o.0.o.0.o

Ricken did his best to still his bouncing knee as he waited in the guidance counselor's office. He purposely chose the window as far away from the door as possible, not willing to risk being seen by anyone in the halls. Even if he was here purely for academic reasons, he didn't need some rumor that he was here for emotional or behavioral issues…

"Ricken…" the monotonous voice echoed throughout the office. Ricken lifted his head, meeting his counselor's stoic gaze, then stood.

Mr. Dubay, of all the counselors in the academy, was definitely the most deadpanned and monotonous. In fact, Ricken was still wondering how or why he even chose to become a counselor to begin with. He hated small talk, cut right to the chase, wasn't in any sense sentimental, and his advice, well… His advice for struggling students could range from blunt to downright sociopathic.

As an academic counselor, however, he was fantastic. Ricken knew from his summer meetings with him that he very much valued academics and students broadening their horizons in the world. Along with his own seemingly endless amounts of knowledge, Mr. Dubay almost always signed off on most everything Ricken had instilled in his academic plans.

Right now, Mr. Dubay was scrolling through his academic records with a rather bored look on his face. For a moment, Ricken allowed his gaze to wander around the office. Though he knew and liked him as a counselor, he didn't know much about him, and it seems most of the school didn't know either. Rumors varied on everything about him, from what country he was from to his marital status to his affiliations with other people… And judging from his organized, plain office, not much was going to be revealed.

The only thing that caught Ricken's eye was a photo in a single frame, with six faces of small children. One maybe looked like Mr. Dubay's kid, as he looked like him, but judging by the others and their appearances, there was no relation.

"Your grades are exceptional." Mr. Dubay immediately caught his attention again. "And you're rather active in the speech and debate club, the academic decathlon, and are running as Freshman representative of the student council. However, and I'm only saying this because it's mandated by my job description," Mr. Dubay inhaled, then exhaled. "Are you planning to join any clubs for… fun?"

"... I don't have time for stuff like that." Ricken muttered quietly. "I need to look as great as I can so I don't lose the scholarship I'm on."

There it was, the very bane to his current existence. The one thing that would surely cause his social suicide if it were to ever get out… He was a scholarship kid, a "mooch".

In truth, Ricken was never meant to go to this school anyways. His parents had already planned out that he would be going to some foreign boarding school in Chron'sin, so that he can work on his relation and communication skills for this father's company. However, his father had gotten caught up in an embezzlement scam that almost ruined the entire family. It took everything within the small amount of power that his father had to keep it out of the media, to keep it safe. His mother, in the meantime, was scrambling to find him a place to go, and they just got lucky by getting him into Iris Academy.

To this moment, Ricken knew that there wasn't any strings she had pulled. He was what some people liked to call a 'prodigy' in academics. By the time he was in second grade, he was functioning at a eighth grade level in most all of his subjects. Once he got to middle school, he was being prepped for college courses. His parents hoped the boarding school would help work to his needs as a gifted kid, but when that fell out, they had to have him go somewhere on scholarship, even if it was last minute.

He was functioning at the highest possible level on the entrance exam to Iris Academy. Refusing him would be like refusing the perfect poster child. If he succeeded, they could point to him and say to prospective students 'This child came in and got into one of the top universities in the country. He's a critically acclaimed doctor now, and his success is all because of coming to this Academy'.

However, the only catch was that the academy was strict when it came to his coursework. He blew the tests out of the water for his specific age range, but if he wanted this scholarship, he wouldn't be allowed to test for higher grade levels. He supposed this was because the school didn't want the public to think that their coursework was too easy, and really, what choice did he have? So here he was, functioning at a college level, but taking Advanced Placement courses meant for freshmen in highschool.

Thus, he began to fill his spare time with clubs so he would look even better than his planned 4.0 GPA did. Even if he doubted the school would let him go without a fight, he couldn't help but worry about what would happen should he lose the scholarship.

The worst case scenario was being sent to some decrepit public school, abandoned by Maribelle, and being the victim of intense bullying due to his height.

But even still, he would take that over being found out as a scholarship kid in this Academy. Not even Maribelle, who he held at the highest esteem, was below avoiding a mooch, simply because of reputation.

"I'm well aware of that." Mr. Dubay suddenly cut into his thoughts, folding his hands on the desk. "But all of this work can't possibly be good for you, even if you are insanely ambitious."

Ricken almost wanted to laugh. What work was there for his classes? He was breezing through them like a knife cuts through soft butter. His biggest stresser right now was the social minefield he was currently walking in.

"Anyways," Mr. Dubay clicked a couple things on his computer. "You're all set, I guess. Just try to find one club that's considered semi-enjoyable so I don't have the principal interrogating me about one of their precious prodigy students, okay?"

"Alright." Ricken stood, turning towards the door. As he reached for the doorknob, however…

"Ricken," Mr. Dubay spoke, and Ricken paused. "... I mean it. You're only a kid once in your life. You don't know when something will happen that will tear that apart."

Surprised by the sincerity and complete lack of sarcasm in his tone, Ricken glanced over his shoulder, only to see Mr. Dubay staring thoughtfully at the only picture frame on his desk.

"... I'll… consider it." Ricken finally said.

"Good." was all Mr. Dubay responded with.

Taking that as his cue to leave, Ricken exited his office. They had this conversation every time Ricken came to see him and, by this point, Ricken had given up. He would just lie, it kept Mr. Dubay off his back, after all. However, something about this meeting seemed surprisingly genuine, at least on Mr. Dubay's part.

Exiting the counselors office for good, Ricken's gaze slowly trailed to a TV, advertising various clubs with colorful commercials. At this moment, there was an advertisement for the video game club, which seemed less like a 'club' about games and more like a safe haven for mooches.

… In truth, he really liked video games, but not in the same way as a typical teenager would. He enjoyed looking over the graphics and story and the programming that went into the video games… So much so that he decided to dabble a little in programming a game.

He actually wanted to program a video game someday, that was his biggest dream. But...there was no way he had the creativity to come up with an amazing plot or relatable characters. So, he just brushed his dream aside. He'd work to improve his family's image and prove he could make it in this world, despite his status as a scholarship holder at Iris Academy.

"Gah, come on! Lemme go!"

Hearing the small yelp, Ricken tore his gaze from the TV screen, and saw a couple of upperclassmen holding Nowi Devine by her arms. She was kicking and biting at them, but they simply laughed, easily overpowering the small girl. One of them had her backpack in their hands, rummaging through it to see if they could find anything useful.

"Gah, useless!" one of the boys simply tossed the bag in the trash.

"Well, what did you expect from a mooch?" another snickered.

"Let go, jerks!" Nowi thrashed around again. "Come on, that bag has-"

She let out a yelp as she was lifted clear off her feet, being toted towards an open, probably empty locker.

"Hey!" Nowi's tone held a tone of fear as she tried to break free again. Suddenly, she made eye contact with him, and Ricken froze. There was a flicker of recognition in her eyes. "Ricken! Help me out! Please! Please!"

Ricken tensed as tears pricked around the edges of Nowi's eyes. He glanced down at his feet. This… was not something he wanted to not observe. He remembered in middle school, when he and Nowi semi-got along to a certain extent. They were both small for their age, so they naturally came together as partners in gym classes and such. During those days, it felt like he knew Nowi better than he knew anyone, even himself. But now, the green haired girl felt like a stranger that he had never met before… a distant memory.

Her eyes stared at him, begging for help, for a rescue.

"Hey, smallfry," one of them was right in front of him, and suddenly, he was being pulled up by the front of his shirt, barely on his toes as he made eye contact with the aggressor. "Do you have anything to say?"

He had a thousand things to say, of course, but he held his tongue. Ricken knew that if he did, it'd be social suicide, just like joining the video game club would be. If word got out about his scholarship, it would be like throwing bait out for hungry sharks. He was already on a social minefield, carefully avoiding an explosion at every turn. Helping out someone else who was considered a mooch, as Nowi was, would ruin his reputation at the school, and in turn ruin his family's even more.

"J-Just passing by." Ricken held up his hands, and the bully smirked.

"Thought so." Releasing him, he went around him and gave Ricken a shove forward. He stumbled into a walk, past Nowi, past the harassers.

God, he did not like this feeling. His heart clenched tightly and his stomach turned like he was sick…like he failed.

But by the time he had the confidence to raise his head only slightly, he heard the locker door slam shut, followed by the muffled sobs of Nowi as she pounded her fists against the metalic door. Hesitantly, Ricken cast a glance over his shoulder, and saw the upperclassmen were still hanging out around the locker, talking rather loudly to drown out her cries.

Swallowing the nervous lump in his throat, Ricken tried to suppress the anxious, awful feeling in his system and continued forward.

As of now, there was nothing that he could do for Nowi.

o.0.o.0.o

"... I just don't understand it! I thought we got over that old-fashioned crap when we graduated high school, but nope!"

Chrom sighed as Sully continued to rant and rave about english class. In truth, Sully was never the greatest at deep interpretations on novels and such. She was a blunt person, so unless it was spelled out right in front of her, she wasn't going to get it. It wasn't anything against her, it was just how her mind functioned.

For a moment, Chrom tried to imagine Sully in one of Miriel's classes. No doubt the girl would surely blow a gasket trying to understand half the sentences the professor spoke…

"So whaddya say about grabbing some grub? I'm done for the day, and you're good too, right?"

"Until practice starts." Chrom reminded her. "Remember? We can't go on a wild Sully excursion today."

"Damn, always forget that." Sully glanced at her phone for the time, then shrugged. "Ah, well, it's two now. You should be fine for food, right?"

"As long as it's just food." Chrom insisted.

"I know. I get it."

"Sully, seriously, last time you said it was just food, Stahl and I ended up pulling you from a lake because you dived in off a cliff-"

He cut himself off as his phone rang. Pulling out the device, he raised an eyebrow.

"Who's callin'?" Sully asked, peeking at his phone.

"Sumia." Chrom answered. "That's strange, she literally just got out of class, if I remember correctly…"

Answering with a hello, he was met with a cry of relief.

"Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you Chro- CHRIS!"

She laughed nervously as she practically yelled his fake name into the phone. In the background, he heard other students talking.

"Please, I really, really need your help!"

"Hold on, calm down." Chrom tried to ease Sumia back into a state of not crying, moving the phone to his other ear. Sully was quiet, listening intently. "What's wrong?"

A string of words flew from Sumia's lips, so fast Chrom didn't have a hope of understanding. He paused for a moment.

"... Come again?"

"Gimme that." Sully sighed, snatching the phone from his ear and speaking into it. "Sumia, give me a minute."

Sully then pulled her headphones from her pocket, plugging them into his phone, then popping an earbud in her ear. Offering the other one to Chrom, she spoke only when he took it.

"Alright, talk, but at a pace where someone outside of a purse dog high on expresso can understand you."

"My car's outta gas!" Sumia blurted. "I've been so caught up with work and school I forgot to fill it! It won't even move when I start it!"

Chrom felt bad for the girl. He could tell she was already crying, most likely overwhelmed by everything.

"Okay. There's a gas station three blocks down, walk there, fill up a gas can, and walk back." Sully suggested bluntly.

"I can't!" Sumia practically wailed. "I got a text during class to cover another shift! I-I need a ride and if I don't get there in ten minutes I'll be late! No one else would answer! Please, if you're free-"

"That's fine, Sumia." Chrom cut in before she could start crying again. "Sully and I were talking about getting food anyways, we'll just eat at the diner." He turned to Sully. "Is that fine for you?"

"Peachy." Sully ground out through gritted teeth. Chrom couldn't suppress his wince. Sully was mad about something.

"When do you work till?" Chrom asked.

"Um, the shift I'm covering goes to seven, b-but I'll get someone to drive me back by then! I know you have practice tonight, Chris, so I won't bother you for that!"

"We'll get gas for your car too, enough so that you can get to the station yourself and top it off." Chrom offered. "So then you won't have to worry about it. Just make sure to remember to give us your keys, okay?"

"Oh, thank you so much!" Sumia sniffled. "I'm so relieved I could cry!"

"Well, don't." Sully suddenly spoke. "What're friends for if it isn't for helping you?"

"Thank you!" Sumia exclaimed. "Thank you, thank you!"

"We'll meet in the commuter lot and take my car-"

"And I'll drive." Sully cut in. "See you around, Sumia. You can thank us a thousand times over when we meet up."

Sully then hung up the phone, tugged her headphones free, and held his phone out to him. Chrom gave her a flat look.

"What? Did you expect me to let you drive?"

"I'm not that bad!"

"You say that every time you have to take your car to the shop or you accidentally back your car into something else!" Sully snapped back at him. "Yes, Chris! You are that bad!"

Tossing his phone at him, Sully turned, stomping in the direction of the exit. Chrom fumbled to catch his phone, and once it was safely in his pants pocket, he followed after her. They walked in stride together for a moment, then Sully spoke.

"Doesn't it piss you off at all?"

"What?"

"All those people," she practically spat. "Taking advantage of Sumia like that. I mean, really? In the middle of class and expecting her to get there immediately afterwards? Where's their sense of respect or decency or hell, responsibility?"

Chrom didn't respond as Sully continued ranting on.

"I mean, I know Sumia's never had to work a day in her life, but doesn't she get it that these people are using her?"

"Sumia wants to own her own horse farm one day." Chrom spoke slowly. "I think that, in order to do that, she's trying to get away from the idea of relying on her parents' money, which is very hard to do considering both her parents are successful doctors researching new cures and medicines for various diseases. So she's working so hard to gain experience, I think…"

The door slammed shut behind them as they exited the building

"But is it worth it if she's stressing this much?" Sully demanded. "She's studying to become a vet, that's not an easy degree from what I've heard. She can't keep balancing this workload and her student workload all at once."

"That's why we're here to help her as much as we can." Chrom spoke quietly, as they were approaching the car and Sumia was already there, anxiously awaiting them. "We'll talk to her more in depth about this later, but right now, we just need to help her out and help her get through the semester."

"Yeah…" Sully sighed, crossing her arms behind her head. "Whatever."

o.0.o.0.o

Once they reached Gregor's Diner, Gregor seemed surprised that Sumia was there, yet shrugged it off when she explained she was covering for someone. Nowi then skipped them over to a table, smiling brightly as she handed them the menus.

"Anyways, I wanted to tell you this earlier, but it slipped my mind 'cause of Sumia." Sully pulled out her phone, opening an app. "So the other night, I met this weirdo, right? We had a brief conversation or whatever, and he somehow found my profile on Echoes of Voices!"

To prove her point, she showed him a friend request from on the huge social media platform. Briefly, Chrom glanced over the small request. Virion Rosanne sent you a friend request! Was in between the accept and decline button, and a photo of a blue-haired man.

"Can I see?" Chrom asked.

"Be my guest." Sully passed her phone, and Chrom curiously looked through the profile of the guy, and was relatively surprised.

He actually knew this Virion Rosanne, or at least recognized him. But that's only because he's had some minor roles in some of the shows his sisters really liked, and he was subsequently forced to watch snippets of here and there… According to Lissa, he was also a famous theatre star before he started dabbling in television.

"You're sure this is the guy?" Chrom asked. "You just… met him on the streets? Introduced yourself?"

"No way!" Sully snapped, taking her phone back. "Ugh, it's a long story… Basically, I was walking back from the gym late 'cause some of the morons I was training wanted extra tips, and some assholes decided to try to mug me. Next thing I know, prissyboy here is trying to come to my rescue-"

Chrom couldn't help but snort back a laugh. Sully grinned.

"I know, right?" Sully crossed her arms, leaning back in her seat. "Real production this idiot put on. Some grand vision of grandeur he had… Anyways, I ended up saving his ass after the muggers gave him a bloody nose, and he asked me what my name was. I didn't really think anything of it, but he made an honest attempt, so I humored him. However, I don't know how he found my Echoes profile, so I'm kinda weirded out."

"Were you wearing anything that might've given out some information about you?" Chrom asked. Sully shrugged.

"Standard hoodie and shorts, nothing to-" she cut herself off, eyes widening in realization. Running a hand down her face, she groaned. "Damn. My towel."

"Your towel?"

"Yeah," Sully's eyebrow twitched. "I guess I was wearing some identifying stuff. My bag was from the gym I work at and the towel I gave him to clean up his face had the university logo on it. I'm a part of the textbook exchange group for our uni and I advertise being a trainer at the gym. How many Sully's do you think exist that both work at the Ylissetol branch of Eye of Python gym and attends Shield of Flames Uni?"

"So… Why is he a weirdo?"

"I don't know, he's just strange! Like, he was so overdramatic and overconfident…" Sully groaned. "He was just annoying. Weird."

"... What was your opinion of me when we were first introduced?"

"No." Sully slammed her hands on the table. "This has nothing to do with-"

"Sully."

Sully sat back, glowering, and Chrom smiled.

In truth, he, Sumia, and Sully had been friends since they were kids, mostly due to business connections of their parents and such. Chrom had been desperate for friends, any friends, when he was little.

But in truth, Sully wanted nothing to do with the royal family while Sumia tended to timidly stick to him. Sully's parents, her father an acclaimed general and her mother a nationally famous wedding planner, often met with his father when he was young for political and business reasons. While Sully's brothers kept a respectful air and distance from him and his siblings, Sully all but rudely ignored him. He remembered the conversation like it was yesterday…

"You think that I'm gonna be friends with some rich brat? The only friends I have are those who know the difference between a choke hold and a scissor hold, as well as how to get outta both of 'em!"

"I know them both, actually! Frederick taught me!"

"Oh yeah?!"

"Yeah!"

"Guys, please-!"

Next thing their parents knew, he and Sully were wrestling on the floor while Sumia sat in the corner, crying for them to stop. In truth, Chrom was fairly certain that Sully's mother had an aneurysm during the whole ordeal…

Eventually, the trio began to play together on a regular basis, from games as simple as recreating fairy tales to as insane as close-contact daisy chain making.

Sully continued talking as Chrom's gaze drifted behind the redhead, trying to suppress his humored smirk. There, at the end of the diner, in full view of anyone who has decent vision, was a man wearing a trench coat, sunglasses, and a fedora.

… Needless to say, it had to be one of the worst disguises Chrom had ever seen Frederick take. He seriously looked like a detective out of a 1940's drama… Wasn't he supposed to be incognito with stuff like this?

Chrom has been aware since he started university that Frederick had been following him. He would spot Frederick's car in the parking lot of whatever building his class was in, spot him on a bench out of the corner of his eye, see him hanging close, but not too close to look like a stalker…

Truthfully, Chrom knew he was only doing this because of how open Shield of Flames was as a campus. Iris Academy was pretty strict with who came in and out, along with a reputable security team. No doubt Frederick was allowing Lissa bit more freedom due to her protection being almost guaranteed there…

But sooner or later, Chrom was going to have to confront Frederick about this before it got out of hand, as it often did when Frederick the Wary set his mind on something.

"... Seriously, though," Sully's voice brought him back to the conversation. She was staring at her phone with a disgruntled look on his face. "Should I block him or what?"

"Well…" Chrom trailed off. "I mean, he doesn't seem like a bad guy. I mean, he tried to help you out, right? He can't be all bad. Plus..." he lowered his voice to a whisper, as he knew Sully was sensitive to the following topic. "Your attitude tends to… off put potential friends. I'm not saying meet this guy for drinks or whatever, but just try talking to him. The worst that could happen is he does turn out to be dangerous… And since when did you fear risk and danger, Sully?"

"... Fine, I get your point." Sully groaned. "I'll add him… But if he starts being crazy, you better expect me to get your stalker over there to do something about it."

"My stalk-"

"What, you didn't think I wouldn't notice Frederick over there?" Sully chuckled under her breath. "I wasn't certain of it at first, but it's kinda obvious now. Tell him to try being a little more subtle, yeah?"

"... Yeah." Chrom said, subtly pulling out his phone and sending a quick text to Frederick.

Sully noticed you. Might be best for you to abort mission, Frederick.

Soon after, Frederick rushed from the diner, leaving a bill under his coffee cup.

o.0.o.0.o

Nowi meekly knocked against the locker.

"Is anyone out there?" she called out meekly.

It was pointless, however. Everyone who passed knew that she was trapped in this locker, and it looked like she got stuck in here on a bad day. Not one teacher has passed by and heard her. And now her entire voice went hoarse and she was starving. Not even Ricken…

Honestly, she wondered if she was naive in thinking that things would still be somewhat the same. Back in middle school, things weren't so bad. Groups were less about money and more about looks, so with her and Ricken being the shortest kids in the class, they were kind of forced into a little group. But suddenly Ricken and her went from somewhat communicating with her to… to this. To ignoring her and refusing to look her in the eye and refusing to help her…

She scrubbed at the tears in her eyes. Gregor worked hard to make sure she got a good education. She had to remember that she was here because Gregor worked hard every day to put her here, not so she could fit into some social group. So she wasn't going to cry. Even if she was in private, she wasn't going to let those jerks begin to believe they've gotten an upper hand over her. They had so many better things in life, they weren't gonna get that satisfaction.

But event still, she was starting to feel panicked. Nowi was never a fan of small enclosed spaces, especially those that she was unable to get out of.

Inhaling sharply, she squeezed her eyes shut to calm her nerves. Even if she was small now… Even if she wasn't rich right now, one day she would be! And one day, she'd be so respected and loved that random jerks wouldn't shove her in lockers because of it! She may be a mooch now… But one day all those rich kids will be on her doorstep asking for a deal or buying stocks in her company!

And she'd make sure they knew, too…

Especially, Ricken, the backstabber! He was shorter than her in middle school and now that he gained a few inches in height, he suddenly felt superior to her?! Even if she… Even if she wasn't from a prosperous, influential family like he was…

Recalling the warm happiness that she felt from Ricken's family when she visited for a minor group project, Nowi felt the tears gather again. It wasn't fair. It's not fair! Not fair that all these jerks have parents that really care for them and will get them anything they want and they don't have a thing to worry about… Whereas she worried endlessly about Gregor's age and how much he struggles to provide her with everything she could have wanted.

She let out a yelp as someone suddenly slammed into the locker, followed by the tearing of cloth. Trembling, she feared that the bullies had come back for another round of terrorizing, when suddenly-

"Could ya at least go around me?!" a voice with a slight tilt to it… Some sort of accent. Certainly not like those who spoke in the area, or even from around this city. "Ugh… Tore this jacket too… Maybe I could get Ella to fix it up…?"

"Hey!" Nowi decided to take her chances and pounding both her fists against her locker with renewed vigor. Fate was on her side today, someone had come…! "Please, I don't know how long I've been in here for, but I need someone to get me out!"

"Heya… Heya, calm down a second, miss." the boy sounded perplexed as he spoke. "Uh, so… How do I know the combination for these fancy things?"

"Oh…" Nowi felt her heart shrivel for a moment, then she heard a huff of frustration.

"Ya know what, nevermind, I've gotta better solution."

With that, she heard something shove against the lock, and then, the door swung open. Nowi wasn't sure how he opened the lock, but when the light hit her eyes, she saw her hero; a young man with purplish brown hair, wearing a ballcap with a simple backpack over his shoulder and a thin textbook in his other hand.

"Ya alright, miss?" he asked, offering a hand to pull her out. About ready to cry, she threw herself into his arms. "Whoa, hey… Hey, c'mon, don't cry…"

"I thought I was gonna be in there until the janitors came!" Nowi found herself blubbering.

"Well, yer not in there no more." he spoke comfortingly, patting her on the head. "So no more worries! My name is Donny, if yer wonderin'. Do you mind tellin' me why you were in a locker?"

"Um, I'm Nowi, if you haven't heard yet." Nowi offered, stepping back and crossing her arm behind her back. "And the reason I was in that locker, well…" clenching her fists and feeling her temple throb with anger. "A bunch of jerks decided to shove me in there! Nobody would let me out! Plus they took my…"

She trailed off, horror washing over her. Her bag! Her bag had most everything that was important to her in it and if she heard right-!

"Oh…" Nowi was deflated when she sprinted towards the trashcan. It was piled high with a variety of different waste. Discarded food, tossed aside tests, leaking cans and bottles… And if she was shoved in there this morning, her bag was at the bottom.

Clenching her fists tightly, she unbuttoned her jacket and slid off her tie.

"Hey, what're you-"

"Hold my stuff," Nowi tossed the two articles of clothing. "They threw my bag in there and I guess the trash got piled up on top of it, so I'm going in!"

She gripped the edge of the trash can, shuddering at trying to think of an explanation for trash filled clothes, when suddenly…

"H-Hold on!" Donnel suddenly gripped her shoulder, tearing her back. "What's that?"

Nowi looked up and saw him pointing at a lone, sad strap next to the trash bag. Recognizing the glimmer of a familiar keychain, she let out an elated squeal.

"My bag!" she held it at arms length like a long lost friend, practically crying. "Oh, I'm so sorry! I promise I'll fight harder to keep you next time!"

"... So what'd ya ever do to make a bunch of jerks shove ya in a locker?" Donnel asked, holding out her jacket and tie. Nowi was quiet, staring at him with a long look of confusion.

"I never did anything." Nowi stood with a sigh. "I don't know where you're from, Donny, but here, the social ladder is based on how much money our families have. But then again, I guess it's like that everywhere. There's some sort of social standing, somewhere…"

"Not really." Donnel answered immediately. "In my old town, it was a small farming town. Us kids were supposed to look out for each other, 'cause our parents would have us helping each other in the fields. We were like one big 'ole family back home."

"... Wow…" Nowi whispered out awestruck, averting her gaze for a moment. "So… You're Mr. Exalted Pass, huh?"

"Eh?" Donnel cocked his head in confusion. "If yer talkin' 'bout the reward that Lady Emmeryn gave me…"

"I see now." Nowi nodded once, then stuck a finger under Donnel's nose. "Then listen up, Mr. Exalted Pass, 'cause Nowi is gonna give you some useful advice! In this school, we don't measure each other up based on things like cliques, clubs, or fashion! Here, all that matters is money! Most everyone here has it, you couldn't afford to go here otherwise. No one will bother you if you have one of them because their parents will cut off their monthly allowance if they make a scene with other rich people's kids."

"But you were-" Donnel began before Nowi pinched his nose, cutting him off from surprise.

"It's because I'm not rich." Nowi spoke simply. Rubbing his nose once she released it, Donnel glanced her over again. "It's… My family's complicated, but for the past couple years, Gregor has been taking care of me! I'm here half on scholarship and half on his money. Gregor really values education… And arguably, this place does have the best opportunities for me academically."

Exhaling, she looked Donnel in the eye as she spoke her next words.

"Scholarship students or students from families who are middle or lower class aren't appreciated here. We're viewed as dirty, mooching off of the government system… Hence our nicknames, 'mooches'. I just get targeted like this because I'm small and I fight back. They get a kick outta picking on me… But that's fine!" she smiled despite herself. "It means they won't bother anyone else… Like you, right?"

"L-Like me?" Donnel pointed to himself. "But I never did nothin'!"

"Oh yes you did." Nowi whispered. "... Mr. Exalted Pass."

Donnel was quiet for a moment as they reached the gate between the school and the outside sidewalk.

"That's just awful." he spoke. Nowi shrugged, but then, Donnel said something that surprised her. "But… It don't mean ya've gotta do this all by yer lonesome! If we're both 'mooches' then we'll stick this out together!"

"Really?!" Now blurted out. "But you're a junior and I'm a freshman, it would look really bad on you!"

"I don't care." Donnel stared at her with a look of determination as she simply gaped at him. Reaching into a bookbag, he brought out a notebook and a pen. "Ya said that a Gregor is takin' care of ya? My sis owns the theatre across the way, and we're always looking for helping hands. Come by and hang out, I'm always usually helping her out if you're looking for me."

Tearing out the piece of paper, he passed it to her. As she hesitantly took it, a pickup truck pulled up next to them.

"Also, text that number if you need help. I'll come runnin'! This is my ride!"

Politely tipping his cap, Donny turned and hopping in the front seat.

As the truck pulled away, Nowi stared down at the piece of paper in her hand. Did she… just get a guy's phone number? What did she even… How did that even just happen?! No, she already knew the answer to that, she just witnessed it, but… but…!

"Oh my gosh, I can't tell Gregor about this, he'll get all overprotective and scary again. B-But I don't know how to go about- Cherche! I could ask her, but Donnel said his sister owns the theatre that she works at…!"

As she felt her emotions and the events that transpired overwhelm her, the sudden screech of tires caught her attention. She turned, and there, whipping around the corner, was the same pickup truck that had gotten Donnel. Nowi opened her mouth in shock as it came to a screeching halt in front of her, the windows on the passenger side suddenly rolling down.

"Ella please, sto-"

Donnel's voice was cut off as his head was suddenly shoved down with the overwhelming force that was ultimately nothing more than a notebook held between a set of slim, pale hands. Nowi cocked her head slightly, squinting her eyes to make out the text.

"Would. You. Like. A. Ride. To. The. Diner…" she read slowly, making sure to underline each word with her finger. Ella finally removed her notepad from it's perch, smiling brightly at Nowi. Donnel meekly lifted his head, glancing at her out of the corner of his eye.

Then, smiling brightly, Nowi smiled.

"Sure!"

o.0.o.0.o

Cordelia stared up at the stars on the rooftop of her dorm. Though she wasn't supposed to technically be here, she needed a chance to escape the small little dormroom that she currently felt trapped in.

In every aspect of her life, Cordelia had succeeded. She was not from a particularly prosperous or impressive family, just a small little family a couple towns over. Her father owned a small lumbering business that sold seasonal flowers, plants, and trees depending on the occasion, while her mother worked as a teacher. Since her father needed as much help as he could get with the business and the vast expanse of flowers and trees, she was not an only child. In fact, she was the youngest of seven, and evidently, the one whom their parents put their highest expectations on.

It didn't matter what Cordelia tried or attempted to do. She excelled at it all. Academics, sports, work, even her own beauty seemed to surpass what was deemed normal in the little town. Though she was sung many praises, she tried to not let it all go to her head too quickly. After all, her siblings were quick to bring her back to earth if she started getting a little too arrogant.

So it didn't come as a surprise to most of the townspeople that, when she graduated high school and applied to Shield of Flames, she not only got accepted, but practically got a free ride. What did surprise her family, however, was when a woman by the name of Phila Shore appeared on her doorstep just as she was entering high school.

Claiming to be a private doctor employed by a very prestigious family, Phila spoke as if she knew her unsettlingly well. The woman promised that she would cover any expenses for schooling, so long as she became her apprentice. Cordelia remembered the call like it was yesterday, as vivid as ever. In her town, she had never seen such a woman, a woman so cleanly dressed and nicely put together, radiating beauty and confidence. Don't get her wrong, there's was something beautiful about the pure nature in her little hometown, along with the purity of it's people's hearts and minds. However, it wasn't compared to the demand for attention that Phila apparently had.

Cordelia very badly wanted to be like Phila, though… A part of her was afraid. She had been teased before for kissing up to teachers and coaches, relentlessly pushed around in middle school for the most miniscule things from her peers. She did not want others to think that she had again manipulated some imaginary system, so she decline the offer to be tutored by Phila… in person, at least. Phila had later worked out a deal where she would help Cordelia thrive via online courses and video chat, eventually leading up to Cordelia wanting to become a doctor, just like her.

To become a strong, beautiful doctor just like Phila had, specifically going out and searching for talented youth and igniting their passion in education… That is what Cordelia prayed to become a fraction of. However, it was becoming harder and harder to ignite the passion of others when her coursework was getting harder and harder, and she seemed to just keep falling behind.

Her first year was grueling, to say the least. But while some of the students seemed to be doing okay, Cordelia herself was struggling to memorize basic medical terminology. And it wasn't as if her intellectual genius was starting to fail her now; she was still breezing through her pre-requisite classes with flying colors, but her medical courses… It was almost as if her brain had somehow formed a natural blockade to the information.

And so, to escape the room, to escape her own mind berating itself for it's incapabilities, she exited onto the fire escape, and instead of climbing down, she climbed up until she hit a landing. There, she just stared at the stars, allowing the cool breeze to embrace her. The air here was nothing like it was at home, like the city lights made the sky duller, sadder… less pure.

As she noted this, filed and tucked away in the back of her mind, Cordelia heard the sound of cellophane crinkling. Jolting, her eyes scanned the rooftop, overlooking where the sound could have come from, only to see it came from a duffle bag unceremoniously tossed up onto the roof. She neared it slowly, curiously, only to again startle back when a hand suddenly shot up, followed by an arm and the rest of the body.

"Stahl!" she exclaimed, placing a hand over her racing heart with hopes to calm it. "Why on earth… What are you doing?"

"Cordelia?" Stahl blinked at her, then grinned a calm, easygoing smile. "Oh, hello. Good thing you said something, otherwise, I would've been in for a good scare!"

"That didn't answer my question." Cordelia responded. "What are you doing?"

"Oh, well," Stahl walked closer to her and dropped the bag, opening it. Inside, Cordelia saw a plethora of snacks, as well as his laptop and a few textbooks. "See, my roommates are great, but they're not exactly fun to study around."

"You got a bad draw in roommates?" Cordelia cocked her head.

"Something like that." Stahl had a strained grin as he lifted his head again. "They're not bad people… Just… one's a drama major, so everything tends to be a production. The other is into music, so he's always blasting it, and the fourth is just a really loud snorer."

"And let me guess, he's sharing the room with you?"

"No." Stahl spoke bluntly. "He's just that loud."

"Oh." Cordelia swallowed awkwardly. "Then I won't disturb you, then, if you're so desperate that you climbed on the roof…"

"Nah, it's fine." Stahl ripped open a bag of cookies, offering one to her. "Eat a snack and sit down. What're you doing up here? No offense or nothing, but we're not supposed to be up here… And you kinda don't break rules!"

"I just needed a place to escape, in private." Cordelia sighed. "A break from studying."

"Oh, tell me about it!" Stahl laughed. "Man, have you ever tried to memorize medical terms when you've got a freight-train snorer in your apartment? It's awful."

"You're having trouble?" Cordelia cocked her head, finding perhaps a bit of comfort in the fact that she wasn't the only one struggling with all of this. Stahl chuckled, then shook his head.

"Oh, not at all. Both my dad and my brother work in the pharmacy business, and I'm following suit. So they've already given me all the tips and tricks for memorizing them."

Cordelia, for a moment, felt her hopes get dashed a little. Even Stahl was understanding this? Not that she was bragging or anything, but she always thought that she would excell far past most of her friends when it came to school. Stahl was… Stahl was very average, in everything except his appetite.

"It'll be easier to show you than to explain, to be honest." Stahl pushed the cookies into her lap and pulled out his laptop. "C'mon, sit down, I'll show you."

Slowly kneeling beside him, Cordelia peered over his shoulder as he pulled up a powerpoint image on his laptop. Clicking a certain slide, she was greeted with a cartoonish rendition of a truck.

"Okay, so take for instance, how 'gastr' means stomach." he glanced at her to make sure that she was paying attention. "So, in order to remember it, you replace the gas tank on the image with an image of a stomach."

Stahl explained as he tapped a key again. This time, the gas tank was changed to a stomach. It was a fairly strange image.

"And remembering that image will help you remember the term." Stahl smiled. "So, to remember it, I say "'gastr', gas truck, stomach." And I remember."

"That really works?" Cordelia asked, surprised.

"Yeah, it does." Stahl nodded with a grin. "Wanna try another one?"

"Alright…" Cordelia nodded.

"Alright, try this then." Stahl smiled as he changed the slide. "Let's try the term 'cardi' next. Now, 'cardi' sounds like the word 'cards'."

"Okay…" Cordelia nodded as an image of two people holding cards appeared below the word at Stahl's tap.

"So, 'cardi' means heart and this is the image we get as a result." Stahl said as he tapped a key once again. The cards suddenly were replaced with realistic cartoon hearts, not the Valentine's ones Cordelia expected. "And with this, the order is 'cardi', cards, heart."

"And this really helps?" Cordelia asked in disbelief.

"Let's see." Stahl grinned. "What does 'gastr' mean?"

Cordelia opened her mouth, immediately wanting to say gallbladder, but stopped herself as she rethought what Stahl had just taught her. Exhaling the horror that overcame her, she opened her mouth and spoke.

"Stomach."

"See? You did it!" Stahl grinned. Cordelia smiled, hoping to keep up with his attitude.

"Stahl, that was amazing!" Cordelia grinned brightly at him. "I can't seem to remember any of these terms for the life of me. Would you help me? I'd pay you for tutoring me."

"Hey, now, there's no need to pay me!" Stahl protested. "I'd be happy to help you for free, you're my friend, Cordelia."

"Well, thank you."

Cordelia stood, smiling down at him.

"I won't bother you here, then, if you're trying to get some studying done. Thank you for your help," she held out the cookies with a smile. "And the cookies."

"Hey, anytime." Stahl grinned, taking the package from her. "Careful climbing down, okay?"

"I will." Cordelia smiled, turning back to the fire escape.

As she began to climb back to her room, however, a sad, depressing feeling slowly washed over her. She was sincerely nervous that she may had accidentally taught herself all the terms wrong… And now she was going to have to unwravel that and try to relearn it before the first test.

o.0.o.0.o

Hello everyone! Now, before I discuss this chapter with you all...

*fireworks explode and confetti rains down from the air*

Happy birthday Amy47101! I've been planning this since we began working on ideas for VAU together and I'm glad I was able to keep it a surprise from you! This chapter is my return gift to you for posting the last chapter of Unbreakable Ties on my birthday!

To the rest of you, here's how VAU came to be as an explanation: Amy coincidentally updated UT on my birthday this year and, once I told her this fact, promised to always update it, or at least try, on my birthday from now on. I thought that was so sweet that I said, in return, that I would write a Fire Emblem story, since that was the fandom that tied us to each other in the first place, and update it every year on her birthday as well. Once I figured out what kind of story I wanted to do, I started explaining it to Amy, because she was curious. In the end, she volunteered to help me write it and, ever since then, we've become partners! This story would not be what it is without her and I am eternally grateful to have met her in the first place. Thank you so much, Amy, I hope you enjoyed your surprise!

Now, onto the chapter!

There are a few hints in here of another FE game being involved in this story, lets see if you all can figure out what game they're from or even who the newest character in this story is. As an explanation, Echoes of Voices is our version of Facebook.

And the scene at the end with Cordelia and Stahl. That method of memorizing medical terminology was a method a teacher used in a class for me once. I learned and memorized about 300 medical terms that way, and once you know the basics it's easier to work out what the ones you don't know mean. The method really works, 'gastr, gastruck, stomach' was actually the first one we ever learned so it's stuck with me, and I thought it'd be a nice twist to our planned arc with Cordelia and Stahl.

Okay, that's all for that.

Thank you to Amy47101 (Sure, 99 and a half, sure, I believe you...*sarcastically nods sagely*) for reviewing along with all 7 followers, 4 favorites and all 290 readers!

Some of you may have noticed the change in main characters. This was simply a decision Amy and I agreed on for the story. Robin, or in this story Rosalie, will not be appearing for a bit yet, but she is extremely important, so I think it's fair to include her and Chrom as main characters.

Okay, I think I've talked your guys ears off enough now. *sheepish smile* Please leave a review to let us know what you think! See you later!