The Three Houses of Hyperdimension

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

by Derald Snyder

Episode 14: Rhea's Melancholy

"No! No please, I'm sorry!" Rhea cried in terror, standing at the edge of a cliff. "I beg your forgiveness!"

"You pathetic piece of shit!" boomed the voice of Lowee's CPU, Blanc, who towered over Rhea with her face shadowed and one angry red eye glowing. "Did you think you could just up and replace me like that?!"

"NO! That was never my intention, I swear...!" Rhea waved her hands frantically.

"Like hell it wasn't!" the giant Blanc shot back, raising up her hammer with one hand. "As CPU of Lowee, I find you guilty of blasphemy! The penalty... is DEATH!"

The giant hammer shot toward the hapless bishop-

*Rhea's Bedroom*

"NOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Rhea shot up in terror, cold sweat on her face. Looking about, however, caused her to realize the truth... "Oh... it was a nightmare. Thank the goddess..." She heaved a sigh of relief as she fell back onto her pillow. As the terror faded, however, she began to recall the actual conversation she'd had with Blanc...

("Why the hell did you even attempt such a thing?! Do you think I'm not good enough or don't fit your description of a goddess?!")

("No! No! No! It had nothing to do with that, I swear...!")

("Then WHY, dammit?!")

("I... I just wanted to see Mother... to hear her voice again...! That was all I wanted!")

("Son of a... it's been centuries- millennia, even- since she was murdered! Not that I'm dismissing your pain and sadness, but don't you think it's time to let it go and move the hell on?!")

("You think I haven't tried, Lady Blanc...?!")

("Then maybe you should try again. At the very least, I don't want you pulling another damn stunt like this EVER AGAIN! Do you hear me?!")

("I'm so sorry! I swear, I'll never do it again...! I beg your forgiveness...!")

Coming back to reality, Rhea realized that fresh tears were streaming down her face... sniffling, she sat up and wiped her face with her forearm. (I need to step out and get some air,) she decided. Pulling off her sheets, she shifted to stand off the bed- and heard a knocking at the door. (Oh no, Seteth must have heard me again...) Shaking her head, the bishop stood and made her way to the door, opening it... "Seteth, please, it's nothing to- huh?"

Nothing but empty space before her. "Down here," she heard a young voice, looking down to see a face she wasn't expecting.

"Oh, little Sothis!" Rhea gasped in mild surprise. "What are you doing up at this time of night?"

"Couldn't sleep," the greenette sighed. "I kinda nodded off waiting for Byleth to come back from that wrestling match with that Hilda, but then he barged in and woke me up in the process. So now he's snoozing away, and I can't get a wink..."

"But why come here, of all places?" Rhea asked.

"Just wandering about, then I got a little lost in the dark," Sothis shrugged. In actuality, she'd been testing her levitation ability, to see just how high she could rise... but when she'd gotten level with the uppermost floor of the monastery, she'd chickened out and pulled herself over the railing. "And then I heard you screaming, so I came this way..."

"Oh... I see," Rhea nodded in comprehension. Pursing her lips as she considered what to say next, she decided on, "Well, it was just a nightmare about Lady Blanc growing giant and smashing me with her hammer..."

"Still upset from her yelling at you?" Sothis guessed.

"I suppose that must be it. But it's nothing to concern yourself over..." Getting an idea, she then said, "Well, since neither of us can sleep now, perhaps we should go for a short walk together. I know this monastery and the academy like the back of my hand, so you shouldn't get lost again..."

"I suppose... but where will we go?" the young girl queried.

"Hmm... perhaps I'll show you a piece of history," Rhea replied, holding out her hand. "Shall we, little Sothis?" Sothis hesitated before accepting the hand, letting Rhea lead her to the stairs... As they went, Rhea saw Seteth standing in the doorway to his chambers, giving him a reassuring smile and nod. The headmaster nodded back in acknowledgement, before going back into his room...

*And so...*

"What's this?" Sothis looked around curiously. The duo had gone into a room adjacent to the northwest corner of the main worship hall, where several tall statues stood sentinel on opposite walls.

"This is where we honor some of the great heroes of the War of Liberation, which helped to establish Lowee as the great nation it is today," Rhea elaborated. Pointing at a pair of statues on the south wall, she stated, "These are the statues of Saint Cichol and his daughter Saint Cethleann, who were said to be the closest to the CPU Candidate Seiros, who gave them both her blessing. However, Cethleann was badly injured near the war's end and went into a coma, Seiros giving her a blood transfusion to try and save her life. Then Cichol took his daughter and vanished, never to be seen again..."

"That's... pretty sad," Sothis noted grimly. "It's true what they say, isn't it, that war is- um, H-E-double hockey sticks...?" She grimaced at nearly cursing.

"...Yes, indeed," Rhea said after a moment. "Of course, legends have it that Cethleann did indeed awaken after a long slumber, she and her father then changing their names so they could live the rest of their lives in quiet peace... of course, there's no proof that it actually happened," she appended.

"And what about Seiros herself? Did she fade away?" Sothis inquired.

"She took Nemesis's sword and vanished, never to be seen again. No one really knows what became of her... before that, however, she prayed for a new ruler that could guide Lowee in peacetime... and after she vanished, the Shares brought forth Tendo, the second proper goddess of Lowee. Now, legends state that Seiros actually assisted Lady Tendo from behind the scenes, but again, there's been no evidence found to support this."

"Huh... interesting," Sothis muttered, deep in thought. (But if she didn't fade away when Tendo was born, could that possibly mean... no, it's been centuries, there's no way...) Aloud she said, "Um, is there anything else you can tell me about Seiros? Her story really intrigues me..." (If only because she was my daughter in my 'previous life'...)

"Hmm..." Rhea lowered her head in thought. "I don't know if there is much to tell outside her role in the war... well, first let's head to somewhere more comfortable, shall we?"

"Okay, Miss Rhea," Sothis agreed, letting the bishop take her hand once more...

*Later that night...*

Byleth pranced around the courtyard frantically, looking to and fro, hoping to see some sign of that familiar long green hair... (She was in my quarters when I turned in, where could she have gone?!) There had been no obvious signs of kidnapping, and he was fairly certain Sothis would have called him telepathically... (Wait, of course!) He closed his eyes and raised his hands to his temples... (Sothis! Sothis, where are you? Answer me!)

(No need to shout! I can hear you just fine!) came the reply. Immediately a wave of relief washed over the professor- if she was speaking with her usual snark, she clearly wasn't in immediate danger.

(Where are you right now?) Byleth asked next.

(In the library. And try to be quiet when you come up here! No point waking the entire academy!) Sothis replied. Smiling to himself, Byleth made his way toward the nearest staircase...

Soon, he had made his way to the library proper, gently opening the doors- and stopping short at the sight. It was Bishop Rhea, clad in a white silk nightgown, her head tilted back with her eyes closed and a content smile on her face, an open book having fallen to the floor by her chair. And laying in her lap was Sothis, also seemingly asleep against her chest with a smile. As Byleth approached, however, the little girl's eyes slid open, her smile segueing into a smirk.

Byleth couldn't help but smile back, part of him wishing he'd brought a camera along...

*Episode 14- End*

A/N: Aww, warm and fuzzy feelings... _