Author's Note: I have to say that Micaiah is one of my least favorite Fire Emblem characters (other than Eliwood), so pairing her with the greatest character of all time is strange. Sorry if you like Micaiah or Eliwood, but they're just too nice for my tastes (and their defense is HORRIBLE!) Luckily, I will not have to write a Soren & Eliwood fanfic. I hope you enjoy this chapter. And, once again, please review!

Micaiah – Broken

The silver-haired maiden felt nothing but confusion as she examined the wind sage. Despite her accurate ability to sense thoughts and emotions, deciphering all that was going on in Soren's head was downright impossible. She couldn't explain why, but she was having trouble understanding him even in the slightest.

Micaiah had met all sorts of people; people one would never expect to meet. She thought she'd seen it all until she'd met Soren. Of course, she knew what he was immediately. This branded boy may hide his emotions, but he couldn't hide his true identity. The mark that stained his forehead made it obvious enough.

Despite the fact that they were now on the same side, Soren continued to ignore and avoid her. He was scared, she thought. Most of the group knew that Micaiah could sense emotions, and he didn't want his attention being brought back to what he was harboring beneath his rigid exterior.

Coldness filled his heart unlike any Micaiah had ever felt. She was astounded by the iciness within, a brutal bitterness that he made no attempts to conceal. Micaiah refused to believe that anyone could only be filled with such intense anger and hatred, so she continued to dig deeper.

Soren was hiding something, she knew it. She was sympathetic, curious, and filled with pity all at the same time. Diligently, she watched him, trying to get a better read on what the sage was thinking inside.

An occasional warmth radiated from him when he was in Ike's presence, a feeling so slight Micaiah wouldn't have sensed it at all if she wasn't searching for it. Only the minor trace of a smile on his face at the blue-haired commander would have even hinted that he cared at all. Micaiah was almost at a loss when one day, it hit her.

Broken.

His sorrow was masked with insensitivity and callousness. She had to admit he hid it quite well. But she could vouch that the life of a branded was not an easy path, and she could only assume he endured some hardships during his life. In retrospect, Micaiah had been blessed with good companions and an easily concealed mark. Soren, however, did not have the luxury of hiding his mark, and she didn't know how long he'd stood by Ike's side. Soren's years may have been much more difficult than her own.

With Ike constantly preoccupied by war meetings and such, she wondered if the commander ever had time to spare for his loyal tactician. Maybe, Micaiah thought, she could help Soren instead. If Ike didn't have a free moment to talk to his friend, she would certainly be willing to give the sage some company.

Micaiah was not usually intimidated by anyone due to her ability to read their feelings, but she had to say that the strategist did make her slightly anxious. According to Titania, he was holed up in his tent, his nose no doubt buried in some book. With a deep breath, she called inside.

"Soren? May I come in?"

There was a slight pause before Soren's dry voice replied, "Yes."

She pushed aside the tent flap and entered, taking note of the various papers scattered around the room. Maps, reports, and loose papers from textbooks abounded in stacks and piles. Soren had apparently made himself quite at home despite the temporary state of their camp.

Micaiah caught on to the swelling irritation inside him right as she stepped inside, and he made no attempt to conceal the aggravation in his eyes. "Is there a reason you wanted to see me, Micaiah?"

"I wanted to talk to you … May I sit down?"

Soren glanced around the room, every chair being stacked with papers or books. Eventually, he reluctantly gestured ton one of the messy seats. "Throw those books on the table."

She did as she was told, hesitantly seating herself. She hadn't really thought she'd get this far, and now Micaiah wasn't entirely sure what to say.

Fortunately enough, Soren broke the silence before it could get awkward. "What did you want to speak to me about? If you're going to take up my time, you should at least say something."

"Um … I was wondering … Soren, how are you?"

"How am I?" he repeated incredulously. "I am uninjured and in a suitable state to go into battle, if that's your intent."

She shook her head, realizing this may be more difficult than she thought. "That isn't what I meant. Are you … happy? Well, you don't look too happy, but are you content? Is there anything I can do for you?"

There was a momentary lapse of silence. "Is this a joke?"

Micaiah was beginning to think she should have focused her attention on someone else, anyone else … "No, I'm not joking. How are you?"

"I'm …" Soren looked extremely confused. "I'm fine. Why does this concern you? Did Ike send you to check up on me?"

"I'm here for my own reasons. Something about you feels … lonely. I was wondering if I could help you. If you need a friend, I—"

"How I feel is no business of yours!" he snapped angrily, glaring ferociously at her. "Just because you are gifted with sensing emotions does not give you the right to pry into my personal affairs!"

"Soren, I just wanted—"

"Kindly leave and let me resume my reading." He pointed to the exit after his cold statement.

"With a dismal sigh, she rose from the chair and nodded. "Just … think about what I said. I understand better than you can imagine."

"You're branded." he said shortly. "That does not mean that we are alike. We are, in fact, quite different. I do not have the time to waste indulging your nosiness."

"…Fine." At a loss for any other words, Micaiah departed Soren's tent with a defeated frown on her face.

Despite the fact that Soren's attitude seemed to become even less friendly towards her after that day, Micaiah was beginning to feel nothing but fascination towards the sage. Neglected feelings festered; she'd learned that from several years of experienced reading. It was only natural for him to push her away. After being closed off for so long, opening up to another human being was bound to be extremely difficult. At least, that's what Micaiah told herself. It was safe to say that she'd never met anyone quite like Soren, but she assumed that was his reasoning.

Reading him became even more complicated afterwards. Whenever Micaiah was in a close enough distance for her to sense him, the only emotion she could feel emanating from the sage was pure irritation. He was evidently not pleased by the extra interest she'd taken in him. His growing annoyance blocked out any other feelings, and Micaiah continued gaining no ground in these futile attempts to understand him.

But the silver-haired maiden was never one to give up. Earning Daein back from Begnion was not a task easily accomplished either, but she was successful nonetheless. The two goals hardly seemed comparable now, so how hard could this be? With this in mind, Micaiah rethought her strategy.

Maybe she wasn't being upfront enough. To say the least, Soren was very straightforward. Perhaps if she was the same way, he would take her more seriously and listen to what she had to say. Micaiah told herself it at least couldn't be any more of a failure than her last attempt.

A few evenings later, Micaiah decided to seize her chance. The army was celebrating a recent victory with a feast of sorts. She had to admit it was hardly much of a buffet considering their surroundings, but the soldiers took great pride in their achievements. She would hardly deny their huge accomplishment, despite the rather small array of food.

Soren, of course, was not present at the celebration. Micaiah was not at all surprised by this. The sage seemed to abhor any event in which he would be forced to socialize with others, even his own comrades. She didn't think she'd ever seen him attend any sort of festivity, so she'd hardly expected him to show now.

Sothe was feasting with Nolan, and he didn't seem to notice that she'd left his side. With one last glance over her shoulder, the silver-haired maiden slipped out from the center of the excitement, excusing herself from the chaos.

As she made her way through the rows of abandoned tents, Micaiah immediately glimpsed a flickering light from within Soren's makeshift home. She smiled and shook her head disbelievingly, wondering what fascinating book he must be reading to miss out on one of the only joyous occasions within their camp.

"Soren!" she called. The lantern in his tent was immediately doused, and she couldn't help but roll her eyes. "I know you're in there! I already saw the light!"

Discontented grumblings drifted from the tent as the flame was relit.

"May I come in?"

"… If you must …" Micaiah ignored the tense aggravation dripping from his voice as she entered.

His crimson eyes flashed fiercely as she stepped through the threshold.

"Shouldn't you be with the troops? I'm sure they're all drinking to your name. It won't take them long to realize that their precious savior has disappeared." His harsh tone once again caused her to question her decision to visit him. "You're probably much more wanted there than you are here."

"I'm glad to see that your manners are as impeccable as always." she sighed. "Soren, I don't believe that I've done you any personal wrongs. Why are you like this to me?"

"You've been digging into my emotions. I count that invasion of privacy as a personal wrong."

"I've only been trying to understand you." Micaiah explained gently, refusing to lose her patience with him. "You separate yourself from everyone around you, and it's not healthy. I thought if I had some idea of what you're thinking, maybe I could relate to you. You seem to have grown rather accustomed to being lonely, but it isn't right. Friends can help you more than you think."

Soren stared at her incredulously for a few moments. "You want to be my friend …?"

She nodded with a smile. "Yes. You're not the most social creature I've ever met, but companions would probably do wonders for you."

The sage shut the book on is lap, examining his feet as if pondering what to say. After a few seconds of silence, he looked up at her with the barest hint of amusement in his eyes.

"Micaiah, may I be frank with you?" he asked.

She shrugged. "I honestly don't think I could stop you if I tried."

"Good. I have absolutely no interest in becoming your friend. You are one of the last people I would associate with by choice, ranking only above Shinon and a few others. The word "acquaintance" would be much better suited to describe our relationship."

Micaiah blinked in astonishment. Soren's sharp tongue had never surprised her before, yet his bluntness rendered her speechless. The sage, however, paid this no notice as he continued.

"I find you very irritating because you're too caught up in your own false ability to help everyone around you. Your undying compassion and generosity will only prove to be a hindrance to the war effort in the long run. You may have a gift that no one else here possesses, but that hardly fills me with the same admiration many others seem to have for you. Your kindness and my coldness are not two things that will easily mix. I thought you might realize this, but apparently your desire to fix my problems caused you to neglect your own. For someone who can sense emotions, you're not very good at reading people."

Soren rose from his seat, regarding her astounded gape with a certain satisfaction. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I've been filled with an inexplicable desire to celebrate victory. I'm sure I'll see you around. Have a good evening, Micaiah."

She was pretty sure that was the only time she'd ever seen Soren smile.

As she watched him leave with more of a contented expression than she'd ever dared imagine, Micaiah shook her head. Maybe some people should just be left alone. He was so arrogant … rude … cold … insensitive …

Broken.

She found herself smiling wryly.

But apparently not that broken.

It never seemed to me as if Soren would be overly fond of Micaiah, despite them both being branded. Please review and send suggestions if you'd like! I'm trying to take all requests I get, so please understand that it may take me a while to get to all of them. I'm not going in any specific order, just when ideas strike me for certain characters. Thinking of a theme and story basis comes easier for some characters than it does for others.

The next chapter will be Soren & Lethe because several people seem to like that pair. And, don't worry Soren & Ilyana lovers, those two will come after. I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Thanks for reading and please send me your thoughts!