Day 1 Of The Lone Moon

"When were you going to tell me?!"

Santaniel winced, not because she slugged him in the arm, but because he didn't want to have that kind of talk yet, but he answered anyway.

"I was hoping I wouldn't have to. I'm already getting started on cures, I was hoping to surprise you by the time the war was over with the cure." She groaned in frustration and leaned into him, "How much time?" Santaniel blinked, "A bit under a year now-"

"You're not allowed to fight anymore,"

Santaniel recoiled at the statement, confusion smeared across his face, "What-"

Her eyes were tearing up and his heart cracked, "No- Lys- I can still fight! I just can't transform. Every time I do, the condition grows worse. I don't have to do it to fight, you know that." Tears started rolling down her cheeks and he couldn't think of anything to say. Instead, he just wrapped his arms around her.

'I'll protect you. If I can do that I'll be happy.'

"I promise I won't transform, ok?" She looked up at him and tears were still rolling, "Lys. I won't leave you. I promise."

He smiled at her as warm as possible and brought her back in for an embrace. "I'll be ok. I promise." She pressed into him harder and he winced in pain, "I love you too much to die on you. I'll fight as sparingly as possible, ok?"

She finally squeaked out her approval and he turned her chin up to him, giving her a small kiss. "You better keep it…"

'I probably won't. Let's just hope this ends quickly…'

———

Day 4 of the Lone Moon

Santaniel laid the mirror on the ship and signaled to Claude that he was ready. The Almyran man smiled as they raised all anchors and were off. "Hey Claude."

"What's up Santaniel?"

"I need you to swear something to me really quick."

"Uh, what's up?"

"If I die in this war, you complete my research and cure Lysithea. I have several leads to Saints and they're important. So when we hit my island, I want to travel there and make some interrogations."

Claude blinked at him a couple times and eventually stammered out a yes, "Listen. I'm a realist. You know that. The reality of the situation is that there's about an eighty percent chance I either die in battle or don't complete the cure. Lys has a lot of time left. You both are smart and can figure it out. I…" He breathed, this was hard to talk about.

"I just want contingencies. That's all."

Claude firmed up and smiled, "You can count on me for a plan."

"Good."

———

Day 22 of the Lone Moon

"Land ahoy!" Santaniel cheered and watched as the ships landed on his home beach, he and Hephaestus hopping off quickly to run inside.

Getting the mirror ready was a bit of a hassle, having to get undone from the wall and into the living room. He poked his head through, and scared the living shit out of a soldier.

"Hey! Landed on the island! Come on through!" He backed out of the way and people funneled through the mirror two at a time, Hephaestus directing them outside and onto the ships with the loads of supplies they brought. "Hey Hephaestus?"

"Yes?" Santaniel had a dangerous gleam in his eyes and he read it perfectly.

"Research time?"

"Research time."

———

The plan was for Hephaestus to come to Lake Teutates with Linhardt, Leonie, Byleth, and Seteth.

Not to fight a giant ass angry snapping turtle who summoned illusions of fighters once lost.

Hephaestus grumbled as he casted Bolganone on the things face, not even a scratch. He casted scry, and peered into its mind.

"Listen Indech, we need some damn answers. If you won't answer them, I'll beat them out of you!" The thing swung at them with his tail, missing by a long shot.

"How do you know me human?"

"Because Ernest was my mentor's wife. Now start spilling!" The giant thing stopped attacking, his eyes turning to a hard questioning glare. "Ernest died almost a thousand years ago-"

"I'm the caretaker of her son. His name is Santaniel Blessing. He's a half breed. Just listen. They're most likely confronting Macuil in Sreng as we speak. You have to believe me. If we get the answers we need from you, we might have a chance to save him."

The turtle lowered it's head to Hephaestus' height, gazing through him and into his soul. "You are telling the truth. You must tell me all that has happened with Ernest, then I shall grant you what you wish."

He bowed his head, "I would like for you to grant my friends here the opportunity to take your bow, seeing as you won't be using it anytime soon."

"If you hold your end of the bargain. It is fine." Hephaestus gave them the go ahead, but motioned for Seteth to come to him. "We also brought Cihol here. He can confirm that Santaniel is Ernest's son."

Seteth looked aghast that he'd been figured out, but nodded. "It is true. It seems that our sister had survived until recently, when she was killed by our enemy from long ago."

Indech leaned forward, "I have many questions for you too brother, and what has happened to Cethleann?"

"She's with Santaniel and Claude Von Riegan attempting to reason with Macuil."

Hephaestus stepped forward and blanketed the man's head with Santaniel's jacket, the Crest of Indech's respective gem in it and the beast flashed, growing into its human form. "Sorry, it's a bit easier to speak like this without craning my neck."

In front of them was a very tall and broad shouldered man, the same green hair as Seteth and slightly sharper facial features. "How-"

"Long story. But the question I have is about the removal of Crests…"

———

"You have my own blood, child… Just who are you?" Macuil breathed heavily on Santaniel, having inhaled his scent.

Both were covered in cuts and bite marks. "The product of an experiment. I'm also the son of your sister, Ernest." Macuil laughed heartily, "How am I supposed to believe that when my sister-"

"Uncle!"

"Cethleann?" He turned his attention to Flayn and rocked his head to the side. "Yes Uncle. It is me."

"Where is Cihol and Ernest then?"

Santaniel stepped forward and answered, "Cihol, or Seteth as he goes by now, is at Lake Teutates along with my caretaker. They intend to ask about the Crest removal surgery. As for my mother, she died protecting me a little over eighteen years ago, she was killed by Agarthans. It's also who we're fighting now."

Macuil visibly grew disgusted at the name of the foul race that plagued Fódlan, "I am still untrusting of you… If you are that of Ernest, then why would you search to remove your Crest?"

"Because it's your Crest I'm searching to remove. I'm the product of an experiment, and so is my girlfriend Lysithea. I have a finite amount of time left, so please, help me." Macuil leaned down and sniffed at his amulet, Santaniel took the gist and he set it upon Macuil's neck, and he flashed, coming to a humanoid figure.

He looked like his mother, just a more masculine version. "I shall help you as you are of my kin. If you wish to save those who you love, you will pay careful attention."

Santaniel smiled and pulled out a notebook and pencil, "As always Uncle."

The man went on about the intricacies of how to perform it, how they'd need to perform a very taxing ritual, but also how they had to master said spells. If anything went astray, it'd kill them. Santaniel ended up using his entire notebook and he thanked Macuil profusely, "I… thank you. You may have just given me and Lysithea a second chance at life. I know you despise humans, how they were awful to you and Nemesis… You're a kind Nabatean. Also, I heard that you kept some of your older treasures around?"

Macuil sighed and smiled, "I suppose Ernest did have her curiosity passed on. I see a lot of her in you young one, she was always willing to learn and grow stronger. As a gift for letting me gain closure on my sister's lost soul, you can have some of my best works, and a spell that had only been used by our race for so long."

"Uncle, you can't mean-"

"Hush Cethleann. He is family."

Santaniel wrote down the spell, it's name was Archangel, translated to a Human's tongue.

"What does it do?" Macuil smiled, "You'll know when the time comes. You may take the Sword of Belgata and my staff, Sturmrufer."

Santaniel smiled, "I know I might be trying to get rid of your Crest, but thank you. You can join us, you know?" Macuil shook his head sadly, "Me and Indech swore we'd never get involved within human affairs again. I wish you luck as my family, but you must cut this path alone." He took the amulet off and handed it back to Santaniel, who accepted it and dropped it around his neck, Sturmrufer slotted alongside Leistrung.

"I'll come visit you. I promise. Maybe someday you can come to my mother's grave as well."

———

Day 27 of the Lone Moon

"Hey uh, Santaniel?" The half breed turned and made eye contact with Cyril, looking surprisingly nervous.

"Hey mate, what's up?" Santaniel turned back to looking out the window of his home, some of his former classmates taking their sleep in the downstairs section. The Almyran boy joined him by the window and they sat in silence, that he thought was comfortable, but seemed unbearable to him.

"If you have something to speak about, do it." Cyril stumbled on his words at first, eventually getting it out, "I- I want to apologize for when I forced a kiss on to Lysithea back at the academy." Santaniel tilted his head at him in question, suddenly remembering.

"Oh. Well, it seems you matured at least."

"Wait… what?" Santaniel laughed and patted him on the back, "Listen. I'm not one to hold a grudge, never have, and hopefully never will. However, I'm glad you apologized to me about it. It shows you really did grow up, you've shown remorse for your actions. I'm proud of ya."

Cyril stayed silent for a couple moments, listening to Santaniel hum a similar tune that he often heard from Lady Rhea. "Hey, what's that song about?"

Santaniel cracked a smile, "Broken memories and the flow of time."

'A flow of time that is pushing me to my grave.'

———

Day 31 of the Lone Moon

Santaniel stood atop a mast, gazing over the horizon as they closed in on Brigid. At their pace they would be there by the third of the Great Tree Moon, him and Petra would serve as the translators, as very few Brigid natives knew the tongue of Fódlan.

Even less in Fódlan knew Brigid's tongue.

He hummed as he gazed into the sea and his smile dropped when he saw ships on the horizon, "Ships ahead! At your stations!" He slid down on Sturmrufer, readying a telescope to peer at them. "They're Empire ships, be ready for a fight, Pegasus and Wyvern riders on me!"

Santaniel flipped out his wings and shot into the air, "Oh no. You go back down and help with the canons!" Lysithea yelled at him and he winced, "Lys. This is a fight we-"

"I said, down to the ship. You know I'm capable enough to lead the Pegasus and Wyvern units. We'll have this done in a flash." He grumbled and landed, watching her head off with Claude, Marianne, Cyril, and Raphael.

He started barking out the orders for his crew and they got into position to start firing.

Soon large bangs rang out and he pulled out his staff, summoning forth a Luna. He placed it in the center of one of the six ships, making it implode and collapse on itself.

He watched as Lysithea commanded the troops and Byleth took control over another by getting his battalion teleported over. 'Four- Three more.' Another one blew up as Claude dropped gunpowder kegs onto a burning ship and it exploded.

He took aim at another and blasted through it's hull with a Fire spell, cannon balls following it and sinking another. Raphael and Ignatz went onto the second one and took it over with brute strength.

"Ok, last… One…" His eyes trained on a harpoon launcher, his eyes slitting in concentration as it took aim at Lysithea. 'Not over my dead body.'

He flashed and took off, taking the harpoon in the right arm, grunting at the faded pain, 'Guess it pays to have a silver arm then.' He let a jet of fire loose onto the crew and watched as it eventually collapsed and sank.

He flashed and landed on his original ship, getting the harpoon yanked out of his arm, thankfully it just left a hole in the prosthetic, just barely poking his side.

Still another week knocked off though. "You idiot!"

"I'm not letting you idiots die. That's my job."

"Your job can't be done if you're dead!"

"Arti and Xavien did their job to protect me, and now they're six feet under. If that's what happens to me when I protect you then, I'll-"

"Hey dumbass. You sound more like my brother than anything right now." Santaniel turned and stared down Felix, "My cause is to protect those I love. If you-"

"Santaniel. Quit it. Go get the Holy Twins and take a break."

———

Santaniel grumbled as he left for the deck below and Hephaestus sighed, "I… I'm sorry. He's always been like this. He gets overly paranoid and he's ridden with anxiety during fights. He throws himself to the fire constantly, believing he won't be burned to protect those he loves, and always ends up worse for wear. Lysithea, you wouldn't believe how many injuries he sustained during the school year and hid them, most of them he sustained protecting you."

"But why-"

"It's in his nature from his parents. Horus would always protect me or others during experiments on the island and Lisa, or Ernest, was believed to die during the war protecting Macuil. They both met their end protecting Santaniel from the Agarthans that deceived them. Now he thinks that since others died for him he has to carry on the chain. It isn't noble, I agree with Felix, it's stupid. Just, be careful if you want him to, ok Lysithea? Otherwise, he'll be throwing himself around to make sure you're safe."

She tried saying something but was cut off by Byleth, "Hephaestus is right. You can't have a partner and not expect them to be careless, if you yourself are careless." She stamped her foot, "I'm not a child anymore Professor! I'm not so careless-"

"Then why did Santaniel have to save you from getting impaled by a harpoon?" She wired her mouth shut and pouted, Claude coming over and talking to her like a big brother would. "Lys, you have to listen to them, it's true that you're mature but you have to communicate with Santaniel more. It's evident he has those issues and as his partner it's up to you to work through them with him, right?"

"Yes." She sighed, "I'll go and talk to him. He's always there for me, so it's time I return the favor." Hephaestus watched as she went below the deck and could hear the soft development of a conversation starting. "Felix, Raphael, Byleth. You have to be more careful too, alright? He drives himself too hard, and I learned I have to be more careful too. Let's work safely and make sure everyone survives, alright?"

They all agreed and retired for the day, Hephaestus listening to Santaniel and Lysithea finally work out their issues with each other and remembered when he and Mercedes did the same thing.

"Hey. Papa Bear still looking over his kid?"

Forty Two Week Remain

Progress on Cure(s): 63%