Dealing with Edelgard and Rhea was painful, lengthy, at parts both delicate and tedious, and inevitable. Even if Byleth chose to run as far and as fast as possible from Fódlan. Even if Byleth failed to talk Edelgard down, or the very rare cases where Rhea fell into madness through some sloppy error on Byleth's part, the road forward would have minimal casualties.

Despite the violence, despite all the hate and sorrow, despite the societal-defining stakes, Edelgard and Rhea were predictable.

Claude's actions were harder to foresee. His end goal was always set in stone, but his reactions were inconsistent. He had a habit of overthinking small details, which would lead him to do things that Byleth wasn't certain he could explain.

Even still, his objective was always the same, and always something Byleth could help him achieve.

Then there was Dimitri.

The prince was complicated. He was at once entirely predictable, and all too unstable for any plan involving him not to go awry. All it took was one slip up, a few careless words, and Dimitri would flip the table and take any pretense of geopolitical stability along with him. Another careless word and he would march off into a needless, pointless doom all on his own, and leave the kingdom in a ruined state for a generation.

Dimitri cared about his kingdom and the atrocities it had suffered and committed. Too deeply to not destroy himself, too brilliantly not to inspire thousands to his side, and too completely not to risk annihilating himself and everything he had worked towards over his principles and honor.

And here Dimitri stood, his eyes harsh and pleading behind a neutral façade as he hovered near Byleth's desk, his friend and retainer Dedue standing behind him.

"What rumors have you heard about me?" Byleth's monotoned.

Dimitri bit his lip. "That…that you have…a gift. Of prophecy."

Byleth cocked her eyebrow. "That's…Where did you hear that?"

Dimitri shifted. "A few days ago…I heard from another stu-" Dimitri coughed, recomposing himself. "I mean, I overheard a few students muttering something to that effect, maybe a week ago."

His delivery was far too polished to not have rehearsed that line at least a dozen times in front of an audience.

"May I ask who you overheard, and their exact wording?"

Dimitri coughed. "Well, I don't want to get them in any trouble, and it might just be my own interpretation, and it was in the early morning while the…person… was in a foul mood. So I think it best if I didn't color your opinion of them."

Vague, general statements. Plenty of plausible deniability. Trying to reframe the question entirely. Byleth didn't think Claude's busy schedule would allow him to oversee Dimitri rehearsing.

Sothis growled. That stupid boy. Why must he meddle!

I will corner Claude later. It's been a while since he's pulled something like this. Byleth held Dimitri's eyes. "But you stick by the idea that I can see the future?"

Dimitri tensed. "It seems ridiculous, but…" He sucked in a breath. "You…In the canyon, you knew things." Dimitri waited for Byleth to react. She gave none. "When you saved me by pushing me out of the way of the monster's claw…It was like you already knew what was going to happen."

Byleth remained quiet. Dimitri's eyes hid nervousness.

Dedue broke the silence. "You drilled us in combating monsters the week before we set out to the canyon. You knew we were going to fight the creatures somehow."

Byleth locked eyes with Dimitri. He swallowed, before pressing on. "The magic you cast- I am a poor mage, but I know spells strong enough to sends beasts staggering take years of dedication and training." Dimitri swallowed. "I asked some of your father's mercenaries." Byleth did not allow her face to move. "They said you had never shown any interest in magic, much less cast a single spell." Dimitri lips thinned. "Some say they have known you for ten years. They say you have always been strange, but lately you are…" Dimitri kept looking for something in Byleth's face. "All the mercenaries said you had blue hair until you met us."

"Hair color comes in a bottle."

"I-That's…" Dimitri cut of an exasperated sigh. "That is…not a denial."

"It is not."

Dimitri's eyes grew hard. "Do you know the future or not?"

Well? Sothis tapped her ghostly foot. You didn't tell Dimitri these things for a reason. Just turn back time, grab Claude by the ear, politely remind him not to do stupid things, and then throw him out the window for good measure!

Your concern for the students warms my heart.

Sothis scoffed. It's not like he won't survive. Or land on his feet. She cracked her knuckles. You're stronger than me. Together, we can turn back time for a day, at least. Let's find out when Claude blabbed, then go back and-

Byleth sighed. Dimitri's quagmire of emotions was steadily creeping onto his face as her silence continued. Dedue's annoyance was subtly shifting his stern face. Color inverted, and time stopped. Sothis paused, looking towards Byleth.

We don't need to stop time to reverse it, you know.

In another instant, darkness enveloped them. A dim green light shone, And the two now stood at the foot of their throne.

"We are not going to turn back time." Byleth said. Sothis blinked, but nodded.

"Fine. You want to see how it plays out. That's fine. Whenever you're ready to undo it all, just warn me, because I am not ready to just-"

"You misunderstand." Byleth's voice descended like a guillotine. "We are not going to turn back time. Not now. Not ever."

"What!" Sothis shrieked. "Why not? It's the one foolproof method we have to circumvent anything and everything! Why on earth would you swear off that kind of power?"

"Because I don't know how this will end. It has been a very long time since Claude has tried something like this, and even longer since I told Dimitri this early on." Ailell had spread deep into Faerghus at the end of that life.

Sothis' eyebrow twitched. "All the more reason to turn back time."

Byleth shook her head. "It means something has changed."

"And? So what?"

"I've spent my life trying and failing to escape from an unending loop. No magic I've ever found ends-"

"Yes yes yes yes yes! You've told me. What does that have to do with you deciding to pursue this stupid idea?"

"Because if magic can't help me escape from my prison, then my only hope is to change the course of time. I don't know what triggers my return. Sometimes I'm asleep, sometimes I'm awake. Sometimes I've just ended the Agarthans. Other times I'm looking over humans landing on the moon. I can only guess at is that minute changes in the flow of time affect me and my return."

"And this means…?"

"Dimitri hasn't been told anything this early in a very long time. I've learned how to minimize the damage since then. This is another avenue to explore." Byleth looked out into the shadows. "I've spent countless lifetimes chasing down these what-ifs, in the hope that one of them will change my fate. Will allow me to simply exist, without fear that the next moment I'll be back in that damn village. Again."

Sothis leaned against the throne's armrest. "But what if someone dies?"

"I won't let that happen."

Sothis' head tilted curiously. Byleth stared ahead, uncompromising. Sothis matched her gaze. The dull green light flickered, and Sothis spoke again.

"Are you going to tell Dimitri what he wants to know?"

Byleth's eye drifted down the staircase. In her mind's eye, darkness always hid the graves Rhea had laid. She sometimes wondered If Sothis could see them. "I'll explain myself."

Sothis met her eye again. She sighed. "You're an idiot."

"Even you couldn't possibly comprehend my stupidity."

With a dull flash of the kaleidoscope, Byleth was back in her office. Another flash, and time resumed. She looked Dimitri in the eye. "Do you swear to keep this to yourself?"

Dimitri's lips were thin. He nodded. Byleth turned to Dedue. The quiet man blinked, before dipping his head in agreement.

"Yes. It is true. I can see the future."

Dimitri swallowed. He shifted on his feet, and looked at Dedue. Dimitri's face twitched. Dedue nodded and Dimitri turned back to face Byleth.

"Since our mission to the canyon, at very least." Dimitri's words plodded out slowly, deliberately.

"Yes."

"The…other student claims you can see years into…their future. Is that true?"
"Yes."

Dimitri's gloves audibly squeaked as his fists curled. "Did you know about Lord Lonato?" His eyes stormed through a dozen different emotions, all fighting to be the first to grab hold of Dimitri when Byleth gave her answer. She sighed, and let her answer drip out.

"Yes."

Dimitri's fist slammed down on Byleth's desk. The wood shuddered at the impact.

"Then why didn't you tell anyone!" Dimitri's voice demanded, but his eyes pleaded. "Archbishop Rhea, the knights, your own father, nobody knew why Lonato attacked us! IF you had just said something, anything, I might have been able to prevent needless bloodshed! Instead, Lonato attacked us before I could make him see reason, and Ashe wouldn't- "

"Dimitri." Byleth kept her voice calm. "What makes you think that you would have been able to stop the battle if you knew why Lonato was attacking?"

Dimitri's face morphed into a confused scowl. "I've spent the past week watching myself kill my own subjects every night, why do you think I would want to know how to stop- "

Byleth didn't have time to stop and count all the red flags in that sentence. "What I mean is, why do you think Lonato would let himself be reasoned with?"

Dimitri paused. His eyes narrowed dangerously, but he didn't make any aggressive movements.

"Lonato amassed an army against the church, and then personally attacked the rearguard of the force sent to meet him. He carried a note on his person that told of a plot to assassinate the archbishop. His mind was set."

Dimitri exhaled harshly. "The other student told me that you knew his future in excruciating detail just days after we had met."

They were about halfway to Dimitri's real aim. Byleth let Dimitri take a few more breaths before answering. "That is true."

"Then it stands to reason you knew of Lonato's rebellion. Why didn't you tell anyone? Why didn't you stop it from ever happening!"

Byleth sighed. This was a truly exhausting question she invariably had to deal with, each and every time she returned to the past. Usually Edelgard was the first to ask the question, after she had revealed the fact that she was the goddess incarnate. Sometimes Hubert beat her to the punch. More rarely, Claude would ask it an as awkward a manner as possible for his own curiosity and amusement (Though Byleth would admit that Lorenz's offended squawks were entertaining). Then there were two separate occasions when Raphael of all people asked in front of a crowded room.

If Byleth was the goddess, why did she allow bad things to happen?

"Because I couldn't."

"You knew! You knew he was about to rebel-"

"Dimitri." Byleth did not raise her voice. "How long does it take to assemble an army and convince them to attack an enemy they have no hope of defeating?"

Dimitri stared at Byleth, simmering.

"Even if I could somehow convince Lonato to abandon his crusade," There was a one in four chance of success in Byleth's experience. "That doesn't mean he would just give up his attack. Hatred cannot be so easily tossed aside." When the war started, (and it always did when Byleth went to try and divert Lonato, as convincing Edelgard required all the time Byleth could get) The Lord of Gaspard would pledge his allegiance to the empire, further complicating the conflict. Trying to convince Lonato of the Western Church's corruption when their claws were already so deep into him was difficult, at best. "Just because I know what people are going to do doesn't mean I can change them."

"You could have tried." Dimitri said.

"I could have." Byleth nodded. "But Lonato had long since made his decision. Am I responsible for their bad choices?"

"You have power unlike anyone in history, surely you could have done something-"

"And forgo other responsibilities? I have not been idle Dimitri. Garreg Mach is one of the four seats of power in Fódlan. Many important people and events begin and end here. Should I have left them hanging in the wind?"

The problem of evil was ancient when Sothis was first born, but it still plagued Byleth, again and again and again. In her folly, Rhea had decided to preach that Sothis was not only omniscient, but also Omnipotent. While Byleth supposed the first charge had some truth (now, at least) It was yet another stupid, emotional decision Rhea had made long ago that Byleth would have fix, one painful conversation at a time. Even with the power to turn back the hands of time, Byleth's hold on time was just as preciously limited as anyone else.

Dimitri's had done very little blinking. His breath was on the edge of shortening. He glanced back at Dedue who nodded. Dimitri leaned forward, looming over Byleth, who remained seated. Dimitri took a breath, and then another, before words finally began to tumble out of his mouth.

"What do you know about Duscur?"

And with those words, Dimitri had laid bare his intention. This meeting would no longer be about anything else, and all other questions were of no concern. Byleth breathed in. "Dedue hails from that land."

Dimitri bit his lip. "You know I'm not talking about that."

Byleth forced herself to not look away. "Please be more specific-"

Dimitri's fist slammed on the desk. Wood chips flew everywhere. Byleth raised her hand and cast a shield. Splinters dug into Dimitri's uniform. He did not flinch, and his eyes never left Byleth's. "You know of the tragedy of Duscur."

And there it was. Dimitri's thirst for vengeance. If he was already this high strung, simply telling him would only end in a bloodier tragedy.

"Just because I can see the future doesn't mean that-"

"You don't see it, you've lived it!" Dimitri snapped. "I've played your game quietly until now, but it's obvious your hiding what you really know." A shadow passed by the window, darkening Dimitri's right eye. "You hide and stall. You know so much of Lonato, of Zanado, of everything, but you turn a blind eye to Duscur? Tell me who did it."

And here was the branch of fate. Could Byleth keep Dimitri restrained before he burned down all of Faerghus in his quest for revenge, or could she move him to a place where he would be able to put his faith in Byleth's own machinations? Simply not telling would be similarly disastrous. A dangerously frustrated Dimitri was a dangerously unpredictable Dimitri. Extracting a promise for him not to interfere was equally worthless, as Dimitri was likely to break it at what he thought to be a promising opportunity, damning the consequences at a turn.

A flicker of movement played at the edge of Byleth's vision, and she found her out. "I can tell you some things about the tragedy, if you promise me one thing."

Dimitri's eyes steeled themselves again. "Name your price. To avenge the dead, I will pay any-"

Byleth coughed. "My apologies. I was not asking a favor of you Dimitri."

Dimitri blinked, before turning his head. Dedue's scowl had morphed into a furrowed brow. "Me?"

"Yes."

Dedue shared a look with Dimitri, before his face slipped into a neutral expression. "Name it."

"That you will promise to keep Dimitri from doing anything rash, or attacking anyone before you give me the chance to advise him not to."

Dedue's expression narrowed. "I am just as eager as his Highness to punish the perpetrators. Duscur's dead demand revenge."

"As does my family." Dimitri turned back to face Byleth, eyes burning. "Why? Why should we wait? Why should those killers walk free even a moment longer? Why are they still alive?"

"Because, as you both have guessed, the people who orchestrated that bloody day are very powerful, and simply wringing their necks creates all sorts of unnecessary complications."

"I am the crown prince of Faerghus!" Dimitri's fist fell again. Byleth raised her shield, and the desk collapsed. Byleth looked down at the broken wood before glancing up at Dimitri. A foreboding scowl consumed his face. "I don't care who it is! Whichever snakes need to be destroyed will die at my hand, no matter what pretty little title they hide behind!"

"Their deaths are well deserved." Dedue's expression mirrored Dimitri's. "No matter what, I will protect his highness from whatever assassins and cutthroats the murderers hire to stop us-"

"Even if killing them dooms Duscur forever?"

Dimitri and Dedue stilled, their expressions frozen.

Byleth rose from her chair, brushing aside debris. "Those who you wish to kill also hold the key to exonerating Duscur. They are the only ones who can convince Faerghus that Duscur is not to blame. That-"

"You're wrong!" Dimitri shouted. "When I'm king, people will have to listen to me! Rodrigue already believes me, and together we can easily sway the other lords to the truth!"

Byleth tilted her head. "For how long has Lord Rodrigue believed you?"

"For years. Since the beginning. He has told many other lords the truth-"

"If the word of the Shield of Faerghus and the crown prince, who was the only survivor," Byleth let her voice sharpen. "Is not enough to convince a nation of who the villains of the tragedy are, then what changes when the prince becomes king?"

"I-" Dimitri sputtered. "I'll be their king! They will have to listen to me!"

"Do they listen to your uncle?"

Dimitri grew quiet. He stared at Byleth. She stood atop the rubble of her desk, serene. "The web of corruption that led to Duscur ensnares your nation. To convince Faerghus of Duscur's innocence will be to convince your people of their own crimes. It will be a struggle a decade long." Byleth took a step forward, past the shattered wood and broken finish and onto the stone floor. Dimitri staggered backwards as Byleth advanced. "The first step is to have the conspirator's own records and weapons used against them. To reveal who truly slew your father. For the people of Faerghus to accept a villain other than Duscur."

"Damn the consequences!" Dimitri shouted. "I will avenge my father and mother, the knights, everyone! If my people refuse to accept the truth; I'll force them to!"

"Like your own people forced Duscur to heel?" Byleth asked.

Dimitri slammed his foot down. The floor shook. "The dead must be avenged! If that damns Duscur, then I will burn everything to get my vengeance!"

Byleth remained unflappable. "Do you have an opinion, Dedue?"

Dimitri turned and stared at Dedue. The man of Duscur was staring at Byleth. He turned to Dimitri, and then back at Byleth, before clearing his throat. "The Professor is not wrong."

"Dedue?" Dimitri's voice was a whisper.

"The people of Faerghus bear a great hatred for Duscur. It will take time and patience to change their minds."

Byleth spoke up, and Dimitri's head spun back to face her. "Your goal is to help rebuild Duscur, is It not? I promise you, if you ride out now after I give you a few names, It will remain a barren wasteland."

"I- but…" Dimitri clutched his head. "Revenge…The dead must…But…"

Dimitri stood shivering before slowly lowering his hands from his face. He swallowed. "How…How do I know any of this is true?"

Byleth's lips thinned. She spoke slowly. "I am working with Rhea to uproot the conspiracy. If nothing else, I would ask you to trust her judgment for a few months more."

"And if I take any action…" Dimitri swallowed. "…Duscur is doomed?"

"…All my experience says that it will not end well."

"I…" Dimitri's eyes Jerked down to the floor. "Revenge…I must…But Duscur…"

"Your highness." Dedue stepped forward. Dimitri's eyes jerked up. Dedue bowed. "Allow me another vow, not to our professor, but to you. Allow me to be your shield from all dangers, including yourself."

Dimitri gasped. "I- Dedue, I cannot- what I said, I didn't mean-"

"Your Highness." Dimitri's eye widened. Byleth wondered back trying to think of the last time Dedue had cut Dimitri off. "There is nothing to forgive. Rage burns brightly. It makes us say things we never would."

"I…" Dimitri looked away, shame pouring off his face. "….Professor. Is there nothing else you can tell me?"

Byleth chewed her lip. "…Be wary of Cornelia. She has…poor sources of information. It might lead her to tell you untrue things."

Dimitri stiffened, studying Byleth's face. "…For now, I will put my faith in you." He turned and stumbled out of the room. Dedue stayed a moment longer, before following the prince out of Byleth's office.

Byleth began to turn, before color inverted, and a faint green glow consumed Byleth. She once again stood at her throne. Sothis stood before her arms folded.

"What?" Byleth asked.

Sothis stared at her. Byleth crossed her arms. Sothis' eyes narrowed. "You're an idiot."

"I am aware. Now, if you would-" Byleth stopped when Sothis reached up and slapped her across the face.

"No, you moron! You could have stopped it all from the beginning!" Sothis snapped.

"I just explained how I couldn't do anything. Either Lonato would quietly wait for another moment to march to his death, or he would-" Sothis slapped her again.

"Idiot! You could have just told Rhea that The Western Church was planning to move against her and used that as an excuse to garrison knights in Gaspard territory, preventing Lonato from forming his little army!"

"I can't control all the knights; they might have done something reckless-"

The punch rang Byleth's ear. "Do you even listen to yourself?" Sothis hissed. "You can't control people." She gave Byleth a contemptuous glare. "Thinking only you can save the world. Thinking know what's best for everyone- and don't you dare claim that's true."

Byleth didn't say anything. Sothis' breath hitched. "Next time you decide that you can't do anything, I'm going to have words with you. Remember, you won't let that happen."

With another flash, Byleth stood before her ruined desk. Picking up a piece, Byleth wondered if someone could make anything out of the wreck, or if the whole broken structure was nothing more than kindling.


As always, thanks to Dox for beta reading!

This chapter refused to be written. You may be able to guess just form the writing. I still won't say I'm happy with it, but a month's wait is too long. Expect the next chapter in 1-1.5 weeks.