Fire Emblem Hearts

Chapter 4

Settling in

Kazuki didn't really know what to do. He hadn't been in a situation where he had to speak to royalty. Sure, he could talk to Lissa and Chrom, but he had met them as regular people. Emmeryn was different. She was the older sister, the Exalt of Ylisse. He didn't want to make an absolute idiot of himself. It hadn't taken him long to realize that Maribelle was most likely a noble. By her attitude and how she spoke, it was easy to figure out. He had already made a fool of himself in front of her. This however was different, and he was clearly out of his element. He just decided to do what people on television did. He was calm, quiet, collected and walked as straight as he could. Of course that only made him look like he was struggling to be a posh royal. His tail was sticking straight down, completely firm and his ears were completely straight.

"I'm sure you are wondering why I...is something the matter?" the woman asked, causing the boy to stop. He looked at her with a firm expression on his face. He was sure his face was pale, and was close to passing out.

"I uh...um...I don't."

"Please, speak freely. I understand you're nervous, but I promise I won't bite." Emmeryn said softly, causing the boy to sigh.

"My apologies, milady. I'm just...I've never dealt with royalty before, and before you say something, I didn't know Chrom and Lissa were royalty when we met." he admitted, causing her to smile.

"I was sure that was the case. Just treat me as a normal person."

"I'll...I'll try too...my apologies if I act weird." Kazuki said nervously. The woman brushed him off, turning away from him. They walked in silence, as they moved back toward the throne room. It was empty, save for Commander Phila, who was there for security reasons. She gave the Exalt a nod as the two passed, holding her spear to strike at a moment's notice.

"I suppose you're curious as to why I've wanted to speak with you." the exalt said, turning to face the young man. He nodded silently.

"I am...does it involve the Alryne mission I was assigned?"

"No no...nothing like that. Would you mind if I asked you some questions?"

"Of course milady, I'll be sure to answer them to the best of my ability." Kazuki said, placing his hands behind his back. She nodded, pausing for a moment, as if to gather her thoughts. After a moment, she voiced her first question.

"What do you know of the keyblade?"

"Not much I'm afraid. I just know that it has the power to set hearts free. It also has the power to open any lock, and lock any door. It can be used as a medium for magic as well." he replied.

"I see...do you know how you became a keyblade wielder?" she asked, causing him to frown.

"I don't remember exactly. I believe I had a dream...I don't recall it exactly. All I remember was fighting...something. It was hazy, but the enemies were the Heartless. They looked like the Risen, now that I think about it." Kazuki replied.

"It's known as an Awakening. Heroes of yore, keyblade wielders like you, could awaken to new power. Should their hearts be strong enough, they'd be granted blades of their own. I believe your heart was strong enough for one, and you received yours." Emmeryn replied, earning a confused look from the boy.

"The keyblade chose me? But I've never done anything of importance...other than forget my friend that is." he said sadly.

"I don't know much of the keyblade myself, as I said before. All I know is what I've read. Now, one final question...you aren't from this world, are you?"

Kazuki froze, not having expected her to ask that question. He didn't exactly know how to reply to her. She had a blank look on her face, completely unreadable. He briefly wondered what she was thinking about. Was she just curious? Or was she asking him this for other reasons?

"Should I tell her? I'm gonna have too...I can't exactly lie to the Exalt after all." he thought, frowning slightly. He briefly remembered the voice, warning him about World Order. But in this instance, he'd have to break that rule.

"Lady Emmeryn, I'm not from this world. I come from another world entirely. I'm not exactly sure what I'm doing here. All I remember is that I woke up after having a weird dream. The ground around me shattered and I woke up in a cold dark place. This hooded man taunted me, said something about me forgetting who I was. He opened a portal under my feet and I woke up here. I honestly don't know what I'm doing here, or why I was chosen by the keyblade." he admitted, sighing a bit. He felt relieved to have told someone his secret.

"You don't know why you were chosen by the keyblade. You have no reason to aid us, and yet you chose to join the Shepherds. Why is that exactly?"

"I...well...I don't know how to go home. It's odd really...have you ever woken up and felt off? As if everything you've been living for awhile was all a dream?" Kazuki asked curiously. His ears had perked up a bit, awaiting the woman's answer. She shook her head, glancing away from him.

"I can't say that I have. There are times where I feel certain things are a dream but...in the sense that you've explained, no."

"I see...well, I wouldn't expect you too. It's weird for me to describe...my friend Sabishii feels real. My friend Akira feels real...but for some reason everything else doesn't. It was as if I was asleep and awake at the same time. I probably sound like a crazy person." he admitted, laughing a bit.

"No...you don't. A man who feels like he was living a dream is more believable than dark creatures who steal hearts. Yet both of them seem to correlate with one thing. Your keyblade. It brought you here for a reason."

"It did? It can do that?"

"Yes, according to that old tome I read, keyblades are granted to champions. They appear only when the world is plunged into danger. The appearance of Heartless in Ylisse is worrying. These creatures are dangerous. They're attracted to dark thoughts and emotions. I fear our conflict with Plegia may cause a catastrophe."

"A catastrophe? Like what exactly?" Kazuki asked curiously. She turned away from him, glancing at the portrait that hung above the throne.

"1000 years ago, the Fell Dragon Grima almost destroyed the world. The Hero King Marth, our ancestor, destroyed him with the Falchion, the blade that Chrom wields. It is made from the fang of the Divine Dragon Naga. When Grima was slain, those that followed him created a cult, the Grimleal. They worship the Fell Dragon, some even sacrifice people to him. They believe they can revive the Fell Dragon." Emmeryn explained, causing the boy to bite his lip.

His throat had become dry, and he almost found it hard to find words to say. He closed his eyes for a moment, remembering his dream. The Heartless Dragon he fought made him shiver in fear. Had that been Grima's Heartless? Or was that just another part of the dream.

"Do you believe the Fell Dragon will return? Is that why the keyblade chose me?"

"I am not certain...what I am certain of, is that you are destined for greatness. It was by pure chance that you arrived here when you did. I am not going to ask you to fight for me, or for anyone. You should do what you feel is right in your heart." the exalt said, facing the young man once more.

"What's right in my heart?" he mumbled, glancing at the red runner.

"Kazuki, you must always remember...if something feels odd to you, if something doesn't seem right, don't ever do it. You have to do what's right in your heart. Even if someone asks something of you that you don't agree with." the female voice said firmly.

"So...if you asked me to run around town naked, I can decide not to do it?"

"Why must it be perverted with you? I wouldn't ever ask you that."

"Hehe...I was just asking." the male voice replied.

"What I meant was, if someone asks you to do something, and you feel like it's wrong, even if it's with good intentions. Just listen to your heart, it will never steer you wrong."

"Okay...does that mean...when you told me you wanted to stay out of the war...am I allowed to disobey you?" the boy asked, a little softer this time. The girl remained silent, before turning to face the boy, her face shrouded in shadow.

"I didn't ask you to stay out of it as your master. I asked you as your friend, and as your significant other. Please...just follow your heart, no matter what happens, it will lead you to mine."

"Kazuki, is something wrong?" Emmeryn asked, causing the boy to groan, clutching his head.

"Another memory." he mumbled. The exalt placed a hand on his forehead, as if checking for his temperature. She continued looking the boy over, finding a few bruises but no discernible injuries.

"How long have you had amnesia?"

"Huh? No...I don't have amnesia. I've never lost my memory." he said.

"I'm sorry to say, but the life that you have been living until now, it's probably not your real one. Your friends, your family, your loved ones...they might have all been a fragment of your imagination."

"That can't be...I refuse to believe that! Sabishii is real, Akira is real! Even if I forgot him, he's still my friend. I believe they're real, I can feel it in my heart. And my heart would never steer me wrong!" he exclaimed, a look of determination on his face. Emmeryn remained silent for a moment, before stepping back, a smile adorning her face.

"I see...it is pointless for me to change your mind then. Not when your resolve is so clear. Kazuki...there is much more to you that meets the eye. I sense an odd power within you, one that I'm sure you'll awaken too in the future. So long as you have the keyblade, and you champion the ones you love, you won't ever be lead astray. House Ylisse is honored to have someone like you," she said, bowing politely for the boy. His eyes widened in surprise, taking a step back.

"Whoa...don't do that milady, you shouldn't bow to me. I'm just a commoner."

"No...I do not believe that. I look forward to hearing of your endeavors, I'm certain you'll do wonderful things in this world. Now, I believe it's almost time for dinner. After that practice session you had with Stahl, I'm certain you'd like to wash up." Emmeryn said, causing the boy to flush.

"Oh jeez...nice one Kazuki...you smell like a dirty dog and your standing in front of a queen. You fucking dumbass." he thought, an embarrassed look on his face.

"Hehehe...yeah, I think I'm due for a bath. Thankfully, I have a spare chance of clothes with me. I'll have to buy some when I get the chance."

"Indeed, off you go. Chrom will brief you in the morning about your mission in Alryne. We've received new reports that I'd like to go over before you leave." she said.

"Okay, I'll be sure to be primed and ready milady. I'm...glad you took the chance to speak with me...I feel a bit more comfortable here. I should go, I hope you have a wonderful evening, Lady Emmeryn," he said, giving her a bow before turning to leave.

"May your heart be your guiding key."

Kazuki paused for a moment, glancing over his shoulder at the exalt. She just waved, turning to Phila who had approached her the moment the boy had left her side. His ear twitched a bit, wondering if he had heard her correctly. Shrugging it off, he decided to continue back toward the barracks. He hoped he could relax a bit in this new world, however his conversation with Emmeryn had only roused more questions.

xxx

Kazuki was very impressed with the Palace's accommodations. He had been expecting something different, but to his surprise he found a bath house. It reminded him of the one he used to frequent with his father during the weekends. Whenever they went to Ikebukuro, they would often times grab a bath. Seeing this had cheered him a bit. Even though he was far from home, some things were still the same. He had shed his clothing, keen on washing it for the next day. Thankfully he had his gym bag with him. He was happy to have at least packed some things in his backpack before he was dropped into Ylisse.

One of the stewards had given him some necessities, which he thankfully had accepted. Now that he had extra appendages, he would have to research how to take care of them. He found it embarrassing, but he figured he'd ask someone for recommendations. After all, he was technically not from Ylisse, so he would make it sound like he wanted some local products. He was careful to wash his tail, making sure it was as clean as he could get it, the last thing he needed was to get some fleas or something else. After he was clean, he decided to sit in the large bath, just to relax for a bit.

"Finally, some time for myself." he mumbled. He shook his head a bit, his long orange-auburn locks flying in all directions. He had been taken by surprise when he first saw his hair. He was used to the dark brown, but now that it was orange, it made him look a bit different.

He liked it. It was nice to see some change, though the ears and tail were something else entirely.

His eyes slowly drifted down to the water. He cupped a bit in his hand, a frown on his face. There was nothing but silence in this room, and now that it was, he could hear everything. The subtle movement of the water, far off voices. Even some chirping birds, which surprised him quite a bit. He noticed his sense of smell had gotten a lot better too, as he could subtly smell the dinner Stahl was most likely cooking. He could also smell the soap he had just used on himself. His hearing was by far the best improvement. He had two sets of ears now, human ones and fox ones. He hoped that was normal, no one had said anything to him at least.

"Maybe I should look for a book on kitsune anatomy. Nah...I'm sure someone would catch on. Gotta keep the world order stable and all." he thought, laying back slightly.

"Still...I can't believe I'm in another world. Just what happened to my own? Was that world even real? The way I felt in the Dark Realm, it was as if I had awoken from a long nap. That figure made it sound like that at least...wonder who 'she' is...I wonder why I keep hearing a girl's voice...and those odd memories...I'm just full of questions aren't I?"

His mind went back to his friend Sabishii. The last time he had seen her was at school. How was she doing? Was she okay? Did she disappear as well? Or did what happen to Akira happen to him? Had he just disappeared for her memories as if he hadn't existed?

He didn't feel better thinking about that. The fact that his best and only remaining friend, didn't remember him. He thought back on Akira as well. He remembered him quite well now. He didn't exactly he recall how they had met. But he did remember they were on a school team together. Shujin Stride. They had joined the baseball club during the fall, leaving Stride for the Early Spring and Summer months. Akira was the faster of the two, but Kazuki was a good runner himself. Sabishii had volunteered to be their relationer but had bailed on them after awhile. The two of them had become better friends because of it. He frowned.

"Akira...I wonder what happened to you man. You just disappeared on us one day. Are you even alive? Were you...ever real? I truly hope that isn't the truth. I hope you two are real...I know you are, I can feel it in my heart." he said softly.

He sighed, deciding to get out of the bath. His stomach was grumbling loudly, realizing he hadn't eaten anything since the morning. He hastily got out of the bath, heading toward the changing rooms.

"If I don't hurry, I'm gonna miss dinner. I'm so hungry I could eat a horse!" he cried out, as he quickly got dressed.

xxx

Dinner had been a bit awkward. Kazuki had eaten with the other Shepherds, and it had been nothing more than 20 questions. Most of them coming from Frederick who wanted to get to know him. Kazuki figured he was just trying to make him slip, to reveal whatever information he could. But the kitsune held firm and answered all of his questions. Sure his answers were all lies, but he sold it well enough as the truth. After awhile, he just gave up. A subtle look from Chrom let Kazuki know that the worst was over, for now.

This had also been the time he had met Sully and Virion. Sully was a charismatic young woman with vibrant red hair. She was one of the cavaliers for the Shepherds. Stahl had explained that she used a spear in battle, and was rather good with it. She took no nonsense from anyone and was serious about battle. One of the guys, according to Vaike, something that annoyed the woman enough to hit him with a wooden spoon. Virion on the other hand was completely different.

He was a suave man...or at least he tried to be. He constantly brushed a hand through his silver gray hair, and played himself like he was a noble. He was a rather prim man, and quite proper too, Kazuki noted. He had been flirting with Sumia but the klutzy knight had completely ignored him, having focused on Chrom most of the time. It hadn't taken the boy long to see how smitten she was with the Commander. He had to admit, Chrom was rather handsome, so he knew why Sumia liked him. Virion however didn't give up, and continued his smooth talking. It was at this point that Kazuki had learned that he was an Archer, and a very good one at that.

"So, how are you adjusting?" Chrom suddenly said, causing the kitsune to look up from his plate. He dabbed his lips with his napkin, not wanting to seem rude.

"It's uh...better than waking up under a tree with broken ribs." he said jokingly, causing a few people to chuckle.

"Heavens dear, did that seriously happen to you?" Maribelle piped up, earning a nod from Kazuki.

"Mhmm...felt my ribs crack with every branch I hit. Fun times." he added, taking a sip from his wine. He cringed a bit, still not used to the taste.

"What about you Robin, settling in?"

"Indeed, your library is quite extensive. With the tomes I managed to find, I was able to draft up some strategies. I'd like to talk to you after dinner. If we're marching north to Ragna Ferox, I'd like to pick a route that isn't so opened. With so many Risen and Heartless popping up, I don't want to put ourselves in danger." she said.

"Of course, we can take care of that now if you'd like. I'm pretty much done."

"Milord, is it alright if I sit in on this meeting? I'd like to be informed of our route so I may take precautions." Frederick asked. Kazuki shook his head, it was obvious he didn't want Chrom and Robin alone together.

"Kazuki, are you finished? We could start on that lesson now if you'd like."

"Sure thing Maribelle, I'd like to take care of the dishes first." he said, standing up from his seat, gathering his silverware. The others just looked at him in confusion.

"You do know the staff will take care of it right?" Sully asked curiously.

"Oh uh...right. It's just...I'm used to washing the dishes at home, you know? Up until a few weeks ago, I was living on my own." he swiftly replied.

"You needn't worry, the staff won't mind so much." the blue haired prince reassured. Kazuki nodded silently, still feeling a bit bad.

He decided not to let it bother him and decided to leave with Maribelle. It didn't take long for the pair to reach the library. Maribelle had apparently, set out some books beforehand. She gestured towards the table, taking a seat next to the books. Kazuki sat down across from her, hands on his knees. It was pretty awkward, if he cared to admit. He was sure he was blushing but he didn't want to say anything else.

"So uh...what are we reading?" he asked after a moment. Maribelle said nothing, reaching for a blank sheet of paper and a quill. She didn't say any, rather she just wrote something on the paper. She turned to him once she as done.

"This is the alphabet of Ylisse. A brief history lesson, Ylisse was once the name of this entire continent. However after the fall of Grima 1000 years ago, it was split into three equal parts. Ragna Ferox to the north, East and West, ruled by a pair of Khans, who vie for total control of the country. The Theocracy of Plegia, to the west and the Halidom of Ylisse, our country. Due to this, the language and alphabet is the same for all three nations."

"That's convenient." he said softly.

"I would certainly say so. Before we begin with reading, we must begin with writing. I added an example below using my own name, this will help you for now." Maribelle replied. The boy glanced at the bottom of the sheet, the characters she used were nothing more than odd shapes.

However, using the characters she had written on the paper, he had easily decoded what it had said. He took a clean sheet of paper, deciding to try and rewrite what she had written. He cringed a bit after he as done, his handwriting wasn't the best. Of course it was very neat when he wrote in his native language. But since he was getting used to the Ylissian Alphabet, it looked as if he had written it with his foot.

"Maribelle of Themis, is that correct?" he asked, pushing the paper toward her.

"Your handwriting is atrocious, but it is correct. We should work on your penmanship while we're at it."

"Well, I do have neat writing." Kazuki said. He grabbed the paper again, along with the quill. He dipped it into the well, and started writing. He wrote four characters on the paper, being careful with each stroke he took.

"Here we go, this is your name in my language. We use a combination of different characters for names. The first one is the character for the word True. The second, is the character for Jasmine, the third means Crimson, and the final one means Lapis. Together, we get Maribelle."

"I see, I'll admit...these characters are rather beautiful. I suppose your handwriting isn't as bad as it could be. You're very well taught for a lowborn." she admitted, causing him to frown.

"Lowborn?" Kazuki said softly.

"Apologies dear, I mean it as an insult. It's just...I'm used to seeing people like you be...well versed in various other arts."

"Thievery you mean...well I assure you, I'm not a thief. I've never stolen anything in my life. I'm just a foreigner." he replied firmly, crossing his arms with an annoyed look on his face.

"Speaking of which, Lissa told me you claim to hail from the nation of Japan. I myself am well versed in history, and I've never heard of it."

"Oh? I don't blame you, I mean...it is kind of far from here." he said, scratching his neck in feigned embarrassment. Maribelle said nothing as she pulled out a book, a rather thick one at that. She turned to a map of the world and placed it before him.

"Would you be so kind as to point to it? Perhaps I could gleam some information for the future."

"Oh shit...this is a test...she's probably wary of me. Given the fact that she calls Lissa her treasure, she must be trying to protect her. Nice job Kazuki, you dumb shit. Now you'll have to tell her about the world order too..." he thought, as he looked at the book. His ears twitched a bit, a ghost of a smile appearing on his lips.

"Or I can just cheese it...looks to me like I'm going to be doing that a lot in this world." he thought as he pointed to a random country. Maribelle looked at it, quirking a brow.

"The nation of Hoshido, that's where you come from?" she asked.

"Yes...that's where I come from. You see, we call it something else in Hoshido. It's called Nippon, and if we use those characters I showed you." he paused, carefully writing the name Hoshido in Katakana, before showing it to the woman. "You get this."

"I see...well it seems you've confused several people. Perhaps you should clear things up with the others. They may think ill of you, especially if they believe you're from a country that isn't real. Incidentally, Hoshido happens to be on good terms with Ylisse. I've never met someone from there, what is it like?"

"It's very beautiful. There are sakura trees everywhere, and in the spring they bloom at once. The air is filled with pink flower petals. The fields are lush and green and the forests are serene and quiet. It's a nice nation to live in. Admittedly, I'm not really aware of political events and the like, we did live in a village in the mountains after all...way cut off from everyone else." Kazuki said, hoping she would buy it. She gave him a nod, turning the book to her.

"Hmm...they've had their fair share of tragedies. You are aware of what happened to their king correct? King Sumeragi?"

"Uh...yes, he was killed wasn't he?"

"That's correct, it seems the King of Nohr wanted to make a peace treaty, to end hostilities. However that was just a rouse to lure him out, as a plot to kill him. I was only 6 years old when this happened, so I only remember what my father told me." Maribelle said, a small frown on her face. Kazuki sighed, feeling genuine sadness. Here he was, pretending to be part of a nation he hadn't even heard of. He felt like a scumbag, but he had to protect the world order as well. He didn't know why, but he just had to.

"I don't remember much myself, I was around that age too. Perhaps we should continue where we left off. Would you be interested in learning Hoshidan? I could teach you a bit if you'd like. It would be a compromise, since you are teaching me how to write in Ylissian." Kazuki suggested. The pink clad woman remained silent for a few moments, a small smile gracing her lips.

"I believe we have an accord, however your lessons come first. Let us practice writing the alphabet separately. Once I deem your handwriting is good enough, we can move on to sentences and structure."

"Okay." he said, trying to sound eager. While he was eager to learn something new, he looking forward to doing work of a 1stgrader.

xxx

"Kazuki, are you alright?" a concerned Sumia asked, when she noticed the kitsune laying on the ground. He groaned a bit as he opened his eyes, meeting the concerned eyes of the pink clad knight.

"I'm fine."

"You don't sound fine."

"Oh...well my mind is fine, but my body isn't. Frederick put me through the wringer. I didn't think he'd actually make me do one hundred push ups. Not only that, when my arms were noodles, he felt the need to make me run. So now my legs are also noodles." he said, earning a giggle from the girl.

"I know the feeling, but you'll get used to it eventually. Come on, we'll be late for our mission if we don't leave now." she said, holding her hand out. Kazuki sighed, taking a hold of it, rather than her helping him up, he pulled her down. He let out an 'oof' eyes widening as the air left his lungs.

"Oh gods, Sumia...I can't breathe."

"Gah! Kazuki, I'm so sorry!" she cried, hastily getting up. At the same time, Maribelle had entered the barracks, noticing the kitsune laying on the ground. She quirked a brow, resting her parasol against her shoulder.

"What exactly are you doing?"

"I'm dying...help me." the kitsune wheezed, his face contorted in pain.

"He just finished exercising with Frederick. I tried to help him up but I just ended up falling on him." Sumia admitted. Maribelle sighed as she reached into her pocket for a small bottle of glowing liquid. She knelt down before the boy, uncorking the bottle, practically forcing the liquid into his throat.

"This should ease your muscle pain. Try to get used to it dear, you are a soldier now." she said. Kazuki coughed, almost choking on the drink. He sat up, feeling his fatigue melting away.

"Hah...thanks Maribelle, what was that exactly?"

"Vulnerary, it's a magical potion which helps us in battle. They'll help with minor injuries and fatigue. Don't get used to it though, you'll have to buy your own next time." she replied, looking away from the boy. He said nothing as he stood up, sighing contently.

"Well, as long as the pain is gone, I suppose it's time for us to go. How far is Alryne again?" he asked curiously.

"It's not far from Ylisstol. It's exactly two miles from here, we should make it there in one hour on horseback."

"Horseback?"

"Yes, that isn't a problem, is it dear?" Maribelle asked, earning a chuckle from the boy. He rubbed his neck in embarrassment.

"I've uh...never ridden a horse before."

"Not a problem, I had assumed you didn't know how to ride a horse. The Shepherds don't have any spare mounts, so you'll be riding with me." the blonde said, pulling on her gloves.

"What about Sumia?"

"Oh, I'll be borrowing a Pegasus from the off duty knights. You've never been on one right? You can ride with me if you'd like, I'm sure Maribelle wouldn't mind." she said, earning a cringe from the boy.

"Yeah, considering you almost killed me earlier, I'd rather not. I have a fear of hitting the ground at terminal velocity." Kazuki said, a sheepish look on her face. Sumia looked a bit down, but regained her composure.

"Ah, it's a good thing I caught you before you left. Kazuki it seems another report has come in. Villagers have spotted an oddly dressed man around town. Aside from that, more people have been killed by the Heartless. It's become so serious that we had to send a few our elite knights there to take care of them." Chrom said, handing the boy the report. He read it over, eyes slowly widening.

"A figure dressed in black? Grr...that guy from before...it has to be him."

"Don't worry Chief, I'll take care of this." he said, earning a thankful look from the prince.

"Many thanks friend, you'll be in charge of this mission then. I've seen your strength and skill against these things. The Pegasus Knights have been given their orders, to follow yours as if I gave them. I trust that you'll be able to handle it?"

"I will, you needn't worry about this." he said confidently.

"I shall ensure we receive no losses on our end, milord. I shall take care of the injured as well. We'll take care of this problem and return here posthaste."

"Thank you Maribelle, I'm glad you volunteered. Well, I'll leave you too it, I hope to hear good news when you return." Chrom said, with that he took off. Kazuki said nothing as he followed Sumia and Maribelle towards the front of the castle, where their mounts were waiting.

"I can't believe Chrom gave me command of the Pegasus Knights...that's so cool! Erm...I mean, it's terrible that we have more casualties than before. That bastard...what the hell is he doing? Is he controlling the heartless? If so then why is he bringing them here?"

"Kazuki, this is Vera. She'll be our mount for the day, she's a sweetheart so I'm sure you two will get along." Maribelle said, pulling him from his thoughts.

Before him stood a beautiful white mare. She was a lot larger than he had expected. He'd never seen a horse up close before, so he didn't exactly have a frame of reference. She snorted a bit, biting down on the bit. She had a beautiful white mane, neatly brushed and decorated with some pink ribbons. He noticed the pink saddle that had been strapped onto the horse. The armor plate at the front had Maribelle's name, as well as Vera's name and the seal of Ylisse.

"This is who I'll be taking with me, her name is Francheska. Isn't she cute?" Sumia added, standing next to a Pegasus, who was happily rubbing against her. His eyes widened a bit when he noticed the flapping wings, a few feathers floating about.

"Wow...a real Pegasus...I've never seen one before. Hey, if pegasi exist, does that mean there are unicorns too?" he asked curiously. Maribelle let out a small giggle, shaking her head.

"I've never seen a unicorn dear, though I don't exactly doubt they exist. Now come on, I help you up." she replied, holding her hand out. He slipped a foot into one of the stirrups, easily getting onto the horse. Vera moved slightly, probably not used to the extra weight. Once she had settled, she gave another snort.

"We're uh...not gonna go too fast are we?" he asked.

"Of course, we haven't a moment to spare. The more we wait the more people will die. Just hang on to me dear, we'll be there soon." Maribelle said, grabbing onto the reins. The boy swallowed hard, not exactly knowing what to do. He placed a single hand on her waist, looking up at the sky.

"You'll fall off if you hold on like that."

"I uh...I'm sorry, it's just...my mom told me not to hold get fresh with women." he said. Sumia let out a giggle, only for Maribelle to glare at her. She quieted down, deciding to check on Francheska. Maribelle took a hold of both of Kazuki's hands, wrapping them firmly around her waist.

"There we are, you have my full permission dear. After all this is an emergency, now hang on tight. We shall be arriving in Alryne within the hour, if we make good time."

"O-okay." Kazuki said nervously. He closed his eyes as the two took off, he tightened his hold on the noble. While she was expecting to befriend the new recruit, she hadn't expected to be this friendly with him. She merely shook her head, her focus on the mission at hand.

A/N: Hello people of fanfiction! This has been chapter 4 of Fire Emblem Hearts! If you noticed, I changed Takumi's name to Kazuki, the name suggested to me by Banru. Thanks again for the suggestion, I really like that name now, and it's a lot better than Takumi in my honest opinion. This chapter was a bit short, and thats because originally, it was a lot longer. I was going to include the beginning of Kazuki's first mission to the Smithing Town of Alryne. But I decided to make that its own chapter. The story is finally going to pick up, as the events of Chapter 5 are fast approaching.

30 Seconds To Mars This is War Intensifies!

You'll also get to see some of our main antagonists for this story, not just our regular mooks from Fire Emblem Awakening, but also some from Kingdom Hearts. Kazuki will begin questioning himself a lot, why is he in Ylisse? Why did the Keyblade Choose him? Who's the girl in his memory, the one who he keeps remembering but can't seem to recall her name? Who's the hooded man who seems to know him? None of these questions shall be answered, I assure you! Lol

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. The next one won't be long, it's currently in the editing phase, so it shall be out by weeks end, maybe. See you all later! Stay Frosty!