out automatically. He always seemed to do that. Whether the other person appreciated it or not. "Everything will turn out fine. Dwelling in the past isn't going to do us any good."
"I guess not…" Florina answered with another nod.
"It's better to think about the future. About what could happen."
"About the future…" She murmured. The girl glanced at Wil. "What do you think will happen to us? After the final battle. I know it's coming soon… Lord Eliwood, Lyn, Lord Hector, Elfaiya, they all have an attitude like the end is about to come."
Yeah, an attitude like the end is about to come. She seemed cheery enough to make me do this in the first place… Wil thought to himself.
"I'm not sure really…" The brown-haired young man replied with a shrug. "I never really thought about it before. I… I guess that I'll return to my family in Pherae… Or I might stay in Caelin. Unless something comes up…" With the last part, he glanced at Florina.
The girl was fully aware of the look Wil gave her, and she blushed when she realized so.
"What will you do?" He asked.
"… I guess I might stay in Caelin, also… Or I'll return to Ilia with my sisters. There are always a need of pegasus knights." Answered Florina.
"I see." They then walked on in silence for a while, looking about the camp for signs of the blue-haired tactician. Wil hadn't thought Elfaiya was serious about being hard to find, but he realized that she wasn't joking what-so-ever.
As they walked, the thought that he had been brooding over popped into his mind. He had been trying to slip it in to conversation mere minutes ago, but he just couldn't get it right.
How hard can it be? You're just asking her a simple question… He thought to himself. But it was harder than he thought. It was a big decision for him to make, as well as hers.
They soon found Elfaiya, who was conveniently located in the most remote part of the camp. She was lounging over a map with her usual company, Matthew and Guy. Seeing them approach, she shooed the two others away and eventually Wil himself.
He left willingly, not really caring what they were talking about. But as he left, his hands were tucked away in his pockets. One hand was fingering a small band of metal. It was made of gold, its shine slightly dulled over the ages. On the inside of the ring was engraved: "Eternal Love".
DUN DUN DUN!!
Guy: Ouch! My ears!
FireEdge: Muahahahahahaha!
Matthew: I'm sure you can all guess what she's planning…
FireEdge: It's the… RING!
Guy: She's in one of her moods again…
Matthew: I'd suggest reviewing, and then leaving. Your sanity might depend on it…
Guy: Then you wait a few hundred years for her to actually update.
FireEdge: HEY! Get em' Kirby!
Kirby: POYO!
--FireEdge--
