As my friends in the Harry Potter fandom would be able to tell you, today is my birthday, and as a gift to all my friends I updated all my fics that weren't already finished. While I was doing so though, I came upon this story that I was writing. I had originally planned to complete this story before I posted it so I wouldn't have to fear for writer's block, but with some positive encouragement, I made the decision to post this chapter earlier than intended.

Continuing my never ending desire to fill the Fire Emblem fandom with my twisted creations, I present to you all the very first Lloyd/Eliwood slash fic! Going far past my Volug/Ike fic, which actually had a basis in canon, I am pairing a dead man and Eliwood, father of Roy, together.

Obviously some Willing Suspension of Disbelief will be necessary here.

If you haven't been scared away though, I hope you enjoy this work of fiction!

Don't forget though, like I said, today is my birthday and reviews are excellent presents! besides you'll earn my eternal love and devotion, and what could be better than that?

Warnings: Total ruining of Fire Emblem Seven canon, the necessary removal of Fire Emblem Six from this work's universe, Swearing, Violence, Mature material. Also, Mark is the name of the Tactician. Might seem like a logical assumption, but I thought I'd point it out to anyone who thought I was writing a self-insert or an OC or something.

Pairings: Lloyd/Eliwood (this will be fun!), one-sided Hector/Eliwood, Raven/Lucius, Legault/Heath, Lyn/Florina, Others to be determined.

A Moment of Mercy

Chapter 1: A Moment that could change a Lifetime – or a World.

"The moment you thought that thought…the future changed forever."

-Ichihara Yuuko, xxxHoLic

Swords clashed in a spray of sparks, and Eliwood grit his teeth and set his legs, holding out as best as he could against his foe. Lloyd of the Black Fang was one of the fiercest enemies he had ever faced, and the redhead's body trembled slightly as he looked into the other's eyes. Resolution, determination, the will to succeed; this man was unlike any other he had ever faced. Uhai had been resigned, Darin delirious in his madness, but this man was startling in his quiet ferocity.

If he faltered for but a moment, if his will wavered for just a second, then it would be over; Lloyd would show no mercy and his blade would mean the end of Eliwood's life.

Eliwood leapt away, steadying his breath so that he did not lose his composure. What could he use to distract his opponent long enough to create an opening so that he could seize victory? He had already tried questioning the other's devotion to the Black Fang, tried weakening his resolve in an effort to stop this battle before any of his own troops were harmed, but Lloyd's loyalty was startling and he had made no headway with the spiky-haired blond.

Lloyd's mission was simple; to eradicate Eliwood and his band of followers at all costs and, from the coldness in his eyes, there was no doubt that he would do everything in his power to complete his mission fully.

Eliwood had never liked killing, but he loved many things and, while many saw that as a weakness, for Eliwood it was his greatest strength. By thinking of those he loved, those who he would die to protect, he found the will to continue on, to take the life of another. He found no pleasure in it, but that love that bound him to his friends and his compatriots kept him from falling into the insanity that usually follows when an innocent soul is thrust into the heat of battle.

He had skill though, natural talent with the blade, though he did not advertise it often and, though it was foolish, he kept that talent from the battle field often. The few who knew of his skill thought that he kept it concealed as a tactic that could turn the tides of a battle; that he could wear down an enemy and then suddenly strike them down with a sudden influx of power.

That was not the case though; Eliwood hated battle, hated bloodshed, hated violence. Perhaps that wasn't the greatest of propensities in a world where violence was the wont of men and diplomacy was something thought to be kept for women, but Eliwood had never bothered with the social norms of his day and age. Instead, as he had grown, he had focused less on his natural talent with the blade and more on his skill with words, and soon he had been skilled enough to call himself a skilled debater and a better diplomat, and many times this talent had ended struggles before they had gotten out of hand.

Even Hector, whose love for battle was matched only by Eliwood's revulsion for it, took notice of his skill, and many a time the blue-haired Ostian would complain that if only Eliwood was not royalty, he would sweep him up so that he could stay at his side as a formal diplomat for Ostia.

Eliwood had always replied as if Hector had been joking, but his closest friend's words always filled his heart with a sense of joy with a smaller, but noticeable, amount of dread that he was missing something that was right before his face but that he always failed to notice. Nevertheless, Eliwood took pride in his skill as a diplomat and a wielder of words, but he was not naïve in the slightest.

There were some times when words were meaningless and, though he loathed making use of it, his talent at fencing became his most important asset. Much like now, faced with cold-eyed death in the form of a gold-haired swordmaster, he needed to harden his heart and pick up his blade, and pray that he would be forgiven for yet another murder.

Lloyd slid backwards gracefully, steadying himself smoothly and instinctively. His opponent, Eliwood of Pherae, was doing an admirable job of composing himself.

To tell the truth, the young man did not seem to be of a bad sort. Still, he was marked for the judgment of the Black Fang, and that was final. And, if his heart had felt the briefest fluttering of hesitation, the briefest regret that he would be killing what seemed like a just and honorable man instead of the sniveling swine usually brought to justice by his hand, then he had swiftly crushed whatever form of resistance that stood between him and the completion of his mission.

Wary blue eyes traced his figure, and Lloyd leaned back, coiled like a viper ready to strike and smirked. One more blow and it would be over; at the very least, he could make sure it was painless.

Eliwood drew in a long, deep breath, raising his sword up so that it was vertical in front of his face, blocking his view of the enemy for but a second. Though it left him unguarded for a moment, something that could be fatal considering what a deft swordmaster he was up against, he treasured that short moment. It was almost as if he could imagine that he was not on the battlefield, that he was back at home, with Mother, and Marcus, and Father…

Later. He would have time for regrets later. His rapier was swung down in a quick arch, almost as if not by his will, the movement causing his blade to blur and Eliwood swore that he could see his enemy's eyes widen in shock for the briefest of moments. It was gone in the next moment though, and Eliwood lunged forward, his body blurring and his rapier poised to strike right through the other's heart.

Against a slower foe, the strike would have been an instant kill, the thin blade slipping through a normal man's ribcage to pierce directly through the heart. Luck was on Lloyd's side that day though, and he had time to move his blade upwards in a rudimentary form of defense, but it was enough to divert the redheaded lord's attack. Instead of the blonde's heart, the blade struck his right shoulder, causing him to yelp in pain and unintentionally drop his sword.

Eliwood grit his teeth in irritation; he did not want to drag this battle out, and now he would have to fight an enemy in pain. Every instinct in his body was screaming at him. 'How could you hurt someone, you said you would never hurt someone, never take up a blade against another, never cause harm where it could be avoided. You can't even kill someone properly!'

Wrenching his blade through Lloyd's shoulder, causing the blond to yelp in pain once more, Eliwood steadied himself and back flipped away from the other, thinking quickly. Reaching towards his hip, he exchanged his rapier for the light brand Matthew had found recently in the desert of Nabata, and used it to cast a quick spell towards the swordmaster.

A quick thrill of excitement coursed through Eliwood's body as he watched the spell provide the deciding blow, sending Lloyd into unconsciousness without killing him. He…he didn't have to kill him now! Though, if he didn't act fast, the wound he had inflicted with his rapier would anyway.

The last thing Eliwood wanted was for another to die while he could do something about it. Father…Father had died because he could do nothing to aid him, and in that one bleak instant when his father's life had fled him eternally, Eliwood had felt that all he had done in his journey to attempt to save his Father had been useless. He had fought for nothing, he had killed for nothing, he had broken every promise he had ever made to himself and had become a murderer…for nothing.

True, he had a new goal in heart now, a new goal to give him an excuse for sullying his soul with the blood of others. And yet, if he could save but one life, if he could spare one person because of his actions, then he would take that path without hesitation. He would spare the life of another, even one who had been determined to kill him, so that he would not have to add one more face to the endless procession of nightmares that haunted him every time he shut his eyes.

At that moment, when Eliwood decided to spare the life of Lloyd of the Black Fang, fate itself changed intrinsically, and their separate destinies became forever intertwined.

Unbeknownst to the cosmic upheaval that his decision had caused, Eliwood had moved beside the unconscious swordmaster, rolling the blond over onto his back and examining the wound he had caused him. The redhead flinched; though he was no medic by any means, he could tell what a fatal wound looked like and it appeared that that is what he had inflicted upon the other. Bowing his head, Eliwood quickly gathered his thoughts, trying to figure out how he would stop Lloyd's impending death.

"Mark?" Eliwood murmured, glancing at the quiet tactician who had stood quietly off to the side until now, his eyes solemn, as if he alone understood what was taking place before his eyes.

"Eliwood," Mark answered quietly. "Do you think this is wise?" He asked, waving a thin hand at Lloyd's unconscious form, already knowing what Eliwood was planning.

"No, it is not," Eliwood admitted. "It is right, though."

Mark was silent for a long moment before nodding once in affirmation. "We should call Lucius; though his training with staves is mediocre at best, Priscilla is too weak-willed to be the keeper of this secret and trusting Serra at this point in time with keeping this situation quiet is unfeasible."

"You're right; call Legault as well," Eliwood muttered, worrying his lip as he pondered if trying to staunch the blonde's blood flow with his cape with be detrimental or not.

"Legault?" Mark questioned.

"It is a bit of a gamble, but Legault was a member of the Black Fang before, right? If anyone would wish to see this man to health once more, than it would be him. I can only hope that there was no bad blood between them; I don't think we could stop Legault if he truly wanted to kill someone, especially with me in this state," Eliwood chuckled weakly, sinking to his knees beside Lloyd. "Ow."

"Lucius!" Mark shouted in the blonde's general direction. "Come over here with a healing staff, and Legault, you come as well." Mark turned to kneel beside Eliwood. "Anyone else?"

"None that I can think of at the moment," Eliwood replied, unclasping his cape and peeling off his gloves.

"Are you alright?' Mark asked, his grey eyes flittering over Eliwood's body quickly. "You don't seem to be any more wounded than usual, but…"

"I'm just tired, my friend," Eliwood assured, wiping some sweat off his forehead with the back of his hand. "The last maneuver took a bit out of me, and facing this man in battle was not an easy task by any means."

"I see," Mark murmured, and he stood up straight as Lucius came to a stop beside them.

"Lord Eliwood, Sir Mark." The blonde panted, clutching his staff tightly. "Are you harmed, my lord?"

"We are fine, Lucius." Eliwood smiled reassuringly, standing as well, though slower than Mark had. "We actually called you to help this man." Eliwood said, pointing to the rapidly paling Lloyd.

Lucius move over to stand beside the other blond before shaking his head in resignation. "Lord Eliwood, this is far beyond my healing expertise. I do not believe I could do anything for this man; if I tried to heal him fully, then I could seriously hurt him."

"Hurt him worse than death?" Mark questioned wryly.

"Even if I saved him from death, I could easily make a mistake trying to heal his muscles or reattach the tendons that had been torn," Lucius said firmly, and Eliwood felt a smile quirk his lips. It seems like Lucius could be quite stubborn when need be. "He would be in excruciating pain for the rest of his life if I made a single error. I would not risk it; Priscilla, or even Serra, would be much more suited for this job then I."

"Is there truly nothing you can do, Lucius?" Eliwood asked, worried that of they waited any longer, they would not be able to save the swordmaster's life.

"I would not be able to do this in good faith," Lucius replied.

"What's the hold up?" A smooth voice questioned from behind the trio, and Lucius and Eliwood whirled around, startled by Legault's sudden presence. Mark chuckled quietly in amusement, and Legault's smirk caused the two to blush, furiously in Lucius' case and faintly in Eliwood's.

"Legault," Eliwood said seriously, and the lavender-haired thief's smirk fled his pale face. "I need to know if you can keep a secret; it involves the wellbeing of someone."

"I am a thief, Lord Eliwood," Legault chuckled. "We aren't well known for keeping promises or secrets and, for the right amount of money, I might be persuaded to-" Eliwood stepped to the side, and Legault's joke fell flat, the thief's eyes widening as he caught sight of Lloyd's rapidly bleeding body. "Lloyd?" Legault hissed, turning to look at the redheaded lord in shock.

"Yes," Eliwood affirmed, watching as a variety of emotions flitted through Legault's eyes.

"Why did you call me here?" Legault questioned quietly, his hand almost imperceptibly shifting toward his dagger.

"I wish to save this man's life," Eliwood said firmly, staring directly into the thief's eyes.

The lavender-haired man's hand dropped to his side, and he stared dumbfounded at the lord. "Are you serious?" He hissed. "This man tried to kill you from the looks of things, and you want to spare him?"

"Yes," Eliwood replied, glancing quickly at the blond swordsman before returning his gaze to Legault. "Will you keep this a secret?"

"Eliwood, I…" Legault stuttered, dropping formalities in his shock. "Lloyd failed in the mission allotted to him; to assassinate you, right?" At Eliwood's nod, Legault continued. "By Black Fang law, he should be killed." Legault chuckled breathlessly, running his hands thorough his long hair. "Good thing were not the Black Fang, right?"

"Yes," Eliwood agreed, turning to face Mark and the stunned Lucius. "Will you two keep this a secret as well?"

"Yes, Lord Eliwood," Lucius said, nodding once. "It would be against my nature to let a man, even an enemy, die needlessly." Eliwood smiled at the blonde; he could emphasize with him.

"I will keep this a secret as well," Mark answered. "We should act quickly though, or there will be no secret to keep."

"You're right." Eliwood said. "Can either of you give an estimation for how long we have left before Lloyd dies?" The words tumbled off Eliwood's lips awkwardly, and Legault looked amused for a brief moment. Eliwood was not a natural leader by any means, though he did quite admirably at the position he had been forced by birth in to. It would be a while before he became proficient at it though.

Lucius examined the swordsman with a critical eye before sighing. "Ten minutes, maybe? He has lost a lot of blood."

"It doesn't matter," Legault smirked, waving a crystal blue vial in the air.

"An elixir?" Eliwood asked, shocked. "Where did you get something like that?"

"Picked it up in Valor," Legault replied. "Does it really matter? It will heal Lloyd over there perfectly. The real question is, milord, what will we do with Lloyd once he is healed?"

Eliwood was silent for a long moment, Lucius and Mark standing next to him, equally as quiet. Legault stared at the red-haired noble, his gaze assessing.

"It is unlikely that no one but the four of us saw Lloyd; many would be able to identify him as a man who had fought opposed to us. Not to mention Heath would have heard of him, since he once resided in Bern, as well as anyone else in this army who was born or lived in Bern, for they probably would have heard of Lloyd of the Black Fang. He is one of the Four Fangs, right Legault?" Eliwood mused.

"You seem quite aware of the situation we are in, Lord Eliwood," Legault said.

"I am a noble; even though I am not from Bern, I have heard of the Black Fang, though merely as the figments of some shadowy legend. I never thought they were real until faced with their existence, but I am not totally unknowledgeable of them as well," Eliwood stated.

"Quite naïve of you, to think of the Black Fang as mere myths," Legault chuckled.

"Yes; until recently, my life has been the perfect example of naïveté. Though, that quickly changed on the battlefield," Eliwood said, eyes clouded in thought.

"One should not be thrown into battle so unprepared, Lord Eliwood," Lucius murmured, observing as Legault tipped Lloyd's head back, massaging his throat as he poured the elixir into the blond swordmaster's mouth. "Did you know Lloyd well, Legault?"

"Not as well as I would like," Legault replied, grinning roguishly as the blond bishop blushed hotly. "Oh please, Lucius; everyone knows what you and Raven are doing in the dark, and I would bet money that Eliwood is as gay as the two of us."

"Should I pay you for that winning bet?" Eliwood chuckled wryly.

"Lord Raymond and I have never done, done something so – so uncouth!" Lucius stuttered, face aflame.

"No comments on my sexuality, Legault?" Mark questioned idly, watching Lucius' spontaneous combustion amusedly.

"In order, you can give me a kiss later Eliwood, no use denying it Lucius, you're a screamer, and Mark, everyone knows your reproduce asexually," Legault grinned deviously, sending the redhead a wink.

"I'll give you an I.O.U., and really Lucius, did you not ever wonder why everyone in the army purchased earplugs soon after you joined?" Eliwood said, smiling at the blonde gently.

"I, I don't know what to say," Lucius blushed, hiding his face in his hands.

"I've decided celibacy is a good idea?" Legault offered innocently, and Lucius shot him a dirty look.

"Now, now, girls, break it up," Mark deadpanned, and Eliwood snickered as the two long-haired males started at the tactician's sudden interruption. "We need to get Lloyd to a safe location, away from prying eyes."

"We can put him in my tent," Eliwood offered.

"Doesn't Lord Hector sleep with you?" Lucius asked, biting his lip as he thought.

"I bet he does," Legault muttered inaudibly.

"It is fine, Lucius, I'll just tell Hector to visit Oswin or someone else for the night; Hector always does whatever I order him to do," Eliwood said.

"Kinky!" Legault chirped, watching as the redhead tried his hand at blushing.

"What, no, I didn't – pervert!" Eliwood shouted, throwing one of his gloves at the laughing thief.

"I hate to end the revelry," Mark said monotonously. "But we really need to hide Lloyd now if we want any chance at keeping his presence a secret."

Sure enough, it was but a moment later that the sound of steady footsteps coming ever closer reached Eliwood's ears, and the redhead addressed the lavender-haired thief seriously. "Bring Lloyd to my tent and, if possible, stay there. Lucius, Mark, if we are separated, come tonight after sunset, and don't let anyone know you're coming. I want to discuss what we are going to do about Lloyd then, alright?"

"Yes, Lord Eliwood," Lucius replied with a smile, and Mark gave a quick nod as well.

"Okay, go Legault," Eliwood said.

"Right away," Legault said, hefting the swordmaster up onto his shoulders, a surprising feat for someone who appeared so slender, and quickly running off into the trees surrounding the area.

"Do you know what you are doing, Lord Eliwood?" Lucius asked after a moment, staring at the redhead, his blue eyes uncertain.

"Truly, no Lucius, but I believe that good will come from this decision," Eliwood murmured, and Lucius nodded, smiling assuredly at the redhead.

"I'm sure it will; even though it may not seem like it at the time, an act of kindness is always repaid in full," The blonde bishop stated, and there was power in his words, power enough to stifle the niggling fears that had already begun to rise in Eliwood's heart.

"Thank you. Lucius, Mark, come. Further hesitation and the army will begin to be suspicious," Eliwood said, and the three left to rejoin the army, though Mark hesitated for a moment, grey eyes looking at the place where Eliwood had struck down Lloyd.

Something had changed, but for better or worse he could not tell. The tactician shrugged and walked with Eliwood and Lucius back towards the arm, not noticing a set of frigid gold eyes watching their every step.

So, first thoughts anyone? Should I continue, or would it be best if I sack this fic? I would love to hear from some readers, so be sure to review if possible (especially since it's my birthday!). As Lucius said, "an act of kindness is always repaid in full." And by full, I mean my eternal devotion and love. Which might result in oneshots with a pairing of your choice if you ask nicely.

Regardless of reviews or the lack of, the next chapter will be posted in a few days (though I would still love some constructive criticism so that I can improve!).

Until then,

Ariaeris~

Ps: As with the Harry Potter fandom, I will continue with a tradition that I have had since I first started posting fanfictions. The first ten people who send me in reviews or PMs with a pairing of their choice (anything goes) will get a short story written for that pairing. Because of a personal lack of knowledge of Fire Emblem before FE7, I am only able to accept requests for FE7 and on.

So send in the reviews and claim a spot as one of the ten who gets a short story written in their name! And yes, before you ask, this is a shameless and completely obvious way to get people to review. You get rewards though, so it all evens out!