Lucas and Edelgard arrived at his bedroom. He was very much still worn out from the many bouts of extreme physical training he'd been put through. As a result, Edelgard offered to act as a pillar of support for her good friend, allowing him to lean upon her strengthened frame as the two ventured over to his living quarters.

When the pair arrived at his door, Lucas released one of the arms he'd hung around the back of her neck and used it to fumble around within his pockets. The familiar jingle of keys that sounded from one of his inner pockets provided him with a sense of relief - yes, his keys werestill on his person. Despite the five year gap that separated its last usage from the present day.

Finding some happiness amongst all the pain that binded his body, Lucas somewhat cheerily fished his keys out of his pocket and carried them over to the lock on his door. He rotated them to the left. An oddly satisfying unlock sound confirmed the success of his action.

Then, with only a single push, the door flew open.

"Heh," Lucas smirked. "Looks like it's the same as it's ever been."

"We had no reason to search your belongings or to move any furniture. Although, I…" Edelgard paused. "I came close to breaking down the door several times."

"Really? What stopped you? And why would you even wanna do that in the first place?"

"..." Edelgard couldn't reply right away. A short silence emerged. She grinned to herself. "It would be very hypocritical of me to not answer that. Here I am, wishing to learn of your secrets - yet I cannot seem to share my own. It would appear I'm quite the hypocrite."

Lucas frowned.

"I wouldn't say so," he said. "There's strength in being able to open up. I've learnt that...quasi-recently. If our training session just now has shown anything, then it's the fact that you're way stronger than me."

"In terms of physicality, you mean. Regarding matters of the mind, you would most certainly surpass me in that front."

"No." Lucas shook his head. "I meant what I said. Haven't you seen all the times I've broken down, out of stress or depression? Sometimes even out of both? At the same time? Heck, even now, I find myself wishing to shy away from this conversation."

"Do you mean the conversation we're having right now or the one we are about to have?"

"Yes."

"But you already accepted it, did you not? The way you spoke at the training grounds, your expression; you were resolute. Determined, even. Does your resolve truly waver so quickly?"

"Kind of. It's weird and sorta contradictory. I don't want you to torture yourself anymore, but I'm afraid of what might happen should I reveal the truth. I want to do something, but I also don't want to do it. As I said - contradictory."

"I see." Edelgard seemed unsure of this, yet pushed past her uncertainty. "We may be equals, then."

Lucas thought about his former student's words, having found something strange about them he didn't quite get the full meaning of. His line of thinking was disrupted when Edelgard started moving forward, thus helping him into his own room.

Carefully, she brought him over to his bed and allowed him to sit down upon it. She closed the door before taking a seat at his desk, turning the wooden chair around until it faced the bed. Once Edelgard sat down, the bedroom fell quiet.

For about a minute, at least. Until the fallen princess herself took charge.

"Would you care to begin, Lucas?" She asked.

"With what, exactly? Where do I even start with this kind of thing?" Lucas wondered, placing a hand upon his bearded chin in contemplation.

"Let's start with that...unusual reaction you had earlier after Jeralt left. What was the meaning of it?"

"Ah. Well, uh, that's kind of a weird one to start with. If you really wanna know, I guess I have to tell you. But it'll require a bit of backstory."

"Backstory?"

"Lemme explain."

Lucas breathed in slowly, then released. His hands clenched themselves into white-knuckled fists.

"An apparition of the goddess Sothis rests within my mind."

"What?!" Edelgard exclaimed, nearly bolting from her seat out of sheer astonishment. "You-you aren't telling some nonsensical joke, are you?"

"Not at all. I'm dead serious." Lucas stared directly at the white-haired girl. "Sothis is a part of me. I've been able to communicate with her this whole time. She's...nice. Very nice. But also very smug, and kind of a buzzkill at times. One time, she even - agh!"

The ex-professor briefly jolted in pain on the spot. He soothed his head with his hand, attempting to massage the discomfort away.

"What was that? Are you well?" Edelgard asked.

"I'm fine. Guess that's what happens when I try to be funny." Lucas chuckled to himself. "It's just that, well, she's awake right now. And she didn't like what I just said about her."

"She's awake? You mean to say...the goddess sleeps?"

"Yep. She's been asleep for as long as I have. Five whole years. It just took her an extra day to wake back up compared to me. For whatever reason."

"For whatever reason? Enough with your foolish attempts at humor!" Sothis demanded within the dark void that lingered inside Lucas' mind. "You used quite a lot of my power. Of course I would require more rest than you. Don't be so ridiculous."

"Right. Sorry. Didn't mean to be like that," apologised Lucas, mentally. "I just feel oddly buzzed from all that training I did."

"Perhaps you need some more rest."

"What, like another five-year nap? No way I'm doing that. Not gonna abandon everyone when there's a war going on."

"Did you not do that already?"

Lucas had no response. His eyes, which become distant-looking in the physical realm, pointed downwards as his overall facial expression became one of regret.

Edelgard looked on with much confusion. She was able to put two and two together, yet still was addled in some regard.

"Are you speaking with her right now?" She asked her former teacher, who blinked rapidly in response to the sudden sound of her voice.

"Oh, uh, yeah," he confirmed with a regretful tone of voice. "She helped me realise something just now. I'm...sorry for abandoning you, and everyone else."

"Abandoning us?"

"Yeah. After what I did in the Sealed Forest, I wasn't able to help you guys out with the battle to defend Garreg Mach. Sure, we still won, but it wasn't a complete victory. You know why."

"Are you still blaming yourself for Hubert's death? I already told you it was Thales' fault. Not mine. And not yours, either. You cannot blame yourself for something you had no part in."

"Maybe not, but if I was there, I could've saved him. Assuming I even knew where he was."

Edelgard's eyelids narrowed in suspicion. "What makes you so sure of that? Does Sothis' power grant you the ability to heal deadly wounds, or anything of the sort?"

"Sorta?" Lucas shrugged out of uncertainty. "She grants me a unique ability called Divine Pulse. It allows me to turn back the hands of time. I can use it to heal deadly wounds, but only if I make sure I stop whatever caused that wound in the first place."

"Turn back the hands of time? How is that even possible? Such a power could only be fictional …" Edelgard said in disbelief.

"It's reality, I'm afraid. That's something I had to get used to a long time ago. You know all the battles we had to fight at the end of each month, back when we were in the Black Eagle House?"

"Yes?"

Lucas smirked. "I had to use Divine Pulse quite often during those." His gaze became full of determination. His smirk disappeared. "So many times I saw my students die from a stray arrow, or the violent swiping of a Demonic Beast...I needed to save them, to use Divine Pulse - or else they'd be dead. I could never accept that. Which is why I turned back the hands of time so much."

Edelgard wasn't sure how to respond. Lucas continued.

"As for your question, my unusual reaction earlier was just me, uh, withdrawing into my mind in order to speak with Sothis. Guess I look weird when that happens. Sorry about that, and all this."

"There is no need to apologize. You have not done anything wrong. This is…" Edelgard struggled to find the exact words she needed. "...merely hard to believe. You have made such extraordinary claims."

Her mouth curved into a slight smile.

"But it does explain certain things."

"Like what?" Lucas raised an eyebrow. "Wait, no. I think I know what you're implying. You're talking about-"

"The power you wielded in the Sealed Forest all those years ago. It was Sothis' power. That explains why it felt so divine. I see now."

Her smile brightened.

"How coincidental. That I would come to wield the Sword of the Creator, a weapon made from the goddess' body." Edelgard tapped the side of her Evening Wear dress. The faint outline of a blade's hilt was made obvious by her motion. "And you would come to house the Goddess within your mind. It was as if fate itself conspired to bring us together."

"Heh, I guess you're right. I dunno if you could say it was fate, but it is kinda funny we both ended up having different facets of Sothis' power. Though, I got mine first. And, well, there's a bit more to my situation than just having the goddess inside me."

"Oh? Is there someone else within your mind?"

"Yes, actually. This one will require a bit more of an explanation, since it's someone you're not gonna know about in any capacity. Fuck, how I even explain this one…?"

There was a long pause while Lucas attempted to figure out his next statement. Edelgard remained seated upon the wooden chair, persisting with her considerable level of focus.

"Okay, so," Lucas eventually spoke. "You know about time travel, the idea that the hands of time can be changed. What if I were to tell you that this other person that's in my head is from the future?"

"The future-?"

"But not just that. He's from multiple futures. He's watched Fodlan go down four different paths, or timelines, and now he's here inside of me. His name is Byleth Eisner."

"Eisner?! You mean…"

"Yeah." Lucas nodded. "He's Jeralt's son from a different timeline."

"..."

Not a single response came from the Adrestian. She stared at her former teacher in bewilderment, her mouth wide open as if in a perpetual gasp.

A minute of silence passed.

"There is one thing I do not understand," Edelgard said. "You say this 'Byleth' person is from four different timelines, as you call it, but how is that possible? How could a single individual bear witness to four Fodlans?"

"Easy. Byleth originally had Sothis within him, too. In fact, he's always supposed to be her…'carrier', I guess we can say. Either way, in his original timeline, he merged with Sothis to escape a trap set by the Agarthans. That gave him direct access to Sothis' power - including Divine Pulse."

"And so he used Divine Pulse to experience a new Fodlan? Why would he do such a thing?"

"I don't know." Lucas shrugged. "I think he said it had something to do with a weird, dark entity of some kind, but I know nothing about that."

"You know nothing about it? That's...discomforting. Hopefully, it does not appear for us. I shudder to think what may happen if it did."

"Yeah," Lucas agreed, a worrisome tone present in his voice.

Edelgard leaned forward in her seat, while she mentally dealt with the implications of what she had just been told. Lucas continued slouching at the edge of his bed, unable to move any part of his body lest he became wrought with aches and surges of pain.

The two looked away from one another as they battled with their personal woes. Edelgard's expression lightened when an idea suddenly came to her.

"Since Byleth is from the future, does that mean he is the source of your foreknowledge?"

"Huh?" Lucas snapped out of his deep thinking. "Oh, uh, no. He isn't. That comes from...somewhere else. This'll require another bit of backstory."

"Go ahead. I've been very curious about this for some time. If it's not given to you by someone who has seen many of Fodlan's futures, then I can only wonder what the true source of your foreknowledge is."

"Right. Well, prepare to be surprised. Again." Lucas breathed a weighted sigh, preparing himself for the confusion he was knowingly about to create. "So, you know how I said I come from a faraway land called England?"

"Yes?"

"That was only half of the truth. I do actually come from England, and it is a land that is far away. It's so far away that it's actually in another world, or realm, entirely."

Edelgard sighed. She raised one of her torn gloves to her face.

"Somehow, you never cease to surprise me. With each new reveal, I become more shocked than I ever have been before. I think I am starting to become numb to this," she commented. "But I must ask. What exactly do you mean by 'another world'?"

"Oh boy. Wasn't looking forward to that question. Other worlds and dimensions is a popular and common fictional trope where I come from, so explaining it is kinda difficult, honestly."

Lucas stopped to think momentarily.

"Okay, so, imagine a land that you can't reach through normal means. Like, a boat or a wyvern isn't gonna get you there. A land that is most likely very, very different from the one you currently live in. A land that has countries, cultures and all sorts of locations that simply do not exist where you're from. My home world is like that to Fodlan. Or whatever the name of this universe is. Does that all make sense?"

"Somewhat. So you are from a land that does not exist here…" Edelgard summarised. "I think I understand that. It explains why you speak so differently from the rest of us. Your accent, your word choices, the things you speak of - they are most certainly unusual. It would make sense if those are commonplace in the world you are from."

"Huh. Would've thought such a wild concept as that would be a little more difficult to grasp for you."

"Did you just insult me?"

"No…" Lucas said with an exhausted sigh. "Sorry, I didn't mean anything by that. It's like I said, the concept of alternate universes is such a stark contrast to what the people of Fodlan are generally aware of. You guys don't even know about outer space."

"Outer what?"

Lucas shook his head. Softly - to not irritate his aching body. "Never mind. I can tell you about that later if you really want. It's not relevant to what we're talking about right now."

"I understand. Now, how does your being from another world relate to your foreknowledge?"

"Ever hear about gaming?"

Edelgard blinked. "What? Are you referring to the act of playing a board game? Or does this have anything to do with wargaming?"

"Uh, no, not quite. It's, um...how do I explain this?"

Lucas raised his legs in an attempt to lay them down upon his bed. He jittered as a bolt of pain struck him with the force of a thousand lightning storms. His shoe-bound feet were promptly returned to the floor.

"Okay, not doing that again," he said as he put himself back into a neutral sitting position at the edge of his bed. "So, gaming. It's similar to the act of playing a board game, but it's not quite the same. You see, technology in my world is on a far higher and more complicated level than anything in Fodlan. For example, we have these things called televisions, or TVs for short."

"Tea...vee?"

"No, TV. It's a device that, uh, basically takes light and rearranges it into the form of an image, which is then displayed on a screen for the viewer to see. It does this every second or so. This creates a moving picture sort of effect. Think paintings, but imagine if they moved."

"Paintings that move? How…? This is a lot to take in."

"Oh, believe me, there's a heck of a lot more to this than I'm saying. I personally don't understand how TVs work all that much - I'm no expert. Far from it. But I feel confident in saying that's roughly how they work." Lucas scratched his head as he spoke, powering through the aches in order to do so. "Anyway, back to gaming. There are many sorts of devices that can connect to TVs so that a specific set of moving images can be displayed. Video game consoles are one of them."

Edelgard nodded, although she struggled to keep up.

"Video game consoles are very advanced technological boxes that allow TVs to display moving images from video game disks or cartridges. Disks are little, circular doohickeys that hold lots of data - or information - on them. Cartridges are the same, but they're usually rectangular or square-like in shape. You put either a disk or a cartridge inside of the console, depending on which one the particular console takes, you connect the console to the TV, and then you're able to play a video game."

"I see…that m-makes sense," Edelgard said with an unsure expression. "I think."

"Gaming is a term used to describe the act of playing a video game. But what IS a video game, you may ask?" Lucas carried on explaining, his eyes glancing over the struggle on Edelgard's face. "It's an interactive, visual medium. Think of it like a combination between a board game, and an opera. You've got the player-led nature of a board game like The Nobility's Game or something, fused with the visual essence of an opera. The actions you make while playing affect what is displayed to you."

"An interactive, technologically enhanced opera. This idea is as absurd as it comes."

Lucas barely managed a faint shrug. "It is what it is. Anyway, so, games are a visual medium, like I said. They have stories, music, and all these extra things - like an opera. Uh...where was I going with this? I feel like I'm going round in a circle."

He checked his fingers and rifled through his mental checklist for the conversation, pausing while doing so.

"Oh, right!" Lucas' eyes widened in a mix of excitement and relief. "Games have stories. Which means they also have characters, settings, themes, and the like. In my world, there exists a game that is primarily set in the land of Fodlan. A continent divided up into three major countries: the Adrestian Empire, the Kingdom of Faerghus and the Leicester Alliance."

"Wait. That would mean...!"

"Yes," Lucas preemptively confirmed. "You, Edelgard, are one of its characters. As is Claude, Dimitri, Rhea, Jeralt, and everyone else. My foreknowledge comes from having played this game several times over, thus its narrative has been ingrained into my mind. My memory might be as unreliable as all hell, but I could tell you damn near anything about this game."

"I...am a fictional character?" Edelgard repeated to herself aloud. She sat in silence, pondering the revelation that had been laid out before her.

She didn't like it. The girl frowned, anger abruptly shining through her veil of confusion.

"I am a mere vessel for entertainment?!"

"Whoa-ah, fuck!" Lucas raised his hands in defence of himself - forgetting about his bodily damages. He swiftly lowered his arms. "C-calm down, Edelgard. There's no need for you to get so worked up."

"There's no need?! Lucas, do you understand what you've done to me? I'm beginning to question my own existence. I'm inclined to not believe you. To write you off as insane. Yet, you're telling the truth, aren't you? You usually are. And if that is the case…" Edelgard's rage subsided - somewhat.

It still lingered within her expression, even as it became forlorn. She lowered her head, staring at the floor.

"If I'm a fictional character, then that would mean many know of my past. After all, you know of it. You say it comes from this 'game' of yours. Surely you are not the only one that has...experienced it. How many have done so, Lucas?"

"Last I checked, almost three million people."

"Three million?! I really am a vessel for entertainment…"

Edelgard sighed, and released the tension she'd conjured upon her fist.

"I suppose there isn't much one can do about that. If three million people know of my deepest, most personal secrets, then I can only hope I do not meet them." She raised her head, refocusing her gaze onto Lucas. "How did you come to this world? Is it something that can be easily replicated?"

"I hope not. Otherwise we'd have a whole-arse genre on our hands. Wait a sec…"

Lucas' eyes slowly and gradually widened.

"Oh shit."

"What? Did you realize something?"

"Yeah. Kinda," Lucas said. He almost lifted a hand to his head to help massage away the irresolution that swarmed him, only choosing not to once he remembered the fragile state of his body. "I'm beginning to question my own existence."

Edelgard grinned. "So you understand how I'm feeling."

"Uh-huh."

"Then how about we end this conversation here? I believe I've learned...more about you than I initially bargained. It's also getting late."

"Sounds good to me. I could do with a bit of rest."

Edelgard stood up with the faint beginnings of a smile. She turned Lucas' wooden chair back around so it faced the desk once more.

As she faced the wall, away from any interloping glances, the fallen princess allowed herself a full beam.

"Are you okay?" Lucas asked, calling out from the very edge of his bed.

"Yes. I'm fine. It's merely…"

She turned around, her smile plain to see.

"Thank you, my teacher. Now that I understand more about you, I feel as if you are truly my greatest friend."

"Really?" Lucas raised his head, surprise evident within his voice.

"You have willingly shared with me the most unbelievable aspects of your situation. Some people would keep those kinds of secrets to their graves. Yet, you shared them with me without much hesitation...all to absolve me of my insecurities. I cannot thank you enough."

A vague smile struggled to show itself upon Lucas' face. He quickly tilted his head to the floor, hiding his face from Edelgard's view.

"I didn't do anything special. I saw someone in pain, and decided to help them out. That's what anyone would do. How am I any different?"

Edelgard glared at him.

"It feels like we have this discussion every time we speak. I compliment or thank you for something, then you provide some contrived self-deprecation to immediately discredit whatever I said. It's a never ending cycle. To be truthful, I am growing tired of it."

"Tired? Wha-"

She walked over and forcibly took hold of his head with both of her damaged gloves. Edelgard stared straight into his eyes.

Lucas had no other choice but to return her gaze.

"You are the kindest person I have ever met. Many others would never even dare to disclose what you have revealed today, much less what you have revealed overall. They would likely keep it to themselves, only to share their knowledge when it benefits them or when their secret is exposed."

Edelgard smiled once again.

"But not you," she said. "You shared your foreknowledge on your own accord. In doing so, you have defied fate and overcome many events that were to transpire. Jeralt would be dead if not for you. I would be a heavily despised tyrant, a target for the world's hatred - if you hadn't intervened. Thanks to you, I can finally be me. No longer will I have to hide behind the mask forced onto me by Thales. I can cut a path that is my own. Thank you, Lucas. For everything."

Lucas blushed. He wished to avert his eyes, yet he was still being constrained by Edelgard's immense strength.

He opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted.

"No more saying that you think you're useless. Nothing you do is pointless, or without meaning. You are worth everything to me. Others might not see you in that way, but I do." A subdued blush appeared upon Edelgard's face. "It is only a matter of time before we are involved in another battle. I would like nothing more than to fight alongside you, my friend."

She let go of Lucas' head, but then she offered him a hand.

"Will you accept? Or will you shy away from reality once more and face the possibility of wallowing in sadness forever?"

Lucas breathed a sigh - not for the sake of relief. It was done for the purpose of releasing his pent-up nerves. It also helped to keep him focused on the question that she gave him.

Her offer. It weighed upon his mind, swaying the scales of decisiveness. Sothis kept quiet. She wished to not influence his decision in any way. It was something she knew he had to decide on for himself. The goddess vowed not to say a single thing, or to help in any way.

The ex-professor was on his own. He remained in silence, pondering Edelgard's offer. Occasionally, he'd sneak glances at her expectant face as well as the burnt, torn fabric of the glove pointed in his direction. Lucas was reminded of the pain he'd put her through.

However, her smile was something of an outlier. It greatly contrasted the mental suffering he assumed she'd been dealing with for the past five years. The curvature of her mouth befuddled him.

Only then did he realise. Lucas smiled. He grasped her hand with one of his own, bursting through the pain of unending training sessions.

"I have never seen a smile so genuine. You...you're honest. Honestly happy. I haven't seen anything like that in so long. Not even my own family would look at me like that," he commented, his hand interlocked with hers. "I accept, Edelgard. We'll fight this war together."

"Yes. Let us stand side by side until the day we witness the fall of this corrupt Empire, along with the Agarthans that have corrupted it. We must not stop until they are all wiped out."

Lucas' eyes gained a dangerous glint to them. "Yeah. Those fuckers won't be around for much longer."

The two of them shared a determined glance. They gazed into each other's eyes, finding only the same level of detestation for those that reside within the dark.

Their combined resolution was strong. Invincible, even. Nothing had the might to overcome it.

Nothing aside from an unforeseen set of knocks upon the bedroom door.

"Lucas, are you in there?"

"Seteth?" Lucas responded to the knocks with sheer astonishment. He and Edelgard let go of each other. "What's the matter?"

"I have discovered something you may have some useful insight towards. May I come in?"

"Uh, go ahead."

At the acceptance of Garreg Mach's resident seer, Seteth opened the unlocked door and wandered inside. A piece of neatly folded, beige paper rested in his grasp. He walked over, offering the paper to Lucas.

"I wonder if you are already aware of what this might be," Seteth said, holding the paper at the very edge of his grip.

"We'll see, I guess…"

Lucas unfolded the paper and began to read its contents.

His eyes soon widened.

"This is the note from that one paralogue. Eternal Guardian, I think it was called?" He commented within the dark void of his mind.

"Hmm, how interesting. It seems my daughter has left behind a gift for you. It may be prudent for you to accept," Sothis recommended.

"Is it gonna be what I think it is…?"

"Lucas?"

Returning to the physical realm, Lucas looked up to see Seteth staring down at him. He turned to his side. Edelgard was giving him a knowing glance and a slight grin - as if she knew he was just talking to the goddess.

He focused on Seteth.

"Yeah, I know what this note's all about. Rhea's left something in the Holy Tomb for me, so we should probably go and get it. I don't know exactly where it is, though. I just know it's somewhere in there," Lucas explained.

"I see. The note mentions something about a trap, which I presume is referring to the guardians Rhea created to protect the Holy Tomb."

"Guardians?" Edelgard raised an eyebrow. "Why did Rhea not have them active during the Empire's infiltration?"

"Likely because she hoped Lucas would have awoken rather quickly. She had no reason to suspect the tomb would be invaded, thus she must have kept the guardians deactivated so there would be no altercation whenever she would have decided to bring him down there," Seteth guessed. "As a result, I have a good guess that the guardians are still unactivated."

"Then we should be able to go right down, yeah?" Lucas wondered.

"I would presume so. Are you ready?"

"Yeah." Lucas stuffed the note into one of his pockets. "Let's go. Edelgard, I hate to ask, but can you help me, please?"

"Certainly. If Seteth would not mind my presence, that is."

Seteth's expression was unchanged. "I am unsure why you require her assistance, Lucas. However, I can allow it. Let us make haste."

With the Acting Archbishop's permission granted, Edelgard helped Lucas back to a relative standing position, allowing him to prop one of his arms around her as before. Seteth failed to understand the meaning of it.

Until he heard Lucas scream in agony from all the minute movements he made that agitated his body. Then he understood the necessity of Edelgard's presence.

Together, the three of them departed from Lucas' room.

Soon after locking the door behind them, the three residents of Garreg Mach made their way over to one of the many entrances to the Holy Tomb. Seteth led the way, knowing precisely where the nearest entrance was.

Their combined speed was overall weighed down by Lucas' physical condition. Seteth was fine with having to be a bit more patient than usual. He, of course, understood the need for it.

Seteth, Lucas, and Edelgard ventured up the staircase that led to the sauna. However, instead of going inside, they went around the far side of the sauna building and headed down an increasingly narrow path. It was dimly lit, yet the three of them kept moving forward regardless.

Eventually, they happened upon an obscure stone door. Seteth unlocked it - they moved inside. A thin hall followed. They traversed the tenebrous passage at their usual, sluggish pace. It extended forward for a notable amount of time, until it began to spiral around in on itself while descending further into the ground.

Before long, the group of three arrived upon one of the high-up platforms within the expansive, green-tinted Holy Tomb. Lucas' mouth was wide open as he took in such a familiar, yet also unfamiliar environment.

"This is the Holy Tomb, huh? Looks just like how I imagined it," he remarked.

"That's right. You haven't been here before. But then, you likely already knew what this place looked like," Edelgard said.

"Yeah, I sure did. Still nice to see it in person, though. Very pretty."

"I appreciate your positive comments, Lucas," Seteth interjected, cutting off any further remarks, "but we truly must locate what Rhea left behind."

"Ah, true. We better watch out for those guardians in case they appear. Seems like we're safe?"

They checked the wide open floor of the tomb, finding absolutely zero signs of any defending creatures or apparitions.

"Seems like it. Shall we proceed?" Edelgard asked.

"We shall." Seteth equipped himself with his Spear of Assal. "Proceed with caution, you two. We know not if Rhea's guardians will suddenly appear and attack."

Edelgard and Lucas nodded in response. They knew of the potential danger that laid ahead. Still, they were ready to defend themselves if need be.

The three of them steadily walked down a steep set of stairs that were right next to their entrance point. As they reached the floor of the tomb, their movements became quieter, more careful, as if they believed a single incorrect action would bring about their demise.

Luckily, such a thing did not occur. No guardians or phantoms appeared. The three eased themselves somewhat, but they still stayed on guard.

"I guess it's safe." Lucas turned to Seteth. "Do you know where this gift of Rhea's might be? That's one thing my foresight doesn't cover."

"Unfortunately, I do not. I know it wouldn't lie within one of these caskets, as those are where the Crest Stones are stored. Perhaps it might be located within one of the caskets on a higher up ledge. Follow me."

As per his instructions, Edelgard and Lucas followed Seteth toward the large staircase at the distant end of the tomb. They stepped up the staircase, but stopped after reaching certain points. Seteth went off the beaten path to investigate some caskets that were on ledges adjacent to the staircase.

He was unsuccessful every time.

Over time, Seteth had perused the contents of all the caskets near the staircase. Never was he able to find anything that could even remotely be considered a 'gift' from Rhea. All he found were a bunch of Crest Stones. He doubted one of those would be the so-called gift. Lucas confirmed these doubts.

Because of these repeated failures, the search dragged on for quite some time. Edelgard wished to provide help in regards to Seteth's efforts, but she was already busy providing assistance for Lucas' physicality problems. Seteth was on his own.

After Seteth finished inspecting the last casket in the area, he returned to Lucas and Edelgard's side.

"I do wish Rhea had specified the location of her gift," he complained. "It would have saved us all a significant amount of time."

"Why don't we look up there?" Edelgard pointed to the top of the staircase, which they were somewhat close to, but they were just far enough away that they were unable to see anything that was on there. "I see...something. I'm unsure what it is, exactly. Might it be the gift?"

"It may. Though I would be surprised if it was that tall. Let us see."

At the behest of Seteth, the group of three slowly travelled up the remainder of the stairs. There weren't a whole lot of them left, but their progress was still rather sluggish - just as it had been before.

However, their progress was halted entirely when Seteth's eyes fully peeked over the staircase. He witnessed something that caused him to freeze. Curious, Edelgard and Lucas caught up with him and stood by his side. Their gazes locked onto the bewildering sight before him.

At the top of the staircase was a throne. Sitting upon it was a woman. A woman with divine, light green hair, black cloak, black leggings and an overly detailed attire.

Only Lucas knew who it was.

"This is…" he said within the darkness of his mind.

"Me?"

Lucas yelped out of surprise, startling even the two that were with him in the physical world. He nervously laughed as he spaced out once more.

"Oh. It seems you are finally awake as well." Sothis turned to the source of the additional voice. "Good evening, Byleth."

"Good evening to you too, Sothis. And you, Lucas. May I ask what is happening? Why am I looking at someone that is so similar to me?" Byleth asked.

"We're in the Holy Tomb, looking for the gift that Rhea left behind before the battle to defend Garreg Mach. You know the one," Lucas explained. "And, well, looks like we've run into the female version of you."

"Female version? Ah, you mean from the game. Why is she here?"

"Dunno. This was never explained in the game. Considering you're the one asking me questions about her, I'll assume you don't know anything either."

Byleth nodded.

"I thought so." Lucas sighed. "I know you'd be here instead if the player chose the female you, but that's pretty much all I know. Except for the fact that the version of you that would be here should be awake, because that's how it was in the game. The you that's here, in front of us, seems to be completely unconscious. I can't even tell if she's alive."

"I sense a faint energy from her," said Sothis. "I also do not sense any signs of life. For all I can tell, she's dead."

"Dead? She doesn't look injured...what's going on here?"

Sothis, Lucas and Byleth all entered a state of deep contemplation. They wished to come up with some answer to the epitome of mystery sitting uncomfortably on the throne before them, yet nothing came to them. Not a single theory.

Seteth and Edelgard were equally dumbfounded. They'd moved up to the large platform that was on top of the entire staircase, the one the throne was sitting upon. They approached the sleeping individual and were hesitant to make any sort of contact.

"This person...are they the gift Rhea intended for Lucas?" Edelgard wondered.

"I would hope not. It would be rather strange for her to have an entire individual locked away within the Holy Tomb. How could this person be so important as to warrant being hidden within such divine ground?" Seteth raised a hand to his chin in rumination.

"It is hard to say." Edelgard swivelled her head in Lucas' direction. She waved a hand in his face, snapping him out of his thinking. "Do you know anything about this?"

"No," he instantly lied, shooting Edelgard a glance that informed her of his falsity. "I don't know anything about this woman. And because of that, she can't be anyone important. After all, if I did know something, then it'd likely be because she would play a part in future events. She isn't, and was never supposed to."

"I see. I suppose we can safely disregard her, in that case. Still...it is somewhat disturbing to know Rhea has kept this secret from us."

Edelgard's eyes narrowed, focusing on something on the throne. She pointed in the direction of a slight orange-beige sparkle she briefly saw. "Wait, what is that?"

"That…" Seteth followed her finger.

He smiled when it caught his eye.

"May very well be the gift. Allow me to retrieve it."

Seteth walked forward, closing in on the throne. He carefully reached behind the sleeping unknown, cautiously pulling her body away from the back of the throne in order to successfully pull out the item hidden behind her.

He displayed it, in all its white and orange brilliance, to the two humans.

"The Seiros Shield. Knew it," Lucas said. "That's gotta be what Rhea wanted me to have."

"Seiros Shield? Is that not a Sacred Weapon? This is...quite the gift, I must say," Edelgard remarked.

"It is the same shield used by Saint Seiros herself. I trust that you understand the true meaning behind this, Lucas." Seteth offered the item to the professor. "Here. Although you may not possess the Crest of Seiros, you may be the most ideal person to wield this."

"Do you really think that?" Lucas asked as he eyed up the shield while focusing on Seteth. "I don't know if I do. Why give me such a legendary item…? I can't think of why-"

He was cut short by an attention-gathering cough from Edelgard. He looked over, only to be smacked in the face by her scowl.

She said nothing. Her intense stare spoke a thousand words all on their own.

Lucas sighed in defeat and reached for the Seiros Shield.

"I'll take it," he said with an upset tone, while his hand slowly moved closer to the Sacred Weapon. "I'll have to spend some time learning how to use this thing, though. I've never used a shield before."

"You will have time. We have yet to receive a response from Claude," Seteth informed the other two. "Perhaps Edelgard can help you with those efforts."

"I fully intend on doing so. Once he's had the rest he needs."

"Of course."

Lucas groaned in response. A light giggle could be heard from Edelgard. He wasn't sure whether that was a giggle at his expense or not - he chose not to vocalise this worry. He feared another scowl.

Shaking that idea away, Lucas continued his slow, aching reach for the Seiros Shield. His fingers were mere millimetres away from the Sacred Weapon. After a few more seconds, he successfully grasped the item in question.

But as he did so, a strange, warm feeling came over him. It was as if Heal had been cast upon him - the warmth was just about the same. His mind cleared, his aches partially eased.

"What the hell?" Lucas questioned his hand firmly on the Seiros Shield.

"Ah, you must be feeling the effects of the Seiros Shield's restorative capabilities. If you possessed the Crest of Seiros, it would be far more potent than this, but its current effects should be sufficient for you," Seteth clarified.

"Oh. Forgot about that. If this thing can help me out with my absolutely decimated body, then I'm definitely taking it."

Lucas pulled the Seiros Shield away from Seteth's grasp and held it as close to his chest as he possibly could - without it brushing by Edelgard's side. He embraced the Sacred Weapon like it was a beloved child.

A smile was on his face.

"You seem happy," Edelgard commented on his joyous expression.

"I am. I've finally found salvation," Lucas replied. "I wonder if sleeping with this thing will be a good idea…"

"Heh. That might be worth a try. You'll need as much rest as possible if we're to continue with our training."

"Yeah, I agree. Especially if we get a response from Claude soon. Any more specifics on that, Seteth?"

Seteth shook his head. "No. I sent out a messenger disguised as a merchant only yesterday. I doubt they have even arrived in Alliance territory."

"Wait, you disguised them as a merchant?" Lucas arched an eyebrow.

"Indeed. That was only to protect them. I do not believe pro-Empire forces would allow a messenger from one of their enemies to enter their territory at all. However, a merchant would likely not face similar hostility."

"Yeah, I get it. Makes sense. So we just gotta wait until they come back?"

Seteth nodded. "Yes."

"Well then." Lucas turned to Edelgard. "I guess we'll be training until that happens, huh?"

"I suppose so. Get your rest first, then we shall continue where we left off."

"I...can't wait?"

Edelgard smirked. As did Lucas, who felt the infectiously bright energy radiating from the person next to him. Seteth couldn't help but smile as well.

They stood there within the Holy Tomb, basking in each other's happiness. They knew it wouldn't last for much longer. All three of them were aware of the responsibilities that awaited them on the surface. Especially with the war.

But for now, the three of them learned to appreciate a brief cheerfulness. Even with the presence of the lifeless body of a woman barely any of them knew.

They cherished this moment of contentment.

Author Notes: So sorry this one took so long! I meant for this one to come out yesterday, but real life and personal stuff got in the way. Gonna try to get Chapter 41 out by the end of this week to make up for it. Again, very sorry!

Guess it's time to look at some reviews, huh? Let's see what y'all have been saying.

F in the chat and eseer: Edie and Lucas could very well work as a pairing. Lucas is 23, so there shouldn't be any problems with that (at this point, at the very least). Will I go for it? Well, you'll have to find out.

RedBurningDragon: Ha, full Sasuke. I like that. Anyway, he's probably not gonna become his usual post timeskip Azure Moon self, but that doesn't mean all of his problems are gone. There's still a few things he needs to work out.

Lord-Azrael3: Thank you very much! Glad you're enjoying it so far!

And that's about it for all the new ones, I believe. Thank you so much for engaging with the fic, it really means a lot to me! Hope you all enjoyed this chapter, and I'll see you next time!

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