BloodyCrystal: Well here it is, this week's update. Yes, it's another interlude, but it needs to happen. Also, I realize that I'm completely skewering the Black Fang's past, but that really can't be helped; it needs to happen. What I'm going with is that Brendan's second marriage wasn't made public until the time that the game characters say it happened, okay? Good. Also, I don't really know who's older: Lloyd, or Linus. So, I guessed. Big whoop. You don't like it? You don't read it. Now, onto the interlude chapter.

BTW, interlude chapters are memories, nothing more, nothing less.

Also, I'm sorry for the discrepancies in Jenrak/Jekran's name. It is Jekran, not Jenrak, and I'm sorry about the other interlude chapter, in which it is done wrong. That's all.

Disclaimer: I don't own Fire Emblem (7) or any of its characters.

Interlude: A Distant Past

Aloa Green smiled as she watched her six-year-old daughter run through the field, shrieking with laughter. Lloyd and Linus Reed-nine and eight, respectively-smirked ever so slightly as they crouched further into their hiding spot. Lanari Green looked around, sure her friends were around here somewhere.

Sherri Reed, the boys' mother, grinned as she fanned herself with her apron. "They are very lively, Aloa," she told her friend.

Aloa's smile became tolerantly fond as she answered, "They're kids, Sherri; of course they're lively."

"'d use a dif'rent word for the li'l monsters," Rein, Aloa's husband, mock growled. The other three adults laughed. "'m serious!" Rein protested. "Jest wait 'til one a'the boys announces that he's gonna marry Lan'. Th' other'll call 'im on't, an' that'll start a whole mess a'fights."

Brendan smiled and replied, "I do believe the first one will be Lloyd, and Linus will call him for trying to 'seduce poor innocent Lan' away from me, her brother' or some other such nonsense."

All four adults laughed at this, highly amused. Rein still let out the occasional grumble, but the others ignored him in favor of watching their children. "Don't go barging out there to yell at those two boys, Rein," Aloa warned. "Come this time next year, they'll be leaving, and Lanari will be lonely."

"We'll have to try and see if they'll let those three see each other during training," Sherri said, thoughtfully. "I'll put a mental tab on it." The others grinned at Sherri's ability to mentally 'tag' something and be able to drag it back up when the need arose, simply by finding the item's 'tag.'

A surreptitious throat-clearing drew the adult's eyes to a man in the Black Fang outfit standing there. "Yes?" Brendan asked.

"Sir, Jekran-" the man was able to make the name sound like a curse "-is here to see you now."

"Send him over, then; no time like the present." When the man had left, Brendan sighed as he turned to the other three. "You should all stay and help me; I'll need all the help I can get dealing with Jekran."

"What about the children?" Sherri asked.

"Let them play; no need to involve them in this just yet," Brendan replied. "Time enough when they're older." Rein nodded agreement, and Aloa and Sherri exchanged pointed glances.

Just then, Jekran entered. He was a tall, sturdily built man with blunt features. He was, well, average. The only thing that really stood out was the cold, cruelly calculating look in his eyes. However, there was one anomaly about him; there was a boy there, about the same age as Lloyd. His name was also Jekran, and him and Lloyd hated each other's guts.

"Son, go talk to the other kids while I speak with the adults," Jekran told his son. The boy nodded, and headed off, converging on the other three children. "Now, about our merc companies..."

Lanari squealed happily as she told Lloyd and Linus, "Foun' ya! Heeheehee..." She trailed off, turning to look at what had Lloyd and Linus so upset. Seeing Jekran (jr.), she eeped, and hid behind the two boys, who moved-ever so slightly-to hide the petite girl.

Jekran and Lloyd skipped any and all pretense at pleasantries, and started with insults and threats, neither of which were veiled. "So you're still alive, bastard. A pity, but one which I can remedy quite easily."

"I'd like to see you try, Jerk-ran," Lloyd retorted, angrily. "Come on, Lan', Linus; he's not worth it." The three turned to leave, but Jekran interrupted them.

"Such good little pets you have, Lloyd. Does the girl jump into your bed without a second thought?" Lanari and Linus froze, horrified at the second idea-and very angry with the first. Lloyd, however...

Lloyd swung at Jekran, wildly angry. "Take that back! Lanari's a Tactician; she doesn't take orders from anyone!"

"Oh, so she's the one on top?" Jekran sneered, dodging even as he threw a punch back. That was all the incentive that Linus needed, as he, too, flung himself on Jekran. Soon, the three boys were engaged in a huge fist fight, with Lanari watching in horrified fascination at how easily they damaged each other. When Lloyd was hurled against a tree, she overcame her paralysis, and dashed for the adults, screaming at the top of her lungs.

Aloa and Sherri came running, with the three males walking. Aloa scooped her daughter up, and dried Lanari's eyes. "What is it, honey? What's wrong?" she asked.

"M-mammy, L-Lloyd and Linus are f-fighting J-Jekran, and-and-and-" here, the girl burst into fresh tears. The three men exchanged grim looks and went hurtling towards the three boys while the women took their time, attempting to calm a-by now-hysterical Lanari.

They managed to separate the three, but not before much damage had been done. Sherri, a Troubadour, managed to patch them up, but all three would be stiff and sore in the morning. Considering that a just reward, Jekran (sr.) took his son home, after a cryptic comment to Brendan; "I think we'll be better in the north; yours are much more civilized than mine."

About a Year Later...

Lloyd and Linus looked at Lanari, all three of them solemn. "We'll see each other after training, at the latest," Lloyd said, trying to make the most of a sorry situation. He swallowed uncomfortably, not sure how to work out what he wanted. Linus solved the problem by dragging him and Lanari into a three-way hug. Lanari sobbed into the joint embrace, and the brothers were hard-pressed to not react in some way.

After a few more sniffles, Lloyd again turned to Lanari and said, "Fly far, Little Hawk. Great things await us all, and we must all do our best."

Lanari pulled out her eating dagger with a strange-and, for a seven-year-old, unnatural-grimness. Carefully, she made a small mark on her palm before she offered the dagger to the other two. Recognizing the ceremony, Linus took the dagger with a marked solemnity, and made a slightly different mark on his palm. He offered the dagger to Lloyd with an expectance that overrode any protests Lloyd had been about to offer. He made a third mark on his palm, then plunged the dagger into the earth. Together, the three put there marks on the dagger hilt, and spoke the oath in order. Lanari, the "Wise One," was first.

"I bind myself to two others today, for good. May our alliance bring wisdom and knowledge to create prosperity and order. May we always use our learning for good, never for ill. Bless our alliance, scholars of old, for we come to this with good minds."

Linus, the "Warrior," went next: "I bind myself to two others today, for good. May our alliance bring fighters of honor willing to protect and not destroy. May we always use our hands for good, never for ill. Bless our alliance, warriors of old, for we come to this with good hands."

Lloyd, the "Commander," went last: "I bind myself to two others today, for good. May our alliance bring unity and good will to all lands. May we always use our selves for good, never for ill. Bless our alliance, rulers of old, for we come to this with good hearts."

Then, all three spoke the final binding together: "We bind ourselves now of our own free will. May this alliance bring nothing but good. Together we pledge our skills and our selves to the good inside people's hearts."

The three smiled as they felt the power they had called enter the dagger and dissipate into the ground. "Phew!" Linus said, in exaggerated relief. "I was afraid it wouldn't work."

"No, you weren't," Lanari said. "If you had doubted," she explained, "then it wouldn't have worked. Since it did, we were all completely committed. See?" she asked, holding up her hand. Her marking, the symbol for wisdom, was a silver-white scar. It would never fade, and neither would theirs-the symbol for ruler on Lloyd's, and the symbol for fighter on Linus'.

"Lloyd! Linus! Time to go!" Sherri called from the house.

"See you eventually, Lan'," Linus promised. "And don't go getting a boyfriend, or I'll have to beat him up."

"Fly, Little Hawk; fly where you will, and let none keep you a-ground. We'll see you, and you had better have some stories!" Lloyd smirked. With that, the two boys headed off.

Lanari, looking after them, murmured, "Sweet fortune follow you, brothers-in-spirit."

BloodyCrystal: Well? Whaddaya think? I happen to be quite proud of it, so I hope all of you enjoy it. And, please, just drop me a line! I'm getting very lonely with only my nicely-toasted marshmallows (thank you, Caleb!) and Fire Fanatic for company! If you send me a line, I'll even share my marshmallows! See you next time for the REAL chapter.