Goddess, five years? She had been asleep for five years? She felt her heart drop into her stomach as she hiked up the familiar trail up to the monastery. The path had been largely overgrown and there were signs of bandits everywhere. The abandoned carts and empty caches of supplies were some of the many sights she had seen. As she peered through the large overgrowth of the forest, she could see Garreg Mach on the horizon; just as she had the first time with the House Leaders and her own father.
She felt so horribly about this entire situation, like this was somehow her own fault. She remembered trying to go after Rhea, even after she had noticed her transformation into the white beast. She remembered defending her, and then subsequently falling to her supposed death. She remembered thinking about her friends, students, and the faculty that she had opened her heart to. But the worst thought of all was wondering how Sylvain would have, or did, react to her 'death'.
She shuddered to think of that, her face grimacing in pain. What is he doing right now? Was he dead? Had he moved on and settled on an arranged marriage? Did he still long for her? Or was he angry that she didn't keep her promise? That she didn't return to him even though she always stressed that she never could be brought down. She could feel her tears start to fall, she felt so unbearably unhappy and upset with herself. She should have stayed. She should have been with him the entire time. Instead, she lost five years that she would have had with him. How would things be different had she? Would they have married? Would she have had several darling red headed children that would hopefully not turn into the skirt chasers that Sylvain was once?
As she finally made it to the monastery, she crumbled to her knees and silently sobbed on the stairs leading up to the Entrance Hall. Her life felt empty. Unfulfilled. She felt as though she had stopped moving, but the world had changed so much. These empty stone pathways, she could visualize the people who used to frequent them, and she longed for the bygone days where she could talk to them. Her cries and pleas to the Goddess that had given her power to her were left unanswered. Her shrill scream of anguish echoed across the monastery.
She continued like this for so long she didn't see that the dawn's morning light filtered through the clouds. She sniffled, raising herself up, when she suddenly heard the sound of a Wyvern flying overhead. As she glanced up, her tearstained face saw the silhouette of the creature flying above. It was flying low enough that Byleth knew it was going to land nearby. A student, maybe? Byleth quickly wiped her face and tried her best to catch up with the rider. As she ran from one end of the monastery to the other, she saw that the person riding the Wyvern climbed into the Goddess Tower nearby. Byleth steeled herself, preparing herself for almost anyone to be in that tower.
She saw the Wyvern flying overhead, its stark white scales glittered in the morning sun. She had never seen one like it before, so it was likely not a bandit who owned the magnificent creature. Still she made sure her dagger and Sword of the Creator were ready for her when she climbed the staircase apprehensively. Her heels sounded off against the walls with every step she took, echoing through her skull and filling her with doubt. Should she even try to encounter this stranger? What if they aren't what she expects? She shook her head and casted away these thoughts as she finally reached the top of the tower.
Looking towards the balcony, the one where Sylvain and herself had been five years ago, stood a handsome young man wearing an elaborate noble outfit. His hair was decently long, but brushed back and his dark brown hair had grown along the edges of his jaw. He looked out into the morning sky with piercing green eyes and a thoughtful expression on his face. She looked at him, frowning, she didn't recognize him. Who was he?
"Huh?" The man spoke, as he realized he wasn't alone. The man turned around and looked at Byleth with a shocked face that quickly turned into a bright and hopeful smile, "You overslept, Teach! Pretty rude to keep a fella waiting like that, wouldn't you say?"
Byleth cocked her head in confusion. Teach? Only one man has called her that, could it be? "Claude? Is that...you?"
Claude barked a laugh, "Of course it is! What's with that surprised look, my friend?" He approached her with the same swagger and carefree attitude that she had known five years ago, "You didn't really think I'd given up — on you coming back, did you?"
Byleth started to smile softly, "I can't believe it's really you. You look so...different."
Claude smirked, "And you haven't aged a day, Teach." He looked back at the morning sky and sighed wistfully, "Can you feel it? A new dawn is finally here. Not just for us, though. No, for all of Fodlan."
"I suppose so." Byleth muttered. She looked back at her friend with her eyes glittering with tears. She suddenly hugged him, causing Claude to stumble to regain his balance. He smiled at her, but was shocked to see her crying in his arms. "I thought that...I would never see any of my students again…" she choked out.
"Aw, C'mon Teach, dry those eyes. You shouldn't worry about us, we've all managed to stay alive somehow." He chuckled as he gently pried Byleth away from him, handing her a handkerchief to clean up her face. "Feeling better?"
"A bit, yeah, I'm sorry. I just realized that I've missed a lot of time with you guys." Byleth sniffled.
"It's been five long years. Where have you been, Teach? You don't really expect me to believe that you've been napping this whole time, do you?" Claude asked.
Byleth looked somewhat embarrassed, "Ummm...I was sleeping to be honest."
Claude looked at her for a moment before erupting into laughter, "That's a good one! Except… That's not your lying face. I guess I've got no choice but to believe you." His face turned into one of lighthearted nature to a genuinely disturbed and questioning gaze.
Byleth shrugged, "I couldn't believe it myself, I had no idea it had been that long."
Claude sighed, "You're not exactly normal to begin with, so it's not a huge stretch to imagine you sleeping for that long." He paused looking at Byleth with a grin, "Aaand this is where you say, "just kidding." Right? If this is a rib, now's the time to fess up."
Byleth glared at him, "Believe it or not, it's the truth. You know me better than to be a coward and run away from you guys for five years."
Claude confusion continued, "You must be insane. And yet… Fine. I believe you, OK? But that means you don't know anything that happened after your last battle, right?"
Byleth's face fell, "No...I don't know anything after it. Just what happened before I fell asleep."
Claude gave a half grin, "I guess it's on me to catch you up. As you can see, Garreg Mach was crushed by the Empire and was never restored. The monastery is in ruins, and the town is in pretty bad shape too. Can you guess why?"
Byleth shook her head, "Rhea is dead?"
Claude shrugged, "Her body was never found, and the Empire never declared that she had been killed. So… No telling."
Byleth replied, "I see."
Claude continued, "All we know for sure is that Rhea suddenly vanished during that battle five years ago. The Knights of Seiros have apparently been searching all over Fódlan for her… But the fact that this place is still in ruins tells me they still haven't found her."
Byleth, although alarmed by Rhea's nature towards her, couldn't help but feel a sense of fondness for the mysterious Archbishop, "I am worried, we must find her if we have any desire to end this war."
Claude smirked, "Worried, huh? Well, for better or worse, Rhea was clearly fond of you. And I've still got a mountain of questions I'd like to ask her, after all. But I'm not so sure whether it would be good for her to return as the archbishop… Rather, with her gone…" He looked back at Byleth, as if he were examining her.
"What do you intend, Claude?" Byleth stood as the sun's rays shone on her hair causing a halo to appear on her.
Claude shook his head, "Eh, never mind. This could be a dangerous conversation. Before we discuss the state of affairs in each territory… Are you hungry? You must be. It's not much, but I did bring some food with me. Let's eat up and go from there."
The food that Claude provided was...tolerable to say the least. It wasn't much, just some jerky and some stale bread. He must've not prepared for this to be a long trip or at the least expect a visitor to be at the monastery. Byleth made a mental note that the pair of them should probably go out hunting for some wildlife around the monastery, if they didn't want to starve themselves. She listened to him intently, about the discourse in the Alliance, the Imperial Army infiltration, and even worse the fall of the Kingdom of Faerghus. As soon as she heard it, she couldn't help but feel a panic stir in her heart on whether or not Sylvain was ok. But she remembered what Claude said when she found him, everyone was still alive. As they were finishing up their breakfast, or their pathetic excuse for one, Claude stretched himself out, relaxing on the Cathedral's ground, watching the clouds roll by in the gaping hole of its ceiling.
"Phew! I. Am. Stuffed. Even the most humble of meals tastes great with the right company." Claude spoke.
"Is that so? I'm sure I've had better food to eat." Byleth teased.
"Hey now, Teach, that's awfully rude of you. I gave you your first meal in five years and this is how you treat me?" Claude smirked.
"I would've liked a feast, like the ones you always prattle on about." Byleth chuckled.
"Yeah yeah, let's sort that out when everyone gets here." Claude replied, with a bemused expression on his face.
"Everyone? What do you mean?" Byleth asked.
"You're kidding, right?" Claude raised an eyebrow, looking at his old Professor, "Teach, do you remember the night before the ball? I know it was five years ago… But we promised that the Golden Deer House would reunite during the millennium festival."
"You remembered that?" Byleth questioned.
"Of course I did, we took a vow to remember to come back. I sent a letter out to everyone a week ago. I'm pretty sure that they all got it." Claude answered.
"Eveyone, huh?" Byleth muttered.
"Something wrong, Teach?" Claude caught onto Byleth's strangely reclusive nature.
She was silent, bringing her knees to her chest, letting out a deep sigh, "...Sylvain, what about him?"
"Ah, I was wondering when you would bring him up." Claude responded with a sympathetic smile.
"I need to know everything. I need to know every last detail about him. It's killing me inside, I feel so guilty leaving him like that. It's my fault. It's all my fault." Byleth's voice cracked, feeling the weight of her guilt overwhelming her.
Claude crawled near her and rubbed her back, "Well if you must know, he is alive and well. But are you sure you want to know everything? 'Cause it's not an easy story to tell."
Byleth let out a shaky breath, "Please, don't hold anything back for me. I have to understand all he went through."
Claude sighed, "Alright, you asked for it. The moment I told him you were missing it was like his whole world shattered. I watched a grown man fall to his knees in the rain and mud, scream in agony over the only girl he ever loved. After that we went our separate ways, but I kept tabs on him. For the first few months, he barely left his home, let alone his room. And it wasn't until Prince Dimitri's death that he started to emerge onto the battlefield. I think he was sick and tired of the amount of his friends and loved ones dying."
"I see." Byleth's expression soured. Her disappearance seemed to have a negative effect on the man she loved, but she didn't think it would be this extreme.
"He then started to make great strides. He began to come into his own as a soldier and he became his father's second in command. Must have something to do with training Sylvain as the new Margrave Gautier. That is until his father fell in battle." Claude trailed off.
"He died?" Byleth widened her eyes in shock.
"Oh no, but he did get severely injured. Margrave Gautier is still Sylvain's father, he's just handling more governmental affairs. Sylvain on the other hand, became Commander Sylvain Jose Gautier, Leader of the Gautier Knights and Faerghus Loyalists. He's done an impressive job at keeping the Empire from fully controlling the North." Claude smiled.
"Sylvain…? A Commander? He...he's leading now?" Byleth asked incredulously.
"I know, for a guy that prided himself on being a follower, he certainly is a charismatic and convincing leader." Claude chuckled, "He's actually quite infamous among the Imperial Army, and he gained a nickname too. The Phoenix of Faerghus. It has two meanings, one as a representation of the Faerghus Loyalist army gaining back some valuable ground and arising from the ashes, and among Sylvain's friends it's a symbol of his transformation. I believe it's a little on the nose though."
"That's...impossible. Not that I'm doubting his abilities, but...I never thought he would be able to do such a thing." Byleth smiled to herself.
Claude grinned, "Yeah, it's apparently seen as an omen on the battlefield to see him. At least for the Empire. There are wild tales of his Crest illuminating the night sky as he swoops down on his Wyvern and Lance of Ruin. Damn, I wish I had those types of stories about me."
Byleth looked at him completely stricken by what he said, "Wyvern?! Sylvain has never ridden one before."
"Yeah, I know. I gave him one." Claude replied.
"WHAT?!" Byleth exclaimed. "HOW?! WHY?!"
"Whoa, hold on there Teach! Calm yourself. Yes I gave him one, it was about two years ago. I gave him it because I thought it'd help him heal a bit. Wyverns are intelligent animals, and they develop strong bonds with people they like. And his Wyvern is...well she's rather aggressive."
"You gave him an aggressive Wyvern? Do you have any idea how dangerous that is?" Byleth glared at Claude.
"Hey now, Astarte and him are like two peas in a pod. They've been annoying the Empire to no end. Even the leader of the Faerghus Dukedom is fed up with him." Claude defended himself.
Byleth crossed her arms, "You realize you put a target on his back, right?"
"Consider it a gift. After all, he needed to take real control of the war, and a Commander on a Wyvern certainly says a statement." Claude looked at her seriously.
Byleth looked conflicted, unsure to ask the next question, "...did he ever get married?"
"Huh?" Claude looked confused.
"I mean...his father was always so adamant on him carrying on the bloodline...It makes sense to continue it in the middle of a war." Byleth mumbled.
Claude started to laugh, "You're kidding me, right? After what I said about how he acted when you were gone, you really think the guy just decided to marry a random woman to create heirs?"
Byleth curled into herself, "You didn't answer the question."
Claude sighed deeply, "No, he has not married anyone, and he's not seeing anyone. I don't believe he has in the last five years. Because in his mind, no one even compares to you."
Byleth looked at Claude with glimmering eyes in disbelief, he had stayed single all of this time? "Please...don't say this to make me feel better...I want to know...does he still care?"
Claude smiled genuinely at his friend, "Teach...Byleth, I don't think anything in this world would ever stop Sylvain Jose Gautier from ever loving you. He never forgets your birthday. He always trains at the same time you did with him. And whenever he and I would speak about you, he'd be happy one moment remembering all of the good times, and sad the next, knowing he didn't have you now." Claude hugged his friend, whom he looked to as a sister, "And now I know, my best friends, shall be happy again once more."
Byleth's eyes watered up, "Are you being honest with me?"
Claude snorted, "What good would lying to you would do? I promise you, Sylvain is still in love with you."
Byleth whispered softly, "Thank you...for keeping an eye on him for me."
Claude patted her back, "It was no big deal," Releasing her, she rubbed the tears out of her eyes, "Now let's try to clean this place up a bit. We have a few days before the others get here, and I'd like there to be a little less rubble."
Byleth giggled, "You? Clean? That's funny." Lifting herself off of the ground making her way out of the Cathedral.
Claude mocked a pained look, "Aw, c'mon, Teach. Don't make fun of me like that! I promise I've improved over the past few years."
The letter Sylvain had received from Claude couldn't have come at a worse time. The Faerghus Loyalists were starting to lose more and more of their forces after being forced into a stalemate. The only saving grace was that the Empire didn't have much in the way to fight them as well. However, with both armies standing still, any small thing could tip the scales. Sylvain knew he wanted to go to the monastery on what was supposed to be the millennium festival, but without the reassurance that his army would do fine with his absence from the field worried him excessively.
Still the correspondence didn't go unnoticed, and he eventually left to Fraldarius Territory to meet up with the Blue Lions students that had received the same missive. He was accompanied by his second in command, Augustus Chevalier, to the Fraldarius Manor where he was surprised to see all but Ashe in Felix's home. While all intended to leave for the promised meeting, Sylvain was still hesitant.
"Sylvain, we promised we would go back, why won't you go?" Annette asked.
"Annette, I don't know if you've noticed but I'm kind of in charge of my family's army, and they're vital to making sure Faerghus doesn't fall apart." Sylvain replied, with a light tone. He smirked at Annette's adorable pout, even at the age of twenty-two, she still was very childish in her personality.
"Oh, Sylvain, think about the rest of our classmates. They would love to see us again." Mercedes spoke, her now shortened hair being tended to as she sat on the sofas in Felix's drawing room.
"And I'd like to see them too, but I have other problems to deal with." Sylvain clutched his forehead in annoyance. "I don't see you guys giving Ashe a problem about this."
"Ashe can't join us, he's under House Rowe and they've declared their allegiance to the Empire." Annette said sadly, "Even if we could convince him, he could die abandoning his post."
"The fool shouldn't have joined House Rowe." Felix grumbled, having created a soft spot for the optimistic boy.
Ingrid looked the most upset about it, as she readjusted her shortened hair, "Yes, well we can still make our way to Garreg Mach. I'd for us to abandon our friends from the other houses."
"I just don't want to see my Father. I hate seeing him obsess over a corpse." Felix said sharply.
"Well, I'm in no position to leave." Sylvain shrugged, slumping on the sofa next to Felix. He had only done so for a few seconds when Augustus barged in. He was panting and he was grasping onto a female spy and a man who looked like a villager.
Sylvain looked puzzled, "Ummm, Augustus? Who are these people? I didn't know I invited guests, hehe?"
Augustus cleared his throat, "Commander Gautier, this woman is one of our spies in our network. She has told us some very valuable information through this man that she's brought."
"P-please, milord! I beg of you, I didn't do anything wrong, I swear!" The villager pleaded, grovelling at Sylvain's feet.
"My man, please get ahold of yourself!" Sylvain exclaimed, letting out a small chuckle. He picked up the man off his feet by extending his hand, "Here, sit. Let me pour you a glass of wine."
Sylvain looked at the spy with a questioning glare, "And you two are?"
"Lilith, I serve House Gautier loyally, my lord." Lilith bowed politely, "I found this man in a tavern nearby the base of Garreg Mach monastery."
Sylvain poured a couple of glasses of wine, handing them both to Lilith and the man, "And your name?" He asked the villager.
"Um...Bronn, milord...am I going to be executed? Please, milord, I have a family! A son and a daughter. I can't leave them now, we are barely making it as is with the war." Bronn was frightened. Huh, he's probably never dealt with nobility before then, Sylvain thought.
Sylvain gave a cheeky smile, pouring himself some wine as well, leaning against the window sill of the Fraldarius drawing room, "Unless you've done something, beyond a doubt, horrible. You have nothing to fear. And don't mind my friends here, they will not harm you. Well, Felix might, but the rest won't." Felix gave a pointed glare to Sylvain, which he met with a charming expression.
"Uh, right milord." Bronn mumbled.
Sylvain took a sip of his wine and looked over to Lilith, "So you found him in a tavern, why is this important to me?"
Lilith responded, "As I remember, this man described a person that he saved from a riverbank not too long ago. However, I think it's for him to tell." Lilith shoved the man's shoulder.
Bronn looked a bit alarmed, staring at Sylvain who gave the motion for him to speak, "Well milord, I was just getting some water for washing the clothes from the river, when I saw a figure floating down the stream. I thought it was odd, considering the fighting had moved on from Garreg Mach, but I thought maybe it was a scavenger that had gotten herself injured fighting bandits. So when I pulled her out of the river, I was shocked to see that she had not one wound on her. She was just laying there, asleep."
Sylvain listened intently, as did the others, "So you found a sleeping woman? How is this relevant to me, Lilith?"
Lilith replied, "Trust me, Commander, it's definitely something to hear."
Sylvain looked at Bronn, "Okay, so after you found her, did she wake up?"
Bronn nodded, "She did so, after a few minutes of coaxing her. She shot up in a flash and startled me. I thought she was going to attack me, she had a dagger and a large sword in her hand, it almost looked like a Hero's Relic." Sylvain's grip on his wine glass began to tighten. No, I'm sure this man is exaggerating. "When she woke up, she kept saying strange things like asking what year it was after I told her the millennium festival would've been soon. She looked completely dumbfounded, sad even. And when I tried to get her to stay, she resisted. It was so crazy, she thought it was still 1181, she seemed to have no idea that five years had passed. But that has to be impossible-"
"Bronn!" Sylvain's eyes were wide, almost as if they were going to pop out. The rest of the company was just as surprised, much to the spy's amusement. Sylvain moved in front of the man, a desperate look in his eyes, "Stop right there, I need you to describe this woman! What did she look like? Was she wearing anything that would make her seem different to the average person?"
"Hmm, well she had bright light green hair and eyes. She was petite, shorter than me. She wore a scantily clad uniform, with lace stockings. All she wore was dark, except this long necklace with the symbol of a Crest on the end." Bronn replied.
Sylvain's breath hitched as he rounded the corner of the sofa to dig something out of his equipment bag. Finally grabbing the item from his bag, he brought it over to the man, "Did the necklace look exactly like this? Please, it's important."
Bronn grasped the medallion, examining the Crest of Gautier on the pendant, he nodded, "This is it exactly, I am sure of it."
Sylvain's breathing quickened, "Did she say anything else? Do you know where she is?"
Bronn stammered out, worried that Sylvain was about to do something crazy, "Uh, she said something about the Officer's Academy. Oh! She said she needed to see her students and that she was going to Garreg Mach. I tried to keep her back, but she refused. Is that...bad? Should I have done something to her, milord? Is she your enemy?"
"No!" The Blue Lions all sounded off, shocking the man into silence.
Sylvain buried his face in his hands as he slowly wept, "Bronn...you have no idea how long I've been waiting to hear this…she's alive...after all these years she's alive." Ingrid came over to Sylvain and rubbed his shoulders to calm her dear friend down.
Sylvain quickly rubbed his face of tears, looking back, "Bronn, Lilith, thank you so much for this! You've done more for me than I can ever hope for. Lilith, you've definitely earned your extra pay. Go discuss this with Augustus, tell him that." He turned to Bronn with a bright smile shaking his hand ecstatically, "My man, you said you have a family?"
"Uh yes, milord. My wife passed on a while ago, I have to make sure my children are fed." Bronn replied.
"Well, I also want you to talk to Augustus, tell him I am going to give you some of our food supply as well as 15,000 gold pieces. You need to keep your family safe during this time." Sylvain told him.
Bronn eyes widened, "Milord! I don't deserve this kindness, I just tried to help a woman out of a river."
Ingrid chuckled, "Don't you understand, sir? Commander Gautier has been searching for his long lost love for years. You just made him the happiest man in Fodlan. You won't be able to refuse any gift he gives."
Bronn looked back at the Lord, who was still tearing up slightly, "I see, well milord, I can never repay this kindness! You don't know how this will help the kids."
Sylvain lifted the man off of his feet, and clapped his back leading him out, "Think nothing of it! Your family's safety is important. Augustus!" Sylvain shouted out his second in command's name.
Augustus appeared in the doorway, "Yes, Commander."
"I'm going to leave this man and Lilith in your care. They will tell you what they need." Sylvain said cheerfully leading both the spy and villager out into the hall.
"And what about you, Sylvain? Going to chase after your lady love?" Augustus asked with a spark in his eyes.
"I still have an army to run, Augustus." Sylvain replied pitifully.
"No, I will run the army, you need to go find her." Augustus replied with a smile.
"Gus...I can't do that to you." Sylvain responded with disbelief.
"You've waited for her this long, and your friends want you to go back to Garreg Mach anyways. Go, Sylvain. I'll hold the front for you." Augustus convinced Sylvain.
Sylvain nodded appreciatively, "Alright then. Thank you, Augustus. You don't know how much this means to me."
Augustus laughed, "Go get her, Sylvain. And finally settle down with her!" Augustus shouted in the halls, taking Lilith and Bronn with him.
Entering back into the drawing room, he saw his friends clamouring over to Sylvain to give him a group hug, except Felix of course. They all laughed and cheered over the good news. The Professor was alive and now was their chance to reunite her with the man who had longed over her for the past five years.
"Hey, Teach… Just waiting around sounds boring, so why don't we get in some exercise." Claude spoke up as they were silently walking around the Cathedral. It had been a few days and the day of the millennium festival had arrived with no word from anyone. Byleth was bored out of her mind so when Claude suggested this, she agreed to follow him and to an abandoned village where it was infested with bandits. Despite being asleep for so many years, Byleth wielded her sword with such skill and dexterity that it was like she had never left. Claude was impressed at how well she was at cutting down her foes with little remorse. However, despite their combined skill, it was becoming very evident that the bandits were out numbering them.
"Dammit! Claude there's too many of them! We need to retreat back." Byleth shouted from above her.
"Not now, I see some of our friends coming to join us." Claude smirked as he pointed to the North. Low and behold, the entire original Golden Deer House was fast approaching.
"The barbarity is even worse than the rumors. On my honor as a noble, I will expel these ruffians!" Lorenz spoke on his horse, preparing a magic spell.
"Today was supposed to be a happy day, but the monastery is in disrepair…" Ignatz readied his bow, Byleth smiled noting that he seemed to be more confident.
"Over there… Is that the professor? And the others?!" Hilda shouted on top of her own Wyvern as it purred under her touch.
An orange haired girl landed nearby Byleth and gave her a slight fright, "Professor! You're alive! Guess we'd better handle this before I celebrate though, huh?"
"Leonie!" Byleth shouted, she looked well and her hair's grown out too.
"You guys finally made it!" Claude said, swooping overhead, "I guess virtue still exists in this crazy world after all."
"Is that the professor and everyone else? If they're fighting, I gotta go help!" Raphael said as he charged past Byleth and the others.
"Wow, it's you! Here I thought you were dead all this time." Lysithea said in amazement coming up to Byleth with a smile on her face.
"It's good to see you again," Byleth smiled back.
"Could that be the Professor's…ghost?" Marianne said cautiously as she approached the Professor.
Byleth looked at her in amazement, "Marianne! You look well!"
Marianne smiled slightly, "Oh! Thank you, Professor."
As the battle persisted, the Black Eagle student transfers also joined in on the fun, much to Claude's delight as soon as he saw Petra fly by on her pegasus. Byleth quickly noted that as much as their physical appearances changed, the most notable changes were in her former students' attitudes. Like Dorothea and Ferdinand, who had noticeably hardened themselves, and Bernadetta who had gained some semblance of confidence. She had missed them so much, but as the battle carried on, she saw no signs of the Blue Lions, that is until they neared the Bandit leader.
"Well would you look at that, seems our Faerghus neighbors decided to come visit." Claude spoke as he pulled Byleth into his saddle on his Wyvern. Looking down from the sky, Byleth saw Mercedes, Annette, and Felix flanking some of the bandits on foot. From the sky she heard the neighing of a pegasus approaching. Byleth smiled brightly to see Ingrid, looking ever so lovely with a lance in her hand.
"Ingrid!" Byleth exclaimed.
Ingrid looked surprised, but smiled warmly, "Professor! You're alive after all!"
Byleth nodded, "I'm happy to see you, you look beautiful, the years have been kind to you."
Ingrid blushed slightly, "I'm glad we could meet again, Professor. It'll be nice to fight alongside each other. Just like old times."
Claude cleared his throat, "It seems we are missing some key members of your house, where's Ashe and Sylvain."
Ingrid looked solemn, "Ashe unfortunately couldn't join us."
Byleth asked tentatively, "...And Sylvain?"
Ingrid smiled as she looked to the sky, "He should be here any moment now."
As Byleth looked up, she saw a flash of the Crest of Gautier and the sound of a Wyvern's screech. Claude chuckled, "What a show off, huh Teach?" Byleth stared in amazement as she saw Sylvain's Wyvern swoop in and at blinding speed Sylvain released several fire spells to keep the bandits from escaping. His excellence on horseback riding seemed to translate well to his Wyvern riding. She was in awe, he had certainly honed his skill in almost everything that she had trained him in while also learning new skills. He was every bit as intimidating as Claude described. He was no longer a boy playing pretend battles, this was a man that had experience on the field. Byleth blushed furiously, he truly had grown. Claude whispered in her ear, "It seems we are overdue on a reunion. I'll let him finish off the last guy then we can get it over with."
Byleth mumbled, "What if he doesn't want to see me? What if he's angry with me?"
Claude shook his head, "He won't be angry. Trust me."
As Sylvain took down the leader of the Bandits, Astarte let out a loud victorious screech. Sylvain grinned, petting her to calm her down. He heard the familiar sound of wings flapping above him and landing nearby. Claude dismounted, hiding Byleth behind Fajr's wings waiting for the right moment to reveal Byleth. Sylvain dismounted as well, receiving Claude with a hearty laugh and embrace.
"Hey, Sylvain, it seems you and Astarte have been bonding well." Claude clapped Sylvain's shoulder.
Sylvain greeted him with the same, "Claude! It's been too long."
Byleth's breath hitched, hearing his voice for the first time in a while, silently praying that Sylvain wasn't going to reject her.
"Yeah, it seems like everyone could come. Except Ashe." Claude sighed.
"He's not the only one missing…" Sylvain trailed off. Byleth could hear the pain in his voice.
"Oh?" Claude raised an eyebrow.
Sylvain looked down on the ground, "Say Claude, you said in your letter you were arriving earlier than anyone else. You didn't happen upon anyone familiar, did you? I received some intel that...Byleth was somewhere nearby." Byleth softly gasped, had he still been looking for her?
"Hmmm, someone familiar, huh?" Claude scratched his chin, "Nope, not really." Claude smirked as he saw Sylvain's face fall, "But I know someone who might've. Hey, Teach, do you know what he's talking about?" Claude turned around, motioning Fajr to reveal, Byleth.
Sylvain's heart stopped as she appeared from nowhere. And there she was walking steadily towards him. If this was a cruel dream, he prayed to the Goddess that he would never wake up. But it had to be her, she looked the same. The same as he remembered. Those gorgeous eyes, her flowing hair, that absolutely ridiculous armor, all of it was so very familiar to him. He could feel his feet carrying himself to her. They were standing just a few feet apart, and Sylvain couldn't bring himself to say a word.
"Hello Syl," She spoke softly, the voice that he'd think about endlessly was now here. He looked at her blankly, observing her. Byleth's eyes softened, her eyes glistening with unshed tears, so scared that she was no longer wanted, "Oh Sylvain, I'm so sorry. I never meant for this to happen. I wanted to come back to you as soon as I could. I know you must hate me for making you wait this long. And I don't want you to hate me, but I know I've put you in so much pain. I just wish that you can find it in your heart to forgive me." Sylvain continued to just look at her, not moving. Byleth started to feel the tears fall, "Dammit, Syl! Please say something, I beg of you. Yell at me, shout at me, tell me that I was wrong! I can't take it anymore!"
Then all of a sudden, she felt his lips crash onto hers. Feeling his tears mingle with her own, as they deepened the kiss. Sylvain's desperation and Byleth's hunger for him was felt through the dance of their tongues intertwined. They kissed for so long that the pair had to forcibly remove each other to get a breath of air in. Sylvain grabbed her waist and placed his forehead on hers, smiling tenderly, "You have a terrible memory, By. Didn't you say that even if it took a hundred years, you'd come back?"
Byleth giggled, placing a hand on his chest, "I suppose I came back ninety five years short."
Sylvain chuckled caressing her cheek, "And I would've waited that long, only for you." He leaned down and brought her lips to his once again, tenderly holding her and savoring her taste on his mouth.
They were finally together, and this time they wouldn't ever part...