Disclaimer: Still don't own anything of Fire emblem.

... A tale about a farewell...

"Huh..." The light... it hurts my eyes... sigh... it's morning already... I'm still so tired... It's been a whole week after that 'incident'... However, something is bugging me, "Kolly..." I really didn't know Laguz slept naked... That is the very reason that kept me awake half-night long, arguing with Nina that I wouldn't allow that... Something went terribly wrong in that conversation and I ended up nodding off at some point just outside the door... "Ahn... Kolly? Where are ya honey?" That playful voice... it's sending chills down my spine. She's been teasing me to no end... I don't know if my heart can stand another day like this...

"I'm right outside, I told you, I wouldn't stay in there if you kept at it again" It's embarrassing... I don't really know how to put it into words, but...

"But Kolly, I want you to be besides me, to protect me..." "Ah..." My heart skips a beat at the sensation, feeling how she leans on my body, I don't even know how she opened the door without making a single noise! "I want you to..." She starts purring like a jinxed cat as she moves her body against mine.

"P-please stop Nina!" I scream out nervously as I scramble to my feet, I can tell my face is completely red, and that I will faint if this goes on... "What a bummer! Kolly, you know you're so fun to tease! If you could only relax and follow along" She says while stretching out, leaning even more on my back... it's soft... her soft, perfectly tanned skin... NOooo! Darn it, stop thinking that!

"Anyways, I'll get breakfast ready!" She sighs as she gets up, looking a bit defeated, her light footsteps passes by me and swiftly dashes down the stairs before I can even say a thing... She went down naked, didn't she...?

This is getting way out of hand... on top of that... Mina didn't come today, I'd really like her to help with this. I'm already losing it... "That's right, I have to get ready" I had forgotten, there's not much gold left, I planned on going to the town and find a job, but... I really doubt it... I have the feeling something might happen today... and it seems quite scary...

Now, I have to wake up Lethe or she'll just skip on breakfast. She's still growing, so she really needs to... "OUCH!" M-my back!

"Hi Koel, did you slept well?" Lethe said with a sweet, little voice… That immediately removed the pain of my back.

"Yeah, at least this time you didn't dig your claws on my shoulders as always" Lethe just chuckled as I continued walking downstairs…

"That smells really good!" Lethe commented as we entered the kitchen, there I found a still naked Nina, cooking some fishes that she had caught last night… Naked?... Oh for the love of…

"The food is ready!" Nina cheerfully shouts, to my dismay, launching some old, invaluable glasses and plates in the air… "H-hey! Nina!" I scream out of fear... she ignores me and throws the fish into the air, smoothly landing on the already falling dishes… Suddenly, dish after dish disappeared into the air, just to reappear in the table, setting it for us to eat…

"Hey, Kolly, why do you have to do that spell all the time?" She asks with an annoyed look in her face... as if she had the right to get angry...

"I don't have other choice, I get really nervous every time you do that!" I shout back…

"Oh well" She sighed. "I'll do it later then" As much as I wanted to answer, I had already turned around, Nina's big breasts are just bouncing everywhere... seriously, I'm really going to lose it at this rate... "Gah!" Suddenly, all of my back gets skinned nice and slowly as Lethe slides down using her claws… again…

"Let's eat!" She shouted just as she hopped into one of the chairs… I however have to return to the room and get myself cured, I don't want to bleed to death on such an important day... "It's no use, isn't it...?" I sigh as I realize I can't fool myself, since morning I've felt that if I go to town something bad might happen... I'll have to shake it off... now, where is that staff my mother gifted me? Ah, here it is. Now some clothes...

"Wh-what? You've already...?" I squirm as I find the table empty, except for a small note, "You took so long we went out fishing", those two… worst of all... they most likely did went for a fish to eat a lunch... I'm already sick of it... "They didn't even leave food for me..."

With a slight grumble coming from my stomach, and the weariness… I set out of the home and walk toward the town.

"Good luck trying to find a job Kolly" I turn around, finding Nina waving her hands from the nearby trees, I smile, she did wait for me… wait a minute... "NINA, PUT SOME CLOTHES ON, DAMMIT!"

I'm getting this really weird feeling... like if I shouldn't have come here after all... I wonder if I feel this because everyone is staring at me intently, or because some of the people actually accused me of hiding a pair of murderers at my home... I can't help but to shiver inwardly, staying any longer than needed might really have consequences... I'll just go to Mina's and say hi before leaving. With things as they are, I'll have to find a way of making money at the neighboring town. I'm not surprised... neither my mother nor my father were in good terms with people in town, they're just taking it on me now.

Anyways, onward I go, I said I would visit Mina before getting the hell out of here.

As I dash through the streets I only get grim stares and nefarious things shouted and thrown to me, I actually avoided the majority of their shots... but the bleeding coming from my head was caused by a unidentified flying horseshoe that accurately nailed my forehead on its way down. Pressing on the wound I just concentrate on reaching the healers' home conscious.

The rest home comes into view, the verbal onslaught continues as I come to the worn down stairs at the entrance. "Mister Carseno! Mina!" I cry out loud, and knock on the door, anxious as the cold gazes start aiming for my back, head and throat. But, surprisingly, no one answers, I knock again... "Is this guy an idiot?" What...? My face turns pale, I can see it just like if I was looking through a mirror, as more and more whispers come from behind the door...

"What the hell is this kid doing here anyways?"

"Is he stupid enough?" They continue... They talk just loud enough for me to hear through the door... But I don't give up... I know, I just know Mina or Mister Carseno will come and open the door, "Let me in, please" But I only get death wishes... I can't... believe it... Darn it! "Mina! Open the door, I beg of you!" The only reply is the door being locked from the inside... My throat just clenches up, finally one of the voices inside speaks "Get the hell out of here already!" My legs lose strength all of the sudden, and I stagger back in a shock. I can't just leave, I still have to see Mina, but the killing stares grow in number at an overwhelming speed. I can't stay any longer.

"Koel..." A hoarse, tired voice calls my name, I try to turn around but before I do, a small hand reaches my arm and the person pulls me out of there, walking hastily at first, then jogging at an increasing speed, until the girl that always had come to my help and me end up running with all our might out of the town. I look back surprised without stopping, we came out of there practically unscathed, unlike my run in.

"Mi... na..." I gasp her name just as we stop, I look at her, but I my eyes only met her back and I become alarmed, her clothes are a bit ragged and there are some dark stains on it too. "Wh-what..." My chest oppresses me into shutting up, my throat still closed to a major transit of air. I stand behind her in the awkward silence of our ragged breathes until I finally calm down a bit. "Mina, what happened to you...!" I reach for Mina's shoulder to turn her around, but everything becomes fuzzy for a moment, as my cheek starts pounding hard in pain. I look down for a moment... Mina just slapped me. "Wh..." I grit my teeth, my first thought is to ask her why she hit me, but I stop. I hadn't realized until now that her jagged breathes had changed into a quiet cry... "Mina?" I look at her face, and I go even paler than before... A sense of guilt and repent drowns me as I see Mina, her eyes red from crying, her clothes are indeed ragged... and burned slightly, her whole body is bruised all over. At the sight of the girl looking so pitiful I stop breathing. "Y... you..." Her voice sounds so hoarse and shaky, it only makes me feel worse. "... Idiot" Even thought I heard much worse back in town. I suddenly feel stabbed in the chest twice, her tired eyes looking at me accusingly and her lips that move without sound "It's all your fault"

"What...!" My face is met by Mina's hand once again, only stronger than before, plunging the knife that her words had planted in my chest even further... My world stops but not hers... not knowing what else to do, I just stand in front of her, looking down out of remorse and regret... clenching my hands as Mina continues to lash at me... once, twice, a third and a fourth, every hit becoming stronger. I just continue to receive her anger with closed eyes, my mouth tastes metallic, but I don't move...

After the ninth everything quiets down, only the sounds of her sobbing and the wind rocking the branches remain, I gulp the metallic taste down, and gather enough will, to open an eye... Mina's arm are crossed over her chest, her hands clutching her ragged sleeves, her whole body trembling uncontrollably and tears trickling. I look away... I just can't bear looking at her like that... I feel so useless... what am I supposed to do?

Without notice, Mina just lets herself fall to her knees, letting out one sorrowful cry. "Why? Why won't you say anything back" I crouch down, still not knowing what to say, reaching for her shoulders again. She lifts her head meeting her eyes with mine and, crying like a little girl, she leans on me. ""I'm sorry, Koel, I'm sorry" I almost jump in surprise as Mina starts apologizing desperately, it feels wrong, apologizing to me like this, I feel even worse.

Then everything becomes quiet, sitting in the middle of the forest supporting Mina who just lies on my chest now. I hear her breathing softly, look at her groggily rubbing her eyes delicately, she had fallen asleep for a moment, after she let everything out on me like that, I wasn't really surprised. "Good, you calmed down" Her eyes move to meet mine, I smile at her, but she immediately puts a sad face. "Koel... please, forgive me"

"No, I should be the one apologizing, I made you angry for some reason." I say sincerely, but Mina shakes her head, sitting up with my help, Mina flashes a faint smile that disappears as soon as she looks back at me. "It doesn't hurt, don't worry" she looks at me surprised for a moment, as if asking if I had read her mind, but she was staring intently at my cheek, it wasn't difficult to figure, but it does hurt, a lot... she did punch at the end. She sighs relieved, but looking a bit dazed.

"No... I wanted to blame all of this on someone... You were so concerned and yet I..." Her voice trails of, still, I can see in her eyes she wants to say something, she looks to the right again and again, hesitating to tell me, finally, she takes a deep breath, deciding to continue, with tears welling on her eyes.

"Koel... My grandfather... he died yesterday..." wh-what...? "There was a fire on our house... and he couldn't get out..." I can't fall apart on Mina now... She would be alone if it weren't for me now... But, I can't help but curse... why is this happening to Mina and the others? Argh... I'm crying, I just can't believe it, even Mister Carseno...

"Koel...?"

"It's nothing... anyways, do you have a place to sleep?" She looks surprised for a moment, and then sighs, looking at me in the eyes, she tells me with her sole glare that she doesn't… I just can't leave her like this.

"You can stay at my place… if you want to"

"Are you serious?" Her eyes lights up, I nod weakly, and she smiles at me… The same smile that she gave me when I woke up at the rest home… Suddenly, a though crosses my mind just like that…

"Did you save any clothes from your house?" She shakes her head nervously…

"We'll do something about that later…"

"..."

"..." We walk quietly, I can't even bring myself to rise my face... It's just one after another... tragedies keep following me... and latching onto my friends and family.

"Sigh..." It is peaceful thought, I haven't been like this with Mina since we first met, she clings of my clothes as if fearing I might go missing if she didn't do it. Weirdly... I feel awkward. The feeling that something bad has happened still won't leave my mind... If what happened to Mina isn't the bad thing that is supposed to happen... Then what is it?

"Koel, look" Mina says nervously, following her finger I take a look, I quickly spot what's wrong... the door has been bashed down! "No, Nina, Lethe!" I stuttered, fearing the worst.

Making a mad dash, I enter the house. "P-please… let Lethe go" My sight fails me as soon as I enter from the shock of the scene I find in here. The splotches of blood everywhere, a pool of red right in the middle of the room, 2 figures stand there. Two armored men, and on the ground lies a begging girl, impaled all the way through her stomach into the floor by a sword, "N-Nina!"

The three figures turned to me, tears roll painfully from Nina's cheeks as blood makes its way up to her mouth, "I'll be dammed, it's that little bitch's boyfriend!" Shouted one of the men, my eyes open even wider as I see her, Lethe desperately gasping for air with tears in her eyes, the hand of the armored man crushing her little neck…

"Koel" Nina is completely terrified, her pupils dilated due to the extreme pain. "Ah... Aaaaahh!" Mina's horrified scream turns me back to my senses, I have to do something fast or they'll certainly die, but what? I don't have any weapon at a... at all...

"K-Koel! Help Lethe, please!" My teeth clatter hard as I hear Nina's tortuous cry, her face has so many scratches and bruises dealt by the hunters.

"This is too much! They're just kids! Why the hell are you doing this?" I scream from the top of my lungs, my vision is getting blurry, and all I can see clearly are the 2 men standing in front of me. "Hahahaha! Look that, the kid is trying to look all high and mighty!" Son of a... "Just so you know, the townsfolk paid us a pretty penny for the heads of your little pets"

"Agh! P-please, no!" Nina's cries send chills up my spine as the myrmidon twists the laguz slayer slightly.

"You bastard!" I leap at him, arms outstretched, aiming for his eyes I throw my hands forward...! "Agh!" My vision fades.

With a loud and painful thud, my back hits the floor as blood spurts out of my nose. His strike was clean, lightning fast and so hard that it takes my consciousness a bit to rearrange itself, now I find myself out of oxygen. Gasping desperately, I realize his foot is standing right on my neck! "Runts nowadays just don't know when to shut the fuck up"

I grab his leg with all my might, however, it's not enough, he is too heavy to push him away. Darn it! I can't let this keep on like this! I reach around, trying to find it, but it's too far, even if I stretch hard I can't reach it. This can't be happening!

W-wait! On the myrmidon's boot, a knife! I can feel the sheathe and the handle of a knife attached to his boot! I quickly grab the knife and stab his leg with all my might, "Guh? Argh!" I get up just as he goes down and as fast as I can stab his neck!

"Wha- Kuh!" But I fail and instead end on the receiving end of a kick, "You bastard!" He yells in pain while kicking my face with his unhurt leg. I fall on the ground in a daze, that was a bad hit, I feel dizzy now...! Wait, I dropped the knife! I open my eyes as I realize that fact, and soon become terrified as I see the myrmidon stretching his arm to the weapon. This can't be happening... I tell my legs to move, but it's no use, I can't get up! "You're so done for!"

It can't end like this... I just want Nina and Lethe to live... Suddenly, a dull sound, "LUXOR!" Accompanied by the scream of the other soldier, what happened? I open my eyes in confusion, and spot the myrmidon lying on the floor, a sheet of blood is formed under his body!

But how?

When?

Ah, I see it, it's perfectly clear, his neck bleeds profusely, then it means I did hit something important! But it's not over yet, the other guy is still alive, still chocking the life from Lethe. I have to take him down and fast!

A new found heat returns to my body, and I manage to stand up. I sweep the floor with my eyes and find the knife, it's roughly at the same distance between the soldier and me, if I'm going to take him down, then this is my only chance. "You damned mother fucker!" Gah, he threw Lethe away like if she was just some kind of rag doll! He spot the knife as well, I have to reach it before him!

I lunge at the floor throwing my hand forward... yeah! I get to the knife first and, with a thrust from my legs, slide on the floor, a metal clad fist comes flying just where my head was a moment ago! Suddenly, as if something clicked inside me, my body starts reacting at thoughts speed, reacting at the same time my brain does, feeling almost as if stepping aside, I see my body quickly standing up and whirling around, my hand moving on its own forward with the speed of lightening, and my legs leaping forward in an almost inhuman speed.

My body rams into the man and the both of us fall on the ground, only one of us is alive now, thought. My body... becomes numb, I can only feel my parched throat burning now, I did it... I can't believe it... But I still can't rest, Nina and Lethe need me.

I stand up, my body complains almost immediately, I ignore the pain. Even my lungs are burning now... Ragged breathes fill the whole room, my sight is still bathed in red... my face is covered with blood, and my clothes are drenched in red... I'm trying to calm down after doing something so nefarious... this place is a complete nightmare... my teeth clatter so much... is it fear?

"M-Mina" I force those words out from my tightly clenched throat. However, as I turn around I spot those green eyes, I stop breathing for a moment... she looks so lost, it's like if Mina was staring at the nothingness... she is in complete shock, but there's no time, if we don't... "Mina, quickly, we have to help them!"

"But... Your nose is bleeding..." She mutters, looking terrified at me, I gulp and look at myself, the bloody mess I am... I would be shocked too... but there's no time for that, if we don't act... Nina and Lethe will surely... "Come on! I can't help them on my own!" Mina jumps in fear, darn it, she won't be able to do anything any time soon...

"I-it hurts" Nina said weakly, panting heavily, she has lost too much blood already, the wound is gruesomely deep, "Nina, hold still, I have to get the sword out" I say nervously, I don't know how much damage it will do on its way out but I have to, Nina gives a weak nod and clenches her teeth. "Ah..." A small spurt of blood reaches on to me, tainting red what was left clean of my robes… "Shit, the bleeding is too bad." There's no way she'll survive much more of this, I can't do this on my own. Unless I use... that spell... "Mina, please" It's useless, she won't move an inch... darn it, I'll have to use it then.

"Hold on Nina, I have to find the mends"

"N-no... Please don't go away..." Ignoring Nina's pleading voice that I stayed with her, I go grab a mend and return as fast as I can, I spot Mina again, staring blankly at the blood in the room. "Mina! Please get over it! We need to help Lethe and Nina now" -Please don't fall apart now, I need you!- My throat is so parched, I can't manage to said that last thing.

I start mumbling, my mother had taught me something of an advanced spell, I don't know how good it will work, but... "Wha- Koel, stop!" Mina suddenly screams, but it's too late, the pale blue light emanates from the mend, I feel cold creeping on my back as spark-like lights appear from my clothes and travel through the air, coating Nina's wound slowly... There, I can see it clearly, it's slowly closing shut... That should... st...

"Koel!"

...

...

...!

Wh-what...? Everything is a blur right now... my body felt like it was dying just now... It was cold and... it hurt... "You idiot!" Huh...?

"Gah!" I quickly stand up, but my left leg groans in protest almost immediately, I fall on my knees, short of breathe. "Why did you use that spell! It's too dangerous for you to use!" Mina's complaining... but if Nina gets better, I don't really care.

"I know... just shut up and help me with Nina!" I manage to cough up some words at Mina, I look at her, but she only glares at me in anger, however, I am the one who gets pissed... I don't want to be so... direct... "Please, just do it!"

As expected, she jumps in surprise and looks at me with teary eyes, "Here, help Nina, I still have to see how bad is Lethe" Mina looks sad for a moment, I almost yell at her again but she nods weakly with flustered face before I do so... I stand up, however, a horrendous pain shoots through my head... "Ugh..." Seems I didn't cast the spell correctly, my body still aches all over... and this headache... I reach my temple with my hand to support, I just have to deal with it and help Lethe...

My hands never stopped shaking, even as I tried to help Lethe, I just could feel the knife in my hands... It was... perturbing, to say the least.

"It's morning already…" I feel so tired... I couldn't rest one bit... Carrying Nina and then Lethe out of the place... I couldn't stand all that blood... it smelled so terrible... and... to a very small degree of importance... I don't really like the color red...

"Koel, come here" Mina says looking at me over her shoulder, surprising me... She became silent since the incident, only saying so few things. I walk at her feeling bad... I do regret the way I treated her at that moment...

She looks at me over the shoulder and tilts her head, telling me to come closer... Just now... I could see her eyes... She's... mad at me. "Why didn't you tell me before?" She says in her coldest voice, sending chills down my spine. "Answer me Koel. Why didn't you tell me that Nina and Lethe were here?" My throat clenches hard, it feels like an inquisition where no matter what I say... I shall be prosecuted and found guilty as charged... However, the judge awaits my reply. If I don't comply, who knows what she might do... I sigh, I don't know why I didn't tell her in the first place...

"I was scared" I respond, closing my eyes slowly... the sound of skin meeting skin at high speed let itself hear, as my face gets assaulted by an ominous slap. "M-mina..." I'm crying… All I can do right now is just fall to pieces... something I couldn't do at that moment, for obvious reasons...

"You were scared? Scared of what?" Mina's voice becomes filled with feelings. Looking at me as if I was the worst human being in the whole world, I can't help but to try and avert my gaze from her.

"..." I don't know what to respond, my mind races so fast and yet not a single answer comes to me. I just don't want to lose any one else... "Koel, answer me" Her voice, my mind is completely frozen... I don't have an answer... I look away from her, lowering my head in shame... The feeling that all of this is my fault attacks my mind...

"Gah..." Everything gets fuzzy and I trip back, I quickly realize with pain that Mina just punched me on the face, "Mina...?" I look at her and see her gritting her teeth, she is really angry...

"Why didn't you say anything to me, Koel? If you don't answer I'll just start thinking that you just hate me, that you were just mocking me back there at the rest home! I want to know why don't you trust me!"

"Wait... Mina..." She walks over to me, and squats down, piercing into my soul with her green eyes... "Come on Koel, please say something, you look so pitiful like that" Her sudden sweet whisper, she leans and slowly our foreheads meet, I can't help but to let myself cry... "I'm sorry... this is all my fault..." My voice is broken, and I can't stop sobbing. "I was scared that you might leave if you knew... I didn't want to lose anyone else..." I manage to say and close my eyes, "..." I can hear Mina muttering, and suddenly I feel her embracing me, "You silly... You should already know... that I can't leave you alone..." Mina... she is crying...

"Umh... hah..." A weak moan comes, and my eyes look immediately, the feeling of a thousand pounds being lifted from my chest as I spot her slowly opening her eyes. "Nina!"

"Koel? Augh..." She grits her teeth in pain, its only natural, even the best healer would not be able to take away the pain from a wound as serious as hers... "Don't move, it will hurt if you do" Mina says as she lets go of me. I smile, and my body simply stops, I fall on the ground and sigh. "Ah...? Koel?" Mina shrieks and reaches for me with a worried look.

"Don't worry... I just need a moment" I simply reply to her, she smiles as if she had realized something, and stands up. I look around, and spot the orange cat sleeping soundly, she woke up almost immediately after the soldier threw her away as if nothing had happened and even tried to help us out, minutes later, I found the the little cat lying on a corner, dozing off.

I start to get up, looking at the 3 of them I can't help but to feel lost, this place isn't safe anymore, I'm scared... what if this happened again? Would I be able to stop it...? I fear my home isn't safe anymore. I'm scared of myself, the feeling hasn't left my hands, the weight of the knife, the hot blood dripping from it... it's disgusting, I can't still process that I killed...

Wouldn't it be easier if we just disappeared from this place...?

... Huh? The thought crossed my head as fast as a lightening, that could actually work, that's what the townsfolk wanted in the first place, for our families to leave this place... it will be tough at first, but I'm sure we would make it... Wait, that is a hasty statement, I can't be sure it will be better... But I am sure that if we stay, something unspeakable will be done to Mina and the others... I just don't know what to do...

I shake my head, like if trying to shake the doubts off, and close my eyes, such a decision shouldn't be taken lightly...

"Koel? Are you alright?" I hear Mina's voice, she looks at me with this troubled face... I guess the expression I'm making is a real grim one.

The day passed slowly, I used the time to think long and hard, as Nina and Lethe recovered, I kept looking silently, leaning on a tree, as they played just as if nothing had happened. Playing so happily, with no worries at all... I don't want them to feel that fear or pain again, if possible I'd like them to stay happy forever...

"I guess it's no use..." Mina sighed, and looked at me with sad eyes, I couldn't help but to avert my sight, and sigh... Whatever we did to deserve this? I still think uselessly. We talked, that's why she's still down, it's hard... to leave this place... even after all the bad memories I have, leaving my home and... my family... behind.

"Are you ok with it?" She shakes her head, and looks down. "Are you sure there's no other way around it?"

... I fall silent, the feeling crushes my chest...

"I'm sure..." My eyesight fails me just as I say that, and a tear rolls down... It hurts... it really hurts even thinking of leaving this place...

Mina gets up and gives a step forward, the tension from a moment ago seemingly fading as quickly as she moved. She turns around, sticking her tongue out? "Then I'm ok with it" She says with a warm smile.

Lethe plays with my ears as we start walking, the sun illuminating the path ahead of us, I look behind me one last time, observing the house, my home, the place where I lived… The place where I grew up… The place where I learned about life… Where I shared everything with my beloved ones… Where I met my friends…Where I lived very good times… I clap my hands, praying a bit

"Koel?" I feel the confused look on the girls' faces, but I ignore them for a bit, I feel that if I don't bid my farewell, I will regret it somehow...

"My Ashera grants us with a better tomorrow" I finish my plea and smile, feeling much better now, I turn around, and as if it were contagious, Mina and Nina smile too.

"Let's go"

Farewell… I think of this final word as we move away, leaving behind nothing more than what we cared for the most...

End of... A tale about a farewell...