A/N: Hooray! After my long break, I'm gaining popularity again!

Ed: And we're being dragged into more chapter introductions. Huzzah.

Roy: HUZZAH!

Link: ...did he hit his head or something?

Eliwood: Something like that. I have no clue.

Kim: Some Dad you are.

Eliwood: No, wait! I mean, well... no...

Roy: 8D

Oh, well, we can discuss that later. CHAPPIE TIME!

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Chapter 7: Suspicions Rise

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Even after his failed attempt at a transformation, Roy was still ever eager each day to attend the lesson of the evening. Encouraged by his will to learn, Ryka was equally excited to teach him. As a result, the lessons went by smoothly and quickly.

And indeed, Roy made tremendous progress. He learned how to reach in and produce his own warm glow which created his flames, and then his ability to control these flames got easier and easier. He could create tiny embers and great fireballs all the same, one as easily as the other. Also, Ryka taught him a varied arrangement of terms in the Old Dragon Tongue, since most dragons, she told him, were not familiar with the English language. Though Dragon Tongue sounded like growls, hisses, and trills to the unknowing ear, the two half-dragons translated it to a quite complex language.

With these lessons (and a few minor others) under his belt, Roy wished to try the transformation again. A week after his first attempt, the two decided to try it again.

Atop the roof that evening, Roy and Ryka sat facing each other, cross-legged. The boy's eyes were shut as he mentally prepared himself, and his teacher waited patiently until his eyes opened and he nodded, ready to make another attempt.

"Okay," Ryka spoke softly in order to preserve the calmness in the air. "Now, what I like to do is take my transformation piece by piece, so I can focus easily on each part instead of the big picture. First the claws and talons, then the spine and tail, then the wings... You understand, right?"

Roy nodded quietly.

"You, of course, can do it in any order you want. It might be a little easier for you, or it may not be. Let's go for it."

Roy grinned in silent agreement, then shut his eyes and once again thought of commanding the subconscious to begin the process. This time he felt the pulls and bends much sooner, and he took this as a good sign as he did what Ryka told him to do. He imagined first what he missed most about being a dragon: the large, majestic wings. He imagined their shape and the way it felt when he flapped them with those strong muscles around the base. And before he forgot, he imagined these wings to fuse with his own cape, working in two lessons at once.

Roy groaned as he felt the bones push out from his back most painfully, and moreso when he felt cloth fiber slip in-between his flesh. Yet he was quietly reveling the fact that it was already beginning to work, that he was slowly becoming a dragon...

But before he could begin to imagine anything else, he felt that twang again, that sign of rejection from his subconscious. Yet this time it was less painful initially, but more powerful. Roy simply flinched, then immediately lost consciousness, falling forward into Ryka's arms.

"Roy!" Ryka was taken by surprise, as nothing like this happened before. Roy was out like a light, but from his back were limply-spread, medium-sized wings, truly authentic. The bony spurs of the wings were deep purple, like the outside of his cape (which was absent), and the thin membrane in-between was bright red like the inside. They seemed to come from his tunic, but closer inspection clarified that his upper back had become scaly, especially around the wings' base muscles. His wings were fully developed in proportion to his body's size, but that was it.

Roy had performed a partial transformation, a little more advanced than a full transformation. Of course, he didn't do it intentionally, but it seemed his body was already beginning to adapt as the wings stretched slightly every time he calmly breathed to a soft tempo. Ryka was amazed, to say the least.

Even so, Roy was not out cold and unable to learn anymore tonight. Ryka knew he needed the sleep to get the energy for the wings to automatically turn back by themselves. With this and the cold weather out here in mind, she placed her hands under his knees and just below the base of his wings and lifted him into her arms. He settled with a yawn and a soft smack of his lips, calmly sleeping as if nothing had happened. Ryka couldn't help but smile at his innocent appearance.

And speaking of his appearance, peeking eyes will probably wonder why Roy had wings. Aware of this, Ryka unbuttoned her cape with one hand and compressed his wings ever so carefully so the small amount of fabric could fully cover them and hide them from the world.

She began her descent back into the Mansion, hoping she wouldn't be seen...

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Marth was worried. Very worried.

Roy hadn't spoken to either him or Link for a good week now, spending most of his time with Ryka. Marth shouldn't have been worried; after all, the impression Roy had begun to give out was much happier than before. Marth should've been happy to see him that way, but all it made him was... sad. His young friend had always shared his joys and sorrows alike with his two best pals in the whole world, but it seemed now like he was... drifting away. Marth wanted so much to reel him back in, but that would be selfish of him, to take his happiness away, just for the sake of their friendship...

With so much confusion going through his mind as he passed through the dorm hallways, he almost passed right by a certain figure, who accidentally bumped him in her haste. Gaining his attention, she yelped slightly, knowing she was caught.

When Marth looked up, he was surprised to find a slightly panicked Ryka, terrified like a cornered squirrel. In her arms was an unconscious Roy.

Marth's instincts were shot on high. "Roy!" he cried out, stepping forward. "Is he okay?"

"He-He's alright..." Ryka stammered nervously, slightly pulling away and clutching the blue cloth bundled under Roy's back. "J-just a little incident, that's all..."

His brows narrowed. "What incident?"

"Ah... Just an accident... We were training and I hit him across the head a little too hard..." She grew quite weary. "I-I feel horrible..."

Marth swallowed his pride, and his face grew soft. "It's alright, I'm sure he'll be fine. Me 'n Link have occasionally knocked him around a bit, and he's always bounced back." He brought out his arms. "Here, let me take him..."

"No!" She pulled away again, her breathing becoming nervous. "I-I'll take him to his dorm." When she gained a suspicious glance, she sought to explain. "P-please, let me do something to make up for my mistake..."

Marth had a large urge to snatch Roy from her arms, but his last thoughts from before had got him to reconsider. Very reluctantly, the prince sighed and nodded. "Alright, just be careful with him."

"Of course. I'm sorry to worry you." Ryka adjusted Roy in her arms, bowed slightly, and walked away.

Marth watched her go quietly, still debating to himself even when it was too late. The more he thought of the girl with his friend, the more worried he grew.

"...Roy..."

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At last, Ryka found Roy's dorm and pushed it open with her lip, lightly closing it with her foot, but not all the way. Ever so carefully, she set the boy down, propping him up in a sitting position. Slowly, she lifted the cloth to reveal his beautiful, scaly wings, unscathed. She fingered them lightly with a smile, giggling when one of them twitched, much like a cat's ear, signifying his activity within Dreamland.

She cautiously laid him down upon his side, spreading and smoothing his wings out behind him. Roy settled with a sigh, the wings stretching as he gave as he gave out a yawn. He mumbled into a pillow, then fell silent.

Ryka sighed, running her fingers through her hair. "Oh, Roy..." she muttered with another sigh, glancing on him with a frown.

A creak of the door caused her to sharply turn, but no one was there. Ryka dismissed it hesitantly as a small breeze that got in, then back to a peacefully slumbering Roy.

"Roy...I'm sorry..." she sighed, but in a less remorseful way than when she was trying to convince Marth. After all, she was never a person to truly ever back down. "I...I had no idea anything like that would happen... Heh, oh, what am I worried about? You'll be just fine..." Her chuckles died away. "But... don't worry about it, okay...? Frankly, you're doing better than I did when I started out... We'll just... stick to the fire stuff until you feel you're ready again, okay?"

Roy groaned as if responding, turning onto his back with his wings moving accordingly as if second nature. He yawned and smacked his lips, scratching his stomach before settling once more in his blissful sleep.

Ryka smiled. "Good night, Roy."

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A certain someone was actually leaning against that door, at a friend's request, and a little against his will.

Geez, if Marth wanted to know the so-called "truth," he should've spied himself... he mumbled disgruntledly in his head. I mean, what could Ryka do to Roy? Sheesh, he's so paranoid...

Soon, he felt a creak from within as one of them got off the bed, as well as approaching footsteps. Alarmed as the door was pushed open, he flattened himself against the wall, hoping he wouldn't be seen...

Ryka slowly stepped out, checking both ways to make sure the hallways were clear. Glancing back briefly at the sleeping being inside, she slowly shut the door and turned to face another, quite abruptly.

Both let out a small scream of surprise, taking a second to calm themselves down.

"Goddesses...!"

"Oh, geez, Link, you scared me..."

"Ah... sorry..." the elf scratched the back of his neck, embarrassed. "I-I was just on my way to my dorm, and I saw you take in Roy... Is he alright, by the way?"

"Oh, yeah, he'll be fine," she answered casually, not as intimidated by Link as she was by Marth.

"What happened?"

"Well..." Ryka sought to remember. "Him and I were training tonight..."

Link inclined his head. "Weird. The training rooms were empty."

"We were outside," she squeaked. "We like more wide-open spaces." Getting a nod of understanding, she continued. "Right, so, we were sparring, and I accidentally took my hilt and whacked him a bit too hard on the head, and he was out like a light."

"Ooh, ouch," Link winced. "But, yeah, he's got a thick head. He'll be fine by morning."

Ryka laughed when she caught the joke, nodding. "Yeah, I just feel kinda bad..."

"Don't worry about it, it's cool," Link assured. "Accidents happen. At least you didn't cut off one of his limbs or something."

"Ha, right. Well, I'll se you tomorrow."

"Right, see ya." Link watched her go, smiling to himself. So, it really was just an accident. If it wasn't true, Ryka wouldn't have been so calm and collected, though she did seem upset over her clumsiness, but that was normal. Link had no idea what Marth was suspecting, but the Hylian was convinced of Ryka's innocence.

Marth is WAY too paranoid...

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A/N: Haha, see? A bit longer. Alright. Go me.

Roy: You DA MAN!

Kim: No, she's clearly a girl.

Ed: ...I think I can see where Roy gets his stupidity.

Eliwood: See? I TOLD you it wasn't because of my faulty parenting!

Link: Doesn't mean you're still not guilty of it.

Eliwood: Why can't you be as complying as you are in the story, huh? Why do you gotta be a Suspicious Sam all the sudden, HUH?

Link: ...Well, goddesses, it was a joke, but...

Eliwood: Oh. Okay. :)

Ed: ...but then again...

XD Ah, I just blame society for Roy. I can blame society on ANYTHING! That's the only great thing about it. XD But anyways, review please!