Part 1: White Clouds

The Slumbering Dragon

In a time that only exists as legend, there was a big fight taking battlefield was merciless as it was an absolute bloodbath.

Corpses everywhere, while there were those that still remained kept on fighting one another with the intent to kill. The once luscious green fields were now stained red with the blood of those that had fallen. The sounds of swords clashing and the screams of the wounded were all that anyone heard. A stark contrast to what it was like mere hours before.

In the middle of it, a man had stabbed his opponent in the chest with a lance and wiped the dirt and sweat off his brow before closing his eyes and kneeling beside the man who's as choking on his own blood. The man grabbed his hand and whispered.

"Forgive me. May the Goddess find your soul."

Now that he had a moments peace, he was looking at those who were fighting around him and saw someone in the distance. The leader of the army, Saint Seiros. Good. He managed to reunite with her. He yanked his lance out of the corpse and slowly walked over to Seiros who was surrounded by dead bodies. She had her back turned but knew he was approaching.

"Cichol. Have you found him?"

Cichol just shook his head. "I'm afraid not. Where's my daughter? I can't see her anywhere."

Seiros turned around and he saw a puzzled expression on her face. "I thought she was with you."

Both looked at each other now realising that there was a possibility that she was in danger. But before they could talk further, a voice rang out from across the battlefield.

"Filthy Nabateans!"

They turned to see one of the generals of the opposing army grinning wickedly as he nodded towards someone who was in heavy chains. Cichol gasped in horror when he realised who it was.

"Cethleann! You monster, give her back!"

He was about to run towards them but Seiros stopped him in his place. "No Cichol. We have to be smart about this. One wrong move and we lose her."

Cethleann struggled against her chains as she was hit in her legs, forcing her to kneel while both sides were at a standstill from this turn of events. "Father! Help! Please!"

But she yelped when she was struck in the face by the general as Seiros was struggling to hold back Cichol. She turned to the general and glared.

"So this is what happens? The man who killed my mother is too much of a coward to face me? And what's worse, you get your satisfaction from harming children?"

"You are all the same. Just vile disgusting creatures!" The general sneered. "But now that I have one of you here, it's best that I do to her what you all did to my men! See what happens when you finally lose another of your filthy kind! Begin the torture!"

Two mages were side by side as they pointed their hands towards Cethleann and fired thunder spells which caused her to shriek in pain while her body spasmed and Cichol gritted his teeth, screaming at the general.

"Let her go! Your qualm is with me! She's just a child!"

"She's a filthy beast! And she will die like one! Her head will be stuck on a pike and shown to all who dare to oppose us!"

But Seiros then noticed something about Cethleann. She was still screaming, but something was wrong. Very wrong. Her muscles were starting to bulge, and she could feel the sheer power emanating from her as she slowly stood up with the bolts of electricity coursing through her veins.

The general looked at her and growled. "Did I I say you could stand? Learn your place whelp-"

He was about to strike her again but she then roared and expelled her energy and the power alone threw everyone around her away. She was getting taller and taller, and she started to pull on the chains while her body changed. Her skin now had scales on it, her eyes changed from their usual green to a blank white, but they were filled with white hot rage.

"By mother's name…" Seiros gasped as Cichol couldn't believe what he was seeing.

"Cethleann? What is happening to you?"

"You idiots! Restrain her!" The general barked but the mages cowered in fear.

"She's breaking the chains! Her power is too much to handle!"

But then they heard her speak in a low whisper as her voice dropped with malice.

"You… hurt… my friends… my family…"

Cethleann's eyes then shifted to the general and growled loudly. "You will pay. YOU WILL PAY!"

As she threw her arms back and shattered the chains that were binding her and in an instant, her power exploded from her body as everyone in the area had to anchor themselves to the ground to keep from being swept away again.

The general tried crawling away as Cethleann grabbed him by the head and he pleaded for his life while struggling to escape, trying to loosen her grip, but then she applied pressure to his head and to everyone's horror, she crushed it like a watermelon and dropped his corpse to the floor. They thought the worst was over now that he was dead. They were wrong.

Cethleann clutched her head as the power was getting bigger and bigger with her screaming loudly. The area was now thrown into a panic when she sucked in a deep breath and blew out a torrent of flames which incinerated those on both sides and that's when Cichol and Seiros realised what they had to do. She turned to Cichol and clutched her sword tightly.

"I know she is your daughter, but we have to take her down before she causes too much damage. She's completely berserk."

Cichol closed his eyes and gritted his teeth, not liking what she was suggesting, but knew there was no other option. "You're right. My daughter… forgive me."

And the pair ran towards the berserk child in front of them who saw them and growled loudly before charging at them both, fire building up in her mouth again.

Flayn shot up from her bed and gasped loudly, having been woken up abruptly as she panted hard trying to gather her bearings. She looked around and realised that she was at Garreg Mach. She was safe.

"It was just a dream… just a dream…"

She stayed in her bed for a few minutes to catch her breath and tried to get it out of her mind. It felt so real. But she had to focus, try and get her mind off the dream. Do her normal routine.

So Flayn finally got out of bed and after making sure everything around her was okay and she hadn't accidentally knocked anything over, she sat down at the foot of the bed and slowly closed her eyes and started to take deep breaths. Her daily meditation exercises that her uncles taught her how to do. It had been a while since she last visited them, maybe she could go there soon and pay them a little visit and see how-

"Focus Flayn!" She chastised herself and got back into the rhythm of her breathing. Deep breath in. Deep breath out. Empty your mind. Repeat.

She slowly opened her eyes and smiled, feeling a little better than before. Now that she was in the right state of mind, she could actually start off her day right. So she did her normal morning routine which consisted of washing herself, cleaning her room and getting dressed as well as making sure her hair was nice and up to standard.

Flayn always got questioned on why her hair was styled in a way that hid her ears, but she always gave the exact same answer. She liked it that way. Despite Annette and Hilda trying to give her a new hair style, she adamantly refused to let them near it. She always felt bad rejecting them but this was for her own good.

After checking herself in her mirror and feeling satisfied with her hair, Flayn opened the door to greet the day before her.

…and promptly ran into Raphael.

"Oof!" She exclaimed as she fell on her butt, wincing at the impact as she looked up at the large man in front of her who was rubbing the back of his head.

"Oops! Sorry Flayn! Everyone was just worried about you, so they sent me to check and make sure you were okay!"

She tilted her head in confusion as he helped her up. "That's very kind of you, but why is everyone worried?"

Now it was Raphael's turn to be confused. "Flayn, you've been asleep all morning. It's the middle of the day now."

Flayns eyes widened when she realised that what he was saying was true. "Oh goodness! I'm late for training! I'm so sorry Raphael, I must go!"

She accidentally bumped into him while running past, but to his shock, he was completely thrown onto the ground as he watched her sprint away. He looked down at his hands and chucked.

"Wow, she's really strong if she's able to push big old me to the ground! I wonder what she's been eating?"

"I'm late! I'm late! I'm late! I'm late!" Flayn panted as she ducked and weaved through the crowd of people and accidentally knocking over more bodies, but she didn't care! Oh Byleth was going to kill her! She had to-

Wait.

She just realised that she was running, but she wasn't moving. Her legs flailing in the air as it felt like she was floating.

"I think we should calm down, don't you think so, Flayn?"

That voice was familiar. It was Professor Manuela, holding her up using magic. Now Flayn realised what was happening and stopped moving as Manuela deactivated the spell. The Professor had her hands on her hips as she looked at Flayn.

"Now what has gotten you in such a state that you are knocking over everyone in your path?"

Flayn quickly bowed in apology. "I'm so sorry, Manuela! But I'm late for my training with the Professor!"

Manuela frowned and shook her head. "You won't be training today."

"Huh?"

"Didn't you hear? Byleth has been overworking herself lately and so is taking it easy for the rest of the week. Which means that you should too.

The small girl looked over at the other students who were busy doing sparring and push ups while Shamir and Jeralt looked over them. "But they are training. I would feel awful if I didn't join them."

But Manuel just laughed and smiled at Flayn. "Come on Flayn. I'm done for the day, so why don't we just relax and have fun together? From what I've heard, you also missed breakfast and lunch so you must be hungry."

Flayn was about to protest but a loud noise erupted from her stomach and she clutched it while blushing hard and that caused Manuela to laugh again.

"Let's go and get you some food, my dear. As I told Byleth, you have to know when to relax and take it easy. Come, I'll show you how."

She noticed Flayn prodding her fingers together and looking shy. "You mean… hang out? As in like friends do?"

This confused Manuela. "Well, yes. Don't you usually have friends to hang out with?"

Flayn frowned sadly and shook her head. "Not really, no. I mean… I have Professor Byleth but… that's mostly just training. To be honest, I can't remember a time where I had friends."

Never had friends? This was very concerning to Manuela she saw how sad the girl looked. But then her thoughts turned sour as she imagined who could be responsible for causing her to have a life like this.

Seteth.

Manuela wasn't sure of their life before the two came to Garreg Mach, but she does know the constant fights the two had. Not to mention, she heard about how Seteth wanted him and Flayn to go away after her experience with the Death Knight, but luckily, it seems Byleth and Flayn managed to sway him.

But this put another sour thought into her head. Of course, she doesn't tell Seteth how he should be taking care of his sister, but she could see he was doing it wrong. It made her angry that he wasn't allowing Flayn, until recently, to choose her own path, find her own independence. It wasn't right to keep this girl in the shadows just because she has a bit of a temper. Though, Manuela has felt the effects of Flayn's anger through broken doors and various shattered cups and plates.

She then rubbed her chin in thought as Flayn was still looking down. Perhaps this could be her chance to make a friend. And Manuela did feel like she needed the company. After all, Dorothea was too busy with her schoolwork as was she with her own workload. But Flayn didn't have responsibilities.

"Flayn, dear. Would you care to spend the day with me? As a friend?"

Flayn's head shot up and her eyes widened with a wide smile. "You mean it?! Truly?!"

'She looks so adorable when she's happy…'

Manuela smiled back and nodded. "What would you like to do, today? I must admit though, I'm not good at fishing if that's what you wish to do."

But she saw Flayn grabbing her hand and leading her towards the greenhouse. "Come! I wish to show you the flowers that I have been taking care of!"

"Oh? Well then, lead on my dear!" Manuela laughed in surprise at her excitement but smiled warmly at the girl. She reminded her of herself when she was young. Full of wonder and happiness.

But it only concerned Manuela on what Flayn was hiding beneath the surface. What exactly could cause this sweet girl to have a dark side?

Edelgard took steadying breathes as she slowly did push ups on the grass with some weights on her back. She was currently at twenty push ups so far, and the goal was fifty. It was just her today, nobody else would interrupt her training. She could finally get some peace-

"You can't escape from me that easily, Edie!"

…Fuck. Edelgard collapsed to the ground in defeat as Kronya in her disguise sauntered up to her, smiling innocently. "I'm hurt! Why did you leave me all alone? I need help with my studies, don't you know?"

"And I am trying to train. I've caught onto your little game, 'Monica'." Edelgard glared at her while adjusting her wristbands. "You've been trying to isolate me from the rest of the Task Force. Well I hate to disappoint you, but you're not getting in the way of my training."

"Ugh!" Kronya threw up her hands. "Why in the world are you doing that?! Just use the Crystals like the rest of us! It's not that hard!"

"Because unlike you, I do not seek shortcuts." Edelgard replied, continuing on with her push ups. "I seek to get stronger through hard work, and perseverance. Just like Professor Byleth."

"And there it is! I swear, she's all you talk about! Professor Byleth this, Professor Byleth that! Honestly, you sound like a lovesick schoolgirl who got called cute."

Edelgard fought to keep the blush off her face and focused on her exercise. "Don't be ridiculous. She inspires me is all. And she can help us."

That caught Kronya's attention who just scoffed. "Really? You really think that she will magically join your side just because you like her? Oh Edie, honey, you have to get your head out of the clouds. Because let's get one thing straight. You need us. Because when we go through this path and you turn around expecting your 'friends', you'll find out that you're the only one walking it. No friends, no stupid Task Force, no Professors, nothing!"

Edelgard closed her eyes and finished up the push ups before eyeing Kronya. "Are you done? Because I understand that I will be walking this path alone. I just… feel like I can sway her to our side. But anyway, I have the rest of my training to do, so kindly leave me in peace."

Kronya just slid off the wall she was sitting on and scoffed. "When are you going to learn that your pathetic little human body has limits? Limits that stop you from getting stronger? Just give up and use shortcuts to get to the top!"

"And when will you understand that Professor Byleth is solid proof that limits can be broken? She shows everyone that humans can overcome any obstacle that is in our way."

But Edelgard paused when she heard her laughing. "Oh. Oh my god, you still don't know, do you? Oh, this is perfect! You actually think that she's just like you?"

The Princess narrowed her eyes and approached Kronya. "What do you mean by that?"

"Oh, I wouldn't want to ruin the surprise! Just can't believe you haven't figured it out yet! Bye Edie! Good luck with the training!"

"Wait a minute! Kro- Monica! What did you mean by that?!"

Edelgard chased after her and quickly turned a corner only to run head first into someone. She blinked as she realised it was Flayn she ran into who was there with Manuela.

"Goodness Edelgard, what is with the running? Why is everyone in a hurry today?" Manuela asked, helping up Flayn. Edelgard bowed in response.

"Please accept my apologies for that, Flayn. I was trying to talk to… Monica. But it appears I've lost her. What are you two doing anyway?"

"Oh, we were at the greenhouse!" Flayn exclaimed. "It was so much fun! We chatted and I showed her the flowers I was growing, and she even says she might sing to me one day."

Edelgard's eyes widened at that and she looked at Manuela. "That's certainly a surprise. To my knowledge, you no longer sang for anyone. At least from what Dorothea told me."

Manuela just laughed in response. "Oh, don't be silly. It's not that I hate singing, but it's not just something I can tap into immediately. Like a wheel on a carriage, you need some time to properly oil it up and get it working right once again. But onto you, it seems that you're in the middle of your training, am I right?"

"That's correct. It's been a while since I've been able to properly do it and I do not wish to be sloppy."

That's when Manuela had an idea. "Why don't you and Flayn go with the rest of the students and train with them? After all, Flayn needs help with making new friends and if she's part of this little Task Force then she needs to train with the rest of them, right?"

Both Flayn and Edelgard seemed unsure, but for very different reasons. For Edelgard, she hasn't trained with them ever since 'Monica' started dragging her away in an attempt to get her back on the path she was meant to be on. She wasn't sure if the team was mad at her for basically avoiding them, though not entirely by her choice.

For Flayn, it was a different story. The only person she has trained with so far was Byleth, and she was currently relaxing and taking it easy after her fainting spell the other day. And it was a big moment today to make friends with Manuela, and now she had to make more with a lot of people?

But she had a point. If Flayn was going to be working with them, she had to get to know them, right? And it wouldn't hurt to get back into the swing of things for Edelgard. But then she realised the time and figured, why not?

"I can show Flayn to the rest of the Task Force."

"Are you sure, Edelgard?" Flayn asked, but was interrupted by Manuela.

"That's a lovely idea! Since Byleth is out of commission for now, you can show her the rest of her teammates."

Edelgard made a thoughtful look and nodded. "I suppose you are right. Is that okay with you, Flayn?"

Flayn simply smiled in response. "Of course! It would be lovely to meet those that I will be working with! Though I do admit, I have this feeling bubbling up in my chest that I can't quite explain."

"That's simply you feeling nervous, Flayn." Manuela said. "Don't worry, it's perfectly normal to feel that way. Now why don't you go and run to them?"

"Of course! Thank you for helping me with the flowers, Manuela!"

Manuela smiled as Flayn jogged off but she quickly stopped Edelgard, asking if she could have a word. Confused, Edelgard nodded as Manuela looked at her.

"Can you please take care of Flayn for me when you're out there on your missions? I know Byleth can do it but… she needs all of you. I've seen people like her before, where she treats everything like glass, afraid that she will break them."

Edelgard was wondering what brought this on, but she agreed. Flayn was always by Seteth's side, and today would be the day where she's finally amongst those around her age. Well, her physical age, that is. She was aware on her true nature, but she also knew of her history. But of course, she had to treat her like part of the team, as Byleth would want that.

"I will, Professor Manuela. She'll feel right at home."

Manuela clapped her hands together and smiled. "Wonderful! She needs friends her own age, and not someone like silly old me. Though I admit, I do enjoy the company that she brought me today. She is such a nice girl. But anyway, I'll leave you to her. Have a nice day!"

Edelgard slowly nodded as she watched Manuela walk away and she looked down at the floor. 'I'm more than familiar with her… but can we really keep her safe, from herself?'

But she then heard noises coming from the fields outside the Monastery where the others usually sparred. Oh good, they must be introducing Flayn to their sparring matches. She made her way round the corner only to quickly duck as someone went sailing past her, crashing into the bushes.

It was Leonie who laid there completely dazed as she mumbled to herself. "No Captain Jeralt, I don't want to do the drills today, I want to stay in bed…"

This was shocking to Edelgard as Leonie was one of the more tougher members who wouldn't get taken down that easily. She was certain that Byleth wasn't there, so who could've-

"I'm sorry, Leonie!"

She slowly turned in disbelief as Flayn had ran up to them and began bowing while spouting out apologies. But she just kept staring. Flayn was able to take down Leonie.m? Was there anyone else?

"Did you have to be so rough with her, dear Flayn?" Dorothea said walking up to Flayn, giggling. But the green haired girl was panicking as she inspected Leonie who was still dazed.

"I didn't mean to hit her that hard!"

"Oh, don't worry about her." Dorothea waved it off as she lead her back to the group while Edelgard saw the pile of wounded sparring partners.

Mercedes was healing Felix who had an injured arm and was grumbling to himself while Sylvain teased him about losing. Marianne was making sure Dimitri wasn't too hurt after getting a cut on his cheek from colliding with the wall too hard. Claude waved over Edelgard with a cheeky grin.

"Hey, look who finally decided to join us again! I was almost beginning to miss you! Come over!"

Edelgard just rolled her eyes in response but smiled nonetheless. "It appears that Flayn has gotten the best of most of you. Seems that even Leonie's stubbornness isn't enough to match her."

"Yeah, she certainly surprised us, that's for sure." Claude said, rubbing the back of his head. "One I saw her beat his Highness over here, I figured there's no way I'm going to spar with her."

"She didn't beat me that badly." Dimitri muttered as he flinched from Marianne dabbing rubbing alcohol on his cut but Dedue just shook his head.

"His Highness was launched into the forest nearby from one of her attacks."

"Thank you, Dedue." Dimitri said slightly annoyed as Marianne smiled lightly.

"I just wish my healing magic could work better for you, Dimitri."

Dimitri just smiled in return making her blush. "Nonsense Marianne, what you're doing is more than enough. Thank you for that."

But it did stick with Marianne about trying to find ways to better her healing magic and she looked over to Hilda who was currently messing about with Caspar's hair and pondered to herself. Maybe there is a way to improve herself…

"Ah, let me go Hilda!" Caspar complained wriggling out of her grasp. "I want a shot at Flayn!"

"At least let me try and improve your hair!" Hilda huffed loudly. "You could be more stylish!"

"Quit bugging me! I want to fight Flayn!"

As he went over to the patch of grass and took a stance with Flayn smiling brightly. "I know all your tricks this time Flayn! I'm gonna win!"

"Then I wish you good luck, Caspar!"

Most of the students were at the field today as those who weren't interested in sparring merely watched. Edelgard noted among those who looked like their pride was wounded after challenging Flayn and predictably losing. She lazily ducked as Caspar came flying towards her and he quickly picked himself up, running to her.

"I'll go for it again! She won't know what hit her!"

"She's certainly a skilled fighter." Ingrid commented, folding her arms. "Makes me wonder why Seteth was afraid of her doing anything by herself in the first place."

WHACK!

Caspar went sailing past again and picked himself up, running towards her. "I'll go in from the left! She won't see it coming!"

Edelgard hummed in response but then a voice sounded from behind. It was Linhardt who had his back against a tree, not taking his eyes off the book he was reading on Crest research.

"It may be due to the nature of her Crest. After all, she has a Major Crest of Cethleann. And if the legends are correct, then Saint Cethleann was a mighty warrior with unspeakable power."

CRASH!

"Ah, she saw me coming!"

They all watched Caspar run back again as Edelgard looked at Linhardt. "What do you know of that?"

Letting out an annoyed sigh, Linhardt closed his back. "Since you clearly can't read the most basic levels of literature, I suppose I'll tell you."

Edelgard pretended she didn't hear that.

"Saint Cethleann had unbridled anger. Anger that translated into power that was unrivalled by anyone. The power she had was so incredible, that she had to have sealing spells placed on her just so that she didn't go mad with the amount of power that was inside her."

Ignatz was listening while drawing and looked unconvinced. "That doesn't sound right. Saint Cethleann was a healer when she fought during the War of the Heroes. At least, that was how I read it."

"And you are correct. But that still doesn't change the fact that she had that power on hand." Linhardt retorted, but kept looking at Flayn. "Though I do wonder if our friend over there can access that power. After all, she has the Crest and the temper to show for it but the power itself? Who knows?"

Everyone knew of Flayn's temper. They initially avoided her at the start of the year just because they were afraid they would set her off. Edelgard knew Flayn had it, but understood that she hated using her power judging by what she was told. That she was afraid to use it in case she hurt people. But it seems that the worry was for nothing, perhaps that training with Byleth was beginning to bear fruit. Or perhaps Flayn was holding back heavily…

"Hey! No fair! I can't fly!" Caspar complained as they all saw Flayn floating in midair. Claude looked over at Edelgard.

"How come Teach hasn't taught us how to do that just yet?"

She honestly didn't have an answer for that. But she wouldn't let Claude know that. "It'll come soon. Probably the same reason why we still have this weighted clothing on."

"Hang on, back to our previous point." Ingrid said, looking at Linhardt. "You say Flayn can access this power because of her Crest? Wouldn't you have the same power as her seeing as you bear the same Crest?"

"No. Because unlike Flayn, I only have a MINOR Crest of Cethleann. Plus, I have not had a history of anger issues so logically, that means that I cannot access it. And I didn't suggest that she could access the power, merely that she has the right set of things in her biology to do so. To my knowledge, she has never shown any more power outside of what she has shown so far. But then again, maybe you're not looking hard enough."

Edelgard wondered what he meant by that, but looked over at Flayn dodging Caspar's swings one step at a time, and she noticed something on her arms. It was faint, but she could see it. Hexes. Seals. She knew who Flayn was, but was that true? Was her power so great that she needed it sealed away? And beside her, Annette and Lysithea could see them too, as they were the magic users of the group.

"Why in the world does she need sealing magic placed on her?" Lysithea muttered. "Is it just a way to be safe than sorry? Or perhaps it's something more sinister…"

"Oh, don't be ridiculous Lysithea!" Annette said, but sounded unsure. "Flayn has never been shown to be violent. Just friendly sparring!"

That's when Caspar fell in front of them with swirls in his eyes, now fully knocked out as Flayn ran up to them. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to hit that hard!"

Lysithea decided to just ask. "Flayn, why do you have sealing hexes on your arms?"

Flayn froze at this and took a step back. "I-I'm not sure what you mean?"

"We can see you have symbols on them. It's faint, but it's no doubt the same that powerful mages use to seal things away."

She stayed frozen in place and they wondered what was causing her to look so shell shocked. But something had overtook Flayn's vision. A memory of a time long past.

"GRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGHHHHHH!"

"Cethleann! Please! Take hold of your senses! It's me, it's your father!" Cichol shouted as Seiros threw him to the ground to avoid a torrent of flames heading straight towards him. It sailed over them and left singe marks on their armour and clothing. They picked themselves up and readied their weapons.

"This isn't good…" Seiros said. "She's too unstable. What is causing this influx in power? If we don't stop her, then she'll lay waste to the planet until there's nothing left! This war will mean nothing in the end!"

Cichol was trying to think. What could they possibly do? She was like a thousand soldiers in one. Nobody could lay a scratch on her! They had to think of a way to stop her. But how…

That's when he saw a dagger by his side and slowly picked it up. Narrowing his eyes, he looked over at Seiros. "I have a plan. But… it means that I can't fight by your side if it works. Can you keep her distracted while I set up the plan?"

"Cichol, what are you doing?"

He just closed his eyes. "The only way to stop her. Please keep her distracted. You over there! Can you do magic? Do you have allies who can do the same?"

Cichol was looking at a mage who was scared for his life but nodded. He sighed in return and held out the dagger. "I have something to ask of you…"

"Flayn? Flayn. FLAYN!"

Her eyes snapped back to reality as she frantically looked around but only saw the concerned looks of everyone there. Lysithea had her arms folded. "You spaced out on us. So why do you have those sealing symbols on your arms?"

Flayn was trying to think of what to say. Anything to get her out of there. But that's when Dorothea and Mercedes walked up to her and glared at Lysithea.

"You should be ashamed of yourself!" Mercedes scolded. "It's none of your business why she has it. It's something that she obviously doesn't want to share."

"Yeah!" Dorothea huffed, with her hands on her hips. "Apologise to her right now!"

Lysithea's eyes widened before she slowly frowned. "You're… you're right. I'm sorry Flayn. It was inconsiderate of me to try and force your secrets out of you."

Feeling relieved that she wasn't being pressured to answer, Flayn smiled nervously. "It's okay. I forgive you. I'm… just not ready to disclose that information."

Finding a way to break the tension, Hilda snapped her fingers. "Hey! I have an idea! Why not a girls night out? That way we can get Flayn more used to how we do things around here?"

Flayn's face brightness as she clasped her hands. "Oh, that sounds wonderful! I always wanted to do a girls night out! Does that mean that we can paint our nails, try on new clothes and talk about cute boys?!"

She was suddenly very close to Dorotheas face who laughed nervously and stepped back. "Let's do it one step at a time, okay Flayn? How about we simply go down to the market and look at jewellery first?"

"That sounds incredible! Can we do it right now? Oh, but I suppose I should dress out of my training gi, shouldn't I?"

Mercedes smiled warmly and nodded. "How about those that are coming can meet up at the gates in half an hour? Will that be plenty of time?"

Flayn nodded, smiling as Dorothea clapped her hands. "Then it's settled! Whoever is coming please report to the gate in thirty minutes! No later!"

"I believe I will pass on it." Dimitri said as Marianne helped him up.

"Are you okay, Dimitri?"

Dimitri simple smiled in return. "Only my pride is hurt. Though I suppose that should teach me for underestimating an opponent. But I thank you for your assistance, Marianne."

Her cheeks flushed red as she smiled back but then her eyes widened as she backed away. "I-It was nothing at all! I-I must be going!"

He looked confused watching her run off as he turned to Sylvain. "Was it something I said?"

Sylvain just looked at him with a deadpan expression. "You seriously can't see it?"

"…See what? That she is running off? I can see that clearly."

"…I hate you." Sylvain sighed loudly as he walked off which just left Dimitri even more confused but Claude just placed a hand on his shoulder.

"You'll get it eventually, buddy. Just hang in there."

"I… but…" Dimitri then sighed and shook his head. "I give up. If anybody requires me I will be at the training grounds. I wish to improve my footing with my lance."

That just made Claude look at him. "Dude, we can shoot energy balls from our hands and use that to level boulders, why are you using lances? Especially when you cannot break Ki that easily."

"It is important to keep yourself brushed up on your skills, Claude." Dimitri retorted. "After all, we cannot all be in our rooms scheming all day."

"Are you accusing me of scheming? I am very hurt, your Highness."

Dimitri just rolled his eyes at Claude and narrowed his eyes. "I'm not accusing, it's fact."

"…Maybe it's like 70 percent fact."

"95."

"How about an even 90?"

"…Fine. Edelgard, would you care to join me?"

But Edelgard shook her head as she pointed towards the group. "I think I will join for this day out. Perhaps there's some jewellery I can pick out."

"Like some new necklaces for the Professor?" Claude teased which made her go red.

"N-No! I told you that was a gift from the rest of the Black Eagles!"

"To which you were the only one with knowledge of that necklace."

"Ugh, whatever!" Edelgard yelled as she stomped away as Dimitri looked at Claude.

"Why do you antagonise her like that? You know she can probably kill you."

"At this point, it's all a game." Claude replied with a sly smirk. "If she gives in, then I win. And she knows that. But anyway, I'm heading back to the library. I wish you good luck in your training, just try not to overdo it. Wouldn't want to pass out like Teach did."

"I appreciate your concern, my friend. But that won't be necessary. Come along Dedue."

Dedue nodded and followed Dimitri as Claude closed his eyes, now by himself. "It's all adding up way too much to be a coincidence. Perhaps I can figure Flayn out if I can't figure out Teach… I just need the right pieces. But Linhardt did point out something that I didn't notice before. Why does a girl who has supposedly never fought before need sealing hexes placed on her?"

"Oh, this looks wonderful!" Flayn squealed out, holding out a hair clip that had rubies placed around it. She and Edelgard were out in the market as the Princess looked at Flayn holding it.

"Impressive. And those are real rubies too."

"Do you think that it will suit me, Edelgard?" She asked with a bright smile and Edelgard had to fight back a blush. She looked so cute.

"I… I believe you're much better off asking Dorothea or Hilda. They know more about fashion than I do."

"Oh, but I want to know YOUR opinion, Edelgard! You always carry yourself with such formality and beauty and… I wish to know how to be just like you!"

That made her pause. Flayn? Wants to be like her? No, that can't be right. This has to be a joke. But, Flayn kept on looking at her with those wide eyes and she slowly looked to the side.

"…I think it'll look nice on you. Give you a sense of regality."

"Truly? Then I shall purchase it immediately! Tell me, how much is this?"

The merchant turned to reveal herself as Anna and both girls blinked in surprise. "Do you just work everywhere around here?"

Anna just winked in response. "To get the most profits, you gotta be a Jack of all trades! Now let's see here… this hair clip will run you about… one thousand gold."

Flayn's eyes bugged out at that price and Edelgard narrowed hers. "What kind of hair clip costs a thousand gold?"

"Hey, these rubies aren't cheap, you know!" Anna retorted. "But if you want something else-"

"No. I'll buy it." Edelgard sighed, reaching for her bag of gold while Flayn just looked at her.

"Are you sure Edelgard? It's very expensive."

But she just shook her head. "It is nothing for someone like me. Though I do not like flaunting what wealth I have like this, I think I can make an exception… for a friend."

Flayn blinked at that but slowly widened her eyes when the words clicked in her mind and she had a wide smile on her face and hugged Edelgard tightly.

"Oh, thank you so much Edelgard! I am so glad that we are friends! This is amazing, I have made so many new friends today!"

Edelgard smiled a little at her… eccentric personality. She then took the hair clasp and handed it to Flayn who looked at it in her hands before putting it in her hair and beamed.

"So? How do I look?"

The Princess fought back a blush again and turned around. Seriously, how was this girl so cute?

"You look great. Why don't we go and find the others?"

"Good idea! Perhaps they are trying on new dresses? I heard Dorothea mentioning going there. Come! Let's go and meet them!"

Edelgard was caught by surprise when Flayn grabbed her hands and dragged her away and looked behind to see Anna waving with a cheeky smile.

"Come back soon!"

"Oh, now this one is cute!" Dorothea exclaimed showing Hilda a red dress but frowned looking at it closely. "You don't think it would show off the girls too much, do you?"

"Oh, I'm sure it will be fine." Hilda replied, inspecting a pair of boots that were on sale. "Honestly, one downside to all this training is that I don't have time to check out the sales and the muscles I'm getting makes it harder to fit into dresses. Professor Byleth is very mean when it comes to my interests!"

"Because we can't slack off." Leonie grumbled as she was holding onto a pile of clothes, having been subjected to being the girls personal luggage holder. Which in her opinion was very unfair considering Hilda could lift as much as she could. But something was on her mind. And as luck would have it, Dorothea announced she was going to another part of the store to look at other clothing and Leonie turned to her classmate.

"Hey Hilda? Can we talk?"

"Now why would you want to talk to me?" Hilda asked, very confused at Leonie saying that, while looking at some skirts. But Leonie continued.

"Do you think that… there are times where we are way in over our heads? That we're not strong enough to deal with whatever threats come our way?"

"Oh Leonie, is this about Flayn?"

"Well, you saw it too! She only just started and yet she managed to beat EVERYBODY! I just feel so powerless when looking at Professor Byleth and Flayn… sometimes I wonder if Captain Jeralt would be disappointed in how weak I am."

Hilda just sighed loudly and dropped the clothes she was looking at. "Okay, I can tell that this is going to ruin my shopping so let's get this out of the way. Leonie, stop comparing yourself to others!"

"But-"

"Ah, ah, ah! I'm not done! And before you say anything else, you know what my family was like. I had a brother who was better than me in every way and I accepted that I could not be as good as him. Because what's the point in improving yourself if you keep on looking at everyone else instead of your own progress?"

Leonie was taken aback at how… wise Hilda was being and she sighed again. "Look, I get that it's frustrating being behind when you've trained for so long. But some people are just born differently. Nothing you can do to change it. So how about we stop all this moping about, and stop comparing yourself to others?"

"…Thanks Hilda. You're right."

"It's what I do!" Hilda beamed, flashing a peace sign and turned to look at the skirts she was eyeing up. "Now that you're all done, we can-"

"GET OFF ME, YOU CREEP!"

Both girls immediately tensed up when they heard that. That was Dorothea. They dropped everything they were doing and ran over to where her voice sounded and found her surrounded by a group of guys who reeked of alcohol.

Leonie crinkled her nose in disgust. It was barely past five, and they were already this drunk? But one of the guys got closer to Dorothea and chuckled.

"Come on good looking, come with us. We can show you a good time." He slurred wrapping an arm round her but got shoved away by Dorothea.

Hilda narrowed her eyes and was about to step in when she suddenly heard a voice.

"She said to get off of her."

Everyone turned to see Flayn and Edelgard standing there. And Flayn did not look happy at all. She walked up to the group and glared at the drunk man who had finally let go of Dorothea and he just smirked.

"Oh? And who do we have here? Seteth's little sister? Think you're better than me?"

"Let's just calm down." Edelgard said, stepping forward. "You're clearly too intoxicated, so let's just all

leave before we do something we regret."

"Oh, and the Princess of Adrestia. You know, you royals are a pain in my ass!"

"…I'm sorry?"

"Yeah you heard me!" The man slurred. "You know, it must be sooo easy being at the top isn't it? You get to have all the money, anything you want, and all because of that little Crest you were born with. Well, what about the rest of us that didn't have that luxury? Why do we have to struggle?"

Edelgard looked down, clearly affected by his words but then shook her head. "That's what I will try to do when I ascend the Throne. I will make it so we are all equal."

"Oh, please. You say that, but it's just words at the end of the day! You're all the exact same! Just get to sit back all cosy and then spread your legs for another Noble so another Crest baby can come about!"

Edelgard and Hilda were taken aback at that as Edelgard found herself stepping away from the man who started getting closer. But then saw Flayn standing in front of her with a stern glare.

"I suggest you leave now, sir."

The man just laughed and leaned in. "Oh yeah? And who's gonna stop me, huh?"

He went to go and push her away but Flayn grabbed his hand and started applying pressure by squeezing it and Flayn closed her eyes tightly and whispered. "I'm… warning… you."

Immediately, the three members of 141 knew something was wrong. They could sense her Ki becoming unstable as the grip on his hand tightened. He felt it starting to hurt and tried pulling away but Flayn wouldn't let go and growled at him, opening her eyes.

"I'm… warning…"

"Get off me! Stop, you're breaking my hand!" The man screamed falling to his knees as he frantically turned to his friends. "Get this bitch off of me! She's breaking my hand!"

But nobody could move as they were all frozen in place, terrified as they noticed Flayn's eyes had changed. They were yellow instead of the green theyre familiar with along with black slits as blood started seeping out of the hand she was crushing. That's when the girls all rushed to her.

"Flayn! That's enough!" Dorothea yelled trying to pull her off.

"Stop it Flayn!" Hilda screamed.

That's when a vision overtook Flayn. Of a time long past. She was looking at a man with long green hair and a green beard, with her crushing his hand… and a knife impaled into her chest seeping magic into her as she felt herself becoming weak.

"I'm sorry… Cethleann. Forgive me."

Her senses returned to her and she realised what she was doing and quickly let go, stepping back in shock looking at the man clutching his hand and whimpering in pain, slumped onto the ground. She looked around saw everybody staring at her as Flayn stammered, trying to speak but couldn't.

"I… I…"

She quickly ran out the door and Dorothea shouted for her to come back just as the guards arrived at the scene and Hilda and Leonie both looked at one another while Edelgard stared in the direction that Flayn ran off to.

'I saw that form for a split second… were they telling the truth?'

"Manuela!"

Manuela was surprised to see Flayn running up to her with tears running down her face and hugging her tightly. She was most thrown off her feet from the impact but kept herself steady and hugged Flayn back.

"Flayn? What's wrong? What-"

"Don't tell him! Please! I messed up! Please don't tell him!" Flayn yelled as her hair was a mess from all the running and she rubbed her face into Manuela as if to bury herself away from the world.

"Woah, woah, woah, Flayn! Calm down! Take a deep breath! Please tell me what's wrong."

Flayn took a shaky breath before pulling away and hugging herself, trying to calm down as Manuela noticed…

"Your ears."

Flayn realised that in her panic her hair had parted slightly showing off her ears. Which were pointed at the end as a panic attack was approaching and she tried to run away but Manuela quickly grabbed her by her shoulders as Flayn gave in and cried into her chest.

"Please don't tell Seteth! He'll send me away! I tried to keep my anger under control and I tried to hide my ears and I just couldn't because I can't! I just can't! I can't do anything right! Now someone is hurt because of me and now I'm going to be sent away!"

Manuelas eyes slowly narrowed as that name came up again. Seteth. Flayn is scared he will send her away? How much of this girls life does he have control over? She slowly looked down at Flayn and smiled at her.

"Go to my office Flayn. I'll have a talk with Seteth. We won't let him even think about sending you away, okay?" She smiled tucking her ears back into her hair as Flayn rubbed the tears out of her eyes and sniffed.

"Do you promise?"

"We're friends, aren't we? I'm not going to let my friend get sent to Sothis knows where. Now run along to my office, okay?"

Flayn sniffed again and nodded, walking away as Manuela clenched her fists, storming into the direction of Seteth's office with her goal in mind. "This has gone on long enough…"

"SHE DID WHAT?!" Seteth yelled as the Gatekeeper stood in front of his desk still saluting.

"That is what was reported, sir. Though several witnesses report that she was standing up for one of the students who was being harassed. But unfortunately, the gentleman has a broken hand. He also commented how Miss Flayn, and I quote, 'looked like a demon'."

"I knew I should've gone away with her. I knew this would happen." Seteth mumbled but heard his door opened and saw Manuela storming in. He sighed and closed his eyes.

"Manuela, I'm in the middle of something, can we have this conversation later-"

SLAP!

Seteth recoiled in shock holding the part of his cheek where Manuela slapped him. She quickly turned to the Gatekeeper and pointed at the door.

"Out. Now."

The Gatekeeper slowly nodded and stepped backwards, still saluting as the door to the office slowly closed shut when he left the room. Seteth, finally recovering from his shock, glared at Manuela.

"What in the world was that for?! I was in the middle of receiving a report!"

"Oh, I'm fully aware of the report. Because Flayn came to me crying and begging me to make sure you never found out."

Seteth sighed to himself and rubbed his eyes. "She's so desperate to stay here, but it's very clear that she is a danger to everyone here."

"And there it is! You keep on saying how she needs to be away, or she is a a danger to everyone! Have you taken a moment to step back and consider how your own sister feels about all this?" She yelled, stepping forward and prodding him on the chest.

She then continued on. "She's scared, Seteth. I've dealt with many patients over the years who have similar traits to her. That she is scared that she will hurt someone. But isolating her away from people isn't going to help. She needs to be around people her age, to learn, to understand. To control! To not feel like she's a monster!"

Seteth was silent for a moment before Manuela brought up something else. "And she almost had a mental breakdown when I saw her ears."

"You saw her ears?!" Seteth yelled but Manuela threw her hands up.

"Who cares?! For crying out loud Seteth, one of our instructors has a monkey tail and can level mountains! Pointy ears are the least strange thing about this place!"

"You do not understand, Manuela-"

"So make me understand! Because I can't in good conscience let you carry on this kind of behaviour. When that girl is so afraid of what you'll take away from her, you know it is bad."

Seteth was silent for a moment, as if pondering her words before closing his eyes. "You really wish to know why I keep her away from people?"

"That is what I'm asking." Manuela said, folding her arms.

"…Very well."

Without further thought, Seteth reached for his coat and started to undo the buttons before slipping it off leaving his white shirt. But he wasn't done there as he undid the buttons on that one too which caused Manuela to blush slightly in surprise. Though, she figured he had a reason to be doing this. And what she saw when he opened the shirt was something else that made her jaw drop in shock.

Scars. Lots of them. All littering his chest and stomach. Some of them were huge nasty gashes that looked like claw marks, still purple even to this day despite them looking very old. But there was one on his shoulder that looked the worst. She wondered how he didn't have difficulty moving as it looked painful even to move about in. The scar looked like it never healed properly and from what she saw, it looked like… teeth marks were imbedded in his skin. Not to mention all of the various burns that littered his torso. It was quite a shocking sight to see from someone of his position.

Once he was satisfied with her reaction, he buttoned up his shirt again and spoke. "This… was the result of Flayn losing control. The first time that it happened. The first time we realised… she beared the rage of Saint Cethleann. It came at the cost of many lives. I had to take matters into my own hands. I had a dagger enchanted with sealing magic and drove it into her chest. Not to be fatal, but to lock away her power. Though as I'm sure you know, it didn't lock it all away, and the seal is flimsy, all it needs to break is a trigger. A burst of emotion. And after that, we are all doomed."

He patted his chest and winced at the tender skin that was under his clothing. "What you saw there was the repercussions of me sealing her power away. I nearly lost my life in the process, for I had to hold her in place to let the magic flow through her system. I can no longer move my shoulder properly. Don't you see, Manuela? I am trying to not only protect her, but also you and everyone here at Garreg Mach. Like I said, the seal isn't strong and all it needs is a trigger and then that's it. Nobody can stop her. Not even Byleth. What's worse is that there are people out there who want that power for themselves. And also her blood. Though she was just bait when she was kidnapped they still managed to get a few drops. I don't want her to hurt anyone. That is why we must take her away. I entertained the notion that Byleth could help her control it, but it seems that it was a fools dream."

Manuela was now silent as she took it all in. This all made sense now. Why she had so many meditating sessions, why she loved doing things that were calming in nature. It was all to keep her mental state in check. But she then stared him in the eyes. "You're wrong. I'm sorry for what happened to you, Seteth. But isolating her from people isn't going to help. And what would happen if she lost control again? And you were the only one there? It wouldn't matter in the end, would it? She would go berserk and there would be nothing that you can do."

Manuela then carried on speaking and brought up something. "You say that Byleth couldn't help. But need I remind you that she only broke that drunk oaf's hand?"

Seteth was confused on where she was going with it as Manuela shook her head. "She could've easily killed him, but she didn't. She managed to stop herself. That proves that Byleth's teachings are working, aren't they?"

"…I suppose that you are correct."

"I'm not asking the world, Seteth. I'm asking you to take into consideration her feelings. You may be thinking that this is what's best, but you aren't thinking about what SHE wants. And time may pass to where she resents you for it."

Seteth stared at her but let out a soft laugh. "You know, you remind me of her- OUR mother."

Thankfully, Manuela didn't catch that slip up and smiled back. "Well she considers me a dear friend and who would I be to let my friends be unhappy? Just think about it Seteth."

With that, she left the office with Seteth standing there alone as he stared at the floor, putting on his coat.l and looking out at the now night sky. He sighed to himself and ran a hand through his hair, wondering what to do.

Flayn was rocking back and forth in Manuela's office hugging her knees as she didn't want to think about anything right now. Just taking deep breathes and trying to suppress her emotions.

Don't lose control.

It's what they always said to her.

She had a mirror in her hand as slowly the scales on her face started to disappear and her eyes returned to normal, back to the green she is known for. She managed to contain it. For now.

That's when knocking sounded on the door. "Flayn! We know you're there! Open up! We're worried about you!"

Dorothea? What was she doing here? Should she open it? She wasn't sure if she wanted to…

…She had to. It wasn't fair on them. They were worried.

"It's open…"

The door slowly opened to Manuelas office as Dorothea, Hilda, Leonie and Edelgard all walked in. Dorothea slowly kneeled down in front of her and smiled.

"Hey, you doing okay? You kind of ran off on us."

"I scared you all…"

"Scared? Flayn, that was awesome!" Hilda exclaimed.

"Yeah, you totally gave that drunk what he deserved!" Leonie said, punching her fists together. "I mean, we knew you were strong but…"

"Why hide all that power?" Edelgard asked, finishing Leonie's sentence as Flayn was at a loss for words. They weren't afraid of her? They liked that she broke his hand? But she looked down and closed her eyes, still hugging her knees.

"It's… because I can't control it. What you saw was a fraction of the power I have, but… this time I was able to hold it off. I don't have a good history of controlling my anger."

The girls all looked at each other but Dorothea smiled. "Well, I think it's sweet that you would come to protect your friends. And you did manage to keep yourself under control. Though I did get a little fright seeing what you were turning into, you kept yourself calm. That has to count for something right?"

"…You consider us friends?" Flayn asked, slowly lifting her head up and Dorothea smiled in return.

"Of course! We're all friends aren't we?"

"Yeah! You're great to be around Flayn!" Hilda smiled. "And it is pretty cute how you're a little clueless on some things."

"And you're strong and passionate!" Leonie continued, giving a thumbs up. "You care about everyone and want them to feel safe. That is something I can respect."

"Yes, and I can relate somewhat to you Flayn." Edelgard said, drawing circles on her scarred hands. "Being afraid to hurt others from your own actions."

Flayns eyes started to water as she tried desperately to wipe them away. "You guys… I'm so happy!"

"Oh Flayn don't, you're going to make me cry." Dorothea said, hugging Flayn tightly as Hilda joined in the hug with Leonie and Edelgard staying back and smiling at the display. But then Edelgard looked at the marks on Flayn and decided to ask.

"That's what the hexes are for, isn't it? To keep your powers at bay?"

Flayn slowly nodded. "Yes. Though as you saw, they can only do so much…"

Seteth appeared at the door and saw the girls all there and sighed. "I'd like to speak to Flayn alone, if that is okay with you all. Please do not be concerned, I simply wish to speak with her."

They all looked at each other and Hilda gave another hug to Flayn before they all filed out as Seteth sighed again. "I heard what had happened."

"…Are you going to send us away?"

"That was my initial thought… but it's been brought to light that I can be too… hasty when it comes to these kinds of decisions. I also heard that you managed to control yourself."

Flayn slowly nodded, still hugging her knees. "I ended up crushing his hand but… I was able to snap out of it."

Seteth kneeled down and gently brought Flayn into a hug. "Good. It's a start at least. Perhaps one day you can fully control your power and we could think about removing those hexes on you. But baby steps."

That's when he got a flashback of another memory, set in a less kinder past.

In a cave, Cichol let out a shaky breath as he held his daughter in his arms. She was unconscious but badly injured as she was in a white dress with a set of bandages around her chest as he slowly laid her on a stone altar where she laid there unmoving. He turned around to see Seiros at the entrance of the cave. He closed his eyes and explained.

"I got some of our mages to enchant a dagger with sealing hexes and drive it into her chest. That horrific power is sealed away but she needs time to rest and for the hexes to fortify inside her as well as her wounds to heal. And I intend to be with her until she wakes up. What I'm saying is-"

"I know." Seiros cut him off with a sad smile. "I won't judge you for standing by her side. And… she needs you for when she wakes up. Though I imagine that this is goodbye for now."

Cichol nodded. "Indeed. I'm sorry that I'm leaving you to fend off this war by yourself, but my daughter is my number one priority. And perhaps I can get to the bottom of what caused her to go berserk like that. Though then again… she wasn't able to turn into her true form like the rest of us…"

"I do hope that you'll find your answers, my dear friend. My brother. But… I must be going now."

"Yes… goodbye Seiros. I hope to see a better world when we meet again."

Seiros had her back turned to him, but he knew she had a sad frown on her face. "As do I…"

With that, she used her strength to push a large boulder to block off the entrance to the cave where it would be untouched for a very long time. The sun was rising as she took in a deep breath and glared into the distance. "Now then, thief… it is high time I took back what you stole."

Back at the cave, Cichol let out a tired sigh and looked at Cethleann who was breathing softly as the symbols on her body were glowing. Good. The hexes were starting to set. He brushed a loose strand of hair out of her face and placed a soft kiss on her forehead.

"I will get to the bottom of this. I promise. And we will make sure this never happens again."

He then sat on a chair next to her and picked up a book. No time like the present. And he wasn't going anywhere until she was awake.

"I failed you, Cethleann."

Flayns eyes widened when she heard her real name being said as Seteth was staring at the ground. "I promised that nothing like this would happen again. But I lied. Truth is, I'm scared. Scared that I won't be able to help you the next time. Scared that if you really snapped that you'd never come back… I know it's unfair on you but-"

"Father. Please do not blame yourself for what happened back then." Flayn said, now feeling like they don't have to hide who they are to each other. "It's unfortunate that I carry this burden. But you still stayed by my side for centuries while I healed. But look around you, we have people who can help me now! And at least… I can still be with those I love."

Seteth softly smiled and hugged her. "I love you, my darling Cethleann."

Flayn smiled back and nuzzled his shoulder. "I love you too, Cichol. My father."

While this tender moment was there, someone was listening in. It was Edelgard who clutched her hand, tracing her scars. So they were in fact Saint Cichol and Saint Cethleann. But Edelgard was too busy thinking to herself. Once again, what the Agarthans told her didn't line up with what she saw.

"A ferocious monster… all I see is a scared little girl… they're not being honest with me. I need to get to the bottom of this…"

She stared into the distance with a glare. "Hubert… I'm counting on you… find the truth."

*Song: Closing Theme (DBZ)*

It seems our sweet girl Flayn has a dark side to her. A power that she is unable to control properly. But it seems that her training with Byleth is helping wonders, though is that really the case? Will Flayn be able to keep her anger in check? What caused her to go berserk in the first place? And what are Edelgard's plans? Find out next time on the next chapter of, The Ashen Saiyan!

Sorry for the long wait guys. While this is a chapter where things are kind of taking a pause, it was hard to find inspiration to keep going. I knew what I wanted, just getting there was the challenge.

So yes, Flayn is the Broly of this story. Well, in a sense. She has the same kind of power that he has in the Super movie. The same kind of power that Byleth is trying to attain. Plus I love Flayn and making her a giant hulk of a beast just seemed fitting for me. This also plays into how she got her injury during the war against the Agarthans. Yes, she has a giant scar on her chest where Seteth stabbed her.

No Byleth this chapter, and I figured it was just going to be a Flayn chapter before we get stuck into the next arc which is the Ashen Wolves arc. I have plans for this story including Byleth getting more answers about who her mother really was.

And yes, Edelgard is showing even more doubt about TWSITD since what she sees always contradicts what they say. Think she'll end up leaving them? Perhaps she won't go to war?

There is artwork by budgie_qm on Twitter that will give you a slight idea of what Flayn looks like when she starts to lose control. But obviously we have yet to see her full power. Have to wait and see.

Also, I'm still thinking about doing possible one shots about certain events. Like Marvels What If…? series. For example, what if Edelgard and Lysithea were Android 11 and Android 12? Or what if Byleth was the Legendary Super Saiyan? Or even normal things like what if Dimitri and Edelgard switched lives? Just stuff that won't make sense but is fun to talk about.

We have passed 120 followers too! Again, means a lot to me that you guys take the time to do that!

So yes guys, join us next time for when we finally start the Ashen Wolves arc! See you then!