Hello to you all! Before I launch into this project, I ask that you please take a moment to see what it is. Below, Controlling Entropy will have it's purpose explained, as well as it's general plot line. Also, some vital information about the characters will be given to you with my analysis to (hopefully) avoid confusion and questions on your part.

-)(-PURPOSE-)(-

The reason I am writing this is to play with two ideas of mine.

The first of these ideas is that the factor that makes Fire Emblem so entertaining is not the fantasy setting or battle system, but the characters within the game. To see if the characters can fully move a story along—no matter what that story is—is the main goal of this piece of work. As such, I will try very hard to keep everybody in character, and ask that any discrepancies be pointed out to me as they are found. After all—if Eirika isn't acting like Eirika, then the character as we know her from FE: SS isn't really fueling the plot, now is she?

The second idea is a silly, personal gripe of mine. After playing through the game and reading through the support conversations, I was outraged to see the limited interaction between Eirika, Seth, Natasha, and Joshua. The fact that the Silver Knight and the Sacred Healer can be in a romantic relationship aside; I always thought that the four would be very good friends.

-)(-PLOT-)(-

Plot? What plot? In case this is your first time reading my work, I seem totally incapable of writing a full-out story—one-shots and drabbles with continuing character traits seem to be more of my thing. So, Controlling Entropy will be a series of chronological events through the lives of Eirika, Seth, Natasha, and Joshua as they meet, fall in love, and it will end when they get married. Random times will be injected in—expect them to mostly correlate with holidays or important occasions ( I.e., proposals)—when there is a temporary expansion of the usual cast of four with a maximum of twelve to fourteen major characters brought into a chapter.

-)(-SET-UP-)(-

Each chapter will have a main theme, which will be posted in the chapter title. For example, the first real chapter of the story is titled One: Meeting. They will all begin with the third-person focus on Eirika and Seth, and after some time, there will be a break with a repetition of the chapter title. After such break, the focus will be on Joshua and Natasha. For the most part, the four will interact throughout the entire chapter. There will be no "other side" to situations shown. This means that if Seth and Joshua have a conversation in the beginning of a chapter, when it's the second half, time will continue to flow—it won't go backwards and show Joshua's thoughts during their talk.

Clear as mud? I hope it becomes easier to understand as you read.

-)(-CHARACTER INFORMATION-)(-

As previously stated, the four main characters are Eirika, Seth, Natasha, and Joshua. The others that may enter the story on a more than one-time basis are Ephraim, Tana, Innes, Vanessa, Ismaire, Franz, Forde, Kyle, Amelia, Tethys, and Gerik. Lyon is mentioned, but does not have an "active" role. Please note their last names—I tried to incorporate symbolism into each of them! The twin's surname isn't as blatantly apparent as the others are...if you're curious, feel free to message me about it!

Now, for their occupations....

Eirika and Ephraim Svarog (26): The heirs to the Castle Renais (a famous hotel/casino) in Las Vegas, the male twin lives in a mansion outside of town while Eirika lives in the executive's suite of Renais. Ephraim handles the financial, cut-throat business side of matters while his sister handles décor and hospitality issues within the hotel (think head of H.R.). Not only do I feel that this matches their personalities in governing their country within the cannon storyline of the game, but it gives them a "higher-up" place within society. It also gives me an excuse to be a silly ExS fangirl and give Seth his job....

Seth Marshall (31): ...Which happens to the head of security for the hotel. In this position, he can play commander of a force of armed guards, possibly serve as a bodyguard to Eirika (and remain "under" her in the authority ladder), and use his keen observational skills to catch cheaters in the casino. I think that a paladin's mount is crucial to their status—possibly because of the importance put on the horses in actual history and in fantasy games—but, because a horse is a little...out there, even for Vegas, Seth has police force experience with Olivia—a German Shepard.

Joshua Cutler (28): The son of the founder of Jehanna Hall—a desert-themed hotel on the same strip as Castle Renais—he works as a disc jockey for a local radio station. Why? Let's put things into perspective: Joshua's sword skills, albeit impressive, are hard to realistically transfer into a modern setting. A surgeon could have worked—but then, think about what he did in the game. He left home (the hotel business) to find out more about his people (deal with their problems on the radio); not to improve his fighting abilities. Also, working with a radio station gives him the opportunity to explore Vegas (which, as I hope is apparent by now, is Magvel). Oh, and Blackjack is his preferred game.

Dr. Natasha White (27): Another slightly-twisted job here: a young, promising psychiatrist. I felt that, if she worked in the medical (physical healing) field, she would have the "nurturing" role of a nurse...but, for some reason, Natasha screams quiet authority to me. So,that would have to make her a doctor—but they don't coddle their patients as much as the general population seems to think....Ergo, she needed a position where she could actively heal her patients. Because in the game it's revealed she wants to help the people of Grado after the war, her focus is on victims of disasters: fires, witnessing murders, and especially—or rather, specifically—war veterans.

...And with all of my rambling out of the way, let's begin Controlling Entropy! For the only time in this entire thing, I don't own Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones.

Enjoy, darlings!