Needless to say, this next chapter has huge spoilers from Three Houses.
Disclaimer: I'll just say I don't own Fire Emblem or its characters. They were copyrighted and created by Nintendo, Intelligent Systems. Wish Koei Tecmo didn't make Three Hopes end inconclusively. I get not wanting to make better endings than Fire Emblem: Three Houses, but its like they forget that endings can be bittersweet while still being conclusive. I'm not bashing the developers, just saying.
Anyway, probably just gonna be a few more chapters after this.
More Hidden Truths
Seteth had managed to reach Fort Merceus and get everyone out of there as what appeared to be Javelins of Light began to rain down at the center of the fortress itself. Serena had stayed a safe distance away to deduce the directional origins of the javelins of light and take notes after covering her eyes from the sight of the fort exploding.
"That was too close" Felix commented.
Seteth nodded grimly"Indeed."
Edelgard stood with Yuri and Constance, glancing at the rubble. The former Emperor frowned"Somehow I am hardly surprised..." She was especially irritated that she was almost killed by the TWSITD remnants.
"We'll head for Enbarr to meet back up with the others" Seteth said, then addressed Serena"Did you figure out which direction the Javelins of Light came from?"
"I detected their Sorcery, yes" Serena nodded"I have deduced that the Javelins of Light were launched from somewhere within Ordelia territory in Leicester."
"Then we know where Zadiria may be hiding" Seteth nodded"Very well then, let's regroup with everyone else for now and then head back to Garreg Mach to rest up, and for Rhea to decide what's to be done with you, Edelgard and the other Imperial prisoners."
"Very well" Serena nodded. She was in no position to argue.
After moving Ferdinand and the two Imperial soldiers to the Apothecary, Dimitri informed Dorothea of the man's condition. The brunette mage volunteered to help treat Ferdinand and wait by his bedside. The healer wasted no time in starting to prepare a special herbal soup for the three patients for when they woke.
Shez, meanwhile, had gone out to the outskirts to train and take her mind off the stuff she'd just learned regarding her real parents, the fact that Zadiria is her birth mother especially confused and shocked her. Dimitri was in the meantime speaking with Lord Hevring regarding the empire's fate.
Byleth walked over to Shez, watching her train for a moment from a distance"You seem troubled."
"That obvious, huh?" The purple haired merc sighed"Yeah... On top of that, well, you know how the Agarthans are our enemies thanks to all the trouble they've caused? Dimitri and the others know of my heritage..."
"The truth isn't always a pleasant thing to know" Byleth walked a bit closer"And while I certainly cannot speak for Dimitri, we've all witnessed what kind of person you are, the past doesn't matter."
Shez flushed"Thank you. So did you want to spar?"
The green haired Merc shook his head"Actually" he paused, still not used to expressing himself openly"I wanted to ask if perhaps you'd like to join me on an expedition, we have a little time."
"I... I'd like that" Shez smiled, putting away her swords. The two of them headed out.
Dorothea waited by Ferdinand's bed while the Apothecary got the soup ready. The orange-haired young man's eyes slowly opened, he let out a groan"Where am I...?"
"Ferdie" Dorothea smiled in relief as her classmate opened his eyes"You're okay! We're in the medical wing of the Apothecary's shop." She hugged him.
"Dorothea!" Ferdinand gasped"Its been a while" he smiled weakly"To see your beautiful face again was something I never could imagine these last few months..."
"Oh, stop" the brunette tried hard not to blush"There's a lot that I need to catch you up on, but how are you feeling?"
The orange haired man sighed"Not entirely well, regrettably... It seems I spent the last few months drifting in and out of consciousness. Thales attacked my home and took me and a couple of my father's soldiers captive. But I daresay I'll recover faster than you think, or my name Isn't Ferdinant Von Aegir" he laughed, then coughed.
"Don't strain yourself" Dorothea placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Oh, good, you're awake" The apothecary walked over, a tray with a bowl of soup in her hands"I am Cassidy" she had blond hair with a white uniform"Your friend was waiting for you to wake up, your other two friends have already come to."
Ferdinand looked over to see the two soldiers recovering before addressing the Apothecary"Thank you" he murmured, accepting the soup bowl.
"You are welcome" Cassidy smiled"And at the rate you are recovering, you may want to gradually ease yourself back into eating solid foods, liberated prisoners who were starved have been known to die from too much food too soon" she added, seriously.
"I will bear it in mind" Ferdinand assured her before taking a bite of his soup, turning to Dorothea"I have to admit I was put off when you defected to the kingdom, but given Thales's dastardly coup, it may have been a good thing."
"That's true" the brunette mage conceded"But Lindhardt and Caspar got out okay. Petra had defected shortly before I did, but Eddie and Hubie were not so fortunate" she frowned"Edelgard suffered severe trauma while she was forced to work with Thales, and I heard that Hubert is imprisoned, just like you were. We were able to rescue Edelgard, but she had suffered a terrible trauma while under the dark mage's spell, we defeated Thales while I am at it."
Ferdinand took a moment to process the information as he ate a few more bites of his soup"Then I suppose the Empire is done for. There's no way Rhea would show her any mercy. And what about my father?"
Dorothea was hesitant to tell him, but after a few seconds contemplating, she replied"Duke Aegir passed away, he was working with Thales and had Eddie, Count Bergliez and Caspar under his thumb. While on our way to retake the monastery, King Dimitri, Shez and some others defeated him."
"I see" Ferdinand sighed somewhat sadly"Yet after seeing how corrupt he was, judging from her personal belongings and the fact I was used as a bargaining chip, I can see that his death was not undeserved, perhaps I can ask someone where his body was buried so I can at least pay my respects." He finished his soup.
Cassidy was listening attentively"You've both been through a lot haven't you?"
"Indeed" Ferdinand nodded, setting aside the empty bowl.
"I can't say that I was particularly fond of your father, but he cared about you to the end, didn't he? I couldn't but be privy to what you two just talked about" Cassidy said.
"I suppose, in his own way, he did" Ferdinand sighed, then turned back to his friend"So Dorothea, what else has transpired while I was out?"
"The surviving Imperial Leaders will probably be taken to Lady Rhea for judgement" Dorothea replied"Dimitri left me a message asking you to join us for the trip back to Garreg Mach. Also, we're dealing with the last remnants of Those who Slither in the Dark."
Ferdinand started to stand up"Then I must go. Those Who Slither in the Dark will be exterminated, if my name isn't Ferdinand Von Aegir."
"Don't push yourself too much" Cassidy warned him"You only just regained consciousness."
"Do not worry, I will be careful" Ferdinand assured her.
"Let me go get Caspar and Petra and we'll get you and your companions back to the camp" Dorothea left the room.
On the fields surrounding Enbarr, Shez and Byleth walked into a nice meadow. The purple-haired Merc took in their surroundings"Quite a sight."
"Yes, its nice and peaceful, plenty of room for even sparring" Byleth commented"Reminds me of that day, the second time we met... When we first fought each other as enemies."
"Huh?" Shez was puzzled at the statement"Didn't we meet the first time, then?"
Byleth glanced at her"I traveled with my father, Jeralt and his mercenaries since my early childhood, so many memories. Seeing you, I am even more reminded of our first chance meeting when we were still children. How much of your childhood do you remember?"
Shez thought about it, glancing closely at her friend's face"Frankly, I had forgotten much of it as I was growing up, traveling from Merc group to Merc group. Not once did I look back, but now I remember... When I was still living with my adoptive mother, our hometown was in danger from bandits. I was scared, but wanted to do something to help the village, so I took my mom's blizzard tome and headed out. I almost got killed that time."
"My father's company had been hired to deal with the bandits in question" Byleth said thoughtfully, after a moment's pause"When I saw the girl with the blizzard tome heading after the bandit leader, I knew I had to assist, despite still being young and inexperienced with my sword at the time. That bandit was a tough opponent for just two little inexperienced kids to handle, we were fortunate that my father had stepped in."
"I remember that odd kid who never once smiled or showed any emotion" said Shez thoughtfully"That was you all along, wasn't it?"
Byleth nodded"My father and I spent a few weeks in that remote village, during which I helped guard the area with a couple of the company's veteran members, but as I recall, you tagged along quite often, sometimes you even got us lost."
"Don't remind me" Shez flushed, embarrassed at her own lack of direction"But then, after a while, you and Jeralt left. I left sometime after, around the time my mom died and my village wanted me out, figured I was too different. When I started training to become a mercenary and went from one group to another, all I could think of was my own survival. But then when we finally saw each other again as adults, around the time that Captain Berling, Getz and Lazley died, I guess I had all but forgotten about the days we spent together as children."
Byleth nodded in understanding"By then, I had long since been known as the Ashen Demon, nothing more than a human weapon, fighting was all I knew. When my father and I took that job that resulted in Berling getting herself killed by my blade, I never heard your name and therefore I didn't recognize you."
Shez smiled sadly"I almost wish that wasn't for the best. Although I heard your name and heard that you were the Ashen Demon, I was so eager to show you what I can do, but as I had gotten close to Captain Berling's group, all I could think of was avenging her. I was so... Angry, especially when Getz died. What job was it that your group was hired to do, anyway?"
"My father's company's mission was to escort a client through hostile territory on a diplomatic mission" Byleth replied"That minor lord who hired us was Lord Terrence, I suppose he had no idea that you were a part of the mercenary group that was to stop us. He only mentioned that a group of mercenaries hired by his political rival would be coming to capture or kill him."
"Who was that other lord?" Shez asked.
"Ricard Karu, a minor lord from the Empire. His family was, at the time, working with House Gloucester to oversee security from both ends of the Great Bridge of Myrddin" Byleth said, simply"That man, from what little I heard, was very ambitious."
Shez took a moment to process this, remembering the imperial captain who is co-conspiring with Zadiria"So Ricard was responsible for Captain Berling's death."
"Berling's Mercenaries were reckless, could've tried another strategy besides simply charging in" Byleth shook his head with a sigh"But I guess she was too eager to prove herself. After I was forced to put Berling and Getz down in order to protect my father, myself, our client and our newer recruits while Jetz killed Lazley, all I saw was a familiar face with the same purple locks as that little girl I spent a part of my childhood with. The only way I could think of to save you was to give you a chance to back down."
"And I didn't take it" Shez grimaced, suddenly feeling ashamed of her past self's recklessness at that point"I didn't care that I was outmatched, that you were always better with a blade than me. If not for Arval, I would've died."
Byleth nodded"At the time, I didn't know what was happening when you suddenly got back up, practically becoming a new person for a brief moment. But thinking back, it must have been Arval's work. I only can wish I had the chance to thank him, or was Arval a she?"
"She had no memory, but her voice sounded feminine to the point where I assumed she was a woman" Shez replied"And then one other time, you saved me from almost being killed again. I was confused when I heard you speaking with a girl's voice."
"That was Sothis, but I thought she was a mere figment of my imagination the first couple of times I spoke with her" Bylelth said"As that battle between the Empire and the Kingdom was about over, I had to wrest control of my body away from her to keep you alive, there was no point in killing you, then."
"Things really got weird between us, huh?" Shez smiled wryly.
Byleth smiled back"Indeed." The pair took a look at the blooming flowers and the meadow, taking in the sights in silence. The ashen mercenary stood up"We should return to camp, it was a pleasant little break."
"I agree" Shez stood up and they returned to the camp.
Jeralt greeted the pair as they returned"Oh, here you both are. Dimitri has given the order to break camp, we're heading back to Garreg Mach. Did the two of you have a nice little stroll?"
"Yes" Shez flushed.
Byleth nodded, and they went to meet up with the main force and the captive Imperial leaders. Seteth and Serena had returned just shortly beforehand with everyone else who was at Fort Merceus.
"Oh good, we're all here. Fort Merceus was attacked by Javelins of Light" Seteth informed everyone"It seems that the stronghold of Those Who Slither in the Dark may be in Ordelia territory."
Shez thought about this information"Come to think of it, while I was being possessed by Epimenides, I heard Solon mention a place called Shambhala right when he was killed. That must be the name of those slitherers' base. Funny enough, I was able to remember that despite still not being aware at the time."
"So the headquarters of Those who Slither in the Dark was under my family's nose the entire time" Lysithea shivered.
Serena glanced at Lysithea"Is your hair naturally white? Or did you...?"
"They experimented on me, and my hair was turned white" Lysithea explained.
"Just like with me" Edelgard commented.
Claude turned his attention to Dimitri"I sent most of the Leicester troops back home. Guess I'll accompany you all back to the Monastery. Besides, it sounds like this Shambala place is in the middle of Leicester territory. Can't have those lunatics running amok, there any longer."
"First we are to return to the church" Seteth stated"We'll resupply and report to Lady Rhea."
The group consisting of most of the former Black Eagles, Blue Lions and Golden Deer headed back to Garreg Mach via the Bridge of Myrddin. Ferdinand was riding with Dedue, as he was still recovering. Caspar took the time to speak with his father"So, why did you keep quiet since we were brought from Fort Merceus? You could've gotten away, anytime, right?"
"Would've been too much trouble, besides there really wasn't anywhere else to go" The older man replied"It wouldn't surprise me if Claude and some of the other Leicester troops have taken the Fields of Gronder in my absence."
"We did" Claude piped up"Probably didn't help that you were occupied."
The group returned to Garreg Mach just as the sun was starting to set. Seteth promptly led the way to the Cathedral, which had since been undergoing repair from the battle against Thales and his men.
Rhea greeted them"You all did well in subduing the remaining Imperial leaders. Dimitri, Jeralt, Seteth, Claude, I thank you all for your part in restoring order to Enbarr." She then looked at Edelgard"How much do you remember?"
Edelgard was stunned at the question"It seems that Thales's spell was only temporary, yet there were still holes left in my memory. I need not explain myself any further to one who has kept Fodlan under the oppressive Crest System for too long."
"Nonetheless" The Archbishop spoke sternly"You have plunged Fodlan into war with the intent of destroying the kingdom and the church. An assault on the House of the Goddess is the same as directly assaulting the goddess herself. And I am led to believe that you have conspired with Those who Slither in the Dark."
"I hardly remember that much, only that Thales betrayed me and cast the Empire back into corruption, it is all but devastated" Edelgard replied, unwavering.
Dimitri took the chance to speak after a couple seconds of silence"While I agree that Edelgard should pay for her crimes, perhaps we can afford her the chance to explain her actions and see what can be done to prevent further bloodshed."
"The Emperor sought to abolish the nobility and the crest system" Ferdinand stated"While ultimately it resulted in my father's death and the empire's ruination, her actions were not without merit."
"Its true that that crests and relics were highly valued in Faerghus" Dimitri conceded"But one has to remember that those who truly have the power to change things for the better are not the rulers, but the people. I have been making an effort to prove that crests and relics were not as necessary as most of the nobility in Faerghus believed."
Edelgard glanced at her stepbrother"The path I took was the way I believed would result in the least amount of bloodshed."
"Were crests truly to blame for all that transpired?" Byleth asked.
"Why else would I have tried to destroy the source of what has corrupted Fodlan?" Edelgard replied.
Just then, Sothis, spoke through Byleth's body"I have heard enough. This pointless bickering will get us nowhere."
"Mother" Rhea was taken aback at hearing her voice"I-"
"Seiros" Sothis spoke, walking towards her, much to the surprise of everyone present"I am sure you have your reasons, but don't get me started on how much damage the Crest System has caused, many have been suffering from trauma caused by the very existence of crests. Not tot mention that the Agarthan remnants took advantage of it to conduct their cruel experiments on Edelgard, Shez and Lysithea! I may not have known much about the fallen Emperor's past, but this much has been made apparent."
"Seiros?" Shez, Catherine, Claude and Dimitri were confused at hearing the name.
"Mother..." Rhea trailed off, unsure how to respond"I only did so-"
"To have me back?" Sothis cut her off"I suppose I can't blame you, I missed you as well to an extent, but did you honestly think that I'd want to exchange an innocent life for my own!? Also, your secrecy drove quite the wedge between you, Jeralt and Claude. I couldn't be more disappointed and afraid of how you were handling things."
Edelgard and everyone else weren't sure how to react to Rhea getting lectured by a girl's voice from a grown man's body. Shez, in particular would have found that funny in any other circumstance.
"Now, then" Sothis clasped Byleth's hands together"These people have proven worthy of our trust, its time we clear out the air a bit. After we're done dealing with Zadiria."
"Zadiria?" Rhea was curious"Who is that?"
"An Agarthan witch, and my biological mother, she also had a hand in creating Arval" Shez replied"And if you don't mind me asking, why were you called Seiros? Who exactly was Seiros, anyway?"
Rhea scrutinized Shez for a moment, then looked at Edelgard, Jeralt and Dimitri silently before speaking"Shez, I understand that the weight of the crimes of your people are not yours to bear. And I truly worked hard these past years for the good of Fodlan, acting as proxy to my mother, Sothis. While you all know me as the Archbishop of the Church of Seiros, I have another identity: Seiros, one of the four Saints who fought the Liberation King, Nemesis."
"Wait, so how old are you?" Shez asked, astonished, the others were equally shocked.
"Don't be flippant" Seteth reprimanded.
Dimitri and Rodrigue stayed silent, it wasn't Shez's fault her background scantly afforded the kind of education that most who were raised with the Teachings of Seiros had grown up with.
"I can hardly blame you for reacting that way" Rhea smiled ruefully"And as I can see that my mother, Sothis trusts you all, I suppose that makes you all worthy of my trust, which is why I am telling you this."
"In this case, I can introduce myself properly, then" Seteth took it from here"Owing to certain circumstances, Rhea, Flayn and I kept our true names and origins a secret, Flayn and I had especially been masquerading as siblings. My true name is Cichol, Flayn is actually my daughter, Cethleann."
Everyone was even more surprised by this news. Byleth took a moment to speak once Sothis had become dormant again"So what does all this have to do with my past, if I may ask?"
Rhea glanced at him"You and your mother Sitri were the twelfth in my attempts to create a vessel for Sothis, but despite that, she was like a daughter to me. Sitri was dying by the time she was pregnant with you, she weighed her own life against that of her child and implored me to save her child's life."
Jeralt was stunned"What? Sitri never said she was having complications-"
"Maybe she didn't want you to worry" Flayn supplied, she had hardly known Sitri due to having been traveling with Seteth which meant they rarely visited the monastery, but she knew of the woman as a Sister and associate or Rhea's.
"So what exactly happened?" Byleth prodded.
Rhea hesitated for a moment, then answered"After Sitri had given birth, you were discovered to be stillborn, your heart was not beating. Sitri implored me to implant the crest stone of flames, the Crestone of Sothis within you. Sitri was so frail that she rarely left the monastery" she finished solemnly.
"Why didn't you just tell me?" Jeralt asked as respectfully as he could.
"I did tell you it was nothing to worry about" Rhea reminded him"Its true that an infant with no heartbeat is not natural, but the child was otherwise fine. But... I suppose I didn't trust you enough with that information."
Byleth silently took this in"Sothis did awaken within me, although at first I thought it was a mere dream. But then my hair and eyes changed color."
"It was likely an aftereffect from harmonizing with the Goddess" said Rhea, thoughtfully"I expected that Sothis, my mother would awaken eventually, I believed that you may be capable of housing the consciousness of the progenitor goddess. It seems that I was correct, she has imparted a fragment of her power to you."
"And we share the same body as a result of her crest stone embedded in my heart" Byleth let that sink in.
The others were also listening, shocked and astonished to hear more regarding the goddess they all so revered. Edelgard took this chance to ask"So what was the purpose of the Church of Seiros, then?"
"The church was founded to venerate Seiros. Also, it was a way to continue to protect Fodlan and the holy tomb underneath the monastery" Seteth replied.
"And still, you divided the Empire to create the kingdom, and the kingdom to create an alliance" Edelgard spat, resentment towards the church still lingered, even though she had not fully recovered her memory.
Rhea looked at Edelgard silently for a minute"All the Church has done was for the good of Fodlan, if you cannot even understand that, than you are more of a lost cause than I thought."
"But what of the lack of interaction between Fodlan and the outer countries?" Claude asked"The reason Leicester and Faerghus keep fighting with Alymria and Sreng is because we know so little about Alymria and Sreng, and they know little about us. We could understand more about our neighbors if we broke down the walls and opened relations with them."
"If that's the case" Sothis spoke once more"The best thing to do would be to abolish the crest system, unite Fodlan as a singular nation and begin relations with the outside world."
"That may work" Dimitri commented"So you're Sothis?" He referred to the being sharing Byleth's body.
"That I am, I am the one who watches over all living beings in Fodlan" Sothis replied"I am Sothis, she who died and then returned. Its up to you if you all take my advice, but I will be going back to sleep." With that, she went dormant.
"Its very weird when she does that" Shez commented.
Byleth nodded in understanding"I know."
"As for the location of the stronghold of Those who Slither in the Dark" Serena started"It may be somewhere in Ordelia territory, most likely near the mountains."
"I see" Rhea pondered"Very well, then. Tomorrow, we shall put together a force to dispense justice on the evil ones, there once and for all. As for the punishment of the Empire's leaders, most will be stripped of their ranks and titles. Edelgard, since your actions were out of misguidance rather than malice, I have decided that instead of executing you, you will be spending life in exile from the former Adrestian regions. A sentence which you shall serve in the capital of Faerghus, as they are the victors of the war."
Edelgard was shocked"That's too generous, especially from you. But although my classmates from the Black Eagles followed me, I alone shall accept the blame for this war. Perhaps Ferdinand can help run the former Adrestian territories, being the son of its former Prime Minister. I'm beginning to see that I was wrong about you, that maybe we weren't so different after all..."
"Perhaps" said Rhea, thoughtfully"Now, let's all get some rest for the night and discuss our plan on the morrow. You may make use of the dormitories."
The group split up and headed to bed for the night.
"It was all quite surprising to hear" Dimitri said as he headed to bed.
"I agree" Rodrigue added.
Byleth silently walked to an empty room which contained a singular bed. Shez came in"Its all been quite a shock."
"Indeed" Byleth nodded"My father and I now have closure regarding my mother and... And my condition."
"To think you were already half dead the first time we fought" Shez joked.
"That's not how I would put it" Byleth responded, grimly"But I can't think of a better description. So I assume you will still be working for the kingdom after we've helped to achieve peace?"
Shez thought for a moment"Yeah, well, the pay has been good. Also, I got to train regularly with the private army that Dimitri put me in charge of. What about you?"
"That" Byleth paused"Its up to Jeralt and Lady Rhea. I don't know what's to come, but for now, we've got one last job to do."
"Yeah" Shez then stepped back"Well, good night." She headed to her old room from when she was a student.
Byleth changed out of his armor and went to bed.
Well, things have gotten really OOC, now, but that's what I get for making a golden ending fic. I hope this chapter was okay, despite being a huge info dump with no action. Thank you childhood for the idea of Byleth and Shez having been childhood friends.
As for Cassidy, she's not a full-time OC, just a shout out to Castii the Apothecary from Octopath Traveler 2.