Hello again!

Back again with the longest chapter so far, and, in response to a review I was sent, the introduction of both an OC and Kit's pairing (though you may have guessed already...). Also, thanks to TheLaserAggron for that review. Before I forget, I'd like to say that I love getting reviews, and hope wholeheartedly that all you guys and gals reading this give me a review, so I can really make this great. Before I ramble too much, here's the next chapter!

Onwards!

Chapter 3

Kit eventually awoke in a lavishly decorated bed, in an equally ornate room. He lazily looked around, seeing his tactician coat hung up near the door, his sword leaned up against the wall. He surveyed the rest of the room, eventually coming to the other side of the four-poster bed he lay in.

A familiar cleric sat on the bed, spinning her staff in her fingers like a baton. Lissa looked at him.

"Oh!" She exclaimed. "You're awake!"

"What... Happened?" Kit asked.

"Magic recoil. Messing around with the forces of nature causes an imbalance, affecting the caster." Lissa explained. "It can affect people quite heavily, if you're unprepared. That's what happened to you. You were stressed, sleep deprived and unprepared. Not a good combination for magic." Lissa smiled suddenly. "I love saying that. It makes me sound so clever!"

Kit laughed, then a sudden thought came to him. "Wait- so that happens to you every time you heal?"

"Yes." She replied. "But unlike you- I brace myself when I cast."

"Damn..." Kit breathed. "You're stronger than I thought."

"Hey!" Lissa warned. "You better not be calling me delicate! Or I'll-"

A gentle, musical voice sounded from the doorway. "Lissa, what have I told you about threatening our guests?"

"Oh. Hi, Emm." Lissa smiled.

A woman who looked a lot like Lissa, but slightly taller and a couple of years older, stood in the doorway. She had a regal manner, and her clothing- a cream-coloured cloak- looked slightly more ornate.

"By the way..." Kit asked. "Could someone explain to me why this place is so grand? This does not seem like typical lodgings."

The woman laughed. "Why- it's only the royal palace! I'm sorry- I should have introduced myself. I am Emmeryn, royal exalt of Ylisse."

"And why am I being given the royal treatment?" Kit asked, confused.

Emmeryn laughed again. Her laugh was as sweet as Lissa's. "You were found by my brother and sister."

After a moment of confusion, Kit's eyes widened. "Lissa and Chrom!?"

Lissa nodded.

"You are royalty!?" Kit spluttered. "And this wasn't a thing that needed to be mentioned earlier!?"

"My brother's not one for formalities." Lissa replied. "Think about it- if we'd told you we were royalty, you'd have been bowing and sucking up to us the whole time, right?"

Kit shrugged and nodded.

"So when we're out and about, we like to... Pretend we're normal people." Lissa finished. "Emm's the really royal one."

Emmeryn smiled.

Kit tried to sit up, but his vision blurred and rocked worryingly. He decided to lie back down.

"Owww..." He moaned. "Looks like I'm not gonna be up for a while yet..."

Emm looked at him.

"I could help..." She pulled a staff out and pointed it at him. A gentle green glow enveloped him as Emmeryn chanted very quietly: "Maiorem Sana..."

Kit exhaled as the emerald light dispersed.

"I do feel a lot better. Maybe just an hour or two of sleep..."

"We'll leave you to it."

As Emmeryn gently closed the door on the snoozing Kit, she turned to Lissa.

"You like him, don't you?"

Lissa blushed.

"Um... Well... I mean..." She trailed off as Emm raised her eyebrows. "He's so cute. And funny. I can't help it..."

Emmeryn laughed. "Oh Lissa! It's nothing to be ashamed of!" She said, noting Lissa's embarrassment. "If you love him, it's nothing you can stop. Just... Make him realise, okay?"

"Sure. Thanks, Emm."

Lissa loved the palace gardens. The bright flowers dotted everywhere, the sun on her face... Bliss. Then, a voice:

"Hey, Lissa!" She turned and saw Kit, striding up to meet her. "Emm told me you'd be here. And that you had something to tell me?"

"Yeah." Lissa said. "I was planning for you to meet the other Shepherds!"

"Shepherds... Oh yeah. Chrom's band of fighters." Kit nodded.

Lissa nodded enthusiastically, pigtails bobbing. "You've met Sully and Virion already, but a few more are waiting at the barracks. Wanna come?"

The Shepherds' barracks main building was a long, low wooden structure, with training dummies, tables and wooden practice weapons dotted around the place. As Kit walked in, his eyes took a second or two to acclimatise to the low light. A few bored-looking figures sat around a low table. One looked noble and royal, her manner very similar to that of Virion. Another woman was wearing close-fitting armour, and seemed to be staring wistfully out of a window. Yet another woman was dressed in bizarre garb, a large pointed hat included. She seemed enthralled as she repeatedly lifted a small bag and dropped it, before taking notes in a small notebook. There was also a large, shirtless muscular man, grinning stupidly in the corner. Kit felt that there was a fifth person, but couldn't see one anywhere.

Lissa broke the silence.

"Hey everyone!" She smiled brightly.

The noblewoman looked up, a wide smile appearing at the sight of Lissa. She quickly got to her feet and threw her arms round Lissa.

"Lissa! Good to see you!" She exclaimed.

"Maribelle!" Lissa grinned, and returned her close friend's embrace.

"And who is this?" Maribelle enquired, when she and Lissa separated, looking at Kit.

"Chrom's official tactician, newest member of the Shepherds, Kit." Kit replied with a joking flourish.

"Kit what?" Maribelle queried.

"What?" Replied Kit, caught off-guard.

"You've got to have a second name. A fa-mi-ly name." Maribelle sounded out the word. "Honestly, are you a simpleton?"

Kit thought hard for a minute or two. His brow creased as he tried to remember, trawling his very few memories for information.

"I don't... Remember..." Kit said, eventually. As Maribelle fixed him with a look of disdain, Lissa interrupted.

"He's got amnesia or something. He's forgotten a lot."

Maribelle wrinkled her nose at him, then promptly left.

"Don't worry. She's like that to everyone at first." Lissa explained hurriedly. "She'll warm to you eventually."

"Ya sure? She still don't like The Vaike, and I known her a while now..." The muscled axeman complained. "By the way- hi, new kid. I'm The Vaike."

Kit extended a hand. "Hi, The."

Vaike shook his hand, looking slightly confused. Lissa and the woman in armour both stifled giggles. There was a small, disembodied laugh from just above Kit's shoulder.

"Wait..." Vaike seemed to be working something out. "Was there a joke...?"

No-one could contain it anymore, and burst out laughing as Vaike looked around, bewildered, asking: "Where's the joke? What?"

Kit left the barracks with Lissa, as the sun started to sink beneath the hills in the distance. Kit felt like he'd gotten to know the Shepherds pretty well. The two others were Sumia, a clumsy pegasus knight who seemed to have a thing for Chrom- and everyone knew it- and Miriel, who was a mage who seemed to want to know... Everything.

"So..." Kit mused as they walked. "Colourful, aren't they?"

"That is an understatement." Lissa grinned. "Also..." She began, starting to go pink. "I was wondering if you..."

"Yes?"

"Maybe would like to..." Lissa was starting to turn red.

"Yes?"

"Would like to... Get a drink... Or something? With me? In town?" Lissa finished, blushing furiously.

Kit laughed.

"Why so nervous? Of course I'll come." He smiled at her. "Sounds like fun."

Only the very few torches cast a meagre light on the surroundings. The Plegian could only see the man in front of him from the small glints of light on his imposing black armour.

Even with most of him obscured, he was still an object of fear. It may have been the small room, it may have been the strange way the shadows played across the walls, but this knight looked enormous. Larger than life.

Eventually, the Plegian spoke: "Lord Validar has requested your services. Rumours have been told of your superior skill and power, and he wishes you to assist with matters of state."

"Did you bring money?" The voice was like a slow avalanche.

The emissary was shaken, but managed to reply, in a quavering voice: "L-Lord Validar has... Has mountains of gold. You will be paid."

"Fine." The voice was final, absolute. "The target?"

With a shaking hand, Validar's messenger slid a drawing across the table. A huge hand picked it up, raising it to a helmet in the shadows.

"Kit."

It was not a question, yet the messenger felt horribly compelled to answer.

"Yes, sir."

"Travelling with a band of Ylisseans. Hmm. Interesting. I will do battle with him."

Validar's messenger sagged with relief.

"If..." The towering, dark figure added, "He is worthy."

"And if he is not?"

"Then I shall kill him."

Kit and Lissa returned to the Shepherds barracks late in the evening, arm in arm. As they entered, Chrom advanced on them.

"What's going on here?" He glared at Kit.

"Chrom, it's fine. Me and Kit were just... Getting to know each other." Lissa explained. "You know, friends?"

Chrom calmed a little. "You could have been captured by Risen, or bandits or enemy soldiers or whatever! Lissa, please tell me these things!"

Lissa rolled her eyes, and Kit sensed that this was a conversation that they'd had before.

"Yes, Dad."

"Lissa..."

Suddenly, Kit felt the end of a parasol uncomfortably close to being up his nose. It felt strangely... Sharp. The fear really set in when he saw Maribelle's scowl, and- more importantly- the hand holding the parasol.

"You better not have gotten into anything... Unsavoury... With my dear Lissa! Did you?" Maribelle asked, her scowl barely moving.

"N- no! Why would you think that!?" Kit would have shook his head furiously if it wouldn't have ruptured most of his face.

"Maribelle." Lissa lay a hand on her friend's shoulder. "I'm fine, okay? You don't need to treat me like I'm delicate."

"I'm just worried, Lissa..." Maribelle lowered the lethal parasol.

Kit turned to Chrom as the two left. "Is she always like that?"

Chrom nodded.

"How do you live with her?"

"We learn what makes her angry. Come on. I guess you need somewhere to sleep. Tomorrow we set out for Regna Ferox."

The sun beat down on them as they trudged through the forest, which only offered meagre shade.

"So Chrom..." Kit began. "No-one's been specific on why we're heading to this Regna Ferox place."

"Well, I did explain, but you were off somewhere else."

Kit looked sheepish.

"Fine. Regna Ferox can offer military aid against these 'Risen' creatures that seem to be everywhere." Chrom explained patiently.

After a few more moments of almost total silence, the humming of insects the only noise, Kit heard another sound. A clanking that sounded like someone in armour, running. Kit turned quickly, sword drawn. A figure in green armour was rushing towards them, a horse in similar gear close behind.

"Sword away, Kit." Chrom sighed. "He's with us."

"Huh?" Kit turned to Chrom, a quizzical look on his face. The figure in green caught up.

"Hey!" He called. "Finally... Caught... Up... Yes..." He sank to his knees, gasping.

"Kit, meet Stahl." Chrom announced. "One of the Shepherds' horsemen. Also, the biggest lover of breakfast in history."

"I had to... Miss breakfast to... Catch up..." Stahl moaned. "So... Hungry..."

Kit spotted movement out of the corner of his eye.

"Shit. Breakfast might have to wait, Stahl. Weapons ready! It looks like Risen!" Kit ordered. "Lissa, stay at the back! Me and Chrom will take point, horsemen offer help from the sides!"

Chrom drew the Falchion as he stared at the slowly growing crowd of Risen in front of them.

"Plans?" He hissed to Kit.

"I just said them. Let's do this!"

Kit and Chrom advanced towards the crowd, both combat ready.

The first Risen dashed towards Kit. He stepped forwards, deflecting its blade over his head then bringing the sword back down into the creature's ribs. Two rushed towards Chrom, but he rolled to the side to avoid the attacks, then attacked them from their blind spot.

Now the Risen circled from a distance, watching warily. Frederick, leading Sully and Stahl, swooped in from the side and cut a swath through the Risen's ranks. Kit surged forward into the fray as Frederick's team sprinted away to build momentum for another deadly attack. He cut the first Risen down before it even realised he was there, still stunned from Frederick's blistering assault. An axe swung out of nowhere, just stopping short of a full impact, but enough to cut a deep wound in Kit's shoulder. He flinched back in surprise, then countered with his own attack to the Risen's head. He didn't miss.

Two identical Risen with lances advanced on him. Kit cursed silently. Their lances had the advantage over his sword, and if he used magic he'd likely knock himself unconscious. He strode towards them, slashing downwards on one of the lances, slicing it neatly in two. Before the Risen could react, Kit drove its own lance through it. Then he felt a stabbing pain in his leg, where he saw a lance through it. The other Risen! Kit cursed himself quickly, then turned his leg to wrench the lance out of the creature's grip. Unarmed, it stood little chance against Kit's blade.

"Chrom!" Kit yelled over the din of battle as Frederick's squad came in for another pass. "Cover me! I need to retreat!" Kit managed to limp back to Lissa.

When she saw him, her eyes widened.

"Kit! Don't be so reckless!" She scolded. "You'll get yourself killed!" Her tone softened. "Don't get yourself killed... I'll heal you." She lifted her staff. "Sana!" The end of the staff glowed green with the incantation.

"Thanks Lissa." Kit smiled. "I promise not to die." He sprinted back into the battle.

Lissa smiled to herself. "Be sure of it."