Great Tree Moon

The icy winds of the Oghma Mountains have begun to scatter, and the verdant fields once again spring to life across Fodlan, heralding the start of a new year. As they celebrate the dawning year, the people pray that they may realize their full potential, just as a tiny sprout hopes to one day grow into a great tree.

"In a few days time, there will be a mock battle between the three houses, intended to gauge the current progress of the students. We will be using this battle as an opportunity to ascertain your own abilities as well. Please do not disappoint the archbishop." Byleth read off Seteth's note to the students as she walked into the classroom the following morning. She hadn't met with the other students in her house yet, and was eager to see what they would be like. However, as she strode into the room, she began to worry. Look at them! Only two or three look like they would last in a battle. This will be nothing like working with Jeralt's group of mercenaries. They stared at her in shock.

"Are you the new professor?" A girl spoke from the side of the cluster of students. She had red hair neatly curled into two rings on the sides of her head, and round blue eyes took up most of her face. Her lips made a perfect 'o' of surprise. "Oh, I'm so sorry if that came off as rude! You just look the same age as the rest of us, and… Oh, I'm sorry I just said that too! I really must watch my tongue…" she trailed off, her chirpy voice fading from the room. Byleth checked her class roster. Annette Fantine Dominic, skilled in dark magic.

"Annette, is it?" She turned to face the girl, and Annette nodded, beaming. "My name is Byleth Eisner, and I am the new professor. Like I said before, there will be a mock battle soon that we all must prepare for."

"I'm not sure we're ready, Professor! The other houses are sure to be stronger than us." Annette shook her head frantically, and she earned several nods of agreement from her classmates.

"I'm sorry Professor, it seems we're all just a bit low on morale. I'll do my best to cheer them up," another voice said from across the group. Her voice was soft, and Byleth could tell she had a kind aura about her. Mercedes von Martritz, skilled in white magic. "Only if that's alright with you?" She looked up at Byleth with hope in her eyes.

"Yes, of course." Byleth nodded while she spoke. "The other classes won't hold a candle to us once the month is through. We'll train hard enough so that we all improve."

A boy with fiery red hair winked at her. "Such benevolence is a sight to behold! I don't suppose you would care to join me for tea? We could discuss education… and marriage." He laughed at his own proposal, but even so, he searched Byleth's face for a reaction. She didn't give him one. Sylvain Jose Gautier, skilled with lances.

"Control yourself, Sylvain. I have more important matters to discuss with our new professor." The boy with navy hair and narrowed golden eyes glared at Sylvain for a moment, then turned to Byleth. "Come to the training grounds later. Then you can show me what you're capable of." He spoke with a smirk on his face, and Byleth resisted the urge to serve him a sharp retort. Felix Hugo Fraldarius, skilled with swords.

"You aren't wasting any time, are you, Felix? As it were, count me in for any such battle." Dimitri replied with a smile, earning a nasty expression from Felix. She didn't have to check her roster, but she did anyway. Dimitri Alexandre Blaidydd, skilled with lances.

"No one wants you there, boar," Felix grumbled so quietly that Byleth barely heard it. He turned away from the group with his hands crossed over his chest.

"Pardon me, but I would also love to observe you in battle, for future reference. If that's okay with you," a small boy from the back of the group piped up. He was a slip of a boy with tousled grey hair and thin wiry limbs. Byleth could even see that his pale green eyes were filled with innocence and happiness. She looked through her roster to find his name. Ashe Ubert, skilled with bows. So that's why he looks like he's never seen fighting before.

As if Dimitri could read her thoughts, he spoke up. "Ashe, I won't have you speak of merely watching. You should join us as well!" He definitely needs the training.

"And, if you get injured, simply say the word and I'll patch you up right away!" Mercedes said, laying a reassuring hand on Ashe's shoulder. Byleth looked around the group, realizing only two hadn't spoken yet. Dedue Molinaro, skilled with axes. Ingrid Brandi Galatea, skilled with lances, she thought.

Sylvain decided to end the silence for them all. "My companions! Is there not something inherently wrong with crossing blades as a way to bond with each other?"

"I think a battle would be wonderful for training." Ingrid's voice was stern, nearly as stern as the disapproving look in her eyes as she surveyed Sylvain. Her long blonde hair was swept into a loose braid that swung while she spoke, and Sylvain merely snorted in response. Byleth began her grand attempt at teaching the students as much as she could before the cathedral's bells rang. However, the bells rang too soon, signaling the dismissal for the students and telling Byleth she was going to be late to Hanneman's meeting.

After racing through the monastery at an ungodly pace, Byleth swung open the door and stumbled into Hanneman's office.

"Professor, I'm sorry I'm late, I-"

"No need, Byleth. And call me Hanneman. I'm not your professor!" he said with a laugh. "Come in, come in." He beckoned Byleth inside and shut the door behind her. "I'd like to use this device I designed to determine whether the power of a Crest resides within you. It won't hurt a bit. Promise." Again, talking about Crests. What in the world are those? He looked up at her, not knowing what her silence meant. But as soon as he saw the confusion in her eyes, he looked mildly concerned. "You don't know about Crests?"

"I was never taught about them." She shrugged.

"Crests are a fascinating topic. But before one can dive deeply into said topic, one must first understand what Crests are. They are power incarnate. They are said to have been bestowed upon humans by the goddess countless ages ago. They exist within the flesh, and are passed down through bloodlines." Could Jeralt have a Crest, and just never told me? No, I couldn't possibly have one. "Those who carry Crests may excel at magic, display exceptional strength, or any number of boons. Each Crest has its own power, the nature of which is beyond mortal understanding. For now," he said with a strange glint in his eye.

"And you honestly believe I have a Crest?" Byleth said, trying to comprehend the ridiculousness of it all.

"I suspect as much, yes. But we won't know for sure unless I look into the matter. As I said before, Crests are passed down by blood. However, just because someone carries a Crest does not necessarily mean their descendents will inherit it as well. Only a scarce few of descendents of a Crest's bloodline end up inheriting that Crest's power." He looked at her curiously. "Perhaps one of your ancestors bore a Crest, and you just happened to inherit it. That is how Crests usually present themselves, after all." So Jeralt might not have a Crest, but I still could. Byleth sighed. By the strange look on Hanneman's face, she could tell he was eager to see the truth.

"Do what you can to find out."

Tentatively, Byleth held her arm over his strange device, a contraption of some sort made out of polished metal. On the other side of the wall, a projector flickered to life.

"In a few moments, a Crest may be displayed there," he said almost gleefully, and he muttered something else that Byleth couldn't quite catch. She was too busy staring at the projection, where interlocking curved lines began to materialize. Her jaw dropped, and Hanneman looked up in surprise. "What is this?" he strode over to the projection, and Byleth's head pounded. She wasn't sure if it was from her lack of sleep, or the overall stress of the day, but her head ached with an unbridled ferocity.

"You're saying… I have a Crest?" she said faintly, and he clapped his hands together excitedly.

"A pattern I've never seen before… Is it possible an as-yet undiscovered Crest has been detected? To think that there are still Crests out there that even I am unaware of. How thrilling!" Hanneman traced his finger over the loops and crosses of the design, then quickly scribbled something down in a notebook. As if he finally realized he was still in his office, and not in some dream world, he turned to Byleth and cleared his throat. "Pardon my unrestrained jubilation. I have much to consider. You may leave now." He nodded thanks and turned around, mumbling research ideas almost reverently. Byleth could see he clearly wanted her to leave, and so she bid him goodbye and fumbled her way to the door.

Byleth had only just dressed when a knock on the door came the next morning. However, when she opened it, only a letter rested on the ground. It was placed in a crisp white envelope set with a crimson wax seal. She lifted it and turned to go back into her room, carefully opening the seal and sliding the letter out of the envelope.

Dear Byleth,

Today is your first day off. In this letter, I have enclosed your schedule for this moon. Please keep in mind that this schedule will help you plan out what you must do, and when. Use it wisely.

Sincerely, Archbishop Rhea of Garreg Mach

First day off? Byleth thought, not knowing what to do with herself.

"I suppose the first step would be to go outside," she said to no one in particular, and shut her room's door behind her. The bright sunlight made everything seem lighter, and it set everyone's faces to a golden glow. A walk around the monastery would be nice. I could go find Jeralt, she thought. And with that, she set off, walking down the line of dormitories. On the way, she saw Claude and a girl with two long, pink ponytails talking. Hilda Valentine Goneril of the Golden Deer. The list of names in her mind was the only thing connecting her to these people, a fact that was more than a little sad. Stuck on her destination, however, she walked past them, returning Claude's wave. Just as she started down the flight of stairs leading to the rest of the dormitories, she heard a voice call out behind her.

"Byleth! Wait!" She turned around, expecting Claude, but finding Dimitri waving her over instead. He was standing with Dedue under a shady tree. Those two are inseparable, she thought. However, before Dimitri could speak, Dedue pulled her to the side.

"His Highness has said that he trusts you, and so I have no cause for doubt. But if you mistreat him in any way, I will take action." His eyes narrowed menacingly, then his face softened. "I hope your teachings will benefit both His Highness and I." Byleth sighed, confused by his quick switch in emotions. This day is not shaping out the way I had envisioned. .

"Dimitri, what was it that you needed?" She tried to keep the annoyance out of her voice.

"I just wanted to offer you help, if you need it." He seemed mildly nervous at her half angry tone, but continued anyway. "I heard about the mock battle that's approaching. I was just wondering if you have anything for me to improve upon."

Byleth thought for a moment, then answered. "I was watching while you sparred with Sylvain the other day. The only reason he was able to anticipate every attack was because you have a tell."

"A… tell?" he asked, the tips of his ears flushing a deep crimson. .

"Yes. Every time you lunge into an attack position, you take a breath, as if steeling yourself. Your enemy will be able to tell when you're attacking, and they'll be able to gain the upper hand easily."

Dimitri nodded while Byleth spoke. "That makes sense. Thank you for the criticism. I will hopefully improve before the mock battle." He cleared his throat. "Also, Professor, if you need anything, anything at all, feel free to ask me. I'd be happy to help with whatever you need." A small smile graced his face while he spoke.

"I appreciate that," she said, and turned to leave. On her way to the greenhouse, she saw a girl with orange hair leaning casually against one of the beams supporting the upper levels of the dormitories. She had a stern looking face with slightly narrowed eyes, and Byleth took note of the lance leaning beside her. Leonie Pinelli of the Golden Deer. She stood talking to Sylvain, a mildly distressed look on your face. Byleth heard her mumble something about Professor, and she walked away, seemingly eager to get away from him. "What was that all about?" Byleth said to Sylvain.

He merely shook his head. "I don't know what her problem is. Most girls know a dashing young man when they see one."

"Most girls don't appreciate a boy who flirts with everyone he talks to." Byleth frowned at him, earning a laugh from Sylvain.

"Maybe that's just you, Professor. Speaking of which, would you like to have lunch with me on this fine afternoon?"

"I can't believe you could possibly think I would agree to that. Besides, I have things to do."

"Like what? Come on, it'll be fun," he said, grabbing her arm and pulling her towards the dining hall.

The month passed with a startling swiftness, and when the much anticipated final Wednesday arrived, Byleth felt a sort of adrenaline course through her. Respecting Dimitri's request, she met him at the training grounds at dawn.

"Professor," he called to her, and she noticed the adrenaline running through his eyes as well.

"Hello, Dimitri," she replied.

"And so, the day of the mock battle finally arrives. Do-" he wrung his hands nervously. "Do you think we'll win?"

"Of course," she said with forced confidence. "I'm looking forward to it. Everyone has learned so much. We're sure to beat the other houses."

He smiled. "I'm hoping the same. Our opponents are mighty, but so are we." The bells from the cathedral sounded, signaling the time to leave the monastery and begin the mock battle. "I suppose we should go. But, before we do, I want to thank you."

"For what? I've only done what was expected of me."

"But you've done so much more. You've inspired all of us to do better. Before you came, we were hopeless, fumbling around with our weapons without purpose. But now we have a reason to fight."

"And what's that reason?" Byleth asked, a curious expression on her face.

"To prove ourselves to you."

"You've got to be joking. Only four students?" Sylvain's expression was one of horror when Byleth explained the rules to the class.

"Keep in mind that the other two houses must follow this set of rules, not just us. Hanneman and Manuela will be present, and so will I, so that we can supervise. Everyone will be using training weapons so that no one gets severely injured, however, you might receive a bruise or two. I may join in on the fighting just for fun," she added.

Felix smirked. "This will be easy."

"Don't be overconfident, Felix. Who knows what tricks Claude has up his sleeve?" Annette retorted, a frown on her face.

"And Edelgard has always been quite ruthless," Mercedes murmured. "I'll be sure to keep everyone's health up."

Byleth thought for a moment, then efficiently decided who should be deployed. "Dimitri, Mercedes, Annette, and Felix, come with me. The rest of you can cheer your classmates on." Immediately the group erupted into loud protests, most of them wanting to fight.

Dedue frantically tapped Byleth on the shoulder. "Professor, you must allow me to fight. I need to protect His Highness."

"You can't deploy me Professor, I'll get hurt!" Annette's high pitched voice rose over the arguing.

"Come on, Professor, Felix over me?" Sylvain said, a pout on his face.

"If you continue to disagree with my decisions, then I suppose these four will be deployed for our next battle as well. And the next, and the next. If you stop arguing and listen to my strategy, I will make sure that everyone gets a turn to fight later on." Byleth sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "The other houses have already taken their positions. Now we're the ones who look unprofessional," she muttered. "Let's go!"

The field was vast, with clusters of trees scattered about randomly. Hanneman, Manuela, and Byleth took their places on raised platforms so they could oversee the battle. I'm going to have to yell for them to hear my commands, Byleth thought bitterly. Claude, it seemed, had already created a makeshift barrier protecting himself and Hilda from the onslaught of her students, leaving Ignatz and Lorenz to deal with them instead. Edelgard and the Black Eagles took up defensive positions on the Northeastern section, staying close to Manuela's platform. We need to take out Ignatz and Lorenz first, and then go for the Black Eagles, saving Claude and Hilda for the last. That way, we'll have as much time as we need to break down their barrier. Quickly, she relayed the strategy to her students minutes before Hanneman raised his arm to the sky.

"Let the mock battle… begin!"

For a moment, everything stopped. No one dared move, except for the trees gently swaying in the breeze. Then, it was like time started again, and her students rushed forward. Byleth watched as Dimitri rushed Ignatz with a speed he had not displayed before. The young boy with glasses raised his bow and fired shot after shot into Dimitri as he approached, but luckily, the prince dodged most. One embedded itself shallowly into his left arm, but since it was meant for training purposes, Dimitri was able to pull it out with little pain involved. Byleth turned her attention to Felix and Annette, who were fighting Lorenz. She was proud to see that they were using the skills she had taught them. Felix dodged gracefully, light on his feet from the agility training she had thrown at them the previous week. Annette lobbed gust after gust of harsh wind towards Lorenz, a fierce look on her face. Several Knights of Seiros appeared to escort a battered looking Lorenz and Ignatz from the field. Byleth was eager to participate, the adrenaline still coursing through her veins as she observed the battle from a distance. The other professors seemed disinterested, but Byleth knew the excitement and fear of battle. Without thinking, she stepped off the platform and charged towards Claude, following behind her own students.

His eyes widened at her approach, then snapped to an intense focus. Claude's skill with a bow was remarkable, and he was able to hit Byleth multiple times before she made it to him. While her students were attacking the Black Eagles, Byleth was left on her own to fight off both Claude and Hilda at the same time. Time to win, Byleth. Focus. Her eyes narrowed in concentration and swung her sword down in a graceful arc, slamming into Claude's shoulder, sending him stumbling backwards. She sensed Hilda's presence behind her, and she whirled around, slashing downwards in an attempt to send the girl's legs flying out from under her. Hilda dodged miraculously, and slammed the blunt axe she held into Byleth's foot. Byleth growled and lunged towards her, lashing out with quick strikes before Hilda could blink, and the pink-haired girl toppled to the ground in surprise, wincing at Byleth's superior technique. She was about to say something inspiring about victory, but Claude attacked her from behind, apparently recovered from her blow. One arm hung limply by his side, but he used one of his many arrows as a dagger, attempting to stab her now exposed back.

"You'll have to do better than that, Claude," she yelled, turning quickly on her toes and smashing the flat end of her sword into the back of his knee, causing his legs to buckle.

"Alright, alright, you win, Teach," he said, panting, his hands raised into a position of surrender. Knights appeared and helped Hilda to her feet, leading her and Claude off of the battle field. Byleth stood there for a moment, breathing hard, then limped towards where her students dominated the Black Eagles. Mercedes was nowhere to be seen, but she was happy to find that the Black Eagles were gone, including Manuela.

"See Professor?" Felix said between breaths, clutching his side. "Easy."

"Right." Byleth said. "We need to take out Hanneman. We can surround him and attack until he surrenders."

"Sounds like a plan," Annette replied, beaming. Dimitri nodded, also out of breath.

As they stalked towards the remaining Professor, Byleth noticed Hanneman's eyes widening.

"That's right Hanneman, we're here for you. You're the only one left," Felix said tauntingly, his eyes glinting. The man raised his arms in surrender as soon as he saw their sinister expressions and shiny weapons. "Coward," Felix muttered, but even he could not contain his smile.

"We won!" Annette shouted with glee. The rest of the class rushed onto the field, enveloping the four in a large embrace while Byleth stood alone at the edge of the field.

"You were amazing, Professor." Byleth whirled around to find Mercedes standing behind her, watching the students. "I saw how you took on both Claude and Hilda on your own. Me, on the other hand, I went down with one hit. I was only able to heal Dimitri's shoulder wound before I was out." She looked extremely disappointed, and Byleth put a hand on her shoulder.

"Don't worry, Mercedes. We'll work on your defense, and then you'll be practically indestructible. Plus, I'd say healing's one of the hardest jobs on the battlefield. Having to watch as your friends are hurt repeatedly, then risking your life to heal them, never claiming victory for yourself. I understand that can be a burden. But you pull it off with such skill and elegance that no one is upset with you. You should be proud, not feeling defeated." Byleth had started off as merely spewing fake nonsense to make her feel better, but found that what she was saying was true. It was painful to see the people you loved get hurt over and over and over again. It was the same thing that happened to her with Jeralt, back when she was too young to fight with the mercenaries. Mercedes smiled and to Byleth's surprise, pulled her into a hug.

"Thank you, Professor."

A/N: Hello, Saffron here! I hope you're all enjoying my story so far. I'm sorry this chapter is on the longer side, but from now on I'm going to start doing chapters by the months at the monastery. Please leave reviews of what you think! Thanks so much!

~Saffron465