Unknown Moon, Day ?, Imperial Year ?
When the blinding light finally subsided, Edelgard found that she was no longer in the Imperial Palace of Fódlan. Instead, she stood before a large stone oval with brightly-coloured spherical jewels embedded in its face to form some sort of emblem. Looking around this mysterious new place, she found that she was stood in what appeared to be some sort of ritual site.
Turning away from the rock, she spotted a nearby group of silhouettes in the thin layer of mist that obscured much of the area. The mist was quick to dissipate, as if a result of whatever arcane ritual had brought her here, rather than a natural feature of the site. As it did so, the forms of the enigmatic figures became clear. Some, she recognised; others, not so much. One, a hooded figure clad in white and gold robes, seemed to be recovering from some sort of intense strain. The one who summoned her here, no doubt. Beside them, a young woman in matching colours with blonde hair and a spear on her back stepped forward with a smile and a hand to offer.
"Hi. I'm Princess Sharena, but you can just call me Sharena. Welcome to Askr, Edelgard."
"Askr?" Edelgard had never heard of such a place in all her life, either in her education or in fiction. Was this some other continent far across the sea, long since obscured by Rhea's millennium-long insulation of Fódlan culture? Perhaps wherever Claude had ended up, following his exit from the war? Or was this simply a dream her mind had conjured up as she slept beside Byleth back at the palace?
"Give her some space, Sharena," a young man of around the same age as this supposed princess admonished as he approached. His hair was a dark blue, with a hint of blond, and his attire also matched Sharena and the presumed summoner. "Forgive her, she is... easily excitable."
"Hey!"
"I am Prince Alfonse of Askr. I am sure you have many questions. More so after what Sharena has already said. Please, take your time to gather your bearings and we will answer any question you have for us."
The explanation Edelgard was given was a strange one: Askr was a nation recently freed from a lengthy war with a rival named Embla, and the two nations bolstered their ranks with warriors summoned from other worlds. Some of these warriors were summoned multiple times from multiple alternate versions of the same world. Even an alternate Askr had lent some of its own to the cause of this Askr's Order of Heroes - an order that now fought threats from other realms, which were an entirely different classification from worlds, apparently. Edelgard could scarcely believe the parts she could actually wrap her head around, but she could not deny that she was here.
What truly sold her on these claims was when she spotted Linhardt lazing around in the shade of a large tree. Rather than the newly-appointed professor, this was a Linhardt adorned in his Officers Academy uniform, with hair and a face to match his younger form. Edelgard's lips curved into a grin at the nostalgic sight, wondering if the Linhardt she knew was doing the same.
Prince Alfonse seemed to notice her reaction. "Perhaps being accompanied by a version of someone you know might help make this less jarring?"
"'A version'? Are there no others from my own world here already?"
Alfonse shook his head solemnly. "We only discovered your version of the World of Crests recently. We will be able to summon more from your world, but it will take time. Kiran is still recovering from your own summoning." He indicated towards the robed figure - still recovering from the strain of bringing Edelgard here, it seemed - being helped by some others that had, presumably, also been brought here from other worlds.
"Would you like me to go and get Hubert for you?" Sharena offered uneasily.
"There is no need to call for me," said the unmistakeable voice of Edelgard's oldest friend. The displaced Emperor whirled around to find an academy-era Hubert, accompanied by a red-haired young woman around his age in attire typical of spellcasters.
"Hubert, you're here?" Sharena asked, evidently surprised by his sudden appearance. "Do you just have a sixth sense for us summoning an Edelgard?"
The man chuckled darkly. "Something to that effect. But that is beside the point. There is much Lady Edelgard needs to be caught up on, and I believe a change of scenery will assist with that."
"Good idea," Alfonse responded. "Can we leave her in your care then?"
"What a silly question," the redhead responded. "Lady Edelgard is Lady Edelgard, no matter the world. Of course you can leave her in our hands."
"Very well. Then, please."
Hubert took a bow, then led Edelgard and the redhead away from the summoning site.
"Humph, the nerve of some people!" the redhead huffed suddenly once they were out of earshot of the Askrans. "Calling Lady Edelgard by her name only, as if they were close friends."
"Calm yourself," Hubert urged agitatedly. "Most versions of Lady Edelgard are fine with it. And your zeal is liable to leave a bad first impression with the newest Lady Edelgard."
"Urk."
"Um... Excuse me, but... who exactly are you?" Edelgard asked after failing to recall the face of this person who seemed to know her.
The redhead stopped in her tracks, forcing the other two to do the same. "That hurts, Your Majesty. But I do understand where you might be confused." The redhead curtseyed. "I am Monica von Ochs, at your service in this, or any other world."
"M-Monica!? You look... But how...?"
"I take it she was sacrificed in your world as well?" Hubert asked casually, darkening the mood.
"Y-Yes," Edelgard responded shamefully. "Sacrificed so that Kronya could infiltrate the monastery and..." 'Murder the father of the woman I love' was the second half of the thought, but she worried that saying it aloud might somehow make everyone in Askr despise her.
"I see," Monica responded, seemingly not particularly upset at the news. "A lot of the Lady Edelgards here have allowed the same. But, may I ask, how has the war been going in your world?"
"The war? I- We won. The Church has disbanded, Rhea is dead, and those who slither in the dark have been put to rout."
Monica smiled. "Then, I think the other me would be happy to know you put those responsible to the sword and brought about a total imperial victory."
"But I... I looked the other way to strengthen their forces so that I could use them-"
"Please pardon the interruption, Your Majesty, but the results speak for themselves. Honestly, my own Lady Edelgard already had this discussion with me back in our world. I know full well that you took my death as a given when making your plans. I was just the lucky version of me who happened to be saved by my Lady Edelgard. I've come to terms with it and dedicated my life to serving all Lady Edelgards."
"...I wish I could have been more like your Edelgard."
"You still can. Your war may be over, but your struggle for peace is not. You can always learn from her example and let it guide you in governing your unified Fódlan. I may not have been so willing to serve a Lady Edelgard like you if I hadn't seen the potential all Lady Edelgards have inside. There is always time to change. Oh, and here, use this." Monica produced a lilac-coloured silken handkerchief for Edelgard before the newly-summoned Emperor even realised she was crying.
The three continued on their way, passing by many heroes that Edelgard could sense, from appearance alone, were very important in their own worlds. Some greeted or waved to her as she passed, making for a very welcoming community to enter into.
She glimpsed Jeralt Eisner nearby, speaking with a young man whose attire reminded her of Byleth's. She had seen other individuals in matching attires with matching features, save for their sex, leaving Edelgard to wonder if this strange figure might be some sort of male equivalent of Byleth from another world. She wondered if his world had a male Edelgard.
The three companions soon bumped into Anna - the Commander Anna of this world, that is - who recommended Edelgard seek out what she (seemingly jokingly) called the 'Council of Edelgards'. Presumably, she meant that Edelgard should find her counterparts from other worlds for a more detailed rundown of this world and how the Order functioned. Not a terrible plan, to say the least. These other Edelgards had likely been through much the same experience here as she was, and could offer her reassurance, if nothing else. Of course, this was Hubert and Monica's plan from the start, to which Anna knocked on her head and stuck her tongue out, as if to say, 'Of course, that's so obvious.'
As they continued along their path, more and more people Edelgard recognised appeared. Some appeared largely as she knew them now. Others, from back in their academy days. And others yet seemed somewhere in between. Some dressed as she expected, while others adopted strange attires that seemed to suit some sort of special seasonal events. Manuela, in particular, shocked her with how much skin she was showing, making Edelgard feel compelled to drop everything and find that woman a suitor.
"Ah, you must be the new recruit," said a shockingly familiar voice from behind her, freezing Edelgard in her tracks. The voice chuckled. "Yes, I had that same reaction as well my first time. Although, in my case, the voice was a little deeper than I was used to. For you, it is the exact opposite, yes?"
Edelgard turned slowly, finding herself now face-to-face with Edelgard, the Imperial Princess of Adrestia, clad in her old Officers Academy uniform. It was like looking into a magical mirror that reflected the past. Her hand slowly came up to touch this other Edelgard to prove to herself that she was not dreaming. Her younger self mirrored her actions with her own hand, her white-glove-clad fingers touching the tips of her own. Her face bore a smile that said, 'I had the same reaction,' even if her voice did not.
"This is... surreal."
"You will grow accustomed to it. Even without my own experience and those shared by other Edelgards as proof, I would be confident that Edelgard von Hresvelg can overcome something like this with no issue."
"I will take my word for it," Edelgard quipped.
Her younger self chuckled. "Back to normal already, I see. Hubert, Monica, thank you for bringing her to me. I can take it from here."
"If you are certain Lady Edelgard," Hubert replied with a bow.
"When I am I ever not certain?" the other Edelgard responded, seemingly slightly put out by his comment.
"When it comes to the professor-" Hubert began in a tone that suggested he was about to recite an extensive list, had the younger Edelgard not interrupted with an "A-Anyway!"
"Stop teasing Lady Edelgard, Hubert," Monica admonished. It was amusing, yet befuddling to hear Monica speak to Hubert like an older sister, given that she was younger than him. But she was apparently pulled from 1182 and he from 1180, so she was technically older than him here. This was all very confusing. "That right is reserved only for the man she loves," Monica declared, eyeing up Edelgard's wedding ring.
"Oh! N-No, this is..." Edelgard stopped to reconsider admitting it was Byleth she had married when she noticed her other self also staring at the ring with keen interest. Rather than the tradition of having separate rings for engagement and married life, Edelgard had chosen (with Byleth's consent) to stick with Byleth's mother's ring as her wedding band. It served as a greater reminder of how much she meant to Byleth than a plain silver band ever could. Byleth, in return, had been gifted a hand-forged ring from Edelgard after many long hours spent learning the art of forging from Caspar. "It is a woman that I love."
"You WHAT!?" Monica screeched, earning unwanted attention from heroes all around them.
Hubert's hand was over Monica's mouth in an instant. Edelgard couldn't help but notice his other hand fishing a handkerchief out of his pocket in anticipation. "Keep your voice down, Monica. Not every Lady Edelgard has made this information known to any besides we Huberts. You wouldn't want to cause any undue stress or inconvenience to Her Majesties and Highnesses, would you?"
Monica shook her head in Hubert's grasp and he subtly returned the rag to his pocket. Edelgard thought she noticed his lips curve slightly as their eyes met and he realised she had caught him. He released Monica from his grasp and began apologising to the other heroes for the disruption on her behalf.
"A woman, you say," the student Edelgard mused thoughtfully. "Might I inquire as to... No, never mind. I had best not risk being given hope for a relationship that might not be possible in my world."
Edelgard chuckled. Even being a former student and teacher, both being women, and Byleth being as emotionally-stunted as she was hadn't stopped the two from admitting their feelings for one another and having a very public marriage. "We had a lot going against us, it's true... but we managed to make it through, so strong is our love for one another. I have the utmost confidence that you will find someone, man or woman, who loves you as much as my love does me." Edelgard had a sudden epiphany as she observed the reddening in her younger self's face. "I see now why she enjoys teasing me as much as she does. We are incredibly cute when we blush."
"I second that assessment, Your Majesty!" Monica enthused.
"You should be apologising here, Monica, not me," Hubert growled.
As the two assistants departed for some other appointment, the younger Edelgard led her older self towards where this so-called 'council' awaited.
"Is this 'Council of Edelgards' an official title or a mere joke?" Edelgard asked.
"It started as a joke," the younger Edelgard sighed softly. "We were naturally drawn to one another from the start, being ostensibly the same person. We spent a lot of time together, discussing tactics, plots and the variations in our lives. But recently, a mercenary from Monica's world referred to the group as the 'council' and Monica made sure it stuck."
"She is... quite enthusiastic, I see."
"Indeed. Truly, there is none quite like here in either Fódlan or Askr."
"I never got the chance to get to know the real Monica in my world. I am sure you can understand why."
"I..." the younger Edelgard began, pausing in uncertainty to look at her older self. Seeming to make up her mind, she continued with an expression of sorrow. "I am doubtful I will either. The plan has yet to go ahead, but the alternative is..."
Thinking this perhaps too dour a topic to discuss with her younger self, whose white hands were not yet stained quite so red, Edelgard attempted to pivot the conversation. "She is the only Monica summoned here?"
"Yes," the other Edelgard responded, seemingly relieved at the change in topic. "It seems that most worlds' Monicas do not survive. A shame, really."
"It is. And Hubert?" Edelgard asked, attempting to keep Monica's fate out of the conversation. "How does he typically fare?"
"His fate is tied to that of the Empire itself. He either guides his Edelgard to total victory, or follows her to his grave."
"I see... I hope your Hubert brings you victory."
The younger Edelgard chuckled. "I am certain he will. When not serving our 'council', he is expanding his knowledge in Askr's royal library, learning tactics and techniques from other worlds to ensure our victory back home."
"You mean... the Hubert that brought me to you..."
"He is mine, yes. If they have their academy uniform, it is usually a safe bet they are from my world. Petra, Dimitri, Claude, and so many more."
"I see. Are there any other... 'versions' of any of them here like there are with us?"
"Of course. Although, the distribution is somewhat lopsided. There are three Dorotheas and half a dozen Dimitris and Claudes, but most like Hubert and Monica have but one version apiece. Not that that stops those two from serving all Edelgards as if we were all their own."
"You mean to say that one Hubert and one Monica assist all of you?"
"Monica was only summoned here recently herself. Before then, it was Hubert alone."
"I feel that I should be surprised by that fact, but..."
"Hubert is Hubert, regardless of world."
"Indeed. I expect no less of him, but even Monica is just as dutiful?"
"From what she's told us, her Edelgard saved her life and she pledged her devotion to her on the spot. There are scant few others from versions of her version of Fódlan, but they confirm that she has this mindset even in versions where Dimitri or Claude saved her instead."
"I'm sorry. 'Versions of versions'?"
"Heh. Yes, it is a lot to take in, even after learning of other worlds. It may take a while to explain the concept, but for now, what matters is that Monica treats all Edelgards with extreme reverence, even those that have sacrificed her for their own ambitions in their worlds. In fact, she even told me that she had no issue with me doing so when the time comes."
"She is... certainly taking the notion of 'you saved my life, it is now yours' and running with it."
"Yes... In truth, I am grateful to have her at my heels for only a fraction of the time thanks to the other Edelgards. Her overzealousness can be rather... tiring."
"I can take your share, if you wish. Consider it a punishment for what I did to her in my world."
"I take it you have achieved your goals back home then?"
"What gives you that idea?"
"There is no time to stop for punishment for our actions until Fódlan is free of the Church's influence, and the shadow of those who slither in the dark. That you are doing so suggests you've the time to indulge in such penance."
"Heh. I should expect no less from myself, even a younger version. I only hope that you can reach the end with less sacrifices than I had to make."
"All things considered, you yourself seem to be doing well, in spite of that." Edelgard followed the teen's eyes to the ring on her finger once again. "Is she worth it all?"
Edelgard looked down at the ring, contemplating for only a moment. "While I may be a monster for saying so... Yes. Yes, she is."
The place Edelgard was brought to was a shockingly familiar room. Whether decorated to look like it or literally brought here as she had been, this room was a perfect recreation of the Black Eagles classroom, only with a deep crimson carpet running down the aisle from the door to the back window. On the blackboard was the term 'COUNCIL OF EDELGARDS MEETING' in bright pink chalk that Edelgard assumed to have been written by Monica. Or maybe a Dorothea to tease her. But whoever wrote it, the room certainly bore the feel of a meeting room, as Edelgard followed her younger self in to find two other Edelgards, both representing different parts of her life.
"Welcome to the council, Emperor Edelgard," the princess declared with a bow. Receiving such reverence from herself was surreal, but Edelgard supposed she might have felt the same way, at that age, about a version of herself that had achieved total victory in both love and war.
The desks had been set aside to form a circle of chairs for the numerous Edelgards to sit in. With a larger spare seat between them, two war-time Edelgards present sat facing the newcomers. One dressed in the same red coat Edelgard had worn throughout the latter half of five year campaign. The other was adorned in the Twin-Headed Eagle Heavy Armour that she had adopted towards the end of the war.
"The others are being summoned by Hubert and Monica," the armour-clad Edelgard explained as Edelgard observed the six empty seats.
"It is better this way," the other Edelgard suggested. "Better than overwhelming her with the full set all at once."
"And from the looks of it, she's been walking a similar path to us."
"If you mean winning the war," Edelgard responded, "then yes. I have."
The other two smiled warmly. Edelgard took a seat opposite the twin emperors. She expected the younger Edelgard to sit opposite her, between the two, but she instead took a seat on the crimson-clad Emperor's other side, between her and Edelgard.
"I do believe introductions are in order," the red-clad Emperor declared. From the way she carried herself, and her lack of war-specific armour, Edelgard suspected this was, aside from herself, the oldest Edelgard currently in the room.
"Actually, before we begin," Edelgard replied, "how do we distinguish between one other verbally? We cannot all be simply 'Edelgard', can we?"
"Fortunately," the younger version responded, "Princess Sharena has taken to resolving that very issue with distinguishing titles for all heroes. You will surely have your own in short order, once more about you is known by her. As for us, I am known as 'Edelgard: The Future'."
"I am 'Edelgard: Flame Emperor'," the elder Edelgard stated.
"And I am known as 'Edelgard: Adrestian Emperor'," the gold-clad Edelgard declared.
"I see these will not be simple nicknames..." Edelgard grumbled.
"Oh, there are worse examples," The Future sighed. "But that is a matter for later. You can just go by simply 'Edelgard' until your nickname is decided upon."
"For now, perhaps we should begin introducing ourselves while we wait for the others," Flame Emperor suggested.
"I supposed I should go first," The Future proposed. "Being the odd one out and the first version of us you met here, that seems to make the most sense."
"Of course. Please, go ahead."
"Very well. As you can plainly see, I have yet to make my move against the Church in my world. In fact, Professor Byleth has only been with us long enough to obtain the Sword of the Creator, but we are still only a short way into the semester. We have not even reached the Battle of the Eagle and Lion, nor my coronation."
"Then..." Edelgard interrupted. "Your version of Father is still with you."
"He is," The Future responded solemnly. "For how much longer, I would rather not know. But I will cherish the time we have left upon my return home. But that is about all there is to say about me. Well, except that my teacher is a woman."
"For you to make this observation... That man I saw with Jeralt..."
"A male version of the professor," Adrestian Emperor explained. "But before you ask: no, that is not a common occurrence. Only a handful of people summoned here have male and female versions. The professor and a mercenary from Monica's world are the only ones from Fódlan to have that status."
"I see..."
"Disappointing, it's true," Flame Emperor nodded in agreement.
"It is," Adrestian Emperor concurred. "But I suppose I should go next then. I am still in the process of fighting the war. The professor recently returned from that... dreadful five year absence. But the war has been going swimmingly ever since."
"I would ask which battle you've reached, but..." Edelgard's gaze shifted to The Future.
Adrestian Emperor nodded. "We can discuss specifics another time. For now, simply know that I am the wartime Edelgard."
"'The wartime Edelgard', you say. Then, you must have seen your war to its conclusion," Edelgard said as she turned to Flame Emperor.
"I have. Although, I have yet to marry in my own Fódlan. But there are a number of potential suitors, both male and female."
"Such is to be expected," Edelgard sighed. "Especially for men seeking power and women seeking the title of 'empress'."
"Oh, speaking of which..." said The Future as the door opened behind Edelgard and another Edelgard entered the room, accompanied by Monica. This version was younger, from the academy days, based on her hairstyle. This was the only way her timeframe could be discerned, however.
"W-What in the goddess' name is she wearing?"
The newest Edelgard walked confidently past, in spite of her attire, taking a seat beside Adrestian Emperor. Her attire, such as it was, consisted of a light red, skin-tight leotard with a flourished cape over her right shoulder, and a pair of high-heeled sandals.
Edelgard looked over her attire, eyes moving down her long, slender, bare legs and lamenting that her own legs had grown much more muscular since the war started. But then, Byleth had told her she liked her legs like that, so she couldn't really complain. She distracted herself from thoughts of her absent love with the small dark bruise on the younger Edelgard's ankle.
"I see you noticed it as well," one of the other Edelgards commented from outside her field of vision, clearly struggling to stifle her laughter. "This one wore high-heeled sandals at the beach. While training. She dug her heel too deep into the sand and twisted her ankle as a result."
The Edelgard in question soon turned as red as her leotard... thing. "I-I was training to mitigate my weakness in traversing sandy terrain after we accompanied... Seteth and Flayn..." She lifted the colourful umbrella she'd brought with her and opened it between herself and the others. It was large enough to block them out entirely as they chuckled and snickered at her reaction.
"Anyway, I see the new Edelgard is a wartime version," she said, recovering quickly and looking Edelgard over. "As I'm sure you can tell, I have not yet made my move against the Church, but I am on the verge of doing so. Father has abdicated the throne and I am now the Emperor."
"I see." Edelgard's gaze shifted down to the outline of the newcomer's bellybutton, which was quite apparent in her skin-tight attire."
"I see you are admiring my swimsuit."
"'Swim-suit'?"
"Yes. It is quite common here in Askr. Though, I understand it originates in another world - the world of the summoner, I believe? Regardless, a number of our classmates have taken to wearing them over here." She leaned in with a conspiratorial grin. "I'm sure it won't surprise you to learn that a Dorothea and Sylvain have also done so."
"Not in the slightest," Edelgard responded, matching her younger self's grin. "And your title is...?"
"You mean the nicknames Sharena gives us? I am known as 'Sun Empress'."
"'Empress'?"
Sun Empress sighed. "Yes. I was given my title alongside Queen Altina. She was teaching me how to swim, you see, and Sharena thought we should share a title as 'Sun Empresses'. It is common practice for her, after all."
"And the middle ground between 'Emperor' and 'Queen' is 'Empress'."
"Indeed. Still, I cannot complain too much. Three of us have 'Emperor' in our titles, and I doubt you will not be given one along those lines yourself.
"I see. I appreciate that you may be proud to have been learning to swim, but... do you not have any... normal clothes?" Edelgard asked her student self quietly.
Sun Empress grinned, crossing one long leg over the other. "With legs like these? Why would I ever want to cover them up?"
The umbrella was suddenly lifted up by Flame Emperor. "I apologise on her behalf, Edelgard. A certain someone complimented her legs in that attire and she's been reluctant to cover even an inch of them since."
"E-Edelgard!" Sun Empress whined, trying to bat her counterpart away with her now closed umbrella.
Edelgard internally wondered if this 'certain someone' might be a version of Byleth. She opted not to ask, lest she unwittingly jeopardise a counterpart's relationship with someone else by proposing they could do better. Then she realised how conceited that sounded, and became more determined not to allow these thoughts to escape the confines of her mind.
Fortunately, she was not forced to bring these thoughts to light as the sound of a Warp spell behind her drew the group's attention. Edelgard began to turn, only for The Future to grab her by her wrist to stop her.
"Before you look, brace yourself. This Edelgard is from... a less hopeful world, shall we say."
Edelgard cocked an eyebrow, but took her other self's word for it. With a nod, she was released. After taking only a moment to prepare as best she could, lest her mind conjure up dark images she might never forget, she turned to face the newcomers.
There were three newcomers standing beside Monica, one being Hubert - the caster of the Warp spell - and two Edelgards. One was still adorned in the old Flame Emperor disguise and was, presumably, the reason the trio had arrived via magic rather than the door. No doubt, two Flame Emperors being present would cause confusion with the names, but that was a matter for later.
The other newcomer, at first glance, was another crimson-clad Emperor. But it quickly became apparent that she was not quite like her other selves. Her lilac eyes were a glowing, fiery red. Her right shoulder and much of the same arm were overtaken by some enigmatic, yet familiar black substance, forming a set of jagged spikes on her shoulder and talon-like claws on her fingertips. Inky black tendrils stretched down the entire right side of her body, covering her breast, hip and thigh before seemingly reaching its limit and thinning out around her ankle. There were odd splotches on her left side as well, but her right was completely dominated by the stuff. And the hellish image was completed by glowing red spheres in her shoulder and on her hip that, from where Edelgard sat, resembled Crest Stones.
Without a word to their newest counterpart, both Edelgards stepped into the circle and took their seats: the Flame Emperor between Adrestian Emperor and Sun Empress, and the demonic one on the larger seat between the two Emperors. As silence reigned over the group, Hubert and Monica quietly left the room to stand guard outside and give their Emperors and Princesses some privacy.
Flame Emperor looked between the newcomers and Edelgard before speaking up. "I suppose we should start with the... well, I suppose there are two elephants in the room, but shall we start with the smaller of the two? This other Flame Emperor was summoned shortly before I was. For now, only those from the war, us Edelgards, Hubert and Monica are aware of her identity. I believe the assumption shared by the rest of the Order is that we oust her and take on her title, hence Sharena naming me 'Flame Emperor' as well."
"I opted for the title of 'Masked Emperor' once the council was formed," the Flame Emperor explained as she, ironically, removed her mask and helm. Better to use a defining feature to distinguish between us than something arbitrary."
"It still seems rather confusing..."
Masked Emperor smiled. "I cannot deny it. Princess Sharena's mind is a greater enigma than most."
"That does appear to be the case. But your presence raises the question: how much of our... well, to them it would be future exploits, are the younger versions of our classmates aware of?"
"We have opted to keep Masked Emperor's identity a secret," Adrestian Emperor explained. "For the sake of our younger selves' plans, and those of other versions not yet summoned here."
"But what of Dimitri and Claude? I saw a Dimitri with an eyepatch earlier, which I know was never something he wore in my world."
"From our understanding," Flame Emperor responded, "he is from a world where he was victorious in the war. But there is something of an unspoken law among the Order of Heroes: do not speak of future events around those yet to experience them."
"Not everyone follows this rule, of course," The Future added, waving a hand around the circle. "But Dimitri's sense of honour is a fault of his in every world. And Claude..."
"Claude is too kind to cause undue stress to his friends," Sun Empress Edelgard offered. "Even those he came to see as enemies."
"Either that," the darker Edelgard proposed, "or he is too much of a schemer to waste such a valuable trump card before it would benefit him."
An awkward silence followed, which Masked Emperor attempted to fill. "B-By the way, has Princess Sharena given you a title yet?"
Edelgard shook her head. "Not as of yet, no. I am post-war, have dealt with those who slither in the dark, have married, and I believe I am furthest along in our personal timeline. But I don't imagine I'll be known as 'The Future', in spite of that." The group, save for the darker version, chuckled.
The awkward silence that fell after this left Adrestian Emperor to address the final elephant. "To explain simply: there are four main variants of Fódlan, discounting the version with Monica and Shez. The professor's decisions massively impact the future of Fódlan, beginning with their choice of house to teach. Choosing either Golden Deer or Blue Lions leads to their wartime faction emerging victorious. With Black Eagles, the professor either sides with us in the Holy Tomb, or against us and joins the Church. The victor is then determined by the side the professor chose."
"Our destinies are so deeply tied to hers..." Edelgard muttered, unconsciously rubbing her wedding ring with her thumb, oblivious to whether any of the others noticed. "I take it, then, that you are from the world where the professor sided against us and joined the Church?"
"No," the other Edelgard finally spoke. "The professor taught the Blue Lions and fought for the Kingdom."
"Oh. I see. Then, the post-war Dimitris..."
"Have killed Edelgards like me. Yes."
"She is known as 'Hegemon Husk'," Masked Emperor explained.
"'Husk'? That sounds rather cruel, for one who has evidently not entirely lost sight of herself."
"That... would be true," Flame Emperor replied uncomfortably, "but she is among a sub-set of heroes who can struggle to contain themselves. The ritual she underwent in a bid to turn the tide against the Kingdom has had an undeniable effect on her psyche."
"I see... Well, regardless, I believe a less dehumanising title would be preferable. I know I would hate to be referred to in such a manner. Perhaps 'Hegemon Edelgard' might work better?"
"In truth, we have been using that exact name within our group," Sun Empress responded. "Not that it does much to help her gloomy demeanour," she added quietly.
"I can still hear you, you know," Hegemon Edelgard stated with a violent glare. "And I have the right to be 'gloomy'. In all likelihood, I am only alive right now due to my summoning. Once the conflict in Askr concludes and we all return home, I wonder if I will return with knowledge of my fate, or if I will go obliviously into oblivion."
It really did seem like, every time Hegemon Edelgard spoke, her words sucked any life out of the room. And for all Edelgard knew, this could well have been an actual ability granted by the ritual.
The three younger versions quietly excused themselves, making for a nearby table of refreshments, clearly not jaded and broken enough like their future selves to stomach being around Hegemon Edelgard for long.
Edelgard, eyes never leaving Hegemon Edelgard's eyes, barely even noticed them go. "If you know that you are supposed to die, do you not now have a chance to prevent that outcome from occurring? What exactly led you to this point? Perhaps together, we can-"
"We don't talk about that," Flame Emperor interrupted.
"What? Why not?" Edelgard followed Flame Emperor's awkward gaze to their three younger versions.
"They don't know?" Edelgard asked upon realising the implication.
"About the hardship?" Adrestian Emperor responded. "The pain and loss? No. They only know this as one of many possibilities that await one who walks the path of bloodshed."
"And we intend to keep it that way," said the Hegemon version. "My form was a shock to them, as much as it was for the rest of you, but you at least have the assurance that this is a possibility you managed to avoid. For them, it is a future that may yet come to pass. I fear that any attempt to warn them of the specifics..."
"May bring about that exact future for them," Edelgard finished.
"Mine is a future I would have no other version of us suffer through. Although, statistically, it is unlikely that all three of them will avoid this fate." The sorrow in this Edelgard's face was clear and sincere. Despite her corruption, she would sooner take on this burden alone than allow other Edelgards to suffer as she had. Edelgard stepped forward and placed a hand on her cheek.
"You have suffered greatly for Fódlan. And whether or not the people of your world appreciate all you have sacrificed for them, know that I and, I am sure, the rest of us Edelgards both respect and admire your dedication and your sacrifice. But your situation brings to mind an interesting concept I discovered only recently.
"I read a story recommended to me by B- the professor. It centres on a man who learns that another world exists within his mirror - a world much like his own, but for every good or bad thing that happens in his world, the opposite occurs in the other; a kind of karmic exchange. I wonder if such a concept actually holds merit, now that I know other worlds and other Edelgards do exist."
"You're suggesting..." Flame Emperor responded, trying to wrap her head around the implication, "that this Edelgard and those fallen in other worlds took on our negative karma, which allowed us to have our much brighter futures?"
"Exactly," Edelgard confirmed before turning her attention back towards Hegemon Edelgard. "I choose now to believe that you absorbed all of our negative karma into your own world so that our Fódlans could see brighter futures under Adrestia. Not that I mean to sound braggadocios about this fact - I bring this up only to further my point - but look." Edelgard pulled back her hand to displayed the intricate silver ring with its big purple gemstone at the front. "I am willing to accept that my marriage was only possible thanks to your great sacrifice. Were she here, I am sure my wife would take your hand in hers and tell you that she was grateful that you made this sacrifice so that I wouldn't have to. So, thank you, Edelgard."
Hegemon Edelgard held the hand against her cheek, the way Edelgard herself did when comforted by Byleth, and allowed herself to cry. Edelgard gently guided Hegemon Edelgard to her feet and embraced her. Looking around, the other Edelgards got the hint and stood to join them in a seven Edelgard group embrace.
After spending a good few hours getting to know her counterparts, Edelgard was eventually shown to her accommodations for the duration of her stay. It was truly impressive that the Order had summoned over eight hundred heroes and still managed to accommodate them all within a single castle. Edelgard doubted she could house them all within the imperial palace and the monastery combined. Monica insisted on spending the night in Edelgard's room to help her acclimate to her new location, but Hubert insisted that she not. With a certain noxious rag. In the end, Monica didn't spend the night in Edelgard's room.
But neither did she. Her insomnia returned full-force, and after spending two hours staring at the clock on the wall, willing its rhythmic ticking to lull her into sleep, she accepted the futility of the attempt and got dressed.
Out for a walk, she came across a number of other heroes as she went about exploring. It seemed that a number of them took night shifts to patrol the grounds in the name of security, while others simply preferred to fulfil personal tasks at night. She spotted a Lysithea hurrying along to the library to continue her research and wondered if there was a Linhardt over there as well. Rather than sate her curiosity, though, she instead headed for a nearby courtyard to get some fresh air.
In a sense, it was nostalgic to be out here like this. Sure, the grounds were entirely alien to her, but the sky, the moon and the stars seemed barely any different from those that rested above Fódlan. Edelgard idly wondered if all worlds had the same sky above them, or if Askr was just more in-tune with other worlds and borrowed a few elements from them.
The moon was large and full tonight. As she stared up into its illuminating whiteness, Edelgard could feel the phantom touch of her wife's slender hand on her shoulder. It was almost a routine for them, dating back to their academy days. Byleth had spotted her getting herself some fresh air one night, a few months after her arrival at the monastery, and came over to check on Edelgard, concerned after that initial sleepwalking incident. From there, the two would meet like this a number of times; each time the arrival of her teacher was signalled by a gentle hand being placed upon her right shoulder. It was a regular comfort for the young princess... right up until Byleth disappeared in that opening battle with Rhea, leaving the newly-crowned Emperor to many sleepless nights of solitude or the only occasional accompaniment of the oft overworked Hubert.
Upon her return, Byleth continued to find Edelgard, now much more frequently stricken with her sleepless affliction from the weight of the war bearing down on her, and continued to keep her Emperor company. These moonlit meetings had become much less common since their marriage, thanks to their shared bed allowing Byleth to either comfort her wife from the comfort of their own quarters or to accompany her on her quest for fresh air.
But whatever the era, whenever the two were outside in the pale moonlight, Byelth always managed to place her hand on Edelgard's shoulder in the exact same way, like it was some mechanical process burned into muscle memory through rote repetition. It never failed to make her student, her Emperor, her wife feel comforted. But she wasn't here to do that for Edelgard now.
"Edelgard?"
An unfamiliar masculine voice spoke from behind her. The cadence was very familiar, but the voice itself was alien. Turning, she spotted a man standing nearby, having evidently been passing through when he noticed her and came to a stop, based on the collection of books he was carrying.
While she had only seen the man from a distance before now, every detail of his appearance was so familiar to Edelgard - from his dark teal hair and deep blue eyes, to his lightly-armoured black attire with slight pink flourish, and black coat worn over the shoulders.
"Professor Byleth," she said before she could stop herself. "G-Good evening."
"I wouldn't call three in the morning 'evening'," he replied as he walked over to her, "but maybe things are different in your Fódlan?"
Edelgard chuckled. "I wouldn't abuse my power to make a mistake correct."
"You've won your war then?"
"Yes. I would ask after the state of your war, but, well..."
Byleth shook his head. "It hasn't started yet for me. I hope it never does, even though it seems to be inevitable. I want to learn enough about the war before I return home to try and prevent it from happening."
"I see..."
"You're conflicted."
"A-About what?"
"You're thinking that you hope other Fódlans don't have to face that war, but you feel that your war managed to get you the results you sought after and you don't see any other way to achieve them."
"That is... too astute for mere intuition."
Byleth smiled. "No matter how things turn out, Edelgard is still Edelgard." For some reason, Edelgard blushed at that comment. "I've spoken to other Edelgards since I arrived here. Well, since they arrived here, I suppose. I was the first person from Fódlan to come here."
"Interesting."
"You expected the first Fódlan connected to Askr to be one just like yours, right?"
"I-I didn't-"
"I understand. Everyone who arrives here sees their version of their world as the base version, not as some sort of offshoot that's different from the rest. I did too. But there are usually more female mes here than male. But that doesn't make my Fódlan any less valid than the rest. And, if it makes you feel better, the first Edelgard to arrive here came with her female me."
"I-I see... You seem very good at reading me, even though your understanding of a wartime Edelgard is purely second-hand."
"I wouldn't say it's all second-hand. I've fought alongside each of them in Askr - even the one who was driven to desperation. I've come to understand that you can't truly know a person from one version alone. There are situations they've never found themselves in that reveal a lot about who they are. Even without her secrets being exposed by future versions of the students being here, I feel like I know my Edelgard a lot better than I did before coming here. And I think getting to know this you will strengthen my understanding of her even more."
Edelgard smiled softly. "It seems that, no matter the world, Byleth is still Byleth, regardless of gender. That desire to help your students, even in the face of seeming inevitable sorrow, is exactly what drew me to her. Even before I saw proof of other outcomes here in Askr, I doubted I could have achieved victory in the war without her by my side. She stayed by my side, against the Church, against even Dimitri and the rest, even... even knowing what my crusade cost her personally..."
"She sounds very reliable."
"You have no idea. Well," Edelgard grinned, "I suppose if anyone does, it would be you, Professor."
"Any insight into how your Byleth helped you would be valuable information for me. Even learning about the mes who never became a professor has been useful."
"A you who never became a professor? I shudder to think of it." Edelgard thought for a moment that she spotted Byleth's gaze lowering to her ring as she said this.
"I'm happy to know you think so highly of me in your world."
"A piece of advice, Professor: every Edelgard, regardless of your allegiance or sex, thinks incredibly highly of you." Again, she swore his eyes glanced at her ring. "It may be selfish of me to say so, but please don't let her down. Even if you must become enemies, don't let her ambitions die with her. Do what you think is right, but please make sure that whatever shape your Fódlan ends up in, it's one she could be happy to live in."
Byleth nodded slowly. "I can't promise that until I know more, but I can promise I'll take it into consideration."
Edelgard sighed, but smiled. "I suppose, that's really all I can ask for. Anyway, I think I've gotten enough fresh air now; I should be off to bed. And you look like you have somewhere you need to be as well." Her gaze fell on the books in his arms.
"Oh, right. These are for Lysithea. She's doing some research in the library and I offered to bring these up for her."
"The Lysithea in gremory attire? Is she researching Crests here as well?"
Byleth shifted uncomfortably at the implications.
Edelgard smiled as warmly as she could. "I'll not say how much I know, but her research is very important. Please, do what you can to help her succeed."
"That's the plan. Not just for her, but for the other Lysitheas here and in all the other Fódlans out there."
"Even though she isn't your Lysithea, you're still willing to go so far to help her. That's very Byleth of you."
"I'm glad I can live up to your expectations."
"I doubt there's much you could do to fail at that. Good night, Professor."
As Edelgard turned to leave, Byleth patted a hand onto her shoulder. "Good night, Your Majesty. If you're ever struggling to sleep again in future, feel free to come talk to me."
Edelgard froze at his touch. His hand remained in place long enough for her own pale, slender fingers to reach up and hold it in place. It felt bizarrely wrong, like she were somehow being unfaithful to her wife and yet... His hand was markedly bigger and covered in his thick gloves, but... somehow, it still felt just like hers.
"Edelgard?" Byleth saying her name after a moment broke her from her trance.
"S-Sorry. It's just... your hand... I don't mean to take up any more of your time, but... can we..."
"Stay like this a while? Of course."
"Thank you, Byleth."
After waking in her bed and feeling oddly rested for having spent most of the night awake, Edelgard was escorted to another council meeting by Monica shortly after breakfast. Breakfast in Askr was not all that different from back at the monastery - so many faces from various nations, casting aside their histories and sitting together, sharing food, conversation and merriment... It made Edelgard feel a little less homesick. Of course, she noticed Hubert strategically positioning himself to keep a female Byleth out of her vision while she ate. She appreciated that.
The meeting began quickly, largely covering how things worked in Askr, from the culture and history, to the military and enemies, to the mechanics of summoning and the gates, to how counterparts typically interacted.
At a certain point, Edelgard's regular glances at the still vacant eighth chair - one smaller than the rest - garnered the attention of Masked Emperor. "You're curious about that other seat?"
"What?" Edelgard's mind took a moment to register what had been asked, so deep was she in her thoughts. "Um, yes. Are we expecting one more?"
"Usually, yes," Flame Emperor replied. "But we chose to conduct these early meetings with you without her. That way, we can more openly discuss our histories."
"Is there a reason she shouldn't hear about it?"
"Let's just say," The Future spoke up, "that our natural hair colour is no longer a secret here."
"Our hair- There is a version of us from before the experiments?"
"From our time at the Kingdom capital, specifically," Adrestian Emperor elaborated. "She arrived here with Dee, pulled from the time of her departure from Faerghus."
"With Dee? And at that age? That is... unusual."
"It's surprisingly common for heroes to be summoned from their childhoods," Flame Emperor explained, "for some reason..."
"Prince Marth, for instance," Sun Empress added, referring to the blue-haired hero most revered by the Order.
"It seems Askr still has many secrets and eccentricities I must study... But where is our youngest self right now?"
"She is being kept busy by Dorothea," Adrestian Emperor explained. "She's a recent arrival from Monica's Fódlan and she wanted an excuse to get to know a 'younger, cuter Edie'."
"Especially after seeing her hair colour," Masked Emperor added with unmasked chagrin.
"And how much does that version of us know?" Edelgard eyed up Hegemon Edelgard as she asked this, which did not go unnoticed.
"Nothing," the woman now meeting her gaze replied. "And we must keep it that way. Her era is the last time we had any real hope for a brighter future. I refuse to be the one to steal her innocence from her."
"Sharena dubbed her and Dee the 'Darling Duo' upon their arrival," said The Future. "Then, she later changed it to the 'Divisive Duo', but she never explained why."
"And none of you have any ideas?"
"Aside from us being torn apart by Lord Arundel, no," Sun Empress explained. The others voiced similar sentiments, but Edelgard suspected Hegemon Edelgard might know more than she was letting on, somehow.
Before she could voice her suspicions, however, the door opened and Hubert stepped inside, closing the door quickly behind him. "Pardon the interruption, Lady Edelgards, but I need to borrow the latest of your number for a time."
"Is it urgent?" The Future asked, slightly concerned.
"Not urgent per se, but there is something I feel I must show to her soon, and now would be the most opportune time."
"I don't mind," Edelgard responded, preparing to stand. "As long as the rest of you-"
"It's alright," Flame Emperor replied with a dismissive wave. "If Hubert says now is the best time, we trust that it is. We can adjourn this meeting for today and come back to it tomorrow."
"Very well. Thank you all for your understanding."
"We've all been through a period of thinking no one understands us like we do," Sun Empress quipped, which took Edelgard slightly by surprise. She didn't think she was capable of being so light-hearted about her social isolation, especially at that age.
Regardless, she departed with Hubert, who refused to elaborate on what he wished to show her until they reached their destination. As such, Edelgard opted to fill the silence with questions about Askr. Hubert was never one for smalltalk, but he had always made sure to indulge in Edelgard's desire for conversation. It made Edelgard miss her own Hubert, but she felt grateful for this version's presence, and she trusted hers to keep on top of things in her absence.
While Edelgard struggled to retain most of the locales in Askr, she was able to recognise, after a while, that she was being led back to the summoning ground. She wondered for a moment if she was being sent home, which would be a relief, but it would also be... a genuine shame. Being in Askr allowed Edelgard to meet and be civil with those she could not in her own world. It allowed her to atone for her actions and to find closure for herself. And getting to meet other versions of herself and others she knew from such different Fódlans allowed her to better appreciate the positives of her own Fódlan, in spite of all the misery she had caused to create it.
All of her concerns washed away once they arrived, however. Even without once looking his way, Edelgard could feel Hubert's grin as he observed her reaction. Edelgard was not being sent home. Instead, someone else had just arrived in Askr.
It was another Byleth. One adorned in that familiar black attire, Sword of the Creator by her side, long dark teal hair worn loose and messy, and a ring on her left ring finger. Her ring. The one Edelgard had personally mastered forging to create for her beloved. Edelgard might be easily mistaken for another of her Emperor counterparts, thanks to her largely unchanged appearance since the war. But there was only one Empress Byleth. Of this, she was absolutely sure.
Before a single thought could pass through her head, Edelgard's feet were moving, carrying her across the ritual site as quickly as they had that night in Fhirdiad, when she and her teacher had charged forth to strike down the Immaculate One and finally achieve Edelgard's decade-long quest. And somehow, as she leapt into her wife's arms, Edelgard felt like she had just achieved an equally fulfilling victory.
Byleth seemed surprised for a moment, before her arms wrapped around Edelgard's body and her lips, pressing against Edelgard's cheek, curved into a smile.
"Sorry to keep you waiting, El," she said in a small, quiet voice that still managed to make the Emperor feel so safe in a way that she'd never be able to put into words. For just a moment, Edelgard stared into her wife's eyes and that feeling of comfort and safety filled her form, from her head to her toes, until she could contain no more. Her lips quickly found their counterparts and refused to be parted again.
Neither was aware at the time, being so utterly engrossed in the other's long-missed presence, but the Council had secretly been led here after Edelgard by Monica - and not a single other Edelgard present had cheeks paler than their clothes at this display of affection. Some had never imagined such a union could ever be possible. Others were on their way to making it work, finding themselves suddenly emboldened to do so.
As for this Edelgard and her Byleth, the two would never again be separated. Together, they would fight to defend Askr for as long as they were needed, and then they would return home to their Fódlan, continuing to fight for peace.
They were Edelgard and Byleth: Conquering Union.
This one has been a long time coming. If you keep up with these post-scripts, you may recall me mentioning delaying another story from being Chapter 4, but that inspired the actual Chapter 4. That was this one. The Monica scene inspired that whole story, and even after writing it, I felt it was best to hold off on finishing this one until I had finished all routes of Three Houses since I didn't know if Hegemon Edelgard was part of Silver Snow or Verdant Wind. Additionally, I wanted to finish my video on the timeline origins of the Fódlan cast in FEH to release alongside the story. The video can be found on YouTube is "Three Houses' Timeline Origins in Fire Emblem: Heroes | A LINE THROUGH T⌛ME" because doesn't allow links.
I went against some of my findings, partly because some of this was already written before more evidence was uncovered, and also because I think a little more variety in origins benefits the cast.
I didn't have anywhere to put it the observation, but Edelgard's time spent learning to make Byleth's ring was a Forging Bands event.
Despite what the story depicts, I'm convinced Three Hopes Edie and Dimitri are coming to Askr before their child variants. My prediction is that Three Hopes will get some more reps by the end of 2023, but with less dominance than the setting has had the last few years to give Engage a chance in the spotlight. And FE3H child characters are most likely to come in a year or two, with Awakening being my pick for this year, followed by 3H or Fates.