(A/N: So, I've been neglecting to say this, but especially since past projects of mine have ended up on there, I hope one of you fine folk reading this story might have the desire to throw this story up on tvtropes. Maybe it's arrogant of me to ask that, but hey, it's also arrogant of me to hope that one day I might have the clout to ask IS and Sunrise to work together and make an adaptation—playable or otherwise—of this fic some time before I die. We all have our far flung desires. (deep breath)
Anyway, before we kick off this chapter, time for a comment highlight. This one comes from Ranger24FF again. It reads:
"Women when dealing with Lelouch;
Round one: God what an asshole.
Round two: Aw he's actually really sweet.
Round three: I want his babies."
I showed this to a friend of mine, EpicLinkSam, and he made it funnier by adding the following: "Several of those women go back around to round 1 slightly while still being in round 3."
And ain't that the effing truth lmao.
Ranger24FF also provides this laugh: "Milly and Sylvain being the resident "fuck it, literally" team."
Nearly fell out of my chair reading this.
(sighing laugh) Anyway, let's get into the thick of it now though. This is going to be a bumpy ride).
4th Day of the Verdant Rain Moon
In all the chaos unfolding between the planned attack on the JLF and the Black Eagles making preparations for the assault on Conrad Tower, some students didn't know their ass from their head. Within the Violet Tiger house, reactions were mixed, especially without Lelouch to support the group.
"Don't forget," Byleth told her class. "I worked with Lelouch as a PMC for several years. I may not be his equal, but I know some of his moves."
"I'm here as well," Marrybell told her classmates. "We're not going to be helpless out there."
"Yeah, but it's like…Lulu's part of our team, you know," Shirley said, slumping over on her desk.
"If the Black Eagles weren't going to be so busy with their own mission, I'd ask him to join us," Byleth stated plainly.
Shirley perked her head up. "You can do that?" She was quite surprised at the idea.
Oldrin explained from the other side of the room. "It's in the GMOA code of conduct that any Professor may ask one student from outside their house to aid them with a mission for the current moon. This student may be traded out for a different student, but only one at a time may work with a different house and both professors have to approve it. The only exception is the Battle of the Eagle and Lion held every Wyvern Moon."
"Hard to believe that's only two moons away," Sokkia said. "We've been working hard."
"What's the Battle of the Eagle and Lion?" Euphemia asked.
Sokkia gasped. "You've never heard of it? It's like the KMF League only way more televised. It's like…okay so you know how the Olympics get watched every year, well this is kind of like…pre-Olympics."
Euphemia just looked more confused. Tink did his best to explain. "Every year, all five houses compete in a no-holds barred mock battle to determine which house is the strongest. Unlike the mock battle at the beginning of the year, there are no bans on HLKMF usage and all members of all houses participate. Also, the only rule is that you're not allowed to kill your opponent or cause irrevocable damage. Medical staff stands by, but that's only to keep students from getting in over their heads and pushing themselves past the point of exhaustion. If you can still move, and you can still fight, you can get yourself up and keep going."
"Oh wow, I keep hearing about the Battle of Eagle and Lion, but it's the first time someone's ever explained it to me in so much detail," Shirley said. "It sounds like a pretty big event."
"It is," Marrybell said. "I've watched it every year since I was a little girl, even back when it was only four houses, not five."
Talk about the battle went on for a bit longer before Byleth smacked a ruler on the desk to get everyone to quiet down. However, for Euphemia li Britannia, she had trouble focusing on Byleth's lecture for once. She was consumed with thoughts of her talk with Edelgard from the other day. The stupid, sheltered princess. Sure, Euphemia was fantastic at healing magic, but nobody called her the miracle princess, or the healer princess. Sheltered. Naïve. Too kind for her own good. Those were the comments often tossed Euphemia's way. And as she stepped across the yard after lecture, staring at her hands, Euphemia had trouble denying those allegations.
"Maybe Edelgard was right, maybe I don't belong here," she said, only to trip over her own heels and land on her arm. "Ow. Ow. Ow."
Before she could even check if her arm was broken however, Euphemia felt herself being helped to her feet by a young man in Knights of Seiros robes. "Careful now. It wouldn't do for an esteemed transfer student to break her arm. Are you hurt, Princess Euphemia?"
Euphemia looked to see who had come to her rescue, meeting the visage of a young Japanese man around her age. She'd met him briefly at the Rite of Rebirth. "Oh! Goodness! Thank you!" she exclaimed. "Suzaku, right?"
"Oh," Suzaku said, rubbing the back of his head. "I'm…honored you remember my name."
"You were so nice to my sister, my brother, and me to find us seats for the Rite, of course I remember you, even if it took me a minute," Euphemia said. She let go of Suzaku's hand and pat herself down of dust and debris from falling over.
"Are you all right?" Suzaku asked.
"Well, yes and no. I mean, I'm not hurt or anything, but…"
She saw Suzaku pointing to a bench. They took a seat on it next to each other. Euphemia leaned forward, wrapping her arms around her knees. "Edelgard…really let me have it the other day."
"Uh oh. Is this something I should report to higher up?" Suzaku asked. "We don't want nobles fighting with each other if it's serious."
"Oh! No! I didn't mean to imply it was anything serious!" Euphemia exclaimed, gasping. "It was more of…well…" she went back to looking sad. "She basically dressed me down of my shortcomings."
"Oh, you mean all that talk about you being sheltered, right?" It was hard for Suzaku not to have heard about it. "I think the fact that you're trying is enough to show that you don't want to be that way though."
"I know, but even as I try to improve, I just…there's a whole world out there that I was never allowed to experience, all because my sister didn't want me to end up like my siblings," Euphemia said.
"What do you mean?" Suzaku asked.
However, before he could get an answer, the two heard the crunching of grass as Dimitri approached. "Oh. Euphemia. There you are. I was wondering if you might join me for a bite to eat in the dining hall." He then noticed Euphemia's mood. "Of course, if you're not up to it. I would totally understand."
"No, just…" Euphemia stood up. "Just having a moment of soul searching. I also fell. Suzaku helped me up."
Dimitri smiled at Suzaku. "Ah, well, you are a credit to your knighthood, Sir Suzaku."
Suzaku laughed. "No, a true knight would have caught the princess before she fell. I just happened to be passing by on my patrol when I already saw her fallen over."
"Be that as it may, I stand by what I said. You and I fought side by side back at Magrdred Way. I could tell even back then that you were a good man and that's still true now, even if you could have been a few seconds sooner to coming to Euphemia's aid."
Euphemia aggressively cleared her throat.
"Excuse me, Euphie's aid."
"Euphie?" Suzaku asked.
"I want people to treat me cordially. Being so formal is so…stuffy," Euphemia said. "The point of Garreg Mach is to treat people from all walks of life equally, right? Well, I want to be treated as if I was any other female student here, like the 16-year-old that I am and not the princess I was born as."
"Admittedly going to be difficult given how much you stick out, but I do try my best. I'm the same way, after all," Dimitri said. "Even if some people do not agree."
Suzaku chuckled happily. "Dimitri, you're going to be a great king one day, I just know it."
"What makes you say that?" Dimitri asked.
"The world needs rulers willing to be down to Earth and kind to their citizenry. My father wasn't that and it got him a knife in his…" Suzaku cleared his throat, stopping mid-sentence. "In all seriousness though, I would be honored to be even on the fringe of the crowd of your coronation."
Dimitri chuckled. "That's very kind of you."
"If I can't be there live, I would watch it from the television," Euphemia stated.
"Also very kind, but please, you're both embarrassing me," Dimitri chuckled.
"Say, crazy idea, my break's coming up soon, perhaps I could treat royalty out to a bite to eat. There's a diner that serves sandwiches nearby that you can only get in Rome apparently," Suzaku pointed out. "They don't sell the spices used in the bread, meats and cheeses anywhere else."
"That sounds quite lovely. Lead the way, Suzaku," Dimitri requested.
"Sure, both of you follow me. Ah, and since I will be escorting royalty, know that you're in good hands."
Dimitri chuckled. "There's no need for that. I'm more than capable of defending myself."
Euphemia giggled. "I'll be so happy to have both of you protecting me then. It's nice to have people to rely on."
Then, with both Suzaku and Dimitri on either side of Euphemia, the three went to lunch.
5th Day of the Verdant Rain Moon
Lelouch held his holographic tablet out, going through some tactical calculations for the Conrad Tower mission, and reports for the Chalice of Beginnings when someone called out to him.
"Ah! Lelouch! There you are!" Ferdinand exclaimed. "You look troubled, friend. Something I can help you with?"
Lelouch closed his tablet and put the hologram projector in his pocket. "Nothing I would need your help with, Ferdinand. Is there something you need?"
"Why yes, actually. I was wondering if you needed any assistance adjusting to the new curriculum. If you have any questions, I am more than willing to answer them," Ferdinand said.
"If I have any questions, I will be asking Monica, thank you," Lelouch said, pulling his tablet back out.
Ferdinand felt completely discombobulated. "L-Lelouch, please. I know I am lacking in certain areas, but you needn't treat me as if I am a nuisance."
"You are a nuisance though," Lelouch replied.
Ferdinand was quite shocked, sweating even at Lelouch's blunt statement.
He put his tablet away again. "You boast about how you are the noblest of nobles, yet your ego doesn't yet match your achievements. You stand there, the good man, trying his hardest, but always coming up short, yet you act as if everyone must hang on your every word."
"I…um…"
"If you were truly the noblest of noblest, you wouldn't be so insecure as to announce it to the world, you would simply be, and others would know it. If you keep going in the direction you are, should Edelgard rise to power, she'd have a right mind to usurp House Aegir in its entirety from your family," Lelouch said.
Ferdinand looked pale. He wanted to deny what Lelouch was saying, yet at the same time…
"Are we done here?" Lelouch asked.
"No, please! Lelouch, I…I would like to face you in chess. I would like a chance to prove that I have skill you have not yet seen," Ferdinand told him, pleadingly.
"All right, a game of chess then," Lelouch said. "And when I crush you, you'll shut your mouth and work on self-improvement, not self-boasting. Are we clear?"
"Yes, of course! I am a man of my word," Ferdinand said.
Lelouch had Ferdinand follow him to his dorm room where upon Lelouch broke out his favorite chess board, leaving the door open in case anyone was looking for him.
"You prefer black, correct?" Ferdinand asked.
"I do," Lelouch said.
"What would you say to reversing your role for once? It's outside of your element, is it not?" Ferdinand asked. "In strategy, you must take every advantage you can in battle. Imagine you didn't know your enemy's strength, you would have to make the first move."
Lelouch thought about this. "Very well. But if you think giving me the first move will give you an advantage, you are sadly mistaken," Lelouch told him. He then set up the board. "Let's begin."
Ferdinand von Aegir hadn't an idea as to the type of opponent Lelouch was. Nor did he comprehend just how optimally and savagely Lelouch could play. Roughly 27 moves in, Lelouch moved a knight to capture a pawn at e5. He looked at the board and nodded.
"Hmm, you've already lost," Lelouch concluded.
"Don't go deciding things on your own," Ferdinand told him.
"I'm not. I can see the board and all the possibilities it holds," Lelouch said. "But if you don't believe me, by all means."
Ferdinand proceeded to capture Lelouch's knight with a knight of his own, allowing Lelouch to advance a pawn forward one space. Ferdinand thought to grab this pawn with his rook, but there was a problem. If he grabbed the pawn with the rook, another pawn would capture it.
"Oh," Ferdinand said, sweating. "I…I see."
"Go ahead, make your move," Lelouch told him.
Ferdinand swallowed. He lasted a while, but it wasn't long before Ferdinand prematurely tipped his king over. Lelouch was just wrecking his board.
"I concede, you are quite good," Ferdinand told him.
"I know I am," Lelouch said.
"Honestly, I thought I was a master at chess for I have been honing my craft since I was a child. Chess makes for the perfect game to play with those you wish to negotiate with. My father taught me everything he could about the game and I have practiced with Count Hevring when I've had time," Ferdinand stated.
"The world is vast, Ferdinand von Aegir," Lelouch told him. "Someone will always be better than you at something you excel at. Acting as if you are the best at everything, well, as you can see from our game here, were you and I to engage in warfare, you would be at my mercy."
Ferdinand clutched a tuft of hair in his left hand. "I am…befuddled. Whether it's tactics or combat, I always thought I was quite skilled, but I can see I have a long way to go."
"Jack of all trades, master of none. Isn't that how the saying goes?" Lelouch asked.
"Jack of all trades," Ferdinand remarked, mulling the phrase over. "Yes! Indeed! Lelouch! You have opened my eyes! I must work twice, no, three times as hard so that I am not a Jack, but a King at everything."
Lelouch rolled his eyes towards the ceiling. Goddess help me, it's like lecturing a child.
"One day, I hope to be of use to you here at Garreg Mach so that I am higher on your list of people you might consider heeding advice or inquiring about the school to," Ferdinand told him with a smile.
"That day will never happen, and it has nothing to do with your lack of skill," Lelouch told him.
"Then, what, if I might ask, separates Monica from myself?" Ferdinand asked.
Lelouch spoke bluntly and to the point. "Monica has a photographic memory and was attending classes here almost all of last year before her kidnapping. There will never come a time when her account and advice won't be more valuable than yours when it comes to the Monastery."
Ferdinand sweated profusely, embarrassed. "Oh. I uh…I suppose…that's true."
"Now then, if you've no additional need of me," Lelouch said as he took his tablet back out. "I have some articles I'd like to read." Reports, but Ferdinand didn't need to know the difference.
"Yes, well, I'll uh…see you later," Ferdinand said, and left.
"Mmmhmm," Lelouch remarked, listening to the door close. Well that's one less person I have to worry about.
6th Day of the Verdant Rain Moon
Among the various assignments for the students at Garreg Mach, in addition to homework, there were also group assignments that had to be completed daily throughout the week. There were five one for each house: Hangar Maintenance, weeding the garden, night marches, sky patrol, and usher duty for night services at the cathedral. The teachers all had to gather Saturday after classes to discuss which class would get what for the week so they could be spread out evenly. And on Sunday, assignments would be posted in the entrance hall.
For the entire duration of his stay here, Lelouch hadn't been assigned any of these assignments once. However, he still made a concentrated effort to check the board. Knowing where all the pieces on a board were was a key strategy in any game. So, when he saw that he had an assignment, he was quite surprised. Fortunately, it played to his strengths: hangar maintenance. He was also quite surprised who his partner was: Bernadetta.
Well…I suppose I should get used to the solitude for the next week, Lelouch thought.
To avoid conflicts with student curriculums and free study periods, all hours to be spent on weekly group tasks were pre-set according to the posting on the bulletin board in the entrance hall. This also included time spent on Sundays, a day off for classes. After all, group tasks were not simply an extra assignment, they were paid volunteer jobs to help out the Monastery.
After eating a healthy lunch, Lelouch made his way for the hangar, reflecting on what had to be done for proper maintenance. He remembered a pneumonic Oldrin spouted the first time she and Sokkia got the assignment together: LEFS. It stood for Latches, Equipment, Frames, Safety. You checked the latches to make sure the hangar doors weren't malfunctioning. You checked the equipment in the dispatch booths and storage rooms. You checked the deployable KMFs, shortening it to just the F for frames. And you checked to make sure the entire hangar was up to safety code. This needn't be done in order, but those were the four key areas to perfect maintenance procedure.
Lelouch grabbed a toolkit and went over to a recently deployed Roman Sutherland sent out for local recon and patrolling, checking it for damages. He found one loose bolt, tightening it with a wrench. He inserted the jacks into the proper ports to power the maintenance tool needed to run diagnostics.
There are a lot of frames in the Hangar, fortunately I needn't check all of them. A sample size of thirty should be enough to report a lack of issues as long as documentation is kept properly, he thought, staring at the diagnostics bar run from 5% to 100% at a steady pace. He was given the all clear and moved onto the next frame.
He was given a maximum of two hours to spend on this assignment day to day throughout the week. The quiet he was receiving helped him focus on what was to come. Conrad Tower. The expedition to Japan to look for the Chalice of Beginnings. All of the other side objectives that needed to be completed during his stay here at Garreg Mach. At the top of Lelouch's focus, whilst putting the effort required into maintenance, was figuring out how to get close to Cornelia without being spotted. The woman was paranoid when it came to personal safety. Worse, there were a lot of security cameras between here and where Cornelia was physically present at night, the best time to interrogate her with Geass for information.
Lelouch found some chipped paint on the frame he was checking and went to go get a bucket. The Ashen Wolves aren't prepared for a frontal assault with the Glaston Knights. Not in terms of loyalty, but in terms of numbers and firepower. I don't know anything about Cornelia's HLKMF in its current state. She prefers to fight with a traditional frame, and when she was here at the academy, unique models weren't yet commonplace as technology to make crystals hadn't yet solidified.
As Lelouch came back with the paint bucket, he furrowed his brow at the chipped paint or at least…where said chipped paint had been. That's odd. Wrong side, maybe? Lelouch's memory wasn't perfectly photographic like Monica's. He had an excellent memory, but it wasn't faultless.
He checked the other side. No. That side was fine. He put his hand where he believed chipped paint at been. Wet. The paint rubbed off into his fingers. It was entirely possible a member of the Garreg Mach staff had taken care of this. Cyril, the groundskeeper, was particularly meticulous, but Lelouch didn't see the young boy anywhere.
However, as he surveyed the area, he did see someone in one of the dispatch booths fiddling with the controls. And, from the looks of it, they were doing a half-decent job. He saw them talk into the microphone, but no sound echoed in the hangar. Good, they even knew how to test the internal speakers to make sure the basic input and output was working.
Hmm, so she can venture outside her room, Lelouch thought, making eye contact with Bernadetta. Unfortunately, he'd made eye contact for far too long. Bernadetta noticed him, panicked and dove for under the control booth.
Lelouch shook his head in disbelief, sighing. He had every intention to handle this himself, but if Bernadetta was going to do her job, he may as well try and cooperate with her. He'd learned a bit about her since the mock battle. For a girl that preferred to stay in her room as a shut-in recluse most days, her test scores and competitive training ground scores were…surprisingly commendable. She was third in sniper shots, trailing behind only Naomi Inoue and Ignatz Victor. She was fifth in marksmanship time trails behind Leonie, Claude, Kallen and Ashe in that order. And when it came to shots per minute, Bernadetta had an untouchable record. Even Bernadetta herself called it a fluke, hitting 147 stationary targets. Even the second place shooter, Claude, couldn't even break 110. If not for the fact that all competitive attempts were recorded, many would have even called her a liar.
Lelouch had reviewed the footage. Bernadetta had the crest of Saint Indech, a crest that greatly enhanced speed and focus. Even a stage one minor crest could double a person's movement and reaction speed. The girl had used that crest during that attempt, but there was more to it. All of Bernadetta's other attempts saw her scoring in the low 60s, mid-50s without the crest and in the upper 90s with it. But this one attempt saw her do incredible, as if she was completely undistracted.
To Lelouch, this meant that Bernadetta was akin to a wolf in rabbit's skin. But what made her this way? That part he hadn't figured out. Count Varley rarely spoke publicly and there was little information about her home life. She'd also adamantly refused to go on the expedition at the beginning of the school yar and had locked herself in her room until the staff let her stay home.
As Lelouch approached the control booth, reaching for the knob to the door, he thought about maybe letting things go. Bernadetta's personal situation was no business of his. But…he couldn't just leave it well enough alone. Lelouch prided himself on being something resembling a perfectionist. He and Bernadetta had this assignment and they were going to do it right, whether she wanted to do it or not.
He knocked on the door. "I'm coming in," he announced and clicked the door open.
Bernadetta was curled up under the booth like a strangely shaped, lumpy rock.
Lelouch took a deep breath. He turned on his charming persona. "Bernadetta, you don't have to be scared of me. Come out from under the table."
"No way! I know what you saw! You're going to yell at me for doing your job, aren't you? Then you're going to lock me in that storeroom and do…do…all manner of unspeakable things to me! Well…you can't!" Bernadetta shouted at him. "Because…because….because I said so!" She then groaned, almost talking to herself as she said, "Ohhhhhh, I knew this was a bad idea. I should have just stayed in my room."
"You could have if you wanted to. I didn't actually expect you to show," Lelouch said calmly. "I was planning to do all the work myself. I know how you prefer to waste your hours in your room."
Bernadetta gasped. "Have you been spying on me?! You have, haven't you?! Voyeur! Stalker! Thief!"
One of those insults does not match the others, Lelouch thought, rolling his eyes. He was already regretting the idea to talk with her. But, he wasn't giving up. "Bernadetta, I'm not going to hurt you. If you don't want to speak with me for the rest of the week, all the more reason we should talk now. I wanted to split up our assignment to be efficient."
In almost a 180 flip to her previous behavior, Bernadetta got out from under the control booth. "Oh? Really?"
Lelouch nodded. "You don't have to even look at me if you don't want to."
"Yes! I get it! My gaze is like a gorgon and unfit to even look upon your magnificent figure!" Bernadetta exclaimed, terrified.
"That's not what I said," Lelouch said dryly.
Bernadetta whimpered, staring at her hands held together in prayer.
"Look, if you want to maintain the booth equipment, the store rooms and the hangar latches, I'll check the safety equipment and the frames. We don't have to talk to each other. You don't have to run fleeing for the hills back to your room. Does that work for you?"
Bernadetta only whimpered again.
Lelouch lost his patience a little. "Bernadetta!"
"Eep! S-sorry! Um…what did you say?"
Lelouch groaned and then repeated his request, "Will you check the hangar latches, the booths and the storerooms and I'll handle the safety equipment and the frames?"
"Oh! Um…yeah, I could do that. Sure." She giggled. "No problem."
"Good, see to it. I'll get back to work then." Lelouch turned around and proceeded for the door.
"Um, Lelouch?" Bernadetta suddenly called out to him.
He turned to meet her gaze.
"Uh n-no. Never mind! It's nothing. Forget I said anything," she stuttered.
Lelouch nodded and left the room, shutting the door behind him.
Bernadetta groaned. "Ohhhhhh, just say what's on your mind, Bernie! Why'd you freeze like that?" She berated herself.
7th Day of the Verdant Rain Moon
The Golden Deer ended up with sky patrol this week, though Nunnally would not be participating. The chosen duo by Manuela was Claude and Hilda. Despite being in a different class, away from her brother, Nunnally took it in stride. Being with new people just meant she could make more friends. Of course, her poor spatial awareness did mean needing a little bit of an escort every so often. She may not have been helpless, but she was still completely blind. The Monastery had a lot of big open areas so it was easy to get lost.
That was when someone approached Nunnally with a friendly, "Hey, Nunna! How's my favorite little sis?"
Nunnally giggled. "I'm you're only little sis, Shez. How are you?"
"Eh, gettin' by," Shez commented. "Looking to head somewhere, you seem like you're a bit confused."
Nunnally laughed. "I was actually trying to head for the cathedral. I wanted to offer my prayers to the Goddess. You and everyone in the Violet Tigers could be dispatched to Saitama any moment of any day now, so I wanted to ask the Goddess for their protection."
Shez laughed. "You're so thoughtful, Nunnally. Come on, let's go."
Arval sighed. "I will direct you to the cathedral so you don't get lost. The last time you tried to take Nunnally somewhere, you ended up plain walking out of the Monastery."
Hey! I said I was sorry! Not my fault the person who designed this place was a crazy person.
"Shez, when you can't even follow a straight line correctly, I am almost certain the issue is not a them problem," Arval criticized.
You don't have to be so blunt about it, Shez complained.
"And yet, you are doing it already," Arval told her, noticing Shez already on the move. "At the rate you are going, you're going to end up walking towards the market again. Try turning left," Arval instructed.
Huh? What do you…oh. Shez noticed the assembly hall to her left. It was kind of hard to miss given the structure could fit a herd of elephants inside it and still fit a herd of zebra.
Arval reminded her that the cathedral, "Is across the bridge north of the assembly hall. I trust you have enough sense not to walk off a bridge with walls that come up above your shoulders."
Yeah, yeah, don't be such a know-it-all, Shez griped at her companion.
"I would not have to if you had a better internal compass," Arval told her. "This is why you passed out in the snow all those years ago."
Oh here we go again, Shez thought, listening to Arval lecture her as the two bickered like siblings.
Nunnally had no idea what was going on. She didn't even know Shez was annoyed at anyone, let alone the voice in her head. She was just thankful to have Shez be with her as they walked into the cathedral.
Upon arriving, Shez asked, "You wanna go up to the statue of Saint Seiros?"
"Yes, please!" Nunnally requested earnestly. Shez parked her wheelchair up in front of the statue and let sunlight from the stain glass window up by the ceiling shine onto the young girl's face whilst she offered up her prayers.
Shez then heard Arval sigh heavily. That's quite the sigh.
"I hate this place," Arval complained. "Every time we come here, it makes my skin crawl for some reason, as if something…in me wants to burn it to the ground."
Well…don't, Shez requested sternly. The cathedral's an important structure within the Monastery. Its been patched up over the years due to needing updates to its construction, but its stood since Garreg Mach's construction nearly 1,000 years ago.
"And yet…I can't help but feel enraged whenever we step inside this place," Arval told her, feeling glum.
You think it has something to do with your lost memories, Shez thought.
"It may well indeed," Arval told her. "I wonder what I've forgotten. I wish I knew."
Hey, we'll find it together, buddy, I promise, Shez replied chipperly.
Arval smiled. "Thank you."
"All done!" Nunnally exclaimed, turning around towards Shez.
"Oh, all finished? Want me to bring you somewhere else?" Shez asked.
Nunnally shook her head. "No. I'm going to pray to the other saint statues," she said. She wheeled towards the side room. "The Cathedral is a room with lots of walls and other structures I can touch with my hands so even though it's big and echoey, it's easy to orient myself even though I can't see. Lelouch helped me with that."
Shez chuckled. "That's Lelouch for you. He'd do anything to help you." She noticed Nunnally's smile fade. "What's wrong?"
Nunnally didn't answer but wheeled towards the room of the four saint statues and put one hand on the smooth, tiled wall until she was in a corner before turning around. Shez walked up to her. Clearly this had something to do with things she couldn't talk about publicly.
"I…I want to go home," she said.
"Go…home?" Shez questioned.
Nunnally nodded. "Big sis Euphemia and big sis Cornelia are both here at Garreg Mach. Euphemia's even attending classes here. I just…" Nunnally started to cry. "I want to say hello. I want to go up to them and say "It's me you two, I'm not dead." But I…I…"
Shez picked Nunnally up and held her in her arms. Nunnally sobbed into Shez's shoulder.
"Heyyyyy, easy, there, there," Shez said, soothing the girl by stroking the back of her head.
"I agree with big brother. We…we have to stay hidden or else…or else we might get hurt, but…but I still love my family, Shez. I don't want to hide from them," she sobbed.
"Lelouch means well, but perhaps he should re-evaluate his life choices," Arval commented.
Arval, shush, Shez chastised.
"I am just saying—'"
I hear what you're saying, but I'm not asking for commentary, Shez told him. She sat down in Nunnally's wheelchair, cuddling Nunnally into her lap. She then linked her pinky finger with Nunnally's. "I'll make you a promise. One day, you will go home and I'll be there to help you greet your family."
Nunnally sniffled. "Sh-Shez…"
Shez gripped Nunnally's pinky with her own. "You won't have to hide forever. I'll make sure of it. Heck, if I keep up my current pace, Oz says I can join the Glinda Knights. I'll make sure you can go home, Nunna. Merc's honor."
Nunnally hugged her big sis. "Thank you, Shez."
"It's a big sister's job to look out for her little sis just as much as the big brother," she said chipperly and then frowned. "You and Lelouch gave me something I never knew I wanted or needed until you gave it to me. You gave me a family, a home. And for that, I'll always be grateful. So…don't be sad, okay? Let's just take everything one day at a time."
"Shez?"
"Yeah?"
"What if Lelouch doesn't want to go home?" Nunnally asked.
Oof. Yeah. Shez not only got that sense, she knew Lelouch was scheming against the royal family. It was why he asked her to spy on Clovis.
"We'll figure it out," Shez said.
"I don't want to go home unless Lelouch does," Nunnally said. "I want to stay with my big brother, no matter what. He's the most important person to me in the world."
Shez smiled. "Lelouch is a lucky guy to have such a devoted little sister."
Nunnally giggled and then felt more sunlight on her face from the stain glass ceiling window. "Shez?"
"Yes?"
"I'm sleepy," Nunnally told her.
Shez smirked. "Go ahead and take a nap then. I'll wake you in two hours."
"Thank you," Nunnally said, curled up into Shez, and fell asleep.
Shez stared at the statues of the four saints. Don't worry, Nunna. I'll fix Britannia for you so that you and Lelouch can be with your family. That's my promise to the both of you. I promise!
8th Day of the Verdant Rain Moon
It was nightfall at Garreg Mach. Edelgard was on , streaming a tactical strategy game based on the war of the Eagle and Lion. Naturally, Edelgard was playing the alternate history route where the Empire won against the Loog the Lion King.
As she looked around at her cavalry and infantry, deciding, based on the hexagonal map, if her turn was over, she addressed her chat. "For the last time, no, I'm not playing a horror game, no matter how many subscribers I have," she said, laughing. It was a bit of a running gag in her new small time gig that Edelgard absolutely hated horror games with a burning passion, so her chat often trolled her in various ways to try to get her to try just one horror game.
Edelgard ended her turn, watching the enemy make their moves. She was about to begin her turn, when Hubert called out to her from off camera. "Lady Edelgard, a moment of your time. It's a bit urgent."
"Oh, it sounds like I have to go chat. See you next time."
Comments ran across the stream, begging Edelgard to play five more minutes. Others calling Hubert a simp, and others still making HubertXEdelgard posts that inevitably clashed with EdelgardXMonica posts before Edelgard shut off her channel and hung up her headphones. The room was now dark except for moonlight.
"What's this in relation to?" Edelgard asked.
Hubert handed her a print out. "See for yourself," he told her.
It was an email Hubert received to one of five different shell accounts he used to gather intel around the globe. This one was the one he used as liaison to the Flame Emperor.
"I see. So 11am on the 11th. That will prove difficult given I should be in lecture," Edelgard said.
"I don't doubt Professor Jeritza will allow us an excused absence given his role in all of this," Hubert commented.
"He's not the one I'm worried about," Edelgard stated.
"Ah, you mean Lelouch. If you're suddenly absent without a good excuse, you're concerned he might investigate," Hubert told her.
"Precisely," Edelgard said. "I can't have anyone think anything is out of place, Lelouch especially. He could catch on to the truth."
"You needn't worry about him," Hubert told her with a smirk. "Should Lelouch get too close to the truth. I have several ways of dealing with him."
"Such as?" Edelgard asked.
"He has a crippling weakness in his younger sister," Hubert said.
Edelgard spoke sharply. "Hubert. Allow me to make something perfectly clear. Hurt Nunnally and when the Empire bends the knee to my regime, your role in my life will be replaced with Monica."
Hubert bowed in apology. "A thousand apologies, Lady Edelgard. I did not realize you were so softhearted."
"Softhearted nothing," Edelgard told him. "However, while Lelouch's loyalty remains as of yet unknown, harming or even threatening Nunnally would burn away whatever positive relationship I may have with him. Lelouch could have joined any of the other four houses when he was choosing to leave the Violet Tigers, but he chose ours, Hubert. I want that to mean something."
"Understood. I shall adjust my strategy for dealing with him accordingly," Hubert told her. "Perhaps a tasteless, odorless poison."
"Hubert!"
"That was a joke," he remarked, chuckling.
Edelgard groaned. "It's hard to know with you."
"I shall also make efforts to have Clara and Rolo pre-occupied," Hubert told her. "The fewer tabs they can keep on us, the better."
"Quite," Edelgard said. "Almost makes me wish we'd assigned Rolo and Clara to group tasks this week."
"We had no way of knowing when this meeting would come into play," Hubert told Edelgard. "But I figured you would want this occurring sooner rather than later."
"Indeed. Although this does mean we're almost certain to clash with the Glaston Knights and the Violet Tigers. And by we, I mean myself. I want the Eagles kept out of it."
"Understood, Lady Edelgard," Hubert told her. "Have a pleasant night."
"You the same," Edelgard told him and her close confidant and friend left the room. Edelgard then shut off her computer, got into pajamas, crawled into bed and went to sleep.
A haunted shriek woke Edelgard up before she even realized she was waking. It took her a minute to realize that that shriek had come from her own lips and throat. Another nightmare, this one quite vivid. Images of what she had been experiencing still haunted her as they slowly burned away like old film.
She'd been in a dank dungeon with Lelouch and Nunnally. Edelgard was then laid flat and poked and prodded with all manner of sharp instruments by a man in a white robe. Lelouch and Nunnally suddenly turned into ghosts, demanding Edelgard avenge them, before turning into her deceased siblings. As Edelgard panted, she collected a flashlight and a bed robe and walked out into the hall, heading for the second-floor dorm room balcony.
Of course, Edelgard von Hresvelg was not the only person that evening prowling the Monastery at night. Of course, to call Byleth Eisner a night prowler wasn't exactly fair. Since growing attached to Lelouch and Nunnally, well without their knowledge, the young woman found it impossible to sleep without knowing the two teens she treated as siblings were safe on some nights. It had led to some restless nights during their time at Ashford and the habit had only sparked again upon their reunion at Garreg Mach.
However, as Byleth passed by the balcony on her way to Lelouch and Nunnally's room, she spotted Edelgard out in a bed robe gazing up at the moon. Curious, she strolled forward.
"Can't sleep?"
Edelgard was so lost in thought she whirled around and pushed against the balcony's railing. Thank the Goddess it was made of sturdy stone, else she feared she may have tumbled into the bushes below.
"Professor!" she exhaled, completely startled. "You scared me. I thought I was about to have a heart attack." She righted her self and fanned out her bed robe.
"You still might." Byleth commented without emotional inflection. She often delivered most of her wit with as deadpan and stoic a response as possible. Jeralt once told her it was part of her charm.
Edelgard appeared to catch on. "That joke is not funny," she responded, turning head away, covering her cheek with the back of her hand, blushing. "What are you doing out this late, anyway?"
"Night crawling," Byleth responded as deadpan as ever.
Edelgard blushed even harder. "What could you possibly mean by that?" She groaned. "Ugh, never mind. I don't believe I wish to know."
Byleth approached the balcony and leaned over it, gazing up at the moon. The light of the celestial body reflected in her eyes.
"Professor, do you ever have nightmares?" Edelgard asked.
"Not particularly," Byleth answered honestly.
"Really? Not even one?" Edelgard asked, surprised. Surely everyone had at least one nightmare in their life at some point.
Byleth thought about it. She then nodded. "Very rarely."
"Perhaps this is too personal to ask, but…what are they about?"
"Lelouch and Nunnally," Byleth said.
"Ah, yes, that would make sense," Edelgard replied, keeping up the visage of a proper young woman and not a terrified girl woken by a nightmare of her own. "They are the very important to you, aren't they?"
Byleth nodded.
Edelgard too now leaned over the balcony. She could wash her fluffy robe of gravel later. She and Byleth's elbows were about an inch apart. Edelgard stared up at the moon. "What would you do, do you think…if you lost them? I know…that's not exactly something you'd like to confront but—"
"I'd kill whoever's responsible," Byleth said, sounding mildly enraged.
Edelgard, intrigued by this response, leaned up and turned towards the young professor. "And then what? Revenge is but a fleeting emotion."
"Carry on with my life?" Byleth asked. She appeared to be guarding her emotions rather than having none at all with the way she spoke.
Edelgard stared at the ground. "Could you really? Just as simply as that?" Edelgard asked.
"I would visit them every year," Byleth told Edelgard, referring to the idea that she would visit their hypothetical graves.
"I suppose the life of a mercenary offers you such a simple choice. Royalty is not so lucky," Edelgard said.
"You lost siblings?" Byleth asked.
"Many," Edelgard answered. "They…haunt my nightmares."
"I'm sorry," Byleth stated.
"You haven't the slightest thing to apologize for. It's not your fault they're gone," Edelgard told her.
"Nobody should have to suffer nightmares," Byleth told her.
"Aha! Fine words from someone with a reputation of a high body count. Just how many families do you think you've destroyed over the course of your career?" Edelgard asked.
"I don't like to think about it," Byleth stated, shaking her head.
"No, perhaps not."
The two stared at each other for a long time before Edelgard broke the silence. "Professor…I…no this is silly."
"What is it?" Byleth asked.
"If you had the opportunity to change the world, to seize a future with your own two hands where people didn't have to suffer…would you? Or do you plan to go your whole life staying out of large conflicts?"
"I'm not sure," Byleth responded honestly.
"Not sure?" Edelgard asked, surprised by the answer.
Byleth went back to leaning over the balcony and staring at the moon. "I'm a mercenary. I go where I am bound by money and by duty. But…I do like it here at Garreg Mach too. I'm not sure what I'll do with my life."
"You really do just take everything one day at a time, don't you?" Edelgard asked.
"It's the easiest way to live," Byleth said, turning only her head towards Edelgard, smirking at her. "Then life can always surprise you and you never have to worry about the future."
"I can't help but worry about the future," Edelgard told her, looking anxious. "But…perhaps that is merely my station in life."
Byleth stared up at the moon, smiling wider. "Maybe it's hypocritical of someone like me to say this, but I believe that as long as you live your life the way you want to, that no matter how long or how short it is, it will be the best way to live your life. If life has a finite goal and you achieve that goal, the rest of your life may feel hollow. As long as you never stop moving forward, you'll always have something to get you up in the morning, to put on clothes and walk out into the world."
"Is that what keeps you going, Professor? The dawn of a new day?" Edelgard asked her.
"Every day," Byleth said and pushed up off the balcony. She then began to walk away. Edelgard followed. She watched Byleth use a master key to peek into one room slightly, confirming Nunnally sound asleep. She then opened the room next to it. Lelouch was already back from his own nightly excursions, snoring. To Byleth's piece of mind, he damn well better be given it was roughly 1am. She knew he went out at night, but for what was not her business she felt. She could trust him to take care of himself.
As she shut Lelouch's door, she noticed Edelgard staring at her. "Something the matter?"
"Does that master key open every dorm room in the monastery?" Edelgard asked.
"It does," Byleth said.
Edelgard swallowed. A thought crossed her mind, but she felt stupid to even try asking it. But…no, before she could deny her desire, Byleth's words ran in her head "live your life the way you want to".
"Professor, would it be too much to ask you to…check on me every now and again?" Edelgard asked.
"I…could, but why?" Byleth asked. Edelgard wasn't even her student.
Well, she got this far. Now what? Edelgard found herself trying to come to turns, as her heart raced a mile a minute as stood before Byleth. "I just…" she began and then cleared her throat. "It might…chase my nightmares away, if…if I could take comfort in the idea that someone…was looking out for me, you know…like a guardian angel." She laughed as she turned her head, unable to look Byleth in the eye. "Aha, that must sound so silly."
"I don't mind," Byleth answered calmly and honestly.
Edelgard whipped her head to stare at Byleth, surprised.
"You…you don't mind?" Edelgard believed Byleth would brush her silly request aside, call her a weirdo and be done with it.
"It's not a big deal," Byleth told her plainly.
Edelgard felt weird, blushing as she started fidgeting with her fingers, staring at them. "Professor…I…thank you."
Edelgard was so enraptured in the shapes her fingers were making she missed Byleth strolling forward until the woman lay a hardy slap to her shoulder. "Come on," Byleth said. "Let's get you back to bed. We should both not be tired for tomorrow."
Edelgard found herself breaking out into the dumbest smile she could ever recall making. "Yes, indeed. Thank you, teacher."
Byleth walked Edelgard back to her room and then returned to her own room. Before settling down, Byleth looked at a picture she kept on her desk. It was a photo of her, Jeralt, Lelouch and Nunnally from before Lelouch started his time at Ashford. Jeralt had asked a random stranger to take the photo. Lelouch was forcing a small smile. Nunnally was as cheerful as ever. Jeralt had this big, goofy dad grin. As for Byleth herself, she was staring right at the cameraman with the most neutral expression on her face ever. The photo had been taken at a summer festival in Leicester.
To anyone else, Byleth looked disinterested, almost doll-like in the photo itself. However, Byleth herself knew better. Byleth knew that the lack of a smile in the photo didn't matter. She knew, especially as she smiled at the photo itself, that felt the same back then when the photo was taken as she did smiling at it right now: she was happy. Nodding at the photo, she shut off the lights and crawled into bed. Tomorrow would be another day. She'd get up and live her life the way she wanted. And, as long as she could do that, she knew that every day, she would be happy.
"Sweet dreams," Sothis told her right before Byleth fell into a deep sleep.
You the same, Byleth thought and then let out a big snore as she fell asleep.
9th Day of the Verdant Rain Moon
Down in Abyss, Zero was wrapping up lectures for the evening with the Ashen Wolves. As he clacked papers to the desk, he called out to Yuri. "Have our scouts reported anything on that matter I asked you to look into?"
"Yeah, but you're not gonna like the results," Yuri told him.
"How so?" Zero asked calmly.
"The Chalice is in Saitama," Yuri told him.
"How are you so certain?" Zero asked before accepting the worst-case scenario.
"Because we keep getting a magic-based reaction in the area, but we aren't able to pinpoint it. My guess is we drop down once the area's been combed a little finer and begin operations. Say, the 13th, when classes aren't in session?"
Zero was quiet, but he agreed.
"This will be a daylight excursion then, will it not?" Constance asked. "I am hoping the weather calls for an overcast."
"It's the middle of summer, Shady Lady. You're out of luck on that front," Yuri told her.
"What? Does Cinderella turn into a pumpkin under sunlight?" Yukiya asked.
"Ah! How dare you!" Constance fired back, offended. She sighed. "But the reality is…not exactly pleasant either."
"Will it keep you from acting in accordance with the mission?" Zero asked.
"Well, no, but—"
"Then put up with it," Zero told her plainly.
Constance sighed. "Sir, yes, sir."
Her usual enthusiasm is all but absent. But…Constance is the most powerful piece on the board when it comes to the Ashen Wolves. I can't afford to leave her behind. "All of you spend the next few days preparing your weapons and magic. I don't want a fight, but if the Violet Tigers come barreling through our operation zone, we'll need to fight back."
"What about the JLF?" Hapi asked.
"With any luck, the enemy of our enemy is our friend," Zero told her.
"Eh, we'll be fine as long as they don't shoot at us," Balthus said, laughing silently, only to notice how nobody else looked as confident as he did. "…Right?"
Akito tented his fingers. "It's my understanding, Zero, that you expect us to be treated as hostile on sight?"
"Unfortunately, we have already lent aid to two attempts to undermine the authority of the church. A confrontation with the Glaston Knights will undoubtedly result in armed conflict," Zero answered.
"Aw, come on! My bounty is high enough as it is!" Balthus exclaimed.
"That's why we've been disguising ourselves," Ayano reminded him with a harsh tone of voice. "Of course, if you want it to go away, let me turn you in and then bust you out. Yukiya, Ryo and I could use the money."
"Uh, thanks but no thanks," Balthus told her. "I'm nobody's meal ticket."
"This chalice had better be worth it," Kronya complained.
"It's the Chalice of Beginnings," Yuri said with a grandiose smile. "It should absolutely be worth it."
"The Chalice of Beginnings?!" Constance asked, very surprised, only to laugh. "Ahaha! You're a character, Yuri. I know you're a jokester, but I've never known you to go chasing fables."
"The Chalice is very real," C.C. said, suddenly speaking up.
Everyone turned towards her.
C.C. offered no follow up.
"Hey! Come on!" Ayano exclaimed. "You can't just say that and not tell us more."
C.C. remained quiet.
Ayano groaned, rolling her eyes towards the ceiling. "Fine. I will buy you the deluxe triple pizza box pizza with pepperoni, bacon and sausage."
Without even a second passing, C.C. began to explain herself. "Before it became a subsidiary of the Chinese Federation, the Mongolian Empire and their leader, Genghis Khan once coveted the chalice for himself. However, he was thwarted at a time when Adrestia had yet to split into itself and the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus. As a result, when he made to invade Rome, Adrestian soldiers marched northeast through the cold north, making settlements along the way, and eventually flanking the entirety of the Mongol horde in their home region. While they were eventually driven out by China, Genghis Khan's bid for the chalice had long since failed."
"I think I've heard of that," Hapi said, jumping into the conversation. "My remote village sits pretty close to where what's now known as Mongolian-China once stood. We have a lot of old stories and historic records. Some Mongols, after the war, even settled down where my village sits. We're kind of a melting pot to some degree, even more than Britannia."
"The place I used to call home has very detailed records about the chalice, and the Mongols. And others that came along, coveting its power. In fact, many colonists, in the wake of Washington's Rebellion, used records by Thomas Jefferson and John Adams with the hopes of resurrecting George Washington to try and push Britannia out. This, of course, died down when Napoleon pushed Britannia across the ocean into where it is today."
"Ah, Napoleon! Such a fine leader!" Constance praised.
"Wasn't that guy Faerghusian?" Ryo asked. "Why're you praising him?"
"Ah! Fool! France now sits within Adrestia's borders and the Isle of Corsica has always belonged to the Empire. When Napoleon expanded Faerghusian territory by taking it in the name of the Kingdom, he was also responsible for paying much of his riches and conquests to House Nuvelle! It was how House Nuvelle managed to negotiate back much of the land Napoleon once conquered back to the Empire."
"Doesn't that make you guys traitors to your own country?" Yukiya asked.
Zero groaned. "It sounds like it's time for another history lesson."
Everyone groaned. They thought they were done for the night. Except C.C. and Akito. They stayed quiet.
But Zero started clacking chalk on the board. "Napoleon Bonaparte, as Constance said, a man from the Isle of Corsica, and, at one point, an Adrestian Noble. He pushed Britannia out of the Europa Isles and all the way to their colonies, conquering them, Frankish-Adrestia and even attempting to take what is now one of the few independent nations left in the world: Albinea."
"But they were thwarted by the Albinean army, but given safe passage back to Faerghus by Brighid, a vassal state of the Empire, hoping to curry favor with General Bonaparte," Constance interjected happily.
"But it was all a trap," Zero explained, throwing his arms out wide. "For within Brighid's ranks were many angry Britannian vessels, looking to reclaim vengeance upon Napoleon for the murder of their Queen and the exile of their people. Historically, when faced with his death, Napoleon did not ask for forgiveness, nor leniency. He repeated an idiom quite famous in Japan, despite having never visited."
"What idiom?" Ayano asked, curious.
"Death before dishonor," Zero and Constance said at the same time, but with vastly different inflections. Zero spoke instructively while Constance was all smiles.
Constance then picked up the story. "In the wake of the death of Sir Bonaparte, House Nuvelle, which had been offered many riches and gifts during his conquest, to allow their ports to be used, then became Adrestia's saviors by taking Frankish territory back for the Empire and, thanks to their newly gained riches, had Arianrhod constructed with the aid of House Rowe. And though House Rowe would eventually defect to the kingdom, where Arianrhod now sits, it was the reclaim of lost territory that had House Nuvelle once sit tall and proud as one of Adrestia's finest noble families."
"Wow, your family actually used to be something pretty special," Ryo said with a toothy smirk, "And here I thought you were just some delusional lunatic with dreams of grandeur."
"Ah! I will suffer no slander for loss of fortune beyond my control, thank you!" Constance exclaimed, offended. "House Nuvelle was so mighty that, had it still been standing, it would have undoubtedly aided House Hresvelg against the Insurrection of the Seven."
"You are certain your house would've stood with the Emperor?" Zero asked.
"But of course, it would not have had a choice given its hold over western ports and to yet again prove its loyalty to the people," Constance stated.
"Wow, Coco, I didn't know House Nuvelle used to be so mighty," Hapi said, chuckling.
"Ah, but of course. How could you gaze upon this noble visage and think that it stood anywhere less than the top?" Constance asked, with a big smile.
"I don't know, I can think of a few reasons," Yukiya remarked wryly.
"Oh that is IT!" Constance exclaimed, charging a fireball, only to have Zero grab her wrist.
"Let us not forget who the enemy actually is here, Constance von Nuvelle. For in only a few days time, like a phoenix from the ashes, we shall rise to the occasion and claim what is rightfully ours!" Zero did all his posing with one arm while the other never slackened its grip on Constance's wrist.
"Yeah, speaking of, Chalice of Beginnings, or whatever," Balthus spoke up, "You sure about this, Zero? Ancient artifacts like this tend to bring trouble."
"I thought you liked trouble," Zero said, letting go of Constance's wrist.
"Hey, I like trouble when it pays. I doubt you have plans to pawn off this weirdly old chalice," Balthus responded.
"No, not particularly," Zero responded.
"What's this chalice for, anyway?" Kronya asked.
"Unfortunately, that is a secret kept closely between Yuri and myself," Zero stated. "But rest assured it is in furtherance of the goal of claiming the world back for the oppressed and forgotten."
"I think some of us here would like some specifics," Ayano said with a glare.
Lelouch stood by, doing his best to come up with a crafty lie on the spot. In truth, he hadn't actually thought of someone else he could resurrect aside from his mother and he was also uncertain if simply explaining how the chalice worked would be laughed at by some of the skeptics.
Surprisingly, the voice of dissent in his favor came from an unlikely source. "If Zero says that it'll further our goals, then by Nemesis, I think we can trust him!" Kronya exclaimed with a glare.
"I was just about to say similar, Kronya, but you beat me to it!" Constance exclaimed.
"Well some of us would like to know what we could be walking into an armed conflict with the Glaston Knights over," Ayano shot back. "We have lives to live, you know?"
"Living underground?" Zero asked. "Is that a life you want to cling to? I thought you were prepared to fight and die for the cause, Ayano. Sometimes getting what you want isn't easy, nor glamorous, and it sure as hell isn't spoon fed to you. As someone from the streets, I thought you understood that."
"Hey, if we're lucky we die on the battlefield," Ayano shot back. "Do you have any idea what they'll do to any of us they decide to make an example of?"
Zero stayed quiet momentarily.
"Britannia is the worst when it comes to prisoners of war!" Ayano shouted. "They—"
"When you're a Britannian prisoner of war, if you aren't a Britannian citizen—a member of an internal rebellion—there aren't many provisions protecting prisoners from many inhumane acts. I'm aware. I've studied Britannian law, and its shortcomings."
"Ayano, I used to live in a cage before I came to the Monastery. Believe me, I have no intention of going back there," Hapi told her with a cross look. "The Glaston Knights are scary, so we just have to prove that we're scarier."
Akito put a hand on Ayano's shoulder. "We'll get out of there alive, together." He looked at Zero. "Death before dishonor, right?"
"Indeed. I certainly don't intend to be touted as a prisoner of war if I'm taken in by Cornelia's troops. I would rather die on the battlefield, my body rent completely unrecognizable, than be captured alive," Zero stated. "Ayano, if even one member of the Wolves are missing from this expedition, it reduces our unity drastically. If you won't fight for your own future, fight for those who don't have the choice to fight for their future, the little ones scattered about Abyss wondering why their parents haven't come back yet."
Ayano's chest tightened. Clearly Zero was observant enough to have seen her playing big sister to some orphans.
Ryo put an arm around the back of Ayano's neck. "Nobody's going anywhere. If we die, we die. At least we can say we did so giving Britannia the biggest middle finger we could."
"You're more afraid of surviving without some of the people around you, aren't you?" C.C. asked out of the blue.
Ayano gasped, turning her gaze towards C.C.
"Surviving when others do not can break the heart," C.C. stated. "However, I trust Zero. I believe that the Chalice is vital to our success in the future."
Ayano took a deep breath and looked at Zero. "Just answer me one thing, if someone does die, if things go horribly wrong, will you take responsibility?"
"I am nothing if not an honest man in a mask, Ayano. Of that I stand firmly upon," Zero told her.
She exhaled deeply. "Fine. You won't hear any complaints from me on the battlefield then." She stared at him with a serious gaze. "You'd better make sure we all come back alive."
"We will," Zero told her. He slapped his palm on a desk. "As we stand here, outcasts from the world, I do declare, that we are a single wolf pack! Let the ash of our coats billow in the wind and let our fangs pierce our enemy's throats until none yet stand! Death before dishonor!"
"Death before dishonor!" Constance declared, putting her hand on top of Zero's.
"Death before dishonor," C.C. said with a calm smirk, putting her hand on top of Constance.
"Death before dishonor," Yuri agreed, putting his hand on top of C.C.'s.
"Death before dishonor," Akito said forcefully, putting his hand on top of Yuri's.
"Death before dishonor, so says the Honorable King of Grappling!" Balthus exclaimed, putting his big hand on top of Akito's.
"Death before dishonor," Ryo said, forcing his hand on top of the pile, atop Balthus's.
"Death before dishonor," Yukiya chuckled, following suit, hand going atop Ryo's.
Hapi giggled. "Death before dishonor." Her hand lay atop Ryo's.
Ayano, feeling more connected to her allies than ever, smiled, "Death…before dishonor." Her hand went on top of Hapi's.
Kronya was now the only hold out. "You're all crazy."
"Hey, come on, pal. Don't leave us, hangin'!" Balthus exclaimed.
"This is stupid! This isn't going to change anything! Whether we live or die out there isn't going to change if we do some stupid silly ritual!" Kronya exclaimed.
"Oh then by all means, feel free to go crawling back to your master in disgrace," Yuri told her. "We won't hold it against you."
Kronya growled. She slapped Ayano's hand so hard, it was bound to leave a red mark. "Death before dishonor. There. Happy? I said the stupid thing!"
She was not prepared when everyone raised their hands to the ceiling in cheer, morale higher than a kite. Everyone looked so happy and feeling invincible that it left the Agarthan woman highly confused by their dumbness. Kronya, put off by their behavior, went and sat in a corner, sulking.
"I do believe," C.C. said to Ayano, "You made me a promise."
Ayano groaned, taking her purse out of her backpack. "All right, fine. You and pizza I swear." The two left the lecture hall.
"Hey, if we're getting pizza, wait for me!" Hapi exclaimed. "I want that pizza box pizza!" She darted out of the lecture hall.
"I dunno about all of you, but the Tired King of Grappling needs some shut eye," Balthus said, rolling his shoulders, leaving.
"I think sleep is in the cards for me too," Ryo said, rotating one arm. He yawned. "Yeah, definitely in the cards." He left out behind Balthus.
"Aha! I shall bid thee all a good night, so say I, Constance von Nuvelle!" Constance then strode out of the hall with her head held high.
"I should be getting back to the surface," Zero said, "If I'm not back before 1am I turn into a pumpkin."
Yuri laughed. "Heck of a curse."
"You learn to live with it," Zero stated and exited.
"I'm gonna throw a few bones at the gambling table before I pack it in," Yuri said. "You coming Akito?"
Akito shook his head.
"All right, suit yourself," Yuri said and left the room.
Now, only Akito and Kronya remained in the otherwise empty lecture hall. Kronya, still sulking, watched Akito get up, figuring he was going to just leave the hall without saying anything, only for him to take a seat in a chair near where she was sulking. He wasn't looking at her though. He was staring across the lecture hall at the far wall.
"If you're going to sit by me, have the common decency to talk to me," Kronya snapped before adding, "Weirdo."
"What about?" Akito asked.
"Don't ask me! You're the one that came over here!" Kronya shouted.
"Yet you made no attempt to get up and leave," Akito pointed out.
Kronya's blood boiled, but she said nothing.
"You keep acting like you don't care about us, Kronya, but…is that really true? Maybe you're simply confused by all of this." He stared at the ceiling. "There's never been a person quite like Zero in our lives before. Perhaps he's planning to become the next historic revolutionary. Hannibal. Napoleon. Caesar. Even Saint Seiros herself."
Akito and Kronya were both silent for a bit.
Akito then continued, "When Zero first came to us and declared that he was going to be our teacher, I thought he was crazy. Just a man in a mask with delusions of grandeur, or maybe some homeless man that burst into our classroom. But…between the battle at Magdred Way and the one at the Rite of Rebirth, while it doesn't yet feel like we've accomplished anything, that's not what I think Zero wants us to focus on. We're a team. We're the Ashen Wolves." He took out his katana and gazed at it, his eyes reflected in the shimmer of the steel blade. "Through failure and success, we're a team." He moved the katana so that Kronya's gaze was reflected in the metal. "And you shouldn't feel nervous to count yourself on that team too." He stood up and put his sword away.
"Who's nervous? I'm an Agarthan. I'm a superior human to all of you. I wouldn't care if one of you termites got crushed underfoot never to be heard from again!" Kronya snapped.
Akito took two steps forward, only to stop. "I wasn't actually born in Japan, you know. I was born and raised in Faerghus. When Rome took over Japan, I had already lost my entire family. I was living in exile. Faerghus didn't want me. Adrestia didn't want me. Even China didn't want me. Archbishop Rhea helped me find a home down here. But…I was still alone. Ryo. Ayano. Yukiya. They're all new down here, not even two years. When I showed up, Yuri, Balthus, Constance and Hapi had been here for years."
"Why are you telling me this?! I don't care!" Kronya exasperated.
Akito turned towards the door. Kronya was to his right. He lifted his head and turned his gaze towards her. "My point is, you may have been born an Agarthan, Kronya, but that doesn't mean Agartha is your home. When I met Ryo, Ayano and Yukiya, I didn't speak a word of Japanese. They just assumed I could speak it fluently. They had to teach me it from the word, Hai, meaning yes, on up. I didn't have this culture that they had, or this connection to an oppressed world that they did. But…even Ryo will tell you that Japan isn't what it was anymore. It's barely recognizable under Rome's rule. I'm not Japanese, Kronya. I'm not Faerghusian, or even Roman. I'm Abyssian and I'm proud of it. Because the Ashen Wolves are my family, my brothers and my sisters."
"I didn't ask for your life story," Kronya grumbled.
"Kronya, do you have a family? Do you have friends?" Akito asked.
"No. No. And I don't need either of those things! I'm an Agarthan! That's all I need to be focused on!" Kronya shouted, getting angry.
"If that's what Agarthan culture is like, then it's a cold empty culture that nobody should be a part of." He smirked cruelly. "Maybe the Goddess was right to shove your people underground."
Kronya lost patience as her eye contracted in malice. "Oh? I see how it is. You want me to kill you, don't you?!" Kronya asked, shouting. She took out Athame and darted towards Akito with it. She was surprised when he didn't try to defend himself. He didn't even move. Kronya's blade came just shy of his neck, not even piercing skin. This was not by any unseen force. This was a willful act on Kronya's part.
"What the—Hey! Are you paying attention at all?"
"Of course I am," Akito said. "And look at that, you didn't kill me."
"You didn't defend yourself! It confused me!" she excused. "And…and Zero would have gotten pissed off if I did kill you."
"This right here is what Ryo would call a sibling spat. How old are you, Kronya?" Akito asked her.
"I don't know! Older than you, at least! I know that!" She snapped.
"In Japanese then, I would call you nee-san. In Japan, it's the little brother's responsibility to show respect to their older sibling and the older sibling is supposed to, in return, protect their younger sibling."
"I'm not your fricken sister, you goddess cherishing weirdo!" Kronya snapped at him. She grabbed Akito by the throat and glared at him. "Listen to me you blue-eyed freak. I'm an Agarthan! This planet belonged to my people way before it belonged to you beasts. Killing you would be like slaughtering an ox or a cow! I'm not your sister! I'm not your friend! And the next time I try to stab you, for the love of Nemesis, defend yourself!"
"And if I don't?"
"Then I'll tear your head clean from its shoulders, carve out your heart, and use your intestines as a scarf!" Kronya shouted, tightening her grip.
Akito only now grabbed Kronya's hand clenched around his throat. He firmly pulled it away. "Well, whatever you want to believe, fate has brought us together and put you among our ranks. You can deny that you're one of us all you want, but to me, you're my nee-san. Both in battle and in this lecture hall, as fellow members of the Ashen Wolves, Kairo no Gakkuyu, I plan to treat you with the respect an older sister deserves." Akito then bowed. "And with that, oyasumi, good night." He then walked out of the lecture hall, leaving Kronya to her own devices.
She frowned at his back, waited for him to turn the corner…and then teleported out…to report to Thales.
She would eventually return to the room she'd been given down here in Abyss. She sequestered herself in her bed, frowning at the ceiling like she was trying to make it feel guilty for simply existing. She didn't care about any of this. She didn't care about the fun Ayano, Hapi and C.C. were having in the pizza parlor, or Constance singing—off key—at the karaoke bar—or Balthus gambling 500 credit bill he found on the ground, or anything else going on outside her room. All she cared about was killing the Goddess once and for all and her children. To take back the world from these stupid beast people and reclaim what rightfully belonged to her people.
However, as the memories of tonight's lecture consumed her waking thoughts, she rolled over and smashed her pillow over her head, crunching it around her ears. She growled loudly enough that, if she wasn't the only one in the dorms, someone was bound to have heard her.
I hate them, she thought, gnashing her teeth, trying to fall asleep angry. I hate them so much! Why'd Thales pick me for this assignment? Ugh! This is way outside my comfort zone! She flipped back over and put the back of her head on her pillow. They're not Agarthan. Living in a cage. Losing… she crinkled her nose in disgust, family. They haven't suffered like we have. They don't know what it's like to be us. And for that matter we deserve to do whatever we want to with them! They're…they're ugly! And smelly!
But, even as she tried to fill her heart with hate, as she fell asleep, a single memory stuck out that she wasn't able to erase: Zero saved her life. And it was that memory, and an emotion she didn't quite comprehend, that Kronya fell asleep to.
(A/N: If this plot got any thicker, you could call it syrup and spread it on pancakes. Lotta good stuff in here I feel as we get closer and closer to the meat and potatoes of this month. Obviously I wouldn't neglect to include some Edeleth shipping, even if Byleth isn't yet Edelgard's teacher. And I think the other, in my opinion, powerful scenes are pretty good here too. Let me know which one was your favorite. And, as always, from all of me, to all of you, let your hearts stay human and your wrath draconic. Ja ne!)