For Unity

Hey guys, I'm back. I have been doing some serious grinding on both smash and three houses, I finished classic with everyone four days before Byleth's release, playing her (technically them as its both male and female, but I play female exclusively) has been really fun. For my run of silver snow, I am now at chapter 18 with only three chapters remaining. So, some info on that, I ran as female Byleth, I managed to bring everyone with me, so I've got everyone besides Claude, Dimitri, Dedue, Hubert, and Edelgard. So, now I kind of wait for some of your guy's responses. Anyway, to the story.

Chapter 27

Theme for this chapter: For My Sake, by Shinedown

Ashes of truth

Edelgard's POV

A night and a half from the incident

I awoke with a start, with my sudden raise a jolting pain pierced me. With the pain I gently laid myself down. I began to look around realizing I was in the infirmary; I turned my head to see someone in the bed next to me, they seemed to be familiar but the bright hair and the dark lighting in the room made it hard to determine whether or not I knew them.

I tried to put myself back to sleep as being awake at this hour of night, would not allow me much liberty. Although it took me some time before I could put myself at rest, my mind continued to wonder who was in the bed next to me.

Later in the morning.

It felt odd for me to wake up at so late of an hour in the day, if I had to guess it was most likely around mid-afternoon. I slowly raised myself up to be in a sitting position, just as quickly as I urged to move a jolting pain surged through me once more, prompting me to lie back down.

The door to the infirmary opened allowing for Hubert, Bernadetta, and a few other students to walk in they looked to me and whomever was next to me they were a little startled to see me easing myself back down into my bed.

"Lady Edelgard!" Said Hubert as he rushed over to aid me in resting myself down, "I am glad to see you have awoken." He said, "Do you remember what happened?"

"I am afraid I cannot recall the events that led to myself being here." I admitted, "The only thing I can vaguely recall, are events at the ruins yesterday." I added.

"Lady Edelgard, it has been two days since then." Hubert corrected.

I was shocked to hear that I had been unconscious for nearly two days, I tried to recall what I could about the mission, the last detail I could recall was one of the demonic beast that we had slain to return to its form of one of the students. But anything after that was blacked out.

"Who is that next to me?" I asked.

"That is the professor."

"What happened that caused his change in appearance?"

"Even I do not know what happened. When I brought him here, he looked as he always did, but when I was allowed to return here, he had white hair similar to yours." Hubert explained. "It must have been the procedure done on him."

"What procedure?" I asked, growing more concerned with each new detail that I was told.

"Once again I am not aware of what truly transpired here after they began." He replied, "I think it would be best to wait until the professor is awake and well enough to explain it himself." He advised.

"Has he awoken since his treatment?" I asked, Hubert shook his head. "I am afraid he has been in that state since I brought him here, I am not even sure if he was brought back to life after what happened." He said remorsefully.

"Hubert, please, tell me all you can about what transpired?" I asked.

"I will do all I can too." He replied.

It took Hubert a few minutes to explain the entirety of what he saw happen, but multiple things finally added up. The professors sacrifice was something he had proposed as a theory just a week prior, why I could not recall the events that transpired after the ruins. The only thing that did not add up was why the professors hair had changed to white. What was the procedure he had received done, just what did he know?

"Thank you, Hubert!" I said solemnly.

"Is there anything else you would like me to do before I depart for my studies?"

I shook my head, "No, what you have done for now should suffice." I replied.

He bowed, "Then I shall excuse myself for my studies. I will return in a few hours with dinner." He said turning to leave the room.

I turned to look at Bernadetta who was still tending to the professor. "Do you think the Professor is all right?" I asked.

"His breathing is steady, albeit slow, but he seems to be in some kind of coma like state." She explained, as she readied a ladle for him. "I hope he's all right. You know, after all he did?"

"Yes. I, too, hope he is all right." I concurred, 'For more than one reason.' I thought.

After some time, Bernadetta finished her task, tending to the professor, she stays to talk for only a short time, but soon moved to tend to her schoolwork.

Soon it was just the professor and me. I laid there in boredom, with the professor still not conscious I was left to a room, in a sense, alone.

A couple hours later

With the passage of time Hubert and Bernadetta returned with the dinner meal. After my feeding Hubert excused himself so after Bernadetta had finished her task she could replace my bandages. After replacing my bandages Bernadetta moved to change the professors bandages, soon after that she left for the night which only left the professor and I again, luckily this time Hubert and Bernadetta had been kind enough to bring some books ranging from the textbooks we studied to leisure novels.

It was very late at night when I could hear a hum coming from the side of the room. It startled me at first hearing the noise, I began to look around, with some difficulty to see the professors eyes were open.

"Professor!" I exclaimed quietly.

"Hmmm!" He replied.

"Professor, what happened?"

"Hmm." He hummed in what I could only assume was a solemn tone.

It was soon after that I discovered that he, at the moment, was unable to speak. It was shortly after the nights passing that he could speak.

"Whoo, I'm glad I get my mouth moving again!" He said.

"Professor, what happened after the mission?" I asked.

"Oh… Hmm." He hummed, "That's a bit difficult to explain."

Before he could begin to explain the doors opened allowing Bernadetta and Hubert to enter the room with breakfast

"Good Morning, Lady Edelgard." Hubert said setting down the meal, "Oh, Professor, you are awake!" He marveled.

"Professor!" Bernadetta exclaimed quickly setting down his food and moving to embrace him.

"Ah, Bernie, wound!" He winced.

"Oh, sorry professor."

"It's fine, your excitement is understandable." He replied, "Just… ow." He winced again.

After breakfast was finished Bernadetta and Hubert left to take our dishes down to the kitchen, leaving the professor and me.

"Professor?"

"What's up El?" He replied

"Are you able to explain what happened now?"

"Oh, right. You had inquiry on that. I'll see how well I can do." He replied.

"I think to start, you know we were at the ruins of the church down in town, right?" He asked.

"Yes!"

"Okay, and that the demonic beast that appeared there were students transformed by broken fragments of a crest stone?"

"Yes!"

"Okay, so everything after that is a blur, right?"

"Yes!

"Okay, so after I told you guys to start heading back, I made my way to the ruined churches interior, but instead of finding…" He hesitated.

"Professor who was supposed to be in there?" I asked.

"It was supposed to be Monica, that should have been the day that Jeralt fell, and it would be by Monica's hands." He answered, "But instead when I walked in it was my Doppel; he said he had taken her place after she had brought the students down and set the demonic beast loose."

"Why was he there, do you know?" I asked.

"Ya, he said that he was going to make my life an ever-lasting hell. His deeds are why you are here, and what I did to stop him is why I'm here." He replied beginning to quiver.

"Professor, what was the procedure done to alter your appearance like that?" I asked.

"Oh, that. I had blood transfusion… That's putting it lightly." He sighed. "I… I…" he stuttered.

He took a moment to take a breath and steady himself. "I died." He shuddered. "I… I took my dagger… to myself in order to stop him… And later asked Hubert to leave me… so that my doppel would be erased from this world." He admitted.

"B-but professor how is you still here?" I shivered.

"As for my revival…" he paused. "That will need to be a little secret for a little bit." He continued.

"But Professor!" I protested.

"I'm sorry, but for now it has to be like that, just for a little bit." He begged.

"Prof…" I was cut off

"I won't speak of it more, until the time comes!" He snapped. "I didn't want to have to raise my voice, but I need to keep you in the dark for now." He said trying to calm himself.

I turned to look at him. Drake, snapping was so out of character for him in a moment like this. For the time all I could do was respect his wishes and wonder what could be going through his head.

An hour later maybe

"Hey, El?" I heard the professor say.

I set my book down to look to him, "Yes Professor?" I replied.

"I'm… I'm sorry I snapped earlier. I just can't talk about that yet." He apologized

"It's okay professor, but would you mind me asking what caused you to snap so suddenly?"

"Remembering the incident, it scared me to see it play back." He admitted, "So for now please just leave what I said as it was, I'll tell you everything I know once I feel I can bring myself to." He pleaded.

"Okay, if you need some time to collect yourself still, just tell me." I conceded.

"I think I'm okay to talk now, but I just can't talk about anything that happened the last few days." He replied.

"Of course." I acknowledged.

TBC

Hey guys sorry this chapter is a little bit late, I know I said I'd have it by month's end but that seemed to be a bit much for me with all the assignments I did yesterday, I did my best to get this out to you guys. Anyway, I hoped you enjoyed reading this chapter and don't be scared to send me your reviews/PMs on my characters pairing for silver snow. Also, I forgot to mention I paired with Dorothea for my blue lions route… so hers is off the table cause I'm not doing repeats. Sorry to those few that thought I should do that. Anyway thanks guys, I'll see you guys in the next chapter.