The Three Houses of Hyperdimension
A Fire Emblem: Three Houses & Hyperdimension Neptunia Crossover Fan Fiction
by Derald Snyder
Episode 40: Yoshi's Day
"Oh, look at it!" "It's so cute!" "Why was she hiding it this whole time?" "She didn't want anyone to steal it, I bet!"
Those were the basic gist of the students' comments as Edelgard paraded her green yoshisaur through the halls of Garreg Mach. The creature itself seemed a bit jittery, clearly unused to having so much attention fixed on it at once, which was part of the reason Edelgard kept it on a leash (the other reason was to try and keep it from eating anything edible it might see).
"So this was the big secret you and Hubert were hiding?" Ferdinand said as he and Caspar walked up. "With all due respect, Edelgard, you could have saved yourself a lot of trouble in court if you had but simply admitted that you were caring for an endangered species...!"
"Yes, Ferdinand, you are not the first to have stated such," Edelgard sighed in annoyance. "In my defense, I would have told the professor had it not been for the lockdown..."
"I get that. But who'd have imagined you'd be arrested for trying to bump off my father?" Caspar cut in. "But they're not going to let you keep it, are they?"
"No, the zoo is going to take it in," Edelgard replied. "They have the resources to handle its appetite far better than we could... but Lady Rhea allowed me to show it to everyone before they come to pick it up later today." She watched as the yoshisaur sniffed at Caspar's feet, before making a disappointed noise. "Seems it thought you had food on your person."
"Well, lunch wasn't that long ago," Caspar said, putting a hand behind his head. "Maybe it was smelling crumbs or something..."
Just then, Ferdinand saw Petra and Dorothea approaching from behind Edelgard, also making out Bernadetta a further distance away. "Ah, Dorothea! How lovely it is that you grace us with your presence! And Petra as well!"
"Down, Ferdie," Dorothea snarked. "We're just here to see Edie's little pet..." She bent over with hands on knees to get a closer look. "Hello, there, do you mind if I pet you?" But the yoshisaur turned away, out of her hand's reach. "It ignored me...?"
"Probably because you don't have any food on you," Caspar suggested.
"Seeing this creature is reminding me of story that Grandfather once told me," Petra said. "Long ago, our ancestors bring yoshisaurs to our islands, thinking they will be better mounts than horses, because while smaller, they are much smarter... but then yoshisaurs eat almost entire year's crops, forcing my ancestors to hunt and kill them all. Many died in winter and famine that followed..."
"Whoa. Talk about a complete disaster!" Caspar shook his head. "Betcha they executed the guy who had the idea of bringing them to your islands in the first place..."
"Well, that is what happens when you introduce an alien species into an ecosystem not equipped to handle them," Ferdinand added.
"But how would they be able to ride them?" Caspar said in confusion. "Only the professor's daughter could fit on this one..."
"It's not fully grown yet," Edelgard shook her head. "Although it is true that yoshisaurs were usually ridden by shorter men back in ancient times..." Sensing something behind her, she heaved a sigh of annoyance. "Bernadetta, is there something you wish to contribute to this conversation?"
"Eep!" Bernie gasped at being called out. "Um, well... a-actually, I was just talking with that Marianne from the Golden Deer House..."
"Really?" Dorothea turned to her fellow student in mild surprise. "You actually talked to someone outside the Black Eagles house? Go Bernie!"
"Yes, my congratulations to you for coming out of your turtle," Petra nodded, before frowning. "Wait, that does not sound correct..."
"I think you meant to say coming out of her shell," Dorothea helpfully supplied.
"Ah, yes, that is the expression I was meaning!" Petra nodded, slightly embarrassed. "So, what were you speaking with Marianne about?"
"Um, she wanted Edie's yoshisaur to come and meet Dorte," Bernadetta responded. "But, she was too shy to ask herself... and since I know you already..."
"Um, who's Dorte?" Caspar inquired.
"I am believing that is the name of the horse that Marianne tends to at the stables," Petra replied.
"R-right, the horse!" Bernie nodded vigorously.
"I see. I suppose there is no problem with that," Edelgard smiled. "But only Bernadetta and I should go, otherwise we might overwhelm Marianne... besides, don't you have homework to catch up on, Caspar?"
"Oh, crud! I totally forgot! The professor's gonna kill me if I don't get it in on time!" Caspar cried in panic, dashing off.
"I must also be going; I am having to perform pegasus patrol duties today," Petra said, bowing and heading off.
"Well, I suppose that leaves just you and me, Dorothea," Ferdinand stated.
"Ugh, alone with you, Ferdie? This should be just wonderful," Dorothea said with an obvious sarcastic undertone.
"We'll be going, then. Come along, Bernadetta," Edelgard said as she led the Yoshisaur away, Bernie following behind her...
At the stables...
"Hello, Marianne," Edelgard greeted as she and Bernadetta approached the bluenette and her horse companion. "I believe this is the first time we've met face-to-face, correct?"
"Oh! Um, hello, Miss Edelgard," Marianne stammered. "Um, I've already seen your yoshisaur, but I thought he should meet Dorte before being taken away..." The horse in question snorted at the sound of his name.
"I-I hope they don't spook each other..." Bernadetta worried.
"I don't think he's big enough to really scare Marianne's horse," Edelgard shook her head with a smile. The yoshisaur came up to Marianne, sniffing around her dress a bit... "You don't happen to have some food stowed away, do you?"
"Oh, no... but I did just feed Dorte some carrots," Marianne replied, reaching down and giving the yoshisaur a gentle pat on the head. "I'm sorry, I don't have any more for you."
"Yosh..." the bipedal reptile moved away in disappointment. Then it noticed Dorte... "Yoshi?" it asked curiously as it looked up at the horse, who just rumbled a little in reply.
"Well, at least they aren't scared of each other..." Bernadetta noted in mild relief. "N-not that I think Dorte is a violent horse or anything!"
"No, he's a gentle soul," Marianne said as she petted the horse's snout. "And a good listener..."
"He sure doesn't like anyone riding him, though!" a familiar voice cut in, the group turning to see Sothis and Byleth walking up. "Well, present company excepted."
"I just take him for some exercise every now and then..." Marianne demurred. "Um, is it true that you comforted Lady Rhea when she had a breakdown recently...?"
"Oh, you heard about that? Yeah, apparently hearing about the battle at Enbarr brought back some bad memories for her," Sothis said grimly. "I was just telling Byleth about that, actually..."
"Be careful how much you tell them, Sothis," Byleth cautioned. "Rhea doesn't need all her skeletons coming out..."
"I know that!" Sothis shot back. "Anyway, that aside, I hear today's the last day with your secret pet?" she addressed Edelgard in an effort to change the subject.
"I wish you wouldn't put it like that," Edelgard said with a hand to her face. "But yes, the zoo is picking it up later this afternoon. Marianne here just wanted to introduce Dorte to my pet before it departed... My teacher, are you all right?" she observed with concern. "You appear rather shaken..."
"I'm surprised you noticed," the professor deadpanned. "It's nothing to concern yourself with, however. I just need time to come to terms with this..."
"...if you say so, my teacher," Edelgard said, not looking entirely convinced.
"Um, perhaps you should try praying to the goddess for guidance?" Marianne suggested. "That's what I usually do..."
"No disrespect, but I don't know if Lady Blanc is someone to be consulted with stuff like this," Sothis half-snarked. "She'd probably just say to bash whatever's bothering you with a hammer until it doesn't bother you anymore..."
"Sh-she didn't seem th-that bad..." Bernadetta spoke up. "Um, I think it's only when she loses her temper when she does that..."
"I do admit that Lady Blanc seems quite wise and rational when she's calm," Edelgard appended. "Although I do wonder when she's going to send that envoy from the capital city, and who they will be..."
"I'm sure we'll find out soon enough," Byleth said bluntly, looking down at the yoshisaur who seemed to be trying to approach him, but was restrained by its leash. "Oh, you must be smelling my latest catch..." He reached into his robes, pulling out a small sack and opening it to reveal a mid-sized fish. "You don't mind if I feed him this, do you?"
"Go right ahead," Edelgard nodded. But the moment Byleth held it out, the yoshisaur shot out its long tongue, which stuck to the fish and pulled it in, the reptile promptly chewing and swallowing it!
"Oh my! I didn't know it could do that!" Marianne gasped in surprise, Dorte also whinnying a little for likely the same reason.
"I didn't realize its tongue was that long," Sothis commented.
"Not the first time I've seen that," Edelgard said with an amused smile. "You should have seen the look on Hubert's face when this critter swiped a morsel right out of his hand. He said something like, 'Well, it seems we'll have to be more careful about dangling snacks within a few feet of you, won't we?'"
"Well, w-we should probably let the zoo workers know about that, so it doesn't eat something it's not supposed to..." Bernadette spoke up. "Like a p-poison plant, or something..."
"I think they'd be a little smarter than that," Sothis snarked, walking up to the yoshisaur. "...Did people in Lowee really ride these back in the day?"
"Some shorter people did," Edelgard affirmed. "Despite their appetites, yoshisaurs were marginally smarter than horses, and could easily leap high into the air without much of a running start. Their jumping stomps were known to be able to crush even human skulls..."
"H-human skulls...?!" Bernadetta gasped. "Wow... am I sure glad these critters are almost extinct...!"
"Did you want to try riding it, Sothis?" Byleth asked his daughter. "You look like a perfect fit for it."
"How do I know it won't just throw me off like Dorte did?" Sothis said, glaring at the horse in question.
"He seemed pretty fond of you when you first met," Edelgard pointed out. "I think it'll be fine. Go ahead and see if you can get on."
"Oh, if you insist," Sothis sighed, walking up to the yoshisaur, who started sniffing at her affectionately. "I think it remembers me... you mind if I get on your back?"
"Yosh...?"
"I'll take that to mean you don't care either way," Sothis shrugged, walking to the critter's side and managing to swing one leg over its back, lifting herself onto its saddle/shell. "Well, it's not falling over from my weight at least..."
"It does look rather cute..." Bernadetta observed.
"I have to agree," Marianne said with a small smile.
"Yeah, but I wish it had reins," Sothis said as she wobbled a little, leaning on the back of the reptile's head and neck, the yoshisaur grunting in discomfort. "Oh, sorry," she apologized as she sat straight again, noting the red frills going down the neck... "Did riders grab these instead?" Sothis pondered, gripping and giving the frills a tug- causing the yoshisaur to squeal and surge forward!
"Ah-!" Edelgard cried as she nearly doubled over from the unexpected tug. "Oh no, I dropped the leash!"
"Ahhhh! Help meeee!" Sothis screamed as the yoshisaur dashed off with her still on it!
"Sothis!" Byleth called after her in concern.
"Oh no, what do we do?! None of us could catch up to that thing!" Bernadetta fretted.
"No, there is one...!" Marianne realized. "Professor, help me untie Dorte!"
"No time for that," Byleth said as he unsheathed his sword, using it to cut the rope. "There! Hurry and catch them!"
"Okay!" Marianne said as she mounted the horse. "Let's go, Dorte!" The horse whinnied before taking off after Sothis and the yoshisaur...
Later that day...
Edelgard and her yoshisaur waited at the front gates of Garreg Mach, along with Seteth, Rhea, Byleth, and Sothis, the latter a little shaken but otherwise unharmed. Soon, a large truck pulled up, 'West Lowee Zoo' clearly visible on the door as the vehicle came to a halt, soon discharging two workers... "Where's the specimen?" one of them asked.
"Right here," Edelgard said with a sad undertone. The yoshisaur looked slightly intimidated at the sight of the NPCs, trying to hide behind its owner... "No, it's all right, these are good people," she tried to reassure it.
"I trust that you will take good care of this endangered species," Rhea spoke up.
"Of course, Miss Bishop," the worker nodded, kneeling down before Edelgard. "Come on, I'm not gonna hurt you..." But the yoshisaur refused to budge.
"Do you have any food?" Byleth suggested. "It'll eat anything, and I do mean anything."
"Ah..." the worker stood and checked his pockets. "You got anything?" he said to his coworker.
"Just an energy bar," the other zoo employee responded.
"That should be sufficient. Just make sure you unwrap it first," Seteth said.
"And watch out for its long tongue!" Sothis added.
"We know what yoshisaurs are capable of," the first worker assured her.
"Here, boy!" the second worker said as he held up the energy bar. Sure enough, the yoshisaur came out from behind Edelgard, taking a few steps before shooting out its tongue, grabbing the energy bar and reeling it in, chewing and swallowing it while the first worker got a restraint loop on a pole around its neck.
"Okay, we got him. C'mon, boy!" the first worker encouraged as he puled the critter along, Edelgard following a few paces behind in case her pet tried to revolt. Soon the yoshisaur had been put into a cage, the worker pulling off the restraint before closing and locking the cage door. "There we go, all set!"
"Yeah, this little fella will be a great addition to the children's petting zoo," said the second worker.
"Just make sure they don't try to feed it," Byleth stated.
"And they shouldn't try to ride it, either!" Sothis added. "I swear my life flashed before my eyes when it took off! Thank goodness Dorte's a fast horse!"
"That will do, Sothis," Byleth gently chastised.
Meanwhile, Edelgard was giving her last farewells to her pet... "You behave yourself over there. And I promise I'll come and visit you once things settle down."
"Yoshi..." the critter said with a sad tone Edelgard stepped back, allowing the zoo workers to close the rear doors. "Goodbye, my pet."
"We'll let you know when he's cleared to be put on exhibit," the first worker said to her.
"Thank you," Edelgard nodded as she rejoined Byleth and the others.
"I pray that the goddess grants you a safe journey," Rhea smiled and nodded her head.
"Thanks, Bishop!" the second worker called back, his partner waving before they got back in the truck, shifting into gear and driving off.
"Safe travels!" Sothis called and waved after them.
As the group turned to head back, Byleth subtly pulled Seteth aside... "Headmaster, when you have time, I need to discuss something with you..."
Noting the look in the professor's eyes, Seteth replied, "Very well, I will see if I can clear time off my schedule tomorrow or the day after, so we can talk in private..."
Meanwhile, Rhea saw Byleth pulling Seteth aside, realizing what he must have wanted to discuss with the headmaster... (Oh, Byleth... after all this time, you still don't trust me...?) she thought to herself sadly.
Episode 40- End