A/N: Okay, we are back with another chapter of Decisions!

Tychon: Well, you seem to be in a pleasant mood today, Draco.

FD: Yeah. ...oh, not because of any increase in quality of life or anything.

Tychon: Oh? Then what caused the change? Wrestling? Games? What could it be?

FD: The simple yet powerful art of not giving a fuck.

Tychon: ...come again?

FD: I care too much about the outcomes and potential paths and curveballs life has to throw at me instead of taking each day as it comes. So, I have dedicated myself to simply not giving two shillings worth a damn about what goes on because, life goes on.

And so without further ado, let's roll!

Tychon: Oh… okay.

"The Day" by Porno Graffiti (Boku no Hero Academia OP1)

(Intro)

The camera flickers over various areas of Eric's body bathed in light: his legs, his belt, his arm, and then his chest. Quickly, his sword is seen taken from the its spot in the ground before his cape, swipes across the camera.

(Shizukesa ga shimikomu you de iki wo tometa gozen goji

Hijou kaidan de tsume wo kamu asu wa docchi da? THE DAY HAS COME!)

The scene shows Eric looking out into the sky on a cliff from a bird's eye view perspective, then one of a closer side profile with a wistful expression on his face as he grips his blade tensely. As if brought out of his thought, he jumps when he feels a hand touch his left shoulder, belonging to Raven. Eric grins at her before Chrom walks on his right side, punching his own palm. The three draw their blades and lock them with another's before raising their blades up high. The camera follows the blades' ascent until only the sky is in frame. The title of Fire Emblem: Decisions slowly fades into frame as it shrinks and becomes less transparent.

(Keshite akenai yoru mo, furitsuzukete yamanai ame mo

Kono roku demo nai sekai ni wa arunda yo)

The Pandorian royal is walking down a dirt path with his blade on his shoulder, casually walking past an entire squadron laid to waste in his wake. Once he comes across a tree that has lost all its leaves, one sees a silhouette of boots standing on one of its bare branches. Eric looks up and is greeted by a red-clad figure wearing a mask. His coat billows in the wind as he reaches behind him and grips his sword. The camera shows Eric's mouth initially open in slight surprise slowly become a grin of anticipation.

(Sukoshi mo hen de wa nai no madoromi ni ashi wo torareteru

Anata wo semeteiru wake janai da yo)

Facing the left, Raven is walking in spot in front of a mountainous backdrop with horizontal white bars, behind her are images of her Generals who each show up one by one in order of Lugiel, Regulus, Reo, and Zeno; each of them with a grin on their face bar Regulus. The next scene shows the four Generals' figures slide quickly from the top into frame, then change from the previous background to a dirt field, where the four Generals are standing in front of their lieutenants. A split screen shows the four looking forward with a look of determination and willpower before a hand waves, sending the four generals forward.

(Hitori kuusou ni asobu

soko de omoi egaita koto made hajiru no kai?)

Say'ri has her hands clasped together as she sits in a seiza position in front of an ominous purple background. The camera zooms out and shows her sitting in the palm of Shuyo, who looks down at the smaller woman with an evil grin. Zooming out even further, behind Shuyo is a large pair of hazel eyes that open up briefly and then close once again. Shuyo balls his hand into a fist and swings his hand out, changing the purple background into a high plateau, where his adjutant Luar is standing by him in front of an entire battalion of troops led by a handful of his captains. Shuyo's forces look down on the fifteen intent on rescuing Say'ri. Without words, Chrom nods at Robin and then bumps his fist against Eric's.

(Karamiau meikyuu meikyuu, soredemo yuku to iu no?)

Miriel fires a torrent of fire that consumes a number of enemy soldiers, and Vaike immediately jumps out of said flames to smash a shield with a hammer. Robin opens his tome, pages flipping quickly, and is surrounded by golden magic runes before the scene instantly shifts to Cordelia, taking off on her pegasus and zooming out into the sky.

(Chiisaki tabibito ga kanaderu hajimari no kane no ne)

The camera shows a lone woman with pigtails beneath the moon, then an image of the woman's face on the left side of the scene in the sky in side profile. She brings a hand up and removes her mask to reveal a young, emotionless face. Next, Mikalus is trying to get to his feet using his sword as a cane. Blood spilling down his chin, the camera shifts to a closer shot of Mikalus gritting his teeth and flashing a smile.

(Yukuate mo DON'T KNOW DON'T KNOW, hontou wa kowai'n ja nai no?

Fumidasu sono ippo ippo ga kaete yukeru sa THE DAY HAS COME!)

From a bird's eye view, three arrows of light rush forward and weave in between one another; one is red, the middle is purple, and the final one is blue. The camera slowly moves to the front of the arrows, showing Raven, Eric, and Chrom respectively charging into battle with immense speed, weapons drawn and wearing their war faces. The camera zooms over to show a close up of a taller and bigger Shuyo with red eyes and black sclera grinning at them before it gets so close, the reflection of the three warriors can be seen in the bald man's eye; this clip is then frozen in place.

(Outro)

Cordelia and Olivia, Vaike and Miriel, Gaius, Panne, and Libra, Robin and Tharja, Frederick, Mikalus and Onyx, and finally Chrom, Eric, and Raven all pose with their respective weapons ready, each group in their own respectively clip in tune with the guitar riff. The opening ends with the full fifteen standing in frame.

-Raven-

Consciousness finally coming to her, Raven now had basic control over her senses. Knew neither where she was or what had happened to her, but she at least knew she was alive. As she was coming to, she had come to realize that her body felt like lead; as if her strength had been sapped away during her slumber. It took her everything just to move her fingers in her bedroll. At least she knew those worked, so she decided next to open her eyes.

Taking in her surroundings, she realized she was in a cavern, dark and cool. This hadn't bothered her so much, as it seemed that it was actually rather cozy. Er, by living standards of a cave, at least. The entrance was disguised by a cover of cloth, allowing small rays of light to poke through and light up the cavern a little bit. That little bit of light allowed Raven to acknowledge everything around her, including a single person in the corner working away with mortar and pestle. The two tools clicked away, crushing the herbs and materials into what Raven could only assume was going to be a compound utilized to treat her.

"Oh, good. You're awake," the person's voice called to her.

Raven groaned in response as she tried to get herself to a sitting position. "I hope you like mint tea with a little extra surprise. Er, the extra surprise will help you recover better. And aid digestion, I guess."

Once more, Raven dismissed the woman's words, locking her gaze on her blade, which currently was sitting in the table next to the woman.

"You know," she sighed. "it would be leagues better if we could have a conversation as opposed to just me talking and getting no response. Feels like I'm talking to a brick wall."

She was right. This would get Raven nowhere. Not unless she took part of the conversation into her own hands. "...Thank you."

"Sounds about right," the woman responded. "It's nice to receive some sort of gratitude around here." She then placed the herb mixture into a thin material, wrapping the contents and tying them up like a teabag. "Now then, I suggest you take it easy. While you have no external injury other than some light bruising, your internals have been ravaged by that blade of yours. I had to spend the last hour trying to make sure you didn't choke on your own blood while you slept."

Raven gripped a fistful of the sheets cloaking her frame, her head hung in self-inflicted shame. "Oh, and another thing…" the other woman continued. "I also suggest you kick that elixir hoarding strategy of yours. That won't do anything for your condition, save for maybe start an uncommon addiction."

But Raven had essentially ignored that last statement, focusing her strength into getting to her feet. Seeing that the woman still had her back turned, focused more on steeping the bag into a cup of hot water, Raven made it to her feet, hobbling slowly to where her blade laid on the table. The soft smacks of skin on the rock floor made the redheaded woman jump in surprise.

"Hey, what are you doing?! You should be in bed resting!" Raven continued to ignore her, reaching for her sword on the counter. She would have gotten to it, but she was immediately sent careening back to her bedroll, followed by the blooming sensation of pain on her left cheek.

"Could you just sit down?! I would prefer it if I didn't have to knock you out just so you will actually rest!" she barked at Raven.

Raven knew it. Despite her will to protest, she knew that she was right. She had to relax so that she could recover. Ultimately, she just bit the bullet and laid back in her bedroll. "I like my tea fresh off the pot. I-if you don't mind."

The redhead smiled. "Of course." Presenting her the cup on a small tray, Raven took it and carefully sipped the contents, feeling the warm liquid run down her throat. "May I ask your name?"

The youngest woman smiled once again. "My name is Crimson Cobra, but my friends call me Cece. Short for that, but could be for Cecelia too, I guess."

Raven places her cup at her side, careful not to spill it. "Ah, such a lovely name. I believe that's the name of milord's great-grandmother."

"Milord?"

Raven lightly smacked her own forehead. "Right, me and my own doldrums… I speak of my master, I serve as his retainer. However, we had been separated upon our journey here."

"You mean the prince of this crumbling nation?"

Raven stiffened. How the hell did she know? She didn't reveal that information to her. "H-how did you-"

"Your clothes scream Pandorian, and you just told me you serve a master. And your clothes themselves are of high-class, find me anyone who couldn't make that out."

Raven furrowed her brow. "Yes, but that doesn't tell me how you knew I served Lord Eric specifically."

Cece grit her teeth. "Well aren't you a smart aleck? Fine. The truth is: I've been keeping tabs on your master."

The moment she finished that sentence, Raven shot forward and clutched Cece's collar, ire written clear across her face. "You've been spying on him?! For what?! What do you plan on doing to him?!"

"Relax!" Cece swatted away the offending limb, breathing out a disgusted huff. "This is the thanks I get for doing something nice."

Said woman pinched the bridge of her nose. "Look, I haven't done, nor plan to, do anything to your precious master, okay? I'm just tasked to make sure he is doing okay. In fact, that comes down to part of the reason why I saved you in the first place."

"And that is…?"

"I was hoping you knew his whereabouts."

The dark haired swordswoman took yet another sip on her tea, potentially for a relaxant more than anything else. "So you expect me to give the location information of my master to someone who's spying on him? Someone of whom I know not?"

"Try to think of me as a guardian angel of sorts," Cece answered. "It's a little bit arrogant, but it's not inaccurate. Plus, at least that way, you would show some gratitude."

"I believe I already thanked you."

"For saving your life," Cece retorted. "Not for looking out for your master when you couldn't."

A bubble of bile rose up Raven's throat, but she managed to suppress it and play nice for now. Her gaze fell upon her sword. "My condition is worsening."

Cece's eyes also traced their way to the sword. "Yes. While you were asleep, I had been trying to study that blade in between treatments. That's the Uramasa blade, isn't it?"

Rhetorical, Raven recognized, so she simply allowed Cece to continue. "It's known as one of The Six Demonic Weapons. Uramasa, a katana of unrivalled cutting power. Its pure white blade preceding the blood red with each swipe. A spirit weapon, as the laymen call it, it grants its wielded superhuman strength and abilities. But once it's stained by blood… that's when it goes all downhill for the user."

Cece turned to Raven. "Although, I am surprised. Most of its previous wielders die within a week of using that sword. Judging by how weathered your sheath for it is, I can imagine you've had it for much longer than that."

Raven coughed. "Five years."

"Years?" The redhead widened her eyes in surprise. Sure, there were strong spirited people who have held the sword longer than the usual week before their souls, and by extension, bodies deteriorated. But five years? That was almost unheard of.

"Impressive as that is," Cece began. "you still fall victim to its curse. The condition that it is leaving you in… it could get you killed if you're careless. So here is what I propose."

Raven leaned in, listening attentively to Cece's proposition. "I will accompany you in whatever it is your mission or what you're trying to accomplish is. Chances are, I'm the only one in close proximity who can take care of you should you fall into another coughing fit. On a few conditions."

"I am listening."

"Number one: you are to spend another day in bed, at the very least. You will get your shot, but if you try to rush it, you will only worsen your condition." Waiting for Raven to nod, she continued. "And number two: you are to never use that sword again."

Before Raven could protest, Cece interrupted her. "That blade will only continue to kill you, slowly but steadily. Besides, by wielding that blade for so long, you've already demonstrated that your own spirit is more than strong enough to combat it, which is far more than literally anyone else can say. Deal?"

Raven weighed her options heavily. The first one was a no-brainer: rest longer, fight longer and better. But it was the second condition that made it worth considering. By giving up Uramasa, with time Raven could be healthy again. And like she said, her own fighting spirit proved that she is physically and spiritually strong enough to resist the effects of the blade. Yes, the added power and speed was great, but not if its trade-off was eventual death.

"Fine," Raven sighed. "I accept your terms."

"Good." Cece took up Raven's cup. "You Pandorians can be so stubborn sometimes."

-Mikalus-

"Keep the sun behind your left shoulder, everyone," the hazel-eyed mercenary instructed to the two behind him. "We need to make it to Xeldross by the week's end, we're already stunted by taking the long way."

It had started with confusion, pain, and a crater. Splintered wood and debris had been left everywhere in the wake of the crash, and surprisingly, Mikalus had been the only one left conscious after touching down. Mind you, however, that he wasn't the only one who was left conscious altogether. Cordelia, crafty as she was, was able to mount her pegasus before she actually even touched down, silently thanking whatever it was that made her decide in becoming a pegasus knight. The two of them had been left to treat Olivia and Chrom until they both came to, and once the latter two were in acceptable condition, the quartet were off. Taking a brief stop only to stock up on resource at a nearby village, they set off just as quickly, making sure not to draw any attention to themselves.

By now, the day was drawing to a close, the hues of colour caused by the setting sun splashed all across the sky. Mikalus, being the only one of the four of them who knew the layout of the nation, set up a plan of sorts in such a way he deemed had the highest chance of survival for their group. Cordelia, having the best eyesight and field of vision out of the four thanks to her pegasus, was the spearhead of the group, taking to the skies. Mikalus himself was behind her in order, as he had the lay of the land and knew how to conceal themselves if needed be. Chrom followed afterwards, as he was the most adept in combat and could spring to action at the drop of a hat, and finally Olivia, with her exceptional hearing-part of her skill as a dancer was attributed to her sense of hearing, she took great pride in it-took to the rear of the formation, sure to cover blind spots.

So far, the crew had managed to avoid any conflict with the enemy ranks. While they counted their lucky stars that they hadn't been unfortunate enough to be caught in ambush, the lack of obstacle they faced to this point was quite unnerving to say the least. Despite having eyes in the sky and ears behind him, Mikalus kept on the lookout constantly. Ever since they left that one village, he knew something felt off. He could sense it.

"Hey, Mikalus," Chrom called, breaking the blonde out of his self-induced stupor.

"Please, just call me Mike," the mercenary responded. "It's not that hard."

"Oh, my apologies." Chrom scratched at the back of his neck. "But if you don't mind my asking, why do you insist on taking the long way?"

Mikalus huffed. "From what I was able to gather from a quick scout of the area from your redheaded friend up there" he pointed up at Cordelia. "it looked to me that we landed somewhere in the western end of Katal. We could have crossed into DeLeon by moving northwest, sure, but given our situation, it wasn't necessarily the best course of action."

"Why not?"

Mikalus rolled his right wrist in an attempt to ease the pressure his carpal tunnel exerted. "I don't know very much about it, but from what I could overhear from Shuyo and his adjutants, this country is in a state of civil war. Having taken the throne over, Shuyo and his banner have taken over both the capital as well as the state of DeLeon as his own. Given that information, I figured it would be best to avoid it."

"I suppose so," the young exalt said. "But you said you were contracted by Shuyo, no? If they know who you are, couldn't you have gotten through without any trouble?"

Mikalus shook his head. "I couldn't take that gamble. Because of the plan he orchestrated on the prince, he probably knows what the redhead looks like at the very least. Not to mention, flashing the Brand of the Exalt in front of the enemy would not have ideal. It would have thrown us into a combat situation that we would have been ill-equipped to handle."

Chrom couldn't argue with that. If they had encountered some of the tyrant's men, it would have been a very slippery slope trying to get through. If it were him alone, he could just tell them he's come to pick up earnings, but that wasn't possible with the other three with him. Who were armed. One of whom was undeniably royalty of another country. Anyone with half a brain immediately would have thought something was up. "So then what about the other states that Shuyo doesn't have? Like this one? Does that mean we're safer?"

"If we are, it wouldn't be by much. Remember, we still have to worry about the God-Generals and their lieutenants," Mikalus warned. "I wouldn't surprised if they were on our trail right now."

The tall blonde turned his head back. "That reminds me… the crash was pretty harsh. You sure you and Olivia are in good enough condition to fight?"

Chrom rubbed at the nasty bruise he sported on his exposed right arm. He winced at the sensation of his gloved hand brushing the tender bicep, though he was rather thankful that was the worst of his injuries. Olivia was no different. Despite the fall, the protection of the barrier had made sure that she suffered minor injuries, the worst of all was a scrape on her shoulder that Mikalus quickly had taken care of. An annoying hindrance, but nothing that would keep her from fighting.

Receiving a nod from both parties, Mikalus turned forward once more, greeted by the flap of wings and sight of white and red. "Cordelia, d'you find anything?"

The redhead sighed one of her signature sighs, which didn't tip off the blonde of pinkette, but Chrom knew the context behind it said that whatever was going on wasn't good. "I know that sigh, Cordelia. What's wrong?"

Her eyes were the impassive ones expected of a soldier, but the slight anxiety still showed behind the outer mask. "About a dozen kilometers ahead, there's a small platoon of soldiers, all of them vigilant and armed."

Mikalus frowned. "Any identifying features?"

"There was a banner, it had a sigil that was very weird, but it looked like it was a helmet with horns on it."

The blonde man's shoulders fell and his eyes widened slightly. He was frozen still for a split second before he pinched at the bridge of his nose. "Por el amor de Releos... Anything else?"

Cordelia cupped her chin in thought. "I did see a person with long hair. Some of the others looked as if they were reporting in to that person, but it's hard to tell from so far away."

Mikalus gave a sigh of relief, as he felt the thumping in his chest calming. "That must be one of the Majors of the Pandorian Armed Forces. Dangerous in their own right, but nothing that the four of us couldn't handle. Now if it were the Generals, then we'd be in some shit."

"So, does that mean…?"

Mikalus shook his head at the pinkette. "Yes, we will be confronting the platoon the next day. Had it been one of their lieutenants or their Generals, I would have leaned towards avoidance. But seeing as it's only a Major we're dealing with, we should have little to no trouble."

Chrom nodded, having felt a similar relief to the mercenary. "We could keep moving and attack now, but then we wouldn't approach until nightfall. I suggest we just go into the woods and set up camp."

"Indeed," Mikalus replied. "We'll be better rested and better prepared for the first battle we have to come."

-Cordelia-

It didn't take long for nightfall to drape its veil over the land, lilting calls of the diurnal birds having been replaced by the ghostly hoots of nocturnal owls. The night almost completely drowned everything in darkness, if not for the stars above and the enemy campsite not too far from the current position of the four. Realizing that a fire would more than likely get them spotted, they had decided to set up camp before the sun went down, as a small campfire would have been far less noticeable with the sun in the sky. After eating their fill of their rations and meat, and taking care of what they could, the group took to their sleeping bags, all except for one.

The pegasus knight was rather restless on this particular night, perched atop a high branch on a nearby tree to spy on the enemy camp. Well, maybe "spy" wasn't the word to use, as more of her time was spent with her focus drifting off into the distance, spacing out more often than not. Resting her chin in her palm, she stared at the night sky, her line of sight dancing from star to star.

'Wherever you are… I hope you're safe and sound,' she mused.

The ruby-haired princess-to-be, or queen-to-be sighed out a heavy breath. She couldn't help but feel a tinge of worry and concern for her bullheaded Pandorian lover; she knew him to have a good head on his shoulders, however his brash and impulsive nature at times could get him into trouble.

In other words, she was afraid that he would get into a huge fight and get horribly injured.

He is powerful, yes, but he is still only one man. And out of all fifteen of the bunch, he would mostly likely have the attention of both armies at the same time more than anyone else. Though she trusted that we wouldn't be so bold as to run in headlong, she still let a chuckle escape her.

A gloved hand shot up to grab the branch Cordelia rested upon, causing the redhead to jump. "Ugh…"

She almost growled. "A little warning would be nice. You nearly gave me a heart attack."

Her complaint received little else save for laboured groans and the sounds of Chrom trying to pull himself up on the branch. "I wasn't always the greatest with climbing…" he noted. "How the hell did you get up here?"

Her finger directed Chrom's line of sight down to her Brave Spear embedded tip-first in the trunk halfway down. "You mean you completely missed the spear I used as a step?"

The prince sighed. "Apparently." Finally, he managed to right himself on the branch, his posture mirroring Cordelia's. "Can't sleep?"

"Yeah. I managed to get an hour or so, so there's that."

"Thinking about him?"

The redhead nodded. "You don't know the half of it."

"It was a pretty bullheaded move of his, you know. Running straight to hostile territory without any plan."

Cordelia snorted in amusement. "The view must be wonderful from that glass house of yours."

"Well, aren't you a jester," Chrom guffawed, cracking a grin. "Truly though, your boyfriend is a handful at times."

Cordelia closed her eyes as she leaned up against the trunk. "You should have known Eric wasn't going to take something like this sitting down."

"Fair, though he isn't the easiest person to read."

"Sure he is," the redhead argued. "Spend enough time with him and he's an open book. In fact, he tends to remind me a lot of you."

A wave of shock, followed by guilt washed over Chrom. He opened his mouth to respond, yet no words left him. The feeling was not lost on Cordelia, she could sense the tension in her choice of words. "Look, don't have any poor feelings," Cordelia jumped, quick to try and relieve it. "I don't. I know you didn't feel the same way, and it's fine."

Chrom continued to avert his gaze, pushing the redhead to continue. "If anything, I'm rather happy for both you and Sumia. The poor thing was so head-over-heels for you, it was almost painful, yet adorable. A lovestruck pup, as it were." She carefully crossed her legs, keeping her balance. "Besides, finding the strength in rejection, having the time to better myself and find myself more as an individual… I needed it."

"Now look at us," she exclaimed, finally getting a responsive glance from the prince. "You're married to Sumia, my sister in all but blood, and I'm to be married to Eric, who's essentially your counterpart for me. It's actually rather amusing."

Cordelia tossed her head back up to the stars. "You two are both headstrong, powerful, insightful. A little dense at times, and some of the more subtle things go way over your heads. But you two are both great men. There's a lot more similarities between you two than you know."

Chrom coughed. "So then… you-"

"No, I do not harbour any hard feelings, nor do I feel any sense of awkwardness or tension from the past," Cordelia cut him off. "I think my biggest concern right now is what's going on with him."

"I wouldn't have ever thought we would be separated mid-transit, either," Chrom replied, looking up at the stars himself. "And unless he's covered his forehead, might as well paint a big red 'X' on his body for all its worth."

"That's not what I meant."

Blue eyes fell back to earth, reflecting their gaze on the pegasus knight. "No? Then what were you referring to?"

"He's spent day and night since he found out of Say'ri's abduction worried out of his godsdamned mind. The truth of the matter is, he cares a great deal about her as well as his child she carries. And it all comes down to this: securing his family."

Chrom furrowed his brow. "Securing his family?"

"You lost your parents young the same way he did. The greatest difference being that you still had Lady Emmeryn and Lissa. Whereas Eric was chased out to the wolves, frightened and alone. And that's how he grew up a large deal of his life. He's reserved more often than not, yes. But I'm sure you would too if you heard some of the stories he's told me. I could only imagine how that would shape him."

"So for him to not only have someone who loves him, but a full family too," Chrom began, comprehending the matter the redhead was getting at.

"It's the greatest thing he could ever wish for."

A lightbulb went off in the blunette's head. "That's why you're helping him. Why you agreed to securing his family as well as share him with Say'ri."

The redhead nodded, tears welling at the corners of her eyes. "I will admit, I was enraged beyond reason when I first found out that he had knocked her up, and even more so when she tried to muscle me out of the picture while he was undecided. In all honesty, I wanted him to push her aside and choose me. But after hearing from Raven about his turmoil, as well as seeing past the jealous rage: after seeing and understanding the vulnerable side of him that most never see… I couldn't be selfish anymore. He's been through more than most could even begin to fathom. He's so close to getting what it is he wants, and there's no way on earth he's giving that up for anything. For something like that… what kind of future wife would I be if I didn't support him?"

A smile stretched across Chrom's face. "You really do love him."

"Of course I do," she replied, blinking away the tears. "Call it being stubborn, but… He knows the risks that came with this infiltration and went through with it anyway. This is how badly he wants this. And you know it too. After all, that's why you had to have come."

The prince gave a lighthearted scoff. Damn her, how was she so gifted with reading people? Or were men like him and Eric easy to pick apart? That would be a scenario Chrom would be left to ponder for the rest of the night.

"Right," he said. "Well, sunrise is in another four hours, so I suggest you try to get a little bit more sleep this time around. I'm sure Eric's worried about you too. Wouldn't want to be at any less than one hundred percent, now would you?"

Chrom proceeded to descend from the high tree branch, with Cordelia following not too long after. "Right."

Somewhere in the Pandorian countryside, a certain blue blood sneezed himself out of his tree.

"Up and at 'em, you guys, we're burning daylight." A rousing wake-up call from Mikalus ripped the other three from their slumber. Wasting little to no time packing away what few belongings they had, the quartet were off, ready as they ever would be to make their first obstacle.

Mikalus frowned. From the moment they continued their march, he noticed Olivia shaking in her every step. Granted, he was aware by now that she was particularly shy and whatnot, and admittedly, the given circumstances certainly weren't the greatest to be exposed to. Regardless, he didn't want her lack of confidence to be what kills her.

"Hey pinkie, you okay back there?" He called out, making Olivia jump. "You don't look so good."

The rose haired dancer timidly pressed her fingertips together. "I'm not sure if I can do this…"

Luckily for the blonde, Chrom jumped in to help. "Don't worry, Olivia. Mike knows the lay of the land-as well as its military-better than any of us here. I trust that his judgement and intel will carry us through."

Shooting an apprehensive glance at the two still, but ultimately she conceded. This seemed to work somewhat, as her nerves seemed to calm a little.

"Mike!"

Cordelia swung down low before landing close by with a small plume of feathers fluttering from above. "Yeah what's up?"

"About a ten minute's march ahead, the enemy platoon is stationed," she replied.

Mikalus palmed back at the hilt of his sword on his back. "Prepare to engage." Undaunted, the four pressed onward until they made contact with the enemy squad, coming face to face with what they could only assume was the Major stationed in this region.

The Major in question was a woman of modest height, half a head shorter than Cordelia, with ash gray hair. Hers was a stone-faced expression, milky eyes glaring holes into the four. The strips of her battle skirt flowed freely in the slight breeze, yet her stance, unwavering.

"Welcome," she began in an authoritative tone. "My name is Major Ashlynn Cardoso. I care not of your identities nor intent. All that matters now is that you are underneath my custody."

Without command, each of her men laid hands on the grips of their respective weapons, anticipating that battle is at hand. Mikalus tutted. Typical Pandorian behaviour: attack first, ask questions later. "Come peacefully and you will be left unharmed."

The blonde man cracked a grin before reaching back for his own blade. "Sorry, but we're on a bit of a time crunch, so I'm afraid you will have to let us by. If that's not too much trouble, that is."

"You're playing the wrong game, boy." Ashlynn reached for her own battleaxe. "I don't play with children."

"Fine, suit yourself." In only a split second, Mikalus unsheathed his sword, revealing a heap of metal as large as his own body. Double-edged, one swing of this two-handed-or in his case, ONE handed-blade could cleave anyone and anything in its path in two. And that seemed to be Mikalus's plan at first.

However, Chrom had some misgivings. His sword was too big. There was no way that any experienced soldier would stay in its path. Unless…

"Three of you, scatter NOW!" In one quick swing, Mikalus smashed the entire area around him, shattering the entire enemy campgrounds into rubble. Dust and debris erupting from the impact, it obscured the enemy's vision, and with the fewer numbers on their side, it would allow for a clean getaway.

At least, that was what Mikalus wrote.

However, while the enemy were in a state of panic, Ashlynn stayed calm. 'Hmm… four of them…' That's it. She was tracking them based on their mana forces. 'The blonde has too much reach with that blade… the blue one is too close to that pegasus rider, won't get him in time… that leaves…'

Without warning, the Major makes a beeline through the now setting smoke and rubble, aiming for what she considered the weakest link. "You cowardly weasels!"

A clash of metal against metal echoed through the area that was followed by a cry of pain immediately afterwards. The disappearing plume of dust spit out one tumbling, pink-haired body holding her sword.

"Olivia!" Mikalus shouted before knocking away a number of soldier with the flat side of his sword. "Hey Red, take off! I'll get her out of there!"

"No, we're not leaving you behind!" Chrom called out. "Cordelia!"

"On it! Mike, we're on our way!"

"Men! Your task is to detain that bothersome blonde and his friends," Ashlynn barked before cracking a sinister grin. "Leave me to fight this woman."

Pulling herself up to a standing position with her sword, Olivia froze. In front of her stood a battle, one with a woman wielding a battleaxe the size of herself, with no way out. This would be her first battle in Pandora. Her first true battle putting her own fighting style to use. And it was against a Major of the Pandorian Forces. Second in rank only to Generals and their Lieutenants.

"Oh, don't sweat it, you pretty little thing," Ashlynn cooed. "Try to have fun. And most importantly… try not to fall apart."

At a breakneck pace, Ashlynn closed the distance between her and the dancer, her arm primed to strike Olivia with a wide swing of the axe. Just barely catching herself out of her daze, the pinkette rose her blade to block her right side, only to be pushed forcefully by the strength behind the axe. Her heels dug into the earth beneath her, threatening to give way to such force.

'Gods… the force of her strike is incredible…!' Olivia mused, giving it everything in her power to stop the blow. 'Is this the power of Pandora?'

"You have wonderful reactions, sweetie!" the ash haired warrior called out. "But you're simply out of your league!"

"Gah!" Another push sent Olivia flying backwards. Olivia was thankful for her kinesthetic senses, as that allowed her to recover in midair and get to her feet. Just in time, as Ashlynn made a beeline towards her yet again. As the Pandorian officer attacked, she had come to the split second decision to dodge rather than defend, as defence didn't go so well. Olivia dodged the strike with grace, leaving Ashlynn to embed her axe blade into the ground. On reaction, Olivia retaliated with a stab to the woman's face which was dodged, but the follow up kick wasn't. Centered straight into Ashlynn's gut, it knocked back the Major a few feet back.

"Oh would you look at that?" the latter grinned. "It seems the little flower does have some fight in her."

Olivia ignored that comment, instead focusing on making some sort of plan. 'This woman has intense movements, short bursts of speed seem to be where she's at, but her weapon is compromising it. I saw that attack coming from a mile away. Oh, what would Raven do in this situation?'

"Pay attention before you lose your head!" Olivia saw the axe come at her in the nick of time, using her different stances and dances as methods of evading each strike that came her way. Olivia was light on her feet, her footwork was impeccable. Each swing, a mere hairsbreadth from its mark. She could hear the friction of the weapon slicing through the air.

Olivia could see it, Ashlynn's attacks were all so telegraphed, dodging was never an issue. But when it came to launching a counterattack, Olivia fell short, her strike nearly just as predictable. Her inexperience really showed, as Ashlynn moved her head to evade impalement and batted the dancer with the flat end of her axe, knocking her to the ground.

"I must say, you are quite the cardio workout. And you even managed to scratch me." Ashlynn said, sporting a new cut on her cheek. "But you're still quite a ways away."

Olivia rose to her feet, ready to engage. Fresh blood flowed from a cut alongside her hairline on the right side of her head. She also now sported a few cut and scrapes, yet she took her stance yet again.

Olivia was frightened. She never considered herself much of a fighter, she only did so as it was necessary for the war effort. Aside from that, she only needed to know how to defend herself from crooks and the occasional lecherous scum that preyed upon lithe, docile-looking females such as herself, as it was rather common in her trade. But for her to fight one-on-one against trained soldiers, someone with years of combat experience… she was way out of her league.

This was exactly what Raven warned her about. And it frightened her.

"That's it," Ashlynn cried with a sadist's grin. "Dance, girlie, dance!"

Those words resonated with Olivia. Those last three words. Olivia knew it, she was always shy or scared when it came down to most things in her life. But when she danced… all of it stopped. The anxiety, the fear. It washed away. All she saw was herself and the moves in her head. And that. That is the thing her entire fighting style was predicated upon.

'Very well… if it is dance you want… then it is a dance you will get!' Olivia rushed down the Major, sword at the ready. Seeing this, Ashlynn lifted her axe and brought it down over the pinkette's head. Olivia lifted her sword to block, and just as her sword made contact, she let it give way to the axe and dodged to the side, leaving Ashlynn open for attack. This time, Olivia made her mark, drawing small line of red along the Major's right shoulder. Quickly, the gray haired female brought her weapon to attack, but Olivia continued to dodge, none of the former's attacking making contact.

'Her movements… fluid like water like she's… dancing. How peculiar.' Ashlynn's temper continued to rise as her number of scrapes rose and her attacks continued to miss. 'Hit, damn it!'

Ashlynn didn't like to resort to such tactics, but she couldn't risk losing here and being reprimanded by her superior. Once Olivia gave her the opening, Ashlynn placed a finger into one of her wounds and swung it at Olivia, splattering her face with blood and impeding her eyesight briefly.

"Gotcha!" Interrupting Olivia's rhythm, Ashlynn knocked Olivia into the side of a tree, relishing in the cry of pain Olivia gave. The Major walked closer, watching in slight satisfaction as Olivia struggled against the pain to get to her knees. Oblivious to the approaching soldier, Olivia kept trying to get back up until she felt a foot push her back down and crush into her back.

"Ha ha ha ha ha ha! I will admit, you're pretty good, girlie," Ashlynn boomed. "But it's clear you're not suited for combat, just give up!"

Olivia continued to scream her lungs out, partially because Ashlynn was forcefully expelling the air from her lungs.

"Olivia!" Mikalus screamed over the squadron of men he was busy with. "Hang in there, I'm coming!"

"Take so much as a step closer to her and she dies right here!" Ashlynn ordered before turning back to Olivia. "A true warrior needs none other than his own strength."

Ashlynn tossed Olivia up by her foot before swinging around for a roundhouse kick, sending the petite woman away once again. Olivia was nearing her breaking point, she couldn't continue for much longer.

"Ready to give up yet? This could have all been avoided if you and your friends just complied and came peacefully."

The dancer only coughed, but the glint in her eyes caused Ashlynn to sneer. "Tch. At least you have the spirit worthy of a Pandorian fighter. However, it won't be enough."

The Major walked towards the kneeling dancer. "You know what, I've grown rather tired of this. While I respect your persistence, you should know when you're licked. Because now, you're going to lose your free will, and potentially your life."

Ashlynn rose her foot, ready to finish off the dancer. "And if it comes down to it, I will hunt down and torture the living hell out of everyone who came with you on this suicide journey. Away with you!"

That was it. Something inside… something inside the dancer just… snapped. All she knew, was that Ashlynn said she'd torture everyone who came with her. Everyone including Raven. No way. No way in hell would Olivia ever let that happen.

And so it was with that will and strength that Olivia halted the woman's foot with her bare hand.

"Wh-what?!"

What Ashlynn saw next, she could only describe as the face of the reaper itself. Olivia, eyes glazed over in rage, stared deep into Ashlynn's eyes as she held her foot in her hand. Without any warning, Olivia squeezed, and she squeezed hard, a series of pops and cracks following this action, along with a scream of agony. The dancer didn't let up, however; she took her blade and in one swift moment, drew a long, deep line from Ashlynn's left hip to her right shoulder. Blood sprayed from the wound like a fountain before she fell to her back, bleeding out.

But while Ashlynn laid on the ground defeated, Olivia still didn't let up. Rather, with the same glazed look of rage, she took up her sword and aimed the point straight down at the Major, ready to deal the killing blow.

Ashlynn sighed. "Do what you will."

Olivia was happy to oblige her, and was only an inch or two away from puncturing her windpipe before a grip on her arm restrained her. The pinkette whipped her head to see an injured Mikalus holding her back, with Cordelia and Chrom close by.

"Enough, Olivia," he said sternly before Ashlynn passed out. "We are not here to kill anyone. If we do, we'll only be demolishing Lord Eric's armies once he returns to throne." Only then did the pinkette come back to her senses. Slowly, and wordlessly, she placed her sword back in its sheath.

"I-I'm sorry, Mike," the demure dancer mumbled. "I guess I got carried away."

"Are you kidding me? You took down a high ranking officer by yourself, Olivia! Gave us all quite the scare."

Olivia sighed out of exhaustion. "Well isn't that wonderful," she answered. "If you wouldn't mind… could we please get me patched up? I-I'd rather not have scars left over."

Mike chuckled. "Of course. I'm in need of some medical assistance myself. Trying to get to you left me in shambles."

"One more thing: Mike?"

"Yeah?"

"Next time, for the love of Naga... warn us about your plans."

FD: Another chapter done! We continue to go deeper and deeper into the rescue mission, where our heroes are getting into sticky situations.

Tychon: It's rather nice you gave Olivia some of the spotlight.

FD: Yeah, I thought I would give her time to shine. The problem with a game like Fire Emblem is that they have so many characters and not enough character interaction and development. Don't get me wrong, each character has their own defining traits, but the nature of the game basically has majority of them disposable unless your name is Chrom, Lucina, Robin(Avatar), Emmeryn, and to some extent, Lissa and Frederick.

Also, I would like to mention that this is somewhat of a birthday gift, however small it may be.

...Huh? Oh, not my birthday. My girlfriend's, specifically her 18th. I was originally going to have this done midway through the month, but I couldn't pass this up. Wish her a happy birthday, it's her first day as an adult, and I'm sure it would make her real happy. Happy 18th, Bella! :D

...am I gushing? I'm gushing, aren't I? ...I'll stop.

*ahem* Anyway with that out of the way, I wish everybody a good day. Fell Dragonite out.