Time for the season finale (of sorts). This chapter's longer than usual, and features a song that I hope at least a few of you will recognize.
Before you read this, you may want to go back to Chapter 102 briefly. I made a change that relates to this chapter.
Chapter 122 – Until We Meet Again (Great Tree Moon)
Dorothea's head spun as she slowly opened her eyes. The first thing she saw was a thatched roof over her head. Numbness began to leave her as she felt a blanket on top of her.
"Mama! Mama, she's waking up!" said a young boy's voice.
"Go help your father load the cart, Haytham!" said a woman's voice.
Dorothea moaned as she tried to push herself up. Her vision cleared, showing she was in an unfamiliar house. She could hear voices outside too, men and women in an urgent clamor.
As a burly woman came walking toward her, Dorothea said hazily, "Wh-Where am I?"
"Easy there, young lady," said the woman. "Everything will be alright. I'm Margit. You're in Swanford Village."
Dorothea recognized the name. Swanford was a small farming community a few miles from Garreg Mach Monastery. It was an unremarkable place in Fódlan, all things considered.
"H-How did I get here?" Dorothea asked Margit.
"My boy Haytham found you yesterday, lying next to the river, all battered and bruised," said Margit.
Dorothea's memory came back to her, remembering how she fell from the Pegasus, with Bernadetta watching her plummet to certain doom. She prayed the shut-in was still alive.
"You wouldn't happen to be some noble's daughter, would you? We found you wearing that."
Margit gestured to a nearby table, upon which Dorothea's jacket was laid out. The uniform was in tatters, no doubt a result of Dorothea's plunge into the rapids. Joyeuse also rested on the table; Dorothea was surprised no one had stolen the Mythril weapon.
"Oh, no, I'm not a noble," Dorothea answered. "I'm a cadet from the Officer's Academy… or I was until…"
"Ah, I see. Word's been spreading all over Fódlan about the fall of the monastery. People say the Empire's already on the march, seeking out the survivors of the Knights of Seiros."
The mention of survivors brought a slight glimmer of hope to Dorothea's heart. Maybe some of the others had gotten away safely. Maybe even…
"Of course, none of them have been this way, nor anyone else from your Officer's Academy," said Margit.
"Oh…" Dorothea said as her heart sank.
Then, hearing the clamor outside getting louder, Dorothea tried to stand herself up to look outside. Margit helped the singer to her feet. Dorothea looked through the window to see several covered wagons were being loaded with various family belongings, and herds of prized farm animals were being readied for travel by their owners. Everyone looked nervous as they tried to ready themselves for departure.
"What's going on?" asked Dorothea.
"They're abandoning this place," said Margit. "The Empire's gonna be heading this way sooner or later. They've already burned down four other hamlets near the monastery. I said I'd stay here until you came to, but now that you're up–"
"I see," said Dorothea. "I'm sorry if I've inconvenienced you."
"Don't you worry about it, young lady. We'll be heading north toward House Charon. If you want to join us, you're more than welcome."
"Thank you, Margit."
Margit gave a smile and a nod, and then went to help her family in packing their things. Dorothea then turned to the tattered uniform that was on the table. It was quite beyond saving.
"I'm sorry about your uniform," said Margit. "I'd fix it, but there wasn't enough left to stitch it back up."
"No, it's okay," said Dorothea. "I don't think I should be seen wearing that right now anyway. Thank you for recovering it, and my sword."
"That blade's a real beauty. Lyndon tried to steal it last night, but my husband Walter gave him a walloping for it."
"It wasn't a walloping, Margit," said a man's voice. "It was two bruises and a split lip!"
Margit laughed as she exited the room, leaving Dorothea alone. Dorothea walked up to the table and gingerly picked up Joyeuse. She inspected the blade, finding it as flawless as ever.
In that moment, Dorothea remembered how Edelgard had given her the weapon for her birthday. Her mind continued to flash with images of the white-haired princess, and soon she found herself remembering the clash between Edelgard and Byleth. Edelgard, her best friend, had tried to kill their teacher to uphold her principles and carve out her path.
The notion almost made Dorothea want to throw the weapon away. But she knew she was going to need it. She had nothing else left to her. No money, no title, nothing truly of value besides that blade.
And she was alone, just like she had been on the streets of Enbarr. Alone, penniless, and now in fear of the very Empire she had once called home. Beyond this blade and her magic, she had nothing left.
She couldn't go back to Enbarr. She knew if she did, she'd either end up dead or imprisoned for her role in defending Garreg Mach. And she didn't know if Edelgard would be merciful.
She had only one option: to run and hide.
Dorothea fought to hold back her tears. She didn't want to burden this family with her troubles.
She sheathed Joyeuse in its scabbard and strapped the weapon to her side. Then, looking down at her ruined jacket, she tossed aside the black garment, leaving it to rest on a chair. After a moment to ensure everything else was in order, she opened the door to her room and descended the nearby stairwell. Margit and her family were near the entrance, loading a last set of possessions into their wagon.
"Ah, finally up and about, are we?" asked Margit's husband, Walter. Much like his wife, he was a burly man, showing his experience as a farmer.
"Yes," Dorothea answered. "Thank you for your hospitality. If it's not too much trouble, may I accompany you until we reach House Charon's territory?"
"It's no trouble at all, young lady."
"Thank you."
…
Cornelia was quite pleased to see Thales was in a bad mood. Despite his victory over the Fell Star and the sacking of Garreg Mach, Edelgard had taken custody of Archbishop Rhea following the battle, even after his minions had been the ones to subdue her.
Of course, the Magistra didn't show it over the comms. She listened to the Agastya rant and spew his vitriol and fought the urge to groan at him. It was just one more thing about him that she couldn't stand. Off to the side, Cleobulus was rolling her eyes, while Kronya was doing her best not to snicker as she stayed out of sight.
Eventually, Thales managed to calm down as he cleared his throat.
"Regardless of the setback," he said, "the Fell Star's death will make things far simpler than expected. With Fódlan now fully at war, the beasts will tear each other to pieces. Once they are finished, obliterating the remainder of them will be child's play."
"Of course, Agastya," said Cornelia.
"You are to ensure the Empire's advance into Kingdom territory is met with resistance, Bias. The longer we can draw out the conflict, the more our enemies will slaughter one another."
"By your command, Agastya."
Thales ended the transmission there, allowing Cornelia to sigh in disdain.
"So, who are we killing next?" asked Kronya.
"You sound quite eager to get underway, Kronya," said Cornelia. "Is something putting you in a good mood?"
"Are you kidding? Hearing that that stupid big-boobed bitch is dead is the best news I've heard all week, even if Thales was the one who did it."
"I wouldn't be too sure of that, Kronya."
"Huh?"
"Don't forget that the Fell Star has cheated death more than once before. The Barbarian King could not truly kill her, nor could Solon banish her to Zahras. I doubt Thales was able to finish the job."
"Wait, so you mean…"
"She'll be back. Count on it. Maybe not in the same form, but the so-called "progenitor god" will return at some point. We will need to be ready when she does."
"To put her in the ground again, I take it?" Cleobulus asked with a smile.
"No… That is the mistake Thales and the refrain of failures throughout our history have made time and again. One cannot simply kill a god. But as I've said before: Why destroy that which you can control?"
Kronya and Cleobulus seemed to get where Cornelia was going.
"Now then," Cornelia said, "let's get to work, ladies."
…
Riding with the caravan of villagers didn't give Dorothea much hope. As they set out from Swanford Village, Dorothea could see in the distance another caravan leaving another town. She knew they were running for the same reason: fear of the Empire. Knowing that Edelgard's war was going to displace or kill so many innocent lives left her feeling miserable.
She looked back at the others in the caravan and saw none of them were in particularly good spirits. She didn't blame them. They were being forced to abandon their homes to avoid being burned with them. Even if the villages weren't set aflame, a military occupation was sure to lead to the people's suffering.
Thinking about it all made the diva sick to her stomach. She still couldn't believe Edelgard would choose a path that would lead to all of this…
The caravan soon joined up with a group from another hamlet. The diva looked through the crowd, hoping to find some sign of a friendly face or at least someone she knew. Everyone in the second group was a stranger. She asked a few of them if they had seen any students from the Officer's Academy, but she was dismayed to hear that none had passed through the area.
She really was alone. Yes, there were people around her, but no one she knew, no one she could really trust.
As the caravan stopped for a moment to fix a broken axle, Dorothea looked to the side of the road to see a field of blooming flowers. She knew it wouldn't last; they would either wilt or be trampled under the feet of war.
The sight of it, however, gave Dorothea the urge to do the one thing that she could always count on when things got bad for her: singing.
She took a deep breath, remembering a song that Lana and Cia had once taught her. She hoped the twins were alright.
She hoped all her friends were alright…
Life blooms like a flower
Far away or by the road
Waiting for the one
To find the way back home
Rain falls a thousand times
No footprints of come-and-go
You who once went by
Where will you belong?
I feel your sigh and breath
In the last blow of wind
Not yet for the story on the last page
It's not the end
Life blooms like a flower
Far away or by the road
Waiting for the one
To find the way back home
Time flows across the world
There is always a longer way to go
'Til I reach your arms
A madder there for you
The sound of her voice carried through the caravan, with people turning to look at the brunette as she continued to sing. Some were entranced by the girl's voice, but others only gave her a brief glance before going back to work.
Up against the stream
Waterways will join as one
Tracing to the source
No more strayed or lost
You will see petals fly
When lament becomes carol
Could you please hear my voice
That hungers for a duo?
Dorothea almost choked after this verse. The line made her think back to the dance she had shared with Byleth in the Goddess Tower, or of the times they spent in choir practice.
She would have given anything for Byleth to be there at that moment.
Life blooms like a flower
Far away or by the road
Waiting for the one
To find the way back home
Time flows across the world
There is always a longer way to go
'Til I reach your arms
A madder there for you
The caravan continued its way toward House Charon's territory as the spirits of its villagers were eased somewhat by the opera girl's voice. None joined in on her song, not knowing the lyrics, something that brought a pang of loneliness to her heart.
But she continued on. She would keep singing. She would keep surviving.
She had to have faith that Byleth would do the same, and that she'd keep their promise. That they'd see each other again.
Life blooms like a flower
Far away or by the road
Waiting for the one
To find the way back home
Time flows across the world
There is always a longer way to go
'Til I reach your arms
A madder there for you
…
Anna groaned as she felt she was still soaking wet. She had blacked out when she had been swept down Abyss's waterways. She thought it was a miracle she was still alive, but the pain coursing through her body told her she wasn't dead.
In fact, what she felt right now was very familiar to her. It felt just like how it had been after her mother had sent her off that cliff almost sixty years ago.
The redhead slowly pushed herself up as her head spun. As she did, she caught a glimpse of Andvari's Gift on her left wrist, the bracelet glowing brightly. Her vision cleared and she pushed herself up. She looked down at herself for injuries. Besides the bruises she felt, she was unharmed.
She looked again at the Mythril bracelet. It seemed obtaining it had given her yet another lucky break. As she looked around, however, she saw no sign of her Levin Sword.
Great, she thought. Another one lost.
The loud sound of a heavy footfall onto gravel caught her attention, and Anna quickly looked for the source. As she did, her eyes were wide with dismay.
Lying some one hundred meters away from her, her body broken and covered in blood, was Byleth. She was still as stone. The Sword of the Creator rested a few meters from her, its glow having completely faded.
"Byleth? Byleth, no!"
Anna's eyes were already welling with tears as she struggled to get up and rush to her friend's side. This couldn't be happening. She couldn't be dead. She just had to be–
Anna let out a loud yelp as, suddenly, a large array of thorny vines burst from the ground and surrounded her. The merchant quickly reached for her silver dagger, but the vines moved like quicksilver and wrapped around her, forcing her to remain still. Each vine was covered in razor sharp thorns that came perilously close to tearing into her flesh all over her body. But to her surprise, not a single thorn was actually touching her right now.
She had never seen anything like this.
Another heavy footfall caught her attention, and Anna turned her head to its source. What she saw made her eyes go wide with surprise.
The creature before her was unlike any other she had ever seen. Truthfully, it was unlike any other in the entire world. The body of the enormous creature was in the shape of a golden winged lion with numerous thorns jutting out of its sides. The thorns were arrayed like a splendid golden coat, protecting the beast from anything that could threaten it. But while it had the body of a lion, its head, which was surrounded by a silvery mane of thorns, was that of a single-antlered dragon. Its eyes glowed a lustrous emerald light. The creature's wings were of a multitude of colors, bearing some resemblance to the plumes of a peacock.
Though she had never seen this creature before, something felt familiar about it to Anna.
The creature took another step toward Byleth's body, alarming Anna. The redhead shouted, "Get away from her!"
The merchant tried to struggle out of the thorny vines. As she did, a flash of green light came from the creature's eyes, causing the thorns to lengthen to the point that they touched Anna, yet did not break the skin. Anna froze at this, realizing the beast was commanding the vines.
The creature continued its slow walk toward Byleth's body. Anna could only stare on helplessly as it did, fearing the creature would devour the teacher.
To her surprise, the creature stopped as it touched its nose to Byleth's cold, seemingly lifeless body. The greenette did not move. Anna's heart was practically in her throat.
"Shinzou ga tatanai nanoni, mada ikimasu…" the creature said in a feminine, almost gentle voice.
Anna's eyes were wide as saucers at hearing these words. She did not know what the creature had said, but she had heard such a language only once before, during her travels in Ylisse. It had been spoken by a strange girl with green hair, whose name sounded like a refusal.
"Dragontongue…" Anna whispered in awe.
The creature's eyes and single antler began to glow. It breathed what looked like a silvery mist on Byleth's body. Byleth began to rise from the ground, suspended in midair as magic swirled around her. The Sword of the Creator lifted itself from the ground, floating toward its lifeless bearer as she hovered about two feet off the ground.
Then, Anna was forced to shut her eyes as a blinding light surged around Byleth. Seconds later, she opened her eyes again and saw Byleth was now encased in a massive green crystal. Magic continued to stir within it, flowing slowly into Byleth's body. The Sword of the Creator floated in the crystal before her and began to glow softly.
"Mou nemurinasai, Sotisu," said the creature. "Ware no megumi de umarekawarimasu. Nanji no yakusoku de kaerimasu."
The creature then turned to leave, but stopped as Anna shouted, "HEY! WAIT!"
The creature turned toward Anna and, with a gentle stomp of its right forepaw, the vines surrounding the redhead vanished in a flash of light. Finally able to move, Anna thought to rush toward the crystal, but stopped as she gazed the creature in the eye.
Hesitantly, Anna asked, "What did you do to her?" When the creature did not answer, she brought her hand to her dagger and said, "Let her out of that thing!"
"Stay your hand, Annabelle Sharene Ernest," the creature said in perfect Basic. "Your friend heals within the crystal."
Now wide-eyed in surprise, Anna said, "How do you know my name?"
"I have known you for many years, bearer of Andvaranaut. Know that your friend must remain within the crystal, for her life depends on its energies. Fear not, she will be kept safe within it from those who would do her harm."
Anna was silent. She could barely believe what was happening, despite everything she had seen over the years.
"The progenitor god will walk this world once more in time. When she returns, she will need your aid, Annabelle."
"When she returns? What do you mean?" asked Anna. "How long?"
"I cannot say. A promise allows her to cling to life. I know not the nature of the promise, but she will return to fulfill it when the time is right."
Anna was again silent for a moment, not liking how cryptic the creature was being.
Then, lowering her hand from her blade, she asked, "What can I do?"
As soon as she asked this, the creature began to be surrounded by a mystical fog.
"You will know when the time comes, bearer of Andvaranaut," said the creature.
With its last words, the creature was enshrouded by mist.
Anna ran towards it and shouted, "WAIT!"
The mist dispersed, and the creature was gone.
Anna stood still for almost a minute, trying to process everything she'd heard and seen. She then looked back at the crystal and at Byleth within. Vines and plants were beginning to surround the crystal, covering it with a kind of protective foliage. The greenette's face was almost serene, as though she were in a deep sleep. Despite the strange nature of the crystal, something told Anna that leaving it intact was Byleth's best chance at survival.
As for her, Anna realized there was nothing she could do here. All she could do was wait.
Anna stared for a moment before she said, "By… I promise you… We'll see each other again. I swear it…"
The redhead then turned and began making her way out of the ravine.
As Anna left the crystal behind, she was completely unaware that the creature had settled upon a nearby cliff, and that it watched from afar as she left.
The creature shut its eyes as it was engulfed in green light, and its form began to shrink down into that of a human.
Where it had once been, the seamstress Jiayi stood smiling as she continued to watch Anna depart.
"Safe travels, bearer of my blood," said Jiayi.
She then turned and walked into the forest, disappearing from sight and mind.
And that's it for pre-timeskip!
I appreciate everyone for following Songstress: White Clouds for this past year. In these troubled times, it's good to know that fanfiction is still something we can all enjoy (well, most of us).
Now, I expect some of you will be wanting me to jump right into Part 2, but I have to say this.
I. NEED. A. BREAK.
Writing chapters for this twice a week for the past year is exhausting, so I need to rest my head for a while. There's also plenty of games I need to catch up on like Xenonauts, Eternal Return: Black Survival, and so forth.
But don't worry; I don't intend to leave the rest of the story unfinished. I just need a few months of R&R.
So, on that note, until we meet again when I start up Part 2, titled Songstress: Blooming Heart.
Farewell for now.