"Wh…what?" Edelgard stammered out at the little girl floating in front of her.

"Humph." The girl crossed her arms. "Come now, surely you can do something other than stand there slack jawed. You've gotten us all into this mess, surely you can't be bothered to try a little harder to dig us out."

Edekgard continued to stare. The girl's irritation shifted from annoyance to aggravation as she glanced behind her. "What on earth are you staring at? This tomb's walls all look the same." She narrowed her eyes, and the aggravation turned into confusion mixed with a childlike inquisitiveness. "In fact, it's almost like you-"

The words sputtered to life in Edelgard's throat. "Who are you and how did you get here!"

And finally, realization and shock swept over the girl's face as she jumped in place from where she was hovering. "You can see me!"

"Of course I can! Who could possibly miss someone wearing-" Edelgard snapped, gesturing wildly at the girl's garish blue robes and ostentatious hair. "-That!"

"I-What! You jest!" The girl's face puffed up, back once again at aggravation. "These are the only clothes I've had to wear! And you're hardly in a position to point fingers with those dusty, bloody rags!"

"This-" Edelgard bit her cheek and reached forward grabbing at the child's hair. Her hand passed right through. "This is impossible. It isn't real." Her hand passed through the girl's head like mist. "You aren't real."

"Now see here!" The girl squawked. "It takes a lot of nerve to barge your way into someone else's home and tell them that they aren't real!"

"This is all a delusion." Edelgard nodded to herself. "I'm unconscious, sprawled on the ground, and losing what little blood I have left. And now I'm dreaming about a child ghost."

"I have a name, you know!" The girl said as her arms folded over each other.

Edelgard looked around the platform. Byleth remained unperturbed on the throne. Water was still dripping down from above. Perhaps-

"HELLLLLLLOOOO-O!" The girl shouted with a squeak. "That's when you're supposed to ask me for my name!"

"Talking to hallucinations rarely ends well." Edelgard muttered. Nothing else seemed out of place.

"Ugh. Fine." The girl brushed some errant hairs behind her pointed ears. "Since I simply can't keep you from taking all the air with your wild guesses, I'll just tell you. My name is Sothis."

Edelgard blinked, and turned back to the girl. The child's expression was half caught between grinding irritation and an attempt to project a subtle confidence.

"So I'm dead, then." Edelgard sighed. "I'd hoped the eternal flames would be a bit less dull." She looked back at the water, falling drip by drip. "Though I will have to commend the sadism."

"You're not dead, idiot." The girl said. She followed with a "Despite my wishes to the contrary…" just loud enough for Edelgard to hear.

"Not to worry. The doors are locked and there is no food. I'll be dead soon enough."

The girl snorted. "Check behind the throne again."

Edelgard refused to budge. She'd already indulged her newfound insanity for long enough.

"What, you have something better to do? Just do it!"

Edelgard thought about refusing the child again, but perhaps if she turned to find nothing there, the apparition would vanish as well. She peers into the shadow of the throne-

And there was a plant root there. Edelgard blinked, and reached down to touch it. It was cold in her hand. Unappetizing. But it was there.

"What…?" Edelgar looked up, down, and then back again at the girl, who just crossed her arms and snorted.

"This place was built to withstand the end of the world." The girl floated slightly closer, her eyes proud and haughty. "It wouldn't do to have people starve while they wait for the fires to fade."

Edelgard looked back down at the root. "...If you are so all knowing…" Bits of dirt still clinging to the plant stubbornly remained, even as she rubbed most of it away. "...Why can I not leave this place?"

The girl glanced up, into the shadows. "If I had to guess, It would be that the teleporter above is nowhere near as durable as this room is."

"And is there any other way out of here?"

A cruel snort ripped out of the girl's throat. "Have you tried the door?" She gestured to the mass of sealed stone that had failed to open.

Edelgard looked at the girl, who met her eyes with a dull fury. "Seiros made many modifications…so I guess we're trapped here. Together." The girl leaned back while still floating in the air. "At least until Byleth recovers from what you did to her."

The professor almost looked like she was listening to Edelgard's psychotic break. This was, of course, a trick of the light. Byleth still remained motionless, with the glowing orange sphere protruding from her chest, engraved with the Crest of Flames. "And who exactly is the professor to you?"

"She is the future, as I am the past." The girl almost sounded older, for a moment. "She is my vessel and heir, a reincarnation that refused to let go of the previous life." In fact, the cadence of her words almost sounded like Rhea's. "And she will outlive us both, one way or another."

The root found its way into Edelgard's mouth, and she took a bite. It was cold and bitter, but it would be enough to keep her alive. "Your vessel? What does that mean? And how, exactly, am I seeing you if you are not a delusion?"

"We share Crests, and my Crest Stone is exposed to the open air. Plus, there are a few…" The girl paused, and then shrugged. "Magic in its many forms can always surprise, no matter how experienced you are." Then, her tone grew accusatory. "Or maybe you just wanted someone to talk to, after what you did."

"No, I don't think I would." Edelgard exhaled. " Your Crest Stone?"

"I told you." The Child crossed her arms again. "I am Sothis. Byleth is my vessel. Where did you think all her power came from?" Her voice suddenly jumped into an octave no child could mimic. "Or why your masters wanted her so badly?"

Edelgard rolled her eyes. "Arundel wasn't-I am not having this argument with a figment of my imagination." She turned and began walking down the long staircase, into the tombs below. She glanced behind her once she reached the bottom- the girl was still floating at the top of the stairs, with her eyes trained on the back of Edelgard's head.

Ahead, the great doors were still shut tight.

"What are you doing?" The child called down from the throne. "Even if you walk away, it's not like there's anywhere else to go in here."

The quiet thrum of power crept over Edelgard's bones. She stretched down, getting into a runner's position.

A confusion crept into the girl's voice. "Are you planning to run laps around the graves? Is this your way of staying-"

Like a bolt, Edelgard charged ahead, racing towards the great doors ahead. The massive work of stone stood where it was, waiting to rebuke her challenge. Edelgard forced the Crest of Flames' power to surge through her, willing herself to accelerate past the stone barrier, just like she had done against Thales. All it would take was one moment, one great push, one final effort.

And then the doors crashed into her face, followed shortly by the rest of her body.

Once Edelgard managed to peel herself off the wall, Edelgard tried a different approach, letting her Crest of Seiros enhance her strength, and slammed her hands against the rock. A dozen attempts later, her only reward was a numbness cutting into her very bones.

After hours of attempts, the only change to the doors was a number of bloodstains. Edelgard's arms were covered with bruises and shallow cuts. Her throat was hoarse and in desperate need of water, while her stomach groaned in protest after every movement. Defeat, for now, was certain. And so she turned around, to begin the long walk across the room and up the staircase.

Each step up was a labor unto itself. At the beginning of the stairs, Edelgard could barely feel her legs. Still, she forced herself to continue. About halfway up, she could make out the soft drops of water hitting the floor above, each echo tearing at her dry throat. Still, she forced herself to continue.

At the summit, Edelgard fell to her knees. She had made it this far, and wasn't in danger of falling down. Surely she could rest for just a few minutes. Let her legs heal from the long journey up. A momentary rest wouldn't hurt. It would be…just a…

Plink.

The sounds echoed again, and the dryness in Edelgard's throat exploded back to life. She tried to move her legs, but they were still too weak-she would have to drag herself there. Edelgard pressed them both her hands down against the ground and instantly regretted it- her legs were without strength, but they were not numb with a pain that shattered the instant any weight was put on them.

Plink. Plink.

In the end, a mix of elbow and chin movements managed to drag Edelgard close enough to the falling water to slowly drink from the small pool. After minutes of slowly drowning the stretch of muscle that had been her throat, Edelgard flopped onto her back, spent.

Of course, the girl was still floating where she had been, staring down at Edelgard. The ghost's expression had shifted since the last time-less anger and more- It was something soft, but still with a tinge of accusation. Pity, perhaps. Like she wanted to say something.

Edelgard snapped her eyes shut, and just hoped to fall asleep.

Rhea stood above her, fist raised, before plunging down. Even through the heavy rain, the blood pounded against her senses, iron and agony rusting away at her own resolve. "Wicked, wicked child-!" The Archbishop screamed, her eyes reptilian slits, gleaming even in the near pitch darkness-

A sickening crunch, and-

Edelgard awoke gasping for air. Her breath left her in short, quick pants, gasping on the stale air. After that was done with, Edelgard pushed herself off the cold stone floor, and let her eyes wander over the countless graves. Just as she had so many times before.

And of course, the statue of Seiros silently stared down at it all with cold gray eyes, just as it had before.

Her morning…well, her waking ritual began. Edelgard dusted off her long silver hair, doing what she could to keep it groomed. It had been a challenge, learning how to manage her own hair with nothing but a knife and a small puddle of water. Then, like always, she made her way up the staircase to the dais, ignoring the child as always. A collection of seeds was waiting for her this time. As she chewed through her breakfast, she closed her eyes and focused her Crest of Flames, reaching out for the teleportation magic which might let her escape this prison. And like always, she was still sitting with Byleth at the dais when she opened her eyes.

"So, what is your plan this time? Bash your head against the rock until you stumble back up here, pass out and try again?" The girl yawned out. "Because it worked so well the last-" She paused, before continuing with another dull yawn. "-However many times you've tried it."

As always, Edelgard pointedly ignored the girl, biting down on the last few nuts in her hand. They were long and curved, with a salty aftertaste. Ferdinand would have known what their name was. Or perhaps Petra. Or maybe Caspar.

"While I know I am more than capable of keeping this conversation going all by myself, you could at least try to talk." The girl groused. "It's not like you have much else to do here."

The reflection that the puddle provided was dimly lit. Still, it was enough Edelgard to swipe away at some dirt that had gathered on her cheek.

"Come now, you can't keep ignoring me forever!" The child snapped. "You'll go mad if you try to keep quiet like this. If you think this tomb is a prison now…"

Edelgard bit her lip. "It wouldn't be the worst dungeon I've been trapped in."

"I-that-" Edelgard finally turned to regard the child. Her face had flushed with hesitation.

Edelgard snorted. "So you know about my past."

"I…yes."

"And that is how I know you are a delusion."

"What?" The child gaped. "What on earth are you talking about!"

"I know the goddess Sothis could not hear me when I cried out to her then." Edelgard stepped closer to the child. "I cried softly. Loudly. With my brothers. With my sisters." An old hate was creeping through Edelgard's voice. "And then all alone." She leaned over the child. "Or are you saying you did hear me?"

The child withered and shrank. It felt good.

But only for so long."And that justifies…this?" The child glanced over Edelgard's shoulder. The stone in Byleth's chest still glowed dimly. "How many people died because you stole Byleth and I away?"

"I made a mistake." Edelgard sniffed, and began the long walk to the doors. "And now I'm going to fix it."

The darkness was consuming, swallowing all light that it touched. But the sounds, the sounds were as loud as ever, The rattling chains. The bursts of black magic, followed by the thick ozone wafting through the bars. And the screams. Once recognizable, now twisted into something stranger.

But worse were the rats. Always skittering, squeaking and chirping inside the shadows. Each time she tried to move her limbs, they would rush about her, biting and nipping at exposed flesh, there chittering turning to cackling after each successful bite, each scream of terror the was drowned out by the flesh in their mouths, after each body they picked apart, piece by piece by piece until their horrible little red eyes would turn to her, hungry and waiting for the time when she would finally lose what was left of her strength and fail to fight back, ending it all once and for all-

Edelgard awoke as she often did, fighting down a scream. As always, it takes a moment for her to right herself. To remember that she's trapped in a different prison. That there's nothing alive here. Just graves, a ghost, a statue, and a delusion.

Her waking ritual was the same as ever. A collection of beans was waiting for Edelgard this time. Coarse, but edible. Her hair had also grown long, all the way down her back. Had she forgotten to cut it the last time? Or the last few times? It was hard to remember little details.

"Just thought you should know…" Just when Edelgard was about to return to the door when the child spoke up. "Byleth's healing has progressed."

It took close inspection, but it was true. The Crest Stone had retreated ever so slightly, melting back into Byleth's flesh. Where half of the sphere had protruded after Thales' spell, now perhaps only a third did. A good sign, Edelgard supposed. Then she might have a second shoulder to smash into the door.

Washing the last bits of blood off her skin, Edelgard made her way back down to the grand doors. She ran her hand across the stone's surface, searching for any cracks or weakness that might have formed in her previous attempts. Nothing, as always.

Calloused skin ran over a spot of blood. A sharp sigh escaped her lips. Fingers reached down to the flagstone floor, pulling at their edges to search for any weakness. Nothing, not near the door or further away. In fact, the tiles near the graves were-

Wait. The graves. They were made of the same stone as the walls, and had comparatively easy lids to remove. Using them as blunt instruments should work.

But the sanctity of the graves, the dead-

Wouldn't be alive to complain. And if Edelgard didn't want to join them, she would simply have to make use of what was available. She made her way over to the nearest tomb and began to pull.

The rock was smooth, but surprisingly difficult to pull out. Like it was stuck together. But it didn't take too long to free the top of the grave. Her prize was awkward to hold, being a large rectangle. Still, it should be able to serve as a blunt instrument. Hopefully it was as durable as the doors she was attempting to break and would be able to be returned to cover the pale, slightly glowing bones in the casket once she was done with it. Edelgard grunted, and gave the stone a practice swing-

And paused.

Glowing bones?

Edelgard turned back to the grave. Sure enough, there was a faint glow coloring the bones a bright orange. The bones themselves were scattered haphazardly, just a collection of ribs. A scattering of unconnected vertebrae, and half of a femur stacked together. At the center was a small sphere, engraved with some sort of marking.

"The clever bandit realized that the same energy that would be used to lock the goddess away could also be used to turn her power against itself. To turn her blood into liquid victory and forge her bones into a blade." Nemesis' expression preened. "And if it could work on the goddess, surely her children's flesh would be just as useful, no?"

"Well?"

Edelgard looked up. The girl was floating next to the grave, her face awash with a fury that made her seem a thousand years older. "Go on then. Do what you want." In the shadow of Seiros' statue, the girl towered over her. "I don't have the power to stop you, after all." In the moment, a golden glow atop the dais cast a long shadow. "I can't save anyone."

Edelgard's eyes drifted across the hall. The graves looked endless, rising up out of the dim light. She placed the lid back.

Power surged through Edelgard's limbs strike after strike, letting each blow land with a terrific thud, each blow more than enough to rip through wood and iron. Again, and again, and again she struck. And just always, the stone would not surrender.

Edelgard drew in a deep breath, and exhaled. She reached back, and smashed her rough and calloused fist into the stone one last time. Just a trickle of blood escaped this time. She sighed again, and sat down, staring off into unchanging masonry and ghostly lights.

"Huh, so you can get blood from a stone." Edelgard looked up. The child was examining her most recent attempt with a faux-curiosity. "I'm almost impressed." She rolled over, staring down at Edelgard. "But I have to ask, what do you think will happen, if you somehow manage to break open this door?"

Edelgard closed her eyes.

"You've spent the past year working to kill your classmates, foment unrest across the land, and burn my daughter's church to the ground. And while I might not have all the details of what happened above, I have no doubt it ended spectacularly."

She breathed in, then out. Just as always.

"Just because you triumphantly return, and Byleth just happens to be healing, that doesn't mean you'll get a free pass. In the end, you're going to be stuck in this prison or another, if you're lu-"

"I know that!" Edelgard snapped back. "Of course I'll be hunted down for what I've done! You-" her voice paused to hiss. "I am doing what needs to be done. What I have to do. I made a terrible, unforgivable error. But duty demands that I fix my own mistakes. right my own wrongs. My uncle is still out there, hurting more people like he has me and mine. I cannot allow him to continue, no matter the price I have to pay!"

"...And if you're just executed?"

"Then so be it." Edelgard stood up, turning back to the door. "But I won't let the professor rot down here because of what I've done." She reached back, and braced herself.

Power surged through Edelgard's limbs strike after strike, letting each blow land with a terrific thud, each blow more than enough to rip through wood and iron. Again, and again, and again she struck. And just always, the stone would not surrender.

Edelgard grit her teeth, and kept fighting. The stone did not budge, and she kept fighting. tore through her callouses, digging into her skin like an old dull blade, and she kept fighting. And at the end of it all, she had once again collapsed into a heap with nothing more to show for her efforts.

Perhaps this was her punishment, for all she had done. Trapped in a tomb, with nothing but symbols of her own failures. And try as she might, all Edelgard could do was pound uselessly on the doors, waiting for the moment when Byleth finally healed and awoke again. If she ever awoke again.

Edelgard gritted her teeth, and forced herself back up. She would not allow herself to be vanquished by despair, nor let herself give in to hopelessness. She had found herself in this prison by crawling away from annihilation, and she would not give in yet. Raising her fist again, she prepared to strike-

Then, the impossible happened.

A hideous, wonderful groan reverberated out of the wall as it began to slide away, opening up after so long trapped away. Edelgard nearly collapsed in shock and happiness, but caught herself. This could very well be an enemy. Thales might have found a way to crack open the vault, to tear down her last line of defense. She had to be ready for anything. Edelgard raised her fists to her chin, and prepared.

When the doors finally slid open, a man with long orange hair stood with a finely pressed jacket, and a lance casually by his side. As soon as his eyes landed on her, the weapon clattered to the floor.

"E-edelgard?" Ferdinand's voice trembled.

It sounded just like him, she thought, before her knees gave out.

As always, thanks to Dox for beta reading!

And so we begin part 2, near the anniversary of this fic. Thanks to everyone who's still reading along for all your encouragement and support. I'll hope to get this finished before FE18 is announced!

As for the future, I hope to be able to keep everyone on their toes for what's happened in the past few years on Fodlan- be sure to check out the next few chapters as Edelgard learns what has happened in her absence!