One Last Chance

Fallen

"Why have you come!?"

Byleth looked up at the huge ivory colored winged dragon that stood before her. She wasn't sure how but she knew. Something of the Archbishop's real appearance left notes of nostalgia and familiarity in her soul. Like somehow she knew as the words suddenly came, easy as breathing, "Seiros....I couldn't just let them hurt you."

Rhea looked stunned at the young professor. If she had been in her human form she would have wept tears of joy. "You remember? At long last?"her drakonic voice boomed. Did that mean the trip down to the sacred tomb had not been in vain? Rhea, no, Seiros hoped it was so. 

"Yes I remember. Vaguely, but I remember you. Cichol and Cethlean too....they're here aren't they?"Byleth swiftly spoke. 

Seiros wanted so desperately to reply but spotted the pale skinned mage charging up an attack made her eyes turn wide in horror and fury. At the same time the students of the Blue Lions had seen it as Byleth heard their screams, "Professor watch out!"

Too late.

She had had turned too late as the distressed cry students reached her as she was pushed back onto the edge of the cliff. She saw Dimitri and the others racing towards her. The cliff under her feet crumbled and gave way, making her fall. The enraged shriek of the ivory colored dragon reached her ears as Byleth screamed, feeling fear for the third time in her life. The first? Getting swarmed by those monsters the demonic beast had lured in. The second? The dark void. And the third? RIGHT DAMN NOW!! She could see Dimitri and the others just arrive at the cliff, unfortunately too late. Out of shear desperation Byleth tried to use divine pulse but a particularly large rock hit her on the head from the falling rubble. Darkness consumed her instantly, feeling nothing as she became trapped, entombed in the rubble below. 

.......................................................

Dimitri was shaken.

H-How could he have let Byleth slip right out his arms like that? He felt guilt and fury with himself. He felt like he had failed her in all ways a person could fail another except being killed. But something inside his heart told him to come down here to the bottom of this gorge.

"Do you really think she's alive?"asked Ashe.

"I don't know, but I can't shake this feeling."Dimitri hastened his pace as they followed the river here on the rocky bottom of the gorge.

Some of his classmates didn't look so convinced.

"I don't know, that was quite the fall."pointed out Sylvain, whistling as he looked up. They couldn't even see the fighting that was still going on between the church and the empire anymore. Just some smoke in the sky above their heads.

"Lover boy here has a point. But, then again our professor isn't exactly what you call normal is she?"Felix huffed in annoyance. He recalled the battle at Sealed Forest and clearly everyone else now remembered that their teacher was favored by the goddess. 

"Dimitri, look!"Dimitri looked over at where Ingrid was pointing. There, standing up straight in the shallows of the river was the Sublime Creator Sword pulsing like a heart beat. Everyone's eyes turned wide at the sight as Dimitri scrambled over almost slipping on the wet boulders he was hopping across to reach it.

"Careful your Highness, please!"cried out Dedue.

"I'm alright!"Dimitri called as he steadied himself. Everyone watched anxiously as their young blonde prince finally landed on his feet on the other side and grabbed their teacher's hero relic. It pulsed like a heart in his hands and felt warm to the touch. Any blood from the battle having long sense been washed away by the river. "If it's still active like this she's alive."thought Dimitri with hope swelling in his heart. His intuition had been right again but this time it was not for the worse but better as he hurried back to the group. Being steadied and kept from falling in by Dedue and Ingrid.