December: The Gifts
A few days later, a dark figure was lurking outside of the castle. Sophie and Siegbert chased after it. When they caught up, the man hissed, "None of the goddess Sothis shall live!" He hurled a fireball at their faces. Both leapt out of the way.
Sophie challenged, "How are you and what do you have against Sothis?"
The man sneered, "I am your assassin. The Fell Star shall never be remembered. For Shambhala!" He roundhouse-kicked Siegbert in the face, leading the latter to have a massive nosebleed. Sophie impaled the former with her lance, and made sure it left a deep cut.
The man cursed her and punched her. Siegbert slashed the mystery foe with his sword and Sophie screamed, "You asked for it!" before stabbing him with her lance a second time.
The figure collapsed. "My brethren . . . I am so sorry."
Siegbert questioned, "Brigand, answer me! Who do you answer to?!"
The man wheezed, "You ignorant mortals will die without the truth!" He hacked away for a few moments before perishing.
Sophie proposed, "We need to report this to everyone. What's Shambhala?"
Siegbert shrugged. "We better find out soon. I don't think this threat will pass soon." The couple dashed back to the castle where they reported what happened.
Lucina frowned. "I never heard of 'Shambhala' before. But that ruffian had a connection to it? I'll have to investigate this further."
After dinner, Lucina triumphantly assembled the rest of the army. "All of the records have no indications of Shambhala, which led me to believe that it resides in one of the other worlds Ashunera mentioned. We need to find a way to open the gates. In addition, Darios needs to get back to his world to kill the Chaos Dragon Velezark."
Darios frowned. "I had hoped that it would be kept under wraps . . ."
Laurent promised, "We will do everything in our power to protect you and get you back to your fight with Velezark."
Darios acknowledged, "I appreciate your kindness."
A magic apprentice approached Laurent. "King Laurent, I was sent to ask for your assistance on the opening-portal-to-another-world project."
Laurent left with her while the rest of the group tried to figure out who exactly was behind all the evilness. Hours later, he returned. "I believe that we created a portal. We need to test it first." Laurent stuck a textbook halfway through and when he pulled it out of the portal, it remained unharmed.
Lissa cheered, "You did it!"
Caeldori flipped her hair over her shoulder. "Now we need to figure out who will stay behind in Ylisse."
Ophelia piped up, "I'm going! My vitality drains by the second!"
Owain commented, "Daughter, I know your heart weeps at Hisame's departure, but it is dangerous to embark on a dangerous quest if your heart is not in it! Do not flee as a means of escape!"
Ophelia grabbed her father's hands. "Don't you see? I am not alone! You and Mother will protect me!"
Camilla crooned, "No. It's too dangerous, sweetie. I want you here, where it's safe."
Ophelia complained, "This blanket of sorrow eats at my soul! I cannot just sit and watch my life force fade away!"
Camilla sighed. "Well, I suppose a little adventure would take her mind off it. Besides, we'll have to go with her too; won't we Owain?"
Owain concurred, "If our child walks down a narrow path, it is our sacred duty to tread the darkness with her!"
Caeldori volunteered, "I want to help! I have lots of talents that can be useful."
Severa crossed her arms. "Ugh, fine! I guess I'll have to go along too so I know you're safe."
Subaki chirped, "I'm join you!"
Shiro joined in, "Me too! Caeldori and I are the Dream Team! We'll get to the bottom of this in no time!"
Sophie pumped her fist in the air. "Don't forget me! I didn't stay here to go on vacation!"
Silas praised, "That's the spirit! I'm in, too!"
Inigo winked. "Don't count me out! My family will be the most dazzling addition of them all!"
Soon, it was established that Sophie, Silas, Siegbert, Camilla, Ophelia, Owain, Inigo, Azura, Soleil, Shigure, Subaki, Severa, Caeldori, Shiro, Darios, Cynthia, Gerome, Nowi, Nah, and Henry would travel to the other world.
Once they stepped through the portal, they found themselves in a dimly lit room, with resplendent blue crystal lights. A group of people were there, facing them. A young girl made her way over to them. "Welcome, children of Ylisse, Nohr, Hoshido, Valla, Plegia, and Gristonne. You are in Garreg Mach Monastery. I am Sothis, one of the other deities Ashunera mentioned."
Cynthia exclaimed, "You are?! You're so little to be a supremely powerful goddess!"
Sothis pouted a bit. "I will have you know that I am only this small because my body was torn apart to make the Sword of the Creator. Now that you are here, I will bestow divine gifts to you."
Shiro cheered, "Yes! I love presents!"
Sothis went back to Rhea. "My child, the only survivor of the Red Canyon Massacre, and gravely wounded in the Battle of Shambhala, I will heal you." She touched Rhea, and her injuries were gone.
Catherine asked, "Thank you, but Lady Rhea's all cured now?"
Sothis affirmed, "Yes. Rhea is cured. There is someone else I must tend to. Can you take me to Dimitri?"
The group hustled over to where Dimitri laid unconscious. They caught Ingrid, Dedue, and Gustave up to speed. Sothis put her hand on the resting prince's head, and his eyes fluttered open, his wounds dissipating. "Where am I? Where's Edelgard?"
Claude retorted, "In the ground. Ingrid killed her."
Dimitri growled, "I was supposed to be the one who ended her life."
Dedue explained, "Your Highness, we had no choice but to take your wish upon ourselves. While Ingrid was in the Leicester Alliance Army, she crushed Edelgard in your name. We couldn't have waited for you to get better. The Imperial Army had to be stopped."
Byleth added, "This will be a shock for you, but Edelgard wasn't involved in the Tragedy of Duscur. Solon, Kronya . . . they were, that group, Those Who Slither in the Dark."
Dimitri protested, "But that woman worked with them!"
Byleth nodded. "Yes. I hold that against her too. The reason she allied with them was to band together against the Church and destroy it. It seemed like she was going to go against them after she won the war."
Dimitri snorted. "Pathetic excuse."
Byleth agreed, "I know; I think it was wrong as well. But it's over now. Both her and Hubert are dead. And we destroyed Shambhala, the base of Those Who Slither in the Dark's base."
Claude put his arm around Byleth's waist. "And my wife here led the charge against the King of Liberation, Nemesis, and the Ten Elites after Shambhala's destruction."
Dimitri blinked back shock. "They were all long dead . . . How could they have led an army?"
Annette chimed in, "We're not exactly sure ourselves. But he was revived and razed villages to the ground, slaughtering every last civilian. I think Those Who Slither in the Dark did it for that purpose-killing everyone."
Sothis cleared her throat. "Dimitri, I want to show you something." She held out her palm, and an image of a woman stabbing Lord Rodrigue Fraldarius in front of Byleth and Dimitri.
Dimitri cried out in horror, "Rodrigue!"
Rodrigue looked up at the prince. "Your Highness . . . Are you safe? Please tell me . . . it wasn't in vain . . ."
Dimitri's cool tears fell to the dirt. "This punishment . . . it was mine to bear."
Rodrigue slowly shook his head. "There are no sins or punishments . . . on the battlefield . . ."
Dimitri screamed, "NO! Don't die . . . Please, don't die! Father, Stepmother, Glenn . . . They all died and left me behind. Rodrigue . . . Are you to join the ghosts who shadow my every move? This is my fault . . . I . . . I'm the one who killed you, as surely as though I had wielded the blade!"
Rodrigue smirked. "Heh. Your Highness. You have one thing . . . terribly wrong. None of them . . . none of us . . . died for you. I'm dying for what I believe in . . . just as they did. Your life is your own. It belongs to no other, living or dead. Live for what you believe in. Dimitri . . . My boy . . . You really do look just like His Majesty . . ."
The scene switched to Byleth and Dimitri a few yards away from the battlefield as rain splattered against all the blood and grime.
Byleth pleaded, "You must forgive yourself."
Dimitri exhaled a shaky breath. "But then who... or what... should I live for?"
Byleth smiled. "Live for what you believe in."
Dimitri contemplated her words. "What I believe in . . . Rodrigue said the same thing. But is it possible . . . I am a murderous monster. My hands are stained red. Could one such as I truly hope for such a life? As the sole survivor of that day, do I . . . Do I have the right to live for myself?"
Byleth reached out her hand, and Dimitri clasped it. "Your hands are so warm . . . Have they always been?"
Dimitri reeled back in shock. "What sorcery is this?!"
Sothis held up a hand to calm him. "No wicked sorcery. After all, I am Sothis. I cared for this world; I would not suddenly do anything malicious. Do not fret. This is what would have happened if Byleth chose to lead the Blue Lions instead of the Golden Deer. Rodrigue would have died, and his sacrifice would have burned the hate in your heart to cinders. Thankfully, Rodrigue is alive and well. I showed you this so you can eliminate your hatred without anyone dying. This is my gift to you: your body and soul are healed."
Dimitri knelt in front of her. "Thank you, Sothis."
Sothis clapped her hands together. "Good! Dimitri's all set! Now, Catherine, can I see Thunderbrand?"
Catherine handed her the blade. Sothis waved her hand over it, and the sword disassembled and the individual bones formed a dead Nabatean. She moved her hand toward the door, and the skeleton zipped away. Sothis reached upward, and a shining teal substance came down and molded itself into the shape of Thunderbrand. The sword flew into Catherine's hand.
Sothis elaborated, "Thank you for returning my child's body to me. You see, the Heroes' Relics are made out of the bones and hearts of my children. This metal, satrine, is not found in any of the worlds, and the most powerful metal. Thus, you have a powerful relic without using any remains."
Sothis turned to Ingrid. "Can I do the same to LĂșin?" Ingrid gave her the lance, and she did the same process, resulting in a new lance and a new body in the Holy Tomb.
Claude held out his bow. "I believe you want to do the same to Failnaught?"
Sothis smiled and bobbed her head and performed the process, creating a new Failnaught and regained another of her children's corpses.
Finally, she turned to Byleth. "This will be my final gift, although this will benefit me as well." When Byleth handed her the sword, Sothis was enveloped in a soft pink mist. The sword flung into the pink cloud, which grew bigger and bigger, until it evaporated to show a beautiful woman. "This is my true form."
Cynthia approved, "Now she looks like a goddess!"
