Even behind the dark grey clouds, the sign of the setting sun was clearly starting to set and the area grew darker. However, the lack of sunlight and rain clouds didn't stop light from being seen. Three blue burning orbs flew through the rain and towards the soaked set of straw mannequins.

  All three missed their target, colliding with the stone wall behind them.

  Looking at the black marks, a loud slap of skin joined the rain. "Come on! Focus, this is pathetic. You're pathetic!"

  Ignoring the cool rain that pelted her. Her eyes closed and the grip on her weapon tightened.

  Eden's Dawn's edge was pointed at the targets, and the wooden blade slowly caught flame.

  "With flames as numerous as stars in the night sky, I call on thee to light the path to victory."

  Two flames appeared beside her. They started as a soft blue but slowly grew brighter and became more defined.

  "Come on Lu." The voice of a woman with red-brown hair called out to... well to a younger, more tired Lucina. "Just focus on the basics of the spell and go from there. For my cute little disciple, this should be easy." Her smile was infectious, watching a blue flame appear in a small Lucina's hand.

  "No matter what odds stand in my way, these flames shall light the way forward."

  A third spark ignited, but still, her focus deepened.

  "Each flame gives light to a star that will reduce those obstacles to ash."

  Another flame appeared.

  "Flare Storm!"

  As she called out, another pair of flames appeared.

  "Do... more."

  But still, she wasn't satisfied, pushing even further, forcing another flame to appear. Small sparks started to surge around her as she pushed further.

  She kept going until the embers stopped sparking, leaving her with eight blue burning orbs.

  With the thrust of her blade to help guide the flames, she sent them flying at the targets.

  Maintaining a connection between them was draining as she tried to guide them to their targets. Racing through the rain, it looked like they were going to make contact.

  A tired smile grew.

  "Thank you, Lucina. It'll be alright." His voice echoed.

  Only for them to slowly wither away or change direction at the last moment, connecting with anything but her target.

  Her arms fell to her side at the sight of the burn marks that painted the stone wall and ground. Her focused eyes went soft ignoring the pelting rain. Not a single flame made contact with any of her targets.

  "Firebolt!" Her hand shot up, her face became covered in a wave of ugly anger, and she launched a blue, flaming bolt at the target.

  It nailed the wall, just like her prior spell.

  Frustration came to a boiling point and an angered groan escaped from her lips. A blue-enclosed hand shot forward.

  "Firebolt!"

  The same result as before was repeated and frustration gave way to anger.

  "Connect, Damn IT!! This should be easy for me!"

  Even her breath reflected her anger as her flame grew; the flame in her hand started to burn a darker blue.

  "FIRE...

  Her hand was starting to shake, not from the cold rain, but from the anger that travelled through her body.

  "It's hard not to be amazed by you."

  Only for it to slowly burn away, leaving a calm warmth in its place.

  ...bolt!"

  The flame rushed toward the mannequin.

  The third time was the charm, and this time the blast made contact, covering her target in smoke and fire.

  A smile overcame anger as she started to calm down. "Ok, let's try FlareStorm again."

  Regaining control of her breathing, she began her chant again, and the smoke started to clear. Her hands returned to their grip on Eden's Dawn with renewed focus; the words left her.

  The heat in her body rose to combat the cold and started to chant anew.

  "With flames as numerous as stars in the night sky, I call on thee to light the path to victory. No matter what odds stand in my way, these flames shall light the way forward. Each flame gives light to a star...

  As the smoke started to vanish, revealing the mannequin that suffered her fury was engulfed in fire on its right side.

  The flames cracked. Inside the blue flames, normal-colored fire appeared in the center. Its right arm shifted slightly before it broke off and fell to the ground.

  "...."

  The flames just went out as she stared at the fallen limb. Ignoring the falling rain, her sky-blue eyes were stuck on the fallen arm. Her words came to a halt just like her flames.

  The sound of falling rain, at least to her, was replaced by a steady drip of blood that pooled on the ground.

  Just standing in the middle of the rain, her hands started to shake, her grip on Eden's Dawn tightened.

  'Why... why can't I get those images out of my head?'

  'I would have been dead if he didn't... how many times will I be forced to watch scenes like that?'

  The rain continued to fall, but it stopped hitting her. Looking around, only to find long scarlet red hair had arrived, holding an umbrella above them both. She quickly looked away.

  "Lucina." Her voice was calm. "Come on, let's get you back inside and out of those clothes. The last thing I want is for you to catch a cold."

  It took a moment for her to answer, but even when she tried to speak, no words came out. She tried to look up, only to avert her gaze once more. Afraid to even meet Lyn's obsidian black eyes.

  Lyn didn't wait for an answer, grabbing the elf's wrist, she practically dragged the girl inside and out of the rain.

  —

  The sound of hot water hitting Lucina as it fell to the floor, echoed from the bathroom. Soap fell from her and down the drain as she scrubbed dirt and blood off her body. Steam smelted off the shower head, filling the room.

  But on the other side of the door, Lyn sat on a bed, looking around the guest room.

  It was simple but it held a sense of class. The lamp cast a shadow over the wood floors that were covered by a yellow and brown carpet with a dark night-blue center where the sun and a crescent moon merged into one.

  The beige-colored walls held paintings of different landscapes, from forests to mountainsides.

  "I really should fix up some of our guest rooms once the summit concludes. They feel too dull compared to these."

  The sound of rushing water came to an end, and a few moments later, the door opened and steam rose. Lucina left the in a white long-sleeved shirt and black shorts, appeared. Her hair was dry but had a few ends sticking up.

  A small laugh got away from Lyn, and she grabbed a brush from the nightstand. She tapped an open spot on the bed.

  "You know, that looks nice on you." Smiling, she noticed that her young student was still avoiding her gaze. "Now, how about you come here and I'll help you take care of that. The last thing you want to worry about is waking up tomorrow with a bad case of bedhead."

  Still, Lucina didn't respond, but she did take notice that even after drying, her hair was a mess.

  But Lyn was relentless. So when she couldn't verbally get Lucina to move, she got up, pulled the young elf into bed and sat next to her. Reaching out for the brush, she started to run it through her hair.

  "So how was the shower? Were you able to warm up?"

  Silence was the answer she got. Each stroke that ran through her hair was soft and gentle, even when it came to helping straighten out any of the sticking ends. Not even once did Lyn have to apply any real force to fix the issue.

  "Your hair it's so soft and it has a healthy shine to it. I bet you have a few admirers back in Eden Village, right?"

  "I guess you could say that." Her response wasn't just slow to respond; it was quiet, disinterested.

  "You know, back when I was your age, Maryan, Tastu, your mother, and I would style each other's hair just like this. You should have seen the looks Maryan would get. Without her hood, she practically left everyone stuck under a charm."

  "You don't say." Still, there wasn't much of a response; her voice sounded like an empty voice.

  This act continued in silence for a few moments until her wait was fully bushed, but still Lyn kept going.

  "Mind if I ask how long were you out there for?"

  "I don't know, maybe a few hours? It... it helps me clear my head."

  "Really, I guess we're the same way then. Nothing helps clear the mind like giving you something to put your focus into, even training in the rain has its advantages."

  Each brush stroke became slow and smoother.

  "Training under rainfall for those who use fire like us helps keep our bodies cool so we can try and burn as brightly as possible. For those who use water, it helps make their job of conjuring their chosen element easier so they can focus more on applying it."

  Even on the topic of magic, she showed little enthusiasm. "I've heard about that concept before."

  "Then you should also know everything has a limit. Knowing when to let your body rest is just as important, maybe even more so than pushing yourself. That's a lesson I've tried teaching Red, but I haven't had much success there."

  Lucina was quiet.

  "How about tomorrow, I give you and Roy a lesson, once I finish up our discussions."

  A barely audible mumble escaped from the blond elf; it was so quiet that Lyn couldn't hear. So she kept talking.

  "Or maybe once we finish our meeting, I could take you to Lyeonya City?" When she put the brush down, Lyn cupped Lucina's hair in a gentle hold and she reached for the blue ribbon. "I know you said you'd like to see more of the world. My leaving will likely annoy a few of the others, but it wouldn't be the first time. So, what do you say? Want to have a little fun?"

  "Why?" Her voice grew slightly, just enough to barely be heard.

  "I can use my Travel Ring and we'll be there before you know it. Or maybe you'd like to travel on foot, it's a little bit of a walk, but the scenery is beautiful. You know, saying it out loud, I might prefer walking. It could give me a moment to stretch my legs."

  "Why?" It grew just a little more.

  "There is this small shop that sells—

  "Why?! Just why are you doing this?!" She shot away from Lyn's side, not even giving her the chance to tie the ribbon. Her golden-blond hair flew wildly. Turning to face Lyn, her eyes grew flush. "Why are you being so nice to me!?"

  Even as she was being yelled at, Lyn didn't flinch. She just kept her calm smile as she answered her. "Do I need a reason to treat you well? You are my student and my son's rival."

  That last word made something snap.

  "STOP IT! Don't call me that!" Her sudden outburst didn't end quickly. "Why are you doing this? Getting me out of the rain, bringing me to this room, to a warm shower, these clothes, brushing my hair, talking to me like nothing happened! Why are you being so nice, why aren't you yelling at me!?"

  "What reason would I have to yell at you?"

  "Because I'm the reason Red is in the state he's in! I'm the reason he has that gash on his arm, I'm the reason he's so badly hurt! I ran away; I just sat and watched him fight that thing! So why aren't you furious with me!?"

  When looking into her eyes, Lyn only saw resentment, anger, fear, and self-hate.

  Getting up from the bed, she didn't speak; she just approached Lucina. Watching the elf flinch and brace herself, waiting for something to happen as the woman's arms drew closer.

  Only to find herself trapped in Lyn's embrace. One of Lyn's hands pulled her face into her chest, while the other tracked down her back, leaving no chance to escape. "Because I'm not mad."

  In a broken, muffled voice she spoke out. "Why... just why?"

  Her chest grew wet, feeling the elf's tears fall onto her clothing. Keeping her arms wrapped around the young girl, Lyn ran her hand down Lucina's hair. Leaning back onto the bed.

  Just sitting, she listened to the small whimpers that escaped from the elf.

  And when she spoke, her voice was anything but angry; it was calming, gentle. "Well, for starters, Roy told us everything he saw."

  "Then you know that I ran away."

  "That may be true, but I also know that you went back."

  "Only because Roy ran back."

  "Maybe. Yet you still fought; you could have taken Roy and ran away. But no, you chose to go back. Not many people would have made that choice."

  It was quiet; the only sound that was constant was the rain hitting the window. Even when the two were separated, the only thing that lit up the room was the bedside lamp. The rain continued to fall, waiting for someone to break the quiet scene.

  Lyn didn't try to speak; she just remained silent and watched over the elf.

  "You know the moment he came to, he attempted to leap out of bed." That got her attention. "I swear if it wasn't for Achilles, he would have face-planted onto the floor and taken off out the door trying to find you."

  "Is he an idiot?" A small fire was lit under her. Shooting up from the bed, turning to Lyn. "Why would he do something like that in the state he's in?"

  Lyn couldn't help but laugh at the comment. Just moments ago, the girl was quiet and could barely get a word out, but now she looked ready to march down and scold him. "Then maybe you should go see him? It might give him some relief to see you're alright."

  Her proposal seemed to extinguish that fire just as quickly as she started it.

  "I... I don't have the right to see him."

  Shaking her head, Lyn kept her smile. "And why is that? If anyone has the right to go see him, it's you, you are his rival after all."

  "That's the reason why I don't have the right." Even shifting her head was a change against Lyn's hold. "When he told me to take the others and run, I hated myself for running. Then, when I saw him get up and tell me that he'd take care of it. I should have helped him, but I didn't."

  If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

  An arm wrapped around her, bringing her back to Lyn's side. Placing the elf's head on her shoulder. "It's ok, we've all had moments like that at least once in our lives. It's nothing to be ashamed of."

  "But I ran away like a coward, I left him to die. I should have gone back sooner, I should have stayed and helped, it's my fault he's in that condition."

  For a moment, they both fell quiet. Lyn kept her gaze on Lucina before looking to the wall that held their shadows. "Long ago there was a group, led by a girl a few years older than you, someone so prideful she thought she was invincible."

  "With the wave of a hand, a mountain-sized man would fall. With the wave of the other, a horde of monsters would lay dead in a field. To say this girl thought highly of herself was an understatement." Looking up Lucina stared into Lyn's obsidian eyes, following them to the same wall. "One day, while she and her friends were out travelling, they heard rumours of a canyon filled with monsters that had become quite the issue for many of the towns and villages in the area, so you know what they did?"

  "No. What did they do?"

  "This group decided that they would go out and wipe out those monsters. So they went to a tavern and started to plan out their assault. For hours, they talked to people, looking through books, studying the layout of the canyon and what monsters lived there. Until nightfall came. After hours of preparing, they went to bed with a plan. But the girl who thought she was invincible had a different plan. She woke up early, long before anyone else was even close to waking up, and took off to the valley."

  "What!? Why did she do that? If the valley was that dangerous, why did she go alone?"

  "Who knows? Some say it was pride, others say she was just that confident, but those closer to her thought she was just overconfident and wanted to fuel her ego. " Giggling she continued. "But when she arrived, she was met with a force of nearly six thousand monsters. Minotaurs, LigerHorns, ThunderBirds, Wyverns, Ogres, Wingless Dragons, and even a few Winged Dragons filled the valley. She met them all, head-on."

  Watching this information washed over Lucina, leaving her shocked to the point that her doubt left her for a moment. "What happened next?"

  "For the most part, she left nothing but carnage in her wake. Boom! A torment of Ogres fell. Bam! The scorched body of a headless wyvern hit the floor." Lyn couldn't help but exaggerate while she told the story. "For what felt like hours, she did battle; countless monsters fell that day. She left mangled bodies and stone to litter the ground. But when one fell, another took its place. The girl was constantly pushing against her limits. When she grew closer to her limit, she started to panic.

  "She started to wonder, "How many of these things are left?" and "Why did I do this?" But as the battle raged on, she was left no choice to fight on, even when she started to grow tired. However, she soon found herself surrounded. How many did she vanquish? She didn't know; all she knew was that her body was nearly completely drained of both stamina and magic. Narrowly avoiding the breath attack from a pair of wyverns and at that moment, she was tackled by a Minotaur that sent her flying into the tail of a wingless dragon that slammed into her for the follow-up."

  "When a dragon's maw lunged towards her, it seemed like her end was near. Only for the ground to shake as the dragon's head followed by its body. When she looked up what she saw was her knight. A trio of minotaurs rushed them, but they didn't make it very far as her rouge turned them to mincemeat in the blink of an eye. A light engulfed the girl. Turning she found her healer and light mage arrived."

  "As the battle progressed, each member threw a comment at the girl, somewhere more comedic, questioning if she even had a brain." It was odd to hear Lyn laugh while she told the story. "Even as the group bickered, they pressed on, continuing to cut down monster after monster, slowly bringing their numbers down. But they were still getting overwhelmed. Both the mage and the healer were quickly approaching a drain, for the knight and rogue while they dealt a massive blow, further lowering the number of monsters. There were still thousands of them left."

  "So, seeing the situation the girl put everything she had left into one final attack. Summoning every last bit of her power, she channelled everything into one last magical blast that–

  "Mis. Lyndis," Lucina interrupted. "I'm not trying to complain but what was the point of this?"

  "Sorry, guess I was enjoying the story more than I should have." Laughing, she turned her attention away from the wall and back to Lucina. "Well, after they narrowly won, their bodies gave out and when the girl came to she found herself sleeping in a bed. Seeing that her friends were in the same situation as her. Sleeping peacefully. The sight made her feel worse; her actions led to them all nearly meeting their end. She waited for what felt like days until one by one they slowly started to wake up. Afraid to see them, she didn't go to them immediately; she was afraid. She felt the same way you do now."

  That made Lucina pay more attention to the tale. "What... What did she do?"

  "When she heard that they all woke up, she swallowed her fear and went to greet them. Ready to hear them yell and scorn her for the action she took, but when she saw them, she was met with jokes, laughter, worry, and the occasional remark about her actions. Their words not only gave her relief, but it relieved them too."

  It was easy for her to see the point of Lyn's story but accepting it was a different matter. It was hard for Lucina not to meet her gaze.

  "Are... are you sure going to see him would be for the best? Trying to find some reason, some justification she would use to avoid the situation. Her gaze looked all around the room. Going from the clock to the bathroom door, out the window, and finally back to the wall. "I mean, look at the time, it's almost nine-thirty, he's probably sleeping and I don't want to wake him up just for my selfishness."

  A soft chop to the head brought her attention back to Lyn. "I'm sure it will be fine. But that feeling, that feeling that's saying, "You don't have the right." The longer you listen to it, the harder the task becomes."

  "Are you sure that will be for the best?"

  Lyn's smile vanished for a moment before she stood up and started to push Lucina towards the door. "Just get going before I change my mind and decide to make you practice in the rain." It was a baseless threat.

  "Ok, I'll go." Lucina stumbled with each step she took, thanks to Lyn pressing her. "You don't have to push."

  "Well, how else am I going to make sure you get there? The last thing I need to worry about is you getting lost while you try to get back to the medical ward."

  Taking the lead, they walked down the hall, their echoing footsteps filling the vacant space. Until Lucina spoke up.

  "Mis. Lyndis has Red... has he had anything to eat at all?"

  A smile grew on the leading Lyn. "No, but I'm sure we can fix that."

  —

  Low growls and roars echoed in the forest, LigerHorn after LigerHorn fell. Their numbers seemed endless. Each swing of the blade or a bolt of flame would leave the feline pride with fewer members.

  Watching another lung forward, its horn lowered aiming to skewer him. Its horn sent flying, and he called out Firebolt as crimson red flames reduced the monster to ash.

  Two more came running only to meet the same fate when Breaker cleaved them both in two. This battle only continued. Red didn't seem to grow tired, the only thing that held his attention was the hoard before him.

  It was hard to tell how long it was going on for. Hours? Minutes? That wasnt important.

  Until a raging roar came from behind as a LigerHorn leapt out of the forest and into the air. As Red tried to swing Breaker to meet the attack, his arm got stuck. With no time to react as it got closer, his eyes slammed shut.

  But the attack didn't land, slowly the light returned to eyes. He found himself sitting on a hill covered in soft grass and the sun started to peek over the horizon, bathing the land in the warm orange hue of the sunrise.

  As he tried to move his hand, he couldn't.

  Looking away from the sunrise, trying to find the source that was preventing him from moving his hand, only to find that there was nothing but an open field in all directions that seemed to go on for miles. Miles of nothingness in every direction.

  That was until he felt a squeeze and his head shot to his side. Sitting next to him was none other than his elven rival.

  "Good, I thought you zoned out there for a moment and fell back asleep." Her smile was bright like the sun. "Are you sleeping well, Red?"

  "Lucina?"

  "Yep, that's my name, don't go wearing it out." He could see her laugh slightly. "So Mr. Early Bird, I assume you're enjoying the sunrise?"

  "Lucina, what about the LigerHorns? How did I get here? Are you ok?" He tried to move away, only to feel her grip on his hand tighten.

  "What do you mean? We've been here for hours and no LigerHorn insight, what were you reading Roy's book all night and start dreaming about LigerHorns?" Her voice was calm even as she teased him. "But do hope you wake up so the sun can rise."

  "Wait you mean–

  "That way we go out and explore. I heard from a few townsfolk that there is a dungeon nearby so we can go there."

  "Wait what's–

  "None of that you two, you both still need to eat breakfast before you go off adventuring." A voice softer than silk spoke out.

  He looked back, so fast it looked like he snapped his neck with that movement. "That voice, it can't be."

  As the brunette woman appeared, so did the smell of food. "Now hurry up, you both. Lyndis said that the food will be ready in a few minutes now come along and wake up."

  "We're coming, ma'am." Lucina shot up, still hanging on to his hand as she tried to pull him with her. But when he didn't move a light frown took hold. "Come on Red, you heard her, breakfast will be ready soon."

  "Lucina, what's going on? Where are we?"

  She didn't answer; instead, she took her seat back on the ground. "Ok, how about this? When I count down, I want to you close and open your eyes ok?"

  "Can you just please tell me where we are?"

  Still, her smile didn't leave. "You trust me, right?"

  Her question caught him off guard and he looked around before falling back to her. "Yeah."

  "Then 3..."

  Closing and opening his eyes the sky and land were gone, leaving them both on the hill in a black void.

  "...2..."

  Repeating the action, now it was just the two of them in the void as a quiet murmur started to echo in the void. The words were hard to make out, but they were telling him to do something.

  "...1..."

  This time she was gone, the voices grew slightly louder and 'Wake Up' became audible.

  "Lucina? Where did you go?"

  "One more time, Red, you're almost there. Just trust me and close your eyes."

  With not much else to do he took a breath and closed his eyes, but this time he was slow to open them.

  "Come on, Red, one more step and open them and Wake Up...

  "Please."

  When they opened, he was met with the wooden ceiling and the flickering of a candle. Looking out the window to see that it was still raining, but most importantly, it was still dark out.

  "Am I awake?" He spoke out and quickly got his answer when a wave of pain shot throughout his body once again, he groaned. "Mgh... Well, guess that answers my question."

  "Huh?" The moment he tried to move his right arm, he felt the same resistance as when he was in the dream world. "Lucina?" His voice was quiet.

  There at his side, sitting in a chair, was a sleeping elf. Her head was on the bed, and her hand was intertwined with his. The sight gave him something to grow warm at. "You know, Red, there's nothing quite like waking up and the first thing to greet you in the morning is a pretty girl." The sudden memory of his grandfather made him grow pinker. Cursing the old man under his breath.

  But the sight next to him... 'Well, maybe he's right this time.' Trying to move his right hand, he couldn't shake her grasp, but what he could do was take notice of the dozens of small bandages that covered both of her hands.

  Watching her snuggle her head onto the bed, some hair fell out of place. Something possessed him to roll over slightly, giving him the chance to reach his left hand over. Even the simple act of shifting his body hurt but it was manageable.

  "Please wake up." She was sleep-talking. Her voice was so quiet that the rain almost drowned her out, but it was soft on his ears.

  Reaching over, he brushed some over her hair behind her ear. 'Her hair, it's soft.' It felt relaxing for some reason. It happened a few more times and each time the palm of his hand went back it connected with the tip of her ear. Her eyes started to twitch, but he didn't notice, distracted by hair brushing.

  When they opened, Azure met Crimson.

  "Red?" Even her voice sounded tired, but the moment she saw him, her fatigue disappeared and a smile formed on her face.

  It took a moment before a pink hue invaded their cheeks, and for Lucina, it spread to her ears, that started to twitch. The two shot up, Lucina came to her feet and Red sat up.

  The two were quiet, trying to avoid meeting each other's glance. He couldn't help but smile. "I'm glad you're ok."

  He didn't even get an answer, finding himself wrapped in a sudden hug. Her hold was tight, but while it hurt. It wasn't painful, just uncomfortable. It was something he would deal with, even as her hold became tighter.

  Wrapping his left arm around her, he returned the hug. He could hear her mutter something, but her voice was overshadowed by the rainfall.

  "What was that, Lucina?"

  "I... I'm sorry." The hug became tighter to the point of hurting. "I'm so, so sorry."

  "You don't have to be, I'm just glad you're ok. That's all that matt–

  "NO, IT'S NOT!" Pushing herself away from him she covered her mouth the moment she realized she was yelling. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have yelled."

  Watching her hands fall to her side, she took her seat back in the chair with a defeated look. "I left you to die, I should have stayed, but all I did was leave you. I feel pathetic, all my talk of us being rivals and when it came down to it when everything mattered. I left."

  Each word only served to to make the smile that grew on him fade, watching her devalue herself. It was like looking at a mirror's reflection... Well, a prettier reflection.

  "Lucina..." Despite the pain in his arm, he reached out. He took her hand in his and held it tight. Even as Lucina tried to pull away, he didn't let go. With a smile on his face, doing his best to ignore the pain his voice was soft. "If I had to do it over again I would. If it meant my rival was safe, I'd do it a hundred times over."

  "Why would you do something like that for a coward like me?"

  "Lucina," Still he just smiled. "I thought I was the one who was supposed to have the confidence issues?"

  "Maybe it's what I get for hanging around you." Her smile slowly returned. And once he watched it come back even for a moment, it made the pain go away.

  His hand moved pulled away as he spoke. "I don't think I'd be where I'm at right now if it weren't for you."

  "What lying in a medical bed?"

  Even he couldn't help but laugh. "No, but right now I don't mind." Holding his free hand in front of her a flame was born in his hand. It was easy, so much easier than what it used to be. "Thanks to you, now I can do this." Watching the flame dance in his hand, its flicking movements were reflected in his.

  Only to have a hand come down on his head. "You should be resting not showing off what you can do. Don't think for a moment, Mis. Lyndis didn't tell me what you did when you came to."

  The two started laughing, distracted by each other. They didn't notice the rainfall became softer. But his laughter soon became a rough, dry cough. Lucina was quick to respond by getting him a glass of water.

  Taking the glass and downing it, once again the cold water helped provide some relief to his throat as the dryness was combated.

  "How are you feeling Red?"

  "Well, better than earlier, but I imagine that doesn't mean much. My arm and chest still hurt a lot, but u can manage." A single bit of laughter came from him, only to stop once he noticed the bandages on her hands. "Hey Lucina, what happened to your hands?"

  "Oh these well, when Mis. Lyndis was bringing me her... I figured that well you haven't had anything to eat today so..."

  She moved like a blur, snagging the canister from the side of the bed and there was a plate next to it.

  'Wait, are those sliced apples? Why do some of them look so badly cut?' Looking them over, while there were several that were perfectly cut. The rest... the rest looked so bumpy and misshapen compared to the rest it was like they were cut with a hammer.

  He didn't have time to question it as there was a light warm smell filled the room.

  "Here, I know it isn't the best but well." Looking into the bowl it was soup, with thin noodles, thinly sliced carrots, and celery. "It isn't much, but I hope it helps."

  Taking the bowl, its warmth spread up his arms. Watching light steam rise from the bowl, he looked to Lucina for an answer. "Oh, that well, when I was helping Mis. Lyndis, Morgen came by, and well, she started helping. she even gave me the thermos so that it would stay warm."

  "Well, it looks good, thanks."

  As Lucina offered him the spoon, the pain in his arm resurfaced. Before she could adjust the bowl was taken from him and the best thing he knew a spoonful was offered to him. "Let me, I don't want you to strain yourself."

  The light blush on her face looked like dust. Seeing her own nervousness and feeling his rise up, he took the bite. 'It's good, but why does it taste like chicken?'

  He wasn't given a moment to speak, when one bite was swallowed, another spoonful was given to him. The action repeated but before another bite was taken he asked. "I didn't see any chicken so why does it?

  "Oh that, well when I was helping cut the carrots I found some chicken broth and figured you might like it."

  When he was about to take another bite, his gaze noticed something was missing. "Did you lose your ribbon?"

  "I think I misplaced it, but that doesn't matter; I can always get a new one."

  After the next bite, he spoke again. "If it helps you look nice with your hair down."

  The comment made them both blush. You already said that before but thank you." The feeding continued, each bite seemed to taste better than the last, until the bowl was empty.

  But one of them wouldn't let silence take over once again. "Red," Her voice was firm. "I'm going to get stronger, so much stronger than my current self will look like a flickering flame compared to the blaze I'll make myself into." The force of her statement made it sound like she was making a vow, but while she continued her voice became softer. "That way the next time you need help, I'll be able to protect and save you."

  The look in her eyes made it clear there was a fire in there, the tone of her voice made it clear this was a claim she didn't make lightly.

  "I'll become someone that you can rely on."

  "Lucina that's not going to happen." To say that comment both caught her off guard, left her shocked, and annoyed her was an understatement as she started glaring at him. A glare made her thoughts so clear she didn't need to utter a single word. "Because I'm going to get stronger than this so that way I'll be able to protect everyone and everything I care about, including you. I can't have my rival being stronger than me."

  His declaration left her speechless for a moment, but only for a moment she shot back with a smile. "Then, I'll be even stronger than you. That was you can just watch while I keep you safe.

  "And I'll be even stronger than that."

  It didn't take long for them to turn the moment into a competition to see who would claim to be the one who would work harder.

  "I already have a massive lead against you when it comes to magic and you'll be bedridden for who knows how long, so I'll use that time to get ahead of you when it comes to swordsmanship."

  "You know the moment I can get out of bed I'll close that gap." While the two had their spat Red didn't notice as Lucina started to reach her hand behind her.

  "I'll double your efforts."

  "And I'll triple–

  Something sweet and juicy with a nice crush was shoved into his mouth, stopping him from talking. Stopping to chew, spotting the look Lucina wore, trying not to smile at what she'd done. The moment he swallowed another was placed in front of him. "Ok, we'll both work hard but can you please promise that you won't push yourself too hard."

  "Sure but I have a better idea."

  She stopped reaching for another apple slice as she gave him a slightly confused yet intrigued look.

  "I'll rest so my body can take time to recover and won't force myself to do anything I can't handle yet if..."

  The if caught her attention. Watching, him extended his hand towards her. "... If I ever need to be saved, I can count on the 'Azure Blaze' to come to my aid."

  Feeling her gaze locked onto his finger before returning to his, she mimicked his action and took his hand.

  "I'll honor that deal, but I have one condition." This time, the catch caught him off guard. As she spoke, her cheeks and ears had a pink glow to them. "That is, if I need to be protected, I can count on a burning guardian to be by my side."

  They both smiled and nodded.

  ""It's a deal.""

  They couldn't help but laugh. They did it again, but when it came to an end, just as Lucina was about to give him another apple slice. She saw Red with a goofy smile.

  "And what's so amusing to you?"

  "Nothing, it's just I like the way it sounds." Now it was her turn to wait for an answer. "Burning Guardian, I think it sounds pretty cool."

  It made her laugh. "You really are a dork."

  "Hey, I'm allowed to act like one, at least for today."

  "Yeah and why's that?"

  He didn't answer immediately, simply pointing to the clock, it read one-fifteen. "After all it is my birthday now."

  Shaking her head at her rival, she just smiled as he ate the apple. "Well then, birthday boy, I guess it's a good thing, Mis. Lyndis gave me these before she left." With a smile, she pulled out two different books he recognised.

  In her right was 'Golden Light' and her left, the title alone made him blush 'Like a Fairy.'

  "So, which one would you like first?"

  It was an easy choice, 'Golden Light.' When Lucina retook her seat and started to read, slowly over time with every turn of the page, his eyes grew heavy, and Lucina's voice seemed to lull him to sleep.

  Season 2 End