Part Two: Jade Tides

Guardian Moon

Chapter Twelve: A Fateful Reunion

It had been over five years since Finn and his classmates had been in the same place. They all held their own territory now, though Olaga had lost hers. They had each grown so much. But as they approached their teacher's new home they all felt younger. Before they even walked up the front steps they heard Maira.

"I'm not coming with you." she said. Her voice was hoarse.

"Just come see us." Finn pleaded.

Maira was curious so she stepped out. Maira wore Byleth's old clothes without the cape. She had cut her hair so it was short on the left but on the right side it went to her shoulder in a diagonal line.

"I didn't want to be found." she said.

"We need you." Finn said. "I can't take no for an answer. I need your advice, we are at war. Please help us."

Maira studied her students. They were all so different. Finn's jet black hair was slightly more unkempt and had developed a slight curl. Occasionally a strand would get in his face. His eyes were still a wonderful shade of green and his face was tan as ever, if not a little rougher. He had a scar on the left side of his nose. His armor was unique. The breastplate was silver and resembled a shark tail, one side had a slight protruding end. Besides the breastplate the rest was light green. His dominant arm was completely exposed while his left arm had a black sleeve. From his left shoulder a piece of green fabric fell on his back. He no longer looked like a commoner dressed like a noble. Now he looked completely like a noble.

"Professor, we need your help. We can't hold off the Imperial Vanguard without your power." Atamai admitted. His face was more gaunt and his hair had grown longer. It was to his shoulders now. He wore a cloak with a green and gold accent on his left shoulder. He emanated a dark aura which made Maira shiver.

"You can't be happy all alone. Don't you remember our days at the Officer's Academy. We can all be happy again." Fiafia pleaded. She had given herself bangs in the time since the Academy. They suited her. She had also discovered lipstick which really made her eyes pop. She wore a brown leather tube top that covered her up surprisingly well. She had a tattoo of a green shark on her left shoulder. She also wore a green skirt with see through leggings.

"Professor, I lost my entire territory. Can you help me get it back?" Olaga asked. Her black hair was longer and braided to one side. Her arm muscles were more defined. She wore a black breastplate that had a semi open back and stopped before the midriff. She wore baggy brown pants with a dark green belt and her gauntlets attached to her belt.

"I can't figure out any plans. Professor, I need you to help me come up with something new. I've run out of ideas." Penina begged. Penina's hair was reddish brown and besides the loss of the flower looked pretty similar to before. Her blue eyes were also piercing as ever. She wore a teal dress with a white diamond pattern. The dress went to the mid thigh and had a high slit revealing a jade bow tying a hibiscus flower to her leg.

"If I had to give up my acting career to fight in this war you can leave this infernal place behind!" Fetu said dramatically. His silver hair was now in a middle part. He wore a long black and white robe with the borders a bright green. He wore long black pants but had no shirt under the robes revealing a more defined chest.

"To change the Meritocracy I need your support Professor." Keola added. Keola's spikes were combed to the back. All he wore was a dark green jacket over crossed overalls that held up his bright red shorts. That was it, his entire chest and stomach was completely exposed which for him worked but overall was a choice.

"You half-naked nitwit. We are here to help all the Meritocracy, not just your half baked aspirations." Malosi yelled at Keola. He wore a green sailor's hat so only tufts of pink and blonde hair peaked out. He was also wearing a long black coat over a chartreuse button up shirt and black pants.

"I don't think your fighting is proving our point." Kai said. Kai had his dirty blonde pulled into a short, slightly off center ponytail. He looked more confident now. He wore a similar jacket to Keola but it was more olive and under he had a shirt like Malosi but it was more pastel and tighter. His shorts were also tan which matched better. "I trained under the two of you, it gets old fast."

"I…" Maira started to answer when she was interrupted.

"We found them!" a voice yelled.

"We were followed!" Penina exclaimed.

"Those don't look like Imperial troops." Kai commented while getting 'Uhane ready.

"They aren't. From what I heard, these resemble Those Who Slither in the Dark." Finn said.

"But I thought they were wiped out after they attacked Enbarr." Fiafia said.

"They had a habit of sticking around, the Empire had to deal with them for a very long time." Atamai tried to explain.

"I'm more interested in getting out of here than the interesting ramifications of their return." Fetu whined.

"Fetu is right. We can theorize later. Right now we have to take them down." Keola agreed.

"Last chance Polopeka. Come fight with us and leave this place. You can't grieve forever. At one point you have to live, it is what they would want us to do." Finn gave his professor a sad look.

Maira remembered the last thing Byleth told her. She could hear his voice echoing in her head. "Live for me."

"You know what we must do. Take Ultimus and cut down your foes. Your path lies with your students." Sothis told Maira.

Maira called Ultimus to her. "I choose to live." she said, charging at the enemy.

All of the Emerald Sharks pulled out their weapons and charged. Maira didn't recognize Finn's new staff. It glowed with the same energy as Ultimus. It looked like a regular staff but it was harder, bonier. As if it was crafted from the bones of a creature. Then Finn did something that Maira didn't expect. He used a personal combat art, Riptide. He twirled the staff and focused the end on an enemy. A blast of energy erupted from the staff at a mage and completely disintegrated them. In the years since the fall of the monastery he must have gone through a lot. He was colder now, he had less charm and was more focused on winning. Maira guessed that the war had taken a lot out of him. Maira hadn't dulled in her absence though, she was just as smart, fast, and strong as before and could do real damage even after all that time. Atamai was just as terrifying to watch as before. He was even more ruthless now, when he cast Hades Ω no enemy could stand against it. Not to mention when he would focus his energy into Dark Spikes Τ. The cavalry feared that spell because it devastated them. Fiafia was more refined, her technique was starting to resemble Penina but it was more cutesy. She always fought with a smile which was actually somewhat unnerving. Olaga had gotten stronger as well. Maira wouldn't want to be on the receiving end of either a punch or swing of her axe. She also was doing well avoiding magic attacks. One of the dark mages waved his arms and cast Luna Λ. A projection of the moon appeared above Olaga but she already knew what was coming and slid under it before it opened up and started to suck in everything in front of it. Then she leaped upwards to dodge Miasma Δ and landed behind the mage before kicking him in the head and sending him flying away from her. Penina was doing a little of everything, she healed where she needed to, warped people into position, switched positions with people, cut down enemies with her sword, and blasted enemies with her magic. Fetu was doing the majority of the healing though. When an ally would be hit particularly hard with magic or an attack Fetu was there to mend their wounds with pure white magic. To Maira's surprise Keola and Malosi were actually fighting together. Keola soared above Malosi to defend him from any aerial threats while Malosi chanted and summoned blasts of Ragnarok and Riptide. The intense magic was starting to take a lot out of him though. He didn't even notice the giant hand axe coming towards his face. But the axe was knocked away before it hit him. Kai had been watching and used 'Uhane to knock the axe away and lodge two arrows into the brigands chest. Maira was really happy to be back fighting alongside her students. They were all performing so well and they were really pushing back the attacking force. They couldn't hold out for much longer and with one final push from Finn and Maira they were forced to retreat.

"It's done." Finn let out a sigh of relief and looked toward the sky.

"I loved fighting with you again Professor!" Fiafia smiled.

"It was nice." Fetu admitted. "I think we all needed this."

"So I'm assuming you will be returning with us to fight the Empire." Atamai looked at Maira seriously.

All of Maira's life she didn't want to be like her father. She didn't want to follow anyone into a war and fight for a nation. She didn't care about politics or nations. But she finally realized why her father had assisted Edelgard, he couldn't refuse. Looking at the faces of her students, now fully fledged adults she knew she had to come back and protect them.

"Yes. I am coming to Kapena." Maira smiled for the first time in years.

"It's good to hear that. Now we have to go before anyone realizes we left." Finn said.