Chapter 21

Sharpening Fangs

With the events in Abyss behind them, N returned his focus to his lessons. During their time in Abyss, N found it difficult to focus on everything that was going on and giving engaging lessons. How Byleth managed, he would never know.

He gave his all in teaching about abilities. With stats and types as baseline, he could properly dive into abilities as a whole. As with other lessons, some students already had a baseline for what abilites were and what they did. While abilities were an easier concept to grasp than stats, he appreciated that everything with this lesson was going smoothly. Maybe he could actually get his field trip idea finalized.

He looked through the folder of all his students and their partners. He tried to remember which ability their partner could have. While he could not remember all from the top of his head, he was mostly sure about which they likely had. He already gone over the kinds of abilities there are, it was now a matter of having the students learn what their partner's abilities were.

He gathered up his notes and placed carefully into a folder. He pushed away from his and Byleth's shared desk, which was becoming more his as time passed, and called for Zorua. The black fox quickly woke up and hoped on his partner's shoulder.

He glanced over toward Byleth's side of the room, it was empty as it had been for the last few days. He did not blame her. The events in Abyss had left an impact on her; on both of them. He was reminded of a past he desperately wanted to run away form. If someone like Kage was close, then he was as well.

He pushed those thoughts aside and exited the room. He assumed Byleth was attending, or hosting, an extra lesson on her day off. With a mission coming up, she had to catch up a bit after everything in Abyss set her lesson plans back. He chuckled as he remembered how several of the Blue Pyroars complained about having those extra lessons.

He walked over toward his own classroom, and was surprised when he heard commotion within. He opened the door and saw three of the Blue Pyroars. Felix and Ingrid, with their partners at their sides, were watching Sylvain and Grwolithe attack one of the training dummies N had set up. N watched the exchange closely. Sylvain called out attacks in quick succession, but with each onslaught their power diminished. Felix and Ingrid gave pointers where they could, but it was evident on Sylvain's face that it was not working.

After a few more minutes of watching, N decided he had to step in. "Aren't you three supposed to be at an extra lesson?"

The three students jumped in surprise. They turned the green haired professor sheepishly. N was surprised Felix could even make such a face. If he were not being serious, he would have chuckled at the sight.

"We finished early, Professor. Professor Byleth said we could spend the rest of the time self studying," Ingrid explained.

"I see. You could've told me you were coming here," N said as he walked over to the charred training dummy.

"Well, we didn't want to bother you," Sylvain said in an uneven tone.

N quickly realized what was going on. Likely Byleth had told them about what had happened between him and Kage. While he appreciated the sentiment, he preferred if things stayed the way they were.

"I appreciate the thought, but this is my area of expertise. You could've just asked me for help," N replied.

"See, I told you two he would be fine. I figured he was made of sterner stuff," Felix said.

N was not sure if that was entirely a compliment. Felix's abrasive tone made even his kinder words difficult to discern.

"We're sorry, Professor," Ingrid said.

"No need for that," N said as he waved their worries off. "So, why the need for rapid fire attacks?"

The three looked between each other for a moment. Though it looked like they were mostly focused on Sylvain.

"Does it have to do with your upcoming mission?" N asked.

Again, silence. Whatever was going on, it was likely difficult for them to talk about it. N could relate, but figured that was not the entire scenario.

"In a way," Sylvain said. "I just want Growlithe and I to be able to better content against Water-type attacks."

"I see. It's always good to be prepared," N said. "Let's start simple. What are Water-types usually weak to?"

"Grass and Electirc," Ingrid replied quickly.

"Very good. Now we have to figure out what attacks from those types Growlithe can learn," N said. "I can think of a few off the top of my head but some may be a bit too much for Growlithe to handle."

Growlithe barked defiantly.

N chuckled and knelt in front of the small dog. "Don't worry. As you get stronger you'll be able to handle it."

The three students watched the exchange between the two. Each time the students saw the way N would act with the creatures, they began to believe he really could speak with the creatures.

"Sylvain. What attacks does Growlithe know?"

"Well, uh, Flamethrower, Flame Wheel, Bite, and Fire Fang."

"Good, then we have a baseline for the attack," N replied.

"What attack?" Ingrid asked.

"Thunder Fang. It's similar to Fire Fang, but Electric-type." He turned to Sylvain. "Keep in mind Growlithe can only know four attacks so be careful in how you train him."

"If the attack is similar to Fire Fang, then that should be the one replaced." The red head turned to his partner. "After all, we already have two attacks that can leave a Burn status."

N was surprised by how quick he was to decide. He had thought he would have to navigate Sylvain toward the conclusion, but the fact he figured it out himself made quite the impression. N had figured Sylvain was smarter than he let on, but he factored in strategy in which attacks he had.

"Not bad. And, like I said, as Growlithe gets stronger, you'll be able to learn stronger attacks." N turned to the red furred dog. "Maybe one day you can attack with Wild Charge."

Growlithe barked in agreement. N could tell the small creature wanted to get stronger, a trait he seemed to share with his partner.

"Let's get started on learning a new attack."

Training to learn an attack was very different to learning one on the spot. Most creatures learned attacks naturally as they got stronger, but they could still learn attacks outside of that natural set. For all his bravado, N had little experience in this area. He managed to get Zorua to learn Dig because of all the times he had trained with Byleth's Eevee. But managing to morph Fire Fang into Thunder Fang was an entirely different experience. He had seen others who had a partner with Thunder Fang, one mercenary in particular who had a Gliscor stood out.

I wonder how they're doing. I remember them being pretty strong. N pushed that thought aside and focused.

The training had gone well into the evening, late enough that Ingrid and Felix had left to do other things. Just as N had imagined, this was not an easy lesson.

"Remember Growlithe, focus on generating electricity instead of flames."

Growlithe barked and lunged toward the singed dummy. He opened his mouth and flames began to form within his jaws. He clamped down on the dummy setting fire to a small portion of it. When Growlithe saw what he had done, he growled angrily.

"You're not going to get it in a day," N said. He said to Growlithe, but he wanted Sylvain to realize it as well. "Learning an attack you haven't seen before takes time."

Growlithe turned away from N and trotted back to his partner.

"Hey, now! No need to act so rude," Sylvain said to his partner.

"No need for that. He's just frustrated and you are too."

N walked up to the young man and put a hand on his shoulder.

"It's fine to train extra, but don't over do it."

"I know, Professor. I guess I just want to have this under my belt sooner rather than later."

There was a frustrated expression that flashed across the young man's face. It was not the same frustration that he had at not getting Thunder Fang mastered. Just as quickly it appeared, the look vanished.

"How about we stop here for today, huh? We can go at it again tomorrow," N suggested.

Sylvain nodded in response. He called for Growlithe and excused himself. N watched the young man exit the battle arena with less confident stride. He sighed as he turned to the charred dummy. While Seteth was not going to be happy he already needed another one, that was not as important. He wondered if there more to the mission than the students had led on.

He figured he could simply ask Byleth about it, but he wanted to hear it from the students instead. It was subtle, but when Sylvain was with Felix and Ingrid there was different atmosphere surrounding them than the usual friendly antagonism that came with being old friends.

He sighed as he ran a hand through his hair. He called for Zorua, who quickly jumped onto his partner's shoulder.

"Let's get some food. How does that sound, buddy?"

Zorua yipped happily in response. N smiled and made his way toward the dining hall.

—-

"Why aren't my Ground-type moves working?!" Caspar complained.

In order for the students to better understand types, N had them spar against each other. N figured, like most of his other lessons, that having the students spar was the best way to have them learn. There was only so much that could be done via explanation.

"Ghastly's ability prevents him from being hit by Ground-type attacks, you simpleton," Hubert said coldly.

"No need for the insults, Hubert," N said.

"I apologize," Hubert muttered.

"He is right, Caspar. Ghastly's ability is called Levitate. None of your Ground attacks will work," N explained.

He knelt down in front of Drilbur. The small mole was saddened that his attacks were not landing. He shared a similar mindset to his partner, both being battle hungry. He chuckled and turned to Caspar.

"Unfortunately, your Drilbur doesn't have the ability Mold Breaker."

Caspar cocked his head to the side, confused. "Mold Breaker?"

"It allows for attacks to land regardless of ability," Hubert explained.

"Precisely, Hubert. If Dribur had that ability, Ghastly wouldn't stand a chance."

"I should consider myself lucky," Hubert said. His voice laced with sarcasm.

"Take a break you two," N said as he stood up. "I need to check on the others."

The two students nodded in response.

N walked around the battle arena and watch the other students carefully. While Edelgard and Petra sparred, the two managed to understand their partner's abilities. Edelgard's Rufflet had the Sheer Force ability, as Air Slash's secondary effect would not activate. As for Petra's Froakie, she had the Protean ability. Whenever Froakie fired off an attack, the blue skinned frog would change color to the type.

The next he observed was Dorothea and Bernadetta. Mimikyu's ability was simple enough to figure out. Whenever it got hit by an attack it would not take damage, but its faux head would crumble making it unable to do so again. When it came to Dorothea's Buneary, it was more difficult to discern. However, N inferred that Buneary did not have the more common abilities. He was surprised at how skilled Dorothea was at battling. She never struck N as someone who would be a good battler. He made a mental note to not judge people so quickly.

The last group was Linhardt and Ferdinand. N was most curious about Ferdinand's partner. He had never seen a Farfetch'd like his before, so he was very keen in learning all about it. N also noticed that Ferdinand did not back down even when he was at a disadvantage. While in training he did not mind it, he knew it would cause problems down the line. When it came to the small duck's ability, that was harder to pinpoint. Since it was a creature he had never seen before, he had no baseline. When it came to Linhardt's Munna, it was another set of difficulties. He knew it was not Forewarn, but to test for the other two required other circumstances which Fardetch'd seemed to not be capable of meeting.

The good thing about abilities was that it forced everyone to have to constantly find a different partner. It also incentivized the use of different strategies against different opponents. Though his time observing led him to believe that some still preferred the method of offense being the best defense. He figured that with more battle experience, it would force even the most offensive to consider slowing down.

He put those thoughts aside and turned to his students. With his class time slowly coming to an end, he wanted to get everyone's final thoughts on the matter.

"Now that you've had a chance to experiment, how do abilities affect battle?"

Everyone muttered amongst themselves for a moment, but the first to raise their hand was Petra.

"The flowing of battle can change greatly."

N nodded in agreement. "That is one aspect. Perhaps you're fighting an opponent who has an ability will slow down the battle when you prefer it more fast paced. There are still other aspects."

Hubert rose his hand next. "It can create a circumstance where a creature is not affected by a type."

"Correct again. Not taking damage from certain types is certainly a boon. Plus, if that ability gives you a chance to not take super effective damage."

Edelgard added her own thoughts. "They can also power-up attacks."

"Indeed they can." N smiled proudly. "It seems you guys have a solid handle on abilities. We'll continue working by having you spar with different people next time."

Just as he finished, the church bells rang out signaling the end of the school day. He dismissed the students and gave the opportunity to stay for any lingering questions. Most of the time no one really stayed, but he always wanted to give the chance.

As the students exited, he walked over toward the training dummies. He glanced toward the one Sylvain charred. He wondered how he was doing with his training, but focused on his main tasks.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Zorua reacting to someone in the battle arena.

"Anything I can help clear up?"

"Well, can't say I have any questions."

N perked up at the person behind him. He whipped his head around and was surprised to see Hapi walking up to him. Zorua rushed over and jumped into Hapi's arms. While Hapi's Misdreavus happily floated close to N's head.

"Surprised to see me?"

N nodded. "Of course. I thought it'd be more time before you and the others visited the surface. How's everyone?"

"Good. Still trying to locate Aelfric."

"I see." From the little updates he got form that investigation, he assumed they were still looking. Though based on Hapi's expression, it seemed like she moved past Aelfric's betrayal.

"Setting that aside, what bings you by?" N asked.

Red formed on Hapi's dark complexion and she buried her face in Zorua's fur. The black fox did not complain, but seemed to know more than N about her reaction.

"I just wanted to come visit," Hapi said. Her voice came out a bit muffled.

N chuckled, which did not help in alleviating Hapi's embarrassment.

"Well, I'm glad you stopped by." N walked over to a small bag. He sat down on a crate, opened the bag and took out something Hapi seemed to have never seen before.

"What's that?" Hapi asked.

"Something to hold me over until dinner." He unwrapped the food item revealing rice formed into a rounded pyramid. "It's something I picked up on the western coast of Adrestia. It's easy enough to make. Want one?"

"Um, sure."

Zorua jumped out of Hapi's arms and she reached out to grab the one N held out. She inspected the rice pyramid, still unsure as to what it was. As she inspected it, she sat down on another crate. N chuckled as he watched Hapi only grow more confused. She turned to him with an unamused expression which only made him laugh more.

"It's not something that warrants so much scrutiny," N said in between laughs.

"I don't see you eating it yet," Hapi jabbed.

"Because I'm waiting for you to try it."

Hapi rolled her eyes, but relented and slowly bit into the small food. N was surprised at how big the bite was. He was expecting her to simply bite the top. However, he did expect her reaction to the food.

Her eyes burst open as she absorbed the flavors. She looked down and was surprised to see a purple color within the center. She looked up to N, who had a smile on his face.

"Good, right?"

Hapi nodded enthusiastically.

"It's called onigiri, or rice balls."

"You learned to make this?" Hapi asked after swallowing.

N nodded. "It was simple enough to make and most in our band enjoyed them."

"What's this purple stuff in the middle?"

"A blend of berries. It's to offset the saltiness of the rice." He held up the one he had. "It was the band's most popular filling."

Hapi finished the onigiri. N could tell she enjoyed it, which made him happy. He wondered if his other students would enjoy them as well. He wondered if Edelgard would.

N paused for a moment. Why had his thoughts singled her out? He was happy that the awkwardness between them had passed, but he found himself thinking about her often. He considered her a friend and she was a great student, but their relationship felt like there was a bit more to it.

"Hey, N."

N looked up and seeing Hapi, broke him out of his train of thought. "Sorry. Lost in thought."

"Clearly," she said as she put a hand on her hip. "You were so adamant on me eating the rice ball that you haven't touched yours."

N glanced toward the onigiri in his hand and it did remain uneaten. He looked to the side and saw Zorua staring intensely at it. He chuckled and parted the onigiri with his hands. He tossed one half to the black fox, who caught it expertly. He shoved the other half in his mouth and quickly swallowed it.

"Glad you stopped by so you can experience my amazing cooking," N said with a laugh.

Hapi rolled her eyes. "You're impossible."

Misdreavus echoed her partner's expression, but added a pout to it. N noticed how similar the two were, and it made sense to him why the two were such good partners.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Sure, but why the questioning all of a sudden?" Hapi asked in return.

"Just curious about something," N replied.

Hapi shrugged, so N decided to ask. "How long has Misdreavus been your partner?"

The ghost and red haired girl looked at each other briefly before turning back to N.

"Honestly for as long as I could remember." Hapi turned back to Misdreavus and smiled at her partner. "Without her, being alone all that time would've driven me crazy."

N understood better now. He could tell their connection was close. The way they battled and one always mimicking the other led him to believe as much. He was glad she had such a strong bond with her partner. The two seemed to complete each other. N did not even want to imagine the kind of person Hapi would have been without Misdreavus.

"I'm glad you two are so close. I can clearly see the strength of you your bond."

"Then you think I could get the same power as Yuri?"

The question stumped N. He recalled the power Yuri used against Mewtwo. The way his Absol transformed into something even stronger. It had been a temporary transformation as well. When the battle had ended, Absol had reverted to his original form. He remembered Yuri saying it could be achieved through the strength of his bond with Absol.

There was also the fact that it was achieved with some kind of stone that both had to have. He had never seen anything like it before. He wanted to ask Yuri about it, but after everything that had happened, it did not feel like the right time to ask.

He turned to Hapi, and wondered if her Misdreavus could have such an ability as well. Though Misdreavus had to undergo a transformation first.

"I'm sure there's a chance, but not as Misdreavus."

Hapi cocked her head to the side, with her partner mimicking the motion. "What's that mean?"

"Misdreavus has another form. It's called Mismagius," N explained. "I believe it needs a certain stone to be able to achieve that form."

"A stone like Yuri's?"

N shook his head. "Unfortunately, no. A transformation stone is required."

"What's that?"

"It's a stone that when certain creatures are exposed to it undergo a permanent transformation."

I wonder if I should be using the term Pokémon instead, N thought as he quickly glanced toward Zorua. He had been wondering since meeting Mewtwo if that was the true name for all the creatures. He had to admit, the word rolled off the tongue better than he thought. However, he pushed that thought aside to focus on Hapi's concerns.

"I wonder where I can find those kinds of stones," Hapi mused aloud.

"Well, there's a vendor in the town at the base of the mountain. I'm sure they'll have it," N suggested.

Hapi groaned. "All the way there?"

N chuckled. "Unfortunately. I'd be more than happy to accompany you."

"I'll have to think on that," Hapi replied.

As the two continued to talk, N's mind wandered during lapses in their conversations. However, it always fell back on the stones. He remembered seeing so many and he still wanted to formulate a small lesson around them. There was another reason it came to his mind as well: it could help Sylvain.

His eyes widened when he realized a way to help Sylvain on his training. It was bit of a last resort option, but it could still give him the edge he desired in battle.

His expression caught Hapi's attention, who gave him a curious look. "Everything okay?"

"Huh?" he asked as he turned to her. He blinked rapidly as reacquainted himself with his conversation with Hapi. "Yeah, you just helped with something that's been bugging me."

"Oh, did I?"

N nodded enthusiastically as he shot up from the crate. "Funny how sharing a snack leads to such an exchange."

Hapi rolled her eyes, but could not fight the laugh that escaped her seeing N act so excitedly. "I'm glad we could help each other out."

N smiled which made Hapi turn away to hide the red forming on her face. After seeing what had happened to him in Abyss, that terrified expression that was etched into her mind, seeing him smile made up for everything she had seen him got through. She turned back to him and gave him his own smile. She hoped that she could see that smile every time she came to see him.

—-

From afar, someone was watching the exchange between the two friends.

Edelgard had returned to the battle arena to talk with N, but stopped when he saw him interacting with Hapi. While she was happy to see him in such a jovial mood, the fact that Hapi was part of the reason for it tore at her insides.

She hated that the feeling within her was growing. It was something she was sure she would never feel, but every time she was with N, it was when she felt like she could let her guard down. She could never tell him everything, but at least he would hear her out and in turn she would do the same for him.

However seeing that same smile he had given her during one of the first conversation under the moonlight to someone else hurt more than she cared to admit. She tightened her grip on the small bag she was holding and stormed out of the battle arena. She did not care if either of them saw her.

As she descended the steps leading to the battle arena she stopped. Hubert, who was waiting at the end of the steps, turned to her curiously but with a hint of concern.

"Is everything all right, Lady Edelgard?"

She did not respond to her adjutant. She turned her head toward the battle arena and realized something she had been dreading to admit to herself. If she really was feeling jealousy toward the red haired girl from Abyss, then the feelings she had for N really was something she had long believed was not possible.

—

Teaching abilities with the Golden Stantlers was very different compared to with the Black Staraptors. Due to there being a wider range of personalities, it made supervising a bit harder.

As usual, N separated the class into pairs. He tried to find pairs that would not hold a significant advantage over the other as they were simply sparing, but that proved to be a bit of a challenge. In the end he managed to find a happy medium with the groups: Claude and Lysithea, Raphael and Lorenz, Leonie and Hilda, with the last pair being Marianne and Ignatz.

The first pair he observed was Leonie and Hilda. Their personalities clashed heavily, which made for an interesting dynamic as they sparred. However, Hilda as quick to realize that she was at a disadvantage due to her Stufful's ability. After being hit by two Flame Charges, Hilda noted her Stufful took more damage compared to Blitzle's other attacks; meaning her ability was Fluffy. As for Blitzle, it was a bit more difficult to discern. From N's experience, he remembered that most of Blitze's abilities required contact from certain attacks.

From them, he moved to watch Marianne and Ignatz spar. He was worried when it came toward Marianne, as he and her were of similar minds: doing the battle with creatures felt wrong. The main difference between them was N knew to put aside his disdain in order to stay alive. When it came to Marianne, she was vehemently against it.

Because of that sentiment, having her spar was always difficult. However, he found that Ignatz was good at getting her to spar by keeping the pace slow. Always making sure to never get absorbed by the heat of battle. N appreciated how well he could work with any of his classmates.

When it came toward figuring out abilities. Ignatz was quick on the uptake. He seemed to know right away how to test for which ability his partner had. With only a few attacks exchanged between them, he figured out that Hoothoot had the Tinted Lens ability, granting a power boost to attacks that the opponent resisted. He figured it out by using Psychic-type attacks on Espurr.

As for Espurr, figuring out the ability was a bit more challenging. Based on the kinds of attacks Ignatz was using, and the amount of times he used the attack Confusion, they had assumed Espurr had the ability Own Tempo. But just as N turned away to supervise another group, Espurr was hit by a Confusion and the status activated. While Ignatz groaned at having to go back to the drawing board, and Marianne trying her best to stop the exercise, N appreciated the boy's curiosity.

The next pair he supervised was Claude and Lysithea. This pair was the quickest to figure out. Claude's Deerling had recently learned the attack Zen Headbutt and based on Lysithea's frustration, he was getting more flinches than usual. Deerling had the Serene Grace ability. When it came to Raltz, due to not adopting Serene Grace as soon as they started sparring that ruled out the Trace ability. Based on what N could remember about the Raltz line, one of its abilities required a different battle style and the other relied on getting hit with status conditions. N assumed it was the latter.

The last pair he observed was Raphael and Lorenz. Despite a massive clash in personalities, Ne was surprised at how well they managed to get into the swing of the exercise. Lorenz mainly did it to show off his Piplup's strength, while Raphael took everything in stride.

These two were another where it was quickly figured out which abilities they had. After hitting Makuhita with a Scald attack and inflicting the burn status, Makuhita's attacks were dealing more damage than normal. With the Guts ability, Makuhita would be a difficult opponent should battles drag too long. As for Piplup, after being hit by a Bulldoze attack, causing a drop in speed, the little penguin also had his attack boosted. N was surprised to see how offensively oriented the two were.

As class time began to dwindle, N had everyone stop sparring and rest before he gather everyone for a final round up of questions. Most of the students tended to their partners, as N had been giving them pointers on how to keep them healthy. Others simply mingled as they waited for the N to call them all over. It was through these moments that N began to better understand the students in his care. He found that even the most reserved of people slowly opened up, while the even the most outspoken knew when to rein it in. Though it appeared that Lorenz had yet to find a happy medium.

N chuckled at the sight. The Golden Stantlers were certainly the class with the most personality.

"Something funny, N?" Claude asked as he sauntered toward the green haired professor.

N collected himself, but kept a smile on his face. "Nothing major. Just remembered something from when I was traveling."

Claude clasped his hands behind his head. "Ah, an embarrassing memory then."

"Something like that."

The church bells rang to signal the end of the class. N gave his usual speech about staying if they had any questions. He was surprised when two students stuck around: Ignatz and Marianne. Ignatz staying behind was not as surprising, as he was one of the few students who was always keen to learn more. He was surprised at Marianne. She usually scurried out as soon as she could.

"What can I help you with?"

The students looked between each other, and Marianne gestured for Ignatz to take the lead.

"Well, we were wondering why you did not use Zorua as an example for abilities. For the other lessons you have, what changed with this one?" Ignatz asked.

N turned to Zorua, who was perched on his shoulder. With a nod, Zorua jumped off N's shoulder and landed between the students and their professor.

"It's simple. Zorua's ability isn't really applicable for battle."

"How so?" Marianne asked.

N pondered the question for a moment. Zorua's blue eyes looked toward his partner and he yipped something only N could understand.

"It'll be easier to show you."

Zorua then jumped into the air, and spun as it was enveloped in a purple light. The two students watched in awe as the black fox's body began to transform. As the purple light vanished, Zorua was replaced by Hoothoot. Ignatz's Hoothoot was startled by the sudden appearance of another of him that it staggered on Ignatz's shoulder, almost revealing his second leg.

"Zorua transformed into Hoothoot?!" Ignatz exclaimed.

N nodded as his Zorua disguised Hoothoot perched on his shoulder. "Zorua's ability is called Illusion. He can transform into any creature he sees." Hoothoot glowed purple again and Zorua morphed into Espurr next, startling Marianne's Espurr. "It's difficult to use in battle so I tend to avoid using it." Espurr glowed purple again and Zorua returned to his normal form.

"Incredible," Ignatz said as he adjusted his glasses. "I can see how that ability can be useful, in battle as well."

"It requires one to have more than one partner to really make use out of it," N explained. "Which is why Zorua usually only uses it to pull pranks." The black furred fox snickered. "But he knows they don't work on me or anyone from the mercenary band. I can't tell you the amount of times he tried to spook Byleth to no avail."

Zorua groaned at his partner's telling of his failed schemes.

"You'll get her someday," N said as he knelt down next to Zorua.

"I think the ability is most useful when Zorua was in the wild," Marianne said.

"That is true," N said as he turned to the blue haired girl. "When I first met Zorua, he was always transformed." He turned back to his partner, a slightly somber expression forming on his face. "He got separated from his mother. It took a long time for him to get used to me." Zorua yipped and hopped onto N's shoulder and pressed the side of his face into his cheek. "But as you can see we are now best of friends."

"Then you know why I dislike battles," Marianne said. "They only do more harm."

N understood the sentiment. He too held similar beliefs that the creatures did not simply exist for battles. However, there were many times he found himself in situations where the only recourse was to have creatures fight. Each time he could hear Zorua's voice and it was always intent on protecting him.

"Trust me, Marianne, I believe in those ideals as well," N replied. A small smile formed on the sullen girl's face. "However, because of battles is how Zorua and I grew closer."

The blue haired girl did not seem to understand. She turned away from N and picked up her own partner.

"Marianne, I thought I could live a life without fighting, but the world we live in just does not allow for that." N sighed as his gaze fell to the stone beneath him. "Not yet anyway."

Marianne was silent for a moment. N hoped she understood what he was trying to say. She turned to him and gave him a short bow with the quietest of goodbyes. She hurried out the battle arena. Ignatz called out to her, but she did not slow down.

"I'm sorry, Professor. I didn't want for things to become so dreary."

N waved away his concerns. "No need. I think that was something she needed to hear." He focused his attention on the young man. "Just continue to be a good friend toward her. The same goes for her other friends."

"I'll make sure to try." Ignatz gave a quick bow and walked out of the battle arena.

N gave one last look out the battle arena. He was surprised to see Dimitri speaking with Ignatz, but he paid it no mind. He turned to the still charred training dummy and wondered when Sylvain's next visit would be.

—

N let out an exasperated breath as he sat down at the desk in his shared room. Byleth, who was on her bed brushing Eevee's fur, was surprised to hear him exhale in such a way. He had always been the type to keep everything inward as much as possible. Whatever had happened must have really taken its toll.

She looked to her friend and saw him blankly staring at some documents on the desk. At this point she should start calling it his desk as she barely used it. He ran a hand down his face and put the documents in a folder and set the folder aside. The only thing left on the desk was a calendar that spanned the whole desk.

"Everything okay?" she asked.

"Just wish people had a bit more patience," N replied.

Byleth set down the brush, much to Eevee's disappointment, and walked toward N. "Is this about Sylvain's training?"

She had known about the training Sylvain had been doing with N. It seems N was just as frustrated as her student when it come toward progress, but their sources differed.

"Yeah. The guy has no patience," N said with a sigh. "I get wanting to get stronger faster, but it still takes time."

Byleth understood why he wanted to get stronger faster. Their upcoming mission was personal for Sylvain, and it seemed N had no idea. She felt like he deserved to know, but it was better that it came directly form her students.

"Well, not everyone has the same appreciation for learning new things like you do," Byleth reasoned.

N turned to his friend with a chuckle. "Says the one where everything comes natural to." He glanced toward her two partners. "Even learning new attacks comes easy to those two. Charmander learned Metal Claw recently, right?"

Byleth glanced toward the sleeping orange lizard, a small smile coming to her face. "He's been working hard to get stronger."

The small lizard yawned and slightly opened his eyes. He took in his surroundings in a sleepy state and promptly fell right back to sleep. The two friends chuckled at the sight.

Byleth turned to the calendar at the desk. She quickly studied it and noticed a small mark on an upcoming day. She looked at what month it was and let out a quick gasp. N caught the noise and turned to his friend.

"Everything okay?"

She quickly turned to him, a serious expression breaking through the usual monotone. "Your birthday is coming up!" She put her hands on his shoulders and began to shake him.

"It is. And?"

"We always do something for it." Byleth stopped shaking N. "It was a tradition during our travels and I'm not about to stop them now."

N chuckled. "I appreciate the sentiment, but it's nothing to get so worked up over."

He was right. This was the first time she had been excited for N's birthday. She was always happy when the day came when they were growing up, as it almost felt like it was hers as well, but it felt different now. Perhaps it was because they were in the company of so many new people that there was different feeling surrounding the day.

She also recalled the expressions from certain students when she told them about it. The Blue Pyroars wanted to have a small gathering to celebrate it, while several students from the other houses wished for something more subdued. There was also the friends they made below the surface. She was sure they already knew and she wondered what Hapi would do.

"I guess you're right. Adopting Father's opinion now, right?"

N shook his head. "I could never be that apathetic about it. But I do appreciate how excited you seem to be about it."

"Good. I'll try to have something you can look forward to."

N chuckled, but it slowly morphed into laughter. "I can't wait to see what you think up. Never thought I'd see the day that you'd be excited for my birthday."

Byleth crossed her arms in confusion. "Well, you are my friend after all."

And that was still true. She was still immensely thankful in all the ways he had been helpful to her. Byleth hoped she could repay him someday. However, she still had in the back of her mind what had happened in Abyss as well as what Sothis had told her. She was sure that N was her best friend, but a part of her could not deny there was still more to their relationship than that. She thought back to what Aelfric had said, that in another life her and N could have been siblings. For some reason those words had resonated with her.

"Well, I'm going to take a quick bath," N said as he stood up from the desk. Zorua followed suit and hopped onto N's shoulder. "I'll be back later."

Byleth nodded and she watched N leave their room. She was happy his mood had shifted to be more positive. Though now she had to plan something for his birthday, something she had absolutely zero experience in.

—-

When it came to teaching the Blue Pyroars, it felt similar to teaching the Black Staraptors. They were all focused on the task at hand, but all went about it in their own ways. N kept that in mind as he picked the pairs that would spar in order to discover what abilities their partners had.

The first pair he studied was Ashe and Dimitri. After everything that happened in Abyss, the two had grown closer. Ashe still spoke formally around the prince, but he would fumble less with his word than usual. When it came to their partners, Dimitri's was easy to discover. Whenever a new sparring session started, Shinx always growled at his opponent. This would lead to Grovyle's physical attacks dealing less damage than normal. As for Grovyle, it seemed to have an ability that appeared to be standard with certain kinds of Grass-types: Overgrow. As late into battles, Grovyle would be surrounded by a faint green aura.

The next pair was Dedue and Mercedes. Neither held a significant advantage over the other, but due to that neither could get the other's ability to activate. N relied on previous encounters to fill in the gaps and help his students, as he did with the others. The two students appreciated the assistance and began to formulate ways to take advantage of their partner's abilities. The two had similar triggers in that Happiny and Larvitar needed to have a status condition to work, their effects were where they differed. Happiny was Natrual Cure which helped in curing status conditions. Larvitar, meanwhile, had Guts which boosted power when afflicted with a status condition.

The pair he found interesting where the two with fire types: Sylvain and Ingrid. Ingrid's Ponyta had a relatively common ability in Flash Fire. Ponyta absorbed Fire-type attacks which would power up her own Fire-type attacks. Meanwhile, Growlithe had Intimidate as well. It was the first time N had encountered overlapping abilities in any of the houses.

As he watched the pair spar, Sylvain still tried to get Thunder Fang to work. Every so often there was a flash of electricity, but it would quickly morph in flames. N glanced toward Sylvain and could see the frustration only growing. Ingrid encouraged him to continue trying, which seemed to help. Though N was not sure if it was for the reasons he wanted.

The final pair he observed was Felix and Annette. Despite their major clash in personality, the two sparred well against each other. Despite having the type advantage, Felix kept his willingness to go all out controlled. The main problem that Annette faced was having little attacks that could hit Honedge. Being a Steel-Ghost type meant that Jigglypuff did not have many attacks, but Jigglypuff had managed to learn Water Pulse.

When it came toward discovering their respective abilities, the two managed with but a single attack. Honedge used Screech in order to lower Jigglypuff's defense and found her ranged attacks doing more damage; which led to Jigglypuff's ability being Competitive. Screech was also an attack with a higher chance of not hitting meant that Honedge had the ability No Guard.

N stood off to the side and took in the sight of all the students training. Ever since he began teaching he wondered if any of them would be as engrossed as he saw now. It made him happy that the students from all the houses had become interested in learning more about Pokémon.

N stopped himself. He had just called the creatures by the name Mewtwo had called them. He smiled to himself and wondered if he could get everyone to start calling them that. It had always felt off in his mind to call them creatures. He had always thought they were more than such a simple word.

He was broken from his thoughts when he heard some kind of cheering. He turned to where he heard it and saw Sylvain cheering on Growlithe. He was so loud that it caught the attention of the other groups.

"What happened Sylvain?" Dimitri asked.

"You saw it, right, Ingrid?" Sylvain asked his partner in the exercise.

"It did look like lightning instead of flames," Ingrid said.

"Lightning?" Annetted asked with puzzled expression.

"Have you managed to learn Thunder Fang?" N asked becoming the center of attention.

Sylvain nodded. "Well, we managed to get one to work at least."

N crossed his arms across his chest. "Remember, you'll have learned it when you can use it consistently." N walked over toward the charred dummy. "Try doing it again on the dummy."

Sylvain nodded. "You ready, Growlithe?"

Growlithe barked in agreement and followed his partner. The two got into position in front of the dummy, both determined to make their new attack work.

"C'mon, Growlithe! Thunder Fang!"

Growlithe charged toward the dummy. As he lunged toward it, the dog opened his mouth and sparks formed within his jaws. Everyone was stunned seeing the spark, however N knew to not celebrate too early. When Growlithe bit down on the dummy, instead of lighting, fire engulfed by bite mark.

Without even looking, N could tell Sylvain was disappointed. While he was happy the red head managed to get the attack to work once, there was still the hurdle of consistency. N sighed and turned to the disappointed teen.

"Don't take this moment as a set back," N said as he walked to Sylvain. "You managed to get the attack to work once, continue to hone it." He turned to the rest of the class as he wanted them all to hear. "When it comes to these kinds of things, consistency is the key. It'll take time for it to work, but if you keep trying it'll become much easier."

N took a moment to let the words sink in. He knew that Sylvain's hard work would be rewarded and he wanted the rest of the students to know the same would happened to them.

With the church bells ringing, he left them with that final thought. The students slowly walked out of the arena.

"Sylvain, I need you to stay behind please."

The red head nodded and told his friends to go without him.

"What's up, Professor?" Sylvain asked, trying to return to him his carefree tone.

"There's something I want to give you."

N gestured for Sylvain to follow him and the two walked toward where he kept all his teaching materials. He rummaged through the shelves looking for what he had bought a few days prior.

"Ah, there it is." N reached out and grabbed something wrapped in a cloth. He turned to the red head with the cloth wrapped object. "For you."

Sylvain extended out his hand. He was curious as to what his professor was giving him, but also cautious. When N put the object in his hand, he was surprised as to how warm it was. "What is it?"

"Unwrap it to find out."

Sylvain unwrapped the cloth to find an odd looking stone. It was yellow in color with a a red mark at its center. It was almost like gemstone in the way it shined in the sunlight. His attention was turned away from it when he saw Growlithe barking at it. He was confused as to why his partner seemed so excited by it.

"I would be careful with it around Growlithe," N cautioned.

"Why?"

"Because it's a transformation stone."

"A what stone?"

N chuckled. He really should make that a lesson one day soon. "It means that Growlithe will transform into Arcanine."

"With this?" Sylvain asked as he held up the stone.

N nodded. "Indeed. I was thinking about giving it to you later, but now is as good a time as any."

"So, you'll become Arcanine with this," Sylvain said to Growlithe. The small dog barked to agree. "But why give it to me now?"

"You want to learn Thunder Fang for an upcoming mission, right?"

Sylvain nodded.

"Should something happen, be it positive or negative, use that." N pointed to the stone. "Undergoing a permanent transformation gives a massive power boost."

Sylvain went silent for a moment. His eyes shifted between the stone and Growlithe. "Permanent, huh?" Sylvain took one last look at the stone and quickly put it in his pocket. "Thanks, Professor. I'll keep your words in mind."

N smiled. "That's all I can ask you to do." He turned away from Sylvain and began to put some of his supplied away. "Go back to your friends. They need you as much as you need them."

If Sylvain responded, N chose not to hear it. He did hear the shuffling of footsteps as he exited the battle area with Growlithe following close behind. N smiled to himself. He was happy that the young man appeared to be taking his advice. He just hoped that whatever personal business the mission brought could be resolved without the need for a fight.

—-

Colress sat in his tent. He poured over different research notes he had recently received. Many new observations were notes back in Enbarr that greatly interested him. The first was advancements in Sycamore's research: Mega Evolution as he called it. An experimental weapon being created by Lysander held a piece of the puzzle to solve that particular mystery. However, he would let Lysander continue as he was most invested in that project. While it did align with his own studies, until something tangible could be attained Colress would not invest time into it.

What did interest him was Kage's report from Abyss. He had observed two events of the great interest. The first was the way the man Aelfric used the DNA Splicers. Colress had no idea there was another use for it besides what he had planned for Kyurem. The fact that they were used to create an artificial creature astounded him. He hoped to find Mewtwo one day and study it.

The second part of his report was what occurred during the fight against Mewtwo. According to what Kage saw, someone's partner underwent a temporary transformation. Colress made sure that Sycamore had gotten the report as well, but he had yet to hear back. A part of him believed this might be the breakthrough Sycamore needed, but there was still insufficient data. However, he was curious as to the stones that appeared to be the root cause of the transformation. Colress was excited to see these new possibilities.

From outside his tent he could hear the crow of a Honchkrow. Soon after the sound form the entrance of the tent filled his ears. Without looking Colress held out his hand someone put a rolled up paper into his hand. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Cedric exited the tent.

He unrolled the paper and read the report. It was not of much concern to him; an ousted son of a noble family wanted revenge. What was of interest was that he had stolen the relic weapon that belonged to his family. Perhaps he could, unknowingly, assist in the research of Gigantification and Mega Evolution. Colress already knew who to send in order to do that.

"Kronya."

The soft snoring form the right side of his tent ceased. It was followed by a yawn and rustling of a blanket.

"Just when I finally managed to get some sleep on your rock hard cot," Kronya complained as she stretched.

Colress sighed as he pinched the bridge of his nose. "You have your own cot in your own tent."

"Yeah, but Zoroark takes over the whole bed. And you barely sleep anyway, so why do you care?"

Colress was about to retort, but he realized he was getting off topic. "Not the point. I need you to do something for me."

"And what might that be?" Kronya asked as she walked toward the scientist.

Colress did not turn to her. He held out the report he had gotten, which she took with a confused expression. She unrolled the paper and read the contents.

"What does this have to do with me?" She asked as she threw the paper back at Colress.

"I need you to observe what happens. If a fight against the Knights of Seiros breaks out I need someone to document if something of interest happens," Colress explained.

"Why can't the Shadow Triad do it?"

"Only Ghetsis can give them orders." Colress sighed. "You won't get out of doing this."

Kronya groaned. "Fine. You better pay me back for this."

Colress smiled as he pushed up his glasses. "It is all for the advancement of our research."

"More like your research, you frickin nerd," Kronya muttered.

She grabbed the paper again and turned to walk out of tent. She was about to exit when Colress cleared his throat.

"What now?"

"Put some clothes on. No need to be so indecent."

Kronya rolled her eyes, but grabbed one of Cloress's thin white coats and exited the tent.

—-

Byleth woke up to start the week as she always did. As usual, N was awake before she was. How he managed to do that, she would never really know. She did have guesses, but none of them were particularly happy.

She pushed those thoughts aside and began to get ready for the day. Her routine was always the same, make sure her hair did not look like she just rolled out of bed and make sure her coat was always in good condition. It was she had done since her days as a mercenary and that would not change. It also helped calm her down, as there was a lot she wanted to do.

Putting on her clothes and armor had also become second nature to her. She was not sure why she still wore the armor as a professor, but it felt odd to not where it. Once everything was it needed to be, she made her way out of her shared room with Eevee on her shoulder and Charmander walking beside her.

As she put her hand on the door's handle she glanced back toward the sword she had been bequeathed; the Sword of the Creator. Since Abyss, she had not used the blade. It still felt odd to wield. She kept it hidden most of the time, but would at times grab hold of it. The voices she had heard when she first touched it had not returned.

On her shoulder Eevee turned to her curiously and nudged her partner's cheek with her paw. Byleth shifted her gaze toward Eevee and gave a small smile.

"Thank you, Eevee."

She looked between her two partners and steeled herself for the day ahead.

"Let's go you two."

As she walked toward the classroom, she saw a tall man with orange hair talking with a knight. What surprised her was the creature the tall man had as a partner. It was creature she had heard about but thought to be long extinct: a Bastiodon. The ancient looking creature slept peacefully in the patch of grass next to its partner.

It seemed her staring did not go unnoticed, as the orange haired man's gaze shifted quickly toward Byleth. He quickly ended his conversation with the knight and gestured for Byleth to come to him.

Byleth felt somewhat sheepish at being caught staring and being called out for it. However, as she approached the tall man, he had an understanding smile on his face.

"Curious about my partner are you?" the man asked turning to his sleeping Bastiodon.

Byleth nodded in response. Meanwhile, both of her partners were curious about the flat faced creature.

The man chuckled. "Most are. Bastiodon is just as rare if not more so than your Charmander."

"I've only read about these kinds of ancient creatures. To think I'd actually get to meet you is unbelievable," Byleth replied. "N would love to meet it."

"I'd like to meet another new member of the faculty here," the man said.

Byleth's gaze shifted to the man and she just now noticed the crest of Seiros embroidered on parts of his armor. This had to be the knight Rhea had mentioned that would join her class on their upcoming mission.

"Forgive me, we haven't met before," Byleth said.

The man waved away her concerns. "It's nothing to apologize over. Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Gilbert."

"I'm Byleth. Professor of the Blue Pyroar house."

"Don't you worry, I know who you are." Gilbert turned to the two creatures still investigating Bastiodon. "That Charmander gives it away."

Byleth's expression grew somber at Gilbert's words. Since he was a knight of Seiros that meant he was not pleased with her having a Charmander. Despite being a normal sight to see her walking with Charmander, none of the knights were too fond of seeing him. Even the most devout of students had started to come around.

Gilbert noticed her expression and cleared his throat to continue talking. "Don't worry, I'm not like most who have disdain for its final form. I just wish there was another solution to stow the fears of the people." Gilbert turned back to Byleth. "Perhaps you will be a source for that."

"N said something similar."

"That's the new battle instructor, correct?" Gilber mused. "I'll have to speak him soon. I am most curious as to the kind of man he is."

Before she could respond, the church bells began to ring signaling the start of a new day. The chatter of students began to fill the courtyard as they all began their trek toward their classrooms. Byleth turned Gilbert and saw him becoming uncomfortable.

"This was a lovely chat, Professor. However, there are things I need to attend to. We'll speak again when the day of the mission draws near."

Byleth nodded in response and watched as he quickly walked toward his Bastiodon.

"We must get going now."

Bastiodon groaned as it slowly lifted itself back up. Byleth could easily tell the creature weighed a lot in how it lumbered behind its partner.

She found herself becoming curious about her new acquaintance. She found him pleasant to talk to, but the way he excused himself so quickly meant he wanted to avoid the students. She remembered Annette asking if Byleth had seen a man with similar hair color. And now that she thought about it, despite the grey, Gilbert's hair was a similar color, perhaps just a smidge darker.

"Ah, there you are, Professor."

Byleth turned to see Dimitri walking towards her; his Shinx trotting beside him. The blue furred feline however, began to play with Eevee and Charmnder as soon as he saw them. Their partner's simply chuckled at the sight.

"Shall we get going to classroom?"

Byleth nodded in response. "Come along, Eevee, Charmander."

"You as well Shinx."

The three creatures responded to their partner's call and followed them toward the classroom.

When the bells signaling midday echoed through the monastery, Byleth felt a like the whole day was done. With still half the day left to go, she let out a breath and looked over the chalkboard. There was still the other half of the lesson to teach and she wanted to make sure she could correctly build into it.

Her lesson plans were not nearly as detailed as N's tended to be, but she could make sense of her small amount of details. Though she felt like her class was not as difficult as N's was. Hers had years of knowledge to go back on, while her friend relied on his own experience and his own knowledge. She could still remember what he would say whenever they encountered a creature neither of them had seen before, that were still many mysteries to uncover.

She chuckled at the thought of that. N's boundless curiosity was always something she admired. It made her life growing up not be consumed by just fighting.

"What's so funny, Professor?"

Byleth turned to see Annette walking up to her. Her Jigglypuff was wrapped in her arms. Behind her was Mercedes; with her Happiny standing beside her.

"Just remembering something N told me once," she said as she turned away from the chalkboard. "Have any questions about the lesson?"

Annette shook her head. "Nope. I think I got everything down. This is about something else."

Byleth rose an eyebrow. She expected Mercedes to continue Annette's train of thought, but the energetic girl kept going.

"Today's N's birthday, right?" she asked excitedly. "Any plans?"

"Um, not yet," Byleth replied.

Annette turned to Mercedes, happier than Byleth would have expected.

"Then why don't we get everyone together and celebrate it together," Annette suggested.

Byleth mused the option for a moment. She did want to have something special for it. But she had not really considered having it be more than just her and him. It had always been like that when they were traveling. The members of the band would say something, but it was never a big thing.

Now in an environment where there were so many people close to their age, close to his age, it could be possible to do it. Byleth could tell Annette was eager to have it be a group celebration. She knew how much time N spent trying to befriend all the students. She figured that N most likely would not mind having it be more than just her.

"I think that'd be fun. For him, at least."

"Great! We can do it after class today. I'll make sure to let the others know," Annette said. She quickly turned Mercedes. "C'mon, Mercedes! We have a birthday party to plan."

"Someone's excited," Mercedes replied.

"Of course! A special day like this needs to be celebrated with friends!"

Byleth watched as the two girls excitedly exited the classroom. While she was happy that she was letting someone else do the planning, a part of her could not help but think things were going to get out of hand.

She leaned against her desk and wondered if something similar would happen for her own birthday, not that she knew when it was. She had yet to speak to her father about what she had learned in Abyss. She knew she had to at some point, but it just did not feel like the right time yet.

She pushed that aside to focus on what mattered at the moment, N. She now had to figure out a way to get him to come to the classroom.

By the time the bells rung signaling the end of the school day, word about the gathering the Blue Pyroars were having for N had spread to the other houses. While she did not mind having more people joining it, she wondered if N would be okay with it.

As she walked over to the battle arena, she saw the Black Staraptros exiting. She figured that N had finished his own lessons. The students form the rival house greeted her as they walked past, and would continue talking about what N was teaching them. She was happy that N managed to get the students interested in the creatures they lived alongside. Perhaps one day their shared dream would come true.

She opened the door to the battle arena and saw N, what looked like, taking inventory. Off to the side she saw a charred dummy, which was likely the one Sylvain was using to train. N looked to absorbed in thought as he did not seem to notice her walking, but Zorua did and trotted over to greet her. She bent down to pet the small fox, who greatly appreciated it.

"Got time for a question, Professor?" she called out as she stood up.

N stopped looking through his materials and chuckled as he turned around.

"Depends on the question," N said. "What brings you by?"

Byleth shrugged in response. "Do I need a reason to see my friend?"

"Fair enough, but I gotta finishing sorting all this stuff," N said as he turned back to the crate he had been rummaging through. "By the way, what's this I'm hearing about a get together for my birthday?"

"Ah, so you're heard."

"Hard not to," N said with a laugh. "Especially when the house I just taught has Caspar in it. He really can't keep his mouth shut at times."

"Well, it was never really supposed to be a secret," Byleth replied. "Though it did get out of hand."

"Was it only supposed to be you and the Blue Pyroars? I practically hear Annette's excitement from here."

Byleth nodded, but quickly realized N could not see her. "Mhm. Do you mind if more people come?"

"Not really. I just hope that I'm not a boring person to celebrate a birthday for."

Byleth put a hand on her hip and cocked her head to the side. "Pretty sure you're the only one who thinks that. The students that just left were only talking about your lessons and how much they enjoy them."

"That's good to hear."

Byleth found it odd how monotone N sounded. While she knew he would never make a big deal about something as simple as a birthday, she knew his mood would change when the day would come. The atmosphere around the camp during their traveling days was always more lighthearted and jovial. N would always be the main factor. It was always because everyone wanted to help him move past whatever he had escaped as a child, or simply just to make him happy for the day.

"What's got you so down? You're always a bit more excitable about this," Byleth asked.

N sighed and turned to her. She saw his downcast expression and wondered what was causing it.

"I guess I'm just not used to having so many people excited for something like this. I don't want everyone thinking that they have to celebrate it," N replied.

"But you remember all the student's birthdays. You always make sure to get them something that could be useful in the future," Byleth reasoned.

"It's just a way to get to know them better, so they won't see me as just a professor."

"Then think about it like that for your own."

"Wha…?"

"N, you're looking too deep into a problem that isn't there." Byleth took several steps to close the gap between them. She put a hand on N's shoulder. "The students just want to see you happy on a day they consider to be special. To them, the eleventh of the Verdant Rain Moon is now more than just a day. It's a day that holds importance to someone they consider dear to them."

N was silent for a moment as he took in Byleth's words. She knew N was prone to overthinking at times, always looking for a solution to a formula that did not exist. It was one of the things that was a bit annoying about him. Though she had long since reasoned it was because of whatever he had endured before meeting her and the rest of the band.

The one to get him to stir from silence was Zorua. The small fox yipped and jumped onto his partner's shoulder. N turned to the black furred fox and chuckled.

"Thanks buddy." He turned back to Byleth. "The both of you."

A small smile formed as Byleth nodded. She was happy to see his mood improved.

N let out a short laugh. Byleth rose an eyebrow, unsure as to what he was laughing at. "What's up?"

"It's just that you've been smiling a lot more lately."

"Really? I'm sure I would smile when we were kids."

N shook his head. "Not as much as recently. Looks like you being here has helped you as well."

Byleth rolled her eyes. "Come on. We've got people waiting on us."

"Sure thing."

The two walked out to a largely quiet academy grounds. The two found it odd despite the sun only beginning to set. The two were used to seeing the students getting some extra studying or training, especially on the first day of the week. The two young professors looked at each other and shrugged.

When they reached the classrooms, the sounds of people mingling could be heard. N chuckled as they got closer to the Blue Pyroar classroom and could hear everyone talking. While N did say he did not mind the amount of people he was surprised to see so many. Even more so when he saw that everyone he taught was in the same classroom. The two professors could even see the four main members of the Ashen Absols present.

When they reached the door of the classroom, Byleth knocked it and everyone turned to the entrance.

"He's here!" Annette said excitedly.

"On three everyone!" Claude said.

"ONE!"

"TWO!"

"THREE!"

"Happy birthday, N!"

Everyone's shouts pierced through him all at once. Byleth turned her friend and could see happiness written all over his face. She could see a hint of tears forming, but N tried his best to keep them from falling.

He took in a deep breath and released it. Slowly, the widest of smiles formed. He was grateful to have so many good friends.

"Thanks everyone! I mean it!"

With that, the celebration was in full swing. Despite only having known the new professor for close to four months, they all spoke to him like they were longtime friends.

Byleth knew that this was his day and stood off to the side, watching her friend get bombarded with congratulations and warm greetings. Next to her Sothis materialized, if she had been watching everything Byleth did not know.

"Aren't you going to join the festivities?"

Byleth watched as N was pulled between different students, each wanting to say something personal.

"Not yet. I want him to see just how much everyone appreciates him before I step in," Byleth replied.

"He really does mean a lot to you, doesn't he?"

Byleth nodded. "It's hard to imagine my life without him. Because of that, I want to protect him and make sure the smile he has right now never fades."

Sothis turned toward the festivities and saw N being crowded by everyone. Despite that, he had the widest smile possible. He really was happy that so many people care about him.

"It seems you may have a point."

—-

In another part of the monastery, Seteth groaned as he could hear the party the students were having. It was one thing to have a gathering to celebrate a close friend. It was another to make such a racket that it could be heard across the monastery.

"Can't they keep it down."

"They do seem to be having fun," Flayn said as she gazed out the window.

"You will not join whatever it is they're doing."

Flayn turned to him with pout. She wanted to join and get to know all the other students better and a party seemed liked the best way to learn that.

"Come now, Seteth, it's not everyday those children meet someone like N."

Seteth looked up to see Rhea walking into his office. He quickly stood up and gave a short bow to greet her.

"It still doesn't excuse the amount of noise they're making."

"I think just this once we can excuse them," Rhea replied.

Seteth sighed in defeat and sat back down. He quickly looked out the window, with a quick thought about what might be happening out there.

Rhea caught the glance and chuckled to herself. He may not outwardly show it, but she knew Seteth cared about the students and the new professors. It pleased to see just how fond the students were of the new professors. She believed that would be the case and it turned out to be true.

"I'll be retiring to my bedroom, Seteth."

"Very well, Lady Rhea. Have good night."

"Likewise."

Rhea exited her assistant's office, but spared one last glance out the window. While she was happy the students could find time for levity, there was still more to come on the horizon. She had to be sure they would all be ready for whatever would come.

—-

Getting all the students to leave the classroom once it got too late was a bit of a challenge. However, the threat of extra lessons was a great motivator for getting people to move. Though having to clean up the classroom was not what N and Byleth had in mind in order to wind down.

Despite that, N enjoyed the party. It went beyond that fact it was for him. He was just happy that students enjoyed themselves and had fun. It was rare that the other houses interacted outside of encounters in the halls. Plus, it allowed for the other students to meet the Ashen Absols. The fact they had even shown up still surprised him.

"I can finish up here. Why don't you get some rest?" Byleth said as she erased the chalkboard.

"Are you sure? There's still things out of place," N said looking around.

"It's fine. I can make the students clean it up tomorrow."

"I can't believe you can say that so nonchalantly."

Byleth shrugged. "Plus, I want to have everything set up for class tomorrow."

"Fine then. I'll leave you to it," N replied as he dropped the stack of books he was carrying on a desk. He called for Zorua who quickly climbed onto his partner's shoulder. "Good night, Byleth."

"Same to you."

N waited a moment to see if she would say anything else, but she looked absorbed in whatever she was writing on the chalkboard. N exited the classroom, not before knocking on the door to make sure she knew he was leaving.

Byleth stopped writing for a moment and turned to the empty classroom doorway. "Happy birthday, N." She turned back to the chalkboard and continued writing her lesson plan.

Unbeknownst to her, N was still by the doorway. He stood by the wall next it and managed to catch Byleth's words. He smiled and began his walk toward the classroom. As he walked he looked toward the sky. The full moon was out and illuminated the entire monastery. Silhouettes of flying creatures dotted the sky and the sounds of the night came to life. N took it all in. Despite being in a monastery, he was always surprised by the amount of sounds that came from the bushes and trees that surrounded him. It was not the forest he once knew, but it certainly had its own charm.

He glanced toward the spot where he would gaze up toward the moon and stars. The spot where he had a first real conversation with Edelgard. He wondered if she was there right now. She had been at the party, but kept a respectable distance between them. He figured that whenever they were in private she was more willing to loosen her guard.

He blinked and for a moment he could see a flash of white hair. However, when he blinked again, it was gone.

"Edelgard," he muttered.

He looked to Zorua, who looked like he was about to fall asleep on his shoulder. He chuckled and pet the fox beneath his chin, who let out a soft purr. "Let's get you to be."

N shifted his direction toward his shared room. He would rather his partner get some rest than stay up longer than he wanted to. He opened the door to the room and gently set down the small fox.

"I'll be right back, buddy."

He then quietly exited the room, but he knew Zorua would not be so easily stirred.

When he reached his usual stargazing spot, he was surprised to find it empty. He chuckled to himself, now embarrassed at his own antics. Maybe Cynthia was right. I am still just a kid at times, he thought.

That made him think about the blonde woman. She had told him she would stay in contact, but it had been some time since he last heard from her. She told him she had lead, but went silent since. He hoped nothing bad had happened, but he knew she could handle herself.

For his part, N was still doing his own research. Now that N knew both he and Byleth had a long forgotten crest, he knew there was more to it. He thought about asking Rhea about it, but a part of him still told him to steer clear of her. He had so many questions about things, yet not a single answer.

"Must things be so complicated," he muttered.

"What's complicated?"

N turned to see Edelgard walking toward him. She wore more casual clothes, but it was obvious she was not preparing to sleep. He greeted her with a kind smile.

"Nothing. Just trying to put pieces of a puzzle together."

"Need help with that?" Edelgard asked.

N shook his head. "Not yet. Perhaps soon, though."

"Well, I'm always open to help. We are friends after all."

N nodded. "Of course."

The two turned to the moon. The silence was just as enjoyable as when they spoke. It also allowed for N to collect his thoughts. He was glad they could speak normally again. That awkward tension from before had long since disappeared. He had never really realized how much he missed their conversations. Maybe it was the fact they had similar pasts, but he found a sense of kinship with her that was different from the one he had with Byleth.

"I know said this earlier," Edelgard said breaking the silence, "but happy birthday."

N turned to her and smiled. "Thank you. All of you made it a day to remember."

N thought the conversation would keep going, but Edelgard had fallen silent. He glanced toward her and saw her fiddling with something behind her back and an embarrassed expression on her face. N tried to hold it in, but found himself sputtering a laugh.

"Hey!"

"Sorry," N said as he tried to control his laughter. "I'm just not used to you having such an expression. It caught me off guard."

"I'll have you know it's not easy for me to be as easy going as you," Edelgard replied.

"Perhaps," N said as he got his laughter under control. "But such an expression is a rarity. What's up?"

"W-Well, I thought since you got me something, I should do the same in return," Edelgard said. He tone laced with embarrassment.

"It's not like you owe me a favor," N replied.

"I know that. I just wanted to do it."

Before N could respond, she shoved whatever she was hiding behind her back into his chest. He looked down to see a paper bag. He took it out of her hands and she quickly retracted them. He thanked her for the was in the bag was clearly a cubed shape, as his hand could easily hold it form the underside. He opened the bag and peered inside, it was certainly a cube. He reached into the bag and as his fingers brushed the surface, he felt like the material felt familiar. He took he cube out of the bag and let out a surprised gasp.

"What? You don't like it?" Edelgard asked. Her voice felt like it had a lot less strength to it.

"Where…Where did you find this?" N asked, not looking away from the cube.

"A merchant that sold all kinds of oddities," Edelgard replied.

Before he could even realize it, he found himself wrapping Edelgard in tight hug. She let out a surprised gasp as he did so and he quickly realized what he had done. He separated from Edelgard, who had a confused expression.

"Sorry. That was inappropriate."

"No, I don't mind. It was just surprising." N looked to the cube. A wave of memories washed over him. He remembered his sisters, Anthea and Concordia, and all the times they would play together. A sad smile came to his face. "Seeing your git just made me remember something."

"Something good, I hope."

N nodded and looked to her. "Yeah, it was."

Edelgard could barely notice it, but she could see tears welling in his eyes. He used his sleeve to swipe them away. For her part, she was happy that her gift made him happy. Though it seemed like both of them had received gifts that caught them off guard.

N studied the cube for a moment. It was different compared to the one he had as a child, but the material was very similar. The one he had as a child was more of puzzle, but this one was one that had an elaborate design to it. It had its own charm.

"Thank you for the gift."

"Don't worry about it."

The two returned to silence as they shifted their gaze toward the moon. However, N found himself glancing toward Edelgard every so often. Similar to Byleth, she rarely smiled. She always looked focused and determined. However, N always knew her smile was captivating and tonight was no different. It was almost like she belong in the moonlight. He wondered if things would remain as they were. There was also the feelings that were stirring within him. Tonight he felt them reach a new destination. They were different feelings compared to those he held for Byleth and Hapi. He felt that their relationship would never progress past friends; though Byleth was a special case.

He laughed to himself. Cynthia's words replayed in his mind. He was still only nineteen years old and had a whole lot more ahead of him. However, he knew the experience he would gain at Garreg Mach would help him in achieving his dream.

"I don't mean to tarnish the mood, but I have something I wish to speak with you about," Edelgard said breaking the silence.

N turned to her and saw the somber expression that had formed. It must have changed when he was lost in thought. "What about?"

Edelgard took in a deep breath and released it. "It's more something I want to show you."

Edelgard held out her hand a closed her eyes. She slowly focused magical energy into he open palm. N watched a symbol slowly formed above her hand. As it formed he began to realize what he was seeing. He had only recently seen it, but it left an impression.

"You have…" N's voice trailed off.

Edelgard opened her eyes and nodded. "I too bear the Crest of Flames."

AN: Here we are with a new chapter and a long one too. It was going to be longer but I decided to cut it in half. As always let me apologize for taking so long with updates. Had a bit of a creative slump so it was hard to put pen to paper. However, we are reaching a moment in this story that I have been looking forward to reaching so I hope to have a new chapter ready sooner than later.

When it comes to this chapter, I had some fun with it. We get more about every student's partners as well as we learn about more about N. I tried to make exposition as interesting as possible, so I hope you weren't too bored reading it. As for N's birthday, I wanted it to be a way to show how much the students have grown to appreciate N. It was also a way to make an event that kinda just goes by in the original game. Plus we a bit more development in N and Edelgard's relationship and where their feelings lay. I hope most of you have realized what roles they fill. We also get a quick glimpse at our antagonists. Just as a reminder, Kronya is a human in this story. She is not whatever she is in the base game. It'll be explained why in the story soon.

With all that out of the way, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. If you are enjoying the story feel free to follow, favorite, and/or review. Stay tuned for the next one!