The Three Houses of Hyperdimension

A Fire Emblem: Three Houses & Hyperdimension Neptunia Crossover Fan Fiction

by Derald Snyder

Episode 8: Confidant

"The Death Knight and Flame Emperor..." Bishop Rhea spoke, a look of mild distress on her face. "So those two lost souls still insist on disrupting the harmony at Garreg Mach... and we still don't know if they are working with that same group responsible for your father's murder..."

"It doesn't matter. They tried to take Sothis, so they're no better in my view," Byleth asserted, his face set like granite. "I should have finished Jeritza when I had the chance..."

"To think that former professor was hiding such a disturbed personality under that mask..." Seteth shook his head. "We had run a background check on him, but there was nothing of note, other than a ticket for riding his horse on a highway... someone must have covered up his actual history. Nevertheless, I must caution that you not let yourself be consumed with rage, as you were after Jeralt's murder. Had it not been for the Lowee Guild, you would have run right into the enemy's trap..."

"I'm well aware, Headmaster," Byleth nodded. "Actually... there's something I would like to discuss, with you and you alone. No offense, Lady Rhea."

"With me alone?" Seteth reiterated. "I see... perhaps we can talk in my office, then. If that is all right with you, Lady Rhea?"

"I can't say I understand... but very well," Rhea acquiesced. "But please, know that you can always come to me with your troubles without fear of partiality or prejudice..."

"Maybe I'll tell you later," Byleth allowed. "By your leave." With a brief bow, he and Seteth departed...

*Headmaster's Office*

"Right, no one should hear us in here," Seteth said as he and Byleth sat down across from each other. "Now then, what was it you wished to discuss with me?"

"...It's about Sothis," Byleth began. "I'm sure by now you've noticed something odd about her..."

"I will admit, something about her sets me on edge, though I know not why," Seteth acknowledged. "And then there was that accident with her trying to cast a magic spell yesterday... Not even Lysithea is capable of that kind of destruction, to my knowledge. I daresay that power nearly rivals that of the CPUs themselves..."

"...You're not too far off," Byleth admitted. "I have to stress, what I'm about to tell you is known only to Blanc herself and a few others..."

"I understand. Please proceed, when you are ready."

And so Byleth told him about the presence in his head, how Sothis gave him the power to reverse time, how she began to manifest as a ghost in the real world... "But it wasn't until that event in Lowee City that both she and I learned the truth. Actually, Rei Ryghts was the first to learn it in a discussion with Lady Blanc, who then informed Sothis and later myself, once I had sufficiently recovered from my attempted assassination."

"And what would that be?" Seteth pressed.

The professor took a moment to gather his thoughts, before dropping the bombshell. "...There's a very good chance that Sothis might in fact be the ghost of the first goddess of Lowee herself."

"What...?!" Seteth couldn't help but rear back a little. "But wait, you say she doesn't remember...?"

"No. Even when Miss Ryghts told her, she said it sounded like someone else's story," Byleth shook his head slightly. "The only thing that even gave her a sense of deja vu was the name Seiros, who fought to avenge her mother's death in the War of Liberation..."

"I... I see," Seteth grunted, looking somewhat shaken from the revelation. "But, how is it that this ghost is now a living, breathing person?"

"One of the students I taught at North High turned out to be the very same young man who had been taken by the alien goddess Haruhi Suzumiya on a world tour of Gamindustri, during the crisis with that House of Humiliation," Byleth said. "In fact, he was the one who hired Rei Ryghts to begin with."

"Are you saying that... you actually met the alien goddess?!" Seteth asked in disbelief.

"Only briefly, but yes. Turns out she'd been keeping a eye on that John Smith since she went back home. And it's a good thing she did, because her avatar foiled an attempt by the one operative of 'those who slither in the dark' to take him hostage when she was confronted at her school that she'd infiltrated. Anyway, she used a spell she said was used by magi from her home galaxy to summon heroic spirits from history to do battle for them. So Sothis' form is now linked to my mana reserves, which is fine since I have little talent for magic myself..."

"Ah, that just might explain how she was able to cast such a potent spell," Seteth nodded. "But what was her motivation for doing such?"

"Honestly, I think she just felt sorry for Sothis' situation and wanted to help somehow," Byleth replied. "But, being a summoned battle spirit means that she's not going to age, which could cause problems a year or so down the line when people realize she's not getting any taller..."

"Which means the truth would inevitably be discovered, unless you left Garreg Mach and never returned," Seteth said in comprehension. "Well, I can certainly see why you didn't want to tell Lady Rhea at this time..."

"Right. Although the way she acts around Sothis, I can't help but wonder if she suspects something already..." Byleth mused.

"It might be possible, if only on a subconscious level," Seteth nodded in response. "Perhaps you already know this, but the reason Lady Rhea is so dedicated to the memory of the first goddess is because she reminds her greatly of her own mother, whom she loved dearly but lost at a young age..."

"Yes... Lady Blanc told me that my mother Sitri was an attempt by Rhea to revive her mother from the dead," Byleth said hesitantly. "Which makes me Rhea's grandson by technicality."

"Indeed... and the CPU made it quite clear that Lady Rhea should never attempt such a thing again," Seteth responded. "And to be frank, I agree with her. Which, again, is why I understand that you only wished to tell me and not her, at least for the time being. But I thank you for trusting me enough to confide in me about this."

"Right... hopefully, once things settle down, and this business with the Flame Emperor and 'those who slither in the dark' is done and over with... maybe then we can inform her," Byleth postulated.

"Perhaps. But that may still be a ways off," Seteth said, standing up, Byleth doing the same. "Well then, I will take some time to try and plan the best course forward... and maybe ask Sothis herself some questions later on, if she is willing."

"...I can't promise anything, but we'll see," Byleth allowed. "I'm just glad I was able to get this off my chest to someone else..."

"Indeed, I know what it is like to keep such a heavy secret," Seteth concurred, "such as the truth about my relation with Flayn..."

"I've told no one else that she's actually your daughter," Byleth affirmed. "Speaking of which, I should head to the dormitories to pick up Sothis from Claude's room." He turned to leave, but the moment he opened the door, he was surprised to see Claude and Sothis just beyond! "Wh- what are you two doing here?!"

"Teach! You are NOT gonna believe this!" Claude gasped. "We were playing Ultimate Smash, when a new DLC character dropped..."

"And it's you!" Sothis finished. "I don't know how, but you're in Smash!"

"...Wait, what?" the professor blinked in disbelief.

*Episode 8- End*

A/N: Talk about mood whiplash at the end there...