Part 1: White Clouds

A New Friend

"Goodness. Was this me? Or was it something else entirely?"

Byleth was walking through Garreg Mach Monastery, now in a fresh set of clothes and was looking at all the destruction around her. Thankfully, none of it was too major, the most that was destroyed could be replaced easily or repaired. But that still didn't ease the weight of guilt that was on her chest. But… what's done is done, and she couldn't change that. She had to accept that.

It was also very barren today, with not a lot of people around like they usually are. For example, Anna wasn't at her stall today. But Byleth could easily attribute that to her and everyone sleeping. From what she heard, everybody was up all night defending the area. Whether it was from her or another threat, she wasn't too sure. But it was easy to say that training would be postponed today. Well, at least for the students.

"Maybe I should go see Rhea. Hopefully she is around. As well as check to see if Flayn is okay."

But as Byleth kept moving towards the chambers where Rhea usually was, the more that the guilt weighed down on her. Guards running about, with exhaustion running through them all, the nuns taking care of the injured and looking just as tired as the guards. All because of what happened.

She wasn't sure if she directly attacked the Monastery… so she had to know. She saw the Gatekeeper not at his usual post, but helping clear away some destroyed carts. She called him over and he ran towards her before saluting.

"Greetings Miss Byleth! It seems there is a lot to report today!"

He was… very bright considering what they all had to go through. But she decided to cut to the chase. "What happened here?"

"Oh, of course! You weren't here when it all happened! Well, the legendary Moon Beast showed up last night, and it was causing destruction outside of the Monastery. But surprisingly, that was the least of our concerns, as a horde of large beasts had made their way here to destroy us all. Honestly, I wasn't sure if we could survive the night after defending it for so long, but against all the odds, we pulled through!"

"And… this Moon Beast. Did it cause any damage?"

The Gatekeeper pondered his question and thought about it. "Well, it was theorised that the roars that it produced had riled up the beasts and caused them to attack, so I guess you could say that passively it caused damage. But as for itself? No, it didn't get near the Monastery. In fact, it actually killed all the monsters at the end of the night."

Byleth was silent as she looked down at the ground. "I see…"

"Will that be all, Miss Byleth? Unfortunately, duty calls!"

She blinked when she realised where they were and she nodded. "Thank you, that's all I need."

As the Gatekeeper walked away, Byleth wasn't sure how she should feel. On one hand, she actually wasn't responsible for the damage. On the other hand, she was the reason why the beasts congregated here. Perhaps talking to Rhea would help clear her mind as soon she made her way to the Audience Chamber and saw the familiar sight of Rhea and Seteth as she remembered she had something that belonged to him.

"I believe this belongs to you, Seteth." Byleth said, handing over his coat and he took it into his hands and smiled warmly at the Mercenary despite the obvious exhaustion that was on his face. Rhea nodded at the remaining guards to leave them be. She could tell this had to be a private moment.

"Professor… allow me to express my eternal gratitude once more." Seteth smiled, almost on the brink of tears. "Flayn is safe and sound, and I have you to thank for that. Mere words could not express how thankful I am. I… I am indebted to you."

But Byleth just shook her head with a light smile. "From what I heard, you helped protect the Monastery from me and my wrath. I assure you, whatever debt you think you owe has been repaid in full. But I am just glad that she is safe and sound."

Seteth's smile got wider and he wiped away at his eyes, laughing. "Yes, indeed… I too, am overjoyed."

Rhea looked between them with a warm smile and nodded. "It is certainly a wonderful time for us all, given with what has happened this past week. But a lingering thought still hovers over my mind. Why was Flayn taken from us in the first place?"

Pulling himself together, Seteth put on his neutral face once more and spoke. "Her kidnapper was the masked knight who vanished during the Rite of Rebirth. The one known as the Death Knight. Considering the circumstances and evidence that you had gathered, it seems plausible to assume that his true identity is Jeritza. Though as I'm sure you are well aware, he was the least of our problems."

But then he placed a hand in his chin and closed his eyes in thought. "But to answer your question, Archbishop. I believe I have an idea. I believe they were after Flayn's blood."

A grave look passed over Rhea and she closed her eyes. "Yes, that seems likely. You and I both know how special your sister is, and the blood that flows through her veins is very rare… and very dangerous too."

Seteth nodded in agreement and opened his eyes to look at Byleth. "If these enemies that you and your Task Force have been after now know the secrets of Flayn's blood, then our only option is to leave the Monastery and go into hiding-"

That's when the doors slammed open and the three of them turned to see Flayn storming up towards them. "Brother, wait!"

"Flayn! What are you doing here?! You should be resting!" Seteth exclaimed, but the small girl was having none of it.

"I do not like the path of your thoughts! I do not wish to live in some lonely, remote location where I never get to see anyone. Not ever again!"

Byleth could feel that unstable Ki rising to the surface once more as she watched Flayn take deep breathes to calm herself down and Seteth placed a hand on her shoulders to help. "Flayn, if we stay here, you may be targeted again! Wouldn't it be better for the two of us to live in peace?"

"We did find a cut on you, my dear." Rhea continued. "They managed to get a little drop off you. I'm not trying to force you, I would love for you to stay. But doesn't peace sound good?"

Flayn tore herself away from Seteth and turned her back on him, hugging herself. "With my curse, we can never know true peace… you know that."

Both Rhea and Seteth looked at one another at that and knew she was right. Her power was very dangerous. But then Byleth spoke up.

"They did it to lure me. They didn't want Flayn."

Both Seteth and Rhea looked over at Byleth in shock. And so she continued. "While they may have gotten a drop of Flayn's blood, I can guarantee that doing that was an afterthought. Their real motive was luring me to take me away. They told me themselves."

Flayn slowly turned around, listening as Byleth kept explaining. "I was brought into a room with a large glass window… where the moon would shine down on me."

That sent the room into a deathly silence as Rhea closed her eyes. "So… all of this was planned. What's even more troubling, is that they know about your transformation."

"Wait, you knew?" Byleth asked in disbelief and Rhea made a face.

"I didn't at the time… but more importantly, this group knew you could transform and did it to sow chaos."

"Hmm… but more to the point, it wouldn't be wise to keep on running away." Byleth said, and Flayn nodded in agreement.

"Even if we ran off to some new, secret location, there is no guarantee that I wouldn't be targeted again! They may have been after Miss Byleth, but next time they could get me! And I wouldn't be able to put up a fight! That is why I believe it would be safest to stay in the Monastery, where we are surrounded by capable individuals."

"I see your point, I do!" Seteth replied, but then sighed. "However…"

"You know it is the most reasonable option, as do I. Furthermore… I would like to join the Task Force."

Everyone in the room was surprised to hear this, especially Seteth. "Flayn?! What are you-"

"I think that is a great idea." Byleth said, after recovering from that surprise and thinking about it and Flayn beamed at her.

"You think so too? I am so happy to hear that!"

Seteth tried to argue but was cut off by Flayn again. "I believe in Miss Byleth and her power. You know of the power that I possess myself, and she may be the one who could help me finally control it. Also, this mysterious group now have some of my blood, and I refuse to stand by and let them use my DNA to harm others."

"I see…" Seteth mumbled, realising that it was futile to argue. "I am afraid that you have a good point."

He then turned to Byleth and bowed to her. "Miss Byleth… due to my position, I have closely scrutinised everything about you. After all that has happened, despite last nights incident, I must admit that you are indeed… a trusted ally. So, what say you? Can I entrust Flayn to you, and help her become stronger?"

Byleth smiled in return and nodded. "I have seen her potential. Though I also can see how dangerous it can be. I will do my best to help her become the best warrior, and in turn she will help me and the Task Force. So yes, it would be my pleasure."

Inside her head, Sothis sighed in relief. 'I am so glad that Flayn is now safe. And we even have her as a member! Though I can't help but wonder why the story is about that other girl… she wore the uniform of the Academy. But who is she?'

Rhea smiled at the conversation and watched as Flayn held Byleth's hands in her own, and looking down.

"I… heard of what happened. The Moon Beast. It's you, isn't it? Perhaps we are not so different, you and I. A power we have no control over…"

Byleth had a nervous look as she cleared her throat. "I would like to keep what happened a secret for now. I'm still coming to grips about what I did, I'm not ready for anyone else's reaction."

Rhea gave a nod and smiled again. "Of course. I'm just glad that you are safe. Both of you."

Seteth looked to Flayn and gestured to the door. "You still need to rest Flayn. I will take you to your room."

Flayn was about to argue but then felt the effects of the drugs in her system making her feel drowsy and she yawned. "Oh… I suppose a small nap couldn't hurt…"

That's when the doors opened and Hanneman walked in with the most confused look just as Seteth and Flayn left. Rhea turned back to Byleth and continued. "Thank you again for finding Flayn. I'm sure everyone can breath a sigh of relief now that she is back safe and sound. I have also been told that Manuela has been recovering nicely, as is Monica."

Monica? That's a name she hasn't heard before. As if sensing Byleth's thoughts, Rhea continued to speak. "Monica, the girl that you rescued along with Flayn, is also a student of the Officer's Academy. However…"

Hanneman continued for Thea and explained to Byleth. "She is a student from LAST years class. She went missing just before she would have graduated. It never occurred to us that something might have happened to her at the Monastery. We assumed she had ran away. I never dreamed that we would find her. Not like this."

"Monica has asked to rejoin the Black Eagle House once she has fully recovered." Rhea said. "Your father has already been notified of this and is happy to take on another student. But what we should all take into consideration is that our enemies are still out there. Not only did they manage to kidnap someone right from under our noses but…"

She looked to Byleth who nodded in return, remembering that there was someone there who doesn't know about her transformation. "…They also managed to somehow release the Legendary Moon Beast. So we must remain cautious, and continue our investigation. However, we must also help the students to move on from this incident. A lot has happened to them lately and I'm sure they're all tired in more ways than one."

In an attempt to lighten the mood, Hanneman spoke up. "After all, the Battle of the Eagle and Lion will be held in Gronder Field next month."

Chucking a little, Rhea smiled. "Yes. The students will remember it for the rest of their lives."

She turned to Byleth and smiled again. "Please guide the students that you're teaching so that they may show us their best at the coming battle. Oh, Hanneman, I will let you get on with your duties today. Classes will be postponed this week while we repair the damages done."

Hanneman bowed and promptly left as Rhea looked at Byleth, and slowly walked over to her, cupping her face with both hands. "How are you, my child?"

Feeling a little weirded out, Byleth eyed her warily. "I feel fine. Just a little overwhelmed about everything that has happened."

"I'm glad you're safe." Rhea whispered and that's when Byleth's vision fizzed out and an image took over. It was Rhea, but with the creepiest look in her eyes as she snarled at the Mercenary.

"So…. you're just another failure."

She quickly stepped away and she heard Rhea speak once more. "Is everything okay, Byleth?"

Byleth opened her eyes and realised that Rhea was staring at her confused, and that what she saw was just another vision. She shook her head and looked away. "I'm fine… just headaches. Will there be anything you need me to do, Archbishop?"

Staring at the Mercenary suspiciously for a moment, Rhea composed herself and sighed. "Please, just rest. Once everything is back to normal, then we can discuss upcoming missions. For now though, I would like you here along with your father and Shamir, giving how we are very vulnerable right now."

"Understood. Then by your leave, I would like to speak to my father."

"Of course. You may leave."

Byleth bowed and quickly made her way out of the room, and rubbed at her head. Her head was throbbing thanks to that vision. Sothis then appeared next to her with her arms folded.

'You saw that too? Ugh, my splitting head….'

"She looked…."

'Insane? Yes, that is putting it mildly.' Sothis grumbled before thinking to herself. 'And the way she held your face… your father always told you to watch yourself around Rhea. I think it's best that we take that advice very seriously right now. Who knows what is going through that woman's mind…'

Byleth nodded and made her way into Jeralt's office who was scribbling notes onto a piece of paper. He turned around when he heard the door open. "Good to see you, kid. You doing okay?"

"I… think so." Byleth replied and hugged herself, looking down at the floor. "So… I hear you have a new student."

"Yeah, that's actually what I was finishing up." Jeralt replied, gesturing to the paper. "One of the downsides of being Professor is the ton of paperwork. Just had to sign her transfer papers so that Monica could be recognised as a student once more. Never knew the full story but apparently she went missing. Hard to believe she was right under our noses the whole time."

"Is she doing okay?"

"Yeah, seems eager to study once more. Bit weird if you ask me, but more power to her if she wants to be excited. More importantly, I heard that we have a new member."

Byleth then remembered about the meeting and had a bright smile. "Yes! Flayn is going to be joining us now! I'm excited to teach her Ki and to control it."

But she realised Jeralt was staring at her with a soft smile and she was now confused. "What is it dad? Is there something on my face?"

"No… just haven't seen you smile like that before. I mean, it's usually when you're fighting or you have food but this? This is something new. Seems spending time around these brats have helped you explore your vulnerable side."

Byleth slowly smiled wider when she thought to herself that Jeralt was right. Ever since she got here, everyone had helped her become more… human. She felt things she never had felt before, and she also had new friends too.

"Oh, and we'll be going to Gronder Field next month, too." Jeralt said. "You've never been there before, have you? There is unease in the western side of the Empire, but everything east of the capital, Enbarr, is stable… well, there was a Noble rebellion a short while ago. But it didn't amount to anything…"

Byleth wondered if she would be joining the other Professor's in watching the battle ahead, and Jeralt seemed to see what she was thinking. "I'm not sure if you'll have your own mission. After all, the Church usually has been quick to make use of those who work for them. But judging by what happened… I imagine you'll be here for a while as the Church gathers their bearings."

He saw the sad look on his daughters face and he sighed. "Look… I'm sorry kid. I thought I was doing the right thing in not telling you about your little… talent. But I now know that I was wrong."

"I understand why you did it, dad." Byleth said. "But… it scares me that I can't even look at the moon. I usually have no memories of it before I just black out."

Jeralt thought for a moment and folded his arms. "That also concerns me. Who among us is pulling the strings."

That caught Byleth's attention. Jeralt looked at her and grimaced. "Ever since you and Shamir went to Faerghus all those months ago, these strange groups have been showing up time and time again. With that little town, then Lonato's rebellion, the Rite of Rebirth, that little scuffle between the Alliance and Almyra and then with Flayn. What's even more concerning is if the group that took you are one in the same, then they know about you and your tail. Judging by what I heard, they seemed to coax you into looking at the moon."

"And on top of that, there was an incident where some knights investigating these suspicious strangers… turned up dead."

Silence fell into the room as Byleth now knew how dangerous this group was if they were able to cover their tracks like this. She heard Jeralt speak again. "Not that it's likely… but if anything like that were to happen to me… search this room. Every corner. Behind every shelf. I'll have left some things for you."

He saw the look of fear in Byleth's eyes and quickly tried to explain himself. "Don't get me wrong, kid. I have no intention of dying anytime soon. But… you always had questions for me. And I haven't exactly been able to give you the answers you wanted, and most of it is because… I'm not good at explaining it. Your mother would've been great to explain this stuff to you, but… if my time does come, then what I leave you will lead you to the answers you seek-"

Byleth suddenly hugged him and buried her face in his chest. He heard her muffled voice. "Don't you dare die on me. We're a team."

He smiled warmly and hugged her back. "I know. Sorry, kid.

That's when he remembered something and walked over to his desk and pulled out a small chest. "There is something that I can give you. A little advice. You see, the reason you become what's known as an Oozaru is because of something called Blutz Waves entering your system through your eyes. That and your tail."

Byleth was listening to everything but then tilted her head when he pulled out a strange pair of glasses with a darkened set of lenses. "Your mother's invention. She may have been a great fighter, honestly that's where you get your fighting spirit from. But she was always handy with a wrench. They're called 'sunglassses'. They can block out the Blutz Waves so you can freely walk about even during a full moon. Though, you would have to deal with your vision being slightly darker than normal."

She took the sunglasses from his hand and slowly put them on, before looking at Jeralt. "How do I look?"

"You suit them, kid. You really do."

Looking into the chest, Byleth saw a variety of items, including something that looked very familiar. "Is that…"

"A Scouter, yes. Though I can never get the damn thing to work. It belonged to your mother. Honestly, if we got it to work, then it would help answer both our questions."

Jeralt shook his head and put the chest away. "Enough about that, though. Why don't we get something to eat?"

Both father and daughter smiled at each other before they heard a knock at the door and saw Shamir coming in. "Hope I'm not interrupting- what in the world are you wearing?

"A special set of glasses so she won't transform under the full moon." Jeralt replied and Shamir nodded, now smiling with a hand on her hip.

"Well, as long as it gets the job done. You do suit them, I have to say. I assume you have to stay put too?"

Byleth nodded and Shamir hummed in response. "I see. I am the same. These enemies… whoever they are. They did some real damage to our ranks. But for the next week, we will be restoring everything and then training can begin with the rest of the Task Force once again. Speaking of which, I am surprised that Seteth allowed Flayn to join."

"Indeed. I will be personally training with her today, so I can gauge out her abilities."

"Smart move." Shamir said. "You are the strongest out of all of us and judging by what we can sense of that Ki of hers, then you'll need all the power that you can get. Who knows, maybe Flayn can help you get that power of the Oozaru out of you."

"Maybe…"

"Before that, however." Jeralt interrupted. "We should eat first."

"Right!" Byleth exclaimed, now excited about the prospect of food. "But what to eat…"

"Well actually, didn't you two hear?" Shamir smiled, getting their attention. "We're hosting a fishing tournament today. It was Seteth's idea to try and ease Flayn back into normality since she loves fish. Perhaps you could catch some nice fish?"

The two looked at each other and smiled. "I'll go get my fishing rod kid. I'll meet you at the docks."

Byleth nodded and Shamir asked her where her fishing rod was. The blue haired woman just tilted her head in response and Shamir saw her tail swinging.

"Right. Of course."

"Jeez, I wasn't expecting it to be so busy today." Jeralt said to himself with his fishing rod resting on his shoulder as he and Byleth were walking down to the docks where the contest was taking place. And he wasn't kidding either. Most of the students and even a couple of the staff were here fishing and to try and win the challenge. Byleth was honestly surprised to see many of the students there, especially when she would've assumed they were sleeping or resting after that taxing night. But here they were, fishing away.

"Oh, Professor's!"

They turned to see Flayn running up to them with a bright smile. "Isn't this wonderful? My brother set this all up to make everyone happy!"

She wasn't holding a rod which was to imply that she was not taking part. Which made sense, considering she was essentially the judge. This was the happiest they had seen her in so long. It was certainly a refreshing sight and when they both sensed her Ki, it was stable. Good. No need to experience that toppling over the edge.

"Indeed. I figured why not have everyone enjoy themselves and have fun today and so I set up this little tournament."

They turned to see Seteth walking up to them as he rubbed the back of his head. "As well as… a form of apology to my sister. I admit I have been a little… excessive lately with her safety and so I hope that this makes up for all that."

Flayn just giggled and ran over to Seteth and hugged him. "Oh brother, I could never stay mad at you! And look, everyone is having so much fun despite everything that happened with Professor-"

A hand quickly went over her mouth and her eyes widened when she realised it was Byleth. "Sorry Flayn. But remember, not everyone knows that the beast was me. And for now, I'd like to keep it that way."

"I… I see." Flayn responded, once Byleth removed her hand. "My apologies, Professor. I should've known. But your secret is safe with me."

"I talked to the brats that helped us last night too." Jeralt grunted. "They've agreed to keep their mouths shut too. And I'm hoping Seteth here will be willing to as well."

Seteth just nodded. "I know what it's like to keep secrets, so you have no need to worry about me. But enough about all that for now, let's just enjoy ourselves today."

That seemed to cheer up Flayn again who beamed. "And then perhaps we could start my training?"

Byleth smiled back. "I would love that Flayn. So, has anyone caught a fish yet?"

"Oh yes!" Flayn chirped. "The fish are truly biting today! Though I have heard rumours of a giant fish hiding somewhere underneath the water, far from any normal fishing rod. Oh, to bear witness to it… and to eat it would be a dream!"

That's when a sharp pain shot through Byleth's head once more and she found herself outside of Garreg Mach, only this time it was on fire. In the distance, she saw Future Byleth staring down Flayn who had a saddened look on her face.

"When I heard that you were alive Professor, I was so happy. But now… now this? How can it be that you fight on that side?!"

Flayn then looked down at the ground with a look of sorrow as she took a stance. "I cannot take your life, for I owe you mine, even now. And yet, I cannot back away from this fight. When this is over, my brother and I will go into hiding. It is the only way."

Yet, even with that sad undertone in her voice… she was smiling. As if she was ready to go away. Forever. Byleth smiled back and readied her sword.

That's when the vision paused and Byleth felt a hand on her shoulder. It was her future self. Looking even more beat up… and she was panting.

"Beware her anger… it's more powerful than you realise. In your current state, you won't win against her."

"What do you mean?" Byleth tried to call out but found Future Byleth charging past her and that's when she realised that the scenery changed once more. And she was fighting… that same figure from last time. With a sword just like hers. She saw more details of the opponent and that it was a man with dark eyes.

"Hey! What do you mean?!"

"Professor?"

Byleth blinked when she realised that she was back at the docks at Garreg Mach and everyone was looking at her strangely.

"Is everything okay?" Flayn asked, with a worried look in her face. "You spaced out for a minute there."

But Byleth just rubbed her head again and let out a small smile. "I'm fine. Just headaches."

"You sure you don't want to rest, kid?" Jeralt said. "You've been getting a lot of those lately."

"I'm fine, really. I just want to fish."

Jeralt just shrugged and decided to drop it. For now. He had a lot on his mind, but she was right. Today was a day of relaxation. A day to fish. And he noticed some of his own students were there too. As well as Shamir who raised a hand to wave at them.

"Welcome to the fishing tournament. Rules are simple, just catch whatever Flayn requests and show your catches to her. Other than that, have fun."

"Thanks Shamir, we will." Jeralt replied as he went to his favourite spot and sat down, before setting up his rod. Flayn looked quizzically at Byleth who didn't have a rod but Shamir just explained that she had her own way of fishing.

"I'm just scoping out the area." Byleth said. "After all, you said that there was a big fish hiding out here, right? Maybe I could catch that."

"Oh, that would be wonderful!" Flayn exclaimed. "But… I don't think it's possible."

"Well, if anyone can do it, it's Byleth." Shamir chuckled and Seteth had a small smile on his face, nodding in agreement.

"Professor!"

Byleth saw some of the Task Force members running up to her holding fish that they had managed to catch. Petra had a bright smile on her face and she closed her eyes.

"I am glad that you are… okay, Professor Byleth. We were full of worry when we heard that you went missing."

"You missed quite the spectacle though." Ashe said. "The Moon Beast had shown up last night and we were all fighting for our lives. Honestly, there came a point where I thought I was ready to rejoin Lonato."

"Yes, luckily it seemed that the Goddess was on our side." Ingrid looked over to Ashe and remembered that moment they shared. But then turned back to Byleth. "But I'm glad that you are okay, Miss Byleth."

Byleth had a conflicted look on her face that fortunately nobody noticed. She wasn't ready to tell them yet. For now at least. "Yes, unfortunately I was… out of commission."

"Yeah, it was sad that you weren't here. We could've really used you in the battle!" Raphael said. "By the way, check out this fish that I caught! It looks so tasty!"

"Oh please, my fish is the best! This contest is in the bag!" Caspar yelled showing his own which… paled in comparison to Raphael's.

"You have all been fishing? As a way to relax?"

Ignatz pushed up his glasses and looked at his own fish. "Oh, yes. I have to admit, I was skeptical about trying out fishing. But it's surprisingly easy! Even if my fish isn't exactly impressive…"

"Plus, it's a way to help bolster the food supplies at the Monastery after most of it was destroyed." Ingrid continued. "I'm sure even the fussiest of eaters won't say no to a good serving of food."

"And just remember that you have a contest to win kids! Though I'm afraid that I'll be the one to take home the medal!" Catherine yelled with a bright grin showing off her fish which was even bigger than Raphael's. "Check it out! Isn't it a beauty?"

Shamir rolled her eyes. "It's very impressive Catherine. Though I ask you to maybe not gloat as much."

"Ah come on Shamir! It's all in good fun! So what do you think Flayn, is this a big fish or what?"

Flayn's eyes sparkled at what she saw as she inspected it from all angles. "It's wonderful! It will be a tasty one I'm sure! But… it's not what I'm looking for."

Catherine was honestly not expecting that answer and pointed at her fish with a stupefied look on her face. "How could there be a bigger fish than this one?"

That's when Jeralt stood up from his spot and started tugging on his rod after getting a bite. Everyone looked over as he kept a straight face despite having a tight grip on the rod so he doesn't get thrown in. And in one elegant motion, he managed to pull the fish out of the water. One that was much bigger than Catherine's as the knight could only stare slack jawed in awe.

"What?! Not fair!"

Shamir just smirked at her and nudged her side. "What was that? It's all in good fun?"

"….Shut up."

Jeralt wiped the sweat from his brow and held the fish in his hand. "Phew, this one really gave me a run for my money. What do you think, Flayn?"

Flayn inspected it with wide eyes as this was the one she was looking for. "It's wonderful! This is my favourite one!"

"Darn it, so does that mean that Professor Jeralt is the winner?" Caspar groaned, looking at his vastly smaller fish. But Jeralt just shook his head.

"I think Byleth should have a turn. Go ahead kid. I think you've been eyeing it for a while."

Byleth nodded and walked towards the same spot that Jeralt sat at as Catherine leaned to Shamir. "She doesn't have a rod."

"She doesn't need one."

Catherine was about to ask what she meant by that but then everyone saw Byleth dip her tail in the water and wait, while wiggling her tail to attract attention. It was quiet. Nobody understood why but they knew Byleth could work miracles and she could possibly catch a bigger fish than even her own father. She just waited there before feeling something near her tail and Jeralt saw her tense up.

"She's got it's attention."

Flayn peered into the water and gasped seeing a huge shadow near Byleth's tail. Could this be the one? That's when Byleth yanked her tail up and everyone except Jeralt almost fell over at what they just saw. A gigantic fish, bigger than even a horse and carriage just jumped out of the water! And Byleth just launched herself up into the air and slammed her elbow into its back causing it to crash down into the ground, dead. She landed next to it and flashed a smile.

"There we go! One fish!"

But then she realised she attracted a LOT of attention. More noticeably was Flayn who looked like she turned into a wild animal drooling at the mouth at the sight of this giant fish.

"THAT WAS IN THERE?!" Catherine yelled. "HOW?!"

"This is the winner!" Flayn screamed in delight hugging the fish as everyone could not disagree with that at all. It was bigger than all their catches combined! "But all this fish deserves to be eaten by everyone! Come on, let's get these to the cafeteria so that everyone can have some!"

She went to grab it and they were about to stop her…. Only to find she could lift it as easily as Byleth or Jeralt as she sped off to the cafeteria. Byleth scratched her head and made a humming noise.

"I'm not sure if this is a burst of fish adrenaline… or if she's stronger than she lets on."

Byleth then looked to Seteth who sighed. "Indeed. You are right. But that's for another time. For now, let's help get this fish to the cooks."

"You're right. Let's get everyone else here. After all, food is better when it's with company." Byleth said.

"And food is better when there's stuff left over from your rampage." Shamir joked which made everyone laugh.

"Woah, I catch a couple snoozes and I wake up to this amazing spread!" Claude exclaimed, looking at what was before him.

"This is incredible! How much fish did you end up gathering?!" Edelgard said as she looked towards the many dishes laid out on the table.

It was a huge spread across a lot of tables. With the theme being fish, there was plenty of dishes consisting of just that. There was steamed fish and roasted ones just to name a few with there being bowls filled with rice and pasta too. Also, there were various breads on display as well as jugs of water in case people were feeling a little thirsty after having some of the tasty dishes. Needless to say, everyone was invited to enjoy themselves. That's when Seteth stepped forward and bowed.

"It has been a hard week for all of us. I know you have all been pushed to your limits, especially with what happened last night, and for that, the Church and I thank you all. While this fishing tournament was a way to keep everyone happy and relaxed, it was also a way to bulk up our food storage again. But thanks to everyone who participated, we have gotten a lot of fish. So the cooks have prepared this feast for everyone to enjoy. Please, help yourself."

"You don't have to tell me twice!" Caspar said as everyone took their seats and started to eat. For some, it had been a while since they managed to eat. And for the three house leaders and Byleth, it had been at least a day.

Speaking of Byleth, she was next to the leaders and her father currently inhaling the food in front of her. Bowls and plates were already stacked in front of her as she was currently digging into some rice. This was some of the best food that she had eaten in a while. Same could be said for the three students who were starting to pick up more and more of Byleth's mannerisms.

"I have to say Dimitri, you're usually more refined than this. It's a humorous sight, I must admit."

Dimitri's eyes widened when he recognised the voice and quickly swallowed what he was eating and turned to see an old friend.

"Rodrigue! This is certainly a surprise. What brings you here?"

Rodrigue smiled at Dimitri and patted his shoulder. "Well, I was here for the Battle of the Eagle and Lion that will be coming up. I will be spending the time leading up to it right here. But also, news of what happened with the Moon Beast has spread all throughout Fódlan, and I just had to check up on you and Felix."

Dimitri swallowed nervously as he remembered his promise. Though that didn't mean he felt bad hiding information from people, he understood why. "Yes, it was a tough foe, but in the end we managed to drive it off."

"You must tell me the details in the future. I have never had the pleasure of meeting this monster for myself, though from what I have heard, perhaps that is for the best."

Rodrigue then saw Edelgard sitting next to Dimitri and smiled. "Ah, Lady Edelgard. It's so nice to see you once again. You are looking well."

Edelgard just looked at him and dabbed her mouth with a napkin. "Ah yes… Sir Fraldarius. It is a pleasure. Though I'm curious as to why you said once again. As far as I'm aware, I've never met you before."

Both Dimitri and Rodrigue looked at her with a confused look. "You… don't remember?"

She was about to respond but felt a hand on her shoulder which made her tense up hard. Though just for a split second so nobody had noticed it. Well, nobody except a certain Mercenary. She turned to see Thales was there in his disguise.

"Why my dear El, of course you remember. Back when you and I were in Faerghus you had spoken to Sir Rodrigue many times."

Edelgard composed herself and slowly nodded. "Yes… forgive me, it was many years ago."

She then turned to look at Thales. "Why are you here? I didn't receive any letters regarding a visit."

Thales just smirked in return which caused shivers to go down Edelgard's back. "Why, am I not allowed to visit my niece? But of course, my actual reason for being here is to see how you and your house perform in the upcoming battle. And I heard about the tragic fight that took place with that giant monster."

Byleth sunk further and further into her seat, suddenly not feeling as hungry anymore due to the amount of guilt in her chest. Rodrigue didn't notice and just smiled.

"I'm glad you were all able to drive it away though. Imagine what would've happened if it was left to it's own devices."

"We didn't drive it away, old man."

Rodrigue looked towards Felix who was picking at his teeth. "What? You think what we did was this heroic act? That we saved everyone here? Because we didn't. It was pure dumb luck that we survived. The worst part is that most of us didn't even fight the Moon Beast. We just held off the monsters that it attracted."

He glared at the toothpick he was holding and dropped it onto the plate. "There was a moment where I saw my life flash before my eyes. Where I thought I was going to die. I gave it all I had and it still wasn't enough."

The others all looked down sadly as his words rang true. Lysithea clenched her fists and closed her eyes. "I almost died just from how much I had to put out to keep up. It's so frustrating! Everytime I feel like I'm getting stronger, it's like the world comes to slap me back down to the ground."

The House Leaders all looked at each other and nodded, deciding to play along.

"As one of the people who fought the Moon Beast, it terrifies me that something like that exists." Dimitri said. "We all were pushed to our limits that night, and even then it felt like it amounted to nothing."

"So, the boar couldn't punch his way out of this one?" Felix dryly remarked and received a glare from Rodrigue.

"You watch your tongue around your future king, Felix."

"No, he's right. Brute strength wasn't enough to win this battle." Dimitri lifted a hand to ease Rodrigue down and sighed, and Claude ran a hand through his hair.

"Yeah, well, it seems every day we're all getting reminded on just how insignificant we are. And I worry someday our luck will run out."

"Though I am curious." Thales smirked, which Edelgard didn't like. "Where was Miss Eisner during all this? Surely she had helped fight this monster?"

Claude and Dimitri looked at each other again, unsure on how to answer and Edelgard clenched her jaw trying to keep her anger in check, especially since her 'Uncle' knew exactly where she was. Thankfully, Byleth had an answer.

"I was put under." She replied. "When we were captured, the mages put a sleeping spell on me since they knew I was a threat. It wasn't removed until the next morning. I woke up to destruction."

The leaders were all surprised to find how smooth of a liar Byleth could be, though they did see that she technically wasn't lying. After all, she didn't remember anything when she was an Oozaru. Seeming satisfied with her answer, Arundel bowed his head and helped himself to some grilled haddock.

Jeralt just nodded to himself and stood up, patting her on the shoulder.

"Yeah, this was all a big wake up call. Obviously, we need to train harder. And hopefully, that means no more surprises until the Battle of the Eagle and Lion. I want to see you brats all shine that day, especially since I won't be helping this time around."

"Wait, you're not joining us?!" Caspar yelled as nobody was expecting him to say that.

"No. Since Manuela can't attend because of the injury she got from the Death Knight, Hanneman and I decided it would be unfair if we took part when the Blue Lions would be without their teacher. But think of it more like you proving your worth because we aren't always going to be around to bail you guys out."

"That does feel like a fair compromise." Dimitri said and looked at his hand before clenching it. "I can properly show off my power and then everyone will know not to underestimate Faerghus or the Blue Lions!"

"That's quite the jump, Your Highness." Claude grinned, picking at his teeth with a toothpick. "The battle hasn't even started and you're already claiming victory. Not that it matters. As everyone knows that the Golden Deer will win. I mean, we have a freaking walking nuke on our team!"

"Don't drag me into your childish antics!" Lysithea yelled from her side of the table.

Byleth shook her head at the ongoing rivalry but smiled. "Even so, this shouldn't be an excuse to slack on your training. Now starting next week, we have to work extra hard since we need to get Flayn and Hilda up to speed."

That's when everyone realised that they had a new member of the group and Flayn blushed slightly from all the attention. "Yes, Flayn is joining the Task Force. I've seen her potential and I intend to bring it out. Though I will say that I will be… testing out her power while the rest of you take your time to relax. Though Shamir will be tasked with handling Hilda. Is that okay?"

Shamir had a very unsettling smirk as she eyed up the pink haired girl. "Yeah, I could use a little fun."

"I'm… starting to regret this." Hilda mumbled trying to hide but felt a hand on her shoulder. It was Judith who had her own smirk on her face.

"I'm impressed, Eisner. Seems you're whipping her and the boy into shape. And I'm seeing a lot of unfamiliar faces. Oh well, suppose I'll see how you all perform in the upcoming battle."

"Wait. Why are you here?" Claude asked.

"Well, it was supposed to be your old man but his age is catching up to him. I'm taking his place, so that means I'll be examining you, boy."

"Oh joy, never a dull moment…" he mumbled to himself as Judith laughed and slapped his back. She then looked at the stack of plates and whistled.

"Damn, you can really pack it all in, Byleth. I don't think I'll ever get used to seeing this."

Byleth wiped her mouth and nodded. "It's a good light meal to start off some training."

"LIGHT?!" Rodrigue exclaimed. "That's enough food for half of my men to die happy!"

Oh right. Rodrigue and 'Arundel' weren't introduced to her… unique personality traits. And Thales just stroked his beard while looking at her tail. "I have heard of you and your… special limbs, but to see it up close…"

Edelgard suddenly stood up. "Why don't I show you around, 'Uncle'? I insist!"

Without waiting for an answer, Edelgard dragged him away. Dimitri decided to do the same and stood from his spot. "Come, my friend. Though Garreg Mach has taken some damage, nothing wrong with a little spar."

Rodrigue nodded. "I may not be in your skill set, your Highness. But I will certainly try."

"I'm coming too."

Both of them looked at Felix with surprise who just scoffed. "I'm not here to be all buddy buddy with the boar. I want to test my power, nothing more. Try not to go crazy."

That's when Marianne spoke up and rubbed her arms together. "M-May I watch you… Dimitri? I would like to observe."

Dimitri just smiled in return which caused her to blush hard. "Of course. The more the merrier."

"Thank you…"

The table got lighter and lighter as Byleth looked up at the sun and turned to Flayn. "Are you ready?"

"I'm filled up and ready to go, Professor! Where will we be training?"

"Just follow me. Are you coming, dad?"

Jeralt just waved his hand while eating his food and shook his head. "Nah, I'm going to take it easy today kid. After last night, I'm still beat."

"Same, but try not to destroy too much. I'd rather we still have a nice looking scenery." Shamir spoke up.

Judith sat in Byleth's spot and grinned. "Well, might as well make some new friends while I'm here. So you're the legendary Blade Breaker…"

Byleth slowly lead Flayn out as Jeralt and Judith started chatting and she slowly levitated off the ground after going outside. "Okay Flayn. You will have to grab onto me since you don't know-"

She was actually surprised when she saw Flayn also levitating off the ground. "-how to… fly. Okay. When were you going to tell me this?"

Flayn had a sheepish look on her face and prodded her fingers together. "You didn't ask, to be fair…"

But Byleth just smiled at her and shook her head. "Well, at least you can follow me to where we're going. Try to keep up."

"You got it, Professor!"

And so the two took off, with Byleth thinking to herself just how much power is this girl hiding. She already has control over her Ki to a certain extent…

Who is she?

"What the hell are you doing here?"

Edelgard was now in the library with Thales after dragging him out of the cafeteria, who looked at her up and down. "I wanted to see how badly injured you were. We both know how you get when you… exert yourself."

"You forced her to turn into that beast. So does that mean you knew she could do that?" Edelgard growled, not in the mood for this game he was playing.

"I know a lot about her." Thales replied with a sick smile. "More than you will ever realise. She's dangerous, my dear. Surely you see that by now."

"Tell me the truth. You haven't cared at all about my well being before, so why would you now?" Edelgard glared while rubbing at her scars, which Thales just smiled again in return.

"Very well. I wanted to see how much stronger you have gotten. If there's one bright side to that filthy half breed, it's that she has been teaching you how to wield power."

"Half breed? What are you talking about? I'm sick of these games!" Edelgard shouted, but gasped when she was grabbed by the throat and slammed against a wall as Thales now had a scowl while gripping her neck, cutting off her air supply. Edelgard tried to break free but found that he was a lot stronger than she thought. But how?!

"Oh trust me. If anyone is sick of games, it's me. You have been straying further and further away from us. You're showing weakness against that foolish Prince and that heir. Especially against that woman. You act like a love struck school girl at times, and it's thanks to all that you haven't reported anything to us. THAT, is why I sent Kronya here. Because clearly you are incapable of focusing on your own. That's why I exposed her to the moon, because I've been having to do your job for you and thin out the Church and it's knights."

She then heard a click as the librarian 'Tomas' had locked the doors after allowing 'Monica' inside as they both stood behind Thales who turned his head around. Edelgard was now struggling to breathe and kicked her legs trying to get him to let go, but nothing was working. She saw the edges of her vision start to darken as she was about to pass out.

"But one bright side to you stalling for time, is that we managed to turn the Fell Star against the Church, and weakened their defences which is a bonus for us. It'll certainly take a while for them to rebuild which means you have time to scope out any weaknesses. And you two will keep her on track. Are we clear?"

"Aye, aye!" Kronya giggled, saluting as Solon nodded.

Thales grunted in return and dropped Edelgard on the ground who was gasping for breath while holding her throat. "And one more thing. You might think that you're stronger now, but never forget who gave you your gift in the first place. One that I can easily take away."

His hand glowed purple as Edelgard felt pain shoot through her body and she clutched her sides trying desperately to not scream out in pain. Thales spoke once more.

"Is there anything else?"

The aura stopped as Edelgard tried to catch her breath, and looked up. "Where… is Hubert?"

"Oh, him? He's back at the base. At least he does what he's told. And the Dearh Knight will be staying with us for the time being. Now get to exploiting their weaknesses, 'El'."

Thales then nodded to Solon who unlocked the doors and Kronya bowed to him. He looked at Edelgard again.

"As for that Nabatean. Watch yourself around her. She's just as dangerous as the Fell Star. If she loses control, she'll snap you like a toothpick."

Now left alone, Edelgard was still holding her throat as she tried to get her breathing under control, and didn't notice somebody walking in. It was Claude who knelt down in front of her.

"You okay, Princess?"

Edelgard just stared at the floor and her lilac eyes flared up with determination as she was now looking at her friend and training partner.

"Yes… just had to catch my breath. But I'm fine. I'm more than fine…"

Hubert walked through the hallways looking around to make sure that nobody was following him. After reaching to the door he was searching for, he quickly inputted a code which granted him access. After the pad paused for a few seconds to register the code, it beeped green and the doors slowly opened and he was greeted with the same broken pod that he saw the first time. Quickly closing the doors, Hubert took out a journal and walked over to one of the desks, grabbing some sheets of paper.

"Let's see what information you're hiding… there has be some knowledge we can use. Don't worry Lady Edelgard, I will find out what they're hiding."

"Wow, it's a beautiful place Professor!" Flayn exclaimed as she and Byleth were far away from the Monastery. A large patch of land with nobody in sight. Though Byleth was surprised with one thing as the two touched down on the ground.

"You never told me you could fly, Flayn."

The girl blushed slightly and rubbed the back of her head. "I'm sorry Professor… I just…"

"It's fine, I get it. You wanted to appear normal."

"If it makes it easier, I haven't used Ki in a very long time."

Byleth shook her head. "This is good. I won't have to return to square one since you know the basics. But I do wish to test you out. I've sensed your Ki since the day I've met you and I've always wanted to fight."

"F-Fight? Fight you? Oh I don't know Professor, I feel like-"

"I understand that your power is a little unstable." Byleth said, taking off her coat and tossing it away before stabbing her sword into the ground. "But honestly? That just excites me. I can't explain it. I've always wanted to fight against you."

Flayn just let out a giggle and smiled. "You certainly are strange Professor. But if this is what you want, then I will try my best."

"Good. Now, whenever you're ready."

Byleth smiled back and watched as Flayn clenched her fists and started charging up. Already, she could see just how much power Flayn had. The ground around her was starting to crack and rocks were floating up from the sheer might. Best of all, this wasn't her limit. This was incredible! Her Ki was absurd! She found an amazing training partner! But she had to focus. She had to help Flayn control this power. But for now, she could be a little selfish and try out a little sparring session as she took a stance.

"Okay! Here I go Flayn!"

"Right, Professor!"

The two started flying towards each other before throwing a punch as both their fists connected, sending shockwaves throughout the area. It was going to be quite the sparring session.

And that's a wrap! Sorry that this took a while to get out, but I was mostly struggling to find a place to end it off, but I feel like this is a good place. We now have Flayn who as some of you guessed, is similar to a certain Dragonball character. The recent version just to be clear, not the movie version for one reason that will be evident soon.

More fanart is available, this time featuring Flayn and Byleth. It's by budgie_qm on Twitter again which I'll post right here. just post the HTTP and the two dashes at the start as usual. and the dot com.

twit ter budgie_qm /status/1373583267631276035?s=21

That reminds me, there was something I was considering. Having commissions of fanart for ideas I had but I'm not going to include in the story. Like if Thales met Dr Gero and so Edelgard and Lysithea became Androids or if Byleth went to space and joined the Frieza Force with Vegeta, Nappa and Raditz. Let me know what you guys think of that, because it would be fun to explore alternate scenarios even if they're far fetched.

Also, another reason it took so long is because I was trying to 100% Crash Bandicoot 4 as well as binging WandaVision as well as Falcon and the Winter Soldier which was great.

And I know I said that Lord Slug would be the next arc but… I lied. There's going to be one more arc before that. You'll find out soon.

By the way, we hit 95 favourites and we passed 100 followers on this story! It blows my mind, thank you to every single one of you. And thanks to everyone who leaves a comment, it means a lot to me.

And some of you guessed what that blue comet is, and you are right. In fact, next chapter, we're going to be doing something a little different. We're going to find out just how big Universe 7 actually is.

I'll see you all then.