Special Moments

by Sentinel07

At Garreg Mach Monastery, it's the little moments that make it all worthwhile. Same holds true for a teacher and student learning to be comfortable around each other. As time flows, they'll come to understand just how much they mean to each other. Light fluff at first.

9. Extra: Snow Day in Garreg Mach-Part 2

Hello everyone! Sentinel07 here and I'm back with Part 2 of this little side story.

Honestly, doing this part was what ultimately convinced me to split it up. I didn't want to cram everything into just one chapter, so hopefully this way made it easier for everyone. On that note, not a whole lot to say. You know the drill and all.

So, I don't own anything as usual. Now let's get to business.

DIVINE PULSE!

---

Extra: Snow Day in Garreg Mach Part 2- Snowball Fight

Everyone adjourned for a well-earned lunch after spending their morning playing around. Of course, some wondered just what Claude would be up to. Come to think of it, he hadn't been seen for a while. Still, everyone was in high spirits all the same, though it took Bernadetta a while to cool down from unknowingly being the center of attention. It took some assuring from Byleth that she was still okay. Byleth had the sense Bernadetta was feeling guilty about doing the snowman on her own, even though Byleth wasn't offended.

If anything, being able to see her having fun made the extra exercise feel worth it.

"It's alright, Bernadetta," Byleth smiled as they were exiting the dining hall. "Everyone loved your work. Me especially."

"You're...you're sure you're not mad?" Bernadetta asked shyly. "You...you didn't even get to do anything and I just went off on my own."

"Bernie...why would I be mad?" Byleth smiled again. "If anything I'm happy that you found something to enjoy."

Bernadetta's face was still red, but Byleth could see a hint of a smile on her turned face. She rubbed her hands together a bit, a sign that she felt genuinely moved by the praise. She seemed to be calmer at least, which made Byleth feel all the more assured, which he certainly needed given he wondered just what Claude wanted to do. Everyone seemed to be gathering together around the greenhouse/pond area, many of them not sure either.

"Hey guys. Sorry to keep you waiting," Claude was coming up behind them, accompanied by Alois, Catherine, Shamir, and Seteth. "Just had to get everything ready."

"For what?" asked Dimitri. From the looks of it, all of the major students had been corralled for this.

"This better not be a waste of time," Edelgard added.

"Relax, prince and princess," Claude replied. "I figure everyone will have some fun with this. The first annual Garreg Mach Snowball Fight!"

That created quite a buzz about the students. Many of the naturally more excited ones got stars in their eyes thinking about it, while a few weren't so sure.

"That's your grand plan?" asked Edelgard. "Isn't that a rather normal activity?"

"For most people, but I doubt your highness has experienced it much," Claude snickered. "I doubt you even thought about it, despite it being "normal" as you put it."

Edelgard raised an eyebrow but didn't add another word. Lysithea on the other hand looked like she just wanted to leave.

"Seriously? First snowmen and now this?" she asked. "It's so childish."

"Before you knock it sweetheart, hear me out," Claude chuckled, making Lysithea grip her hands. "I think this would be the best way for everyone to have fun and let loose. Besides, if you want to be strict about it, think of it like training too. After all, a snowball fight is not only a good workout but requires tactics and ingenuity. So why not knock out two birds with one stone."

"I feel like you're reaching, Claude," replied Edelgard sternly before she softened. "But...I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little bit intrigued."

"I haven't enjoyed a good fight in so long," smiled Dimitri. "I'll happily take part."

"Is that a good thing?" asked Sylvain. "If the prince participates, he'll likely take our heads off."

"I agree...for once," Ingrid crossed her arms.

"I...promise I'll restrain myself, Sylvain. Nothing to worry about," Dimitri replied wearily.

Well, if anything, the premise seemed to convince most, even if some were on the fence. Linhardt looked sleepy as always, and Lysithea hardly looked convinced at Claude's reasoning. However, for their credit, most of the others were into it. Bernadetta was kind of confused though, and she turned to Byleth, not wanting to say this out loud lest she embarrass herself.

"Professor, what exactly is a snowball fight?" she asked.

"To my knowledge, it's what the name implies," Byleth replied. "You roll the snow into balls and throw them at others. Generally, you get points for doing so and you win if you get the most."

"Oh..." Bernadetta nodded before turning back to him. "Okay, I get it. Sounds like it might hurt though."

"I've only done it once, when father and I were in a village briefly and all the kids wanted to play it," Byleth replied. "I... don't think I tried very hard back then."

Granted, it was Jeralt's idea to kind of let the kids win, though Byleth wondered if that was his father's way of messing with him.

"Of course, such an event needs supervisors to keep things fair," Claude continued. "Thus I have recruited our esteemed faculty to help out."

"Oh, you're not participating?" Byleth asked Catherine.

"Oh, I doubt you kiddos want to see me coming at you," Catherine laughed. "I'll just hang back and watch over you guys. Better behave yourselves though. I won't accept unnecessary roughness."

"That's rich coming from you," Shamir huffed.

"You don't have to worry! We shall judge with the utmost fairness and impartiality!" Alois announced. "Keeping an eye on you all shouldn't be that hard."

Of course, while all of this was nice, Seteth's presence was kind of odd, one that Flayn noticed immediately.

"Um, excuse me, Claude," Flayn spoke up. "As nice as this is, how did you convince my brother to join?"

"Because you're participating," Claude winked. "It was the perfect leverage to get a fourth judge."

"Oh...of course..." Flayn sighed, to which Seteth just crossed his arms. "Why am I not surprised?"

"In any case, I figured we'd pair up in teams of two," Claude began again. "The boundaries will be the walls of Garreg Mach. No going beyond those. Also no going up to the 2nd floor. It all has to be down here. Let's also try to avoid running through the dining hall and reception hall. Oh, and try to avoid the church because I don't think they'd like it. Everything outside of those is allowed. Sound good to everyone?"

"Sounds fair," Dimitri nodded. "We had similarly large battlefields in Fhirdiad."

"Well, I'm curious," replied Edelgard. "Of course, no matter what, I shall win."

"Whatever you say, princess," shrugged Claude. "Oh, and one other thing. Just to spice it up, we'll go elimination-style. A two-person team only gets to be hit five times. After that, you're out. Those knocked out can hang out around here until the contest is complete, or head inside to the dining hall or something. As long as we keep everyone together so we don't interfere with those still in.

"A competition huh? Sounds like you," laughed Hilda. "But will we be able to keep score?"

"That won't be too hard," spoke Shamir. "Keeping track of your lot isn't hard. Not any harder than your average bandit."

The idea of a competition intrigued some of those on the fence, though some like Felix and Lysithea didn't particularly like being compared to a common bandit by Shamir. That aside, some like Edelgard and Ingrid now looked genuinely interested to try out what amounted to combat training in a new way. Claude could only nod in approval that things were working out.

"So, there you have it. The battlefield is set!" Claude announced. "So, what are you standing around for? Go grab your partners!"

At Claude's proclamation, everyone suddenly began talking, and occasionally bumping into each other while trying to get their partners. Raphael wrapped his arm around Ignatz immediately, while Annette and Mercedes got together. Once again, Sylvain and Ingrid paired up, much to the latter's chagrin. Dimitri considered finding someone else to team up with but Dedue refused to be with anyone else, causing the prince to sigh. Claude didn't seem to be wasting much time finding his own.

"Hey, Lysithea!" Claude cried out.

"What?" she asked.

"Mind teaming up with me?" he asked. "With my schemes and your brains, we'd be pretty good together."

"Ugh," she sighed, crossing her arms. "Fine. Better you than anyone else I suppose."

"I'll take that as a compliment," Claude smirked.

"Hmph, I'm surprised you didn't team up with Professor Byleth on the spot," Lysithea added.

"I could have, but I don't have many opportunities to try my hand against Teach himself," Claude replied. "What better chance than now."

On the other side, Edelgard, while still having Hubert right next to her, was approached by Dorothea.

"Hey Hubie, what are the odds of you letting Edie join up with me for this?" smirked Dorothea.

"As if I would ever leave Lady Edelgard's side. You know that" Hubert sneered.

Edelgard of course wasn't surprised in the slightest by this, though she seemed to be contemplating something. "Hubert, this might be a good opportunity to see how your skills compare to mine. I confess I'm curious."

Hubert narrowed his eyes but didn't look surprised. If anything, there was slight amusement.

"Are you suggesting I take this opportunity to test myself?" Hubert chuckled darkly. "If you wish it, Lady Edelgard, then so be it."

"Wow, he actually agreed. I thought he'd put up more of a fight," Dorothea said. "Course now I guess he needs a partner."

"Mind if he and I do the joining?" Petra spoke up, as she had apparently been listening in.

"Is that a good idea?" Dorothea put a finger to her chin. "You're still cold and he's as cold-blooded as you can get."

The conversation more or less went as one would imagine between the current former Black Eagle students, but the pairs were set all the same. Meanwhile, Hilda was trying to find someone. She actually had a thought to grab Felix, but Ashe already got to him.

"Darn it, all the big guys are taken already," she pouted before looking at Caspar. "Well, he'll do. He's pretty strong anyway. Hey Caspar!"

"What's up Hilda?" Caspar asked as he waved her over.

"I still don't have a partner yet. Would you kindly team up with me?" she asked sweetly. "You're really strong after all.

"Sure, why not," Caspar laughed. "We'll take them all down!"

"Oh, you're so enthusiastic. That's why you're perfect," Hilda giggled, egging the little guy on even further.

Meanwhile, the remaining students were just about teaming up. Marianne had been standing over to the side by herself until Ferdinand approached her. She could only wonder why exactly he would be approaching her of all people.

"Marianne, would you like to be partners?" Ferdinand asked nicely.

"Oh, I don't know," the blue-haired girl said solemnly. "I'd just slow you down, or anyone else for that matter."

"Nonsense. I think the two of us would make a great team," Ferdinand continued, undeterred. "Just do your best, Marianne. You'd be surprised at what we could do."

"I...I see..." Marianne nodded, not sounding all too convinced. However, Ferdinand was one of those she had gotten to know well over the year. If he had confidence, perhaps she could try too. "I'll try my best."

The two of them shared a brief smile, which was interrupted when they suddenly heard Lorenz crying out as he was being dragged by Leonie.

"Excuse me, but why are you pulling me?!" Lorenz cried out.

"Why not? Surely being a big shot noble will make you a great partner," Leonie smirked. "And if nothing else, you'll be a nice shield. You're nice and tall after all."

"I am not your personal shield, Leonie," Lorenz snapped back. "I am a proud noble and I...!"

"Then do your job and protect the common folk," Leonie quipped back without missing a beat.

Yuri could only chuckle as he watched Leonie whip Lorenz to her liking. Such a thing would always be amusing to him. Speaking of Yuri, given no one was exactly lining up to ask him, he could only ask...

"Well then, shady lady, guess we'll be joining up," Yuri smirked at the unsuspecting blonde.

"What?!" she cried out as she looked around. Balthus was asking Hapi, who seemed completely indifferent to everything, making Constance look back and forth between them and Yuri, groaning all the while. "Oh come now... of all people..."

Despite her groaning, she seemed to accept it, figuring that she'd be victorious one way or another. Guess having the sneaky one of the group being her partner wasn't so bad.

Byleth smiled at all the students wrapping up with whichever partner he picked. Though, the more he thought about it, the more he noticed that nobody was approaching him. He overheard Claude mentioning that he'd like the chance to beat his professor, and he began to wonder if the other students were taking similar measures, pairing up with friends over him. Not that he took any particular offense to this. Everyone had their reasons, and he welcomed the chance to try out against any of them. That being said, it left him wondering just who to take as a partner for himself. That is until he realized something.

Looking to his right, Bernadetta was still standing there, and she hadn't been approached either.

"Nobody's coming here. Oh, that's good. I'm not being forced into anyone's team!" Bernadetta said to herself with a slight smile which quickly then changed to fear. "Wait...but doesn't that mean nobody wants me either? Oh of course that's the reason. Why would anyone want you, Bernie?!"

Byleth could already tell that that look meant. Bernadetta was about to go into another downward spiral. Given what he knew of the students, it probably wasn't too surprising that Bernadetta wouldn't be anyone's first choice. Not out of any dislike for the girl, but they had ideas with people they felt closer to. It was with that in mind that he started on his first instinct."

"Bernadetta, would you..."

Byleth barely got anything out before Bernadetta had latched on to his arm. The poor girl's face was as red as ever, her eyes closed shut. She probably grabbed him out of panic from her thoughts, which didn't help when she finally opened them and saw what she had done.

"Ahhhhh! S-Sorry!" Bernadetta cried out as she let go. "I-I just...I just...grabbed you without thinking. I'm so sorry!"

"It's okay, Bernadetta," Byleth replied, face slightly red from the close contact as well. "I was about to ask you if you wanted to team up with me since neither of us has a partner yet."

"O-Oh...you were just going to..." Bernadetta replied as she finally seemed to calm down. "U-Um...sure I'm okay with that. Not that I'll be much help."

Byleth smiled gently and patted the girl on the head a little. Guess they were both being a little on the outside looking in right now, but who said that was a bad thing anyway. At the least, with the two of them paired up, that just left Linhardt and Flayn to team up, to which Flayn just sweat-dropped at the prospect. Though, to his credit, Linhardt actually perked up at the prospect of getting to see Flayn in action, something that didn't assure her.

"Poor Flayn," spoke Annette. "Linhardt isn't exactly well-suited for this."

"On the contrary, it might just work out," spoke Ignatz. "Who would want to throw a snowball at her when Seteth's looking?"

It was right then that every pair got a pit in the core of their stomach, looking back and forth between Flayn's perplexed look and Seteth looking them on with his arms crossed. It was a look that could kill and probably did for all they knew. Well, in any case, hopefully, they were good to go, and Catherine clapped her hands.

"Alright, you got five minutes to find a place to start. You'll see a spell go off in the air when it's time. Now get out and enjoy yourselves, and of course, fair play only!" Catherine called out as everyone began to scatter.

There was chaos everywhere as pairs were trying to run off in all directions. Some of them were still arguing over what might be the best course, and others still needed to be convinced, like Ashe trying to get Felix to get into the spirit of it. Aside from that, most of the pairs seemed to have at least one idea of where they'd like to go. Some headed over to the marketplace, which worked just as well given it was a little cleared out by now. Others headed to the stables, given there was some good cover there, while others went past the dormitories. Claude didn't seem to be in a hurry, and he and Lysithea seemed to walk rather briskly while he began talking her ear off about something.

Bernadetta, naturally, was beginning to panic at the sudden dispersing.

"W-What now?!" she cried out, inching closer to Byleth. "What do we do?!"

Byleth immediately got to thinking. They had five minutes, so where would be the best place to head too in such a short time? Garreg Mach to his knowledge wasn't exactly full of great places to get a vantage point. Perhaps the greenhouse could make for a good place to hang out, but it wasn't that good a place to keep an eye out on everyone. To that end, Byleth could only think of one place he could think of right now.

"Bernadetta, let's make for the dormitories," Byleth spoke out. Honestly, he had no special reason for picking the place but it was better than nothing.

"O-Okay," Bernadetta replied, sounding just as unsure as he did, if not more so.

The two of them began running back up to where the dormitories were, going past some of the other pairs still looking for their own place to start from. They ran past the level with Bernie's room and back up a level. Byleth didn't have much of a plan, but he thought that at least hiding around the corner where his quarters might be could serve as a good spot. Granted, someone like Claude would consider him making that decision. Oh well, he'd come up with something eventually.

"All right, Bernadetta we can..." Byleth began to say as he looked behind him...only to find no one behind him.

Byleth widened his eyes a little bit as he looked back and forth, wondering where his purple-haired companion suddenly went. He turned his head back and forth, not entirely sure where she had left off. He had been so focused on getting to somewhere suitable before the time limit was up that he hadn't even checked back to see her. He had hoped she would follow by right behind him, though perhaps the fear got to her. Did she perhaps split off at her room down below? No, he was pretty sure he heard her footsteps coming up along with him...

Rustle Rustle

Byleth's ears suddenly picked something up somewhere to his right. It sounded like it was coming from one of many spaces in-between the dormitories, and it seemed to be getting louder. Immediately curious, he walked over and looked inside, finding a rather curious sight. There was his wayward companion, just slipping the last of her leg in-between a spot in the wall that he had never noticed before, perhaps because of the partial covering by foliage. He raised an eyebrow, partly because of this new discovery and partly because of who was now hiding behind it.

"Um, Bernadetta?" Byleth casually asked.

That earned a squeaky sound coming from inside the spot, an indication that she knew she was found out.

"O-Oh, h-hi Professor," Bernadetta replied, slowly revealing her head. "Um...s-sorry about that. It's just that...this whole thing seems kind of scary you know? M-Maybe I can just...hide out here. You'll be fine, right? Bernie'll just wait the day out in here."

Byleth sighed, not entirely surprised at Bernadetta's frightful behavior. She was already looking scared back when everyone else was gathered. Not to mention how embarrassed she felt regarding the whole snowman incident. Guess it was just a matter of time before she panicked. All the same though, just as with any battle, he didn't want to leave her to just hide all day.

However, the more he looked at Bernadetta, the more an idea came to mind. How did she even know a hole existed here? He never did before, and likely no one else did. And if that's the case...

"Bernadetta," Byleth suddenly spoke, "Are you aware of other places like this?"

"Huh?" Bernadetta cocked her head. "You mean like this hole? I mean...I suppose I know some, for when I want to hide but can't make it back to my room. Quite a few are connected too. Why?"

The gears in Byleth's mind were beginning to turn, and he swore he could even see Sothis smirking at the strategic possibilities here. Standing in front of him was a girl who was an expert at staying out of sight. He hadn't been able to make much use of that in their battles to date, but here...

"Bernadetta, you're a genius," he spoke, somehow maintaining a static look on his face when saying that.

"Excuse me?" Bernadetta blinked. Was he just referring to her?

"Move over," Byleth smoke again, his face not changing.

"W-What?!" Now Bernadetta's mind was beginning to get into overdrive.

"Make some room," he stated. "This will be the perfect spot for an ambush."

Bernadetta actually had no time to reply, as Byleth began coming inside anyway, brushing aside the foliage as he made sure no one else happened to be looking. From what he could tell, there seemed to be a decent amount of room, although his taller height would mean he'd have to bend a little. Could be worse he supposed. Being a mercenary gets you used to a lot of odd scenarios. The same couldn't be said for Bernie though.

"P-Professor! I-I don't know! Y-You're really close!" she shrieked. 'Way too close! Way too close! Ahhhh, we're practically face to face!'

As Byleth was settling in though and working with the foliage to keep them hidden while additionally beginning to put together some snowballs, Bernadetta couldn't help but admit one thing through her frenzied mind. As tight as it was, it was kind of cozy, and probably the warmest she had felt all day. You know, with a little adjustment, they could probably comfortably hang out here...

BANG!

A fire spell burst in the air, signaling the beginning of the contest and letting Bernadetta know she wasn't going to have any peace for a while.

---

The initial moments of the snowball fight were complete chaos, which is what you'd think would happen with so many students running around. This was further emphasized by only having so many places they could run around without going inside. Still, it wasn't long before something became reality, that some pairs were simply just more talented or more into it than others, and others barely even had a chance.

This was something Flayn was learning firsthand as she and Linhardt were getting pounded.

"Um, Linhardt?!" she cried out. "I think we need to actually fight back!"

Whatever curiosity Linhardt had in Flayn wasn't exactly helping their situation given the fact that he wasn't even helping in firing off snowballs. Something that everyone else was all too willing to take advantage of.

"Here's another! Coming hot!" Caspar cried out as he was ripping balls left and right. Much like Flayn, his own partner wasn't exactly helping much, though it seemed to bother him less.

Of course, as expected, whoever was throwing in Linhardt and Flayn's direction was taking special care. Despite her team already taking blows, her clothes were completely clean. Rather, Linhardt was the one presently getting pelted, and the fact that he was barely even moving made him an easy target, so much so that Caspar had an easy time for Caspar to pelt him. Flayn, to her credit, didn't go down easy though, actually nailing Caspar once and hitting Hilda while she wasn't paying attention.

"Ow! Hey, are you even paying attention, Caspar?!" Hilda cried at Caspar, getting his attention.

"Hey, I'm trying my best here! It'd actually be nice if you could throw one every now and then," he said back, "For someone who uses a big axe, you should have a good arm."

"Why are they arguing?" Flayn cocked her head as she watched the two of them, though that gave her an idea. "Linhardt, we must retreat!"

"Hmm?" Linhardt was broken out of whatever he was thinking about as Flayn grabbed him and began running, getting them a good distance before Caspar and Hilda realized they were gone.

Meanwhile

"This is ridiculous," Felix groaned from his and Ashe's spot past the Knight's Hall.

"Oh come on Felix," Ashe tried to encourage him. "We'll be great at this with our combined skill."

"I'd be better off actually training," Felix retorted.

"It's close enough," Ashe shrugged. "Besides, I'm sure your other friends are going to enjoy it."

"I don't...," the swordsman began to retort again before he suddenly had to move his head to dodge a snowball.

"Oh, so close," Sylvain spoke from the other side of the area, Ingrid right next to him. "Might want to pay attention. Never know who might come upon you."

"Go annoy someone else, Sylvain," Felix groaned.

"You see, I could do that, but it'd be a lot more fun to take you down instead," Sylvain winked.

"Head's up!" Ingrid cried as she suddenly began sending one shot after another.

Felix and Ashe were now on the defensive, going around the corner to dodge Sylvain and Ingrid's blows. By this point, Felix was beginning to get really pissed off, not just from having to deal with this stupid game, but also having to deal with his "friend" hunting him down. He didn't think he could handle Sylvain of all people boasting about it.

So, which was the lesser of two evils?

"Grr...Ashe give me one of those," Felix said as he took one of the snowballs out of Ashe's hands.

"See? I know you'd come around," Ashe smiled.

Felix could only groan as he found himself indulging in this nonsense.

Back at the Dormitories

A little while has passed, and Byleth had kept perfectly silent. Bernadetta, to her credit, had also been silent somehow, probably still stunned into silence. Byleth's eyes hadn't left the little opening. No one had seen them so far, other than Shamir passing the two a quick glance as she was going by. Guess it made sense someone like her would figure them out.

"Come on..." Byleth spoke to himself.

And before long, he could hear footsteps, preparing himself and not making any noise, contrary to who was approaching.

"All right! Who's next?!" Leonie boasted. "I love this game!"

"Would...it kill you...to not pull me around?" Lorenz said, nearly out of breath. "I am a noble."

"Hey at least you're keeping me safe," Leonie smirked. "I'm still clean and we only got hit once."

"Yes, and it nearly..." Lorenz tried to say but Leonie wasn't listening.

"Now, let's go find the next target!" Leonie declared. "Though...I haven't seen Professor Byleth anywhere since we started."

"Doubtless he's got a few ideas," Lorenz replied. "Our professor won't be easy to defeat."

"That's what makes it the perfect opportun-OW!" Leonie cried out as she left something cold hit in her upper back.

She turned back, ready to hit her oppressor with a snowball of her own, only to find no one. As far as she could tell, there was no one else in this area of the dormitories. Leonie blinked as she looked back and forth, trying to look as much as she could. After a bit of looking, her attention was drawn to the wall of foliage nearby, it moving a bit despite the lack of wind.

"Leonie, if you've got that much time to look, we should consider moving. No doubt others will be coming soon," Lorenz said.

"Fine..." Leonie groaned, still feeling weird about leaving his be.

Byleth could hear the footsteps fading away, smiling to himself. This was working well so far. Leonie wasn't the first to fall victim to this little scheme, rather it was the fifth time Byleth got someone without them finding out what was going on. That being said, it seemed apparent to him that they were starting to catch on somehow. It would be wise to change venues quickly.

"All right, Bernadetta we should move," Byleth spoke.

"Do we have to?" Bernadetta spoke for the first time in a while. "I'd rather just stay here."

"They'll catch on eventually," Byleth shook his head, before beckoning to her. "Is there another area where we won't be easily seen."

"I mean, I suppose there's one near the greenhouse," Bernadetta replied. "Why?"

"Then that'll be our next spot," Byleth smiled. "Your hiding skill will be key to us winning."

Bernadetta just blinked.

---

"You got any grand ideas?" Lysithea asked as she crossed her arms.

"Well, we should first whittle down the competition," Claude replied. "I'm most curious to see what Teach will pull on us."

"While I too am curious to see what Professor Byleth will come up with, I'd imagine he'll be handicapped to an extent," Lysithea replied. "After all, who's he got as his partner? Bernadetta? I wouldn't be surprised if she just hid the whole time."

"Maybe, but Teach is good at using all of our talents in battle. I wouldn't put it past him to concoct something that works to their advantage," Claude said. "Still, we should work on the others. I see Ignatz and Raphael just around the corner. They should be easy outs."

Lysithea couldn't argue with that. Ignatz looked like he was as stiff as a statue, and while Raphael was strong, he wasn't exactly accurate. Decent thinking would put any team above theirs. Plus, it would really help to clear the area and get a place to strategize, as much as she would would much prefer getting a good book and some hot chocolate. You know, hot chocolate sounded really good right now. Why hadn't she had that yet...

"Hello? Fodlan to Lysithea!" Claude snapped his fingers in front of Lysithea's face. "Not like you to space out. Little lost in la la land?"

"Claude, be quiet," Lysithea fought to keep her cheeks from reddening any more than they already were after getting caught with her head elsewhere.

In any case, it was time to put Claude's own plans into action. He had a ways to go until he could get his shot at Byleth. He was very curious to see how it would all turn out.

As Ignatz and Raphael were clumsily getting together, it was only a matter of time before they would be utterly destroyed by Claude and Lysithea. Predictably, the two of them didn't stand much of a chance, not that Raphael was all too concerned about it anyway. All it meant to him was an early snack break. Given Ignatz was a little iffy on the cold more or less worked out for the both of them.

Balthus could only watch as he and Hapi were near, watching the slaughter.

"Heh, should have figured Claude and the little lady would be a challenge," Balthus smiled with snowballs in hand. "This'll be fun."

"B, I don't think you should be admiring them," Hapi responded nonchalantly. "Aren't you supposed to, you know, hide or something?"

"The Snowy King of Grappling doesn't need to hide," he smirked back. "My muscles will do all of the heavy lifting."

"Right, because I'm sure Raphael thought the same thing," Hapi really was fighting the urge to sigh right now. This was going to hurt. She just knew it.

And her own fears were confirmed when Claude and Lysithea saw them and Balthus just charged in like a maniac. Well, at least he'd be the one getting hurt instead of her. Then she could get somewhere warmer.

---

Locating themselves near the greenhouse, Byleth was keeping track of the teams running back and forth. He looked around the corner, occasionally seeing other teams running by. He kept Bernadetta by his side at all times, making sure she wasn't seen, not that that was a particular problem. Bernadetta was good at hiding all on her own after all. If anything, it was mostly just to make sure he knew where she was.

In any case, they had been hanging around the western side of the monastery for a while now, and Byleth wanted to move towards the east. Staying in one place would be a bad idea, and he was sure some of the others would catch on before long. He had asked Bernadetta if she knew of any other spots in that direction. The closest she could offer was one near the stables behind the horses. Good enough for him, he decided.

"What now?" Bernadetta asked from behind him. She was kind of hoping perhaps they could just lay low here the whole time. The greenhouse made for nice company and they likely wouldn't be caught by anyone else.

"As soon as the coast is clear, we should make a run towards the stables," Byleth replied. "I want us to get a better angle to get a look on the others."

Bernadetta sighed. Really, just staying right here would be great. Hiding in the greenhouse was so calming, and it was unlikely that anyone would find them here as long as they were quiet. But, that wasn't going to happen. Not with Byleth of all people. He was way too determined to do everything right. Same mentality he had on the battlefield. Yet, she couldn't deny such a thing was part of why she felt safe around him to begin with.

After watching a couple more teams run by, yelling all the while as they did, Byleth determined that the coast was clear, motioning to Bernadetta to come with him. The two of them began meticulously making their way across, ducking around corners just in case someone happened to run by. They could occasionally hear the yells of other nearby, though thankfully they couldn't see any. Byleth kept creeping them forward, moving over to where the entrance to the reception hall was.

"Coast is clear," Byleth murmured as they continued slowly.

Honestly, the fact that it was so quiet was worrying. There were a few students that were way too good at being silent, including a few he could immediately think of that worried him the most. The fact that he hadn't seen those he was thinking of in a while only made it worse. Claude was bad enough, but Ashe was a former thief and knew his way around. Plus, there are also the Wolves...

Yuri would not be the best person count against in a contest like this. If anything, Byleth feared him just as much as anyone else. One could only wonder where he would set up shop. Still, if they could just get over, they could find a nice spot to figure out their next move. Suffice to say. Bernadetta wasn't as confident. Something was making her danger senses go off more than usual.

"Let's go. The stables are just across," Byleth motioned to Bernadetta as they began to move across the entrance to the reception hall.

It seemed easy enough, if a little quiet. Perhaps too quiet.

"Ah, so that's where you're headed."

Byleth's eyes widened as he looked to his left, seeing the Savage Mockingbird himself waiting just inside, perfectly covered so you couldn't see from the outside, and he and Constance had a clear shot at the two of them. Of course, Bernadetta noticed too, her fears all but confirmed especially since it was him she was staring down.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Bernadetta shrieked, holding on to Byleth for dear life. "Save me!"

"Gah!" Byleth groaned as he grabbed Bernadetta.

"That's fine. You'll both go down anyway," Yuri smirked.

"So sorry Professor, but we have the advantage now. Ha ha ha ha!" laughed Constance as she began tossing snowballs.

Byleth's instincts immediately kicked in, ducking around Constance's shots, though one of Yuri's grazed his coat. Grabbing Bernadetta, Byleth took the only route he could, going down the steps to the marketplace, running as fast as possible without slipping on them. Yuri and Constance engaged a full pursuit, following the two of them down as well. There were fewer merchants thanks to the snow, but there were a few, making for Byleth and Bernadetta to have to swerve their way through.

"Hey, watch it!" yelled one merchant.

"Sorry!" Byleth replied back as he and Bernadetta ran past the stand, heading along the wall.

Yuri kept on bombarding the two with snowballs as they passed between stands, with not many of them actually hitting. Still, he was keeping a good rhythm going with Constance supplying many of the balls. Plus, Byleth and Bernadetta were quickly running out of room, something she was quick to notice.

"Oh no, we're doomed!" she cried out. "We'll be trapped here and then it's all over!"

"Not yet," Byleth looked at her. "We'll find a way out."

"You sure?" Bernadetta spoke, downcast. "This is looking pretty hopeless. Plus, Yuri is really scary."

"Well, I won't deny he's crafty," Byleth spoke, just barely dodging another snowball when he tried to move past one of the tents. "But we'll find some way to get through, one way or another."

One really had to admire Byleth's ability to stay calm in any situation, both her and at the battlefield. Bernadetta could almost feel herself believing that they could make it out somehow, even if not by much.

"Keep them coming," Yuri commanded Constance. "He's all ours now."

However, right then, Yuri felt the supply of snowballs stop coming, leaving his hand hanging awkwardly. He hummed to himself, wondering what was going on.

"Um, you still there?" Yuri asked.

And as he looked back, his eyes were close to popping out of his skull, as his partner was looking considerably more downcast.

"Oh, right," Constance replied gloomily. "I'll try, though I'm sure you'd be much better at it."

Yuri was admittedly a little flabbergasted that this would happen now of all times. Of course, he also wondered just how, to which the answer was just up in the sky. The sky had been completely overcast all day, but there had been a small break that had lead to a little bit of sunlight coming down on the monastery, inevitably having its typical effect on the House Nuvelle heir.

"Oh you've got to be kidding me," Yuri groaned. Just his luck that this would happen at this moment.

Byleth was surprised at the sudden turn himself, but who was he to look a gift horse in the mouth. Yuri was distracted, which left them the opportunity to run.

"All right, Bernie lets..."

Byleth turned, only to see Bernadetta not behind him. However, he only needed to hear the sound of rapid footsteps running through snow to see her running off way ahead of him. Guess she decided to run as soon as Yuri turned around. Byleth wasn't quite sure whether to praise her for her instinctual timing or lecture her for leaving him behind. He chuckled to himself all the same. He'd figure that out later. Taking her cue, he ran along the edge of the marketplace. As he was doing so though, he saw her duck into one of the rocky corners behind a tent. Another hiding spot he assumed. Welp, far be it from him to say otherwise.

He ran past the corner, seeing Bernie tucked neatly behind it, easily obscuring them from sight. Bernadetta didn't quite look at Byleth in the eyes as he came in though. If anything, she almost looked as downcast as Constance.

"Sorry for running without you, Professor Byleth," Bernadetta groaned. "Before I knew it, I was already running. I didn't even know this was here."

"It's alright, Bernie," Byleth assured her, putting a hand on her head. "It at least got us out of harms way. We can discuss the finer points of abandoning your professor later."

If any other teacher said that, Bernadetta likely would have felt the color drain from her face, but Byleth of all people saying it made it feel more like he was teasing her, which she admittedly didn't like much either. Still, it was better than being in trouble at least, even if hiding was all she was contributing to this contest so far, a thought that conflicted her.

Meanwhile, Yuri dealt with his difficult partner.

"Hey, shady lady, you mind putting aside the pity party until after this?" Yuri got his partner to stand back up.

"Okay, that's fine with me. I'm sorry for being so useless," Constance droned on.

"Sigh...I suppose I should be glad you're not like this in an actual life or death situation," Yuri said. "Now where did the professor go this time?"

"I think we might have bigger things to worry about," Constance pointed to the top of the stairs.

There stood Sylvain and Ingrid, both poised and ready to go.

"Oh this should be fun," Sylvain smiled, tossing a snowball in his hand. "And we were just looking for a new target."

"Oh boy," Yuri shook his head. Guess he wasn't going to have his shot at Byleth any time soon, and he had his partner like this until the clouds came back.

It wasn't too long before Sylvain and Ingrid were charging to their new targets, obviously not aware of Byleth and Bernadetta's presence. As Byleth began to slowly move himself and Bernadetta out, it actually became a pretty fierce brawl, with the two teams throwing balls left and right, even more so once the clouds finally came back and Constance was actually running on full speed again.

There was enough snow flying that Byleth and Bernadetta were able to slowly sneak back up the stairs towards their original destination. Bernadetta was especially all too eager to get away. Sylvain, Ingrid, and Yuri all being in the same place wasn't giving her the best feeling in the world.

"Still, that was awfully convenient," Byleth wondered to himself, thoughts that reached a certain someone.

"Don't look at me! I didn't do anything! You're on your own!" spoke an indignant Sothis.

---

"You're mine now, Edelgard," Ferdinand smiled.

Okay, they had some lumps here and there, but Ferdinand was sure he could prevail over Edelgard this time. He and Marianne were down to their last out right now, but they had done well eliminating some of the others, much to Marianne's surprise. Looking Edelgard and Dorothea over in the clearing, he was readying his shot. He wasn't sure how many outs left Edelgard had, but it didn't matter. He'd make sure he was prepared.

"You ready, Marianne?" Ferdinand smiled. "Now we move in on Edelgard."

"Are...you sure that'll work?" Marianne said as she gingerly held her ball.

"Have confidence, Marianne," Ferdinand didn't skip a beat. "You're the reason we've made it so far."

Marianne wasn't sure she believed that, but Ferdinand had encouraged her the entire way and they had done well. She supposed she could feel better about this, even if he had done most of the work. All that said, the two of them began to creep their way towards Edelgard and Dorothea, the two of them being just as wary to their surroundings.

"Stay on guard, Dorothea," Edelgard said with a hint of exhaustion. "Someone's nearby."

"Not that surprising," Dorothea replied, sounding even more tired than she did. "There's probably not many teams left."

Ferdinand was feeling pretty confidant about this, getting all too closer to Edelgard and beckoning Marianne closer to him. Yes, this would be the moment he'd finally beat Edelgard at something. Hey, it was still something even it if was sport. It'd be something he could hang on his wall at least. Edelgard and Dorothea were just about in firing range. Any second now...

"And...NOW!"

At his command, Ferdinand and Marianne both let loose their balls in close proximity to Edelgard and Dorothea. Marianne's didn't really get close, but Ferdinand's was zooming straight for Edelgard's head.

"AH!" Edelgard cried out as the ball hurled towards her.

With insanely good reflexes, Edelgard was able to duck her head from Ferdinand's snowball. However, that wasn't the only surprise in store, another snowball was apparently coming in from the opposite side, missing Edelgard as well and heading straight for Ferdinand instead. The poor guy barely even had a chance to get out of the way before the ball nailed him right in the face.

"Ahhhh!" he cried out, wiping the cold substance from his face. "Ugh, where did that come from?"

"Grr...how embarrassing..." groaned a dark voice.

Ferdinand looked over to where the other ball had come from, and noticed that his own ball had actually hit Hubert square in the face as well, falling off and leaving a very sour look on the retainers face.

"Wait so..." Ferdinand just put two and two together. "Did we just take each other out?"

"That's correct," Catherine came out of nowhere. "That was both of your last lives so to speak. Both Ferdinand and Hubert's teams are out!"

"So, we both had the losing?" Petra frowned, letting down the ball she was about to throw. "I have disappointment."

"Well, I admit you both surprised me a little," said Edelgard as she got some of her hair out of her face. "But, it wasn't enough."

"So sorry Ferdie, Hubie," giggled Dorothea. "Better luck next time."

The two confounded Empire nobles were left wondering what just happened as Edelgard and Dorothea continued on their way. Ferdinand was practically left with his jaw hanging open at what just happened. Not only did he fail to take down Edelgard, but Hubert was the one who eliminated him. That felt like an insult through and through.

"Of all people, it's you," Ferdinand frowned at the dark retainer.

"Believe me, it's no comfort to be eliminated by you," Hubert frowned back before a snake-grin appeared. "But, as it were, it shows you are still far behind Lady Edelgard."

"I'd watch that tongue if I were you," Ferdinand got up in Hubert's face.

"Are you going to do something about it?" Hubert sneered back.

"Hey, what did I say about fair play?" Catherine retorted toward the two nobles.

Her words seemed to be falling on deaf ears though. Ferdinand and Hubert continued to give each other death glares, with Ferdinand not letting this go in the slightest. The confrontation wouldn't end until Catherine literally put Thunderbrand in-between the two of them.

---

"Ha ha, how convenient," Dorothea smiled. "Taking each other out at the same time. Two less teams for us to worry about."

"Indeed," Edelgard replied, putting her hand to her chin. "There can't be many teams left, but I have yet to see Professor Byleth's team at any point in this contest so far."

"That's true, and I haven't seen Claude either." Dorothea mused. "That probably doesn't bode well. I can only wonder what he has planned."

"Nothing good, that's for sure," nodded Edelgard. "But be that as it may, we have gotten this far. A little further and we shall be victorious."

"Nothing gets you down for long, huh?" Dorothea smirked. "That's why picking you was a good idea."

"Glad you seem to have your priorities straight," Edelgard sighed, but didn't take it to heart. It was well-known to her how much Dorothea could tease.

In any case, from their spot near the Knights Hall, they tried to not make themselves obvious. They weren't sure just who else was still in at this point beyond the two obvious teams. They were creeping closer to the resting area near the snow-covered tables and trees around, not hearing anyone else in the immediate vicinity.

"Brr, it's kind of eerie like this isn't it?" Dorothea asked as they moved around the tables. "Even most of the other students aren't out."

"Most of them probably don't like the cold to begin with," Edelgard replied. "All the same, it just means more room for us..."

Edelgard's words trailed off near the end, pulling herself and Dorothea over near the trees. She swore she heard something, and her instincts with this sort of thing were pretty keen, or so she believed. She moved Dorothea behind her, keeping an eye on where she thought she heard the rumbling. It resulted in an awkward silence, with Dorothea wanting to ask what was wrong but not saying anything for the sake of not wanting to break Edelgard's concentration. Still, nothing happened for a good while, making Edelgard wonder if it was just the wind.

But then...

"Chasing ghosts there?!" came the voice of Leonie as a ball came racing past.

Edelgard watched the ball fly past her head, making her duck and turn towards Leonie, who was running past.

"You missed!" Dorothea cried out, ready to retaliate.

"Did I?" Leonie smirked as she and Lorenz ran by.

Both Edelgard and Dorothea looked to each other in confusion, until they heard shifting above them. Leonie's shot had missed them, but instead hit the tree nearby, which was carrying an abnormal amount of snow on it. Furthermore, her snowball had actually loosened it, and the snow was about to come barreling down on both of them.

"Well d-"

Dorothea's words were cut off by the shower of snow that fell off the snow, just about burying both of them completely in a mini avalanche that could be heard all around. It muffed out both girl's yells before they could even come out of their mouths, resulting in a large pile right around the trees and tables. It took a few seconds for either of them to pop their heads out from underneath.

"Ugh...how did I not see that coming?" Edelgard cursed to herself.

"Does that mean we lose?" Dorothea spoke after she popped her head out as well.

"As of now, you have," Edelgard soon felt her shoulder touched by a snowball held by Lorenz. "And if I'm not mistaken, that was your last one."

"Correct," spoke the voice of Shamir, who had been officiating from nearby. "Edelgard and Dorothea, you're out."

"Damn," Dorothea pouted. "And so close too."

"Sigh...well you outsmarted us, I can't deny that," Edelgard sighed as she brushed all the snow off her and helped Dorothea out. "That was a shrewd move, Leonie."

"Gotta use whatever you got," Leonie smiled. "The fact that you just so happened to be in the perfect spot helped out."

All in all, Leonie and Lorenz's team advanced, leaving Edelgard and Dorothea to their own devices.

"Well, guess we got a little bit of time until it's over," said Dorothea. "Want to grab a snack?"

"May as well," Edelgard replied, though her thoughts turned to how Byleth must have been doing. "We didn't see Professor Byleth once. I doubt he's been eliminated, so he must have hidden very well."

"Given his partner, that doesn't surprise me," giggled Dorothea.

---

Byleth's hit and run strategy seemed to be working. Bernadetta always seemed to have some idea of where to hide out whenever they needed it. For sure, they were likely confusing many of the students by this point. From her perspective, Bernadetta wasn't entirely sure how this was happening. Was it a good thing that Byleth kept asking her for hiding spots? He seemed pretty happy about it, so did that mean she was doing a good job? She couldn't tell if this was something to feel happy about or just kind of sad.

In any case though, from their spot in the stables, it had gotten much quieter. Most of the teams had to have been eliminated by now, and he was sneaking up on Annette and Mercedes.

"Where are you..." Annette wondered to herself.

"My, it's kind of scary when it's so quiet," Mercedes spoke out.

"That just means we have to be extra careful," Annette said. "I don't know how, but the professor has been catching all of us off guard. He just snipes us, disappears, and then does it again. When this is over, he needs to teach me that."

"I don't know, Annie," giggled Mercedes as she held her own snowball. "The Professor is good at it because he's so quiet. I'm not sure if that'd suit you."

"Are you saying I talk too much, Mercie?" Annie replied, slightly indignant but giggling a little.

"Hehe, all I'm saying is-AH!" Mercedes cried out as she left a ball hit her in the shoulder. "He got me!"

Annette quickly turned around, seeing Byleth in all his glory. Surprised, she shot her ball at him, which fell over to his right. Byleth moved over to the left, moving out of the way of further retaliation from the two of them. Two more snowballs came his way, just glancing by him.

"We got you now!" Annette cried out, ready to pounce on Byleth. However, Mercedes didn't seem as confidant.

"Annie, we've got company!" she shouted.

"What?! Ahhhh!"

Taking advantage of their distraction, Leonie had snuck up behind them, and she and Lorenz were presently pelting the two of them way beyond the amount of hits they had left.

"Ah ha, this works out for me!" Leonie smiled. "Not only do I get another team out of the way, but I finally know where you are, Professor! First Edelgard, and now you!"

With the realization that Leonie's team took down Edelgard's, Byleth was even more on alert now. On the other side, Mercedes consoled Annette as the latter couldn't believe she got caught off-guard like that. The two removed themselves from the field, though not before wishing good luck to the remaining teams. Byleth couldn't quite remember who was left, but that was the least of his concerns with Leonie barreling down on him with Lorenz in tow.

"I notice that Bernadetta isn't with him," Lorenz noted. "Come to think of it, I don't believe anyone else has seen her."

Hearing all this, Bernadetta gulped from inside the hiding spot.

"Probably waiting in ambush," Leonie spout confidently. "Which is why I'm taking him out before that happens."

Bernadetta blushed a little at their assumption, partially out of guilt. All she had done so far as just lead Byleth around from place to place, while not even taking part of any sense of strategy making or even ball throwing. She just sat back and hid every time they encountered one of the other teams, kind of making her feel guilty about the whole thing. Byleth didn't raise any complaints, as he always seemed to be able to adapt, but it didn't make her feel any better.

So far, Byleth was holding strong as always, being able to get a handle on where Leonie and Lorenz's shots were coming from. Bernadetta had to admire how he was always able to hold himself in any battle, even if it was something for fun like this. She had, of course, participated along with him in so many battles over the months, yet even now hiding was her first instinct. Maybe that was just something she would always be...

"Dang it!" Leonie cried out as she brushed off the snow from Byleth's last shot. "How you're able to dodge so many shots. Guess that's why you're the professor."

"Well, you're quite the opponent as well," Byleth replied, wiping off one of Leonie's shots that hit.

"A very well done fight indeed," announced Alois who was coming by. "Leonie and Lorenz take 3rd place. I'd say that's worthy of congratulations."

"3rd?" Lorenz asked. "Who's left?"

"Aside from Byleth and Bernadetta, there's Claude and Lysithea," explained Alois. "Actually, they've probably been the most effective duo so far."

"Ugh, to be beaten by Claude," Lorenz huffed. "How humiliating."

"Well, good luck to the both of you," Leonie said, getting over her defeat relatively quickly. "You'll probably need it."

"Indeed," Byleth crossed his arms, looking back between them and the hiding spot where Bernadetta was.

This wouldn't be easy. Both Byleth and Bernadetta could only wonder how to out maneuver him.

---

"Hmm..." Byleth hummed to himself as he and Bernadetta were rounding about a corner.

"W-What now?" Bernadetta cried out behind him, not sure where they were going now.

"I'm not sure," Byleth replied, surveying their surroundings. "But we need to get somewhere where we have more of a viewpoint."

This was the first time he had ever faced Claude as an opponent in such a situation, and even after all these months, he felt he barely understand half the things in the Reigan heir's mind. The best he could think of was get to a place where it would be less likely to be caught off-guard, but Claude could turn any place into his own vantage point. Byleth and Bernadetta had a few shots remaining thanks to their tactics before, and they'd need all of them here.

While Byleth was keeping himself calm, Bernadetta's own paranoia was getting the best of her. She, of course, was so stranger to Claude's antics, and with Lysithea on his team, who knows what they could do. Just the thought of it was making her knees shake. Oh how she wanted to just hide somewhere. It was like thinking a ghost could pop out at any time.

"Um...P-Professor?" Bernadetta cried out. "I think...I think I don't want to be out here."

"It's okay Bernadetta," Byleth tried to console her. "We'll find them somehow."

Bernadetta truly wanted to believe his words, but the eerie quietness in the air as they traveled only served to scare her more. It kind of reminded her of Petra's whole "hunter and prey" conversation from a while ago. She very much felt like the "prey" right now.

Byleth kept on making glances as they began to reach the western side of the monastery near the dormitories. He didn't see anyone, so it looked clear. He moved slowly, trying not to put him in a position where Claude could have him surrounded.

"All right, Bernadetta lets..." Byleth began to say, until he felt a lack of a body behind him, making him turn around. "Bernadetta? Not again..."

And this time, he couldn't see at all where she had gone. Perhaps to another hiding spot but even he couldn't tell where from where he was standing. He gritted his teeth a little. He figured Bernadetta would be unsettled, but perhaps he underestimated how much. Well, not much he could do right now. He couldn't waste time searching for her. He began to make a move...

Until a snowball landed right at his feet, just barely scraping by him.

"Ah, so close! Nice one, Teach!" cried a voice from above, forcing Byleth to look up. There was Claude, somehow hanging up on the walls through some of the foliage. "Thought for sure I had ya there."

"Should have known you'd go for the high ground," Byleth replied, snowball in hand.

"And I admittedly was surprised by your strategy," Claude winked. "Using Little Miss Varley to find the best hiding spots. Clever Teach. Is that why she's not with you right now?"

Byleth didn't answer, instead throwing towards Claude who swung away and dodged it. While Claude was up there, it'd be hard to get a good shot on him, which made Byleth wonder if he should focus on Lysithea, who also seemed to be absent. Where could she be?

"I'd watch your back, Professor,"

Suddenly, a splash of cold landed on Byleth's back, stunning him a bit. He turned back immediately, seeing Lysithea rising from a bigger clump of snow.

"How?" Byleth asked.

"Lysithea blends in pretty well, doesn't she?" Claude chuckled. "All light colors and all."

'I swear, I'm going to kill him,' Lysithea thought in her mind before returning to her task. "In any case, we got you surrounded, Professor."

Grunting, Byleth rolled to his side, dodging some more shots from Lysithea and another from Claude. By his calculation, his team only had two shots left before they were eliminated. Furthermore, he wasn't sure how many Claude and Lysithea still had. It was an arduous task for sure. With that, Byleth rolled behind a corner, just barely dodging a glancing shot.

Meanwhile

Bernadetta had a good look at everything going on from the hiding spot she found, seeing Byleth struggling on his own against two of the smartest students in the Academy. Two sides of her were at war right now; part of her feeling nice and secure where Claude and Lysithea couldn't see her, and the other part berating her for just leaving him to fight on his own.

He's fighting out there all on his own! Help him!

But I won't be of any help! All I'm good at is running away! It's nice and safe in here.

You wouldn't say that if we were fighting bandits instead, wouldn't you?

Her thoughts just went back and forth, looking out over the slightly obscured sight in front of her. Byleth had done just about everything for them this entire time, with the only thing of her doing being just finding places for them to hide out. She looked down at her knees, seeing plenty of snow around her for her to craft some balls of her own, but her hesitation kept her rooted to the spot. Truth be told, she was feeling guilty about the whole thing. Just like in battle, Byleth always seemed to have more confidence in her abilities than she ever did. It was always scary, yet she couldn't deny feeling kind of happy whenever he did compliment her, like she actually could do all those things. She looked back and forth between the snow at her knees and the battle raging outside.

"Oooooohhhh..uggggghh...I can't leave him all alone..." she sighed, putting her hands to her face. "Okay Bernie...just go out there...and start throwing...who cares if you get hit in the face..."

Okay, this internal pep talk was going absolutely horribly. Still she willed herself to actually start putting together some snowballs, flinching a bit at whenever she heard a snowball hitting outside. She could only hope to actually be of use to Byleth before it was too late...

Back Outside

Byleth ducked behind a corner, just barely avoiding another shot from Claude. By this point, he was almost gassed, having constantly dodged shots from both opponents.

"Gotcha now, Teach!" called Claude, with him and Lysithea having cut off any paths for Byleth. "Guess we got you this time."

"Bernadetta doesn't appear to be showing up," Lysithea spoke. "Guess she ran off. It's a little late to set up an ambush."

"I suppose you're right," Claude replied. He wasn't entirely sure about that, but given how Byleth hadn't done anything with his back against the wall, it was hard to think otherwise. "In any case, let's end this."

Byleth looked back and forth, not seeing much avenue out of this. He had come this far basically on his own as far as the combat went, but perhaps beating two of the academy's brightest minds was tough even for him. It wasn't like he had ever faced Claude before after all, and Lysithea could strategize with the best of them. Honestly, Bernadetta's help would be appreciated right now, but Byleth had already accepted that she probably wouldn't want to, hence why he hoped her helping with their hiding spots would be good enough. Perhaps this was what he got for underestimating his students. He should have talked over a strategy with Bernadetta when he had the opportunity.

"And..." Claude began to wind up.

Byleth began to brace himself, holding on to the last snowballs he had made. The best he could hope for was one last attack on the two of them. He took a deep breath, getting prepared to take his last shots.

"Raaaaaaaa..." Byleth began to run out.

But right as that happened, something that none of the three contestants expected happened.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

A loud shriek pierced all their ears, a somewhat familiar one for that matter.

"What the?!" Lysithea cried out, right before she suddenly got a ball right in her face. "GAH!"

Claude's eyes suddenly darted to the source, and for once, it wasn't something he saw coming. All everyone present could see was a little purple mophead screaming like a banshee and throwing snowballs from a sack with reckless abandon. Bernadetta's eyes were completely shut, as she just yelled and throw whatever she could get her hands on. Nobody was even sure if she knew where she was going. If anything, the sudden scream had them kind of disoriented and wandering what the heck was going on.

"Wait, they really did have an ambush?!" Claude said to himself, dodging what shots actually came close to hitting him. "Or is she just acting on her own?"

"Does it matter?!" Lysithea stood up, her face red after brushing the snow off of it. "Get her!"

"GOAWAYGOAWAYGOAWAYGOAWAYGOAWAY!" Bernadetta cried out.

Was she even hitting them? She wasn't even sure. The adrenaline was pumping through her, pushing her forward despite wondering if she was making a big fool out of herself. Not even the feeling of one of Claude's shots grazing her capped hair made her stop bulling forward. Even as her shots began to lessen thanks to running low on snow, she just went forward, nearly sending both her and Lysithea flailing into the snow.

"Augh, not again!" Lysithea cried out as she was once again sent to the ground along with Bernadetta next to her.

Byleth couldn't believe what had just happened. Did Bernadetta just come out to fight on her own? Hardly the most graceful act but not something he wasn't thankful for. Bernadetta's little desperate act, regardless of what motivated it, just gave him the opportunity to finally fight back. Now was the chance when Claude and Lysithea were temporarily separated. He had his snowballs ready.

"HAH!" Byleth cried out, throwing one snowball in Claude's direction.

"URK!" Claude grunted as he leaned back, just barely dodging Byleth's strike and keeping himself upright.

Regaining his balance, Claude sent the last snowball he had at Byleth. The ball soared straight, heading straight for Byleth as he keeled down just in time to avoid it. With his last ball in hand, and seeing that Lysithea was just about to get up, he had to make it count. He began running towards Claude, who was steadying himself after his last shot. And one big throw, Byleth put everything he had into his one final strike, putting as much force on the ball as possible.

PLOP!

Rang the sound as Byleth's last shot nailed Claude in the shoulder, signalling his teams fifth and final hit.

"And that's the game!" echoed the voice of Alois, who had been observing from a safe distance. "Everyone gather around the area near the greenhouse. We shall announce the final results!"

No one would have to worry about not hearing him given how loud it was, but for the time being, his words didn't quite register with the four combatants who just held the final battle of the contest. Byleth and Claude let loose both breaths they were holding, not knowing just how tired they were. Lysithea looked a little out of breath herself, though somewhat indignant. Bernadetta was face first in the snow.

"Bernadetta?" Byleth asked as he walked over, tapping her on the shoulder and helping her up. "Bernie?"

"Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa..." Bernadetta groaned, swirls in her eyes as she seemed really wobbly.

Byleth just smiled to himself. This girl was a real character all right, someone that was a little hard to figure out even in the best of times. Yet, guess there was one thing he could always depend on. She would eventually answer the call, whether she wanted to or not.

"Ha ha ha ha ha," Claude snickered, putting his professor's shoulder. "Well well Teach, guess you had one last surprise up your sleeve after all. Or was that just her on a whim?"

"Does it matter?" Byleth replied with a small smile. "It got the desired result did it not?"

"Heh, indeed," Claude winked before shrugging. "In any case, well played Teach. One way or another, you got me."

Byleth smiled as Claude made some light chatter along the way, while also trying to placate Lysithea who just kept her arms crossed the whole time. All the while, Byleth held Bernadetta steady, the poor girl just mumbling to herself the whole time as if she was in a complete daze.

---

"At long last, the first great snowball fight of Garreg Mach has drawn to a close!" announced Alois. "We'd like to thank everyone for their participation!"

All the students had reconvened where the whole thing had started, in the area between the pond and greenhouse. Many of them looked a little worse for wear, though no one looks unsatisfied. In fact, many of them were still gushing about what happened, like Annette and Flayn talking about what they had done with excitement. Dimitri and his friends were all talking about it, except for Felix of course, with the prince getting a bit of heckling for not making it far. That's kind of what happens when Dedue focuses more on just shielding Dimitri than actually attacking.

Ferdinand was no less cranky than before, and he and Hubert were still glaring daggers, though the latter seemed relieved to be back at Edelgard's side all the same. Dorothea was chatting it up with Petra and Caspar, who finally got away from Hilda. Linhardt was barely awake by this point, though that was normal. Leonie was pretty much chatting up all of the original Golden Deer with how her team did.

"We got so close," Leonie proclaimed. "But it was good fun all the same. I'd say Lorenz and I made a better team than I expected."

"Perhaps next time, you'll treat me with better care," Lorenz huffed indignantly.

"Perhaps," Leonie smirked, before looking at Marianne. "Your team lasted pretty long too. I'm happy for you, Marianne."

"Oh...I wasn't much of a help," she said solemnly. "Ferdinand did most of the work."

"He seems to differ," Leonie pointed, seeing Ferdinand looking over, giving Marianne a gentle wave, making the shy girl turn away with a light blush.

Meanwhile, Constance still hadn't calmed down.

"Ugh, getting knocked so early still infuriates me!" she huffed. "We should have gone further."

"And whose fault is that?" shrugged Yuri. "Face it shady lady, you screwed up."

"How dare you!"

Balthus wasn't even going to try diffusing that argument, and Hapi abstained from commenting. She just wanted this over with given how cold she was.

Finally, there was Byleth himself, who was also getting involved with the original Golden Deer members, with Bernadetta still hanging by his side. The girl had gotten her bearings back after a couple of minutes, though she felt like she had completely blanked out during her one-girl crusade a while ago. She was still a little dizzy too, not sure what came over her in the first place.

"You alright?" Byleth asked her.

"I'm okay.." she said slowly. "Just a little woozy...and I think I have snow in places I didn't know I had. I'm freezing."

Truth be told, Byleth felt a little cold as well. With all of the day's festivities, it was approaching dusk. Everyone was looking forward to a nice hot meal in the dining hall after this. But first, of course, everything had to be official.

"I'm happy to say that there wasn't much unsportsmanlike behavior to diffuse, so good job," Catherine announced, though she shot a look at Ferdinand and Hubert. "Well, most of you anyway."

"It was interesting, to say the least. At least you made it entertaining," Shamir actually chuckled a bit.

"And now, without further delay, we should have a round of applause for those who made it the furthest!" Alois continued, getting everyone's attention. "So, in 3rd place, we have Leonie and Lorenz!"

Leonie have everyone a wave as everyone clapped. You'd think Lorenz would soak up the applause, but he just groaned the whole time, probably to the combination of him looking really ragged and how Leonie treated him over the course of the whole event. It was odd to see him so silent, something Claude wasted no time in egging him on, which only served to further disgruntle him.

"Didn't enjoy your time with our resident apprentice?" Claude laughed.

"Still your tongue, Claude," Lorenz snapped back. "It's not something I shall want to experience again..."

Needless to say, all of the Golden Deer got a good laugh out of that. Alois cleared his throat after they had their fun.

"All right then, as for 2nd place," he announced, getting everyone's looks again. "2nd place goes to...Claude and Lysithea!"

Claude put his hand up as he accepted the round of applause for his efforts, playing it up as much as he possibly could. All Lysithea did was huff, probably not enthused about going through all that for a 2nd place finish.

"Hey squirt, we tried," Claude swung an arm around the petite mage. "Take comfort in the fact that it took the Professor himself to beat us."

"Whatever," Lysithea pouted.

"I must say, you did well," nodded Edelgard. "I suppose at this point I shouldn't be surprised that you beat Dimitri and myself. You've already done it twice before."

"Oh my, such praise from the Imperial Princess herself," Claude chuckled. "I may very well faint away."

Edelgard just rolled her eyes, while Dimitri chuckled and offered a handshake to Claude in congratulations. Of course, everyone knew there was one left.

"And now! Without further delay! We have our 1st place winners! The King and Queen of snow itself!" Alois hammed it up for all it was worth. "Our very own...Professor Byleth and Bernadetta!"

Naturally, that got the loudest cheer of all, with many of the students offering congratulations for the two of them. Many weren't surprised that the professor himself lasted the longest, but were happy all the same, though some like Felix just vowed the result would be different if there was a next time, much to Ashe's amusement. Byleth took it in stride, just putting up a hand of thanks for the praise, though Bernadetta just continued hanging on to him, still a little dazed. Granted, hearing all sorts of praise gave her bad recollections of earlier, but at least most of the focus was on Byleth this time.

"I suppose we still have a ways to go to get to your level, Professor," spoke Dimitri.

"I can't take all the credit for it," Byleth shook his head, motioning to Bernadetta. "Bernadetta was the one who kept us hidden all the time."

"I should have known," Edelgard put a hand to her chin. "That would explain how I never saw you once the whole contest."

"Leave it to the person who hides on a daily basis. Smart thinking," laughed Claude.

"Why does everyone have to keep bringing that up?" Bernadetta groaned. Seriously, enough with the hiding comments? I mean, they weren't exactly wrong, but still.

Byleth chuckled a bit, consoling Bernadetta. It was all in good fun in the end. And on that note, Claude took the stage again.

"Well, I'd say this contest was a great success," Claude smiled. "We made the most of this snow day, and learned a thing or two in the process."

"I certainly enjoyed it," said Leonie. "It beats sitting around all day at least."

"I might have been better off inside actually," Ignatz laughed a little. "We didn't do so well."

"Oh, it was great anyway," Raphael slapped his buddy's shoulder. "Plus, now I'm good and hungry."

"You're always hungry, Raphael," giggled Hilda.

"He does have a good point though," nodded Claude. "And with the sun as low as it is now, I think it's a good time for everyone to enjoy a nice dinner in the dining hall. Plus, it's getting cold even for me."

"Yes. Inside is best," Petra spoke up, not any more used to the cold than she was before.

"I could really go for some hot cocoa," Annette smiled dreamily.

There was unanimous agreement that dinner seemed really good right now, especially with how chilly it was getting. Everyone began their walk inside, already full of tales of their runs across the monastery. Byleth enjoyed some conversation with Claude, all the while keeping Bernadetta close.

As many of the faculty went to go join them, Seteth watched them, arms crossed all the while.

"Did the students enjoy themselves?" a womanly voice spoke from behind him.

"Oh, Lady Rhea," Seteth spoke as he turned back to see the Archbishop behind him. "Yes, I believe they did. Flayn seems especially happy she got to indulge in such an activity."

"Haha, that's good to hear," Rhea smiled. "After such horrible news, it's heartening to see them enjoy their youth a little."

"Indeed so," Seteth nodded. "Perhaps I was wrong to worry so much when I delivered the news of no school sessions today."

"Maybe next time you should partake in the festivities yourself," Rhea giggled lightly. "I'm sure Flayn would enjoy it, and our dear professor would find you an intriguing opponent."

"Oh, I don't think anyone wants to see me in a snowball fight," Seteth chuckled lightly. "Haven't done that since Flayn was a child."

It was a nice little bit of reminiscing for Seteth. Perhaps next time he could indulge himself just a litt-

PLOP!

"Ah!" Seteth cried out, wiping his hair where snow had suddenly hit him. "Where did that come from?" he asked in Rhea's direction.

"Pardon? I have no idea what you're talking about," Rhea replied innocently.

Seteth groaned as he eventually walked off to move towards the dining hall himself, leaving Rhea to smile and giggle lightly as she rubbed the remaining bits of snow off of her hands.

Dining Hall

The dining hall was even more lively than usual, with what every student joined up in conversation and enjoying some warm time away from the cold and wind. Much like after the Battle of the Eagle and Lion, no one was caring at all when exactly they were sitting, certainly not in regards to houses. Many were lounging about, enjoying their hot food and, in some cases, a nice batch of hot chocolate much to Annette's satisfaction.

"Oh yeaaaaaaaaaah!" she sighed as she leaned into her seat. "That hit the spot."

"Tehe! Want some sweets with that too?" Mercedes giggled.

"Oh yes! Please do!" smiled Annette who feverishly took the offering.

Many of the students talked animatedly about what they were trying to do over the course of the contest, with many of the pairs actually talking to each other about it. Ferdinand was able to convince Marianne to actually sit next to him so he could talk about how they did, much to the blue-haired girls surprise. Constance was still ranting about them not doing as well as they should have, to the point where Yuri was starting to wish he could sit with literally anyone else. Edelgard, Hubert, Dorothea, and Petra were all gathered talking about what happened to them, with Hubert back to Edelgard's side as he was probably aching to do the whole time. Hilda admired Leonie for how far she got, to which the self-proclaimed apprentice took it in stride.

"I probably got more experience in it than all of you combined to be honest," she would say.

Byleth certainly enjoyed the chatter, and the warmth for that matter. Claude had much to say on how he found a lot more good sniping spots in the monastery than he initially thought, to which he declared that if there was ever a second round, it'd go a lot differently. On that note though, Byleth wanted Bernadetta next to him, partially just to make sure she was all right after everything she took today.

The girl wasn't talking much, though she looked completely exhausted. From dealing with snow for the first time, to all the activities, getting herself embarrassed (as far as she knew), and hitting her head in her little one-woman suicide run, she was wiped to the point where even being in a large crowd wasn't bugging her as much as usual.

"You okay, Bernie?" Byleth asked.

"I'm better," she replied as she took a bite of her food. "At least all the snow is out of my clothes now, and my head doesn't hurt."

"That's good," nodded Byleth. "I'd hate for you to have a bad impression of today."

"Honestly, it wasn't so bad," Bernadetta smiled a little. "All things considered, I've had worse days. And...snow is pretty beautiful, even though I prefer it to not be on my face."

"Well, we'll have to make sure you don't fall in it again," Byleth chuckled. "Perhaps don't run with your eyes closed next time."

"Hey, it was scary!" Bernadetta cried back. "I thought for sure I was going to get pelted with snowballs once I started running."

"In the end, you didn't, and you won us the contest," Byleth smiled again. "Really Bernie, it's thanks to you we did so well today. I deeply appreciate it."

Bernadetta's face promptly reached a new level of red, something that didn't escape Claude's notice from opposite Byleth, getting him to laugh at the spectacle.

All in all, everyone enjoyed their time, even those who claimed it didn't matter. And as Claude lead everyone in one last cheers over dinner, everyone could appreciate how, for one day, they could act their age.

---

With the day finally coming to a close, Bernadetta returned to her room once dinner was finished. Given how she felt after all the activities going today, she felt she well deserved a nice long sleep. Plus she felt assured that she'd sleep better with some better blankets the Church had, just to make sure she didn't freeze during the night. All the same though, she couldn't help but think back on it.

For someone who had never seen snow in person before, it was quite a first experience. Seeing it everywhere, getting involved in many things one might consider childish, working all over the place as a result, and spending just about all of it with her professor. It was quite a ride to be sure, and yet she couldn't say she didn't have some fun with it. It was strange and kind of terrifying in a way, yet oddly comforting in a way.

"Well, in any case, guess I should just head to bed," she yawned, stretching as she was going to get ready for bed soon.

Right as she was about to do so though, she heard a sudden knock on the door, making her jump a bit.

"Bernadetta? It's me," called Byleth's familiar voice. "Mind if I come in?"

Didn't they just go through this same routine this morning? Well better him than anyone else she supposed. Calming herself after wondering who it could be, she walked over and opened the door, revealing Byleth holding two steaming cups with him.

"Hello. Thought you might want some. There was some extra," Byleth smiled a bit. "Everyone else has already had one. I meant to give one to you but you had already run off."

"Oh...yeah, sorry," Bernadetta hung her head a bit before moving aside. "Come on in."

Byleth accepted the offer, coming in as Bernadetta closed the door. He sat down in the extra seat she had, while offering the other cup to her. She nodded and took it gratefully, sitting down on her bed before taking a sip. This all worked out conveniently, since he wanted to check on her one last time to make sure she was alright.

"Ah! Hot chocolate really tastes nice," she hummed a bit at the sudden influx of heat in her mouth.

"Mercedes helped on them, so they should be good," Byleth nodded, taking a bit from his own cup. "You feel you'll be alright tonight?"

"I think I'll be fine. I've got better comforters now. I already feel a lot warmer than this morning," Bernadetta replied, before taking more sips of her drink. "Hmm, this is really good!"

"I thought so as well," Byleth smiled. "Can't think I've partaken much of this before either. Today was really enlightening."

"Mmmhmm, I agree," Bernadetta smiled and nodded. "Today was...surprisingly fun, despite nearly getting buried once and getting put in the spotlight. Still, I never would have thought snow to be so much fun."

"Me as well. I never had the time before to enjoy such pleasantries," Byleth replied before looking outside. "It makes me wonder what else I may have missed from not having a conventional childhood."

"Me neither. Even if home had snow, I probably wouldn't have been able to play in it anyway," Bernadetta sighed. "I'd just been looking at it from inside."

"Well, now we can all say we experienced it," Byleth replied, taking another look outside, where it looked like some more snow was beginning to lightly fall. "Seteth informed me that we might possibly have another free day tomorrow if the snow keeps up."

Bernadetta's eyes widened a bit at the idea of another day such as this. She wasn't sure if she could really take another day of this. One snowball fight was more than enough for her. And as he seemed to do often, Byleth caught on to what she was thinking.

"I think we can take it easy tomorrow if that happens," Byleth said with another sip. "For all the activity, we didn't really get a chance to just take the sights in. I was thinking of perhaps just taking in some of the sights that we didn't get to see. Even Claude will probably be too exhausted from today to do anything strenuous tomorrow."

So, possibly a nice and easier day tomorrow. That sounded much better to Bernadetta's ears. A day where she didn't have to worry as much. Still, to an extent, she felt like taking on any odd situation with be easier with Byleth at her side.

All in all, even as the two of them adjourned for the night, both couldn't help but feel a strong sense of satisfaction. For Byleth, it was getting the chance to enjoy a day with his students, and to be able to spend a day reveling in things most their age would ignore. For Bernadetta, it was actually an experience that was both new, frightening, yet endearing at the same time.

She actually found herself looking forward to seeing more of it tomorrow. Hopefully with less panicking.

The snow was surprisingly fun and rather beautiful. Even more so when being with the one she liked the most.

---

And there you go! Hope you all enjoyed it.

I quite liked it. I might do more of these types of extra chapters if anyone else shows interest.

In any case, take care everyone! Sentinel07, signing out!