chapter 26 specter of the past part 3 chalice of beginnings

At the same time that Naruto is talking with his parents.

Byleth and Sonia have been walking in relative silence for almost an hour. Aelfric said nothing as well until they went to a room that looked like a massive library. He couldn't help but look in amazement; books as far as the eye can see. There had to be thousands of books; who knows what kind of knowledge is stored here? If it were any other time, he would eagerly just sort through the books, just to pick up and read the first one that came to mind, but he had to restrain himself. He knew the time and place, and the man in front of him was the person that essentially raised his sister. He was still trying to wrap his mind around it: a twin sister he never knew was alive. He thought she was dead, and the turmoil with Marianne; he couldn't get that out of his mind either. But he had to temporarily shove that on the back of his mind and focus on the present.

Aelfric stopped near the table where a stack of books was and turned around to face both Byleth and Sonia.

"I can't help but look at the two of you and not be reminded of your parents' gods. It's been 20 years, and it still doesn't get any easier." Aelfric said with a tone of sadness he couldn't help but pick up his mother must have meant a lot to him.

"Do you know your mother?" asked Sonia, the first thing she had said for over an hour.

"Yes, your mother was a great friend of mine. The same goes for your father, though he was more of a mentor to me than anything else." Aelfric said with a warm smile, thinking of the times before Byleth and his sister were born.

"What was she like?" asked Sonia, eager to know about their mother.

"It's a long story, but let's just say your mother was beautiful like you, Sonia. You're almost a splitting image of your mother, but you have the heart of your father." Then he looked at Byleth and continued.

"You have the look of your father but the heart of your mother. You're both reflections of what your parents were. I never knew your father in his youth, but I imagine that's what he looked like when he was your age." Aelfric spoke with nostalgia in his tone.

"How did you and our mother meet?" asked Byleth, curious.

"I was lost in the monastery when I first arrived. I was 14 at the time. I was a nervous lad then, and I had no idea where to go. Excuse me for saying this, but this was the thought of a boy who was 14 when I first laid eyes on your mother. I thought she was the most beautiful girl I had ever seen. I didn't know how old she was at the time, and I didn't think she was any older than 17. Of course, I was foolish. She was at least in her twenties, but I didn't know that at the time." The man said, thinking about the past.

"I was told by my father that I'm a lot like my mother." Byleth said, thinking about the traits that he was told he inherited from his mother.

"Yes, both of you inherited her ability to understand animals, such a sweet soul she was. It was far too soon for her to leave this world the day she died was." He stopped. Byleth couldn't help but pick up something in his tone. This man, no, he wasn't imagining it, he was in love with his mother and still loved her even now.

"I'm sorry if I upset you, Aelfric. If you don't feel comfortable, I..." Sonia was cut off.

"It's nothing, dear. I haven't thought about that day in 20 years. It's the most painful day of my life. I would give anything to see her one more time, to hear her voice even once." He said with longing.

"What did my mother do in the monastery?" Asked Byleth, curious.

"Oh, your mother was a nun and also a professor. She was loved by many of the students and staff. I take it that's what you got it from your instinct to teach and to pick up on people's emotions. She had difficulty expressing them and understanding them, but she was a kind and gentle woman. I recall the only person that was ever able to make her smile truly was your father." Aelfric said not with jealousy but with sadness over what had happened.

"I wish I knew her. I truly do," said Sonia.

"So do I. She would have been proud of you, too. What you have accomplished, I really wish Sonia could have seen. I really wish she had been able to see the outside beauty of the outside world despite the dangers. There's so much to see. One of your mother's greatest regrets was never being able to leave the monastery. Your mother was born with a fragile body and a weak heart. The stories of your father, the way he told it, was like he was in another world. The locations he described, he was as if describing events that transpired long before her time. It's ridiculous, of course, but your father was great at telling stories to her and to the children here." He said, remembering the stories that he was told as a child. Byleth remembers when he was a boy that his father used to tell stories that sounded strange and outlandish at times, but he didn't really have much of a reaction to them at the time. When he thinks about it with his current understanding, he couldn't help but feel like he didn't truly appreciate his father's stories that he told him when he was a young boy.

There was a lot he wanted to ask the man in front of them, but Byleth knew there wasn't enough time. That wasn't the reason he had come to Abyss in the first place. He had to put his personal desires aside for now.

"I would like to know more about my parents and what they did together, but right now is not the time, unfortunately. Do you have any idea why the assassins came here earlier? What are they after, and what are they looking for?" Byleth asked.

"I cannot confirm it for sure, but they're looking for an item of great value and an item that has the ability to resurrect The Departed, the chalice of beginnings." Aelfric answered.

"Wait, the chalice of beginnings?" asked Sonia, surprised.

"I'm sorry, but what is the chalice of beginnings?" Byleth asked, not knowing what Aelfric was talking about.

"I'm not surprised you don't know about it. It's a secret that has been buried by the church due to the dangers of such a secret. It's unknown if it's real, but if it is, I wouldn't blame the church for hiding an item of such power." Aelfric said.

"What is it exactly?" He asked Aelfric, feeling like he was completely out of the loop.

"The chalice of beginnings is said to be able to bring back the Dead though the attempt to try to do it failed a thousand years ago. The Apostles were followers of Seiros who specialized in magic and the mystic arts, especially rituals that used blood. They were entrusted by her with the task of performing a rite to resurrect the goddess. Not much is known about them; the only thing that is known for sure is that the ritual failed, and the four Apostles and the chalice of beginnings faded into legend. Hardly anything is known about them. I researched every known writing possible, and I haven't found anything. All that is known is in notes that were compiled." Sonia went to where Aelfric was and showed Byleth ancient writings that were difficult to decipher. There were only a few pages.

"This sounds like nothing more than a legend, and these writings I can't even read them; the dialect I don't even recognize the language." Byleth said when he tried to read the writings, they looked like nothing more than gibberish.

"I can read this. I don't know what language this is. I don't know how I know this, but I can read this. Byleth, according to these notes, the chalice of beginnings is a relic with untold power. It has the power to resurrect the dead, yet it failed when it tried to resurrect the goddess. But why?" Sothis asked out loud. He could pick up from her tone that she did not like what she was hearing, that it was unnerving.

"I can read the ancient language. I know you're trying to read it, Byleth, but the language is extinct. It took me five years to learn it. That is the dead language of Nabatean. I had to cross-reference everything regarding the language in order to learn the words in their meeting. I can't speak it, but I can read it." Sonia said as she took the notes from him and read it out loud, and it was everything that Sothis said.

"Regardless, it's nothing but a myth, and I do not want you searching for it, Sonia. It is too dangerous." Aelfric said with concern.

"I'm not a child anymore, Aelfric. I think finding this artifact is important, at least. If we know where it is, we could." She was interrupted.

"I forbid it, please listen. You're the closest thing I will ever have to having a daughter. Please do not seek out this artifact." Aelfric requested.

"But I can be helpful. I know the language, and I know my way around the abyss." She cut her off again.

"I will not risk your safety. I wouldn't be able to face Sitri if anything were to happen to you. That is all I will say about the matter." Aelfric said, not allowing any further discussion.

She wasn't happy, and without saying anything, she stormed off, leaving Byleth and Aelfric alone.

"She'll come around. She may look like Sitri, but she is a lot like her father when it comes to temperament." Aelfric said, smiling sadly at the memory of his youth.

"I should get back to my students." Before he could go, he was stopped.

"Do you think you could give me a few minutes of your time?" Aelfric asked him with a serious look on his face.

"Of course," he replied.

"As you see your sister along with Constance, Yuri, Hapi, and Balthus, they have been residents here for years. They're part of a fourth house that I help founded, the house is called the Ashen Wolves." Aelfric's words confused Byleth. He recalled that there are only three houses; there cannot be any more. He would have known this on his first day when he was teaching the Black Eagles. Before he would say anything, he decided to hear Aelfric out first before saying anything.

"I know what you're thinking, no the house is not officially a fourth house it isn't officially recognized by the church, it's been odd for years and they're heavily considering shutting it down." Aelfric was not happy with the idea he had to press; he had to know more why?

"For what reason would the church want to shut this house down?" Byleth asked, pressing for information.

"It's mostly because of the trouble that they believe the house causes. That's not the reason, though; I want to talk to you about my students. I made this house specifically so those in the abyss could have an education, and so Yuri and his friends can have a proper education, but I'm not experienced at teaching. I'm not like Siri or you in that regard. Can you look after them for me? I know your sister is extremely lonely and would like to go to the surface. Could you persuade the archbishop to allow her to leave?" Aelfric looks really concerned about the students of his house. He didn't see any deception in his tone, despite the mercenary in him being suspicious. He didn't see anything deceitful about him.

"I will not risk your safety. I wouldn't be able to face Siri if anything were to happen to you. That is all I will say about the matter." Aelfric said, not allowing any further discussion.

"I can only imagine what she is going to be patient with her." Aelfric said.

"I'll try; I mean, it's not easy for me," Byleth said, thinking about everything that has been going on in the short amount of time that he has been teaching.

"You are troubled, I can see it, Byleth. I don't know what it is exactly, if you don't mind me asking, is there something else troubling you besides Sonia?" Aelfric wondered how much he could tell about his relationship with Marianne. Would he even be able to be helpful in this regard? No, he decided not to talk about it.

"I must go back to my students now, along with those who are with me. They must have questions." Byleth said as he walked back to where his group was.

Shez felt completely worthless. Not only was she defeated completely and utterly by a grim reaper-looking man who didn't even show his face, but she was also defeated by someone she knew. She couldn't help but feel like the person she had fought was someone she knew, but who was it exactly?

She fell as hopeless as the day her brother died when her brother fell to his death when they were running away from bandits when their mother told them to run. Her little brother, no amount of time that has passed erases the guilt that she feels, part of her feels like it should have been her that died. He had the same power as she does. The anger, the frustration, it was almost as if all these months of training were for nothing, she wasn't even close to her goal, not even close.

The raven-haired man easily overpowered Sasuke, who is even stronger than she is. How could she possibly stand a chance against Byleth when she can never even touch him, and he was made to look like a helpless child?

Worst of all, she looked at her girlfriend who was helping the injured along with Marianne and Hinata. She felt completely helpless and slammed her fist in frustration.

"Feeling sorry for yourself isn't going to do anything, Shez, if we're ever to complete our destiny forever to defeat the Ashen demon. You're not going to do it by feeling sorry for yourself and moping. How are you going to protect anyone?" Arval asked, disappointed in her weakness and lack of self-confidence.

"Feeling sorry for yourself isn't going to solve anything. You should help tend to the injured and be useful." Said Claude, who did not have a happy look on his face, seeing her in the state that she was in.

"Are you trying to piss me off?" Shez asked Claude with clenched teeth.

"No, I'm just pointing out facts. Whatever happened in the Battle, it happens to all of us at some point. We were all doing badly, we were all getting our asses handed to us. It isn't just you that's pissed off, I guarantee you on that one." Claude said with hints of the same helplessness she felt.

"Edelgard, Dimitri, and I were the targets. Someone within the monastery wants us dead. The question is why?" Claude asked her.

"I don't know why anyone would want you dead. There are suspects, but I don't have any concrete proof." She said, thinking about Sai, the recent transfer of the golden deer. But then there was another possibility. She looked and saw Kabuto, who was helping heal the injured.

Whoever it was, they were hiding in plain sight. They knew the strengths and weaknesses of every one of the house leaders. When she thinks about it, the idea was absurd. No, but there was no other explanation.

"I think whoever tried to kill you was someone from the faculty, likely from Konaha." Shez said, thinking about every possible candidate, but she couldn't narrow it down because it was so hard. Whoever it was, they covered their tracks. There were five possible candidates, but then again, Sai couldn't be written out completely. He's on the top of her list.

"So you're thinking what I'm thinking?" asked Claude.

"Yes, but there's another thing that's been bothering me: the targeting of Dorothea regarding the curse mark, and the targeting of Mercedes. I think it's connected somehow, but why? One thing I've been suspicious of, if I'm being frank with you, is Dorothea's sudden transfer to our class. I find it highly suspicious. Ever since the Land of Waves mission, I don't know, nothing adds up. I feel like things are not what they were before." Shez said, thinking about everything that had happened since.

"You got that right, and now we find out Naruto has a fox spirit inside of him. This day it just gets stranger and stranger. How much stranger do you think you can possibly get for us, Shez?" asked Claude.

"I don't know, but I do think we need to be on our guard. Kabuto is not someone we should trust at all; in fact, I think he is likely going to betray us at the opportune moment." Shez said as she looked at Kabuto with the smile that he had on his face, looking at both of them from the corner of his eye as if smugly telling them, "There's nothing you can do because everyone trusts me and not you."

"Come on, instead of feeling sorry for yourself, how about we actually do something to solve this mystery of what brought us all down here in the first place?" Claude said as he offered her his hand. She took it and got up. Yes, it still bothered her what had happened. Right now, though, she had to focus on the present. When this incident was over, she would double down on her training.

She went with her house later to meet everyone.

Abyssian Classroom

Sonia was in the classroom where Aelfric usually teaches, but she wasn't alone this time. There were others in her company. It was a lot more crowded than normal, which would normally have made her agitated, but these weren't normal circumstances. Her fellow Ashen Wolves were the first to arrive, and they had a lot to discuss. The classmates from above were also present, though they arrived a bit later.

Her brother was likely on his way; he would be here any minute, but she couldn't delay any longer. She held the notes in her hands; all there was about the chalice of beginnings.

"Unfortunately, Constance San, we haven't learned anything. None of the bandits and assassins we interrogated were willing to talk. Some of them even killed themselves to prevent any information from being revealed to us." Said Hinata, disturbed by such a sight.

"I haven't had any luck either. It is as Lady Hinata said, every bandit that I interrogated either refused to talk or didn't know anything. Whoever hired them had to be someone from the monastery itself, but what are they after?" Yuri asked, looking at Sonia as if expecting answers from her.

"I'm not surprised, in fact, it's highly likely it's some sort of treasure hunt. Like an item of great value is buried here, and they're looking for it." Balthus said observantly, which did not surprise Sonia. Everyone always downplayed his intelligence because he mostly talked with his fist.

"A treasure hunt. What is there to find in these tunnels? All there is is rock and dirt, along with ancient ruins that have been abandoned for a thousand years." Hapi said, annoyed at the very prospect.

"I believe Balthus San is onto something," said Kabuto with that obnoxious politeness that Sonia has grown to despise. There was something so fake about it, but she couldn't expose it openly.

"With how old the monastery is, it would make sense that there would have to be some secrets hidden within, though it's probably secrets that have been forgotten by time." Dorothea, who just joined the conversation, said.

"That would make sense. I mean, what kind of secrets are there hidden here? It had to be hidden for a good reason." Said Naruto, who didn't completely understand the situation.

"I'm pretty sure that goddess would have an item that would be dangerous hidden for good reason. I don't think she would want it to be used for nefarious ends." Marianne said, who had spoken for the first time publicly on the trip.

"You really think so, Marianne?" asked Hilda. She couldn't help but pick up on the tension between the two women. It was none of her business, and there wasn't the time or place for Sonia to speak soon because she knows more than anyone about the chalice of beginnings. The only other person who knows as much as she does, if not more, is Aelfric.

"Can you tell us everything you know about Sonia?" asked Dimitri. Everyone was looking at her, expecting her to have the answers. Some would call her a walking encyclopedia for those who know her, considering how she has read and how she has buried herself in books. She felt all eyes on her. She felt extremely pressured, even with her extensive knowledge; her knowledge of the chalice of beginnings was limited at best due to the amount of written work about it.

"I'm afraid there's barely any knowledge about the chalice's beginnings, but I'll tell you what I can." Sonia said, explaining everything she had explained to her brother. It took a bit, due to how many questions people asked, she answered as patiently as she could.

"Sonia-san, I had read much before I came to Garreg Mach, and I've never heard of the Chalice of Beginnings. Just what is it, exactly?" asked Hinata.

"I have already told you that the amount of information is limited, and the language and writings are in an extinct language. There's barely any information I can tell you." Sonia said respectfully.

"There are things I could help you with, Sonia, but I would rather wait for your brother to be here so I don't repeat myself." Aelfric interjected as he walked into the room.

"Speaking of which, where is our professor?" Monica asked, wondering where her brother was.

"I'm sure the teacher will be here at any time," Claude said with an arrogant posture. Right after Claude said that, Byleth entered the room.

"Fortunately, Byleth already knows what Sonia has told you, so I can share information that not even Sonia knows," Aelfric said, which caused Sonia to be surprised that there was information that she didn't know.

"Now I cannot 100% confirm this because the information is incomplete, I happened upon an old document that mentioned a ritual called the Rite of Rising. The text was incomplete, so I was unable to achieve a full understanding of the topic. I cannot even guarantee the authenticity of what I read. But it stated that the Chalice of Beginnings is a sacred object crafted by order of Saint Seiros herself. Saint Seiros apparently used the artifact to carry out the Rite of Rising, along with the Four Apostles.

"What is the Rite of rising? I've never heard of this before, and I've read deeply into this topic." Asked Sonia.

"What are the four apostles?" asked Naruto, who felt completely lost.

"I vaguely recall reading about the Four Apostles. They were saints...and that's about all anyone knows. Hardly any records of them remain. Few alive even know their names, but these apostles supposedly assisted the Four Saints with their holy work." Dorothea answered.

"I did not expect someone of your reputation to have such knowledge, Dorothea, but yes, you are correct. However, what is even less known is that the chalice was used for Resurrection with assistance by Saint Seiros. The ritual failed to prevent the chalice from falling into the wrong hands, and it was hidden beyond the reach of mortals. There's hardly any evidence that it actually exists at all, but that hasn't stopped anyone from trying to find it." Aelfric said.

"Something like that would be dangerous if it turned out to be real, The Rite of Rising, eh? Hmm…" Claude put his right hand on his cheek, and he looked like he was in deep thought.

"Ah, yes, the chalice of legend! My father mentioned it to me a very long time ago. A secret treasure of the church... A chalice powerful enough to resurrect the dead... Exhilarating, no?" Constance said with fascination.

"It's no small wonder why people are after it. I'd be lying if I wasn't tempted to find it myself." Dimitri admitted.

"We don't have much information to go on. We should ask around to see if there's anybody else who knows more." Edelgard suggested

"I wholeheartedly agree. I will see if I can find any additional information. I will do all I can to track down more clues within the monastery. Although, Garreg Mach's library is so...well curated, I doubt any further records will be found." Aelfric said kindly.

"We will do our part too, Aelfric-san," Hinata said, her voice steady but her eyes betraying a hint of worry.

"Wondrous, we shall do everything we can." Constance said, hiding the worry on her face, just like Hinata regarding Mercedes.

She didn't know if there was any point in asking anybody around the abyss about the legend, but she didn't think it hurt to have to be something that she overlooked.

It had been a long time since the four of them had been alone, even though it was under different circumstances than it was seven years ago. Monica couldn't help but feel a little bit of nostalgia with just the four of them. Dimitri was not her friend like Hinata was, but it didn't change the fact that they spent a lot of time together when they were at the Hyuga clan compound. They were asking the locals if they knew anything about an item of great value. They weren't having any luck, and she didn't think there would be any progress, but she didn't see anything wrong with seeing if there was a person that might know something. If there was one thing that was useful in this situation, it was Monica's great memory.

"I know the circumstances aren't ideal, but it's nice, even if it's for a little bit, for just the four of us to spend time together, even if it's not something that I would be like to do. I can't help but feel nostalgic for those times before things changed." Hinata said, thinking about the past before they left.

"That summer was the best that I ever had. Your mother was extremely nice. It's a shame what happened to her." Monica said, and Hinata tensed when her mother was brought up.

"She was an amazing woman. I never knew my mother, Lady Hitomi, but she made us all feel welcome. Strangely, she treated me like I was her son." Dimitri said, and this caused Edelgard to look at him with interest. She never knew this about Hinata's mother.

"You never told me that, Dimitri." Edelgard said, surprised by something that she did not know.

"I remember it vividly. Whenever she looked at me, she had a sad look on her face, but she hid it beneath her sad smile. I asked my father about it once, but he didn't talk about it. He told me he would tell me another time, but he never did." Dimitri recalled a conversation he had with his father.

"There's very little we know about Hitomi. The only thing I do know is that my father hated Lambert with all his being and forbade any mention of him in the compound." Hinata said, with fairly controlled emotion, whenever her father was ever brought up. Though there was something that Monica found on, she recalled a conversation she had overheard a confrontation between Hitomi and Hiashi.

flashback 7 years ago at the Hyuga clan compound

Monica couldn't believe that she had witnessed her friend being beaten nearly to death by her own father. She felt sick to her stomach; she felt revulsion that someone could do that to their own child. She was going to head to her room until she saw an angry woman slapping Hiashi hard across the face.

She wore a white kimono; her hair was down to her shoulders, and she was around the age of 34. She looked like an older version of Hinata, minus her face, which was more hardened due to years of living in a cold climate.

"You bastard, that was beyond cruel, what you did to Hinata. How low can you sink? Is this what Hyuga clan honor is—bullying a child?" Hitomi said with barely controlled rage.

"That trash is not my daughter; no child that weak and worthless could possibly be a Hyuga," Hiashi said spitefully.

"You forget your place. Do I need to remind you? This is not Faerghus; this is Konoha, and this is the Hyuga clan. We have different rules and customs. We don't go by their backwards ways." Hiashi said mockingly.

"At least Lambert understands honor, something you don't understand and never have." Hitomi said, getting into a fighting stance. She had killing intent in her eyes. She had heard the man laugh as if it was meaningless.

He did a hand sign which caused Hitomi to collapse in pain. She screamed in agony; it was extremely painful. He kicked her in the ribs over and over again. This cruelty she saw; she wanted to look away, but she couldn't. First Hinata, and now her own mother, were not safe from this man's wrath. After he was done, he lifted her up by her hair and made her face him.

"You listen to me, you wretch. The only reason you're not dead is because I say so. That X on your head, the birdcage seal, is your punishment for your greatest sin. I know your secret, I know what you've been attempting to hide for all these years. The only reason I haven't put that seal on that child of yours is because of the promise that you had made. You had broken that promise, for that, I could put the seal on her head. I could do whatever I want with her now. Do you understand me? Do you understand the power that I have in my hands over your life, and that daughter of yours?" He said as he kicked her, knocking her back. She tried to get up, but he kicked her in the ribs a second time. Monica couldn't believe the evil of this man, cruel to his own daughter and his own wife.

"I'll do anything, as long as you spare Hinata from my sins." The woman looked at him, broken. It unsettled her how strong she remembered seeing this woman when she first met her. To see her in this broken state, she didn't know anything about the curse mark until that moment, the evil of the birdcage seal.

"Good. When the spawn of Lambert, and that stepdaughter of his, leaves, you will do a task for me, and when you do, that's when your sin will be paid in your blood. Enjoy these moments that you have left, you wretch." Hiashi looked gleefully as the woman struggled to get up. This was another memory that was ingrained into her soul. Little did Monica know, Hinata's mother would die the same night that her Dimitri and Edelgard left.

Monica wondered if she should tell Hinata what she had seen the night before her and Edelgard left.

"Are you all right, Moni Chan?" Hinata asked, concerned, seeing her spacing out.

"Sorry, Hinata. I was thinking of the past." Monica said, hoping that Hinata wouldn't probe for questions. The last thing she wanted to talk about at the moment was her knowing something that she didn't.

"You have been thinking about the past a lot lately, Monica. Anything in particular that you remember?" Edelgard asked, considering that they couldn't find out any information. They sat down to take a break from the frustration of not finding any information. The four of them sat on the cold, hard floor across from each other, not in anyone's way. Luckily, they wouldn't be able to do it for long, but it wouldn't hurt to take a break after all. She could use a rest after standing for the past few hours.

"Yeah, I have. All those times that we spent together in the compound, we couldn't go outside of it because we were forbidden to, but I can't help but think of those times with nostalgia. The kindness of Lady Hitomi, she was such a sweet woman, kind, respectful, just like..." Monica looked at Hinata, who she smiled at warmly, thinking of those memories.

"Yeah, she certainly was something. My father once told me that Hitomi was considered the most beautiful woman from Konoha. My mother even was friends with her when they attended the academy together." Said Edelgard, referring to her own mother was named Patricia.

Dimitri looks like he had something he wanted to say, but Monica refrained from saying anything. Dimitri may be Edelgard's step-brother, but Edelgard was her lady and her lover, and she would naturally feel closer to her and more trusting towards her than someone who could be a potential enemy one day. She doesn't like thinking that way as much as she would like to bury it. Dimitri was her friend as well, and she dreads the day where she would have to kill him due to what Edelgard intends in the future.

"One thing that always bothered me is Hiashi treating me with such hostility, like I was some sort of enemy or something." Dimitri said, thinking about the past. Every time he was in the same room as Hiashi, he looked at him with disdain. He remembered the woman fondly; she treated him like he was her son, despite not giving birth to him. He recalls the day he had heard Hinata's mother sing a song that was so sad and made him cry.

flashback 7 years ago at the Hyuga clan compound the first time Hitomi told a story to Dimitri and Hinata

Dimitri couldn't sleep. He was scared. He was far away from home, surrounded by strangers. The only people he knew were Edelgard, his stepsister, and Monica Hinata. He thought she was nice, but she was a stranger. Yet, he felt something familiar about her, though he couldn't quite put his finger on it. He wished his father was with him. He was forbidden to enter Konoha due to a mandate by the Hyuga clan. His father had to stay outside the village during his stay and had to go to a nearby village in order to not violate any mandate that was set. He didn't understand this. His father was the king. Why was a king of a sovereign nation forbidden to enter the village, yet his children are allowed to, along with his wife?

The 10-year-old wished he could go to his father and ask him to tell him a story to help him sleep, but it was impossible with him not being allowed to enter the village. He was walking outside when he saw a woman. She was singing, and the song sounded sad.

"In another life, we could have had our happy ending."

"In another life, we would look at the stars."

"If things had been different, if I had been born anywhere but here, I could have been your queen. But now, when I think of the time we had together, it's nothing but a memory."

"My prison, every day I'm reminded of what I can never have we can never be again."

"Our precious one, our precious one, if only, if only."

She stopped singing, breathless, when she noticed she had an audience. Dimitri was moved by her words. It was so sad. He noticed tears were dropping from the woman's eyes. She wiped them to hide that she was crying. She got up and went to Dimitri, got on her knees, and spoke in a soft voice.

"Are you okay, Dimitri Kun?" asked Hitomi in a motherly tone. He was nervous; he had no idea what to say. This woman was beautiful and kind, and he didn't want to be disrespectful towards her, considering he was a guest, but he had to ask the question because he didn't understand.

"Hitomi-san, how come father is not allowed to be here? I wish she was here." The boy said quietly, the woman tensing up whenever he mentioned his father.

"I wish he was here so he could comfort you, Dimitri Kun. I don't know if I should be doing this, but as a mother, I can't stomach seeing you like this. Let me tuck you to bed and tell you a story." The woman said with a warm smile, offering him her hand. He took it as she walked into his room. He lay down on his back; Hinata was asleep despite them sharing a room, but he still couldn't sleep. Then he noticed Hinata was also awake.

"Mama, I can't sleep." Hinata said as she put her head on her mother's lap. Dimitri didn't know if he really should be doing this. This woman wasn't his mother, but she smiled at him anyway and gave him the okay. He lay down close to where Hinata was, and the woman told them a story about a lion from a different land falling in love with a beautiful lioness. He had never heard this story before, and he listened to it eagerly, wanting to know what happened next. But he felt his eyes struggling to keep him away, and Hinata was doing the same, wanting to know how the story ended.

"What happened to the lioness, Mama?" Hinata asked innocently. Dimitri wanted to know, too. She was stopping at the middle of the story, at the part where the lioness and the king of the lions were about to go to a festival.

"I'm afraid it's a story that we will have to finish at another time. Sleep, both of you." Hinata's mother said gently but firmly. Dimitri closed his eyes and fell into a dreamless sleep. He didn't know what it was like to truly have a mother, but if this was what it was like to have one, he wished he had a woman like Hitomi, who was beautiful and kind.

The story of the lioness and The Lion King. He had never gotten a resolution behind it; she told parts of the story but never the whole thing. Dimitri had always wondered, was it her telling her own story indirectly? He had always wondered who was this woman that his father loved so much? He had suspicions for years; he couldn't help but feel like the woman that his father talked about from time to time was... no, he disregarded that thought, ridiculous, pure coincidence, but he couldn't help but think about the day that they left, the look of sadness on his father's face when he looked longingly in the direction where the leaf village was.

It had to be someone from Konoha; there could be no other explanation, but who could it be?

"We've been sitting around long enough; we're not going to be able to find any answers to our questions if we just sit here." Said Hinata, who was the first to get up.

"I agree, we should get going." Said Edelgard, the second to get up. Monica got up as well. Dimitri, as much as he wanted to, he couldn't indulge in his thoughts at the moment. He decided to put it aside for the time being and focus on the present. They went in separate directions in order to further their search faster. Perhaps, when the time was appropriate, he would ask the one person that knew his father best: who was this woman that his father loved, and why had he not spoken about her?

Interlude

In the golden deer classroom

Leonie did not like this at all. Naruto was nowhere to be seen, and neither were Claude, Shez, Hilda, or Dorothea. In fact, they hadn't heard from them for over a day. What made matters even worse was that Kakashi was nowhere to be seen. She didn't mind Jiraiya; he was good enough, but it came to teaching. However, she found it on. Gaara had a concerned look on his face as well.

"Where is our professor?" asked Raphael, who thought it was strange that Kakashi was absent for an entire day without ever reporting.

"I may not personally like Naruto, but I find it unusual that he isn't here." Lorenz said, who was concerned.

"I'm worried about Claude and Hilda," said Ino, who obviously was concerned about her friends.

"What a drag this is." said Shikamaru, bored with waiting for their assistant professor to show up.

"I'm worried about our friends, shouldn't we look for them?" Asked Ignatz, worried about their missing classmates.

"I suggest we look for them," said Ino, who had a serious look on her face.

"Look for them, we wouldn't know where to find them." Shikamaru pointed out.

"Then we'll get assistance from Shino and Kiba. Their trackers, with them, we could easily find them." Ino suggested.

"Even if we were to do that, we still have to travel with a limited number of people. I hate to say this, but if we're going to look for them, it should be no more than six people." Lorenz said, which sounded reasonable, and she was impressed.

"I suggest we have no more than two people from each class, two from ours, two from the Blue Eagles, and two from the Blue Lions." Lorenz suggested.

"Okay, who do we take from the Golden Deer?" Leonie asked.

"Ino and yourself would be better suited for the mission that would be required. I can stay and explain as much as I can on why you two are not here." Lorenz suggested.

"Whoa, you're talking about skipping class? That's not like you," said Raphael.

"With so much at stake with our house leader, I'm not going to find out that Claude died and I was unable to save him. Besides, if I'm responsible for saving his life, he'll never live it down. I'm doing him a favor, ha." Lorenz said with his arrogant posture.

"Well, we can't leave now. We have to leave in between classes, otherwise, we would draw even more attention." Said Leonie, liking the plan.

They saw their professor Jiraiya come into the class. She acted like nothing was happening and nothing was being planned. She was hoping this plan would not end in disaster.

Interlude

Black Eagles classroom

Hubert was worried that Edelgard had not been in class since yesterday. He had an idea of where she was, but he couldn't do anything. Tracking her down would be extremely difficult due to his lack of skills. He would have to depend on someone else to do so. There were two individuals who could help him: Kiba and Shino, her team from Team 8. They would be extremely helpful. They could track her down relatively fast due to their skills, but they would mainly do it for Hinata's sake, not for Edelgard. It didn't matter, though; it would still be helpful, nevertheless. Though he would rather have only one of them come with him, Shino, like Hubert, would do whatever was necessary to ensure Hinata's safety, along with Edelgard's.His fellow classmate looked at him as if he knew what he was about to say without saying it.

"I know what you're going to ask me, Hubert San. You want me to help track down Edelgard, but you know that I'm only interested in making sure Hinata comes back safely. Nothing else matters." Shino said in a nonsensical tone. He was dead serious when it came to making sure his teammate came back safely.

"I share those sentiments, Shino. I would do everything for Lady Edelgard, as you would do anything for Lady Hinata. Now that we understand each other, how soon can you leave? I prefer that you leave within the hour." said Hubert, hiding his worry for Edelgard's safety.

"We'll leave in between classes; it draws less attention. Plus, I'm not going myself personally. There's one other person I would like you to go with. I'd like you to bring Petra. She's a good tracker, like you. You would make a good team." Hubert said it pained him to do this, but he had to stay behind in order to give plausible deniability.

"Very well, I will talk to Petra San and inform her of our arrangements." Said Shino as he walked past him. There was another reason he didn't want anyone but Shino to go; he would do whatever is necessary to ensure Hinata's safety. By ensuring her safety, he ensures Edelgard's safety as well.

Petra was practicing as she was instructed by her assistant professor Kurenai. She saw her classmate approach, and she didn't need to look to know that it was none other than Shino, one of Hinata's teammates. She was worried about her classmates who were not present. She was wondering why Kiba wasn't with him, due to him being one of Hinata's teammates back when they were in Konoha.

"Do you have a moment, Petra San?" asked Shino in his language.

"Sure it's not a problem, Shino. What is it that you need?" She asked him politely.

"After class, we're going to find out where Hinata and Edelgard are, since you're one of our best trackers. You and I would make a good team, at least according to Hubert San." He answered in his usual stoic tone.

"Wouldn't Kiba be a better choice than me because of Akamaru?" Patra asked.

"Having more than two people go withdraw too much attention plus my bugs can track down any lingering chakra signatures from Hinata and you're from a country where learning how to track your prey is required. We could both move fast with only the two of us. I would agree with you on normal circumstances but now we just need to draw as little attention as possible." Shino answered with his usual logical thinking.

"More students from the Black Eagles and any other house have left; you're probably right. Having one more other than us would be too much. Though I would not feel comfortable if I don't at least have my sword on me before we go." Petra confessed.

"I have no issues with that. We will make a quick stop at your dorm before we go. I have to go to mine as well in order to make sure I don't leave any ninja tools behind." Shino said in understanding of her position.

They said nothing for the rest of the class due to not wanting to draw attention, sneaking out was something she was trained to do, and being an assassin was what she was expected to be at times when she wasn't surrounded by very many friends. She hopes her friends are okay, and that Edelgard and Hinata are okay. If not, they would pay for any harm caused to them.

Interlude

Blue lions classroom

Annette was worried about her friends Dimitri, Ashe, and Sasuke, who were nowhere to be found, along with Mercedes, Sylvain, and Even. Ingrid and Hinata were also missing, and it was as if they had vanished. It wasn't like her friends to disappear like that. Felix and Neji shared a look of concern, worried about Hinata's safety. Annette found it hard to focus on the lesson due to her anxiety. She couldn't shake off the feeling that something had happened to one of her friends.

"I don't like this at all," said Felix, concerned about the tense atmosphere in the classroom.

"I'm worried about His Majesty," said Dedue, noting Dimitri's absence.

"Well, at least that woman isn't here. That's a relief," said Sakura, referring to Mercedes. Annette wanted to strangle Sakura for her insensitive remark, especially given the current situation.

Annette, along with everyone else, heard a commotion. Manuela excused the class, and they saw Sasuke holding Mercedes, who looked very ill. Sasuke was arguing with Tsunade, and the situation was intense. Annette only caught a brief glimpse of Mercedes, who appeared to be on the brink of death. She had so many questions, but she didn't think she'd get any answers.

Earlier

He was running as fast as his legs would take him. It was hours after the battle, and he was almost at the monastery. He was feeling Mercedes; she was getting colder. Her body was moaning in pain, and she was taking labored breaths. Her skin was definitely pale. He was running as fast as he could, as if her life depended on it. When he got to the entrance, there were students looking at him, and then they looked at the woman he was holding and looked in horror. He didn't pay attention to their looks; he went straight to the infirmary.

The staff were horrified by what they were seeing. He didn't know how to explain the cause of her condition; they wouldn't believe him.

He looked at Tsunade, who had a look he only knew too well when it came to terminal patients.

"I'm sorry Sasuke, there's nothing I can do about the curse mark on her neck. I know whose handiwork this is; it's killing her. I cannot do anything to stop it. I can only help make her comfortable." Sasuke cut her off.

"Bullshit, there's something that you can do, there's got to be something." Sasuke said in desperation.

He heard footsteps behind him and saw Professor Manuela, who looked in horror at the scene in front of her.

"Where the hell have you been? What has happened?" Manuela demanded. She went to Mercedes to check her vital signs.

"We were investigating something and" he was interrupted by Rhea when she spoke a single word.

"Out of all of you," Rhea said in a controlled tone. Sasuke wasn't budging; he wasn't going to leave Mercedes, even if he had to face the wrath of the archbishop herself. He wasn't going to leave her.

"Sasuke, I cannot do my work with you in the room, please leave." Rhea commanded. He looked at Mercedes. She was breathing slowly, her breaths were getting weaker and weaker by the minute.

"Stupid boy, leave now." Tsunade said as she grabbed Sasuke and forced him to leave the room.

Rhea was worried sick for everyone who had gone. She wanted to know where Byleth was. What she saw in front of her made her sick: the mark on her neck, which she recognized all too well, and the days when she had fought Nemesis and his army. This was poison, and it would kill her if not removed. She had never shown the ability to use his technique openly, but there was no other choice. She couldn't remove it herself, and when she was about to do it, she heard his sinister chuckle behind her.

"Oh my, to think that you would hide your true nature from Sasuke-kun, so you're willing to use that forbidden technique to remove my masterpiece from her. Unfortunately, she isn't strong enough. She would have made an excellent addition to my army had her Crest not rejected the curse mark." Orochimaru said with a sinister chuckle.

"You can deny all you want, but I know who you truly are. I know your real name is Seiros," Orochimaru said smugly, knowing her true identity. She couldn't do anything. She looked at the woman in front of her, then looked at Orochimaru.

"You're trying to get Sasuke to make a deal with you, weren't you?" Rhea said as she was finishing the hand gestures for the jutsu that would remove his curse mark from Mercedes' neck.

"Absorbing my curse mark is poisonous, my dear. I recall the last time you did that, you almost died. Are you willing to risk that for some puny humans, especially a descendant of the people that murdered your people?" Orochimaru said, referring to Mercedes' ancestor.

"I've outlived men like you and I will continue to do so." she said as she finished the ritual. When she was done, the Mark was draining from Mercedes; the mark was disappearing, the corruption was being wiped away. Rhea was screaming in pain, all of this was in this poor woman's system. Orochimaru was laughing.

"Unbelievable that you could have ruled this world for the amount of time that you have, yet you still act as some benevolent figure for humans to look up to, as some sort of mother. Pathetic, you're no different from Kaguya Otsutsuki." Orochimaru said, which angered Rhea whenever that name was brought up.

"Don't compare me to her, you filth." Rhea snapped, which caused him to laugh even more.

"Of course you're not going to reveal the real story of what happened. How many lies have you told throughout the centuries, my dear? You may have the fools in the monastery fooled, but not me." Orochimaru said with an air of arrogance as if he was superior to her.

"You don't want Sasuke to understand your true nature; it would shatter everything he believes. After all, the love-sick boy believes you are the reason he has someone to love him, a family. That would shatter the moment he found out the truth, wouldn't it? Seiros, you're not some saint; you want him for your own ends, just like I want him for mine. The difference between us is that at least I'm honest about it." Orochimaru said, continuing to talk down to her.

"I'm nothing like you. I've never experimented on children, and I never murdered thousands from some or do sick and twisted experiment. You're a sick bastard." Rhea got to her fighting stance, a rare occurrence. He laughed as if what she was doing was pointless.

"Oh my precious, after performing such a ritual to remove a curse mark in your weekend state, you can't do anything to me. But the good news for you is fortunately the real me is not the one that you're talking to right now. Such a sad sight, I wonder how would your grandchildren react if they found out you've been hiding a huge secret from them, especially you're precious Byleth." He said licking his lips, which caused her to strike, but it was like a phantom, he wasn't there.

"Looks like there's nothing you can really do. My dear destiny will take its course one way or another. You saved the woman Sasuke loves, but I have other ways to get what I want after all Sasuke isn't the only Uchiha alive." Orochimaru laughed as he disappeared. She looked at Mercedes. The woman who had almost died, her skin was still deathly pale despite the removal of the curse mark. She would be bedridden for the next week or month. It didn't matter; she was alive.

She had other concerns; her grandchildren were in danger, and she had to take action now.

After Sasuke was dragged out by Lady Tsunade, he noticed Annette and Felix looking at him, angry and worried.

"Where the hell have you been for the past day?" asked Felix angrily.

"We were following a lead and" Sasuke explained everything as fast and concisely as possible, and then Annette looked at the door where Mercedes was.

"What happened to Mercie? Is she all right?" Annette asked, concerned.

"She's the reason why I'm here, otherwise I would be with Dimitri." Sasuke said to Felix. He wasn't sure if Felix was angry, worried, or a bit of both.

"Well, since you know how to get there, I think you should take us, and I'm not going to take no for an answer." Annette said stubbornly.

"Mercie needs me." Felix cut him off.

"There's nothing that can be done right now. Sasuke Dimitri is in real danger right now. Do you think your girlfriend would want you to sit around and do nothing?" Felix asked.

"I can't leave her alone." Sasuke said, not budging.

"There's nothing you can do right now for her, Sasuke. The archbishop is doing what she can; believe in her strength, Sasuke." Annette said as the archbishop herself left the room. Sasuke looked and saw that she was weakened. What was it exactly that caused her to be in that state? She looked pale and had a look of extreme worry on her face.

"Sasuke, I'd like to speak to you alone." Rhea requested, which caused Felix and Annette to tense.

Having a request from the archbishop was not something Sasuke could decline, even if he wanted to. She motioned for him to follow her; they walked mostly in silence until they went to her quarters. She closed the door and used a sound-sealed jitsu, which shocked Sasuke. How did she know such a technique? Before anything was said, she sat down on her bed, looking weary.

"Is Mercie" Sasuke couldn't say anymore; he was dreading the answer.

"I did everything I could. The poison that was put inside of her is gone. If you were 1 hour later, she would have been beyond help. The curse mark was poisonous; those with a crest will die if they ever get such a mark on their neck." Rhea explained, letting Sasuke absorb all the information she had just told him.

"You mean those with Crest die if they get a curse mark, what is the curse mark exactly? I've heard of them but this particular curse mark was nothing like the ones I've studied back in the academy in konoha." She looked away as if she was trying to hide something.

"I am much older than I appear, Sasuke. I'm taking a huge risk by telling you this, but considering we're both the last of our people, I think we both understand each other better than we know." Rhea said nervously. He had never seen the archbishop so nervous; it was unnerving.

"What do you mean?" Sasuke asked.

"It would sound far-fetched if I told you, but let's just say, at one point, my people numbered in the thousands. We were a peaceful race with a long history and culture, and it was wiped out in a single night. Imagine the man who murdered your people; you see him every time you sleep. That's what I see every night when I go to sleep." Rhea said, as if she were remembering an event that happened long ago. Sasuke looked into her eyes and realized it couldn't be; this woman had to be centuries old, but that was impossible. She still had a young-looking appearance and couldn't be older than her mid-to-late twenties, but she had to be much older; it was in her eyes that said as such. He knew that crests could cause people to live longer than those without crests, and the same could also apply to those born in prestigious clans like the Hyuga's and the Uchiha's, who looked younger and maintained their youthful appearance for longer. The same could also apply to the Usamaki clan.

"Why are you telling me this, Rhea Sama?" Sasuke asked respectfully, not understanding why someone in such a state would reveal vital information that could be used against her by a complete stranger.

"Because you and I have more in common than we think, Sasuke, my people were destroyed by one man in a single night, just like yours was. Maybe it's a foolish hope on my part, but I figured from one survivor of a genocide to another that you would at least be willing to hear me out." Rhea said, which caused Sasuke to be conflicted. Should he really be entrusted with such a secret? He's a foreigner from a foreign land. What does she have to gain by telling him any of this?

"There's one thing I want to know: why did you go to the abyss? I have someone that I want to keep safe. I know she resents me doing what I'm doing to her, but I'm not doing it out of malice. I want to protect her; she's vulnerable." The vulnerability in her tone and the way she looked then it clicked—the Sonia girl, she's related to her, whether it's her daughter or niece or whatever. Then he thought about the other option: if she is older than she appeared, a granddaughter. How much could he reveal?

"Dimitri wanted to find out about Sonia and where she's located. Byleth also wanted to know that's why we went down there. I'm sorry if I did anything that upsets you, Rhea Sama. That's the honest truth." Sasuke said the woman looked upset, but not because they went to the abyss; it was another reason.

"Orochimaru attacked your group. I want you to tell me everything that transpired, Sasuke. Everything," Rhea said as a command. He told her everything he could. She listened patiently as he explained about the battle and the attempted assassination on the house leaders.

"Damn it." Rhea said as she got up, but she fell down on the bed on her back, the toll of whatever she did on Mercedes had left her weekend.

"I can't, I have to." The woman said as she tried to get up, but it was useless. Sasuke went on his knees, and the woman looked at him, begging.

"Sasuke, I don't want to ask this of you, but I can't do anything in my condition. Can you please go back to the Abyss and bring whoever you can with you to help Byleth and Sonia? I'm sorry, I wish I could help, but I..." He saw her moan in pain; whatever she did there was a huge cost.

"Is there anyone who can help you?" Sasuke asked, concerned about her condition.

"Don't worry about me, get whoever you can and protect Byleth and Sonia please." the woman said. Weekly, he had no words. She looked to be in a similar state that Mercedes was in. He had no idea what to do. He left her. No matter whatever she told him, whatever she alluded to, she wasn't human. She would be able to survive, regardless of how much pain she was in.

"Don't worry, your secret's safe." Sasuke said before he left, not noticing the reassuring look on Rhea's face.

Sasuke was moving as fast as his legs would take him when he was at the entrance he saw Felix and Annette waiting for him.

"I know that look in your eyes, Sasuke. You're going back to the abyss, well, too bad for you. We're going with you, and you're not going to argue with us on this one." Annette said. Sasuke didn't want to argue with his friends, nor did he have the time.

He explained on the way what had happened. They had a look of disbelief.

"Somebody was trying to kill Dimitri? I can't help but feel like one of the faculty might have tried to kill our house leader along with the others. Do you know any potential candidates?" asked Felix.

"No, but I do have a question to narrow it down: Who wasn't present in the monastery of the faculty yesterday?" Sasuke asked suspiciously.

"Jeritza was nowhere to be seen, in fact, he hasn't been seen since the night of the rite of rebirth incident. He's disappeared; some say he injured himself and has been in the infirmary, refusing to see anyone. I have a difficult time believing that." Felix said with suspicion.

"Interesting, what about the others?" Sasuke asked.

"There was Kakashi who was absent, but he's been found in his room. He said that he got sick. The only thing I could say is either there's someone in the faculty that is a spy or one of the students, which I'm leaning more towards." Felix was about to talk about Kabuto, someone at Sasuke has been suspicious of since the very start. Felix never trusted him, and he never made that a secret when Sasuke and he were talking in private.

Sasuke saw two other people at the entrance of the Abyss, Shinobu and Petra from the Black Eagles, and then there were two more, Leonie and Ino from the Golden Deer. It looked like they had the right idea. Then, he saw two more people show up. Sasuke didn't think they needed more.

"Any more than this is going to draw attention," said Shino to Kiba.

"There's no way in hell I'm going to be left out of this. Our teammates are in danger. Team 8 always sticks together." Kiba said as if the matter was settled.

"Having another member of the team would definitely be helpful. I want to see the results of my training from the past 2 months." Said Lee, who was more than eager to go on this mission. Sasuke rolled his eyes; out of all the things.

"Our goal is to help our house leaders and our classmates, so we don't draw attention. The archbishop herself requested that I go back and tell no one else about this. Do I make myself clear?" asked Sasuke.

"Agreed, Sasuke. It's not as small as I would have liked, but we can't be picky at times like these." Said Shino. Everyone left one at a time. Sasuke looked one last time at the window where his girlfriend was. He didn't know why, but he prayed for the goddess to watch over her.

"Sothis, please protect my angel," Sasuke said, loud enough for only him to hear.

Turned his back and went back to the abyss with a company of nine.

Ingrid was helping her class by looking for clues regarding the chalice and where it could be located. It was extremely difficult with very little information to go on, and asking the locals about the legends was no easy task. She had other things on her mind as well, things she couldn't help but think about. The meeting of Naruto's parents, the fact that his parents met her father, there were so many questions she wanted to ask them, but there was no time. She knows Naruto is hiding the best he could, but she could read it in his eyes: the anger, the hate. The more she learns about Konoha, the more she hates it, the more she thinks Naruto and Hinata were better off leaving that society behind them.

Hinata noticed she was troubled.

"Is there something bothering you?" Hinata asked her concerned.

"Hinata, can I ask you a question?" Ingrid said without thinking about it.

"Of course," Hinata replied.

"Do you feel disgust at Konoha, the very place that you were born and raised? The more I think about it, the more I learn about what that village is and what it represents. It's reprehensible to me. The kind of things it allows to happen, the corruption it makes the Empire blush by comparison. The birdcage seal of your clan, your clan talking about honor but does nothing to uphold it, how can you live with such hypocrisy? I know that's not who you are, I just can't keep it in anymore." Ingrid said, not caring how it came out. Dorothea voiced her thoughts about Konoha, there was no reason Ingrid couldn't either.

Hinata could read from her eyes that they've sparred so many times, she could tell what Hinata was about to say without her saying it. They had a bond, a bond that she doesn't even have with Naruto. It's how she grew to love Hinata in the first place.

"I'd be lying if I said I don't hate Konoha to a degree. I've always hated it there. I never wanted to be a ninja. The whole Shinobi system, the whole damn thing, what's the purpose of it? The whole damn thing should be abolished, all of it, every damn thing about the society of Konoha is wrong. In Edelgard's world, repugnant societies like Konoha would be things of the past, that we would look back on, on the evil that it was. I have no illusions about what the village is, I've stopped looking at the village with rose-tinted glasses a long time ago, the day my mother died." Hinata said with sadness and bitterness.

"Have you ever told Naru Kun this?" Ingrid asked. Hinata shook her head.

"But why? He would surely understand. I mean, the way they treated him for having Lord Kurama sealed inside of him and blaming him for his parents' deaths when he had nothing to do with any of it. You've known him most of your life. I mean." Hinata shook her head again.

"I've been in love with him for most of my life, but that doesn't mean I know him as much as I know you. In your culture, the more you spar with someone, the more you know them. I feel like there are things I can entrust to you that I can't with him, because we both understand each other in ways that I don't think Naruto and I will ever understand each other. I love him, and I always will, but there are things that I can tell you that I can't tell him, because I know you'll understand." Hinata said, looking away, feeling guilty over what she had just revealed.

"I don't understand Hinata." Ingrid didn't want to believe it.

"You and Naruto Kun have sparred many times even after you and Naruto officially became a couple. You understand him more than I do, and so does Dorothea Chan. I'm not jealous of either one of you; I just sometimes feel like." She wasn't going to have that again, not after what had happened. She wasn't going to let her repeat what had happened with the harem jutsu incident.

"You're wrong, remember what Naru Kun told you when he laid out his heart and soul for you. Hinata, he would die for you, that's how much Naru Kun loves you. I would do the same for both of you, I" Hinata placed her hand on her right cheek.

"Please stop talking like that. I don't want to lose anyone. Do you understand me?" Hinata asked.

"I understand completely, but it hasn't changed. I promised his parents that I would die for Naru Kun if it was necessary to protect him, and I will, because I will not go back on my word." Hinata smiled at her.

"Yeah, I know, but please don't throw your life away like that. It would hurt. Don't forget, Dorothea loves you as well, and we would be devastated if." Hinata didn't finish.

"Perhaps we should continue this conversation another time," Ingrid said, realizing that this was neither the time nor the place to have this conversation.

"Yeah, let's do that." Hinata said, agreeing to drop the subject. The two women walked in silence. Ingrid didn't know what to do with what Hinata told her regarding trust. She didn't know why or how, but she felt it was her duty to ensure Hinata's safety. She had been more protective of her ever since the mission where they rescued Monica, and she wasn't going to let up on her duties. Naruto was also protective of her, and when she wanted to protect him, she would. Up until this point, she had never fought alongside him until earlier today. She wanted to be worthy of being by his side, to be by Hinata's side. She did not want to be a burden; she wanted to protect them both. She did not want to let what happened to them to had happen to Glenn.

She is positive that Dorothea feels the same.

Marianne was alone with Hilda for the first time since that day they talked. It was awkward between them.

"Are you all right?" Marianne asked, trying to stir up a conversation.

Hilda said nothing, of course she wasn't all right. Why wouldn't she be? She thinks she rejected her outright just by walking out without saying anything.

"Hilda, listen." She was cut off.

"It's not the time, Marianne. We've got more important things to focus on." Hilda said coldly.

"Then when will it be the time, Hilda? Ever since I transferred to the Black Eagles, you've been giving me the cold shoulder. Why?" Marianne said louder than she normally speaks, but she couldn't hold it in anymore. Hinata is a good friend, but she isn't Hilda nor Bernadetta.

"I can ask you the same thing." Hilda shot back.

"That's not fair," Marianne replied.

"You want to talk about Fair I gave my heart to you. I told you my feelings and you just walked out and not even have the courtesy to be honest with me. You told me without saying anything how you felt." Hilda said bitterly.

"You don't know what I feel." Marianne said, having enough of Hilda, assuming things that aren't true.

"Oh really it seems like everything seems be okay after all all you need is your boyfriend you don't need me."Hilda said which caused Marianne to shout.

"Stop gaslighting me, Hilda. Out of nowhere, you told me you love me. What did you expect me to do? Have you considered how I felt? Of course not. You jump to conclusions and assume the worst." Marianne said, hurt that her friend could think that way.

"What's so great about him anyway? You've only known him for a few months and now he's suddenly the love of your life? What about all the times we had together? I've been with you since we were kids. You were 5 years old when I first met you. I've known you for 14 years. How can you disregard that in favor of a man you've only known for a few months? Tell me, Marianne." Hilda demanded.

"Please, you don't understand." Marianne was crying, and before it could escalate further, Naruto stepped in.

"Hilda, stop, seriously, you're making Marianne cry." Naruto said, not happy about what was happening.

"Stay out of it, Naruto. This is none of your fucking business." Hilda said angrily.

"Hilda, you're out of line." said Dorothea, who was backing Naruto.

Hilda stomped off, leaving everyone behind. Marianne appreciated them supporting her, but she didn't want Hilda and her to stop becoming friends over this. Before she could move, she felt a hand on her shoulder. It was Hinata.

"Marianne Chan, you should give Hilda Chan space for now,"Hinata suggested.

"I feel like such a screw up Hinata, am I really a bad person?" she couldn't finish.

"Naruto Kun, Dorothea Chan. I need to talk to Marianne Chan alone. You can go with the rest of the group." Hinata said. Naruto and Dorothea left her and Hinata alone.

Hinata and Marianne walked in silence. It was awkward. It had been a while since she had been able to talk to her friend alone.

"I'm sorry for being a burden. I didn't mean to. It's just..." Marianne felt like such a screw up. All she wanted was to be happy, and when she felt like she finally had that happiness with Byleth, she got a love confession from Hilda. She felt like such a coward. Why couldn't she at least have been honest with her?

"You're not a burden, Marianne Chan. You're my friend." Hinata said in understanding what she is going through.

"I feel like I hurt both of them no matter what I do. It's not fair." Marianne said, thinking about Byleth and Hilda.

"How do you do it, Hinata? How do you have three partners? How do you make it work?" She looked at her friend. It took 1 minute before Hinata spoke.

"It isn't easy, we're still figuring it out as we come along. The one thing though that makes us want to make it work is that we all have the same thing in common." Hinata said, but Marianne was not satisfied with that answer; there had to be more.

"What would that be? What is it that you four have in common that makes you want to make the relationship work?" Marianne asked, wanting to know. Hinata closed her eyes as if she were thinking about it.

"Naruto Kun, I had loved him since we were children. I didn't even know what love was at the time. Ingrid Chan fell in love with Naruto for the same reason I did; he believed in her and encouraged her to pursue her dream. The last person she was going to mention was Dorothea, but she was wondering why she was hesitating?"

"Dorothea Chan, I don't think, has fully embraced her feelings yet, but the one thing we all have in common is that Naruto loves us for who we are. We love each other for who we are; that's how our relationship works. We're still figuring it out, and we're not perfect; we probably will screw up many times, but I wouldn't have it any other way." Hinata answered without hesitation. She had no doubts that Marianne wanted to know if she could have the same thing.

"Do you think someone like me could have what you have, Hinata?" asked Marianne, looking at Hinata with hope.

"I don't know, it'll heavily depend on Hilda and Byleth. Are they willing to share you with each other? Are they willing to devote themselves to each other? I wish I could give you a clear answer, but I can't. I don't think there is an easy answer for this one." Hinata said, sad that she couldn't get a better answer that would comfort her, but she wasn't looking for that kind of answer; she was looking for honesty, which she appreciated from her friend.

"Then I will have to face my fate head on one way or another. I will have to talk to Hilda and pray to the goddess that this is not the end of our friendship. I don't know if I can do it." Marianne said as they stopped. She thought about all the times Hilda was there for her when no one else was. She defended her from bullies, played with her when no one else did, and comforted her when her parents died. Hilda was a constant source of comfort in her life. Yet, how did she repay her?

Before she could think anymore, she heard a scream. It came from Hilda. Hinata looked at her, and they both knew what they were thinking. They both ran in Hilda's direction.

Earlier

Hilda regretted everything she had said; she was just so angry and upset. Why did she have to blow up on Marianne like that? Why did it have to be so damn complicated? She cursed herself, wishing she could just forget about everything. It would be much easier to bury her feelings and act like it never happened, but she couldn't just take back what she said.

Hinata must think lowly of her now because of how she treated Marianne she felt horrible. Before she can ponder further, a man with a black cloak and red stripe appeared. He had raven hair, though he wasn't Sasuke. He was taller, but he had an appearance of someone eager to kill.

"To think the spoiled sister of Holst would be here of all places, definitely not a pleasant place to die," the raven-haired man said with an evil smile. The killing intent she felt was overwhelming; this was nothing like what she felt from Zabuza in the Land of Waves—this was 20 times worse. She felt like she was suffocating.

"Pathetic," the raven-haired man said as he grabbed her by the throat, and she screamed. He smiled, reveling in her fear. She kicked him and did everything she could to resist. She wasn't going to let herself be killed like this; she couldn't.

"So this is how you will die, dead and forgotten in a fitting place called the Abyss." The raven-haired man said.

"Over My Dead Body," she heard Marianne say. She saw an ice mirror appear behind the raven-haired man, and she quickly jumped on the needles in his throat. He dropped her to the ground, and he laughed as if what she did was pointless.

"So Edmund has been trained how to utilize those abilities of hers? Interesting such power. Too bad if you used it against the real me, I would have been dead." Said the raven-haired man as he grabbed her by the neck. She dropped the needles to the ground, unable to do anything.

"Pathetic, the lover of Byleth Eisner couldn't do a damn thing to me, a shadow clone, a mere spec of what I can do. None of you weak children compare to me." He said, the raven-haired man said, as he squeezed her throat. Hilda attempted to tackle him to the ground in order to save Marianne's life, but another clone appeared behind her and pinned her to the ground.

"Pathetic," he said gleefully as he continued to squeeze her windpipe. She saw Marianne fighting with everything she had, despite how useless it was.

"Lightning style lightning air Palm."Hinata said as a lightning spear went straight at the man who dropped Marianne to the ground he looked at Hinata in amusement.

"So you have gotten stronger, too bad you're fighting nothing more than a clone. The real me is safe away, none of you pathetic girls can even touch me, especially the real me." The Raven-haired man said as he backhanded Hinata, knocking her back.

Before he could do anything, a spear went through his chest.

"I won't let you anywhere near her, you son of a bitch," said Ingrid.

"Such hatred you have, more in you than that pathetic brother of mine. Tell me, Ingrid San, how much have you trained to avenge that pathetic brother of yours?" She went even deeper with her spear, stabbing him more aggressively. He was laughing as if she was doing a pointless action.

"In the nearly 3 months since our encounter, you haven't learned a thing, fool." He said as he kicked her in the stomach, knocking her back. She had dropped her lance.

Before he can do anything, three arrows were fired. The first arrow missed, the second arrow hit its mark, and in the third, he caught it with his index fingers. She looked, and it was none other than Ashe, Claude, and Benedetta.

"Well, if it isn't the infamous Claude. I haven't encountered you before," said the raven-haired man condescendingly.

"You must be Itachi Uchiha. I take it you're behind my attempted assassination?" Claude said as he aimed another arrow at Itachi. She heard laughter as if what he asked was amusing.

"That's a funny joke. If it were me who tried to kill you, we wouldn't be having this conversation. You would all be dead. Oh no, the person who tried to kill you is much closer than you think, but I won't reveal it to you. It would spoil the despair that you'll have on your face when you find out who did it." Itachi, before he can say anymore, he was hit with a lightning-style jutsu by Dorothea. He looked at her with intense hatred and disgust.

"So another one is alive, looks like I missed one." said Itachi before he can even step close to Dorothea Dimitri, who charged straight at him from behind, along with Edelgard. He blocked both of their weapons with both of his hands.

"So foolish." Itachi said as he released a shockwave knocking everyone back.

Before anything could be done, he looked at everyone and then smiled.

"If I wanted you all dead, you wouldn't be here. Fortunately for you, I was here for my brother, but he's not here at this time. I will leave you now." Itachi said as he turned his back on them.

"Wait, are you going to turn your back and leave?" asked Ingrid angrily, ready to put her spear through Itachi's chest.

"I was never here. I'm in a location where you can't touch me. Next time we meet, you will meet the real thing, and you all die. Enjoy your worthless lives while you can." Said Itachi as he laughed, his body disintegrated into nothing but dust.

She slammed her fist to the ground; she wanted to scream. She felt so worthless and weak. Before she could indulge in her thoughts, Byleth, Sonia, and Yuri, along with the others who were with them, arrived at the scene.

Meanwhile elsewhere

He opened his eyes. Everything that he had heard turned out to be true. It angered him more than anything that another Uchiha lived. He knew those features when he saw them. Even briefly seeing her Sharingan activated, he was in a dark room in a tavern in the capital of Adrestia. He wasn't in his usual black cloak with red stripes. He was wearing what the aristocracy wore to blend in. Any moment, he would have to leave this room and go back to his work. But he had to see for himself if there was another Uchiha.

He heard two footsteps. He didn't even have to turn around to know who it was. His partner, Kisame, had a jitsu to hide his true appearance. He had an amusing look on his face.

"Such a shame, Itachi-san. We couldn't just clean house with all these worthless aristocrats. These long, tedious meetings and negotiations are so boring. When will I be able to cut loose again?" Kisame asked.

Itachi couldn't help but relate. He hated these long, tedious meetings, but as a spy for the Root, he had no choice but to use whatever means necessary in order to strengthen the empire's ties to Konoha, regardless if that foolish girl tries to take the throne or not. There were multiple contingency plans should the worst happen. He thought she wasn't worried; he just wanted to get this long and tedious assignment over with.

"Let's go, Kisame," Itachi said as he got up from his spot and headed out the door for another long and tedious time with out-of-touch, spoon-fed aristocrats. He was looking forward to the day when he wouldn't have to deal with the scum anymore.

He put on a facade of an aristocrat from a foreign land in order not to give out his true feelings inside the bloodlust that he was feeling a bloodless that couldn't be sainted.

Byleth was informed about everything that had happened. Itachi or some sort of Shadow clone fought and nearly killed everyone. He was confident that if he had wanted to, he could have killed everyone, but he chose not to, as if to reinforce how much stronger he is compared to everyone here.

"I had never felt such killing intent before." said Claude, who didn't show it often, but he saw fear—the kind that made someone want to puke.

"I can't believe that was Itachi Uchiha, yet it wasn't." Said Yuri, who had a look of fear on his face.

"Who is Itachi Uchiha?" asked Sonia, who did not know anything about the outside world.

Naruto gave her everything he knew about Itachi, with Hinata filling in the blanks. This caused everyone to look in horror when they both finished.

"You mean he just murdered his?" Constance couldn't believe it. She was so horrified that she had no words. Neither did the rest of the group.

"He's a psycho. Had it not been for Marianne, a few months ago, most of us would have been dead." Monica said, shivering at what had happened at that mission.

" Itachi, I don't know if my Powers would work against the real one. Every single Itachi clone that everyone has encountered has a fraction of his strength. That weapon that is in its sheath gives you an additional boost, but I don't know if you can defeat him as you are now." Said Sothis.

"Someone who kills for shits and giggles is lower than scum." Shez said disgusted, knowing about his origins.

"I know we're all shaken up, but have we all forgotten about what we're going to do about the chalice of beginnings?" Sonia asked, which caused everyone to look at her, almost forgetting the reason why they were down in the abyss in the first place.

"You're right," said Hinata, putting her fear of Itachi aside.

When they were done, they heard footsteps behind them, and they saw Aelfric, who had a look of worry on his face. Byleth explained what had happened. When he was done, he looked at Yuri and the others. He knew immediately what he was going to say without him saying it.

"I know what you intend to do. I forbid it. It is too dangerous wherever you intend to go, whatever you think the chalice is. It is too dangerous for you all to go there, leave this to the Knights." Aelfric said, which caused Sonia to interject.

"Those people who attacked us earlier won't stop looking for the chalice. It's too dangerous to not find it. If they were to find it, who knows what they would do with it." Sonia said, arguing her reasoning for not abandoning their quest.

"I would not be able to face your mother if anything were to happen to you, Sonia, or you," he looked at Byleth, hoping to get support from him.

"I'm sorry, Aelfric. I agree with Sonia. If we were to find the chalice, we would be able to remove what is in danger, the people here. If we were to give it to the church, there would be no way they'd be able to get a hold of it due to how well guarded it would be," Constance said, backing Sonia up.

"You already know this; there are folks here who can't even defend themselves, mostly women and children. We can't just do nothing." Balthus said, coming to Sonia's defense as well.

"I'm fully aware that for now I want you to stay put." Aelfric said sternly. There was no way to convince him, no way to change his mind. He left the group.

Something had to be done; they couldn't just do nothing. The chalice, whatever it was, had to be found. If someone like Orochimaru were to find it, who knows what he would do with it, or God forbid, Itachi.

"I'm in agreement with you; this chalice of beginnings is too dangerous and must be found. Otherwise, it will be used by a potential enemy, Itachi being one of them." Sothis said, agreeing with everybody else, though they cannot hear her.

"He's surprisingly overbearing, isn't he?" asked Hilda, who had a more cheerful expression than earlier. He knew it was being forced due to whatever had transpired earlier, prior to Itachi nearly killing her.

"I know he's worried, but I can't just do nothing. We know where it is. We should just grab the chalice and give it to the Knights so that nobody will ever bother looking for it again." Sonia said naively, not realizing that wouldn't stop them.

"With all due respect, Sonia-san, I don't think that would stop anyone from trying to get the chalice. I think it would be safer if we destroyed it." Hinata said something that he considered himself, but he didn't think anyone would voice it openly.

"Destroying it? Are you out of your mind?" asked Sonia, who did not agree with Hinata's position.

"It's too dangerous. Who knows how many people will suffer if we give it to the church itself. Who's to say somebody else won't send infiltrators in order to eventually find it? How many people will die in the crossfire just to get this thing? It's safer to destroy it." Hinata said, not budging on her position.

"An item of such power could it really be destroyed?" asked Dorothea, who was on the fence.

"I don't know about destroying it. I think it's kind of a waste, we should study it, it's an artifact of history after all." Said Naruto, who did not agree with Hinata's position.

"I'm leaning more towards Sonia's position, Hinata. I don't think destroying it is the right thing to do," said Dimitri.

"I don't know, I think there's a lot we can learn from that artifact. I think destroying it would be a waste." Said Claude, who took Naruto's position.

"I don't know what position to take; I'll have to let the goddess decide," said Marianne, who was undecided on any position.

" Going through all this trouble just to destroy it, would to be a waste." said Constance, who was heavily against destroying such an ancient artifact.

"I think the professor should decide," said Monica, looking at Byleth for his opinion.

"I'm personally with Hinata on this one; the chalice is too dangerous." Said Ingrid, who seemed to act like Hinata's retainer and took her side on most issues.

"Personally, I think we should wait until we find the thing before we decide one way or the other." Said Shez, who took on a neutral position.

"I don't think this is the time or place to be debating this. We should make a decision one way or the other after we find it." Said Sylvain, not caring one way or the other.

"I support Hinata's position; it's too dangerous." Lysithea said unflinchingly.

"I think we shouldn't make a decision until we find the chalice. I think it's premature." said Ashe, supporting Dimitri's position.

"Honestly, I really don't care one way or the other. I just want to get it over with." Said Hapi.

"I think we should not be too hasty regarding the chalice. We don't know if it can be destroyed, Hinata-san. It's possibly more dangerous to try to destroy it when we don't know even if we have the means to do so." said Kabuto with that obnoxious politeness that Byleth couldn't stand.

"My bigger concern is making sure the people in Abyss are safe. The Chalice is a secondary concern for me, but I do think we should find it and decide what to do with it later when we're in a safe location to even make a decision one way or the other." Said Balthus, sharing the same sentiment as Ashe.

"I personally think we should find the chalice and give it to the church. They would know what to do with it better than we would." Said Yuri, whose tone was difficult for Byleth to read.

"I just want to find it and get out of here. This adventure has been scary. I want to be back in my room." Bernadette said, looking at Byleth. The last of the people in the group to speak was Edelgard.

"I'm with Hinata. I think it's too dangerous. No item of power should be in the hands of anyone, especially individuals who would use it to do harm to others." Said Edelgard.

The group was arguing among themselves, which was something he did not want to happen. He had to take control, otherwise, things could end badly. Sonia had a look as well, which told him everything he needed to know without her saying anything. She didn't want this conflict any more than he did. He had to say something, anything, to get it to stop.

" Hinata is right, destroying the chalice is the safest option for any of us, but we cannot know how to destroy it, considering how dangerous it could be to attempt such a thing. I would suggest you voice your own thoughts. Byleth, everyone is looking to you after all, whether you're aware of it or not, you are a leader." Sothis said, which caused Byleth to tense.

He wasn't used to being thrust into a leadership role. He was always the follower when he was with his father on his days as a mercenary, but things had changed. He was no longer a follower; he was a professor, and he was also a leader. He couldn't just leave it to others to decide; he had to take charge.

"We will not decide one way or the other until we find it and are in a safe location to make a decision. Stop this discussion for now, let's focus on the task at hand and focus on finding the chalice first." Byleth said, which caused everyone to stop talking.

"Of course, professor, I'm sorry," said Hinata, apologizing and feeling responsible for everything that was going on. Everyone was arguing, and he didn't think it was her fault. She was trying to voice her thoughts, and he wanted her to assert herself more. It looked like his influence on her had changed her subtle ways of voicing her opinions. She was far more assertive than she used to be. Sometimes it was hard to tell who was the house leader due to Hinata acting more and more in a leadership role than she did previously. He needed a course of action; he needed to plan a course of action, but he couldn't do it within earshot of his students.

"I need to discuss a plan with Sonia alone." Byleth said to everyone who dispersed. It felt like an eternity until it was only the two of them. They hadn't had a chance to be alone up to this point due to everything that had been happening.

"I know we've barely spoken, Sonia, but I need your thoughts. What do you think our course of action should be?" Byleth asked with his arms crossed, wondering what she was going to say.

"I think we should do what we can to retrieve the chalice and give it to the church when we're done. I don't think destroying it is the answer. Something that old was forged in a time long past. There's so much we can learn. I just feel like destroying such an ancient artifact seems blasphemous." Sonia said, voicing her concerns about destroying such an ancient artifact. He could see her point, but he also understood the point of those who believed it should be destroyed. It was dangerous, far more dangerous than anyone could possibly imagine, the ability to control life and death, even though it had failed to bring back the goddess. Who's to say it actually failed? Who's to say it wasn't used before? There was so much knowledge that could be lost, but he also knew the dangers of such knowledge.

"An idea of such power is dangerous, Sonia. Do you really think we shouldn't consider destroying it if worse comes to worst, that some great evil were to get a hold of it, imagine what kind of evils would be resurrected in this world. Would you really want to take that chance?" Byleth asked her, generally wanting to know what her answer would be, and some ways she was more of a scholar than he was due to her extensive knowledge in history.

"I know what you think, Byleth. I'm not saying you're wrong about such a thing, but imagine what we could do with it. We could." He knew what she was going to say without her saying it. She was talking about reviving their mother. He doesn't have a connection to her in any way. He would be lying if it wasn't tempting, but such power should not be in anyone's hands, no matter what the intentions are. It's not good to have such power. His father always told him, regardless of the motivations, regardless of who you think you are, power can corrupt all, regardless of intentions.

"Are we sure that reviving The Dead is what the dead would want? If we revived the Dead, what would that do to them? Would they really be the same person they were before? We don't know the consequences of bringing someone back from the dead. We don't know what price has to be paid. I think it's too dangerous, and I don't think our mother would want us to bring her back at the expense of somebody else. The power of Resurrection always has a sacrifice, and there's no way it would end happily." Byleth said, thinking about what his father once told him about the story of a man that resurrected his dead wife and how she was a completely different person. She went from a kind and loving woman to a cruel and sadistic torturer. The resurrection had a permanent scarring on the woman's soul, and the only way to truly save her was to kill her once again, but even then, her soul was forever scarred. He did not want that to happen to his mother, even if he never knew her.

"I just want to see her once. Byleth, imagine how happy our father would be." He interrupted her again.

"He has been through enough. I will not have him go through more pain. Let's not have this discussion anymore. Bringing his mother back would only make things worse. Would you be willing to pay the ultimate price to bring her back? Would that really honor our mother? Exchanging your life for hers, would that be worth it? You have to look at the present, not the past. Our father is still alive, and whatever we do afterwards, we could focus on that, not on what we wish we could have." He said it harsher than he intended, but he couldn't let his resolve be swayed. Regardless of how tempting it was to hear his mother's voice, he knew it wasn't the right thing to do.

"How can you be so heartless? Do you have any idea what it would do for us? It would make us whole." Sonia said, yelling at him.

"Heartless you say? I do this because I care" Byleth shot back.

"I doubt you're even capable of love." Sonia said, which caused him to explode just hearing her say such a thing.

"How dare you say such a thing? You don't know me. You don't know my life. You know what I've been through." Byleth replied with barely controlled anger.

"You don't know my life either. At least you were able to walk out in the sun and feel the sunlight on your skin and experience the things I never could. Don't you dare compare our experiences. You don't know a fucking thing about my life." Sonia said as she stormed off.

No matter what he did, he felt like he fucked up first with Marianne and now with his sister. He felt like he couldn't do anything right. He let his emotions get the best of him. Why did all this crap have to happen now? There's so much that was happening, and now there was this chalice that could bring back his mother, but he is afraid of the kind of stories his father once told him. It felt like they were real, like he actually saw it happen first-hand. That's what terrified him. What if he ended up resurrecting his mother, but in her place, he would destroy her soul and everything that made Siri who she was? He was terrified of the idea of turning his own mother into a monster with his own hubris.

He refuses to go down that road. It may be just stories to most people, but he believes there was an ounce of truth to them. There has to be. There's no way his father would ever lie, right?

Sonia was frustrated. She knew her brother was right that the chalice was too dangerous, but she couldn't help but think, "What if it was possible?" There's so much about it that is lost to history. Who was to say that the revival of the goddess failed? Who's to say that it didn't succeed, but the success was covered up, or what if there were others who used the object to test its power?

There was so much lost to history through wars and famines. It felt wrong to destroy such an object, despite how dangerous it could potentially be. She thought preserving it would be worth it, but she couldn't voice this opinion openly. She didn't want to cause any discord within the group, especially since they were deep in enemy territory. Anything could happen, and the last thing they needed was discord between different camps of people who agreed or disagreed about what should be done with the chalice.

They were traveling for hours before Byleth signaled for the group to stop.

"We should get some rest. We don't know what kind of obstacles we will encounter when we get to our destination, which is a few hours away. I suggest we rest fully before we progress." Byleth went a little bit ahead in order to be alone. The group dispersed in order to have some distance from each other in order to have some semblance of privacy. Sonia was not used to sleeping outside, and she was struggling to find a position that was comfortable to sleep in. Dimitri sat next to her and looked at her as if asking for permission.

"I'm cold." Sonia said, embarrassed that she didn't take any blankets with her. She felt his arms wrap around her, along with a blanket that he had on him. She was glad there was no light, otherwise, Dimitri would see the pink that was on her cheeks.

"This is quite an adventure, this was the last thing I imagined doing this week." Dimitri said, laughing nervously.

"How can you laugh at a situation like this? You almost got killed today, I mean how?" Sonia asked, confused.

"I'll go insane if I didn't the last thing I expected at all was having an adventure and an underground city that I never knew existed and learning about a chalice of great power that could revive the Dead." Dimitri said quietly, she saw the sadness in his eyes.

"I'd be lying if I said that I don't think destroying it would be the safest option, but I'd be also lying if I didn't desire to use it myself to bring everyone." He couldn't finish, the shadows in his eyes, she knew he was avoiding talking about a traumatic event from his past. She had to say something in order to avoid him being in pain, she hated seeing the shadows in his eyes.

"You don't have to talk about it, Dimitri. I know it's painful, you can tell me another time when you're ready." Sonia said, trying to get him to not have a sad look on his face, anything but that.

"You're quite something, Sonia. I never did imagine that we would be doing all this when we met each other at that festival with my friends. I almost felt like we were meant to meet like that." She couldn't see his face, but she could tell he was blushing.

"Neither did I. I was wondering, Dimitri, if I ever was able to leave this place, would it be all right if I joined your class?" Sonia asked him. She knew about the other houses, but she didn't want to be in a house that didn't have Dimitri in it. Something about him drew her to him.

"Of course, Sonia. When this adventure is over, I will give you my word that I will do everything in my power to make you feel welcomed in the Blue Lions." Dimitri said as he closed his eyes.

Sonia did the same; she drifted off dreaming about a life outside of the abyss.

After 6 hours of sleeping, everyone got up, ate breakfast, and then started to head out one by one in single file. Everyone moved quietly. It was getting lighter and lighter; she knew they were very close. In 20 minutes, they were finally at the entrance. Part of her was excited and nervous. They would finally find the chalice, and then later today, they would decide one way or another what to do with it.

The party left one by one. She felt the morning sun shining on the group. It was at least 7:00 in the morning. Has everyone left? They heard a voice of a white-haired man standing with an army of Shinobi with a sound symbol headband, along with four others. Everyone got into their fighting stances.

"It seems like Orochimaru Sama was right about Byleth Eisner heading this way, and look what we have here—a woman who looks identical to him, a twin sister?" Said the silver-haired man named Kimimaro, who grabbed his left and right arms, dug deep into his skin, and pulled out bones that resembled short swords. She remembered this from a few days ago.

"We have our orders: kill everyone except the Uchiha." Said the wolf mask man. Everyone got into their fighting positions. This would be a fight for their lives. She was not going to hand the chalice to anyone, especially the man who tried to kill her friend. She would find out who he was and unmask him.

"There is no Uchiha here." Said Bernadetta, who quickly took her bow and aimed it at the elite Shinobi with four arms, who had a look of amusement on his face.

"How amusing to think you could be so wrong." Said Kidomaru as he got into his own stance and took his own bow out along with his quiver and aimed it at Bernadetta

"A bunch of kids from a school won't be much of a sport." Jirobo arrogantly said, which caused Edelgard and Dimitri to look at him with annoyance.

"You better not fuck this up, Jirobo. Don't toy around with those kids. There are a lot stronger than they look, especially the prince of Faerghus." Tayuya said, wanting to get the tasks that she was assigned with over with.

"You girls are going nowhere. I'm going to take great pleasure in killing both of you." Tayuya said as she got between them and her brother.

Before Edelgard went to work Dimitri was she was blocked by a light blue haired man who looked like he had a look of bloodlust on his face.

"I get to kill the princess from Adrestia, your Empire will soon be without an heir," he said, licking his lips in anticipation of the upcoming battle.

"This is nothing personal, Byleth Eisner, but this is where you're going to die. Orochimaru Sama needs you removed," Kimimaro said dispassionately.

Then she saw the wolf-face man, who had his own look on his face.

"This is nothing personal, but you will need to die for the good of my village," Sad Wolf said as she got into her fighting stance. Before she could do anything, Naruto, Ingrid, Hinata, and Dorothea got between him and her.

"That's not going to happen," said Naruto as he got into his fighting stance along with his partners.

"You five focus on getting the chalice, the rest of us will fight the enemy in the meantime," Hinata said as she activated her Byakugan.

She left with Yuri, Hapi, Constance, and Balthus. Things were silent for a few seconds before the battle began.

I know this chapter was more on the slow side, but if I wanted to end the chapter as I originally intended, this chapter would be close to 40,000 words, if not over 40,000. I don't want a chapter that long; they're difficult to edit when you make chapters that long. The next two chapters will not take as long to come out due to me having an easier time writing them compared to the first three chapters of this Arc.

Comment and review. Hopefully, the next chapter won't take as long as the last three have taken.