Sylvain was many things but stupid wasn't one of them. It did not take him long to form a working theory that tied together all the weirdness he was experiencing. First, he had somehow seen through the eyes of his future self. His future self was or rather will be going crazy because his little girls were missing, as was Alexi Fraldarius.

His little girls plus Alexi had somehow been flung through time and space to the present. By touching the children, their present selves clearly got knowledge of the future or at least, that the kids were theirs.

He wasn't sure where the giant snake came from or if the time displacement was due to the snake. But even accounting for raw Blaiddyd strength, the snake had fallen relatively easily. Sylvain doubted a snake capable of a time alteration spell would be that easy to kill. More likely, the snake had been caught in whatever magic brought the kids from the future to the present and to its doom.

Serves it right for trying to eat his daughters! His daughters… "Daddy doesn't want us anymore!" given what he had glimpsed, future Sylvain wasn't some child abandoning monster. So why did his little girls think they were unwanted?

Crests were, unfortunately, the answer to most questions of that nature but Sylvain had vowed that should he ever have children, they would be loved equally whether they had crests or not. Had he not kept his vow? No, no, future Sylvain was losing his mind because his daughters were gone. Future Sylvain did not care about crests, present Sylvain was sure of it!

As for the present, Dimitri was injured. Someone needed to tell the professor, not to mention deal with 20 odd students in the Blue Lion house that weren't him and his friends. Sylvain started going through the house hierarchy in his head. Dimitri the leader, Dedue his second but being a man of Duscar, his authority wasn't always accepted by the wider Blue Lion house. If the tragedy of Duscar hadn't happened, Felix would have most likely been Dimitri's second but as things stood, Outside of battles, Felix refused to step up. He had no interest in undermining Dedue's authority or in getting involved in petty house politics. It was usually Annette who actively backed up Dedue with her authority as a crest-bearing Dominic, with her and Mercedes also supporting Dedue and Dimitri with their administrative duties.

However, Dedue, Felix, Annette and Mercedes were all pre-occupied. As was Ingrid. Sylvain couldn't escape it. He was the next in line of command. He would have to tell the Professor, Rhea and whoever else. He didn't like being responsible, but it was best to get it done.

Now where would the professor… a bootless, coatless, Byleth ran past Sylvain.

"Professor!"

Byleth didn't stop, she kept running towards the abbey. Sylvain was very confused.

"Where the fuck did you go?" demanded Felix.

Sylvain must have wandered about for much longer than he anticipated. "Did you tell the professor about Dimitri?"

Felix didn't answer directly, "The Boar's been moved to the infirmary," Felix replied, the infirmary was in the abbey. It explained why the very distressed Byleth was heading that way.

"Annette and Ingrid took the kids to the dining hall. You, you should touch the girls," Felix told him, there was a strange, melancholy catch to his voice.

Sylvain decided to play dense, "Why?"

"You'll understand when you touch them."

"I don't want to touch little girls. I am not some creepy pervert!"

"Gross! Stop thinking gross shit about your own flesh and blood!"

"Whatever do you mean?"

"You… are you toying with me?"

Sylvain laughed, but then got serious, "I had a dream. There was a girl. She reminded me of you. I think her name was Glenn, Glenn Fraldarius. I choked her, so Dimitri's son took my hands, possibly even my life. I don't have to touch the girls. I already know Violet and Demeter are mine and Ingrid's kids from the future."

"I," Felix stopped and stared towards the Abbey, "I don't know what to say. Expect that you and Ingrid have absolutely terrible taste in names!"

"Us? What about you! Alexi! For all your insolence with calling his highness the boar, you still ended up naming your son after him," Sylvain pointed out gleefully.

"No, I didn't!" protested Felix, "My grandfather was called Alexander."

"Really? Because I seem to recall that your grandfather was named Julius."

"I meant my mother's father," Felix replied stubbornly.

"You want me to really believe that you named your son Alexi, after a man who died before you were born and when your mother didn't even like her family and avoided visiting her siblings like the plague, as opposed to after your childhood best friend."

"That's right!"

"I don't believe you but it doesn't matter, what matter is Josey!"

"Josey?"

"Where's Josey, Felix?" demanded Sylvain, "Or Sylvia. Where's your cute daughter named after me?"

Felix shot Sylvain an incredulous look, "You… can't be serious!"

"Of course I am serious!" Sylvain replied, "Glenn and Alexi I understand but what I don't understand is why there is no Josey. So where's Josey!"

"There is no Josey! What the hell do you want me to do about it?" demanded an increasingly agitated and aggrieved Felix.

Sylvain took the height advantage he had over Felix and crowded the latter's personal space, causing Felix to lean back but stubbornly hold his ground, like Sylvain knew he would. "I think you and Annette need to put a bun in the oven and keep putting buns in the oven until you get a cute Fraldarius worthy to be named after me!"

"You mean future me and Annette."

"Seventeen is not too young and if you start now, you'll have many more years to get it right!" Sylvain suggested cheerfully.

Felix blankly stared at him, "You are truly ridiculous! I am leaving! And you should do something about Violet and Demeter before worrying about the non-existent Josey!" he headed towards the training ground as he continued to mutter about Violet and Demeter being stupid names and how he would never name a daughter after Sylvain.

Sylvain watched him go and considered his next move. He should go to Ingrid and the girls. He needed to talk to the girl if he had any hope of getting to the bottom of this mystery. But he remembered the look on Ingrid's face when the girls touched her. He remembered how her shoulders slumped just now and he remembered the conversation he had with her a few days ago.

"Tell me, Sylvain. What am I to you?" she had asked after having rescued him from yet another romantic misadventure.

"You're my friend," he had answered all too flippantly he reflected, "One of my oldest, in fact."

He had known and been friends with Ingrid since she was born and so it was a fact. But it wasn't quite the truth. The truth was complex and not something he wanted to face. But it seems that his future self did face it.

"An old friend, is it? Then why must I clean up the casualties left behind by your, your skirt-chasing!" she had demanded indignantly.

He had gotten defensive, "Heh, nobody asked you to do that. Heck, I thought you enjoyed it," no he didn't, he knew she hated it but she did it because she cared enough about him to not want him dying in a duel somewhere.

Duels of honour were still a part of Fearghus culture and while Sylvain fancied he could take most Knights of the Holy Kingdom, someone could always get lucky.

"Besides, you're real good at it," Sylvain recalled complimenting her, "I'm excited to continue working with you!"

Wait a minute, is that what happened? Did the girls think he didn't want them because he and Ingrid had a marriage of convenience that was falling apart? No, no, no! He would never do that! Not to Ingrid! Would he?

Ingrid was watching the sunset from the Goddess Tower. If one of her more artistically inclined friends were here, they might have commented on the metaphor of the scene before her and her life in this very moment. But only she was here and no, she didn't see her present condition like the sun setting on her life. Besides, even if the night came, she knew that dawn waited for her on the other side.

"Hey Ingrid, Felix told me you were here and that you were looking for me," said Sylvain as he came up the steps of the Goddess tower to join her, "What's up?"

Of course, before the night, before the dawn, she had to get through the present. Well, no point in pussyfooting about, "I am pregnant," she informed him.

"Wha…" Sylvain was gapping like a fish, "What? How? Who… wait, from that night?"

Ingrid was too tired to indulge Sylvain, "I want you to know that you don't have to do anything. I didn't call you here to ask you to take responsibility. I have already spoken to my father and his highness. I told my father that I would not be taking over House Galatea. Instead, I will be joining House Blaiddyd as a knight. His Highness has accepted my service and given me leave to take on an administrative role during my pregnancy and until such time my child is weaned. Dimitri has also agreed to issue decrees as needed so that my son is acknowledged as part of House Galatea and does not pose any risk to House Gautier. You don't have to do anything and can go on with your life as you see fit."

Sylvain stared at her blankly and then his face contorted with rage, "Really Ingrid? Really? This is what you think of me? You think I would… I would just walk away? Go find some…" suddenly Sylvain deflated, "You know what. Nevermind! ," he took a deep breath, "Marry me!"

Ingrid woke-up...