AN:Takes place in AM after Randolph's death. All students are with Byleth except Lorenz and Dedue (and Claude, Edelgard, and Hubert obviously).
Byleth walked through the monastery with an unusual, stressed look. Dimitri was acting irrationally, and with the reckless plan (if you can call it that) to go blindly rushing toward Edelgard, everyone is certain that they are all going to just get killed. Byleth suddenly stopped as she remembered what he said after defeating Randolf.
"if you do not approve of what I have become, then kill me. If you insist that you cannot… then I will continue to use you until the flesh falls from your bones!"
Byleth clenched her fists to her heart. She wishes there was some way to make him snap out of it. But there isn't. It was always easy to help her former students with their problems, and never had any problems with them listening to her until now. "Why…?" she wondered.
"…Byleth?" A concerned voice called out.
Byleth looked up, then put on a smile. "Hello, Mercedes… Is there something you need?"
Mercedes frowned but shook her head. "I can just tell… something is bothering you, huh?"
"Well, with a war going on and everything I'm being task with…"
"… And what Dimitri said?"
Byleth gave a shocked look. It always surprises her how she knows what others are feeling.
Mercedes looked to the side with a sad look. "I understand… What Dimitri said was pretty cruel, but you know he doesn't mean that…"
"Yeah…"
"Listen, I was just heading to the cathedral to pray for Dimitri. Maybe you can come with, and maybe our words together will reach the goddess!"
Byleth looked down with a frown. She knows it won't help, as she has the goddess's power, yet has failed to reach him no matter how much she wants to.
"Byleth…?"
Byleth looked at Mercedes and put on a smile. "I'm sorry. Maybe… some other time." She then walked off.
Mercedes watched as Byleth walked off with a concerned look. The only time she saw Byleth like this, is when she lost her father. "Does she believe that the Dimitri we once knew is…?"
Byleth took a deep breath as she focused on what was important. After what Dimitri has said and seeing how he refuses to listen to anyone, she has taken measures that she believes is the best.
The next day, everyone was gathered in the meeting room and sitting around the table, as there was something important that needed to be discussed.
Felix looked over to see the hurt looks that Gilbert and his father had. "So just what's going on?"
"I was just about to explain…" Byleth spoke.
Everyone besides Gilbert, Rodrigue, Seteth, and Dimitri looked at Byleth with a curious look.
"So me, Seteth, Gilbert, and Rodrigue had been talking…" Byleth closed her eyes as she took a breath, then opened them with a serious look. "And we came to the agreement… that this is where we go our separate ways."
Everyone gave a confused look.
Annette gave a worried look. "Separate ways?! What do you mean?"
Sylvain smiled. "Ah, this is a strategy to trick the Empire, right?"
"No, Sylvain, that is not at all what is happening…" Rodrigue said.
Sylvain gave a puzzled look. "But, what could it be? I mean, we're all in this together, right Byleth?" Then he gave a concerned look as he saw Byleth look at Dimitri with a hurt look.
"There's nothing more I want than for all of us to work together, but…" Byleth started.
Dimitri frowned momentarily, but then glared at Byleth. "So, you choosing to turn your back on your father, and let the wrench responsible do as she pleases?"
"No! I'm still going to stop her!" Byleth looked away with a pained look. "…Just not with you."
"Oh? And why not with me? Is it because you see that I'm not the Dimitri you once knew, and never again well be?"
Byleth looked away with a frown and clenched her fists.
"It's about time…"
"So you're betraying us? Just like that?" Felix snapped.
Byleth shook her head. "I just refuse to follow Dimitri to Enbarr. Anyone else not wanting to go there, can. Even you, Dimitri…"
Dimitri quickly stood up with a harsh glare. "Like I'd EVER follow a coward like you! Your poor father who has died by her hands, is telling me how disappointed he is with you for…"
Byleth gave him a harsh glare. "I don't know who the hell it is that is talking to you, but it sure isn't my father! My father always prioritized my safety and happiness way before my own! He'd NEVER care for me to get myself killed to get revenge for him! So don't you even try putting words in his mouth!"
Everyone stared at Byleth in surprise, even Dimitri. He does remember all the times he conversed with Jeralt, that he always did care about her safety and was pleased to see how happy she was. Back then… and even now, that's something that he shared in common with him. But how could that apparition not be Jeralt?
"It's understandable why she's done listening to you, boar! You refuse to listen to us and snap at us for disagreeing with you! I was getting so sick of it in fact, that I was thinking that putting up with Edelgard would be better than putting up with you!" Felix snapped.
"Felix! You can't mean that!" Rodrigue shouted.
Felix gave a harsh glare at his father. "I do! Though I'm not surprised that you disapprove! I know how disappointed you are in me, refusing to meaninglessly get killed for honor!"
"Felix, that's, that's not…"
Dimitri glared at Felix. "If you truly plan to join that witch, I'll cut you down now!" he shouted. He then jumped toward Felix.
Byleth jumped in and blocked his attack with her sword but was sent flying into the wall.
Felix just stared straight ahead like a deer in headlights. He knows he stands no chance against Dimitri, and that attack would've seriously wounded him, if not killed him. But that wasn't even his full strength.
Ingrid rushed over in front of Felix. "Please, Dimitri! You know Felix didn't mean what he said!" Then she glared at Felix. "Right…?"
Felix looked away with an annoyed look. "I'm not joining the Empire. However, I still stand by what I said about being done with all this! And your threats won't change that!"
Leonie and Seteth helped Byleth up.
"Are you alright?" Leonie asked.
"Yeah…" Byleth replied.
"Please everyone, let us try to calm down. I think everyone should know, while we did decide to go our separate ways, this doesn't mean we aren't allies anymore. Take your time deciding…" Seteth started.
"I'm leaving. Now." Dimitri stated. Then slowly walked to the door. He can't stay around anymore, as he more than did enough to hurt them. Especially Felix and Byleth. Now he just hoped everyone else would just go with her. Even though there was a small part of him that wanted to stay with them. But he knew that this was for the best.
"Please, your majesty! We agreed to…!" Gilbert shouted.
Dimitri walked out, but quickly looked at Felix and then at Byleth.
Byleth wore a pained look as she looked to the ground as a few tears fell.
Felix momentarily gave a hurt look, but then glared at him. "If you got something to say, then spit it out!"
Dimitri then walked out. "I'm sorry… for what I put you both, and everyone through…"
Gilbert, Rodrigue, and everyone that was originally a part of the Blue Lions, minus Felix and Annette rushed out the door.
"Annie? Aren't you…?" Mercedes questioned.
Annette looked at her with a stressed look. "Dimitri… just attacked Felix."
"Well, Felix did say he was thinking of joining our enemy…"
"Yeah, but… Felix did have a point, about Dimitri..."
Mercedes frowned. "He's going through some tough times, and needs us to see it through…"
Annette gave a stressed look. "But what if it gets us killed?!"
"I… I doubt Dimitri will go that far…"
"It… doesn't seem like that's likely…" Annette looked down.
"I see… Well, I'm still going to have faith in him, and… it's fine if you don't come with. After all, it's just like Seteth said, just because we are going our separate ways, doesn't mean we aren't allies anymore!"
Annette looked up with a small smile. "Yeah! And… I rather someone I trust, watch for out for my father…"
"Of course! We'll all watch out for each other! And we'll see each other again with Gustave! I'm sure of it!"
Annette smiled. "Thanks, Marcie!"
"It's no problem! Well, I better be off! Take care!"
"I will! And you better take care as well!"
Both waved each other goodbye as Mercedes rushed off. Then she looked forward with a serious look. "Dimitri… There's got to be a way for him to go back to his old self…" she thought to herself.
Byleth was checked out in the infirmary by Manuela, and the only thing that was found was a couple of bruises.
Seteth walked in. "Well… this wasn't really expected, but we do have our group that's coming with us a day earlier than expected."
"…Yeah."
"Are you… able to see them?"
Byleth nodded.
Everyone was in the dining hall, anxiously talking with each other.
"If I may have your attention, everyone!" Seteth shouted.
It was quiet for a few seconds as everyone looked at Seteth and Byleth.
"So we aren't following the boar or going to the Empire. What are we doing?!" Felix asked.
Linhardt crossed his arms. "What can we really do? We can't really go to the Kingdom, as even if we get rid of Cornella, without Dimitri it's likely to cause more problems…"
"No, we aren't going to the Kingdom…" Seteth said.
"We should go to Claude! I'm certain he'd want to help us out if we ask!" Raphael shouted.
"Just what makes you think Claude, the leader of the Alliance, who is strictly staying neutral in the war, would take in people involved in it?" Felix asked.
"Because Claude is such a swell guy! He's so good natured and gets along with anyone!"
"Are you certain you aren't confusing Claude with… yourself?" Ferdinand asked.
Raphael gave a touched look "Wow… You really think that about me, Ferdinand?"
Hannaman gave Raphael a disgusted look, as the grease from the meat he was eating dripped from his face. "Ugh!"
"More than for Claude, to be honest…" Ferdinand stated.
Raphael beamed. "Wow, thanks! But really, I am really referring to Claude!"
Linhardt sighed. "Claude being nice and letting us join forces is irrelevant. How is that going to help? The Alliance not only has little manpower in caparison to the Empire but is also divided on which side their on."
"Well, they don't call him the master tactician for nothing," Lysithea said.
"And his scheming, while I always found tactless… well, it's just what we need to have a chance to stop this war, so we got to at least try," Leonie stated.
Seteth crossed his arms with an annoyed look. "And that was what I was going to say, if you all just kept quiet..." he sighed. "Anyways, a messenger well be sent…"
"Why send a messenger? All this talk of going to the Alliance has got me so excited to head there now! And I'm sure Claude will be excited to see all of us, too!" Hilda shouted.
Sedith crossed his arms with a thoughtful look. "Well, if that's how you feel…"
Hilda gave a worried look, getting a bad feeling.