Timeline - Rewind- Gronder Field-

Notes: sorry it took a little longer than expected- longer chapter enjoy!
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Chapter Text 32

Byleth felt Dimitri's breathing increase on the back of her neck and knew something was wrong. She opened her eyes and almost jumped. She had to remind herself that Claude was still there when she saw him. The cat was curled up on Claude's chest, and he was sleeping flat on his back. Dimitri's grip on her waist shifted as his hands clenched and unclenched. His body was starting to shift, as whatever his nightmare was got worse. She remembered his discomfort during the execution this morning. Then facing Arundel on top of that would be the root of what was bothering him now.

She twisted herself over to face Dimitri. She needed to wake him up easy, so they didn't disturb Claude. There were still some instances where he would pin her roughly to the bed until he came to his senses. She imagined the cat nor Claude would not appreciate Byleth being thrown on top of them.

She started by running her hair through his bangs across his forehead with her nails. Sometimes just a gentle touch was enough to calm him. From what she could tell of the moonlight, his shoulder wound wasn't discolored. That ointment that Linhardt gave her would turn the bandages black if there was a problem, so it wasn't the wound or poison bothering him. She bent her head down so she could whisper soothing things in his ear, stroking his arm as well. He grunted in his sleep and kicked out.

"Dimitri, you're ok, it's just a dream love. I'm right here." She coaxed as she shook his uninjured shoulder.

He jerked awake and almost banged her in the head. She knew from experience to pull back before. She leaned forward to wrap her arms around his neck to hug him. His breathing was still harsh and he was shaking. She just hoped Claude was still sleeping. The last thing he would want is an audience when he was at his weakest. She kissed along his jaw as she gave him more soothing whispers. He wrapped his arms around her and gripped her tightly against him. She wondered if there was something she could do about these dreams of his. There were nights that when he held her he was fine and then there were nights like these that his own mind would trap him to torture him further.

She coaxed him onto his back, letting him keep his arms around her. She peeked a quick glace at Claude, who seemed unfazed and still asleep. The cat was glaring at them, annoyed, but it closed its eyes after a moment. She turned her attention back to Dimitri. He had calmed, but he was still shivering under her hands, and she knew it wasn't from the cold. She moved on top of him, letting her body wrap around him until even that stopped as she stroked him with her hands and nuzzled into his neck. Soon they were both back asleep as her presence and just the weight of her, knowing that she was there, calmed him enough to try to close his eyes again.

When Claude woke up he found the space beside him empty. He rose early, so that was a surprise. He didn't think that they'd wake up earlier than he did. He gave a pet to the cat before he looked over to the other side. Oh, now that just wasn't fair. Byleth was sleeping on top of Dimitri with her face snuggled into the crook of his neck. One of her hands was curled up next to his cheek and the other caught in his hand. His other hand was latched around her waist. Claude looked back down at the cat that was giving him an agitated stare since he had stopped with the pets. He glared back before moving the cat off of him carefully and heading to the washroom. He was tempted to sleep in, but after that sight he wasn't sure if it would be safe to sleep right now. Even asleep, those two craved each other's touch. It was adorable, but it made his skin heat uncomfortably. He was not one for jealousy usually, but that sight would require a lot of cold water.

Byleth woke up when she heard water turning on. With a yawn, she started taking in the environment again. She found the cat had moved to lay on Dimitri's chest, pressed up next to her. Claude wasn't on the bed, so it made sense that he was in the adjacent room and the one who turned on the water. She nuzzled back into Dimitri's neck and licked up the length of his jugular before peppering his jaw with kisses, and stroking the other side with her hand.

"Come on love. Claude's already awake." She said, nipping on his ear.

"And you tempting me with your touch helps how?" he grumbled, his eyes opening.

She giggled softly. "I thought it would be nice for you. How did you sleep after you woke up?"

He rubbed his face. "Better. I didn't wake him up did I?"

She shook her head. "Not that I noticed."

Dimitri noticed the cat when he went to stroke her cheek and lean in for a kiss. This was new. He could hear her soft laughter before she scooped up the cat and moved beside him. It purred in her embrace as she rubbed under its chin. Dimitri had always liked cats, but he was afraid of crushing them by accident. She put the purring bundle next to his neck, the vibrations from the purrs sent a wave of calm through him.

"Washroom's ready if either of you want it." Claude said as he came out fully dressed. Then he noticed the cat. "If that little traitor doesn't quit loving up on you both ..." He huffed and opened up the door. "Come on if you want breakfast, otherwise you're going to have to beg for scraps."

The cat bolted for the door, twining itself around Claude's feet. "That's what I thought freeloader. Dimitri, when you're ready, I'll meet you in the council room. It's the third floor with the large double doors that have been painted gold. Grab something to eat beforehand. The alliance lords will probably keep you in there for a while." He closed the door behind him.

Byleth turned to Dimitri. "I'll redress that wound for you."

He grabbed her and pinned her beneath him.

"Dimitri, behave." She said as he started to kiss down her neck.

He nipped at her collar bone "And what if I don't want to?"

"You're going to have to, healer's orders." He could hear her breath catching on those words.

"And you I think protest too much." He said as he slipped his hand under her nightshirt.

She pulled up his head for a light kiss. "Do you really want to give Claude any ideas about what was done to me in his bed?"

Dimitri glared down at her. No, he really hated that thought.

She kissed him deeply this time. "When we get back to the monastery." She promised.

The day was full of meetings as Claude made his official step down. The Leicester Alliance disbanded, and its lords swore fealty to the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus. The chaos in the Kingdom began to dissipate as the people united under Dimitri's rule. Riding this momentum, the Kingdom army prepared to march south for a decisive battle against Imperial forces. They sent a letter to Edlegard, asking if they could have a chance to meet and talk beforehand. Gilbert had started the war council the moment they had gotten back to the monastery.

"The eastern lords are in the process of consolidating all of the troops within the entire Kingdom. In addition, ever since Arianrhod's liberation, the western lords have been declaring their fealty one after another." Gilbert reported.

Ashe nodded. "Affairs within the Kingdom have calmed down considerably, and we even managed to win over the Alliance."

Annette was as chipper as ever. "Although it was a rough go at first, I'm starting to feel like we could actually win this!"

Mercedes nodded. "That's true! Thinking back on it now, we've really come a long way. The Professor and Dimitri have been doing a wonderful job. All of the casualties have been kept to a minimum."

Seteth bowed his head. "We even have a lead to where Rhea is located. It is as we predicted all along. If we are to rescue Rhea, then we must defeat the emperor..."

A messenger knocked on the door. "I am sorry to interrupt, but you asked that if a reply came to bring it to you immediately."

Dimitri nodded. He thanked the messenger before he took the letter in hand. He unfurled it and had to suppress a sigh. "I cannot stray from this path that I have chosen. We meet at Gronder, if you can manage to defeat my forces, then perhaps we may talk."

Byleth shook her head. "Now doesn't that wording sound familiar?"

Dimitri looked away. "She never moved on from her pain and regret over what happened to her family, did she?"

Byleth nodded. "That is my best guess. She is like Rhea in a lot of ways, blazing a path that she thinks is right, punishing those that don't think her way. She's stubborn in that regard."

Claude nodded. "Well at least you have the alliance on your side. I can imagine having a war between the three of us there. That would be the worst class reunion ever, wouldn't it?"

Byleth could only nod.

Claude went up to her. "Hey Leth I didn't mean to…. I wouldn't fight against you. You know that right?"

Byleth tried to smile. "I can imagine it all too well Claude. This will be no mock battle. At least this time all of us are together. I'll make sure this is a class reunion we all survive."

They all nodded to that before preparing for they would leave the next day, marching for Gronder.

Byleth stopped into Abyss. She had neglected Constance for a while, but she was doing important work and had asked to not be disturbed. She was working on a spell that would have dispelled the veining and madness that Guren was going through. She was heartbroken that her test subject could no longer be of use to her, but she still went along with the research at Byleth's request. The Argathans kept mentioning madness and blood. Remire had been a testbed for something. If their goal was to wipe the Nabetheans out of Fodlan it would make sense to use her blood to find the rest of her family. According to Constance, the research was going well.

Yuri had been making his rounds to make sure that Abyss was still adequately taken care in his absence. He made notes of supplies that they would need soon. Dimitri had promised him for all the help he had given that he would offer what supplies he could to abyss. Dimitri had noticed her and gave her the list to take care of while Yuri still had his attention. The sooner that everything got done, the sooner they'd have time for themselves. It helped that she had an attention for detail.

As far as she knew Balthus was trying to hit on Judith again, and Hapi has been with Ashe having tea in the courtyards. Dudue and Mercedes were in the kitchen together to help with cooking duty today. Ingrid and Dorthea were hanging together by the stables. Felix had somehow managed to get Sylvain to spar with him. Bernedetta and Caspar had snatched Ignatz, saying that they found a place that they wanted him to paint for them. She had seen the others around, but especially with the deer here too, there were so many to keep track of. She went to the marketplace and was surprised to see Claude at Anna's booth. He stopped still when he saw her.

"What do I owe for your silence?" He asked.

Byleth raised a brow. "And what did the mighty Almyran prince buy that I need to be secretive about?"

He showed her a ring with golden stones that was similar to the one Dimitri gave her. This one had more filigree curling around the band.

It was a little too decorative for her taste. "She'll love it. I'll keep the secret as long as I get an invite."

Claude chuckled at that, putting it in his pouch. "You can count on it Leth." He said before he waved and left.

She grabbed the items on both Yuri's and Constance's lists. Then it was her usual rounds that included the greenhouse and fishing. Everything seemed to be in order and she would retreat to their room after she dropped it off back in Abyss.

"There you are friend. I was hoping to catch you." Yuri said. He noticed the items that she left in the classroom. "That is much appreciated as well. Could you come with me a moment?"

"Sure," she said before she followed him.

He took her into the men's bunking area and she was confused at first. "Close the door." He said as he went to grab a wrapped package out of a drawer. He laid it on the desk.

"First, do not tell him I did this. I don't want any of his wrath, but I saw it and thought you'd look perfect in it. I am not one to let such a prize go to waste. One of my friends here in Abyss makes them and the war has brought her many hardships. So I figured to help two people at once. You can also blame Dorthea, she was insistent that it would work well for you." Yuri said.

Byleth tilted her head. What in the world was he going on about? She took a tentative step towards the desk to find a sheer fabric laying between the paper.

"Yuri it's me!" Dorthea's voice came from the other side of the door. He let her in. "You were supposed to wait!" She huffed.

"Sorry. You know how busy she is. I wanted to make sure she got it at the very least." Yuri said.

Dorthea sighed. "So Byleth, what do you think?" she asked as her voice started to get some excitement in it. She had been giddy when she found out that Byleth was asking everyone to drop the whole Professor business.

Byleth took a tentative hand on the fabric and pulled it off the desk. It was most sheer and frilly, with black lace that looked similar to her usual stockings that went over the underbust of the bra.

Dorthea made a sound of excitement. "I know, it's perfect right!"

Byleth was still confused. "It's an odd undergarment I'll give it that, but it's pretty."

Dorthea gave her a stifled laugh. "So you haven't dressed up for your steamy nights together then?"

"No, usually you want the clothes off." Byleth responded.

Yuri chuckled. "She is just so adorable. Trust me darling, you can make him more aroused with the right garments than you can just being there naked in front of him. Take this first and see how he does with it. It's easy to take off so he shouldn't rip it since there aren't any buttons. There's one ribbon in the back holding it on. If he likes it you can always come back to us and we can provide you with some more interesting pieces."

Dorthea nodded. "Yes, that dancer's outfit for one. I saw how he was looking at you during the party. Things like that can add a bit of atmosphere. Now take your prize and shoo and thank you for everything you've done for us. I didn't want to give you this at the party. I imagine neither of you would want that kind of embarrassment."

Byleth smiled shyly, lifting the garment up. She liked making him happy, and although unconventional as a gift, she was grateful that Dorthea trusted her enough to give it to her.

"Thank you both." Byleth said.

"I want details later." Dorthea teased.

"Now why would you want something like that with what I can give you?" Yuri asked in a sultry voice.

Byleth shut the door behind her as Dorthea gave out a squeal of laughter.

Dimitri had finally finished with all the chores that were required of him. He imagined it would be a similar event when he got back to the kingdom. Rodrigue had sent a letter here to Garrag Mach, knowing that it would find it way to him. Things were running smoothly, but there was only so many things that he was allowed to handle. Dimitri sighed. It was going to take a while for Fodlan to get back onto its feet once this war was over, but he didn't want to think about work right now. He had seen Byleth briefly in Abyss. He saw her actions by what she had done of the work to help. He went upstairs to get out of his armor before he went looking for her.

What he didn't expect was that she would already be there in the bedroom, using his old cloak like a blanket. She was taking a nap, fully covered except for a stocking covered foot poking out from the bottom corner. His breathing got heavier as he licked his lips. He started pulling his armor off, but kept his eyes on her. She opened her eyes and gave him a sly smile. He noticed that there was a black fabric he hadn't seen before at her shoulder. She hadn't moved, just watched him with a hunger that he knew he mirrored in his own face.

He continued peeling off his armor, enjoying her eyes on him as they watched his movements. When he had all the metal off she rewarded him with a look at her under the cloak. His breath caught at the sight. She was wearing her usual garter belt and stockings, but he had never seen the top before. The piece was sheer and he could see every curve of her. He liked how it clung to her. It parted at the waist so he'd be able to kiss her there.

"Touch yourself for me." He said, starting to peel off his other layers.

She did as he asked and he was reminded of those nights where he would imagine what she'd look like as he would stroke himself thinking about her. When he was free from everything, he briefly thought about letting her watch him stroke himself to her, but they didn't have to imagine anymore. He wanted to touch her. When he got onto the bed her hand wrapped around his cock as she leaned up to kiss him. The fabric that covered her breasts felt good against his chest. Then she let her hand go so she could embrace him as she made small circles with her hips to rub his hard length against her. He kissed her deeper as he met her movements with strokes. She was already soaked through her underwear for him.

Her movements got faster. "Dimitri, I need you inside of me."

He pulled her hair just enough to lean her head back to expose her neck to him. Then he trailed kisses down the side, biting and licking his way down. He wanted to be inside her to, but he would make her beg today. He wanted to enjoy this spectacle of her a little longer. The fabric felt good on his hands as he stroked her sides. He dipped his head to her breasts and took an experimental nip at them through the fabric. When she arched towards him, he smiled before latching himself back onto her. She whimpered and moaned above him as he continued lavishing his attention on her.

"Please Dimitri." She moaned.

"Please what, Beloved?" He teased before latching onto her other breast.

"Please put your cock inside of me and pound until we both see stars." She moaned as she dug her nails into his shoulder.

"Just because you asked me so nicely." He said, nibbling on her ear as he trailed his hands to slip down her underwear.

He held her back and under her knees to lay her down, taking the underwear with him as he pulled away from her. Her lips were swollen from his kisses, her nipples poking past the fabric, and she was wet for him. She looked so beautiful, so inviting. He ran his hands along her stomach before he angled himself. He took one long stroke along the edge and she moaned underneath him, her breasts heaving as her breathing increased. Then he pushed himself in slowly, enjoying her writhing as she brought her nails down along his forearms. Then he started to move, slow teasing strokes at first, loving her expression. He brought his hand between them to play with her clit and her moans increased as she arched towards him. He could feel her buildup, the tension as her body coiled, and he increased his speed and depth.

When she came for him he thrust himself in deep and let her reach her peak. He loved the feeling of how her body squeezed and pulsed around him. Then he started to move and she was a moaning mess beneath him as he took what he wanted. With one hand hooked around her waist and the other lifting up her ass to have a good angle he pounded into her until he heard her scream his name again. That sound, plus her body milking him for a second time, was what made him come undone. When he finally slipped out of her he leaned his forehead against hers as their breathing mingled.

"I don't think I could ever get tired of having you." He said before he kissed her, flopping on the bed and pulling her on top of him.

She nuzzled into his neck and breathed a content sigh. "Good."

"Where did you get this?" he asked, running his hands over the fabric. He found a large black bow at her back that would undo it and let her pull it off.

"Dorthea's gift. She didn't want to give it to me at the party."

"I'll have to thank her later. It looks beautiful on an already gorgeous woman."

"That you will. Get some sleep. Tommrow is a big day." She said.

Dimitri pet her hair. "I know, but for now I just want to bask in your presence a little longer."

Preperations for Gronder went smoothly. Once the Alliance forces were over the bridge they took the position they had previously. Byleth had to remind herself that this wasn't like last time.

Memories flooded once more as they stepped onto the field. Claude and the Golden deer took to the left side of the field to create a large half circle around the Empire forces. With the kingdom's forces behind them they looked as if they outnumbered the Empire army now. The mages that had started the firestorm the last time were absent their round. Either she had taken out most of them in the battle for the bridge, or they were lying in wait elsewhere. Once Claude had given the order to his troops he went straight to join Dimitri and Byleth.

The three of them had finally reached the other side of the field. Edlegard was there where she had stood before. Dimitri's hand shook. The last time he was here he had attacked her blindly and with every part of his being. His judgment had been wrapped in a haze of hate. Now that he was here again he wasn't sure what feeling he should have. He didn't want to kill her. This was his last family member, and even then she was a cherished friend. Byleth placed a hand on his forearm.

"We are your family too Dimitri. Fodlan is your home. If we need to, it will be because it was the only choice." She said before she stepped forward.

"Stop this senseless bloodshed Edlegard. It serves no purpose!" Byleth said.

"You stand in my way, and thus I will remove you! Only one of our paths can continue, and I will end yours forever!" Edelgard yelled as she advanced forward.

Dimitri blocked her axe and Claude aimed his bow at Edlegard. "It's over princess."

Edlegard gaped at him. "You still don't have any ounce of decorum even after all these years, do you?"

"Nope," Claude said with a grin.

Byleth took her attention off of them. Something started to sting in the air. "Do you feel that?"

Claude was the one to look around since Dimitri's attention was on disarming Edlegard. "What is is like?"

"The air is pulsing, humming, something doesn't feel right. I know this feeling…." Then Byleth's eyes snapped to Sothis's glow. "No, no, no …. If they release that here…."

Her armor turned to her Sothis Regalia and Edlegard stopped struggling with Dimitri as she saw it appear. "What's wrong Sothis?" Dimitri asked.

Edlegard's face was written with confusion as she looked between the two of them.

"Those damned Argathans, what else? Since they couldn't do the ragnarock like last time, they've gone for something a lot bigger and meaner." Sothis said.

She raised her hands and golden light covered the entire field as she raised her shield.

"What are you doing? There's still a battle going on!" Claude protested as a solider came up with a sword aimed at her.

Dimitri cut him down before he got close. He didn't know what this was about exactly, but he trusted her. The best thing he could do is protect her. She was a still target and one that stood out among the rest. The others had gathered around them as Dimitri was knocking back enemy after enemy. Edlegard stayed, but she didn't bother to attack or flee. Hubert warped beside her and she held out her hand for him to stop. What was going on here? They were in the middle of a grand sacale battle. What was this light that covered them all. Then she heard it, a strange whistling noise.

And then a giant javelin slammed against Sothis's shields. Sothis cried out as it impacted. The sheer force trying to get her to kneel as it pushed down on her. Dimitri turned to her and took a step.

"Stay away!" She growled.

Dimitri could only look at her, his gaze hurt. "Tell me how can I help you?" The power it took to deflect that must have been draining. She didn't have to do everything herself. Everyone had stayed away when they realized how pivotal she was to their defense. The barrier covered the entire field.

"Do not touch me Dimitri. I wanted it to be a reward, a choice for you to make. I will not force you into the binding." Sothis said, gritting her teeth.

Dimitri hesitated. The choice she had given him when they first rewound time together, for her to become mortal like him by forsaking Sothis, or for Sothis to give him the ability to be by her side forever. He looked up, another javelin was coming.

He couldn't imagine a life without her and he refused to think of a life where he left her alone. Forever was a long time, there would be countless dead that they cared about that would fade away as time moved on. Alone that would be a desolate, meanlingless life, but with her, for her… he refused to lose her again.

"Tell me, you accepted my proposal, but would you want me at your side for the rest of time? You have seen both sides of me, the good and the bad. Do you wish to be by my side for more than one lifetime?" He asked.

He ignored the protests around him that said that whatever this was it was not the time. They were not the voices he wanted to listen to. One of Byleth's eyes faded so was her own, the other Sothis's glow and they were both wide and glued to him.

Then she gave him a radiant smile. "You know we love you Dimitri. We will always reach our hand out for you. The question that remains is do you wish to take it?" Their voices mingled. She kept one hand up to keep the barrier the other she extended to him.

"Every time, without hesitation." He said moving forward.

"Wrap one of your arms around me and the others to the barrier. I don't know if this will hurt you, I don't know if it will take your crest, or turn your heart into a creststone….I don't know the consequence."

"As long as we all make it out of this alive. My strength is yours." He said.

He took her hand and it was light lightning shot up his arm and struck his heart. He tried not to flinch, just focusing on her. He felt a burning sensation on his chest, it felt like a when he had pressed the metal of his lance to cauterize a wound back when he was on the run. She grit her teeth and he imagined that she was feeling something similar.

She wrapped her hand around his arm that kept the barrier up, and interlaced her other hand with his. Above them a mirror of her resistance shield a with the Blaiddyd crest in the center flared above hers. Sothis took over completely again as the javelin came down. She heard Dimitri grunt behind her as the impact created a shockwave of magic that resonated through both of them. Dimitri was good at many things, but his capacity for magic was never one of them. She could feel her power cycle through them both, his crest fueling her own power as hers fed into him to keep him on his feet.

"We will use our strength to protect those that we hold close to our hearts. We will not let you harm anymore of our family!" Sothis roared as another javelin fell.

"For the sake of everyone we've lost to your misdeeds, we will not let you take anymore!" He thought of when his crest would activate in battle, that force and extra strength behind his strikes, and channeled that feeling.

Instead of a simple deflection, the javelin was disintegrated when it hit their combined barrier.

Edelgard dropped to her knees. "Such power…."

Hubert was watching the direction that the javelins were coming from. "I think I know how to find Shambala."

"They knew we were going to betray them. They attacked us with the intention of wiping us out. I will not let such an act go unanswered." Edlegard said.

Ferdinand came up to her. "Please Edlegard, stop this senseless bloodshed. We all want the same thing. The Professor has repeated your exact words without even hearing them from anyone else. Dimitri and Claude also want what you do. Please can you set your pride aside and help us create a better world?"

Edlegard rose. "What the hell do you think I've been doing? The longer we took to revolt, the more victims this crooked world would have claimed. I weighed the victims of war against the victims of the world as it is now, and I chose the former. I believe that I have chosen the best path, the only path.

Dimitri brought his attention to her briefly. He wanted to see her face, but he had to keep a lookout for another hit. "Even after seeing the faces of those who have suffered the ravages of war, you would still force them to throw their lives away for the future? You are obsessively devoted to this war and deaf to the screams of its victims. You cannot change the cycle of the strong dominating the weak with a method like that."

Edelgard shook her head. "You're wrong. That very cycle is exactly what I have devoted my life and my power to destroy. If, after all of this, you believe the weak will still be weak, that is only because they are too used to relying on others instead of on themselves."

"Yes. Perhaps someone as strong as you are can claim something like that. But you cannot force that belief onto others. People aren't as strong as you think they are. There are those who cannot live without their faith...and those who cannot go on once they have lost their reason for living. Your path will not be able to save them. It is the path of the strong, and so, it could only benefit the strong." Dimitri said.

Edelgard gave a small huff of laughter. "Heh, so you consider me strong, do you? Even if one clings to their faith, the goddess will never answer them. Countless souls will be lost that way, living without purpose. And I can be counted among those who have died that way as well. But that's why I must change this world, on behalf of the silent and weak!"

He could feel Sothis tense. "It's not my fault for what my daughter did. What I've always wanted is peace. I never lorded my power. I shared it. When I created my children, I only wanted companions, so I wouldn't have to be alone. It's the ones you work with that destroyed everything, and they continue to ravage this world. Once I ascend to take over the church, many things will change."

Dimitri nodded. "The ones who can truly change the way of the world are not the rulers, but the people. Pushing your own sense of justice and your own ideals onto even one other person is no more than self-righteousness."

"Maybe it is self-righteousness, but it doesn't matter. Someone has to take action and put a stop to this world's endless, blood-stained misery! Edlegard shouted.

Claude glared at her. "And how does bringing the entire continent to war help anyone! You have brought more misery than any of us." He shouted back.

Dimitri held Byleth tighter to him. " Do you not believe in the power of people to join together and rise up? Humans are weak creatures. But they are also creatures who help each other, support each other, and together, find the right path. I have learned that humans are capable of all that from her...and from everyone in my life."

Edelgard huffed at that. "Someone who was fortunate enough like you to have those things, will never understand those of us who doesn't."

Claude came forward. "But I do. I am the half breed that was disdained by my homeland. I was always treated differently. When I came to Fodlan, it was no better. I was the outsider who was only treated nicely because I had a crest. You will never know if someone is willing to help if you don't reach out. You could have come to us sooner. We all had similar goals. Why didn't you try to ask for a different way?"

"There is no other way after what was done!" Edlegard snapped.

Sothis grit her teeth as another javelin appeared. "I remember those nights we consoled you. I know the horrors that you and your family had to go through…"

The javelin's impact forced them both to flinch. Their breathing was getting harder.

"They can't keep those javelins up for long. This magic would drain almost off the mages mana stores." Hubert noted.

Sothis panted. "You say that you count yourself as one of those that will die as one of the lost. You are not without purpose. You rose up and wanted to use your power to help this broken world, but the bloody path you've chosen… your methods are your poison and it will eat away at you. Nemesis was the same. His ambition and bloodthirst resulted in the war of the ten elites and Rhea. Yes Rhea lied and twisted things to her beliefs from what I've come to understand. Her reasons lie with my death and the massacre of her race. The history you believe is the lie that they told you. You are nothing but an ignorant child who refuses to ask questions."

Claude nodded. "She has a point. Trying to convince you of what you think you know is like talking to a brick wall. I asked you questions at the academy about the past and you always said that they didn't matter. What we knew about the world is wrong."

Edlegard turned on him. "And I supposed she told you that?"

"I watched it happen Edlegard. She was trapped within Sothis's memories and she pulled me into them. It was no lie. The carnage that I saw, your path will only lead to its repetition. The Argathans can not be forgiven, for the Red canyon massacre, for their parts in Duscar, and every bit of Fodlan's history that they have meddled in to bring Fodlan to a tragic end. You sided with them and look at the result! How many people would be dead here if she hadn't protected us all?"

They all watched the skies a little longer, but no more javalins came. Sothis let down the shields and fell limp against Dimitri.

Edlegard glared at the both of them before letting out a heavy sigh. "Let us go to Fort Merceus. There are some things I wish to further discuss, but I'd rather not do it here."

Felix glared at her. "You expect us to walk right into the enemies well-defended fort that holds one of your strongest warriors?"

Edlegard ignored him. "You are not necessary for negotiations so you may stay if you like. Claude will you take the invitation? Call it a whim, but perhaps we can be civil about this. She did just save all of us so I think we can repay the favor by giving her shelter for the moment. I'm surprised Dimitri is still standing."

Dimitri flexed his hands, they were still tingling. "I think we absorbed some of that magic to reduce the impact."

Sothis nodded. "I think so. We will need to discuss the consequences of that choice Dimitri, but that will be something best done in private."

He looked down at her. "Am I….?"

She shook her head quickly. "Not just yet. One more task needs to done, but…" She pulled his attention to her chest where the crest of Blaiddyd was branded above where her heart was. "No matter where you are in time, we are connected now. If something happens we can always find you. You are bound to us. All that's left is to give you the gift I spoke of."

Hubert went to Edlegard's side, holding his side to staunch the bleeding there. "Are you sure about this?"

Edlegard glanced back. They were following her. "That strength is not something I can ignore. She is a threat to all of our plans. I will try to sway them to our side. If I cannot, we kill her while she's still weak from spending all that power. The death knight has been asking for a battle with her for quite a while now."

"Understood." Hubert replied.

Rhea gasped. Her hands still bound by the Argathan steel that held her. She was weak from the years of torture, but she had felt it. She knew that power as if it was her own. Her mother was awake. Her eyes went wide as her mouth hung open in a twisted grin. After all this time.

"Mother…. I…. that girl….. we will punish that wicked girl together!" She cried as she felt power welling within her.

Someone opened the door to her cell. "Notify the boss. She's never been this active before." Someone said as they stepped inside the room and that was their mistake. With a quick move she wrapped her tail that she had grown to snap their neck and bring to key off of his waist to unshackle her wrists. Then she shifted fully to her dragon form, bursting forth through Enbarr's castle. People fled in fear as she crawled from the depths. This empire, these people who let themselves be ruled by such a wicked soul, only deserved divine punishment. Tonight Enbarr would roast beneath her holy flames. The wicked would be purged from this world and she would be reunited with her mother at last.