A/N: How's it going everybody, and advanced Happy New Year!

Since we have some time to kill before the next mission, how about some slice of life? One more to end this horrible, sh!tty year.

2019

"I must admit, I am not surprised that she declined the offer." Harold spoke out, his voice still sharp.

"What about how she willingly let her go." The light blue-haired girl added.

"She probably had her reasons Mary." Damien suggested. "Maybe she knew that it was better that way. I'm just glad that that liar thief has finally been put down for good."

"Did they really never cross paths again?" Clark asked.

"According to the legend, they never did truly cross paths again, so what really happened to her is a mystery." Ms. Gregory recalled. "Although, there were rumors after the war about an archer who would help the innocent. Perhaps that was her?"

"It's a bit hard to believe honestly." The foreign, burly boy said. "After all, it is all just a legend."

"You never know Duke," The red-haired girl reminded. "After all, the truth is out there."

"Hayley dear, we're talking about a legend, not an extraterrestrial." A blonde-haired girl with purple highlights said, whose mood changed after a while. "Although I must admit that I am quite curious if the two were connected."

"Same old Coco," Hayley chuckled. 'Never change…'

"After finally taking out Pallardo for good, putting his days of deceit to an end…" Ms. Gregory began once more.

Lone Moon, 1186
One Day Later

"Catherine," Niya called out. The professor had decided to visit the village surrounding Garreg Mach Monastery, with the intention of not only to report to the Swordsmaster about what had happened, but also see if there were any supplies that needed to be bought, since the marketplace was running low. Technically, she didn't need to do such things, but Niya felt like she wanted to help around aside from the usual stuff she would've normally done.

"Ah, Niya." Catherine greeted, as she was overseeing her troops, still hard at work, helping the village recover. "I take it the mission went well?"

"One can say," Niya replied, crossing her arms slightly.

"I know that look professor. There was more to the mission than meets the eye, wasn't there?" Catherine spoke, noting the peculiar gestures she was making.

"Just curious, whatever happened to Shamir?" Niya began, wanting to see how Shamir got her own band of mercenaries.

"Oh, Shamir?" Catherine began, a little uneasy, before continuing. "Well, after the war broke out, Shamir fought with us for a while, before deciding that her debt to the Church has been considered paid already, and she just left just like that. Haven't seen, or heard from her since."

She then fixed her expression to Niya. "Why do you ask exactly?"

"Because the bandit attack there, involved her group of mercenaries." Niya simply answered.

"What?" Catherine spoke in utter shock. "I always knew that Shamir was never the religious type, and I was more than willing to respect that, but to turn to a life of crime? I don't even know why she would even go down that path."

"Catherine, wait." Niya suddenly blurted, quickly grabbing Catherine's arm. "It's not what you think?"

"Really? Explain please." Catherine demanded, hoping that her friend hadn't yet decided to go on to a life of crime.

"That Paco Darren noble, was actually Pallardo." Niya began. "He used the name of a long deceased noble, and used an abandoned, burned down village as his base. He was using it as a lure for us, for what we have done when we reclaimed the village."

"And Shamir?"

"Was also dealing with the problem as well." Niya said, now having a hint of regret. "I feel like an idiot for believing his lies. Innocent mercenaries, dead, and it's all because of deceit. I sometimes feel that Pallardo did not suffer enough."

"Hey, you had no idea." Catherine began. "I had no idea. Like I said before, Pallardo was both a cunning, and intelligent man. The best thing to do for both of us is to have better judgement next time."

"I always thought I did." Niya said softly. "Turns out I was lacking."

"Hey, you are not lacking." Catherine firmed. "There's always room to improve, right?"

"You make a fair point." Niya nodded, before asking "Is Alois at the tavern?"

"Less, and less believe it or not. In fact, he's training one of our new recruits actually." Catherine said, pointing a finger to where the training grounds are. "He's been out since the last month."

"Thanks Catherine."

Later

"Remember, the blade is the one that does the hit, not the handle, so focus your energy!" Alois instructed, as he watched the new recruits during a training session. "And don't forget that a lance works better thrusted, not swung!"

"Alois!" Niya called out with joy, happy that Alois had actually been outside more often.

"Ah, Miss Eisner! I've heard about what you, and the rest of the students have been up to. I'm impressed. Captain Jeralt must be so proud of you right now."

At the mention of her late father, Niya's smile slowly faded, before forcing out a "Yeah… he… probably is."

Alois was quick to notice, and realized his mistake. "Oh, I apologize greatly. I should've known better, than to blurt out such a thing."

"No, no Alois." Niya raised a hand, comforting the knight. "It's all right. You had no idea. Besides, when you mentioned it, I was thinking how dad would be feeling right now."

"Well…" Alois began, struggling what to say. "I suppose one can only wonder. Captain Jeralt had always been unreadable."

"He sure is," Niya agreed, smiling as she looked onward as Alois continued to train the new recruits.

Great Tree Moon, 1186

The next month had finally arrived, and so far, everything had been peaceful. The sun's rays beamed down through the windows, bathing the rooms in bright warmth. The chattering of birds, and the rustling of leaves filled the otherwise still empty Monastery.

Sylvain was the first to wake, surprisingly enough. Enough time had passed, allowing his arm to finally heal out, much to his relief. The Gautier heir had missed out on the last two missions, so he had to hear about it from his fellow classmates.

As he exited his room and walked down the stairs, an all too familiar voice stopped him.

"I'm surprised to see you early Sylvain." Came the voice of his childhood friend, Ingrid. Turns out that Sylvain wasn't the first one awake. "Normally, you're one of the lasts."

"And it's no surprise that you're up early." Sylvain spoke back. "I'm just as surprised as you are, so I thought about maybe doing a bit of training. Maybe you and I could be training partners, or something."

"Tempting, but I can't." Ingrid replied, having some form of regret. "I was assigned stable duties, and I prefer to have them finished as quickly as possible."

"Maybe I could help?" Sylvain suggested. "No one said training should go first."

"If you insist." Ingrid simply said, before walking towards the stables, with Sylvain following just behind.

Somewhere else

"Now just add the finishing touches, and… done!" Mercedes instructed to the professor, as the two were busy preparing breakfast. What the two didn't realize was that they were getting closer together, something noticed by quite a few.

"I'm impressed by how quickly you learned. I honestly expected a few failed takes here, and there." Mercedes commented, as the smell of the cooked meat filled the area.

"Well, I may have gotten some lessons courtesy of Dedue, and Ashe." Niya admitted. "They offered just the help I needed."

"Still. I'm impressed with how quickly you picked up the skill. Most people I know often take several days, or even months to even come close to perfecting it, and they're still trying until now." Mercedes noted.

A voice interrupted them. It was the head chef. "Ah, that smell is most wonderful. I can tell that everyone will enjoy the dish. Thank you very much professor Eisner, and Miss Bartels."

"You're very welcome." Niya smiled.

"It was a pleasure to help out," Mercedes smiled.

"And just in time too!" The head chef said, noting the arrival of everyone else, before turning to his staff. "Get ready everyone! Here they come."

The kitchen staff then got into their positions, as the first of the soldiers got in line.

The head chef then turned his attention back. "I know there is a line now, but I insist that you two get the first taste. After all, a cook must always taste what they've prepared."

"Oh, I don't know…" Mercedes began.

"I insist."

"I mean… it wouldn't hurt to try just a bit." Niya decided, placing a hand to the side of her face, scratching it slightly.

"If that's the case, then I suppose a bite, or two wouldn't hurt." Mercedes eventually decided, after giving it some thought.

"Wow! This is really good! I can't get enough!" Raphael declared, as he took another spoonful. He then turned to the kitchen. "Compliments to the chef!"

"I'd say it's a hit." The head chef declared.

Meanwhile

Food splattered across the pond, followed by the splashing created by the numerous fish that lived in the ponds. The fish were in the middle of being fed by both Leonie, and Petra.

"Ugh…" Leonie grimaced, as she threw more feed in the pond. "This fish food is making me gag. I hate that they assigned me to fish feeding. What exactly do they put in here?"

"From what I am gathering, I am guessing that there is a mix of vegetables, and meat, such as heart." Petra guessed, as she looked at the feed, before tossing it.

"I don't even want to know how you even guessed heart…" Leonie shuddered, before throwing more.

"Heart does have a distinctive smell." Petra spoke. "I remember it being a favorite for my grandfather. He would have it mixed in a broth with other meats. It is very delicious. Maybe you like to be giving it a try, Leonie?"

Leonie hated to admit it, but it did sound appetizing. "Sounds like quite the treat. Maybe I will give it a try someday."

"Oh, you are willing to try?" Petra's eye grew in shock. "I am in tha- I mean, I am thankful Leonie. I shall try, and see how I can get it made later."

"Maybe we could make a special request in the dining hall after all this. Who knows, maybe they'll like it as well." Leonie suggested, before throwing more fish feed.

When they finished, the moment they turned their backs to the pond and walked away, a giant green and yellow fish leaped out to scoop up any remaining food, before coming back down, leaving quite a splash, that just barely reaches the two girls.

Later

"I heard you helped Ingrid in the stables earlier." Felix commented, as he and Sylvain trained. "Did you do it for a reason?"

"Nah. I just thought of offering help, that's all." Sylvain replied back, thrusting his training lance forward, which Felix dodged, and struck with his sword.

"Never thought I'd see you doing it for someone you genuinely know, honestly." Felix slightly smirked, as he dodged another strike.

"What's that suppose to mean?" Sylvain stopped briefly.

"I mean the last time you did such a thing; it was for some random girl back then that you kept flirting with." Felix reminded. "Not very often do you just randomly volunteer for someone you know… except for that one time with Hilda."

"Hey. That one with Hilda was manipulation on her part. You should've seen what she had me carry… and what I had to deal with afterwards." Sylvain reminded, while defending himself. "Besides, just so you know, I am willing to help anyone in need, regardless if I know them, or not."

"As you should." Felix slightly smiled, before quickly changing stance, and expression. "Now, think fast!"

Garreg Mach Library

Hubert was in deep thought, as he studied one of the books that focused on Dark magic. "Hmm… how peculiar, I must say."

"Hubert, it's quite the surprise to see you here. You're almost never at the library." Came the voice of Linhardt. The boy was knee-deep in research in his usual crest studies, particularly the ones that focused on helping Lysithea.

"Oh, Linhardt. I should've expected that you would've been here by now."

"By now?" Linhardt spoke confused. "I've been here since last night actually. I almost fell asleep."

"Why does that not surprise me?"

"Anyway, anything in particular that you are looking for? Perhaps I could help."

"Unless you know Reason Magic, specifically in the darker side, I doubt you'll be much help." Hubert specified, before showing Linhardt the specific page that he was reading. "In particular, it is this."

"Dark Spikes T?" Linhardt pondered. "I assumed that you would've known that spell by now."

Hubert simply glared at him.

Linhardt gulped slightly. "I have no knowledge of such spells, but I do know someone who might be willing to teach you."

"Very well. Who might it be?" Hubert inquired.

"Would you believe me if I said Lysithea?"

"Surprisingly, that is not hard to believe." Hubert admitted. "The former students have called Lysithea somewhat of a prodigy, so it wouldn't be too surprising. Where is she?"

"Beats me." Linhardt shrugged. "Although I think at this time, she should be at her dorm, doing some of her own brand of research."

"Very well." Hubert then tucked the book under his arm, before leaving.

'Hubert learning dark magic from Lysithea… I must admit, but I am rather curious to see how it would go. But I'd rather continue my research, then take a nice nap.' Linhardt thought to himself, before going back to his books.

Monastery Greenhouse

"Hey Dedue," came the voice of Annette. "I'm not sure if you are aware, but it's actually my turn this week to take up duties at the greenhouse."

"I am aware of course." Dedue said calmly. "I was just preparing everything you might need."

Dedue then stepped aside, to reveal the watering can already filled with water, while the bucket used for refill already full. The fertilizer had already been properly portioned, while the compost bin has already been both cleaned, and refilled.

"Wow…" Annette began, speechless at first. "You did way too much preparation. Not that I'm not grateful, but if I had arrived much sooner, I would've been able to help you. It was my duty after all."

"It was not a problem honestly." Dedue spoke. "I simply had time, and the head gardener was willing to let me help."

"You know, I was thinking." Annette began. "Since you're here, how about you and I work together right now. I promise to do the rest on my own after this."

"If you insist, then I am more than happy to help." Dedue smiled, before helping Annette.

Later that Night

As Niya retreated to her quarters for the night, she simply laid on her bed, staring straight into the ceiling.

'Things have been peaceful the past few days. Too peaceful honestly. Makes me wonder what will come this month…'

Niya had more thoughts, but the thoughts never came, as her drowsiness got the better of her, and she finally drifted into sleep.

Somewhere else far from Garreg Mach

"Your highness," A messenger approached. "We've received word that her highness, Emperor Edelgard is to make her way to Gronder Field at the end of the month. They say she is using to head to our location to invade."

"Is that so?" A dark, brooding voice began. "In that case, we shall prepare ourselves until then, and intercept her. Tell the others to prepare by then."

"Very well." The messenger nodded, before leaving.

"At last, I have you now Edelgard, and at the right time too. I WILL have your head, and hang it on Enbarr." The voice chuckled to himself, cracking the stem of his cup in the process.

Elsewhere

"So, you're saying that Edelgard will be at Gronder at the end?" A voice began.

"That is what our spies have picked up your highness." The spy confirmed.

"So, does that mean that he'll be there as well?"

"Most likely."

"We should prepare ourselves as well." The voice firmed. "I'd rather not get involved, but since we are trying to stop Edelgard as well, I think we should head on there as well. Gather anyone who is willing to help."

"Yes sir," The spy confirmed, before leaving.

"As big class reunions will go... this one's gotta be the worst in history."

A/N: And we're clear!

I honestly debated if I was going to add some plot relevancy in the end, but I wanted to give some scenes outside Garreg Mach, so I decided to add one in the end.

Also, yes. To confirm. Niya A.K.A Byleth, will end up with Mercedes, so expect a few scenes with them together from here on out. But not too much. After all, romance isn't the main focus of the story.

Oh, and future Constance's name is really Coco. I mean... why not, right?

We all know what's coming up next, so be prepared to see it come 2021. Let's try hopefully have a Happy New Year, and until the next chapter, BYE!