BYLETH IN SMASH , LETS GOOOO! Fire Emblem always wins, except when it doesn't. Sadly Bernadetta didn't make it in, but I figure shes just hiding in her room on the Garreg Mach map so I guess that makes sense. Would have been nice to see her model in smash though. I figured I should finally put out a chapter in celebration of this announcement. Also looking forward to Three Houses: Basement Edition. I wonder what kind of side story it will be, especially since all three house leaders will be available.
A bead of sweat dripped down Bernadetta's forehead.
Wait… no… that can't be right…
She shakingly held up her paper and squinted her eyes to take a closer look.
B...B…B…B…B… and B…? Six B's in a row?! I must have made a mistake somewhere!
Bernadetta panickingly scanned her work over and over, but she could not spot any issues.
No-no-no-no! This can't be happening! There's no way there's six same answers in a row! It just looks so wrong! Gahhh! Am I forgetting something?!
Suddenly, a voice boomed at the front of her testing room causing Bernadetta to jump slightly. "Begin finalizing your answers! There is one minute remaining!" The test proctor announced.
Frantic scribbling soon filled the room and Bernadetta could do nothing but stare in horror at her test as everyone continued working around her. The noise of quills dipping in ink and heightened breathing invaded her thoughts.
I-I'll quickly change this one in the middle then! That'll split it up! Ohhh… but this answer looks right! I checked it so many times! Whatever, I should...
"Time is up, everyone set your quills down." The proctor walked over to Bernadetta's seat first, his boots thumping loudly on the stone floor as Bernadetta quivered. "Your test please."
"W-wha…"
The proctor reached down and plucked the test from her test, only for the violet haired girl to quickly grab onto it.
"W-wait! I'm not finished! Just let me change this one question!" Bernadetta screeched in desperation.
"Let go." The proctor coldly replied
"Noooo! Please! I beg of you!"
"The allocated time for the exam is over! If you do not let go of the paper right now, I will make sure you receive a zero!"
"A zero?!" Bernadetta quickly released the test.
The proctor scoffed. "You're lucky I'm not having your score canceled. Refrain from doing something so stupid in the future..."
"Stupid…?" Realizing what she had just done Bernadetta quickly slumped down in her seat and covered her face.
Oh goddess I really am stupid! I'm such a failure! Uwaaa!
The sun cast afternoon rays on the Monastery, soon it would begin to set.
"Mhmm, that meal was fulfillment. The fish in Fódlan is having good taste."
Petra patted her stomach as she stepped out of the mess hall. Well she felt the cuisine of Fodlan was a bit lacking in comparison to that of her homeland, she couldn't deny that it had its own charm, a charm she greatly appreciated.
"A walk is sounding nice right now."
Petra bent over to stretch a bit and then began striding at a leisurely pace towards the monastery outskirts. She enjoyed venturing outside the walls from time to time as the surrounding scenery was very different than her familiar Brigid sights.
After a good amount of time walking, she found herself strolling deep amidst one of the forests next to the monastery.
She stopped placed her palm against a tree trunk. "These trees have strangeness. The wood is dark and has roughness nowhere found in Brigid. What they are called I wonder." She scanned the surrounding area. "Well that is knowledge for another time, it is dangerous to be proceeding further, beasts can be found deeper in this forest."
Petra turned around to return to the monastery but soon stopped as she heard the sound of a human voice further into the forest. Bandits? She drew the blade at her side and decided to investigate.
Slowly she made her way towards the voice and as she got closer it became clear that it was the sound of a girl crying for help.
"I can't take this anymore, please, please just let me go home!"
Was a girl was being kidnapped!? Petra couldn't let this happen, she wouldn't let this happen! She jumped out from behind a tree and readied her blade.
"Please be putting your hands where they can be seen!"
"EEEEEK! My hands are u-up, UP I say! I'm doing what you asked right!? Here's my hands, s-so please don't kill me! You wouldn't want to kill me anyways, killing me wouldn't solve anything y-you know!"
Caught off guard, Bernadetta fell backwards and shut her eyes. Petra lowered her weapon at the sight of her panicked classmate.
"Bernadetta? Is that you?"
Bernadetta slowly opened her eyes to take a peek and gasped. "P-petra?! So you've finally decided to kill me?! To hunt me down in the middle of this forest like an animal and proudly stand over my corpse as you skin me and claim your trophy?!"
"What? I was not having that thinking in the slightest." Petra replied as she sheathed her sword.
"So… you're not going to kill me then? But you called me prey earlier and everything."
"That is falseness, all I meant to be saying that you have similarities to prey. I will not be killing a fellow classmate. "
"Ah, I see…"
The two stood in awkward silence for a few moments.
Bernadetta got up from the ground and dusted off her skirt. "W-why did you jump out with your sword pointed at me then."
"I was hearing cries for help, so I was thinking that someone was being kidnapped." Petra responded.
"Oh you heard that? Goddess that's embarrassing, please forget that will you?"
"I cannot be forgetting that, but I will not speak of it if that is what you are desiring."
"Oh, well, that works too."
Petra put her hand up to her chin. "I have curiousness Bernadetta, you do not have a liking of outside your room, so why are you here?"
"Oh w-well that's because… well, I was painting some trees to take my mind off the certification exam, I can't help but think I failed. Painting helps to put me at ease."
"Hmm yes, I was finding the exam difficult as well. I didn't have understanding of what some questions were asking. But failure is a bit much, no? We were taught all the material on the exam."
"That's exactly why I'm so scared! I should have known everything on that test, but knowing me I somehow messed it up and failed! I failed it and then everybody is going to laugh at poor Bernie, and the professor is going to be so disappointed..."
Petra thought for a moment. "Well even if that happened, failure is normal, is it not? It's not something that should be feared or despised, it is simply an opportunity to be learning from your mistakes."
"You really think so?"
"Yes, I have been having many failures since school has begun. But every time I was able to be learning more than I would had I not been having failures. Besides, the professor will not be having anger, he will be helping you learn from mistakes as he has been helping me."
"I wish I could be as optimistic as you Petra, it's so hard for me to think that way, I really am just a useless girl." Bernadetta sighed.
"Practice is making perfect. In time you will be learning it. Anyways we should be getting back to the monastery now, it is turning dark."
"Yeah that's probably for the best. I'd hate to run into any surprises this late"
*GROWL*
Bernadetta and Petra quickly turned around to see that a stony lizard like creature had snuck up behind them. Its long tongue was hanging out menacingly as it stared at them and drooled.
Bernadetta completely froze. "Wha…"
Petra once again unsheathed her sword and positioned herself in front of the archer.
"Please be staying behind me."
The beast slowly circled the pair, Petra matched its movement to make sure she was between it and her classmate at all times as Bernadetta was unarmed.
"You aren't actually thinking about fighting that thing are you?! It's going to kill us! We have to get out of here now!"
"We cannot be outrunning it, it is too fast." Petra calmly replied.
Suddenly the beast lurched forward at the duo, its claw attempting to strike and cleave their flesh.
Petra quickly shoved Bernadetta to one side as she rolled to another. The beast landed after missing its targets and Petra took this opportunity to get a quick slash in on the beast's side. The beast cried out in pain and turned all of its attention to Petra just as she had hoped, for now Bernadetta would be safe.
The two locked eyes for a brief moment and this time Petra was the first to charge. She thrusted her blade at the beasts head but it stopped it by clamping on the sword with its teeth. With a jolt of its head, Petra's blade was snapped off leaving only a fraction of the weapon intact. The beast spit out the broken edge and again jumped at the Brigid princess, this time catching her off guard.
Petra was soon pinned to the ground and she held back the beast's jaws with both her hands. It took every ounce of her strength to keep the beast's sharp teeth from tearing out her throat.
"So this is how I will be dying?" Petra questioned through gritted teeth. She slowly began to ease her grip on the beast and closed her eyes, waiting for the end.
"GET OFF OF HER!"
*THUD*
Bernadetta bashed the beast's head with a large rock she had found on the ground. The beast stumbled slightly and stopped its assault on Petra. She immediately seized this opportunity to drive her broken blade into the beasts neck. The beast cried in pain and collapsed dead..
The two girls stared at the fresh corpse panting heavily. Had they really just survived that?
"Are you ok?" Bernadetta said, breaking the silence as she reached her hand down to help her fallen classmate.
"Because of you I am. I must be thanking you. Maybe you do not resemble prey as much as I had been thinking." Petra smiled.
The two girls laughed and dusted themselves off.
"That was close, luckily there was only one, I thought these things traveled in packs." Bernadetta mused.
*GROWL*
"Oh me and my big..."
Three more demonic beasts appeared through the foliage. Petra's broken blade was now useless and stuck inside the first beast. They were done for.
"Wow, death by beast… is far more terrifying than I originally thought." Bernadetta said, frozen with fear.
The head beast lunged straight at Bernadetta, its claws aimed to break her skull.
"I wonder if the afterlife is as cozy as my room…"
"BERNADETTA!" Petra screamed.
*SHUNK*
Warm blood splattered across Bernadetta's face.
The beast that had lunged now laid dead inches from Bernadetta, a sword firmly planted into its head.
"I'm not dead?" Bernadetta gasped.
The sword had been thrown with tremendous force from behind the girls and stopped the attack.
"It appears I have arrived in time."
Petra turned around. "Professor?!"
Byleth slowly walked up and pulled his sword out of the beast.
"Wait just a moment, this will be over shortly."
Enraged at the death of their fellow pack mate, the remaining two beasts charged the green haired professor. He quickly threw a dagger which impaled one of the beasts in the eye, causing it to falter. He then sidestepped the other and thrust his blade deeply into its side, a fatal strike. The other beast soon resumed its attack while Byleth's blade was still caught, but it had been severely weakened due to the loss of an eye. Byleth saw this opportunity and let go of his sword to jump to the beasts blindspot so it could not strike. With a fierce kick to where his dagger was implanted, he drove the it through the beasts skull.
The two students could only stare in awe after witnessing their professor single handedly defeat three demonic beasts effortlessly. Somehow, they had been saved.
"Are you two unharmed?" Byleth asked as he retrieved his blade.
"Mentally, definitely not, but physically..." Bernadetta trailed off and looked to her classmate.
"We are fine physically professor." Petra finished.
"I am relieved to hear that. You did well to fend off this demonic beast." Their professor replied as he slightly kicked the beast Petra had slain. "I am fortunate to have arrived in time. Luckily I heard Bernadetta's scream. What were you two doing out here? You know this forest has beasts lurking."
"That's actually my fault professor, I came here to paint. Petra only came out this far because she heard me. I would have been dead without her, so please just punish me!" Bernadetta pleaded.
"I won't punish either of you, I only request that you refrain from putting yourselves in unneeded danger in the future. If you know your mistake, then that is satisfactory" Byleth gave the best smile he could. "I am just glad you both are safe."
Petra bowed slightly. "We are safe in thankness to you. I must ask, why were you out here professor?"
"I occasionally hunt demonic beasts in this forest to train. Working at the academy all the time could dull my skills in fighting different opponents. When I was a mercenary we ran into beasts many times during our travels. There may come times when we are faced with them on a mission, and I would like to be as prepared for that as possible."
"You're telling me you've been coming out here, hunting demonic beasts, for practice?" Bernadetta asked in shock.
"Nearly every week, I've already slain seven today counting these ones." The professor put his hand on his chin. "I've been trying to formulate a lesson on how to combat them."
Petra and Bernadetta stared at the professor, then to each other. He was a madman.
"Let us return before more beasts arrive, they will be attracted to the blood. Stay close to me." Byleth announced before starting back towards the monastery.
The two not wanting any more surprises followed him without any hesitation.
"Thanks for saving us professor, sorry I keep causing so much trouble." Bernadetta said, her head cast downwards.
"It is a teachers duty to keep their students safe. There is no need for apology."
"Ah, right…"
"All right!" Caspar shouted, startling the whole classroom. "I bet I aced my exam, I studied a whole hour for it, that's longer than I've studied for anything!"
"No wonder you've been failing so many tests, my study preparations take at least three hours." Linhardt remarked.
"If anyone aced this test it was obviously me, Ferdinand von Aegir! But I will settle for just the highest grade in this class. As long as I beat Edelgard here." Ferdinand announced.
"How many times must I say that we are not competing Ferdinand." Edelgard replied tiredly.
"Oh I can't look. I can't look." Bernadetta mumbled over and over to herself huddled under her desk.
"Everybody please quiet down. I will begin passing out your tests."
One by one, Byleth placed the tests face down on everyone's desk. Groans, cheers, and scoffs could be heard as the students checked their scores. Finally Bernadetta's test was placed in front of her.
It's OK, it's OK, just look, not that hard right, pick up the paper and look and… I can't do it!
"I am impressed with the overall results. Mostly everybody did well. Here are the class high and low as well as the average." Byleth began to write numbers on the board.
"I go the low! Are you kidding me?!" Caspar shouted.
"I understand your frustrations Caspar, I didn't get the class high! This is outrageous. Was it you who beat me Edelgard?! I demand you show me your test at once." Ferdinand exclaimed as he got up and tried to pry Edelgard's test from her hands.
Hubert began to funnel magic into his hand but was stopped by Edelgard.
"It's fine, as you can see I did not get the class high. I hope you are satisfied with this result Ferdinand?" Edelgard said as she presented her paper.
"We tied?! I refuse to accept this, I am by far more capable than you!"
"If one of you did not be receiving the best test, who did?" Petra questioned.
Dorothea spoke up. "Well it certainly wasn't me. Linhardt, it was you wasn't it. You said your study prep takes three hours."
"That's for when I actually study, I didn't deem this exam worth studying for." Linhardt yawned.
"I must profess it wasn't me either, I could never hold a candle to Lady Edelgards abilities when it comes to studies." Hubert added in.
"What, then who actually…" Caspar trailed off.
"Wow!"
The whole class turned their gazes towards Bernadetta, who had just peeked at her test.
"Oh... hahaha… hi…" Bernadetta peeped.
Bernadetta and Petra seem like an interesting combo, I should also start trying to look into some supports without members of other houses. Also I'm sure many of us have experience the fatal "too many same answers in a row" on a multiple choice test. Always feels awful when you line up 4+ answers in the middle of an exam. Next up will Be Mutiny in the Mist. Until next time!
- Arcale
