Bababooey

Chapter X

"Good evening, Professor," I said, easing open the door to Byleth's office. Dusk was drawing close, and I wanted to get this out of the way as quickly as possible. She appraised me with a blank expression.

"Same to you. Speaking of, thank you for helping out in the Mausoleum."

"Thank you. I just swung by because I wanted to commend you on your leadership and tactics during the fight," I elaborated. "I would also like to apologize for questioning your strategy. I am… not accustomed to fighting alongside others."

"I wouldn't have guessed," the mercenary stated.

I sighed, clasping my hands behind my head. "There's a lot of things people wouldn't guess about me. Like how old I am. So far, everyone who's hazarded an estimate has been wildly wrong…" Normally I wouldn't bring up my own age like this, but I had to make a point.

Byleth blinked. "I would have said you were eleven."

I pretended to be shocked. "Eleven? You wound me, Professor! I'll have you know I'm at least twelve. Give or take a half. Maybe."

"So you're twelve." Her cadence was completely unchanged.

"If that makes you feel correct, then sure. Joke's on me, though– I don't actually know my age, myself. Where I grew up, there weren't really seasons, so a 'year' was the amount of time it took for a certain tree to grow another ring. I was twenty rings old when I left home for the first time. That made me… ten? Ish? After that, no idea." Basically every word of that was a blatant lie, but…

"I think you're just being difficult," she droned, shaking her head.

"Well, obstinately, yes," I confessed. "But that's not all. Here, I'll give you a hint." I glanced over my shoulder, then took a step forward. My voice was hushed. "In a distant land, there exists a clan called the Garo. To die without a trace… that is their way. That was how I chose to die when I was impaled on the end of the Death Knight's scythe." I let the words hang in the air. "But you… you turned back the hands of the metaphorical clock just to save me. I'm flattered, really."

Byleth froze, mouth hanging open in silence as though she was frozen in time. I assumed it was shock. I stepped back, a coy grin on my features.

"I'm aware of your little timeloop," I explained. "I don't know how you do it, and I would be an idiot to begrudge you for it. Your secret is safe with me. Just… be careful, Professor. Playing god will only get you hurt. Take it from me. I would know."

With that, I turned to exit the room, leaving the ex-mercenary to presumably panic internally over the situation. She was doing an excellent job of not showing it. She'd be fine. Probably.

"How did you–"

"Well, you just told me, for starters," I said cheekily, my hand on the doorknob. "More importantly, your strategy changed between loops. Instead of hugging the flanks and avoiding the Death Knight, you elected to force our way through. And it worked. Fortunately. Let me tell you– I was not looking forward to being skewered like a rabbit again."

I pushed the door open. "What do you say we keep this… ugliness to ourselves? If you speak nothing of it, I'll do the same. No strings attached."

I stepped outside and closed the door behind me. It felt good to be vindicated.

"Hey, Shamir? How do you think I've been doing with my bow lately?" Cyril was asking. "Think I'm getting pretty good? I hit closer to the bullseye today, and that felt real good." I was waiting on the training grounds for Byleth and the Blue Lions to show up– I had volunteered to help run some group exercises. They were twelve seconds late– absolutely unforgivable, in my opinion. Nobody had any sense of timeliness in this Goddesses-forsaken place. Although, if they were perhaps hoping to start later to avoid the worst of the humidity, I could understand that. Hopefully said humidity would die down as the Blue Sea Moon gave way to the Verdant Rain Moon, a turnover that would happen in just two days.

"You were fine," came the flat response.

"'Fine'? That might be the nicest thing you ever said to me, Shamir."

"You take too many direct shots, though." I blinked in slight surprise. I had only ever shot directly straight and it had worked out just fine for me. Then again, I always had Navi or Tatl to do the targeting for me. And I hadn't shot anyone over exceedingly long distances in a long time.

"But it's easier if you shoot straight," Cyril argued, echoing my thoughts exactly.

"Of course it is. But if you can hit your enemy with a straight shot, you're too close. Tell me, Cyril– what's an archer's greatest weakness?" Surely it was the time it took to nock an arrow and fire it?

"Ummm… when we get too close to the enemy and we can't shoot the way we're supposed to?" Oh. That was completely different. I had never had that problem. I guess that meant I was just intrinsically better.

Obviously, Katáktisi commented.

I was being sarcastic.

"Exactly. As an archer, your position is critical. Know exactly how far the enemy is and keep a minimum safe distance. Understood?"

"You mean to stay away from the enemies but not too far away that my arrows can't hit them."

"So you understand why you can't rely on straight shots," Shamir nodded. "You have to use curved shots as well. Never run up to your target. Hit them from a safe range– shoot 'em from a safe distance with curved shots. Archers should always control the battlefield."

"Okay, yeah, I get that," Cyril ceded. "I'm gonna go practice some of those curved shots right now."

"You're not a bad student. If nothing else, you have the right attitude."

"You think so?"

"Keep it up."

"I will."

I watched as Cyril headed out. Shamir departed the opposite direction. And here I was left. All alone. Why was I not surprised?

Well, I guess I could take mental inventory. Swords? Safely stored in my pouch. Bombs? Still rocking thirty-eight or so, and fifty Bombchus. My Hookshot was in mint condition. My bow could use some minor upkeep, but it wasn't anything pressing. My bottle collection was untouched, including the four or so I had, ah, liberated from Fhirdiad. I was up to twelve now– it would be a lie to say it couldn't well be in the thousands if I was less picky. But half the art of bottle collecting was for the stories they told, the secrets only they and I knew. Most of them were filled with rations, although I had some emergency Red and Green potions for use in a pinch. No Chateau Romani, though. That stuff was expensive.

Back on track. The transformation masks, alongside Katáktisi, remained hidden underneath a false bottom in my deceptively deep pouch. It must have been dreadfully boring for the Crestwraith itself.

Not so, the parasite assured. We are bonded; I see through your eyes, hear through your ears. That mask is little more than a conduit for my power. That was… reassuring.

Ah. There they were.

"Individually, you're all doing great," Byleth lauded in that very uninspiring way of theirs. "I have no complaints on that front for any of you. However– fighting alone and fighting together are two very different things. That's what we're going to need to work on starting now. In the interest of fairness, it's going to be five versus five. Both Dimitri and I will take turns assembling a team from the rest of you. Since there are an odd number of us, I've requisitioned Link for this exercise– you might remember him from the Holy Mausoleum."

"Hi," I said. Nobody reacted except for Dedue, of all people, who gave me a small nod of acknowledgement. "Just as a heads-up– turns out I can't stay past four o'clock, because they got a new shipment of furniture for the Academy dorms and I have to be onsite for that. I would get that done later tonight, but I'm on Manuela Duty starting at seven until whenever she decides to go to sleep, which could be anywhere from midnight to the Red Wolf Moon." My eyes locked onto the strange sword resting at the professor's hip. I recognized it as the one from the Holy Mausoleum. They let her keep that? I was surprised.

"That's fine– it still leaves us three hours, which is more than enough time," Byleth explained. "So, Dimitri– you get the first pick."

Dedue? "Dedue." Knew it.

"Ingrid."

"Felix."

"Mercedes."

"Ashe."

"Sylvain."

"Annette."

"Which leaves me with Link." I got that I was a child, but I still couldn't help but feel hurt. We split across the training ground, five versus five. Team Byleth had the benefit of a healer in Mercedes and a lot of mobility in Sylvain and Ingrid– plus the tactical advantage of having the professor– but Team Dimitri had a lot of damage in himself, Felix, and Dedue, with additional distance support via Ashe and Annette.

"On a scale of one to seventeen, how much of my arsenal should I actually use?" I couldn't help but ask.

"Seventeen," came Byleth's very calm reply. I took a double take.

"Alright." She definitely didn't know what she had just agreed to, but orders were orders.

Does that mean–

No, Katáktisi. It does not.

Very well.

At some unseen command, we threw ourselves at each other. I found myself sandwiched in between Ingrid and Sylvain, as the walls of steel named Dedue, Dimitri, and Felix all but bowled over us. They had certainly improved since the last time we had fought, but I knew I had improved too. Not enough to surpass them per se, but enough to close the gap at least a couple of hairs' breadths. I used my smaller statue to somersault between Dedue's legs, Byleth taking my place in keeping the three opponents from reaching Mercedes. Now that I was behind the enemy line, I would be able to hopefully eliminate their distance fighters, allowing my team ranged superiority.

Ashe and Annette quickly understood what I was going for, because they quickly focused their attention on me. But that was nothing a well-placed Deku Nut couldn't fix…

The resounding bang and vibrant light filled the arena. Only myself, Dimitri, and Dedue were at all prepared for it. Before they could recover, I was upon them, swinging and thrusting with ferocious speed. More! Katáktisi cheered with reckless abandon, and I felt a beautiful, terrible impetus surge through my veins.

They knew to yield. Good, I turned back and–

It occurred to me that maybe I should have given some level of warning to my allies about the Deku Nuts beforehand. Because in the space of time that it had taken for me to deal with Ashe and Annette, the other three managed to fold to Dimitri, Dedue, and Felix, who had doubled back to face me. As far as I could tell, Mercedes was still in it, but even with her help, I couldn't win the three on one.

Well, not fairly.

"You have no chance," Felix drawled.

"As long as I'm breathing, there's still a chance," I countered. "For example, all three of you could have simultaneous heart attacks and all keel over where you stand."

"That is ridiculous," stated Dedue.

"It's a chance. Speaking of which, mind holding this?" Before the Duscurian could respond, I had darted forward and shoved a lit bomb into his hands. "Thanks!" Fortunately, Dedue recovered quickly enough from the surprise; he threw the bomb into the air just before it burst, where it exploded harmlessly. I had only ever intended to use it as a distraction. I was already throwing myself forward, throwing another Deku Nut to disorient them further. I was going to need speed, power, and surprise to win– and I had at least one of those.

I decided to target Dedue first– Felix and Dimitri would be able to retreat into Dedue's sphere of influence if I tried to engage them. Better to remove the larger man from the equation entirely.

As soon as the light faded, I hit Dedue with three consecutive blasts of Din's Fire. Conveniently, I was also able to catch the other two in the radius. The flames were enough to take the Duscurian out of the fight, which was surprising– I guess he was just weaker against magic. Good to know.

Felix and Dimitri looked at each other and nodded in some silent communion. It was all the communication they needed, as they swiftly pounced in perfect sync. I was out of magic, they were too close to use bombs or a bow, and Deku Nuts wouldn't work on them anymore. Each of them would have been able to outclass me at this range on my own, but fighting together I stood less of a chance than a Deku Scrub outside its nest. It still didn't hurt to try, so for what it was worth I continued the fight, getting some convenient healing from Mercedes.

But it wasn't enough. It was never enough. I had to lock blades with Felix, only to nearly be gutted by His Highness. When I tried to disengage to pick one off, the other would always rush in. I really had no choice but to capitulate if I wanted to be at peak performance in subsequent rounds.

"You know what? I got one, and I'm happy with that. I surrender."

"Team Dimitri wins," the professor announced. "Link, what was that?"

"Deku Nuts," I explained. "They grow where I'm from. You throw them, and they make a big old flash when they hit the ground."

"I was referring more to the live explosive." If she was supposed to be exasperated, she did a terrible job of showing it.

"I don't see the problem, it was just one bomb. In my defense, I did ask you if I could use it and you gave me the go-ahead."

"Even still, how was–"

"Death Knight."

Silence. The rest of the class was probably wondering what the Death Knight had to do with my explosives. Byleth was most likely weighing what to say, although she did not let her expression betray her thoughts.

"Fair enough," the professor acquiesced. "Just… don't use explosives during spars. We're trying to improve as a team, not kill each other."

"Of course. It was a distraction play more than anything– the fuses take, like, five seconds to burn out. If anyone gets actually hurt by it, it's their own fault, really."

"Okay." Byleth clasped her hands, ignoring the last bit of my tirade. Understandable. "Let's repeat this exercise with different captains. Felix, Sylvain– you're captains. We'll start with Sylvain." The red-haired youth shot his best winning smile at the professor herself. "Alright then," she stated, heading over to stand behind Sylvain.

"Annette," Felix ordered. That was a surprise.

"Ingrid." I was beginning to sense a theme here.

"Boar." Why did Felix call Dimitri Boar, anyway? It wasn't his name, his surname, or his middle name. It was just… weird.

"Mercedes." Yup. Definitely a theme there.

"Ashe."

"... Dedue." Ouch, separating lord and vassal. That was rough. Honestly, what hurt more was that I was being picked last… again. I guessed it made sense– this was a team-building exercise for the Blue Lions, and last I checked I wasn't even a student.

Golden Goddesses, I hated Manuela Duty. Sure, it was less demanding while the sun was up, as opposed to real nighttime, but being constrained to one location made me stir-crazy pretty quick. I'd rather be doing something, helping someone, as opposed to just waiting for something to maybe happen. Being stuck in the general vicinity of Professor Manuela in some random hole-in-the-wall establishment down an alley in Remire was utterly stifling. That being said, it wasn't like I could just blow it off– if something happened to the ex-diva, I could never forgive myself.

"Hey Link!" shouted Annette from the other side of the dining hall.

"Hello, Annette," I replied, scooping up several dirty plates from off the table. The conduct of some of these students was outright ridiculous– who doesn't clean up after themselves when they're done eating? The Church was always going on and on about how 'cleanliness is godliness' and all that. One would think that in Garreg Mach, at least, people would be more careful about their actions– especially a third of the way through the year. Especially with Rhea and Seteth breathing down everyone's necks. "Is there anything I can do for you?"

"I just had a teeny, tiny favor to ask," she said, twirling with one of her pigtails. I was pretty sure that those hoop structures were pigtails. "You wouldn't happen to have seen a man with hair the same color as mine, a scowling face, and a generally gloomy demeanor… have you?"

I tried to place that description on anyone I had met in Garreg Mach. Alas, nobody came to mind. "I'm going to need a little more information than that," I said, whipping out my notebook and furiously scribbling additional notes.

"Wow! When Mercie said you were meticulous, she wasn't kidding!"

"Mercedes recommended me?" I was touched.

"Yeah! She told me about that time you first met, and–"

"Hard for me to forget falling down the stairs," I interjected. "Not exactly the introduction I would have hoped for."

She laughed. "Anyways… um… He's about thirty-five centimeters taller than me, couple gray hairs, couple scars on his face–"

"Does this mystery person have a name?"

"I guess he'd be going by Gustave?" She said that funny. Come to think of it, that name sounded… vaguely familiar…

"Hmm… it rings a bell, but I can't quite place it," I admitted. "I promise I'll keep an eye out. How's that sound?"

"Ooh, that'd be great! Thanks a– oh Goddess, I think I see him over there!" Annette quickly skipped full-tilt out of the dining hall, humming a jaunty little tune as she went. If I had to put her on a sliding scale between Mercedes and Hubert in terms of softness, she'd land just shy of Flayn. Not quite a human marshmallow… more like a human cinnamon roll.

"Bah! Who left this stupid barrel here?"

I let the sounds of the mess hall overtake me, but I was able to pick out one set of sounds over some of the others. I glanced up discretely, and noticed the white-haired leader of the Black Eagle house chatting with… I was blanking on her name.

"It's not a question of can or cannot," she was saying. "All that matters is doing it and doing it right. The nobility system has only been around for twelve hundred years. The concept didn't exist before that."

I like the direction this is going, Katáktisi chimed in.

"'Only' twelve hundred years, huh?" Dorothea– oh yeah, that was it! Her name was Dorothea! "Ha. You always say such preposterous things, Edie." Edie… Was that a pet name for Edelgard von Hresvelg? That seemed to be the only logical explanation. "Yet somehow, you actually make it work for you. It's like you're a character from an opera."

"A character from an opera… hm. If an opera is made about my life someday, I wonder how I'll be portrayed. The revolutionary who guided the Empire to a new dawn… or the foolish ruler who took her revolution too far…"

Was I… supposed to be hearing this? Eh, it was probably just metaphorical. Honestly, I wasn't entirely sure why I was listening in the first place.

"Well, that all sounds pretty violent. But either way, it would make an incredible opera. Do you figure it would be a grand action piece full of combat and strife? Or would you prefer a somber political drama?"

Dorothea threw her head back and started singing in a beautiful soprano. "Hail the mighty Edelgard, though red blood stains her story… Heavy though her crown may be, she will lead us all to glory… To a brighter dawn, we shall carry on… Hail, Edelgard!" She was pretty good, actually. An idea popped into my mind, persistent as a gnat– if only I could communicate through a similar medium. The tempo, the cadence of her singing… if I replicated that with my ocarina, it may speak of Hyrule and Termina in ways that words would not suffice. I was currently busy right now, but I would have to pencil that in at a later date.

"That's quite enough, Dorothea," Edelgard hastened to say. "I'm starting to feel more than a little embarrassed. Lovely as your voice may be, let's just hope that any operatic productions are still a ways off."

"Um, good evening, Link," Mercedes greeted unevenly. "I'm surprised to see you out this late– almost no one ever is at this hour."

"I could say the same to you, Mercedes," I replied as warmly as I could. "What brings you to this particular corner of the monastery?"

"I was wrapping up my evening prayers, and I decided to take another way back to my room," she explained. "I wasn't expecting to run into anyone, though. What brings you to this part of the monastery?"

"The professor needed help tracking down some lost items," I said, "so I'm searching for anything that's been misplaced. I'm also doing grounds maintenance so that Claire and I don't have to do it later. It just gives me something to do."

"My goodness! It's so late, yet you're doing all this work. That must be exhausting," Mercedes breathed. "Try not to overtax yourself, alright? We wouldn't want you to wear yourself out. I only ever seem to see you working during the day; it's not healthy to work all night too."

"I'm used to it at this point," I tried to placate. "You don't have to worry about me, Mercedes. I've been living like this since long before I came to the monastery."

"Well, if that's how you feel, then I can't disagree. But I think it's necessary to give yourself a break every now and again. The mind has a tendency to make mistakes when you've exhausted yourself… in my case, I seem to make mistakes even when I'm awake."

"I'm sure it's not that bad," I assured, picking myself up off of the ground.

"I'm always mixing up dates for drills or misplacing things… just last week, I spent an entire weekend studying for a test that didn't exist. My mind can be so scatterbrained sometimes. Anyways, where was I…"

"You were saying something about me overexerting myself?" I supplied.

"Oh, right! I was saying that you shouldn't push yourself too hard. We don't think any less of you because of your age– or at least, I don't. Is there anything I can do to assist you with all the things that you do? If it's alright with you, I'd be happy to help you with anything you need."

"That's very kind of you, but I wouldn't want to be a bother–"

"It'll be fine! I may be clumsy, but I'll get better over time. Please see me if you ever think of anything!"

"I…" I hesitated. "I will. Thanks, Mercedes." I was a liar.

I want some answers, Katáktisi.

There are many questions. You must be more specific.

About Tomas. And 'Tomas'. And Caiaphas. And you.

I told you to keep your tongue inside your mouth where it belongs, when last you tried to broach this topic.

I don't care, Katáktisi. I'm your Champion, so you had better fess up.

I could feel the mask's frustration building, like the buzzing of a mosquito inside my ear canal. And why, it hissed, should your status as my Champion mean anything?

Because we're partners. I'm your avatar, your conduit to the real world. If you never tell me anything, how am I supposed to know if I'm making some horrible blunder?

The Fierce Deity did the closest thing to baring its teeth that a sapient disembodied voice could possibly manage. In this instance, ignorance is safety.

Forget that. If I'm really your Champion and not your host, you should darn well start treating me like it!

Silence.

Why, you– Katáktisi sighed. There were four of us– Aγωνία, Μιζέρια, Φρίκη, and myself. We were forged by a man named Lord Epimenides, in an attempt to create artificial Crests.

I translated the new ancient names… Agony, Misery, Horror, and Conquest. Artificial Crests? Like Hanneman's research? Speaking of which, I would have to get back to him on those results for the Professor. I had been too busy to get around to it.

Aye. We were… not the intended outcome. But we, the Crestwraiths as we were named, had the ability to feed on the power of those who wore us– our hosts. We were used in the War of Heroes to consume Nabateans, and use their power against their allies.

So you're… a parasite?

Effectively.

Then, was Majora… like you?

Yes. The one you call Majora is truly named Μιζέρια. We were deployed at the Battle of the Tailteann Plains in the War of Heroes… and we lost. Φρίκη was destroyed by Saint Serios. I know not what happened to Aγωνία, but presumably it was retrieved. What is known to me is that Μιζέρια and I escaped in the aftermath. Then we… fell into an Outrealm Rift. A Perpendicularity, as you understand it.

I let out a breath I didn't realize I was holding.

We found that we could not return to Fodra, Katáktisi continued. But we had stumbled into a world ripe for the taking. A world where we could feed unhindered.

And gain the power to create Perpendicularities, I realized with a sudden bolt of fear. Did you–

We never reached that apex. Termina would have perhaps pushed Μιζέρια to that point… but you killed it at the end. Or perhaps it, too, would not have been enough.

I said nothing for a long time. If Misery wanted to feed upon Termina, then why would he give you to me? I don't think I would have bested him without you.

In truth, the idea was mine. A Crestwraith feeds upon three pillars– the strength of body, the strength of mind, and the strength of spirit. You were a child, but your spirit was hard as diamond and twice as bright. Most hosts are like… a pile of ant-infested leaves on the side of the long road. You, by comparison, are more akin to a five-star inn– flowerbeds under the windows, warm lights, friendly man beckoning you inside… I was drawn to it like the moon to the earth.

I shivered. I may not have learned about Caiaphas or Tomas, but I finally understood something that had been eating away at me. So what's going on at the Red Canyon?

Caiaphas has no intentions of telling the truth. That much is known to me… his exact intentions escape my calculations. It is most likely to me that he hopes that Aγωνία will kill you, so that I may be retrieved from your cold, dead hands. Well, that was a comforting thought. I didn't even know what this 'Agony' creature looked like, much less how adept it would end up being at killing me. If it was anything like Katáktisi…

If he does not know that I have made you my Champion, my patron continued, then perhaps he wishes to make you a host for Aγωνία. Perhaps he, too, senses the strength of your spirit, and the frailty that your mind once possessed during your sojourn to face Μιζέρια. To feast on you would greatly strengthen any Crestwraith, and perhaps grant them the strength to wipe out the Nabateans.

But if I'm so powerful… what stopped you from feeding on me?

The disembodied voice was quiet. I do not know, it admitted. I couldn't help but feel that that wasn't exactly promising. Perhaps it is the blessing of your gods. Perhaps the strength of your spirit was so overpowering that I could not harm you even if I tried. Perhaps I simply chose not to. It matters not– I have cast my die alongside yours. You and I are partners in destiny, and I would destroy Fodra for you. If I must delay the rise of Agartha to preserve you, then so be it.

One last question– I could feel Katáktisi's impatience start rising again. And I promise it's the final one. Why did you never talk to me, before I came to Fodra?

A simple answer. The magics in this world harmonize with me, it revealed. You and I could not speak in Hyrule even if we wished, as the connection between our minds could not be stabilized. The only interaction we could have is the transformation into the form you call the Fierce Deity.

I see… Thank you, Katáktisi.

You are welcome, but do not take that as an invitation.

It was the rainy season again, by which I meant it was properly the Verdant Rain Moon again. Which, naturally, meant that I was wet.

Absolutely wonderful.

You will never find this kitchen thief of yours in this weather, Katáktisi pointed out. Or ever, for that matter. Go back inside. You'll get one of those… what are they called… it's when the body starts killing itself to root out dissenters… ah, right. You'll get ill.

You don't know me, you… you!

This is ridiculous. But the Crestwraith relented.

I liked the rain, although I wasn't sure why. I think it had something to do with the pitter-patter of droplets on the surroundings serving as a white noise. Plus, on the off chance that the clouds parted, there were some nice rainbows to be seen.

The weather was certainly removing any chance of finding traces of my prey. Maybe Katáktisi was right, and I should head back inside before I caught a cold.

I began to make my way back towards the monastery–

And something coiled around my foot.

Almost before I could react, I was being hoisted upside-down by my ankle from some kind of rope. It was mildly irritating, to be sure, but it was far from impossible to escape this predicament. I drew a simple hunting knife from my pouch and cut the rope with minimal difficulty. However, I didn't account for still being upside-down, and I swiftly fell onto the back of my neck.

"Ow."

I remained faceup in the mud for a couple of moments, not quite sure of what had just happened. Someone had… laid a trap? But why here, in the underbrush? It must have been the pantry thief! That meant–

"Did you seriously get stuck in my trap?"

Darn. "Well. Um. Yeah," I admitted, getting up off the ground and examining the damage to my clothes. It wasn't anything a bit of washing couldn't fix. "I'll admit, your 'trap' wasn't as useless as I initially thought."

Leonie grumbled. "What were you even doing out here? It's pouring out."

"Keeping up the search for that kitchen thief I mentioned earlier. Realistically, I should be asking you that question. Let me guess– you're checking up on your traps?"

She nodded. "Takes a while, but you bag a lot of otherwise elusive game."

"Can't argue with that. But you're never going to take down anything larger than a baby deer– that is, me."

"There aren't too many megafauna in this part of the forest, though."

"Hmm…" I tapped my chin contemplatively. "What if we were to host a little challenge? See how many animals we can take down until the end of the moon. Whoever takes down the most wins. We could open it up to other students if they want to participate."

"Hm… could be fun. You're on! Maybe we could get Captain Jeralt to judge."

We started walking more or less aimlessly into the woods. "You really look up to Jeralt, huh?"

"Yeah. Six years ago, him and his merc troupe came to my home village, and even though he didn't spend much time there, he took me under his wing. I'm his first and best apprentice. I didn't even know he had a kid until the year started, though… kinda odd that he never even mentioned it."

"That is weird," I admitted. "And you want to follow in his footsteps?"

"Exactly. Once I graduate, I'm going to be the best mercenary in Fódlan, just like him. Make my whole village proud, y'know?"

Something about that felt slightly off to me, but I didn't voice it, merely opting to trudge behind her in the pouring rain as she diligently checked up on the rest of her traps. We idly chatted as we went. She told me about Sauin Village in the Alliance, how she had borrowed money to come to the Academy and aspired to pay that debt back. She espoused the merits of trapping, as well as the best spots to fish and the best bait to use. In return, I shared the lie I had told nearly everyone, told stories of fearsome beasts and strange peoples, and explained the philosophy of being the trap instead of setting the trap. Leonie seemed nice enough, and even if I lost the bet we had made, at least I would have an ally at the end of all this.

We eventually parted in the marketplace as we returned to the monastery; she departed for her own room. I locked eyes with Caiaphas for a brief moment– he was still standing in that exact same expectant position, for Goddesses' sake– before swiftly turning away. I couldn't suffer under that gaze any longer. I ducked inside, out of the rain, and doffed my hat, squeezing it dry. After all, any mess that I made was a mess that I or Cyril or one of the other workers would have to clean up later. I was, of course, wearing my Kokiri tunic– somehow it still fit, and it blocked moisture fairly well, so I didn't have to worry about that too much. Still, though– better safe than sorry.

"I heard about our mission for the month, I overheard Dimitri saying. "So… we are to eradicate thieves in Kingdom territory. I'm sorry for dragging you into the Kingdom's petty squabbles. This should not be your burden to bear, but my own…"

"I'm happy to help," Byleth countered. I guessed they were talking about this moon's assignment. More bandit hunting? Didn't they do that in the Harpstring Moon as well? To be fair, I had heard about the Faerghus vagabond problems quite a lot when I was living in Fhirdiad. I understood on some level; the conditions of Faerghus were brutal, forcing children to learn to fight before they could write. It was only natural that some would be forced to turn to thievery in order to survive. But this felt… different somehow.

"Thank you, Professor. Hearing you say that puts my mind at ease…" Dimitri glanced behind him. "Hm?" It appeared that someone was marching straight towards the prince and the professor with a wide grin on his face. He almost looked like a really old Felix.

"Your Highness! Ah, it's been ages!" the new arrival said.

"It's been a long time! Two years, if I'm not mistaken." That would explain why I didn't recognize this individual. I had only been in Fodra for just shy of a year and a half.

"Indeed, Your Highness. You've grown so much in those years. I hardly recognize you!"

"Is this a friend of yours?" Byleth interjected, asking the question that was currently burning in my mind.

"This is Rodrigue, an old friend of my father's. I believe I've mentioned him, if you recall?" Oh, this was Felix's dad! Yeah, I definitely saw the familial resemblance. What was he doing here at Garreg Mach? I mean, maybe he just came to visit his kid. "When my father died four years ago, he looked after me as though I were his own son."

"You flatter me, Your Highness. It was my honor to care for such a fine young man." What was with the whole 'Your Highness' thing? It seemed a rather uncreative title.

Mortals enjoy having their egos stroked, Katáktisi commented. Most mortals, anyway. And most immortals too, now that I give that thought its due recourse.

"It's nice to finally meet you, professor," Rodrigue continued. "My son, Felix, has mentioned you on occasion."

"What brings you to the monastery, Rodrigue? Is it the thieves plaguing the Kingdom?"

"I'm afraid so. This is not merely a problem for House Gautier, but for everyone. The thieves have set up their headquarters in Fraldarius territory, and are mercilessly pillaging the villagers of that area. You have our full support in stopping those dastards. I thank you for your help, both of you."

They might have kept talking, but at this point I was freezing my tail off, so I backed away to find a nice change of clothes. And maybe a hot bath. Yeah, that sounded nice.

I headed into the bathhouse and drew myself plenty of hot water. Heat was a luxury I had never been able to afford before coming to Fodra. Back before then, the closest thing I had ever taken to a formal bath was a swim in Lake Hylia or the Great Bay. It wasn't that I was unhygienic or anything like that; none of the Kokiri ever really needed to because swimming was such a common pastime, and it wasn't like I had time to take care of myself in Termina. So it had never really stuck with me until I got chewed out for it in Fhirdiad.

I set my pouch on the far side of the stall. Technically, these were reserved for students in the Officer's Academy, but there were always more than enough even during peak hours, so I never thought it was an issue and nobody had ever told me not to. I kept my weaponry within reach of the tub itself, just in case. One could never be too careful when it came to this sort of thing.

I kicked off my combat boots, shrugged off my tunic, and paused. Goddesses, every time I actually looked at myself, I was reminded exactly why I hated this body. My torso was littered with discolorations from old wounds and crisscrossing scars. I didn't mind any of those too much, although if my shirt ever caught a scar at a certain angle, it would hurt like a punch from Ganondorf. Most of the marks on my body would go away with time, as I healed the old-fashioned way. Already, the physical scars of Termina were nearly completely faded. One would have thought that spending Goddesses knew how long running the same sequence of events over and over again would have taught me how to not get injured, especially if my wounds disappeared each loop. Actually, the opposite was true. Sometimes it was beneficial to allow an enemy to land a strike on me if it meant being able to hit it back twice as hard a moment later. Being careful with my body took time– and time was something I most certainly did not have back then.

No, that wasn't the part that I truly hated. I despised the shape, the feel of my short arms, the last scraps of baby fat that still stubbornly clung to my cheeks, even after everything. I despised the look that 'adults' would give me, pitying and coated with a fake understanding and malicious sympathy. I couldn't tolerate it, because they failed to understand the weight of my pain, the life I'd lost, the abomination I was forced to become. Or they were at least unfamiliar with soul-sucking timeloops.

I settled down in the water and immediately got to work. I didn't want to have to look at this flesh prison a second longer than was absolutely necessary. The bar of soap I was given had the consistency of sandpaper and was half as pleasant on the skin, so hating my form wasn't my only motivator.

I wrapped up quickly, and hid my accursed body behind the fabric of my tunic. I took a moment to lop a few centimeters off of my hair– I couldn't let it get completely grown out. I had to maintain the appearance of a normal child, after all.

I almost threw up just thinking that.

I think I might wrap it up there. Gotta balance out the three-month speedrun that was last chapter. I do want to give some focus to character interactions with Link, including for people outside of the Blue Lion House house– hence integrating the Dorothea-Edelgard C-support (which ties into a support chain between Link and Dorothea later down the line), using the Leonie support ideas that I already had, et cetera.

Regarding the other Crestwraiths, I decided to take a page out of FE tropes and basically surgically implant the Four Generals archetype into the Agarthans. Examples include the Four Riders from Path of Radiance and, more recently, the Four Hounds from Engage. Really looking forward to writing them.

Review please!

Guest (FF): Yup, that's going to be fun.

Carlos Andres Araya (FF): This fic is definitely more FE-focused just by nature of taking place in Fódlan. Besides, you'd probably have to drag Link kicking and screaming back to Hyrule to get other Zelda characters into Closed Circuit.

CuddlyManaki (AO3): Thank you!

quadjot (AO3): Thank you!

Equalized Enigma (FF): Glad I could answer your question for, uh, me! I have a cool scene in mind for the Zora Mask in particular…

Laxard (FF): To be honest, I'm going off of the FE wiki and what I've heard from members of the community (I've never played the game myself because I don't own a Switch, if that wasn't clear). I'm sure you have more experience on the subject matter than I do, but it's probably safer to go with majority consensus.

LoneGrim (AO3): Thank you!

DarthFlores (FF): I'm glad you enjoyed it! I don't intend to limit his interactions only to those he'll fight alongside, per se. Everybody will get a turn; it's just a matter of when and how.