Happy Friday! I had my interview for ASB and I think I handled it quite well. The upperclassmen were really kind to me! I hope I get accepted in! Ok, now back to the actually story. But first, I'll tell you that in this chapter, you'll find out about the "X" mystery and what the shadow figure was. Thanks for your support and enjoy! :D

"I feel refreshed!" Mae was in a nearby town getting her wounds treated. Who knew that it would take 2 months to recover?

"Thank you so much for taking care of me." She said as she was exiting the clinic.

"No worries! You can always return here if you need your injuries tended." The elderly lady that was taking care of Mae replied.

She waved goodbye to the lady and all her new friends she met. It was sunny outside, just the great weather to start the journey again. As Mae was traveling, she got to see new kinds of flora and fauna that she wasn't able to see in Ylisse. At least everything was going well for her!

Back at the shepherd's camp, they were continuing to find a cure for this mysterious marking. They found out that it was implanted by the vicious Risen army they have battled before. Many of their soldiers have died in the past few months, but one individual was not present.

Chrom went looking for Mae by himself and decided that if aid were given to him, it would simply slow him down.

"Gods, where are you? You couldn't have wandered that far!" He exclaimed. It was sunny in the area where he was looking around. He began to see unfamiliar landscapes and hoped he wasn't lost. Great. We already lost Mae. Now I'm the one lost? This is quite pathetic! I am going to kill whoever took her away from me!

2 MONTHS EARLIER

Returning to the castle Mae escaped from; Surge went back to her cell to give refreshments to her. He was walking slowly with a mischievous smile on his face. Of course she fears me! I could've killed her but I decided to me nice! I guess I'll explain how she got here for not trying to get me back.

When he unlocked the door, Surge noticed that the room was empty and her chains were on the floor. The blood was still there but something shiny was gleaming within it.

"Huh? What is that? Surge picked it up and analyzed it carefully.

"It appears to be a pendant…maybe Mae's not the smartest tactician after all." And just like that, he also went to search for her.

BACK TO THE PRESENT

Mae could practically see Ylisse. She fell into the grass field of her homeland. The scent was familiar, the place was familiar, and everything was recognizable. She lay on her back looking at the clouds and the blue sky. She couldn't wait to see Chrom and the shepherds.

"I miss this place!" Mae began to make little 'grass angels' as she began to speak again, "I'll be there soon. I'll return."

The happy moment was ended abruptly when Surge suddenly appeared.

"My little princess, why did you leave? You just got yourself in a lot of trouble." He grabbed her cloak's collar and lifted her off the ground. "You're my bait to your little princey and you left without saying goodbye!" Surge threw the chief tactician on the ground, with her at the edge of the cliff. "And don't call this abuse. It's just physical correction."

"What do you want from me and how did you get here?

"I was going to spill secrets to you nicely, but I guess I'll have to do it the hard way since you chose to leave!" He went into her mind and began tormenting her with crazy thoughts.

I created the Risen army you fought against. I've also been watching you and the shepherds for a very long time. You see, your poor soldiers thought that their injury was a mere scratch. It was actually a marking of death. A marking that can track its victim. And about that shadow thing that took you away from your love? That was obviously me, duh. Ylisse's chief tactician was unable to add up all these facts to lead to the conclusion? YOU ARE USELESS!

Surge went out of her mind and back into the real world. Mae was still lying on the ground. She could take physical attacks, but his mental attacks were deadly. She was bleeding excessively and sweat was running down her head.

"I've got something of yours." He reached into his pocket and grabbed the pendant. "Does this look like it's yours?"

She was patting her neck and barely noticed it was gone. It's been 2 whole months yet I never saw that it was missing.

"I have a deal for you, but you must accept before I discuss the terms."

She nodded 'yes' and stood up slowly. Mae was in a bad position. She was still near the edge of the cliff.

"I'm going to use you to get to Chrom. Once we're there, I can return this to you."

"What do you plan on doing to him?" She hid her hand behind her back. It was easy to notice that she didn't like where this was going.

"What every enemy of him wants." A long pause was made, "DEAD."

She stared at him with dismay. She already agreed with the terms but she wouldn't leave without having a good fight. Mae grabbed her silver sword from her back and slashed at his face. It went deep enough to break his mask and cut his right eye.

"AHHHH!" He looked around for her but the blood was spreading everywhere. Surge just lost vision in his right eye. He ran towards her and tackled her, making them both fall down the cliff. The two of them fell down and kept hitting the boulders. By the time they were at the bottom, they appeared unconscious. So close to home but yet so far…

Chrom's hopes of finding Mae began to fade. He was almost back to Ylisse. As he was walking down the trail, he saw blood on the ground.

"What in the world happened here?"He looked closely at the blood; Mae's pendant was within the red sea. "If this is her pendant…Mae!"

That's it for now. I personally didn't like this chapter. Anyways, you'll find out who Surge really is and if Chrom can finally get Mae. I'm not even sure how long I should make this story go on. Any suggestions, comments, or even concerns...then please review! I also want to hear some ideas for the next chapter. I'm starting to not have any! Please review! :D