Welcome back gang, we recently had our boy face some battle. Wasn't too bad, minus George getting a little upset. Okay, maybe really upset. Peeps went after his buddy though so, meh? Thank you all for reading so far and I will definitely take time with the characters.

Thank you GrimaxNaga and Greyjedi449t for the reviews and advice. It is much appreciated.

Warning: This chapter does contain kids being dicks to each other and mentions of physical abuse. My apologies in advance.

Chapter Four: Premonition

[Arcturus and Phier]

Later on, on the night that the Wyvern Troops had returned, the two captains met in secret, inside the city that thrived underneath the stale shell that was Windmire. This city, abundant with noise and life, was truly the capital of Nohr. Arcturus who was a regular here sat at a table, tea in front of him and his eyes watching the crowd bustle. People were making trades, buying gifts, selling trinkets from the opposing kingdom to those that desired them. It was as he thought back to when he was young that a cough interrupted him. Turning his attention to the person he found who he had been waiting for.

"Phier, I'm glad you made it in one piece. Do you want anything to drink?" He said politely, getting up to give her a hug and then sitting down as she did.

"Coffee, and I need it strong. I had to lose one of the princesses on my way here. The damn brat nearly caught me." She replied, pushing back her short hair and sighing. A moment later she added, "We're alright though, no one knows we're here."

"That's good. Now, what happened out there? You seemed bothered and shaken, which is very unlike you." He asked after ordering her drink.

"Yeah. Where to start…well, from what he's explained, dragon might be his original language. It baffled me too but, if you listen to his voice and the way he speaks, it is very clear that our language is one he's still learning. Ascalon is eloquent when he wants to be and holds himself in a manner no street urchin would. He…Arcturus he convinced me to release the Hoshidans we caught."

"What? You guys won and had prisoners? Why did he let them go?"

"He said they were like him, and that we can't gain peace by fighting and hurting everyone. That it doesn't work, and it only scares people. This was right after he calmed down George and brought him out of a bloodthirsty rampage. I listened to the kid, told my men to patch up and release the captives. It was so strange though because, as we helped them, they helped patch us up. Him and George apologized to everyone, friend and foe, and both parties split peacefully." She told him, pausing when her drink arrived so she could down a third of it hastily. After a couple of deep breathes she looked to her friend and said, "We need to figure out who he is before anyone else does. I get this odd feeling from him."

"Kind of tingly, right? Like there's a charge in the air?" Arcturus asked, knowing what she was speaking of.

"Yes. He might have magic. I'm taking him on my next mission that goes to an area where I know Dragon Veins are…to see if he can activate one."

"Phier, what are you getting at? Why would you take him to that?"

"He might be royal damnit! Look at him! You found him with an elaborate lance, a dragon he hatched and tamed, and he looks like Queen Arete and Princess Azura. The is no way you can't tell me that you don't see it." She shouted, slamming her fist down on the table

"It could also be coincidence. It's strange but it can happen!"

"Well you better pray to any god that will listen that it is a coincidence because if it turns out he can use that power he might be a missing royal from who knows where. Do you know what that'll mean for him?"

"Don't say it. Don't." He almost pleaded, eyes cast away and staring at the floor.

"It could mean death. Public execution and war. Or, if he's not lucky, he'll be interrogated, an amnesiac, and held in a prison cell for ransom. Not a great future is it?" She asked, breathless from her anger and shouting. Leaning back in her chair she put a hand to her head and sighed. "I understand you adore this child, who he reminds you of, but if you don't see what could happen, he'll end up just like Nix and Hela. Dead. Neither of us want that."

"…I know. I still think about them, even though I can't visit their graves. All lost because they wanted to get flowers from Hoshido. I'll try my best Phier, but if he is a royal, what do we do? Hide him? Telling him to keep his abilities locked away for his whole existence?"

"We do what we have to. Maybe we could smuggle him into Hoshido. Their queen and king are kind and would take good care of him. You could leave too. Start over and have a family and life again."

He scoffed at that, giving his friend a glare. "Leaving you to suffer once they find out you helped us? I couldn't live with myself and you know it. You've always had my back and been there for me. There's no way I could leave you to rot. You can't ask that of me and you fucking know you can't, so don't even try. If he is what we fear he might be, we'll figure it out, together. Promise?"

"You damned fool…I promise." She muttered, weakly holding his hand as she knew she couldn't win there.

[Three weeks later at Clarkenstein - The Royal Villas]

Ascalon sat on the edge of one of the fountains as he waited for Leo to find the book he had wanted to show him. It was taking forever and, as he grew restless, a small cough interrupted his train of thought. Turning his attention to the source he found someone he didn't speak to very often. Her name was Princess Jezebel and she was the daughter of the lady that greatly disliked him, her white curly hair having matching green streaks to that of her mother. She approached him with a smug smile and stood before him, hands behind her back and hidden by the fluffy black skirt of her dress. Ascalon, nervous now, put on his best face and gave her a bow and a smile.

"What are you doing out here dragon boy? Waiting for someone?" She asked ever so innocently, rocking back and forth on her feet.

"Yes, I am your majesty. Prince Leo was going to show me a book to read." He replied politely, hoping she'd leave after that. Not today though.

"Really? That sucks because his mother just sent for him, something about practicing his magic. Oh, there's the summons right now." She explained just as there was indeed a man going to collect Prince Leo. "No book then. Bummer."

"It's alright; I could probably see it another time. Did you need any help Princess Jezebel?"

"Hm, I could use a friend. I'm pretty lonely and you always hang out with the others. I like dragons too, I practice magic and am learning how to use a sword. I'm just as cool as them."

"Okay, we can hang out. Forgive me for not doing so before." He said, bowing in apology and then sighing in relief as she smiled.

"I'm so excited! Oh, I can show you the graveyard just outside the city! It's where I practice magic on my own." She told him, taking a hold of his hand a little too tightly and pulling him with her.

He didn't protest, mostly because he was afraid of what might happen if he did, and the pair went through the streets and left Windmire's walls, stepping out into the world beyond. Grim terrain welcomed the two of them, wind gently rustling the trees and leaves, crows cawing in the distance, and the sky cloudy and dark as per usual. The odd princess dragged her companion along, telling stories about the cemetery and how certain people there had died. Maybe she believed that these tales would help Ascalon in adjusting to the spooky area, not noticing that they had the opposite effect on him as the further they traveled the more concerned he looked. Approximately ten minutes later they came to a stop just outside of the lonely resting ground, one jumping for joy and the other wanting nothing to do with this place.

"So, are you ready? This place is awesome! I'm really glad you're here with me." Jezebel said, blushing some at the end while clutching onto his hand.

"I think I am. Are we really going to be okay? This place doesn't look safe exactly and I'm a little worried." He replied, forgetting his manners somewhat as he was more focused on the graves behind her.

"We'll be fine Ascalon. You're not my sister so there won't be any 'raising the dead' happening. Come on, let's go in."

Pausing in confusion he followed the princess, asking, "You have a sister? I thought your mother only had one daughter."

"Oh my, I'm sorry. Yes, my sister and I have the same name and look the same. We're identical except she loves the dead a bit too much. She scares me sometimes. Has she been scaring you too?"

"Sometimes is an understatement. She's stolen some of my clothes and hair before. I thought you guys were the same the who time."

"Yikes! That is creepy! Ewwwwwwww! Ugh, I can't stand her. She always lies, uses people, and just takes whatever she wants. Mother says she'll make a fine queen one day." She told him, shivering at the thought.

Ascalon did as well, also from the cold as the two had forgotten to bring coats, and said, "You should tell Camilla and her brothers. They would understand and probably help you. It's what they did for me and now we're all friends."

Jezebel thought hard about this, pausing and tapping her little booted foot on the snow-covered ground, worry clear on her face. As she opened her mouth to answer a giggle echoed through the area, bouncing off the mausoleums and tombstones. Jumping in place the princess dashed over to her friend and stood next to him, holding onto his arm in fear. Neither child knew what had created the sound however, their eyes widened in horror a dense fog dropped down on top of them, obscuring everything that was more than five feet away.

"What's happening?" He whispered, more to himself than the twin next to him.

"It's her. She always does this to me. We need to leave before anything wakes up." She whispered back, giving a response he wasn't too thrilled about.

His throat seemed to close in on itself as another haunting laugh resounded through the graveyard, chilling both kids to their core. Quietly Ascalon told Jezebel to stay close and that he was going to start making his way towards the gate, hoping against hope that the other sister didn't hear him. She nodded and held on, pale eyes searching the land for any sign of danger. For a moment he wondered if this who thing was an elaborate prank set to trick him, even hurt him as her mother had on a couple of occasions, but he shook his head and that idea away. Right now, he needed to escape and keep the princess safe, whether or not she was being honest.

Carefully he placed his steps, straining his ears as he listened closely for any noise. At first there was none, which was both good and bad, yet as they knocked into a headstone of a grave with a familiar name, footsteps approached from in front of them. Ascalon had only a moment to find that the last name was the same as his father's, Arcturus, before groan interrupted his spinning thoughts and a fist smashed the ground next to them. Both children screamed as they looked up and found a faceless monster, a gnarled and tarnished metal mask stuck on its head. With another moan it raised it's massive hand and swatted the pair, maniacal laughter following the successful hit.

To his horror, Ascalon and Jezebel were separated by the hit, rolling off in two different directions with no clue where the other was. He crashed into the side of a stone crypt, knocking his head on one of its sharp corners and blacking out for a few minutes. She came to halt as her ankle was caught in the unruly roots of a willow tree, hearing the bone crack and feeling a whole new level of pain overcome her. Jezebel did not cry though, as she knew that would lure her sister and her pets to her. No, she instead picked up a small branch, put it in between her teeth, and began crawling silently through the graves as she attempted to find who she hoped was her knew friend. Passing over the dead she froze, only for a second, as her sister began speaking loudly in her mocking tone.

"Zebie, where are you? Why did you bring that lowlife here? Did you really think he'd be friends with a weakling like you? Someone so talented with dark magic but afraid of the undead? Ha!" She said, taunting her sister and kicking stones around. This cruel twin, identical in every aspect except nature, stealthily slinked between the graves and checked behind corners for either child. It wasn't long before she found the blue haired boy, unconscious and bleeding from a large cut on his head. Crouching down she caringly pushed the hair from his face, saying, "He is rather cute, and he has a dragon too. Maybe I'll marry his one day. What do you think Zebie? Wouldn't that be grand? And if he says no, I can feed him to my pets!"

Jezebel watched angrily from the shadows, disgusted with her sister and her stupid plans. For the hundredth time that week she asked the gods why they were related. Knowing she would not receive and answer, and then turned back to watch her sibling hover over Ascalon. Holding back a gag as her twin put her nose in his hair and inhaled deeply, she picked up a large rock and weighed it in her hands. Content with it she waited for the right moment, her stomach twisting as the other princess brought out a pair of shears and snipped off some of the boy's dark hair. While she packed it away, the sane sister threw the rock at the other, hitting her head and watching as her sister fell without a sound. The nearby monster made an odd sound, sensing its master's pain, to which Jezebel responded in the way her twin always did.

With the small time she had bought she limped forward and pulled her friend's arm over her shoulder, tiny heart beating so fast she was sure it would explode. Her arms shook from the effort as she lifted the boy, grunting from the pain and strain it put on her own sore body. She couldn't be slow though and, with a huff, the princess dragged him and herself towards where she hoped the exit was, knowing her sister would awake soon and be quite unhappy with her. Minutes passed like years until Jezebel found the tall wall that surrounded the cemetery. Almost leaping for joy, she followed it, one hand keeping Ascalon close as the other stayed on the moss-covered stones.

Finding the large metal gates, she pushed one open, hearing her sister screaming angrily in the thick fog as she woke up to find both kids gone. Panic laced every step Jezebel took as she closed the gate behind them and hobbled as fast as she could on her broken ankle, silent tears rolling down her cheek as she prayed her sister wouldn't kill her new friend. Her worry grew stronger as a roar sounded behind her and her sister yelled her nickname, rage filling her tone. Terrified Jezebel looked back, pausing another sound joined the mix. It was hoofbeats, fast ones that knew exactly where to go. In one last attempt to save both of them from her twin's wrath the scared princess screamed so loudly that the citizens of Windmire could hear her.

"Oh, you think screaming will help. Wait until I tell mother what you did. I was only playing with him and you hit me and took my toy. She might kill you this time Zebie!" the twin laughed, appearing happy at the idea of being an only child.

"No! She wouldn't! And he's not a toy Jezebel. He's a person!" She shouted back, hoping the rider would come to her aid.

"He's mine! No one can have him! Not you or that stupid brat Camilla! Either I get him, or no one does! I deserve to have a dumb friend just like all of you!"

As the sister screamed angrily, throwing her firsts down next to her to emphasize her point, the loud neigh of a horse came from behind Ascalon and Jezebel. Looking up with hope in her eyes she saw the captain of the Wyvern Troop, Phier, who halted her stead, watching the scene with confusion and growing terror. Not giving the lady a moment to ask any questions, the hurt sister dragged herself and her friend over, crying and begging for help, screaming that her sister was going to kill him if they didn't leave. The lady watched the princess and, after looking at the enraged one that had a monster behind her awaiting a command, scooped up the two children and fled.

Even as they pulled away from the wicked twin, they heard her voice scream, "You can't get away from me! Neither of you ever will! He's mine!"

There we have it, a spooky chapter to set up some plot for later. I hope you all enjoyed it and I'm very grateful for the reviews. Thanks everyone!