Ferdinand walked towards the Black Eagle's classroom. He didn't know what Edelgard wanted to see him for. He hoped it had nothing to do with Dorothea's plan to send help to Byleth. If anything, maybe it was the comments he made against Arundel's men. He made it no secret of his feelings about their increased presence in Garreg Mach. I couldn't have anything to do with Hubert. The two have kept their distance since their return from the Varley's lands. Besides that, he couldn't think of why Edelgard summoned him. He approached the front doors to his old classroom, pondering why they were shut for a brief moment. Before he could open the doors he found himself gazing to his left. Down the stretch to the other classrooms. Where once the Blue Lions and the Golden Deer banners hung. Where there was much laughter and joy as students conversed with one another, no matter what house they belonged to. He thought of the times he and Lorenz would drink tea and discuss politics and the duty of a Noble house. The favours he would end up doing for Hilda. When Flayn would observe him as he carried out maintenance for the weapons and armour.
Flayn. Such a delicate woman she was with a sweet demeanour. He never got the chance to apologise to her again for that mishap with the gauntlet. She had avoided him since that moment. Now he'd never get the chance to apologise. It felt wrong to consider her an enemy in the war. While she joined late in the year, she was still a Black Eagle. She was part of the team and everyone was friendly with her. He guessed Edelgard and Hubert never thought to consider her a friend all those years ago, eager to leave her behind in the Holy Tomb upon the Flame Emperor's reveal.
He shook his head and sighed. He couldn't allow himself to get caught up in the past again. It would do him no good now five years into the war. His loyalty to his friends and the Empire would surely see him executed by the Kingdom and Alliance.
"Never linger on what could have been done differently. Think about how to be the true noble you know yourself to be."
He remembered Byleth's words. In truth, all of his lessons were in the echo chamber that was his mind. What could he do right now? What was the right course of action? With everything he knew now, what was he supposed to do?
"I'll try professor..." Ferdinand mumbled to himself as he turned back to the Black Eagle's classroom. He grabbed the door handles and opened them up. He expected to see Edelgard behind the professor's old desk at the end of the room, looking over the map of Fódlan with scrutinizing eyes. Instead, she was sat on a chair at one of the old student tables that were pushed to the edge of the room, looking down at her folded hands on her lap. She looked... apprehensive. A stark contrast to the confident Emperor she presented herself as. Frowning in confusion he walked over to her and gave a bow.
"You called for me your majesty?" Ferdinand asked as she straightened up. Edelgard looked up at him and opened her mouth to speak. But she paused and let out a sigh.
"Please take a seat Ferdinand," she spoke softly. It was not an order from an Emperor, but a request from a friend. This worried Ferdinand even more. What could she have possibly called him for that would make her act so... nervous? He grabbed a nearby chair and pulled it towards him, taking a seat.
"Edelgard, what's wrong?" Despite it all, Edelgard was still a friend. He could see her clench her hands together on her lap briefly in response to the question. She took and looked at him wearing the mask of the Emperor once more.
"I'm sorry Ferdinand. While we were away in Myrddin, our guards were taken advantage of and circumstances led to an unfortunate outcome. There will be severe punishments dealt when I send word back to Enbarr," Edelgard began to recite as if reading from a script. Ferdinand frowned. He didn't want Edelgard to put up such a mask when he knew whatever happened was affecting her.
"Edelgard," Ferdinand reached out and grasped her arm. The Emperor's mask fell as soon as he touched her. Her gaze looked down at his hand and she squeezed her eyes shut and turned her head away. "...What's going on?"
"Your father Ferdinand..." Edelgard spoke above a whisper. His father? What about his father? "... He is dead."
The old classroom fell quiet. The air grew stale and suffocating. His hand slowly left her arm as he stared wide-eyed at Edelgard who hadn't the courage to look him in the eye. "W-what?"
"While we went to Myrddin, Ludwig managed to bribe himself out of his cell and escape Enbarr," Edelgard glared at the ground as she clenched her hands in anger. The red gauntlets straining in her grip. "He made his way over to Hrym. Whether he was trying to escape to the Alliance lands I do not know. But Hrym was supposed to be under control with Jeritza stationed there to quell the riots. But he abandoned his post and the riots got out of hand."
Edelgard took a deep breath before continuing. "It's said that the rioters found Ludwig trying to hide. They placed the blame for their misfortunes on him... and they killed him. His body is currently being taken back to Aegir."
"That's... no... no it can't be...," Ferdinand leant down with his elbows on his knees. His wide eyes stared down at the floor. He couldn't be dead. It was all a lie! Why was there rioting in Hrym? Why would they kill his father?
"I'm sorry Ferdinand," Edelgard stood up and reached out a hand to him. But upon her hand touching his shoulder, Ferdinand stood up and backed away from her.
"This has to be a cruel joke! Is this some sick punishment against me?" Ferdinand demanded as he swung his arm to the side.
"I would never be as cruel as that," Edelgard lowered her hand and turned her gaze to the floor. "No matter how I felt about Ludwig and what I think he deserves. He was your father, and I am sorry for your loss."
Ferdinand wanted to argue it. He wanted to scream at her. Tell her she was wrong. Believe that she would be that horrible. Hadn't his constant objections to her choices earned him that? She wanted to see him in pain. "You're lying! You hated him! You made no secret of that! How do I know you haven't killed him already and are just tired of keeping the lie going?"
"You're right that I hated him. For everything he was the cause of in my life, I wanted him to suffer for the rest of his life. It is for that reason I would never shorten his life," Edelgard clenched her hands into fists again and took a deep breath. "Those who allowed him to escape will be severely punished, those who killed him equally so. And Jeritza will be punished for abandoning his post on the whispers of my Uncle. That riot shouldn't have been allowed to prolong as it has."
Edelgard looked up to Ferdinand. His face contorted between grief, denial and rage. Long ago Edelgard compared an upset Ferdinand to a kicked puppy. When he was faced with the reality that she was superior to him in many aspects of their academic year. Since then Ferdinand had grown into an exceptional man in war and out. And now, Edelgard didn't know what to compare Ferdinand's face to, but she knew she didn't like to see her friend in pain.
"If you need time away to go back to Aegir I will certainly allow it. If there's anything you need from me to help you-"
"I want to be alone," Ferdinand turned his back to her. "I... I need to be alone."
Edelgard went to argue against Ferdinand but then remembered the time when Byleth lost his father. She looked back to how she handled Byleth's grief and from those memories, she knew she wasn't the best person to offer comfort and understanding. So she lowered her head once more, moving a hand to her chest and clenched it tight. "Of course... take all the time you need."
Ferdinand nodded without turning back to her and marched out of the Black Eagles' classroom. Rain had begun to fall from the skies in a cruel twist of irony. He walked across the grass down towards... somewhere. He didn't know where he was going. He could have returned to his old dorm room. He could have made his way to the Cathedral where there weren't a lot of people. There were many places he could have gone. Then his legs just stopped, losing the will to walk. Then losing the will to stand. His knees slammed into the wet grass as the rain pelted down on him. Draining through his red cloak and bouncing off his shoulder plate. His rain-soaked hair stuck to his cheeks as they flattened along his form. What was his life right now? What was the point of it all? For all this suffering in the world piling on top of each other. How many villages would burn? How long would the unrest last? How many more people would die? He hated it! I wanted it to end! What could he do?
He never got to speak to his father for years. He was tossed away in a cell and left to rot. It was maddening to see his father treated in such a way. But he was powerless to do anything about it. He couldn't go against the Emperor's orders. And now he was gone. He would never learn of the reasons from his father. To be cut down by rioters of Hrym of all things! Such a small event in the grand scheme of the war was able to take his father away. If something like that was possible, who was to die next? Bernadetta? Linhardt? Or even...
"What are you doing over there?" Dorothea called out. Ferdinand looked to his right and saw the songstress standing under the stone veranda outside the Golden Deer Classroom. Her hands were on her hips as she looked at the ginger man with an unamused look. "If you stay out there you'll catch a cold!"
Ferdinand turned his head away and looked down at the grass. He thought back to how she acted after the battle of Myrddin. It wouldn't be long before hesitation finally took over and a soldier would cut her down. He would continue to lose people in this war. The Goddess blessed him to allow his friends to survive as long as they have. But this couldn't continue any more. But what was he to do? He couldn't do a thing to help his father in the five years of his imprisonment. How could he do anything to help?
"Be true to yourself. No matter what anyone else says."
Byleth's words broke through the fog in his mind like a flash of lightning. But how could he when he didn't know what to do? He was so lost. So very very lost.
Suddenly he felt his arm grabbed and pulled up. "Come on you big lug."
Dorothea groaned as she pulled his arm to get him to his feet. Only for her grip to slip. Ferdinand's arm fell back to his side limply. Dorothea glared down at the nobleman. "Fine! If his Lordship wishes to fall ill in this rain then so be it. Next time tell us so that I don't have to risk getting wet in this rain trying to offer His Lordship some help-"
Then she heard the sobbing her annoyance and anger quickly washed away with the rain. Ferdinand raised a hand to his face. His shoulders shuddered as each sob racked through his body. Dorothea quickly stepped in front of him and knelt with her hand on his shoulder. "Ferdie... what's wrong?"
Ferdinand kept his hand over his face as he tried to compose himself to no avail. The floodgates were opened and there was nothing to stop the torrent. He couldn't bear to look at Dorothea, not wanting to empty all of the baggage he was holding. But he knew she deserved an answer. "My father... he's dead."
He continued to cry for his loss and all of the losses during the war. Ladislava came to mind also. She was a fierce general of the Empire. The tea the two would share as they spoke of tactics and stratagems with the spear. Conversations he would never have with her again. Such as the lessons his father would teach him on how to govern the lands for when his time would come. The duties of a Prime Minister. Everything his future was building him up for felt so far away and lost now in the wake of this war. What was he supposed to do now? What was his purpose in life now?!
Two arms circled him and pulled him close. His face pressed into Dorothea's shoulder as her hand stroked the back of his head, smoothing his long wet locks. "Shh. You're not alone Ferdie."
His arms slowly reached up and wrapped around Dorothea in a tight grip. He cried into her shoulder as his tears mixed with the rain. Now wasn't the time to plan. Now wasn't the time to ponder on one's place in the world. Just this once, he would stop thinking and worrying and let himself go in the moment. Let out all the pain he was feeling instead of bottling it up. Dorothea swayed side to side with Ferdinand in her arms. "Reach for my hand. I'll soar away into the dawn, oh I wish I could stay~"
Dorothea's beautiful voice flowed into his ears, cutting through the harsh rain that fell upon them. Ferdinand focused only on the voice that felt like a warm blanket over his mind. A voice that reminded him of another voice of long ago. One that stole his heart when he was a young boy. A voice from a water nymph. "Here in cherished halls, in peaceful days, I fear the Edge of Dawn, knowing time betrays~"
88888888
Bandits moved back and forth, carrying crates from the carts and placing them on the grass. Crowbars were shoved under the lids and pried them open. They worked like clockwork in an organised fashion that no one would expect from bandits. But Byleth knew they weren't ordinary bandits. Not when he saw their leader barking orders.
"Pallardó," Byleth and the others knelt behind a row of bushes as they surveyed the area.
"Wasn't he a merchant or something?" Hapi questioned with a raised eyebrow.
"He was. A merchant named Anna asked the Golden Deer for assistance on a joint treasure hunt with him. When we found the treasure he tried to make off with all of it. We got the treasure back and reported him to the Church. You were there for that as well Professor" Lysithea looked towards Byleth.
"Claude asked for a teacher's presence for the job as Manuela was busy. He felt something was off from the mission and Pallardó and wanted my help specifically," Byleth continued to look over the camp. They had set themselves up in an open clearing from the forest, that was at the edge of a cliff. Byleth thought that the placement of the camp was a terrible idea. If they were attacked from the woods they would have nowhere to escape.
"Now you stay here Dorte? You've been a very good boy," Constance smiled at the horse that led them here as she tied them to a nearby tree. Once she had finished she crouched low to join the others at the bushes. "I think I remember seeing that guy in Abyss once."
"He tried to sell his wares there for a time but he never adjusted his prices for the folk down below. He stopped coming not too long before Edelgard attacked the Holy Tomb," Yuri nodded.
"Care with the product! One of our buyers will be here soon," Pallardó shouted at one of the bandits who knocked over a crate. He turned around to the back of the camp. "And bring out that one. The buyer was very interested in that."
Byleth looked to the back of their camp to see a tall rectangle shape standing up vertically with a brown cloth draped over the top, covering it up. Yuri hums in thought. "Out of all his goods here, I'd reckon that to be very much cage-shaped."
"You think that's her?" Lysithea eagerly hoped.
"There's a lot of bandits but there shouldn't be much of a problem for all of us. I'm sure Byleth could take on all of them himself," Yuri grinned to himself as he placed a crooked finger on his chin. "So we could go about this a few ways. Charge in mindlessly or be stealthy about it, picking them off one at a time. It might be worth keeping Pallardó alive to see what he knows."
Before anyone could voice their opinion on the matter there was a purple flash in the camp. Suddenly in the middle of the camp, there was a man in dark robes with a long-beaked mask on his face. The unmistakable uniform of those who slither in the dark. The uniform of the Agarthans. Pallardó jogged over to the man. Byleth's hands clenched into tight fists as he glared in anger at the vile monster of a man.
"Mr Odesse? I take it you are here for... well, you know?" Pallardó nervously asked with the smile of a snake.
"Show her to me," his distorted voice ordered. The two immediately walked to the one covered in cloth. Pallardó grabbed it and pulled the cloth off, revealing a cage containing a shaking girl in shackles and long blue hair.
"Marianne!" Lysithea exclaimed with a hand to her mouth. While far away, they could still see the bruises on her face and the tears on her dress. Her usually tied-up hair was loose and hung down her back and face.
"Apologise for the damage on her. Some of the boys here thought to punish her for attempting to escape. Uh! They only roughed her up though. I wouldn't allow them to... take her.. ahem! But from the scholars I've spoken to, they can confirm that this woman bears the Crest of Maurice," Pallardó explained as he presented Marianne. Odesse walked right up to the cage and stared long and hard at the blue-haired girl. "I'm sure with a Crest so rare and valuable you would be able to provide a suitable offer?"
"...Are you going to kill me?" Marianne whispered, not finding the strength to look up at Odesse. The Agarthan grabbed onto the bars and pressed his face as far toward her as he could.
"With a Crest like yours? No. I plan to keep you alive for as long as possible as I harvest as much blood from you as I can. Then when I've acquired enough... I'll find a suitable subject with the right compatibility to foster children with the Crest of the Beast," Odesse tilted his head to the side with a sick chuckle. "You should be grateful. Because of you, the Crest of the Beast will flourish once more."
Byleth and the others weren't able to hear what was being discussed due to how far away Marianne's cage was but they knew that whatever was discussed, if it involved an Agarthan it wasn't good.
"They die. All of them," Byleth drew his silver sword and vaulted over the bushes.
"Byleth?!" Constance exclaimed as they watched him sprint ahead towards the camp.
"Okay. Charge in mindless it is then," Yuri sighed and the others quickly cut their way through the bushes to catch up. Byleth's focus was on the Agarthan. He completely ignored the other bandits who had only just noticed him rush past them. He could hear them calling out, alerting the others of his arrival. He had made it halfway through the camp before Pallardó and Odesse noticed him. One bandit tried to step in front of him with an axe in hand, but Byleth quickly swatted him away with a swing of his sword. Droplets of blood flew through the air as he jumped onto an unopened crate and jumped through the air. A group of bandits had gathered in front of him, ready to stop him. But Byleth was in a hurry, he extended his hand out towards them.
"Abraxas!" He called out and swung his hand up into a fist and pulled it down before he landed. A pillar of Light slammed down into the group of bandits, burning them alive in Faith magic. He didn't bother to check if any survived as he stepped over their smoking bodies on the floor.
"The Fell Star!" Odesse roared and conjured dark magic in his hands.
"You again?! I'm out!" Pallardó staggered back and turned to run away. Byleth pulled his sword back, ready to run Odesse through, but he wasn't quick enough to reach him. Odesse fired a miasma from his palms towards him. Byleth pulled his body backwards and allowed himself to skid underneath the dark magic.
"Predictable!" Byleth snapped as he pushed himself up to his feet and thrust his blade forward. Odesse was quick to move to the side, but not far enough as the sword pierced straight through his right arm.
"Arh! Damn you creature!" With his free hand, Odesse pulled out a dagger from his waist and tried to stab Byleth. But the old Professor saw it coming. He quickly switched to his left hand to hold the sword and swung his right arm to block Odesse's other arm to halt his attempt to stab. Then with a brutality that Byleth thought the Agarthans deserved, he twisted the black fully, and with a spin, pulled the blade across Odesse's arm and out of his limb.
"AAAAAAAAHHH!" He screamed as his right arm from the middle of his bicep now hung on by a thread. He staggered backwards and fell to the floor, gripping the mostly stump arm as it bled profusely. "HOW DARE YOU?!"
"Should I have held back?" Byleth asked as he turned back around to face him. He charged forward to drive his sword into his chest. But suddenly with a flash of purple light engulfing Odesse, he was gone and the sword was driven into the dirt.
Byleth growled in frustration at the Agarthan getting away. Why did he waste time gloating over them? The Ashen Demon wouldn't have wasted time allowing him to escape. Byleth shook his head. He didn't want to be the Ashen Demon any more. Having emotions was better than that. He then looked back to the cage and Marianne. She kept her head down, not even paying attention to the events around him.
"GET HIM!" Byleth turned around to see a group of Bandits running towards him. Until a Luna spell appeared just above them and decimated them without prejudice. Lysithea came rushing over to the cage.
"Marianne! It's me! I'm here!" She grabbed onto the bars as Byleth swung his sword at the large padlock on the cage door. The blade cut through the lock and the heavy metal fell to the dirt floor. Lysithea pulled the door open and practically flung herself towards Marianne, wrapping her in her arms. "I'm so glad you are alive!"
Byleth turned to see if any more bandits would come to attack them. But saw that they were being dealt with by the others.
"I got Pallardó... wait... this isn't him? Then I have failed all of you..." Constance called out in melancholy under the shining sun, as she stood over the body of someone who looked similar to him.
"He's using a double. I've got eyes on him fleeing. I'll get him!" Yuri called out as he expertly jumped from crate to crate to get around Hapi firing a Swarm spell at another group of bandits.
"...Lysithea?" Marianne blinked her eyes and looked down at the white hair of her fellow Golden Deer.
"I was so worried when your letters stopped coming. Then when you went missing I was so scared! I admit it okay! I was very scared!" Lysithea felt the tears leak from the corner of her eyes.
"But... why?" Marianne blinked her eyes in disbelief. Lysithea pulled back and roughly shook Marianne's shoulders with a growl.
"Why do you think you idiot! You're my friend I care about you!" She all but shouted at the Edmund woman. Byleth sighed in relief, knowing that they found her and that she was okay. He could finally banish the dark thoughts about her now. Marianne looked over Lysithea's shoulder and saw Byleth. She seized up in fear and tried to pull back.
"P-professor?" Byleth raised his hand peacefully, taking a step back from her.
"It's okay. I'm here to help," he tried to explain.
"It's true. He's not with the Empire Marianne, he's here to help. He was the one who helped me find you," Lysithea explained with a smile. "Now come on. Let's get out of here."
She took Marianne's hand and pulled her gently out of the cage. The three of them looked around to see most if not all the bandits were taken care of. Signs of scorch marks and rocks that weren't there before indicated that Constance and Hapi went to town on them. As they made their way across the camp towards the treeline, they found Constance looking forlorn in the sunlight with Hapi resting her arm on her right shoulder with a proud grin on her face. Emerging from the bushes they were previously behind was Yuri dragging the beaten-up body of Pallardó.
"So... what to do with you?" He asked as he threw Pallardó to the ground and walked in front of him. The others gathered around him in a half circle.
"L-look here. I didn't choose to be a bandit. I didn't have a choice. Times are hard due to the war! What was I supposed to do?" Pallardó exclaimed on his knee.
"Who was the man in the black robes? Tell us everything!" Byleth ordered as he pointed his sword at the quivering man.
"H-his name was Odesse. Said he was a representative to a high noble within the Empire," Pallardó answered honestly with his hands up.
"Arundel," Yuri muttered as he crossed his arms with a frown.
"He said if I sold him something of worth, he would arrange that I could sell my wares in the markets of Garreg Mach again. I'd have my life back!" Pallardó explained as he tried to reason his way out of the situation.
"At the cost of my friend? You'd sell a person for your own selfish needs?!" Lysithea shouted as she almost lunged for the pathetic man, were it not for Byleth's arm blocking her way.
"She's cursed! They say she's got the Crest of the Beast! She'll bring misfortune to anyone near her. Isn't it better she's taken away?" Pallardó answered back. Suddenly Hapi stepped forward and punched him across the face. He fell to his side with a cry of pain.
"Locking people away because of their Crests? For things they have no control over? You, the Church, that witch... all of you are the same," Hapi's hands shook in suppressed rage.
"...He's right," Marianne suddenly spoke. Everyone turned to her in shock. "I... I should be locked away."
"Don't be stupid!" Lysithea shouted back, grabbing her shoulders and turning Marianne to face her. "No one deserves to be locked away or treated like you have! You are a good person who deserves kindness. Someone who has lots of friends that care about you!"
"We should kill him now while we have the chance. He's proven that he'll continue to be a threat to innocent people. And if he's got into bed with those black-robed lot..." Hapi decided as she glared down at him. Byleth was about to say something but a bright flash of dark purple caught his eyes within the forest, coming towards him as fast as an arrow.
"DOWN!" Byleth shouted as he dropped to the floor. A crackling wave of dark magic flew over him, but what turned his stomach was the sounds of flesh being ripped through and body parts falling around him. Lysithea's blood-curdling scream pierced his ears as he looked to see the severed torse of Marianne lying across her.
"No!" Byleth growled and clenched his fist in front of him. The world shattered in glass around him as the flow of time began to reverse. He looked around to see not only Marianne's torse be put together, but Hapi's also. Two of his students had died at that moment. He would save them. He would turn back far enough so that they would have more time to react, Lysithea and Marianne were the furthest back from the others. But Hapi was the closest to the incoming attack. He'd have to save her. When he reversed far enough back he resumed time once more.
"We should kill him now while we have the chance. He's pro-" Hapi began to say, but Byleth wouldn't let her finish.
"Drop to the floor now! NOW!" Byleth ordered as he saw the flash once again in the forest.
"W-what?" Pallardó called out in confusion. Byleth charged forward and tackled Hapi to the ground just as the spell flew over their heads. He had saved her. He hoped the others were saved.
"You good?" Byleth asked Hapi as he looked down at her.
"Ow... yeah," she responded as Pallardó's head rolled past her. She flinched away from the grim sight as Byleth raised his head.
"Everyone good?" he turned to the others. Happy to see all of them push themselves up to a sitting position.
"Think so?" Yuri answered as she rubbed the back of his head.
"I am well. Your kindness shows no boundaries. Should you wish me to fail you need only ask..." Constance spoke as she sat up.
"What was that?" Lysithea asked as she helped Marianne up. If they were under attack he needed his sword at the ready. He looked to see the sword on the floor where he stood.
"Byleth... Eisner..."
Byleth had heard different people call his name many times in the past. Some were in fear. Some were in joy. Some were in anger. But hearing his name spoken in THAT voice. It affected him more than any other. It filled him with Dread. Dread for nothing good came from that voice. It filled him with fear. Fear for the lives of his companions. But more than anything, for someone who spent most of his life feeling nothing for anyone. This voice brought on an emotion that threatened to completely take over his entire being.
Hatred.
"...No..." Yuri whispered as he stared towards the forest, getting to his feet.
"It... It can't be... Not him!" Lysithea spoke in fear as she pushed herself backwards.
"Ashen... Demon..."
Byleth slowly rose to his feet, offering a hand to Hapi as he did. He helped her to her feet and slowly turned to the forest. Emerging from the shadows of the treeline, two trees creaked as they slowly collapsed to the side, severed from the spell this monster let rip through them. On top of his familiar armoured steed. The embodiment of Death itself. His red eyes glowed brightly through his skull helm as he stared directly into Byleth's soul. The Death Knight Jeritza had found him.
"There you are..." he chuckled as he slowly approached. Yuri looked to Byleth, waiting for him to say someone. But all he saw was the eyes of hatred from a suppressed raging demon glaring back at the Death Knight.
"So was it the Emperor that finally let you off its leash? Or was Hubert tired of his assassins failing?" Yuri questioned as he drew his sword.
"They would rather me sit locked away... stopping me from my fun... wasting my beautiful skills on rabble in Hrym..." Jeritza slowly moved his scythe around, letting it dance in the air. "Arundel saw my true potential... he let me achieve what I want."
"And what's that?" Lysithea asked, despite the fear in her eyes she kept herself in front of Marianne.
"The duel to the death... with the only man worthy in all the land," he pointed his scythe at Byleth who glared back in silence. "Let nothing stand in your way he said... And I cut down anyone who tried to stop me... Empire soldiers in Hrym... Leicester soldiers of Ordelia... and the King of Grappling."
"What?" Yuri suddenly asked with wide eyes. "What did you..."
"What did you do to Balthus?!" Hapi shouted as she stepped forward.
"He stood in my way... I cut him down... The King is dethroned," Jertiza let out a slow chuckle. Seeing the pained expressions on all their faces, the chuckle grew louder and more manic.
"No... Balthus..." Yuri looked down, lifting a hand to the side of his head. His friend was dead?
"I can't be... not him..." Constance raised a shaking hand to her mouth, tears brimming at her eyes.
"You... you..." Hapi fell to her hands and knees, unable to stand as the emotions wracked through her body. Byleth stood dumbfounded. His friend... was dead? Just like that. He couldn't have... He shouldn't have. Why did this happen? If he had been the one to stay behind in Ordelia then Balthus would still be alive. This was his fault. Now someone else close to him was dead. These people in black armour took another person away from him. And they'll continue to kill and take his friends away from him.
Byleth reached behind his back and gripped the familiar hilt. The white cloth wrappings immediately burned away in an instant as he drew the sword from behind him. A familiar pulse travelled through his body as the blade glowed a very bright red. As if it had waited to be held for so long. Too long Byleth felt as he now held it in his hand. The Sword of the Creator will see battle once again. "I will kill you... I will rip you asunder... I will tear you apart and burn you away until there is nothing left of you!"
"Yes... YES!" The Death Knight spun his scythe around. "Let your anger fuel you... let it consume you... let your blood boil as I rip it from your body to scorch our battlefield."
"You... are a monster..." Hapi whispered as she slowly pushed herself back to her feet. Tears streaming down from her eyes. "You are a horrible... monster... that deserves no pity."
"This does not concern you pest. You may-"
"SHUT UP!" She screamed as she fired a Miasma at him. Jertiza effortlessly swatted through the spell with his scythe. "You are nothing more than a soulless beast looking for another monster to fight to continue a cycle of blood and death!"
"Hapi..." Yuri spoke as he was about to reach out for her.
Hapi pointed at Jertiza. "Byleth is not a monster! He'll never be the monster you want him to be because he is better than you! And he will always be better than you! You'll die for all you have done and be forgotten! For the innocent people you slaughtered five years ago, for the people you've killed in this war, and for that big lug Balthus!"
Hapi's hand dropped to her side as she took a deep breath.
And sighed.
"Oh shit," Yuri whispered and began to look around, knowing what to expect.
"You want to fight monsters?" Hapi shouted and sighed again.
"I'LL GIVE YOU MONSTERS! HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" She screamed at the top of her voice.
"You bore me... Now face me Ashen-" A loud howl was heard within the forest, followed by more howls and and growls.
"We need to go now!" Yuri ordered. Just then a massive wolf dived through the trees towards Jeritza. He held up his scythe to hold back the monster by the paws. But another one suddenly appeared and with its open maw, chomped down onto the neck of his horse. Jeritza pushed the wolf off of his Scythe and spun around the slash the head off the other wolf, but it was too late for his horse and they fell to the ground together. Just as the previously pushed-back wolf pounced on top of him again.
"Hapi come on!" Byleth wrapped his arm around Hapi's waist and pulled her back.
"No! Let me see him suffer!" she cried out, kicking and screaming. But Byleth was stronger as he pulled her along.
"This place will be crawling with beasts. Let's move!" Yuri ordered as he led the way, running towards the left side of the forest away from the wolves and Death Knight.
"He killed him!... HE KILLED BALTHUS!" Hapi continued to cry, the most emotion Byleth had ever seen from the cynical girl.
"He'll pay for it. I swear to you he'll pay for it!" Byleth answered as he pushed her ahead of him. Just as they were about to enter the forest again, three large lizard beasts came charging out, knocking down the trees in their way.
"Damn it!" Yuri shouted. But Byleth had already sprung into action. Pulling his sword back and hearing the familiar click, he swung the sword at the beasts, the blade extending out into its whip form and slashing across all three of their faces. They reeled back in pain which allowed Byleth to pull the blade whip back again and again to slash at their torsos to keep them at bay.
"ABOVE!" Lysithea called out to everyone. As they looked up they saw three bird beasts flying down towards them. They each pulled their wings back and slapped them together, sending a blade-like shockwave and wind towards them.
"Move!" Byleth shouted as he turned around and dived for Marianne, rolling to the side with her as everyone separated. The blasts of wind struck the ground, leaving cracks in their wake. Byleth and Marianne stopped rolling at the edge of the cliff, where he got a glimpse at the deep ravine below and the rushing water. The fall would surely kill them the moment they hit the water.
"Are you okay?" He asked looking down at Marianne in his arms.
"I..." she whispered back with a tremor in her voice. Suddenly one of the lizard beasts charged for them. Before Byleth could raise his sword, over a dozen Dark Spikes appeared in the air around the beast, before hurtling into it with a purple explosion. The lizard beast cried out before falling dead on the ground.
"Marianne! Professor! Let's go!" She called out as she switched to casting a Luna spell at one of the bird beasts. Byleth got to his feet and pulled Marianne up.
"RRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!" The Death Knight's voice roared across the battlefield as the huge bodies of the wolves flew into the air in a shadowy explosion. The scratched-up armoured Jeritza swung his scythe around in a frenzy, with each swing he fired multiple shadow blades in all directions. Each beam cut through all manner of beasts, wolves, lizards and birds. All fell before the power of the Death Knight. One beam flew towards the dead lizard beast in between Byleth and Lysithea. The body exploded in shadow magic which knocked them back. As Byleth fell to the ground he saw Marianne teeter over the edge of the cliff. He pushed forward and grabbed onto her arm as she fell over the edge.
"Hold on!" He ordered as Marianne hung from his grip. Despite his order, she did not grasp his arm. Her eyes were full of sadness and resignation, she lowered her head. "Damn it Marianne hold on!"
But as Byleth tried to pull her up he heard the ground crack. He looked behind him to see that the ground was beginning to crumble from where the bird beast and Jeritza struck. He saw Constance help Lysithea to her feet. He then looked toward the Death Knight who had begun to slowly stalk his way towards them, swatting at one of the bird beasts that tried to swoop down at him.
"Get out of here! Run!" Byleth ordered the girls. Lysithea and Constance saw the ground cracking around Byleth and tried to run toward him.
"Professor!"
"BYLETH!"
"RUN!" Byleth called out again as the ground around him finally crumbled and while holding onto Marianne, the two fell down the ravine.
"NOOOOO!" Lysithea screamed as the girls disappeared from view. Byleth pulled Marianne towards him and wrapped his arms around her, sword still in hand. Their bones would shatter the moment they hit the water. He'd have to reverse time before any of this could happen. But how far? Before the lizard beasts? Before the bird beasts? Before Hapi summoned them? Everything moved too fast for him to predict a time to course correct in his favour. Time was running out! What was he to do? What would-
Green hair flowed behind Marianne's shoulder. Byleth looked to see Sothis looking toward him. It was just a second, then she was gone. Every time she appeared it was a sign of something within his power. Or within her power? But what? What could he do? The river was getting closer. With barely any time to think he pulled Marianne close and wished for something to protect them from the fall.
Marianne watched in shock as Byleth's black dyed hair burnt away to reveal the light green hair glowing brightly. Suddenly all around them, a translucent bubble of gold light formed around them. Then they struck the water with a splash. They were under the water, but the bubble did not break. They floated in the middle as the river whisked them away in the rapid currents.
"What... what is this?" Marianne had never seen anything like this before. There was no mention of any magic like this in all of her time studying at Garreg Mach or even praying in church. This was... new magic. But how? And how could the Professor do this? The bubble stuck against rocks and bounced them away. They would occasionally bob up to the surface to be then pulled back underwater as the rapids twisted and turned them around inside their holy protection. They slammed into another rock and Byleth grunted in pain.
"...Y-your hurt," Marianne whispered. They struck three more rocks in quick succession, causing more grunts from Byleth as he kept his eyes shut, concentrating on keeping the shield up. She then spotted blood leaking from his nose.
"S-stop... stop it... don't hurt yourself over me!" Marianne tried to push herself free from Byleth, but his grip around her only tightened. "Stop it! I'm not worth saving!"
She balled up her hands and started hitting his chest. "I'm cursed! I bring misfortune to everyone who knows me! My parents are dead because of me! My Crest is nothing but a burden to you and all my friends! I'm not worth it! I deserve to die! PLEASE LET ME DIE!"
Tears streaked down her face as Byleth continued to hold on. The bubble slammed into another rock which spun them around harshly. Marianne continued to sob as she looked down. "Goddess... please... save the professor and take me... please! Take me! Take me! Take me! Take-"
Two warm hands cupped Marianne's cheeks and slowly lifted her head. What she saw left her speechless, almost unable to breathe. Staring wide-eyed over Byleth's shoulder was a young child of thick green hair and ceremonial clothing she had only seen on tapestries in the Cathedral of Garreg Mach. She glowed with such radiance that was almost too bright to see, and her touch made her feel a warmth she had never felt before. The girl smiled warmly to her and it was as if the smile broke through the dark clouds of her heart.
"Oh Marianne..." she spoke softly as her thumbs caressed the blue-haired girl's cheeks. "You have... and always have had worth."
Tears began anew as those words touched the depths of Marianne's heart. To make her feel loved and wanted. It almost filled the void in her heart. She looked to Byleth who's eyes were still shut, completely unaware of what was happening right now. The girl smiled and leaned over Byleth's shoulder closer to Marianne. "Your friends see it in you as well. Marianne Edmund... my dear child. You are loved."
She placed a soft kiss on Marianne's forehead, and just like that memories of her friends from the Golden Deer class flooded her mind. Sitting in her room as Hilda chatted away making jewellery. Talking to the birds with Raphael. Watching Ignatz paint the flowers. Lysithea encouraging Marianne to speak her mind more. Claude helping in brushing Dorte. All of it took her breath away. For someone to just appear and make her feel these things.
"...G...Goddess?" she whispered in awe as the tears continued to trail down her face. The girl let go of her face and leant back behind Byleth.
"You are stronger than you know," She nodded to Marianne and looked to Byleth, she lifted a hand to stroke his hair lovingly. "We've passed through the rapids now. He will need your help."
The girl slowly began to fade. Just as Marianne noticed the bubble was beginning to crack. Before the girl vanished she looked back to Marianne. "Take a deep breath now."
Marianne did as instructed and took a deep breath. The bubble shattered and the water rushed in, slamming into the two. It was enough to break their hold on each other. Marianne squinted her eyes to try and see through the water. Byleth was not moving, he appeared to be unconscious. She looked around and saw the surface above her. So she quickly swam to him, grabbing a hold of his waist with one arm and pulling him along as she swam for the surface. Her mind was spinning with everything she saw, but right now she had an unconscious patient to take care of first. The priorities of a trained bishop go beyond anything else. Even a conversation with the Goddess.
A/N: Marianne has been saved. If you do not have Marianne recruited in your class in any of the routes she does not appear in Part 2 of the game at all. With her depressed state, it's been theorized what happened to her during that time. So this is my take on it.
Surprise Death Knight and angry Hapi make a chaotic combination.
Byleth learns a new ability from Sothis. This is my reimagining of the Sothis Shield ability she gives you if you scan a fire emblem amiibo into the game to unlock the Holy Tomb to loot and wander during the exploration of the academy.
Sothis communicated with Marianne through Byleth's use of the new ability! And before people assume no she didn't cure Marianne of her depression. That shit doesn't just go away. More like Sothis has put her on the path to recovery with some divine intervention.
But now Byleth's unconscious. This seems to be the pattern whenever Sothis appears to give him a new ability, but also separated from the others. At least he has Marianne for company.
Hope the chapter was worth the wait.
PS Poor Ferdinand.