Lucina straightens at once, again alert. "Has the rest of the army been alerted?" She asks, eyes sharp as though already mentally preparing herself for the conflict. How does she do it? From one battle to the next, she's so calm. Actually...calm's not quite the word I'm searching for. Perhaps resigned is more fitting. Resigned to a life of fighting for everything, because your very future depends on it.

Once again, I am grateful to live in a time of peace. A time where Exalts are not expected to put their lives on the line, leading troops fearlessly against hostile masses.

"Yes. They're already on their way. Hurry." Dawn responds before turning and running towards the town. Lucina glances my way.

"Marth. Are you ready to use what you showed me in real combat?" She asks seriously. I swallow nervously. Because I'm not ready. I don't think I'll ever be ready. I still feel terror over the fact I...I've killed a man now. But this is my trial, isn't it? I have to.

I don't think anyone would ever truly be ready for this, though.

I grab my sword. "Yes. I'm ready." I manage, straightening as Lucina did. I will stand tall and fight for my people. Even if they're long dead in my time.

It's not the first time I've cared so strongly about someone dead, anyway. And no, I'm not going to talk about it. I can't even bring myself to truly accept it...

Lucina and I charge after Dawn, cutting through grass to the town. The stench of smoke hits my nostrils, making me gag. A house is on fire, likely from a fire tome. Who's attacking, anyway? More ruffians? I'm pretty sick of ruffians. Stupid destructive people.

Wait. These creatures are way too horrifying to be human. These are Risen!

Lucina rushes past me, throwing herself into the fray. I spot Noire fighting alone against a Risen Cavalier, arrows flying through the air as she yells, shaking badly. I dash forward to help her, rapier in hand, reflecting fire from the burning house in its steel. Backing her up, I wait for her to fire an arrow before lunging in with a slash. The Risen is struck down.

Yeah, I don't feel nearly as bad about this than I do about killing an actual person. Even as the Cavalier falls, another Risen - a Mercenary - charges us. It goes for the defenseless Noire, who has no way of defending herself from such a close range. The archer shrieks in pain as the blade strikes her shoulder, quivering in fear. My blood practically boils in fury. I may not know Noire well, but some soulless freak shouldn't attack someone defenseless! When the Mercenary raises its blade again, I spring in, heart pounding, and block with my rapier. "Don't even THINK about it!" I yell as steel meets steel.

My blocking gives Noire time to get back to a range she can fight from. Something's changed in her timid, sniveling face. Absolute fury blazes on it as she clutches her bow so tightly, I'm sure her knuckles must be a snowy white. "BLOOD AND THUNDER!" She roars in a terrifying voice, a maniacal light in her eyes as she releases the bow string. The arrow soars past, striking the enemy hard. It drops at once. The terrifying look passes, and she's once again sickly pale. "So tired..." She murmurs, more to herself than to me. Noting my surprise at her strange shift in personality, she sighs. "M-my talisman...Mother made it so I wouldn't be so weak. It...it takes over sometimes."

"Who's your mother?" I ask as we catch our breath.

"T-Tharja." Noire says softly, wincing at the name.

Noire is Tharja's child? They're nothing alike! I've only seen Tharja a few times at a distance, and she scares me. She always seems to be muttering under her breath - curses, no doubt - and watching Hidenori in a strange, stalkerish way. Noire notices my expression. "It's the truth. I...I'm an archer, but I'm also good with dark magic." She mumbles, looking intently at her boots like they're the most interesting thing she's ever seen. "My father is Stahl. I look more like him than I do her."

I'm about to reply when a scream sounds from nearby. A village maiden is cowering near the burning building, shrieking as a Risen Knight comes closer and closer. Another Risen is heading towards us, a Mage. Noire glances at me and shudders. "G-go help that woman! I can manage...I think..."

I take a deep breath and nod. I charge at the Knight, sword at the ready. My sword bounces off its armor harmlessly, but it gets the Risen to turn towards me. Good. The maiden flees with a scream, running off into the distance.

So I helped her. Now how do I kill this creep?

The Knight charges me, piercing my shoulder with a lance. In case you don't know how it feels to be stabbed in the shoulder with a lance, let me inform you: It really, really HURTS! I give a scream of pain, crimson blood welling up through my shirt. It stabs again, the pain increasing with the blood. Staggering back, I swing my blade. It hits through a gap in the armor. The Knight hisses, and throws a javelin at me. It hits me hard, making me flying backwards into the flaming house.

Dear Naga, fire also REALLY hurts! I fly through it, slamming against the charred remains of the wall. I gasp in pain, my skin burned. The smell of smoke invades my nostrils full on, making me gag. The room is swimming. I think I have a concussion. And possibly a broken rib. I cough from the smoke, blood coming out. The Knight isn't finished, however. It charges again and stabs with the lance, which is stained red with my own blood. I'm in so much pain. I feel so sick...

"Naga help me!" I scream. Screaming doesn't really help my broken rib, though, making me gasp in pain. So much red...have I ever seen this much before? Once. No. I don't want to remember-

The Knight raises its lance one more time. One more time and I'm done, I guess. I want to say something poetic - something memorable - but what I manage is hardly that. "Oh, crap."

As I'm about to be killed with those two words as the last thing I'd ever say, the Knight is suddenly blasted by a bolt of lightning magic. Someone picks me up. Though my vision is blurry, I think I see Hidenori and Chrom.

"Can someone get me a healer? That'd be nice." I mumble, but who knows if the words are intelligible. As my vision goes black, I think I hear a man's voice in my head, soft and quiet, but maybe that's just the concussion.

"Stay with them, Marth. Your trial is not yet over. I believe in you."

*emerges from a sea of textbooks, screaming* I LIVE!

I apologize for the delay! School is killing me, and I'm in desperate need of ideas for this story! I would totally love it if you guys offered up some suggestions with how you'd like this story to go. The more you give me, the more inspired I can get, the more updates! It's a win win! Keep in mind I can't use all suggestions, but please, tell me what you're interested in seeing! PM me, review, just let me know.

*is sucked back into sea of textbooks*

-EBC