Finally, out of the tunnels.
Chapter 37 – Return to the Surface (Horsebow Moon)
"Tell me, will she be alright?" Dimitri asked Mercedes as the blonde healer, who was now conscious, channeled her magic into Flayn, the green-haired girl now wrapped up in a set of rags.
"I don't know," Mercedes answered. "She's lost a lot of blood. I can keep her stable, but we'll need to bring her back to the infirmary as soon as possible."
"Mercie, I was so worried about you," said Annette. "If that jerk hurt you, I'll–"
"No, no, he… he didn't hurt me at all. He used some kind of spell and I just… I must have passed out."
"How puzzling," said Dedue. "Why would he capture you specifically?"
"I haven't the faintest idea."
A second later, the Blue Lions heard footsteps approaching. They turned to see who was coming, and were relieved to see Byleth, Anna and Dorothea emerge from the shadows.
"Professor Eisner, you've returned!" said Dimitri. Then, seeing the state the teacher was in, he said, "You're wounded!"
"I'll be alright," said Byleth. "I've had worse."
"Dorothea, are you alright?" asked Ingrid.
"Y-Yeah, I… I'm still in one piece…" the singer answered, her tone without her usual liveliness.
"When we heard you screaming, we thought you were a goner," said Annette. "What happened down there?"
"Th-The Death Knight… he… he almost…" Dorothea shuddered as she leaned against a wall.
"We're lucky we found her when we did," said Anna. "Tall, dark and gruesome got away, though."
"I'm just grateful that everyone is safe," said Dimitri. "That's what matters most."
"Well, everyone on our side," said Yuri. "Sorry, Professor, but I'm afraid we weren't able to capture any of these guys alive."
"What happened?" asked Byleth.
"They put up a good fight, for starters. I actually managed to catch one of them, but when I was gonna question him, he, well…"
Yuri then gestured to a nearby pile of ashes, one that looked very recent.
"The crazed fool incinerated himself," said Felix. "Our enemy is clearly fanatical to whatever cause they follow."
"We're sorry, Professor," said Ingrid.
"It's alright," Byleth replied. Then, to everyone's surprise, she smiled and said, "Like Dimitri said, the most important thing is that everyone's safe and sound."
For a moment, everyone in the chamber was silent as they stared at Byleth.
"What?" she asked in confusion.
"I don't think I've ever seen you make such a big smile, By," said Anna. "You must be really happy everything turned out like this."
"I… I guess I am…"
"Alright, alright, enough idle chitchat," said Yuri. "I'd say it's high time you all went back up to the surface."
"I agree," said Sylvain. "I dunno about you guys, but I'm officially sick of this–"
"Hello? Hello?!" called out an unknown female voice.
Startled, the Blue Lions turned toward the source of the sound, which had come from another corridor. Byleth looked to Dimitri and Yuri, who both nodded as they moved to follow her with their weapons readied. The trio peered down the corridor to see a series of prison cells.
From one of the cells, the voice again cried out, "Hello? Who's there? Please, please help me!"
Hearing the cry of distress, Dimitri was the first to rush over to the cell. Inside was a red-haired girl with similar red eyes, covered in dirt and grime. She was barely clothed in what looked like the torn remnants of an academy uniform, her outfit ripped apart in places that clearly suggested her captors had sexually abused her. She had her arms wrapped around her sizable breasts, which spilled out of her ruined shirt as she trembled in fright.
"Hold on, we'll get you out of there," said Dimitri. The prince then tried to pull open the bars to the girl's cell, but the metal was too much for him.
Then, with a loud "Ahem!", Yuri strode up and brushed Dimitri aside as he knelt before the locked door of the cell. The lavender rogue fished out a lockpick from his belt and went to work on the door as Byleth walked up to look at the terrified redhead.
The girl's eyes locked with Byleth's as she said, "A-A-Are you one of th-the knights? Please, you've got to get me out of here!"
"Calm down," said Byleth. "We're here to help."
Seconds later, the prison door made a loud 'click' as Yuri finished with the lock. Yuri stood up and pulled the door open, and almost immediately the girl rose to her feet. She barely took a step toward them before her legs gave out. Dimitri rushed forward and caught the girl in his arms.
The girl broke into a series of panicked sobs as she said, "Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you! I just… I…"
"Easy now, you're alright," said Dimitri.
"Please, please, you've got to get me out of here!" said the girl.
"Calm down," said Byleth. "What's your name?"
"M-M-Monica. Monica von Ochs. My father's a noble in the Empire. Oh please, we have to get out of here! I-I-I can't stay here any longer!"
"Please, calm down. Everything will be okay."
Monica continued her cries as Dimitri and Byleth led her back toward the rest of the Blue Lions. Byleth removed her overcoat and placed it over Monica's shoulders, helping to cover her exposed body.
Immediately, Sylvain looked at Monica and said, "Wow, who knew you'd find such a beauty down there?"
A second later, Ingrid let out a loud growl as she struck Sylvain to the back of his head.
"Are you serious, Sylvain?!" Ingrid snapped as Sylvain rubbed the new bump on his head.
"Agh… Y-Yeah, that was bad, even for me. Sorry."
"Okay, I think that covers everything," said Yuri. "If you'll all follow me."
With that, Yuri led the others down another corridor. Within minutes, they found themselves before a stairway leading upwards with a strange symbol carved into the adjacent wall.
Gesturing to the symbol, Yuri said, "This stairwell should take you up to the surface. As for me, I need to get back to Abyss."
"Aren't you coming with us, Yuri?" asked Anna.
"It's better if I don't. If I go up there when Flayn turns up, it'll create a huge stink."
"But you helped us find her!" said Annette.
"Trust me, there's a lot of people in the church who wouldn't care less. They'd find some way to pin the blame on us."
"That's ridiculous!" said Ashe. "We would all vouch for you. Right, everyone?"
The Blue Lions all either nodded or voiced their affirmation.
"Hey, I appreciate the notion," said Yuri. "But in any event, I need to make sure everyone back in Abyss is safe. Hapi might've sighed or something like that."
"I understand," said Byleth. "Thank you for all your help, Yuri."
Yuri nodded to this. He then spun on his heel and slinked his way back into the shadows, leaving the Blue Lions to begin their trek up the stairwell.
Minutes later, they found their path blocked at the top of the stairs, but they could clearly see light coming through. Dedue stepped forward and pushed against the obstruction, causing a loud crash as the bookshelf toppled over.
The students began pouring out into what appeared to be someone's quarters. Dorothea looked around the room and saw numerous weapons arranged along the walls.
"Um, where are we?" asked Annette.
"We're clearly somewhere in the academy," said Ingrid. "But whose room is this?"
Then, Felix looked at a nearby desk and saw a familiar mask laying on top of it. He briskly picked up the mask and, showing it to the others, said, "I have one good guess."
The others immediately recognized the mask.
"Wait, isn't that Professor Jeritza's mask?" asked Annette.
Ashe then asked, "Does that mean Professor Jeritza is–"
The Blue Lions were interrupted as the door to the room slammed open, revealing Manuela and Hanneman at the entrance.
"What are you all doing in here?" asked Hanneman. "What is – Is that Flayn?!"
"Professor Hanneman! Professor Manuela!" said Dimitri.
Manuela immediately pushed past Dimitri and began to inspect Flayn's unconscious form.
After a moment of looking around the room, Hanneman then turned to Byleth and said, "What in blazes is going on here, Professor Eisner?!"
Letting out a loud sigh, Byleth stepped forward and said, "It's a long story, Professor Hanneman. But we first need to get Flayn and Monica to the infirmary."
…
News spread quickly of Flayn's return. Seteth had immediately rushed to the infirmary to see her, but Manuela had turned him away so she could tend to the girl. He had then given profound thanks for Flayn's rescue to Byleth, Anna, and the first-year students, all who had returned to the surface and were now seated in the dining hall. Byleth had ordered a small feast prepared for the students to both reward them for their efforts and help them calm down from the day's excitement.
At one end of the mess hall, however, Dorothea stood alone as she held a small plate with a slice of meat pie on it. She hadn't touched her serving.
"Dorothea?" said Edelgard as she strode up to the brunette.
"E-Edie!" Dorothea said, startled by the princess.
"Professor Eisner told me what happened in the catacombs. Are you alright?"
"I… I'm still alive, aren't I?"
"That may be so, but from what I heard, the Death Knight nearly killed you. Are you certain you are–"
"Edie, stop it. I'll be fine. It's not the first time someone's tried to kill me like that."
"Dorothea, as your friend, I'm worried about you. I–"
"I said stop it, Edie!"
A loud clatter brought the clamor in the dining hall to a dead silence as Dorothea threw aside her plate, which shattered upon hitting the ground. Everyone in the dining hall was now staring at the diva and the Imperial princess, the latter who looked at Dorothea apprehensively.
"I said I'm fine!" Dorothea snapped.
But then, a second later, she realized everyone was staring at her. Slowly she turned to see everyone's faces, many with looks of concern.
"I… I'm just…"
Dorothea couldn't manage another word. With a loud sob, the singer rushed out of the dining hall as everyone watched in stunned worry.
A minute later, Dorothea reached her room in the dormitories and slammed her door shut behind her. For a moment, she kept her back pressed against her door, listening for anyone outside. She could not hear anyone nearby.
She then stumbled toward her bed and fell onto it, and for the next half-hour she could do nothing but silently cry herself to sleep.
…
Edelgard cursed herself as she left the dining hall. She should have been more delicate with Dorothea, but now her dear friend was clearly in turmoil.
The princess didn't know what to do. After all, in some way, Edelgard was responsible for what happened to her. She had dragged Dorothea along into Abyss, and it was because of this that she had ended up in the Death Knight's clutches. If it hadn't been for the Professor…
"Edelgard?" said Byleth, as if on cue.
"Professor, how is Flayn?" asked Edelgard as she composed herself.
"Manuela says she needs a good amount of rest, but she'll pull through."
"I see. And Monica?" Byleth nodded, so Edelgard said, "That's a relief."
Then, as Edelgard let out a sigh, Byleth asked, "What's wrong?"
"It's Dorothea, Professor. I don't think she's well at all. What happened to her down there?"
This question brought a look of regret to Byleth's face. The teacher clenched her hand in a fist as she turned her gaze away from Edelgard.
"She was separated from us, and the Death Knight came after her. If I had been there a second later," Byleth said, her voice shaking, "that monster would have…"
Byleth clenched her fists so tightly that Edelgard thought she was about to draw blood.
"I… I should have been there sooner. I should have been faster, stronger. I let her down."
Edelgard was silent for a moment, and then said, "You did nothing of the sort, Professor. You were there when she needed you most. You cannot say you let her down. But now she faces a different battle, and I feel she will need your help more than ever."
There was nothing more to be said between the two. Edelgard turned and made her way toward the dormitories, leaving Byleth to ponder what to do next.
Poor Dorothea, right? You don't just come out of nearly dying three times in as many weeks like nothing's wrong.
This stuff is VERY tricky to get right, so I hope you guys appreciate it.
Also, I heavily changed how Monica is found because of how it felt strange how she's found in-game unconscious next to Flayn (I assume you all know the deal with her). Having her in a prison cell waiting to be rescued felt more believable.