The Three Houses of Hyperdimension

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

by Derald Snyder

Episode 31: Investigation, Day 2 (Part 3)

Court Record:

-Headmaster's Affidavit

-Bishop Rhea's Affidavit

-Flame Emperor's Mask

-Broken Axe

-Bloody Sword

-Remote Claw

-Wrecked Gauntlets

-Security Footage

-Byleth's Testimony

-Young Yoshisaur

April 16

Garreg Mach Military Academy

West Courtyard

As Rei, Byleth and the others emerged from the passageway to Abyss, several of them were blinded by the sun, blinking to try and get the spots out of their eyes. "Ah, reminds me of when I first emerged from prison after being exonerated," Simon Blackquill reminisced. Taka was apparently glad to be outside as well, taking flight and soaring over the roofs of the academy facilities.

"Hopefully Edelgard will be able to experience that feeling soon as well," Sothis half-snarked.

"Hmph. That remains to be seen," Blackquill sniffed. "Now, time to head back to Enbarr, Miss Hresvelg. And you and Hubert will be kept as far apart as possible, so he doesn't attempt any further shenanigans..."

"I understand. I only request that you show him some mercy, Prosecutor Blackquill," Edelgard replied.

"That will depend on how your trial turns out," Blackquill said as he began to lead her away. "Until we meet in battle tomorrow, Miss Ryghts. And hopefully you bring a sharp enough sword..."

"I really hope you meant that figuratively," Sothis muttered under her breath.

"We'll see you again at trial tomorrow, Edelgard!" Byleth called after them. His yelling attracted the attention of Ferdinand in the distance, who upon seeing Edelgard, began to chase after her and Blackquill...

"Look out, you fool!" Sothis warned- but it was too late.

(screeeech!) "Aaagghh!" Ferdinand cried as Taka attacked him, falling to his knees and covering his head with his arms. "Help! A feral hawk is assaulting me...!" Thankfully Blackquill called Taka back with a whistle, the bird promptly flying off. "W-what was that all about...?!"

"The prosecutor's pet bird," Sothis sighed as she and Byleth walked up with Rei bringing up the rear. "That idiot Hubert teleported Edelgard to Abyss, so we had to go down there to get her..."

"He did?" Ferdinand grunted, looking around to make sure the bird was gone before standing back up. "Well, that explains why he didn't return with the rest of us... but why would he do such a thing?"

"He was paranoid about assassins," Byleth answered, "from those who slither in the dark... but after this, Edelgard is going to be watched much more closely, so they likely won't have a chance to get at her anyway..."

"But why resort to assassination? What has Edelgard done to them?" Ferdinand asked in confusion.

The trio exchanged glances, wondering how to explain what Edelgard had told them... "Umm... d-did Edelgard ever t-tell you th-that she had several b-brothers and sisters...?" Rei began.

"Yes, I was aware," Ferdinand nodded. "Father told me that they had all taken ill and that Edelgard was the only one who recovered from the disease... such a terrible tragedy."

"Your father lied to you, peon," Rei suddenly shifted to her 'final boss' persona. "They weren't sick, they were experimented on. And your father was one of the people who sanctioned said experiments."

"Wh-what?!" Ferdinand recoiled in shock.

"Ferdinand," Byleth stepped forward, placing a a hand on his student's shoulder. "I know this must be difficult to hear. I'm sure you love your father dearly, but surely you must have suspected that he was corrupt at some point..."

For once the 'noblest of nobles' was speechless, looking down at the ground... he raised a hand to his chest, clenching it into a fist, clearly having some sort of internal debate... "Actually..." he looked up again, "there's something I need to show you. Would you accompany me back to my dormitory?"

"Lead the way," Rei nodded.

April 16

Garreg Mach Military Academy

Ferdinand's Dorm Room

Upon arrival, Ferdinand went to a small locker with a combination lock, turning the dial in the proper sequence to pop said lock open. That done, he opened the locker and pulled out some papers, before turning to face Byleth and the others... "Truth be told... I had already discovered proof of my father's corruption some time ago. I realized it while going through his tax documents, which I discreetly made photocopies of... I thought I could build a solid case against him while I attended the academy..."

"Wait, really?! You were planning to throw your father under the bus, as they say?!" Sothis said in mild disbelief.

"'Twas not a decision I made lightly," Ferdinand shook his head. "But what kind of noble would I be if I turned a blind eye to such wrongdoing, even by my own father? A true noble is one who is upright and a shining example for others to follow, not someone who believes themselves above the law!"

"...Wow. And they say I'm wise beyond my years," Sothis said in near awe, Byleth chuckling and smiling.

"Even if what y-you say is t-true, it's not exactly relevant t-to the c-case at hand..." Rei couldn't help but point out.

"Maybe not, but I'm aware of Edelgard wishing to root out corruption in Adrestia's government... which unfortunately means that my father has a vested interest in ensuring that never comes to pass." Offering the documents to Rei, he said, "Perhaps, if he does the unthinkable and tries to rig the trial tomorrow..."

"Miss Ryghts could use this evidence to cut him off at the knees, so to speak," Sothis comprehended.

"Well, if you insist, I'll h-hold on to th-these f-for now..." Rei said as she took the papers from Ferdinand.

Tax Documents have been added to the Court Record.*

"Sadly, this is all that I can do for you," Ferdinand noted somberly. "So, I wish you good fortune at the trial tomorrow..."

"Thanks, I'll p-probably need it," Rei replied.

April 16

Garreg Mach Military Academy

Outside Dormitory

As the trio exited the dorms, they saw Claude discussing something with Marianne... the former soon spotted them, however, running up to them. "Hey Teach, Sothis! ...Miss Ryghts. So how's the trial and stuff going? Any leads?"

"N-not really..." Rei sighed and shook her head. "We f-found the yoshisaur th-that Edelgard was c-caring for on the night of th-the attack..."

"Yoshi!" the critter in question exclaimed, though it seemed a bit disoriented from the sunlight.

"Oh! It's so cute!" Marianne gasped in surprise. "So this is the reason for those rumors about her sneaking off..."

"Yeah, but since Hubert teleported Edelgard to Abyss underneath here, that Blackquill is probably gonna argue that Hubert was the one who teleported her to Enbarr to attack Count Bergliez," Sothis sighed.

"Wait, so I wasn't seeing things when I thought I saw Edelgard getting escorted out?" Claude realized. "What was that Hubert guy thinking?!"

"He was paranoid about assassins, to be blunt," Byleth spoke. "The thing is, the assailant was confirmed by Count Bergliez himself to have Edelgard's face and voice... the only thing that doesn't fit is her fighting style."

"Yeah, and in that fight in the Holy Tomb, the Flame Emperor and Edelgard were perfectly evenly matched!" Sothis pointed out. "So why would they do so lousy against Count Bergliez, the greatest warrior of Adrestia?"

"Maybe the culprit was trying to lose...?" Marianne suggested.

"Yeah, but why would they do that?" Claude shrugged. "Unless the point was to try and frame Edelgard from the start..."

"But how could they imitate her voice?" Sothis countered. "Blackquill confirmed in court today that it was Edelgard's voice that Count Bergliez heard, by having Edelgard herself recite the line!"

"I dunno, maybe they made an evil clone of her or something?" Claude joked.

(Wait... clone?) Rei thought to herself, her eyes going wide... then she began to shake, her lips splitting into a sinister grin... "HAAAA-hahahahahaaaa!" she abruptly laughed, causing everyone to recoil in shock. "Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant! To think a peon like you would connect the dots that I missed!"

"Wait, what?! I was joking!" Claude gasped.

"No, she's right! If those who slither in the dark were doing experiments to try and implant Maker genes in humans... then making a straight clone would be child's play for them!" Sothis exclaimed.

"But... how could you even prove that?" Marianne fretted.

"First, by showing them it's possible," Rei began. "After all, I have a clone of my very own!"

"You do?!" Sothis gasped, her eyes wide in surprise.

"Yes, she's currently in jail for theft. Professor, do you know where a fax machine might be?" Rei asked. "I need to get Tenten's file from the Lowee City Police Department..."

"I think Professor Hanneman has a fax in his office," Byleth recalled.

"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go!" Claude declared...

April 16

Garreg Mach Military Academy

Professor Hanneman's Office

"I appreciate you letting us do this," Byleth said to Hanneman.

"Oh, no trouble at all!" Hanneman chuckled. "I must admit, I was quite fascinated at how a human like Miss Ryghts could suddenly become a CPU, her berserk rampage notwithstanding. How exactly did that happen, by the way?"

"Ask my counterpart in Ultradimension," Rei growled. "She was an ancient goddess who decided to give me some of her power to help me grow a spine... At least she acknowledges what a massive foul-up THAT was..." She returned her attention to the fax machine as it finished the last of the printout, gathering the papers in her arms and bringing them over to the nearby desk, stapling them together.

Tenten File has been added to the Court Record.*

"As for my clone," Rei changed the subject, "some bastards from Leanbox managed to get a sample of my blood to try and create their own CPU... Tenten was their tenth attempt and the first one who remained stable... but she couldn't access HDD, so they tossed her out on her rear."

"And thus, she turned to stealing to survive?" Hanneman deduced.

"Yeah, and made something of a career out of it, becoming one of those infamous 'phantom thieves' or whatever you call them," Rei added. "Anyway, with this, I should be able to convince Count Hevring that it's indeed possible that Edelgard was cloned..."

"But how would those guys get a DNA sample to begin with?" Claude pondered.

"I think I know," Byleth with his head bowed and a fist to his chin. "That Monica, who turned out to be an assassin named Kronya. She spent quite a bit of time with Edelgard before... making her move." His expression hardened at recalling his father's death.

"But that doesn't make sense. The Flame Emperor first appeared when we were rescuing Flayn and found that fake Monica!" Claude countered.

"But all they did was tell the Death Knight to stand down," Byleth recalled. "It's entirely possible that there was someone else behind the mask at that time... remember, those who slither in the dark are masters of deception and disguise. We can't assume anything when it comes to them... Professor Hanneman, could you print out the file on the fake Monica?"

"Most certainly. Anything for the sake of justice!" Hanneman agreed.

Monica File has been added to the Court Record.*

"Um..." Marianne tried to speak up. "Um, Miss Ryghts, I... would it be possible to.. talk in private?"

"Whatever for, Marianne?" Byleth asked, nonplussed.

"Um, there's just something I want to ask her, personally... I-I don't know if I'll get another chance like this..." Marianne fretted.

Byleth and Rei exchanged uncertain glances. "Well, i-if it won't take t-too long, I g-guess it's fine..." Rei said.

"Thank you. Um, let's go the graveyard and talk there..." the bluenette suggested.

April 16

Garreg Mach Military Academy

Graveyard

The graveyard in question was somewhat small in size, only about six gravesites visible, with one lacking a headstone, indicating it was still unoccupied. "S-so, what d-did you want w-with me?" Rei asked.

"Um... how much do you know about your family?" Marianne ventured hesitantly.

"M-my family...?" Rei blinked several times. Of all questions she had been expecting, that hadn't been one of them. "Um, actually, I-I was raised i-in an orphanage... I d-don't know anything about my b-blood relatives..."

"You were...?! Oh, I see..." Marianne bowed her head. "I didn't know..."

"B-but why d-did you want t-to ask about that in th-the first p-place?" Rei inquired.

"Well... I'm actually adopted myself," the bluenette began. "B-but I was old enough to remember my birth parents... they left me with my adoptive father after your, um, rampage in Planeptune... I didn't quite understand at the time, until I saw a picture of you on the Internep..." She paused for a moment, trying to steel herself... "You see... my birth father... he had a horn a lot like yours, except smaller..."

"Wha... HUH?!" Rei's eyes shrunk to white circles upon hearing the bombshell. "H-he had a h-horn... like mine?!"

"Uh-huh... so my adoptive father did a DNA search, and... it turns out we might be s-second cousins..."

A low piano chord sounded in Rei's head as she went white with shock. (This girl... my cousin?!)

"I-I'm sorry, I know this must be a shock to you. It certainly was to me..." Marianne said. "Unfortunately, the results were leaked, and my adoptive father and I were forced to move out of Planeptune to Lowee, settling in Leicester province to try and start over... ever since then, I believed that my blood has been cursed..."

"C-cursed...?" Rei trailed off, tears at the corners of her eyes. (All because of what I did...) Gently gripping the student's shoulders, she said, "Miss Marianne, you are NOT cursed! I-it was d-due to my c-counterpart th-that I became a berserk f-final boss... it has nothing t-to do with my b-bloodline! You're not g-going to become a monster like I d-did...!"

"Y... you're sure?" Marianne asked uncertainly.

"Absolutely. I was a spineless little girl before that damn fairy came and shoved that dark power down my throat!" Rei hissed. "She's the one at fault! Not me, and not our blood!" Realizing she was slipping into her HDD persona, she took a breath to calm herself down. "Listen, have you ever felt the urge to start destroying stuff? To look down on others? To grind them beneath your heel?"

"Um, well, no..." Marianne grunted.

"Then you are NOT cursed, got it?!" Rei hissed. "You should be thankful that you don't have to deal with that temptation like I do! I might have a better handle on it these days, but it's still a struggle sometimes..."

"Oh, I... I see," Marianne nodded. "Um, I'm sorry if I upset you..."

"N-no, it's fine," Rei said as she released her grip and backed off a little. "I mean, th-there's a part of me th-that's actually happy I have a relative th-that isn't a c-clone or an alternate me... a-and I p-promise I won't t-tell anyone about this. I'll leave it up t-to you..."

"Thank you... I'll probably tell the professor, at least," Marianne responded. "But... this feels like a great weight has been lifted off my mind... I'm glad it's not my blood that's cursed... just my family legacy... that's likely why my parents gave me up for adoption. Father must have seen a picture of you and put two and two together..."

"I-I'm so very sorry that this happened to you..." Rei bowed in remorse. "E-even if I had no idea w-what happened until n-now... um, b-but maybe, if you want, a-after you graduate, you c-can come and v-visit me in Lowee City sometime..."

"Maybe I will..." Marianne replied, her lips segueing into a gentle smile. "Thank you so much for hearing me out, Miss Ryghts... um, I'll take my leave so you can get back to your job. Good luck defending Miss Edelgard..." With a curtsy, she turned and left.

"Um, you're welcome!" Rei called after her, before starting to make her way back to Byleth's quarters...

Episode 31- End*