Korrina and the Black Eagles

Chapter 12: Not Above Reality

Korrina remained unconscious for 3 whole days. She could still hear and feel, but she didn't have the strength to move, open her eyes, or even develop a complex thought. It was almost as if Korrina was asleep during this time period. During this time, Korrina would often hear the same song she heard Rhea singing a few months ago. The same voice this song came from would also speak to Korrina like a mother would to a child. This confused Korrina, but she wasn't able to form any questions. All she could do was lie there in a state of confusion and feel someone cradle her like an infant.

When Korrina finally woke up, she was back at her room in Garreg Mach. She felt horrible, but that is to be expected for someone who hasn't woken up in days. At first, Korrina thought that everything that happened in the Sealed Forest was a dream. The things that transpired that day certainly seemed odd enough to be a dream, after all. However, Sothis was oddly quiet throughout the whole process of waking up. Usually, Sothis would excitedly wake up Korrina in anticipation for the new day. This time, however, Korrina did not hear Sothis at all. Korrina admittedly had mixed feelings about this. On one hand, Korrina almost missed Sothis. On the other hand, Korrina was hoping this would mean that she could finally lead a somewhat normal social life. After a few minutes, Korrina looked at her mirror and noticed that her hair color had turned green and her eyes had turned a much paler shade. This proved it. Everything that happened in the Sealed Forest was real. Wondering how long she was out, Korrina staggered out her door to find Rhea suspiciously waiting for her to come out. Seteth was also there desperately trying to get Rhea's attention, but it was almost like he didn't exist. Korrina was relatively freaked out to see the Archbishop waiting for her like this, and her immediate response was to ask how long Rhea was waiting there. Rhea then said, "Just a few hours. Come with me. We have much to talk about." The 2 headed for Rhea's quarters with Seteth close behind, still trying to get some answers about the things he saw in Jeralt's diary. As they walked, Korrina told Rhea about a song she heard while she was unconscious. Rhea got flustered for the first time, giving away that it was indeed her that was looking after Korrina during this time.

When the 3 finally got to Rhea's chamber, she confirmed that Korrina had indeed become a goddess. Rhea came pretty close to saying "mother" whenever she addressed Korrina, but she often caught herself. These displays caused Korrina to begin to suspect Rhea's true nature. Rhea then gave her final assignment. Korrina was to go to the "Holy Tomb" and receive a revelation from Sothis. Korrina's first answer was, "Ok. Where is this Holy Tomb?" Seteth then elaborated by saying that the Holy Tomb was deep underneath the monastery. Apparently, the true reason behind Garreg Mach's construction was to obscure the tomb's location. Rhea then said that the reason behind this mission was an old legend. In it, Seiros received a revelation in that very location, as well as an instruction to protect and lead the common man. Rhea was hoping that a similar thing would happen to Korrina. Korrina was hoping to actively use her power to reshape the world, but she admitted that she could use a bit of guidance for what to do after she was finished. For this reason, Korrina was looking forward to this revelation. Korrina also said, "When this is finished, I would like to find the Flame Emperor." Rhea thought that Korrina meant that she wanted to kill the Flame Emperor, but Korrina was quick to correct her. She said, "The Flame Emperor said that he (?) wanted to reforge the world. I want to hear him (?) out, and see what his (?) ideas of a new world are. If his (?) ideas are just, I may incorporate them if not recruit him (?) entirely." Rhea and Seteth were both shocked and appalled that Korrina would even want to entertain the thought of cooperating with someone that had terrorized the land for months, but Korrina merely said, "I know what I'm doing, Rhea. Besides, the Flame Emperor did try to join forces with me back at Remire Village. He (?) can be negotiated with. If possible, I'd like to end this conflict without any further bloodshed." Rhea and Seteth still did not accept the idea of potentially working with the Flame Emperor, but they also knew that Korrina was not going to be dissuaded. They decided to let her go before this matter could escalate.

Although Korrina was a goddess now, she still had to finish her term as a professor. On her first day back as a professor, many of the Black Eagles were relieved to find that she would still be teaching them (even Hubert). Korrina's first words were, "I have no doubt that you have heard a lot of rumors, and I'm here to give you the truth about me. I have been elevated to goddess. However, I am also still your professor. I have every intention of remaining by your side for the rest of the year. Now, here is your final mission. Apparently, it is customary for new goddesses to receive a revelation from a tomb deep underneath the monastery. Rhea said that I may take a small group of warriors to accompany me. Because we have fought together for so long, I have chosen each and every one of you to accompany me. Shamir, Alois, and Rhea will also be going with us for this mission. I do not anticipate any danger, but nevertheless, prepare for anything. On a lighter note, I have also planned a celebration tonight for Ferdinand, the Hero of Remire. Thanks to your efforts last week, Solon is dead and no one will have to suffer from his cruel experiments again. You deserve a day to yourself." Not everyone agreed with the idea of giving Ferdinand that much credit, but they agreed that killing Solon merited some kind of reward. Ferdinand was proud of this accomplishment, but there was something that troubled him. Before Solon died, he said that Thales would finish the job somehow. Who was Thales? Was he the one that prevented Korrina from saving Jeralt that one day? Those questions would trouble him for several months.

During Ferdinand's celebration, Edelgard pulled Korrina aside and asked to accompany her to Enbarr (the capital of Adestria). Korrina initially wasn't sure what Edelgard wanted, but she promised she would explain later. On the next weekend, Korrina informed Seteth about what was happening and asked him to take over should she take longer than the weekend to return. After this, the two gathered their things and left for Enbarr. On the way, Edelgard said that they were going to meet her father, Ionius 9th. He had grown old and sick, so he sent for Edelgard to see her one last time before dying. Korrina was admittedly quite excited to meet Ionius 9th and see her ancestral homeland. The whole time, she wouldn't stop asking Edelgard what life in Enbarr was like. Unfortunately, Edelgard didn't have many answers since the only times she ever left her palace was when her uncle kidnapped her for those unspeakable experiments and to enroll in Garreg Mach. As such, most of Edelgard's answers to Korrina's questions were some variant of "ask Dorothea". When they finally arrived at Enbarr, Korrina was somewhat disappointed at what she found. Most of the population lived in destitution, and cleanliness was borderline nonexistent. Even the buildings looked old and ugly to Korrina. Surprisingly, Edelgard agreed. These complaints prompted her to go on a small tangent about how the nobility takes up all the food and money while leaving absolutely nothing for anyone else. As if that wasn't enough, the nobility also treated the poor like wild animals without any degree of compassion or self-reflection. However, Edelgard vowed that things will be different once she becomes Empress. Coincidentally, the two also arrived at Edelgard's home once she finished saying that. The prime minister (Ferdinand's dad) pretends to own it now, but it is still in possession of House Hresvelg. Once inside, the guards escorted the two to Ionius 9th. Korrina wanted to introduce herself so badly, but she knew this was not the right place for casual conversation. Thus, she initially let Edelgard do the talking. Both Edelgard and her father got straight to the point. Ionius 9th was already beginning to die, and he wanted to pass on the crown before it was too late. Korrina was brought along because her being the goddess meant that she now represented the Church of Seiros as witness. (Apparently this was the tradition for succession in the empire). Korrina was now able to introduce herself. She said to the dying Emperor, "I'm Korrina. Before I became the goddess, I was Edelgard's professor…" She wanted to reveal her familial ties to Edelgard, but she feared that she didn't have the time to prove her claim. Thus, Korrina merely told Ionius 9th that he raised a wonderful young woman. The actual coronation was pitiful to watch. Ionius 9th barely had the strength to stand, so Korrina and the guards had to do all the work of crowning Edelgard while Ionius 9th recited the words and tried to at least stay standing throughout the whole thing. As soon as the succession process was complete, Ionius 9th fell back onto his throne without any grace. Both Edelgard and Korrina called out to him, but he said it was all ok now. Him and Edelgard then talked about that time she was stolen away and experimented on. Korrina was able to figure out during this time that the prime minister also had a hand in these experiments and her hatred of him solidified. During this time, a bald and apathetic blob entered the room. This was Lord Aegir, the prime minister, mastermind behind the Insurrection of the Seven and one of the people that experimented on Edelgard. Edelgard wasted no time exercising her newfound power on him. Before Lord Aegir could figure out what was happening, Edelgard had him arrested for high treason and crimes against humanity. Lord Aegir tried to retake control of the situation and have Edelgard and Ionius 9th arrested instead, but the guards no longer listened to him. Whether this was because Lord Aegir was simply universally hated within Enbarr or if it was because Ionius 9th had been planning a counter coup for some time was something Korrina didn't care enough to ask. All she cared about was seeing Edelgard's dead siblings finally getting posthumous justice. Korrina wanted to stay and help Edelgard clean up Enbarr, but neither of them had the time. They both still had jobs to finish at Garreg Mach, so they could only stay the night. Before they left, however, Korrina made certain to check out the Hresvelg family tree. Sure enough, an ancestor of Edelgard had branched off to join the knighthood in Faerghus. This mysterious person was Jeralt's grandfather, making Korrina Edelgard's third cousin at least. In some fashion, the two could have been considered sisters. Satisfied with what had been accomplish, Korrina and Empress Edelgard returned to Garreg Mach to finish out the semester.

On the first day after Korrina and Edelgard returned from Enbarr, Korrina requested to speak with Ferdinand after class. Once they got that chance to speak, Korrina told him exactly what had happened at Enbarr. She said, "Your father has been arrested for treason and crimes against humanity. Edelgard is the new empress of Adestria, and unless she decides otherwise, you may be in line to inherit your father's house and titles early. If you want to keep your holdings, I would advise that you quit your habit of trying to compete with Edelgard before Hubert takes it the wrong way." Ferdinand was predictably shocked to hear all this. His first response was, "Treason!? After all the things my father did for the Empire!?" Korrina responded with, "And I suppose these things he did for the Empire include cutting open Edelgard and her siblings and forcibly imbuing them with crests?" Ferdinand didn't really have much of a response to this revelation. His body language gave the impression that he was both surprised and not surprised at the same time. Korrina decided to finish up and say, "I only came to tell you news. If you want to fight someone about this, talk to Edelgard." Korrina left as Ferdinand struggled to come to terms with what happened. The following day, Lord Aegir confessed to not just experimenting on Edelgard and her siblings, but also botching the procedures on purpose to rid the world of the Hresvelg bloodline once and for all. The only reason Edelgard survived was because her uncle caught onto what Lord Aegir was doing and finished the job himself. The confession made international news, and House Aegir's good name was dragged through several layers of mud. Ferdinand would never be the same again.

The weeks leading up to the holy tomb expedition were thankfully uneventful. This provided Korrina with some much-needed time to get used to her newfound powers. Her increased strength and agility allowed her to become a more consistent sparring partner with Catherine. She was surprised at how much Korrina grew in a short period of time but was mostly glad to finally have someone she could keep up with again. Korrina's ability to heal the sick made her an intensely valuable asset to the infirmary, and she used this time to develop a bond with Manuela (even if most of this quality time was spent helping Manuela with men and hangovers). Korrina also developed a habit of taking off her shoes and socks and then walking on top of the fishing pond. One evening when she was getting ready to do this, she found Petra gazing over the horizon. She asked what was up, to which Petra responded by saying she was looking towards her homeland of Brigid. Korrina quickly deduced that Petra misses her home, and Petra was equally quick to confirm this. Petra explained that she wanted to go home but couldn't. She was brought here as a hostage to keep Brigid from rebelling. Korrina thought for a moment, then said, "Edelgard might understand. If you talk to her, she may take you back there for a visit." Petra deeply appreciated the offer but wanted to stay for a while. Even if Petra was a hostage, she still felt the need to stay and solidify relations with Adestria before going back home like that. Korrina understood and went back to walking on the water for a time. Nothing noteworthy happened in the final Garreg Mach Women's Association meeting. Noone even knew at the time that this would be the last time they saw each other as friends. Edelgard and Hubert began to miss class more often, but at the time, Korrina chalked it up to them trying to adjust to Edelgard's new role as Empress of Adestria. Her newfound complacency allowed them to plot right under her nose.

On the day of the expedition, everyone congregated in the chapel but Edelgard and Hubert. Everyone thought this was strange but was overall more concerned about the task at hand. Hanneman and Manuela decided to tag along since revelations are such a rarity and they feared that the opportunity to witness such an event would only be once in a lifetime. Korrina was not a fan of all the spectacle that Rhea was making out of this, but she figured it must be tradition and let Rhea have her fun. Once Shamir and Alois came, the group was lead to the mausoleum then to an underground passage obscured by the coffin that held the Sword of the Creator. Because the walk was so long, Alois decided to entertain the group with his usual jokes. Korrina and Bernadetta found them hilarious, but the others just wanted him to stop. Frequently, Rhea would try to shift the subject back to the task at hand, but Alois would usually find some opportunity to make a joke out of it. Shamir admitted that Alois is always like this, but neither Korrina nor Bernadetta minded. Alois made them smile and that's all that mattered to them. Eventually, the group happened upon a large throne room with several graves scattered throughout. Korrina recognized the throne as the one that Sothis always sat on in her dreams, and Rhea was expecting this reaction. Rhea got unusually excited as she described the significance of this room, barely able to conceal that Sothis was her mother anymore. Although this explained how Rhea attained the position of Archbishop, it still creeped out most of the people present. Finally, Korrina was asked to sit on the throne.

Korrina sat on the throne in the same position that Sothis often took. It seemed like every two seconds, Rhea asked Korrina if she had gotten a revelation yet. Each time, Korrina would respond by asking Rhea to be patient and that revelations probably take time. Before any revelation could come, however, Edelgard and Hubert arrived with imperial soldiers and a beastly man named Metodey. It didn't take long for everyone to recognize that Edelgard was wearing the Flame Emperor's cloak. She was also wearing modified shoes that made her look significantly taller than she usually does. There was no longer any mistaking it. Edelgard was the Flame Emperor this whole time. Everyone was shocked at this turn of events, but it all finally made sense to Korrina. While she started recontextualizing all of her exchanges with Edelgard to see if there was anything she missed, Edelgard gave the order to open all the graves and take the crest stones inside. Metodey then felt the need to open his mouth and compile additional orders, telling the soldiers to take the bones too and kill everyone in the room (yes, even Korrina). Rhea became far more furious than ever before and gave a similar order to kill all the imperial troops (specifically including Edelgard). A fight quickly erupted between the two factions, and now Korrina was furious. This wasn't at all how the day was supposed to pan out and sounds of people dying in this supposedly sacred room put her over the edge. Korrina got up from her throne, unleashed a pillar of God Ki that seared a hole in the ceiling and yelled "STOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP!" Everyone stopped what they were doing and turned to face Korrina. Her eyes were glowing, her hair had turned to a lighter shade of green and God Ki radiated from her like fire. Once Korrina saw that everyone had turned silent, she pointed at Edelgard and said, "You. Flame Emperor. What were you trying to accomplish defiling my tomb like pirates?" Edelgard tried to explain herself and said, "You already know by now that the crest stones are responsible for transforming everyone into monsters. My uncle, Lord Arundel, was using them to create monsters like the ones you saw in the chapel last year. However, that stops here. I plan to destroy each and every one of these crest stones before Lord Arundel has a chance to even touch them." Not everyone believed Edelgard's story (Rhea least of all), and Korrina was still angry at her for raiding this supposedly sacred place like a pirate. However, Korrina still wanted this to end peacefully deep down inside. Thus, Korrina deliberated in eerie silence before passing judgement. She finally said, "Very well. Gather the crest stones in this room before me and destroy them before my eyes. I want to see if you are telling the truth. You will not be allowed to do this like the barbarians you were conducting yourself as before, though." Korrina then pointed right at Metodey, and her God Ki flared once again as she shouted "And remove that animal from the premises! Each time he BREATHES, he disgraces the Adestrian Empire." Most of the people in the tomb believed that this was a reasonable demand, but Rhea was infuriated. She turned towards Korrina and said, "How dare you!? Do you even know what those crest stones are!?" Korrina sternly answered, "Yes. Those crest stones are parasites responsible for the evils of this world. In the new world I wish to create, such demons will no longer be necessary to maintaining order." Rhea stubbornly held firm and said, "No! Those are all I have left of my family! They must stay here!" Korrina offered her condolences but continued to hold firm herself and insisted that a world where such monsters are held as necessities could only be dystopian. Rhea used this statement to try to compare Korrina with Edelgard, saying, "Listen to yourself, Korrina! Do you not realize how much you sound like that traitor right now!?" Korrina coldly said, "Well, I hate to say it, but she is making more sense of the two of you right now." Rhea then tried to persuade Korrina back to her side, saying, "But don't you realize? This 'woman' is a threat to us all! Kill her!" Korrina said, "I will not. There is a better way to settle this, Rhea." These words, unfortunately, caused Rhea to turn her ire towards Korrina. Rhea suddenly lost all her intensity and proclaimed Korrina "another" failure. Korrina became intensely confused at Rhea's wording, but Rhea was not in the mood for explanation. She denounced everything about Korrina without a single thought of what she was really doing. After a few minutes of cursing Korrina, Rhea stated her intention to "reclaim" Korrina's heart before revealing her true form: a beautiful yet terrifying white dragon. Korrina screamed, "WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS!?" as Hubert transported Korrina out of the tomb. Everyone else flew into a panic as Rhea took out her anger on everyone who tried to make her see reason. Slowly, Edelgard and Hubert transported everyone out of the tomb and left Rhea behind. Any intention of peacefully reshaping the world was vaporized as Rhea made it clear that she would defend the old world with lethal force if necessary.