Sequel to The One Left Behind. It's not really necessary to read both, but I'd advise doing so for the full effect.

Enjoy!

Byleth awoke in a cold sweat, dark hair plastered to her forehead and chest heaving for breath. Slowly, she made to sit up, trying her best not to disturb the bed's other occupants. It was a wasted effort.

She sighed as she caught sight of Ashe's open-eyed stare watching from the pillow next to her. Even in the dark she could see the worry etched into his forehead—or maybe that was her imagination. Either way, he was clearly awake.

"Byleth, are you okay?" he asked, voice a hushed whisper she had to strain to hear. On his other side, Claude appeared to sleep on, oblivious.

Lying to him was probably futile, but the truth was out of the question. She settled for a strained smile. "Just a dream," she said, matching his low tone. "I'll be fine."

"...are you sure? If you want to talk about it, you know I'm always happy to listen."

She reached over and cupped his face, lightly stroking his cheek. "Thank you, Ashe. It means a lot, but not...not right now."

Her eyes were slowly adjusting to the dark, so she did not miss the way he turned away, gaze locking on the wall. Her heart clenched. "Ashe..."

His gaze darted back to hers, too quickly to be anything but forced, and she could not help but frown at his weak smile. "I-it's okay. Really, Byleth. As long as you're okay."

It wasn't. He only stammered like that around her when he was trying to hide something. It made him a terrible liar. "It's not. What's wrong?"

He fell silent a long moment, clearly warring with himself. She waited, patient, while he sorted himself out. At length, he sighed, deeply, and pushed himself up.

"I...I don't want to trouble you, Byleth, it's just..." He paused, biting at his lip. Still, she waited patiently. "You've...you've helped me so much. I just...wish I could do more for you."

She shifted closer, letting him put an arm around her and leaning into him. "Oh, Ashe. You've done more for me than you know," she said softly.

"I-I'm glad, Byleth, really, but..."

She shook her head. "It was just a dream, Ashe. It was about the war," she offered weakly. "I don't...really want to talk about it."

"...you never do," he murmured, voice barely audible.

"I suppose I don't," she agreed at length. "I don't want to go back there."

"Can you..." he sighed. "Never mind. I'm sorry for pushing you."

"Oh just talk to him, By." She jumped at the sound of Claude's voice. A quick glance over Ashe revealed that Claude was still laying down, and in fact had not even bothered to open his eyes. That wasn't about to stop him from adding his two cents, however. "I'm curious, too."

She sighed, suddenly outnumbered and much too tired to argue. Especially not about something she was so tired of keeping to herself. There was one thing, however...

"...fine, but if I tell you, Ashe, you need to promise not to blame yourself."

"Blame—Byleth, what is it?"

"Promise. Me."

"O-okay."

"Go easy, By. Hard to promise anything when we don't know what it's about."

She sighed but conceded the point. "Very well. But Ashe—I don't blame you, okay?"

He didn't respond, but the hand across her shoulders squeezed her firmly. She figured that was the best she was going to get.

"You...remember Ailell?" Beside her Ashe's breath hitched audibly. "Of course you do. How could you forget? Shit, I just..."

Claude shifted, rolling onto his stomach so he could throw an arm around both of their waists. It was a simple gesture, but she appreciated it nonetheless. She caught his hand and entwined their fingers.

She took a deep breath, deciding to start elsewhere. "Ashe, do you remember what we told you?"

"U-uh, um...I...maybe?"

"Try again, By," Claude scolded her gently, not lifting his face from Ashe's pillow.

Right. Uh. "About...me?" She shook her head. Why did her thoughts feel so scrambled all of a sudden? Well, she knew why—because under no circumstances did she want to have this conversation—but it was still incredibly frustrating. "About what Rhea told us about me."

"O-oh, right. Um. About...Sothis, you mean?"

Blyeth nodded, relieved. "She...well, I mean I—because of—"

"Rhea did something to By when she was a baby that made Sothis be reborn along with her, using By's body as a vessel. Instead of true rebirth, however, Sothis gave her power to By and vanished." Claude snorted. "Honestly, you two really were made for each other."

Byleth squeezed his hand. "That's why we have you."

The squeeze was returned. "And you're lucky to have me."

Ashe chuckled faintly. "We are."

Byleth matched Ashe's soft laugh. "Right, so...what Claude said. But...I don't think I ever really told you two what...what that power entails."

"There's more than the Sword the Creator?" Claude suddenly sounded very interested as he sat up. "What is it?"

"...there's a lot more," she admitted. "The main thing is, I guess...I...can turn back time?"

Silence. She glanced between her two men. As best she could tell in the dim room, Ashe looked surprised, and perhaps a touch confused. Claude just looked contemplative.

Claude was the first to speak. "So, if you can, as you say, turn back time, does that mean—" Claude cut himself. "What I mean is, did you use that on the battlefield?"

Astute as ever, her Claude. She nodded. "I can't turn it back very far, but I can...enough."

He pressed on. "And did you use it, perhaps, to...save people's lives?"

She swallowed and nodded again. Claude and Ashe both spoke up, almost on top of one another.

"Shit, By. How many times—"

"Have you...seen us die?"

She took a long, shuddering breath. Claude wasn't looking at her, and Ashe couldn't seem to take his eyes off of her. "It's...okay," she said, in lieu of an answer. "It...it's not real."

"It was real!" Claude snapped. "Don't try to play off like it wasn't. Dammit, By, how long have you been carrying this?" He shook his head. "No, don't—I know the answer, just..."

"You should have told us sooner." Ashe's voice was quieter than Claude's, steadier. But no less hurt.

Byleth smiled sadly. This was exactly why she hadn't said anything. "I know, I know. But it's not like you could have done anything."

"We could have been there for you," Ashe said, voice soft but firm. "Goddess, Byleth, I'd never wish for you to bear this by yourself."

Her heart swelled. "You already are, Ashe. Both of you. I'm probably the luckiest woman-half-possessed-by-a-goddess in the world."

Ashe sent her a fond smile that made her feel as though her chest would burst. Gosh he was beautiful...

"So...what's this got to do with Ailell?"

Claude's question dashed that train on thought faster than it had come. With a sad smile, she glanced away from them both. "Right. Well..." she took a deep breath. The pressure in her chest was entirely different than it had been a moment ago, and she found herself struggling to get the words out.

"Did...someone die, there? Did one of us—" Ashe asked.

She nodded, because there wasn't much else to say.

Claude's hand squeezed hers, and she found her gaze drawn to him. It was easier than looking at Ashe right now. "Shit. Sorry, By."

She shook her head. "It's...it's worse," she admitted. Gathering herself, she made herself look away from Claude to catch Ashe's gaze. "Ailell is where I killed Ashe."

You could have shot an arrow and it would have gotten stuck in the heavy silence that filled the room following her announcement. Claude was the first to break it, an awkward laugh huffing past his lips.

"You're...joking, right? C'mon, By, that's not..."

"...she's not lying." Ashe's voice was very nearly too quiet to be heard. "At least, I don't think she is."

Byleth closed her eyes and nodded. Ashe wasn't stupid, and she suspected he had already pieced together much of the truth. Heck, maybe he could clarify a few things for her, because goddess knows...

"Okay, okay," Claude said. She could hear the frown in his voice. "I think you better tell us what happened."

She swallowed, nodded, and did just that.

Ailell was horrible. It was hot, but that was a given, no, there were worse things. A quick glance over her troops revealed nothing but discomfort and unease as they waited the call to battle; nobody particularly liked that they had been ambushed. It also stank, like sulphur and sweat and something else she couldn't quite put her finger on. Soon, the scent of death would join the rest.

"Teach! I think you need to see this."

She stepped forward at the call from Claude, her boots crunching on the uncomfortably hot gravel as she walked over to him. "What is it?"

Claude wasn't quite meeting her eyes. "...so, remember that thing you've been looking for since the reunion?"

"Thing?" she glanced at him, confused. "What thing?"

He clapped her shoulder, and something in his eyes put her on high alert. "Look."

She followed his finger. What on earth—

She recoiled, eyes wide, and breathed, "Ashe."

"'Fraid so," Claude said. "Looks like this is where he got off to."

Byleth couldn't quite find her voice. What on earth was her—her confidant, her fishing buddy, her gardening advisor, her cooking companion—her best friend, doing here? On the opposite side. Her stomach felt like it was made of lead. She had missed him terribly the past few months, and she could only imagine how he felt.

...but there he was. By the goddess, what had happened to him?

"Teach?"

"I need to—"

"Just say the word, and I'll go straight over there and beat some sense into him."

"No. No I'll go. I have to go," she said. How could she leave this to anyone else, even Claude?

"...I don't think that's a good idea, Teach. I think you should leave it to me."

"No!" She snapped. Then, taking a deep breath, she said in a steadier voice, "No, Claude. I'm going."

"At least let me back you."

"I'm going alone. Lysithea! Warp me!" She hollered, taking off at a sprint so as not to give Claude a chance to protest. She heard him mount up, but she would be faster.

"Professor...?"

"There!" Byleth ordered, gesturing to where Ashe was stationed, with a small regiment of archers. "Blue coat!"

To her credit, Lysithea didn't waste time with more questions. The moment Byleth reached her, the magic struck and she felt the jarring sensation of being in one place one instant, and a half kilometre away the next.

She hit the ground smoothly, her blade in hand. Lysithea had sent her exactly where she wanted to be, and this close she could easily see that it was...well, it was definitely Ashe. The look of surprise and fear that flashed across his face when she appeared stabbed at her heart. There was no time for pity, however, and she jerked her blade, extending it. Just...disarm him. She needed to disarm him.

She sent the blade forth, a wave of fire pulsing through it like a heartbeat. It wasn't a particularly savage strike, aimed to force him to back off. She was confident he would easily dodge it.

Only her blade met resistance, and to her horror hot blood hit her hand, her clothes. Her face. Blood. Ashe's blood.

In shock, she dropped her blade, and darted forward as he fell, legs giving out under him. She hit her knees as he hit the ground and grasped his shoulder.

"Ashe! Why...why didn't you dodge?" She forced out.

"By...leth..."

His eyes were unfocussed. His blood was seeping through her clothing and soaking her knees. She couldn't quite make her brain work as she clutched him, pulling him closer. Healing, she could—

His eyes fluttered closed, and his short breaths grew shorter. She placed a hand over his wound—shit she'd opened nearly his entire torso. Was that—? Those definitely weren't supposed to be visible. She nearly retched. But she was a hardened soldier, and so she collected herself and pressed her hands to his wound. And she healed.

Weak. He was so weak. He was too weak. His body just wasn't responding to the magic.

Hot air gusted over them, accompanying the beating of mighty wings. The ground shook as a wyvern landed near them. She didn't glance up, even as a pair of boots landed heavily next to her.

"Teach—!"

The first time she reached for the magic, it wouldn't come. She could feel tears on her cheeks, now, and her entire body was shaking. Her second attempt worked, and she sent out an overwhelmingly strong pulse. Just a few seconds, she just needed a few—!

She sent the blade forth, a wave of fire pulsing through it like a heartbeat. It wasn't a particularly savage strike, and she further pulled it, drawing her arm back so the sword didn't have enough reach to hit Ashe. It cut his weapon instead. He dropped it immediately.

Keeping her gaze averted, she lunged, retracting the Sword of the Creator and pressing it to his throat. She made certain not to over reach with the blade, fearing he would not dodge again.

She couldn't meet his eyes. In the distance, the sounds of battle. Over even that, the sound of Claude and his battalion flying in despite her orders. But he was alive. She couldn't bring herself to look at him...but at least he was alive.

"Shit," Claude swore as she finished her story. "By, that's—"

"I'm so sorry," Ashe said over him. His voice was strained, and a quick glance confirmed that he was staring down at his hands. "I'm so sorry, Byleth."

"...please, don't," she pleaded softly. "I...I don't want an apology, Ashe. You have nothing to apologise for." He finally looked up, and she caught his eye as he swallowed heavily. "I just...want to know why." That had been eating at her for years.

Confusion flitted across Ashe's face. "Why...?"

"...why didn't you dodge?"

His breath hitched quite clearly, and his gaze dropped once more. "O-oh. Um. I...I, uh, I don't...I don't know, exactly," he murmured. She was about to comment when he continued. "But...I think...maybe I thought if I died, you'd...spare my men."

"Ashe—!"

"I also...I didn't want to live...in a world where we were enemies," Ashe blurted out, cutting her off as he found his stride. "If we had to be enemies, I thought...maybe I would be better off...not here. I...had considered it, before. After...after they ordered us to..."

Claude got to him first, but that didn't stop Byleth from yanking them both into a hug.

"You idiot," Claude breathed, arms tight around Ashe. "That was the opposite of what we wanted."

When Ashe didn't respond immediately, Byleth poked him firmly in the side. "He's right, Ashe. We wanted to find you and bring you back, just not like that. I would have parted the damn sea to bring you home."

Ashe's breath hitched, his shoulders shuddering faintly. Byleth rubbed his back gently.

Claude took Ashe by the shoulders and tenderly pushed him back. He then leaned in and wiped the tears from Ashe's face with his thumb. "That goes double for me," Claude promised, then kissed him.

Byleth wrapped her arms around Ashe from behind and leaned into him. "I'm...sorry, Ashe. I'm sorry all of this happened. But it's in the past, and we're passed it, now. You're with us, and we're all alive and honestly? I've never been happier."

"Same, same," Claude said.

Ashe let out a long breath. "Me...me too."

"Great, we're all in agreement! Now, enough depressing shit. I'm gonna go make tea."

Byleth sent Claude a fond look as he made to get off their bed. Both of her men were so wonderful.

Before he had done more than inch towards the side of the bed, the bedroom door crept open. "Papa?"

"Rhea? Sweetheart? What is it?" Claude asked, now really scrambling off the bed. He went to their four-year- old daughter and scooped her up.

"Heard a weird noise, papa."

The two returned to the bed. He set her down gently, and Rhea crawled into Ashe's lap, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Daddy, m'scared."

Ashe hugged her back. "I'm here, darling."

"What did you hear, Rhea?" Byleth asked, rubbing her back.

"S'monsters, mommy," Rhea said, pushing back from Ashe's chest. Byleth carefully wiped the tears from her freckled cheeks.

"Well, we can't have that!" Claude said. "Shall I go deal with them?"

Rhea nodded. "Get 'em, papa!"

Byleth smiled as Claude marched off, prepared to do battle with the fictional monsters.

"Well, while papa handles that, do you want to sleep with us?" Ashe asked. Blessedly, Rhea's appearance seemed to have dashed the pain from him. It certainly had Byleth, at least for the time being.

She nodded, settling down between them. Byleth laid back down, throwing an arm around both Rhea and Ashe, and pulling close to them. "I love you."

"Love you, mommy."

Ashe met her eyes over Rhea's head and smiled. "And I love you."

"Love you, daddy."

"Don't forget to love me," Claude said lightly as he returned, "your returning hero."

"Papa! Love you, papa!" Rhea said. Clumsily, she scrambled over Ashe and landed in front of Claude.

Blyeth laughed. "Okay, okay. Now it's time to sleep."

Rhea giggled as Claude picked her up and tossed her down, before hopping into bed and trapping her between himself and Ashe. Safe and comfortable, she settled down and drifted off quickly.

It did not take Byleth long to follow suit.