A/N: Hi y'all! Sorry for such long gaps between updates. I had a hard time getting this chapter started, but once I got going, it didn't take me long. Fun fact, I actually finished this chapter last week, but got too excited to start the next chapter that I started on that one. It should be a little shorter, so it should be out within the next few weeks. Enough of my rambling, let's get to this chapter! More familiar faces are slowly coming into the picture!
Summary: After rumors of the monastery being inhabited by the One-Eyed and Ashen Demons, 2 old friends investigate and give the exiled king and queen some hope
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Brother!" A cheerful voice called out from her pegasus to the man riding on a wyvern next to her.
"Flayn, we are alone, we do not have to masquerade as brother and sister anymore." The green haired man said.
"Right! Sorry father." Flayn replied. "Anyways, look down there." She pointed down below her. "I think that is another one of the abandoned camps."
The man, Seteth, observed the ground below. There were physical signs of destruction such as broken trees, bloodstained grass, and decaying corpses that haven't even been considered to be buried. His wyvern landed on the ground and Flayn followed.
Seteth crouched down to further inspect the damage. "This doesn't make sense..." He mumbled to himself.
"What doesn't make sense?" Flayn asked.
"These mass slaughterings." Seteth answered. He stood back up and pointed to the severed corpses. "The intel we gathered suggests that two rouges are responsible, but the nature of the scenes left behind suggest otherwise."
"Who could posses such strength?" Flayn asked.
"I don't know." Seteth said. He let out a deep sigh. "Although I do have a hunch."
Flayn eyed her father curiously. "And what's that?"
Seteth shook his head. "I shouldn't say it. It's outlandish and I don't have to give you a false sense of hope."
Flayn pouted. "Please just tell me! I want to know!" She begged.
Seteth sighed. "Fine, but please take it with a grain of salt. Even I think of the conclusion to be outlandish." Flayn nodded eagerly. "I believe Dimitri and Byleth to still be alive."
Flayn gasped. "I'm so glad I'm not the only one that thinks so!"
Seteth raised an eyebrow. "You never thought that they were dead?"
Flayn nodded. "This is Byleth we're talking about. If she can escape the infinite void, then she can overcome anything!" She said optimistically. "Plus, the only known crest that can still provide such strength is the Crest of Blaiddyd. If they truly executed Dimitri, then it couldn't be human, although the intel clearly said that it was rouges causing them! They have to be alive!"
"I appreciate your optimism Flayn," Seteth said. "But, I'm afraid that them being alive is best case scenario. If these ruins are proof that they are alive but are capable of creating such mass destruction is not a good sign at all.
"I'm afraid that history might be repeating itself."
"Nemesis.." Flayn whispered. "We cannot let that happen. Not again."
Seteth nodded in agreement. "We must not. Even if our hunch is wrong, we mustn't let another tyrannous ruler like him take over."
"Right!" Flayn nodded.
"We've stood by for too long, we must rally forces together." Seteth declared.
"But how would we?" Flayn asked. "If the Kingdom's rallying points are missing and Claude doesn't want to get involved, then who can we turn to?"
Seteth slightly smiled, like he had a secret plan all along. "I think it's time to check on a few old friends of ours."
Flayn gasped and covered her mouth with her hands. "You don't mean?"
Seteth nodded. "Yes. They may be reluctant after what we have done to them, but if we propose that they will be welcomed back to the surface, maybe we can convince them to join us."
"Then let's go!" Flayn exclaimed. She led Seteth back towards their flying steeds. They quickly hopped on and took off, heading towards the southeastern skies.
Goddess I pray that those two have not strayed too far onto the path of darkness.
The monastery was still so quiet. Instead of the bustling monks, priests, and knights wandering down the hall, all Byleth heard was her own shoes walking across the stone floors. One of the first questions Byleth had when she arrived back was about the third floor she was forbidden to enter. No one was allowed, expect the Archbishop herself. Byleth is the next best thing, with Rhea basically saying that she entrusted her duties to Byleth. (Although there was no written evidence and only her word, Seteth wasn't here to scold her or tell her otherwise.)
Byleth briefly stopped at the doorway to the stairs leading to the third floor. Before her mind convinced her to chicken out, she raced up to the top. To her dismay, what awaited her was just more hallways. Byleth meandered around the floor, glancing at the walls for any other doors to lead to other rooms or anything else interesting. At one end of the hall, was a large set of dark doors. On the other, another set of doors leading outside to a large balcony. Byleth chose the former to investigate.
She threw open the 2 large doors and in front of her was probably the most untouched room of the whole monastery. It was a large bedroom that was almost as big as her room back in Fhirdiad, although it was surprisedly plain. White sheets donned the large bed in the center, half empty bookshelves were placed carefully and a clean desk in the corner near another door that Byleth guessed led to a washroom. This has to be Rhea's room. Although rather plain and basic, the room still had it's charm.
Byleth unbuckled her belt that housed her sword, sat down on the bed and leaned back. She was surprised on how comfortable it was. Part of it could've been that it has been moons since she last slept on a soft surface, or it could've been that her bed back in the dorms wasn't as comfortable.
Byleth kicked herself back up and examined the bed further. It looked big enough for her and Dimitri. The room itself was secluded from the rest, giving a sense of privacy. Byleth made a mental note to tell Dimitri about the Archbishop's quarters and left the room, shutting the doors on her way out.
The balcony was her next stop. It sprawled above the ground below and the view of the monastery was astounding. Not only were the courtyards visible, the balcony view looked over the whole monastery grounds. It was almost as if it was a perfect place to spy over everyone.
A gust of wind blew above and 2 unknown mounts flew over Byleth. She immediately reached for her sword but only grabbed air. Byleth cursed herself under her breath and took off back to the Archbishops's quarters to retrieve her sword.
The 2 flying mounts landed near the stables and the wyvern rider hopped off while the short pegasus rider needed help to reach the ground. Instantly, an agile flash passed by them, followed by another.
"Halt thieves!" One familiar, yet different voice called.
"T-thieves?!" The short girl exclaimed. "We're not thieves!"
"Hmph, are you really not thieves then?" The second mysterious vigilante said. "Or do you come to merely marvel at the demons we have become?"
"What is this madness?!" The taller man declared.
"You answer us first." The first voice demanded. "If not, you shall answer to my blade." A sword from the shadows was whipped to the side and extended. A slight glow started to emit from the center of the sword, specifically where a crest stone would be.
The short girl gasped. Where the rumors really true? The glow from the sword dimly lit the wielders face. The outline and bare features confirmed their suspicions. The green hair and slender face told all, as Byleth was standing in front of them.
"Byleth you're alive!" She cried.
Byleth's usual ashen face started to waver. Did they really come all this way for her? "Flayn? What are you doing here?" She asked as she retracted her sword but still held onto it. She emerged from the shadows, and the toll of the past few moons have became more evident. Her face was paler and just as emotionless from when they first met her, her body was thinner, and dark shadows were prevalent under her eyes. Despite all that, Flayn ran up to Byleth to hug her.
"I'm so glad you're ok."
"Being ok is an extreme overstatement." Byleth mumbled.
Flayn parted from the embrace and Seteth came forward. "But what matters is that you're alive." He remarked.
Flayn peered around the stables. "By the way, where is His Highness?"
Byleth pointed in front of her and behind Seteth and Flayn. "Right behind ya." They turned and a dark, looming, shadow towered over them.
Time hasn't be kind to Dimitri either. His hair started to grow longer and was starting to cover his face, a more pronounced shadow was under his still intact left eye, and all humanity seemed to have left him.
"What brings you here?" Dimitri grumbled.
"Flayn and I are members of the Church of Serios. We have a right to be here." Seteth countered.
"You have to have a reason to come here." Byleth said before sheathing her sword. "This place is abandoned. It's not worth coming here."
"We heard humors of your return!" Flayn said excitedly. "Plus, we have some people that reside he-" She continued but Seteth tapped her on the head as a signal to be quiet.
"That's none of your concern." Seteth said as he started to head towards the main building with Flayn right behind him.
"Are you talking about the people from Abyss?" Dimitri asked.
Seteth stopped in his track and turned back to face the two. "How do you know about them?"
"Easy, I found a mysterious door leading underground and they caught me." Byleth said bluntly. "They convinced us to form a resistance against the Empire."
"That's wonderful!" Flayn cheered. "That means we can start sending word out immediately!"
"We can discus everything in a moment." Seteth said. "For now, show us where the Ashen Wolves may be."
"And why should we team up with you two Church saints?" Yuri asked Seteth. Byleth led Seteth and Flayn to Abyss yet their presence wasn't welcome. "We said we would team up with the Kingdom, not the Church."
"Because we are in the middle of a war." Seteth answered. "We need all the help we can get."
"I know there's a war, mister high-and-mighty saint." Yuri retorted. "What I'm asking is why should we have the Church back us up? You turned our backs on us before, why shouldn't we expect that again?"
"Yuri-bird has a point..." Hapi stated. "Look, I won't lie, life back before the war wasn't the greatest. However, such a world that Edelgard envisions is impossible without either too much bloodshed or cooperation between all the powers." She continued. She glanced at Dimitri and Byleth before turning back to Seteth. "And clearly, negotiations are out the window."
"She threw out all opportunities of negotiation the moment she attacked." Dimitri growled.
"And like I'd cooperate with her." Byleth added. "She had a hand in murdering my father, she doesn't get a chance at peace."
"Well if you two would be more open, we could've prevented this mess as soon as Dimitri ascended to the throne." Yuri countered.
"There was no time for that." Byleth said. "We were arrested the early morning after our wedding and coronation. Even if we did agree for a potential truce, it wasn't like we were able to."
"Settle down! Arguing about this won't get us anywhere." Seteth raised his voice to prevent an argument from breaking out. He turned to Yuri. "I expected you to be skeptical about teaming up with us, especially how the church has treated Abyss.
"However, I have a proposition."
Yuri raised an eyebrow. "Go ahead."
"Team up with us under a Kingdom led resistance on the Church's side and you all will be set free back to the surface."
"Can I possibly get pardoned from my debts?" Balthus asked. Yuri elbowed Balthus in the stomach.
Seteth let out another long sigh and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "I won't promise that much, but hopefully some."
"And what if we loose?" Constance added.
"Then we'd be dead." Hapi answered.
"The one time you don't turn your backs on us is when you need us for personal gain." Yuri said. "Typical Church."
"Like I said, if we win, the four of you will be welcome back on the surface." Seteth reiterated.
Yuri sat in silence for a moment. The proposition was tempting, but was it really worth it? The Church constantly wronged them in the past, even abandoned them when the war began. He wondered why he didn't even run off to the surface already. No one was stopping him. Why would a new affiliation change things?
"Just do it Yuri." Hapi said. "What's there to loose?"
"Besides, we could finally rebuild our glorious names!" Constance said. "The outcasts from the shadows, rise again from the ashes to form a new dawn!"
Yuri sighed heavily. Hapi and Constance were right, there wasn't much to loose. He'd lost everything like his misfit friends. "Fine, but we get our freedom to the surface now. Clear our names," He turned to Balthus for a brief second. "And our debts, and our strength will be yours."
"That is a compromise I can agree with." Seteth answered. He extended his hand to Yuri. He shook it, officially making the truce a reality.
"Oh, and one more thing." Yuri said. He pointed to Dimitri and Byleth. "They're in charge, not you. All you need to do is to prevent them from doing something stupid."
Before Seteth could respond, Yuri walked away, towards the corridors leading to the surface. Hapi quickly followed with a brief nod towards Seteth. Constance gratefully bowed before departing and Balthus patted him on the shoulder after saying thanks for pardoning his piles of debt.
The remaining 4 stayed behind briefly. Byleth silently left and Dimitri followed, leaving Seteth and Flayn behind and alone.
The clear difference in Byleth and Dimitri's behavior left Seteth aghast. What could've caused such a change? Even when she was known as the Ashen Demon, Byleth still composed at least a shrivel of humanity left inside her, however now, whatever amount of humanity has left and is nowhere to be found.
"So what do we do now?" Flayn asked Seteth.
"We send word that the king and queen are alive." Seteth answered. "And then we fight back."
That evening, Byleth was sitting alone at the fishing pond. While Dimitri and Balthus went hunting since all the left over food was spoiled, Byleth sought to make herself useful by catching fish. The orange sunset was reflecting against the ponds greenish blue waters and Byleth was staring at her disheveled reflection. She hadn't got a good look at herself in moons, and seeing her deteriorating appearance was a rude awakening. Was the path she chose the follow the right one? Did she truly wish for revenge or was she blinded by love and loyalty to Dimitri and her father?
She started to wonder what would happen if she did fall in the canyon below at the Battle of Garreg Mach. Would she have survived? Would she be dead and leaving everyone in a worse state? Would Sothis miraculously saved her? No, she's gone now. That couldn't happen.
"Hey professor, can I sit with you?" A cheery voice asked.
Byleth looked up from the pond and saw Flayn. "Yeah sure." She answered and she scooted down a few inches so Flayn could have some room to sit down. Flayn sat down and raised her legs up to her chest. "You don't have to call me professor anymore. I'm no longer your teacher." Byleth reeled in her fishing line and threw it at another spot in the pond, hopeful that this time she would get a catch.
"Then what should I call you?" Flayn asked. "How about Your Majesty, being the new queen of Faerghus."
"Just call me Byleth. I'm not a queen anymore." Byleth said. She hesitated before continuing. "That's what you get when everyone thinks you're dead."
"I never thought you were dead."
Byleth didn't answer Flayn's comment. She didn't know how to respond to it. She should be glad or relieved that someone had hope that she was alive, right?
"You know Byleth, I don't think I told you this, but I always thought of you like an older sister." Flayn continued.
"So do think of me as Seteth's sister or his other kid?" Byleth joked.
Flayn giggled. "I see you still have some humor left." She relaxed her legs in front of her and stretched them out over the dock. "It doesn't matter what hypothetical relationship I think of you as, all that matters is that... you're almost like family to me."
Family. That was nearly a foreign concept to Byleth. Other than her father, she had no one she could turn to for most of her life. While meeting the Lions gave her a sense of family, it still wasn't the same. Her mother was dead, she had no siblings, she didn't know who her grandparents where, she had only her father, who was taken from her.
Byleth balled one of her fists as she tried to contain her anger. She had a singular goal to avenge her father's death. Kronya wasn't enough, all involved must pay.
"Are you ok Byleth?" Flayn asked worriedly.
Byleth inhaled and exhaled deeply. "I'm.. I'm fine." She answered. Thankfully, before Flayn could question, Byleth's fish bobber dipped down in the water, signaling a catch. She gripped the fishing rod and pulled it back. Flayn stood up excitedly.
"Come on, you got this!" She cheered. Byleth struggled at first to reel the fish in, but Flayn pulled Byleth back by the waist and the fish came flying out of the water and onto the dock. "We have done it!"
The fish itself was huge, larger than normal fish usually seen in the pond but not the biggest one Byleth caught before. It could easily feed at least 3 people.
"That's a queen loach!" Flayn announced. "Come Byleth, we should start preparing it for when His Majesty and Balthus come back with the food they're hunting for!"
Flayn happily ran up the concrete staircase leading to the dinning hall while Byleth grabbed a bucket to put the fish in.
Seteth was waiting in the dining hall while Constance and Hapi where preparing the kitchen. Yuri was currently on guard duty and wasn't present at the moment.
Constance saw Flayn and Byleth enter the dining hall through the corner of her eye and motioned them to come to her. "Ah, there you two are!" She said cheerfully. "Here, Hapi and I will take care of the rest. You two relax for now."
Byleth sat the bucket with the fish down on a counter for Hapi to handle and she and Flayn sat down on one of the few benches that were left intact. Seteth joined them much to Flayn's dismay.
"Mind if I join you?" He asked as he sat down across from the two girls. Clearly a rhetorical question since he already sat down and no amount of Flayn declining will get him to leave. Byleth just nodded in response and Flayn pouted for a moment.
"May I ask you something?" Seteth asked.
"What do you want to know?" Byleth answered.
"Pardon my bluntness, but what happened between you and Dimitri over the past few moons?" Seteth said.
Byleth was stunned at such a blunt and direct question. Then again, this was Seteth she was talking to, he won't sugarcoat the details.
"Well," She began. "It all started a couple days after we returned to the capital. One day, the king regent was no where to be seen. Dimitri couldn't find him, none of the castle staff knew where he was, it was all confusing.
"We brushed it off since we had more important matters to attend to, but when he didn't show up to the wedding, that's when I got suspicious. The next morning, we heard whispers at our door and we were accused and arrested for regicide of King Regent Rufus. We were framed by that witch Cornelia."
"Wait, you mean that sorceress from the Empire?" Seteth interrupted. Byleth nodded. "That's odd, especially since she helped the Kingdom so long ago with that plague. Please continue."
"She was able to convince everyone that we had done it, citing our deteriorating mental state and my background as the Ashen Demon. We were sentenced to death.
"However, with the help of our friends, we were able to escape, but with a price." Byleth paused. "Dedue may have fallen to protect us." She bit her lip to prevent her bottled emotions from spilling out.
Flayn gasped slightly. "Not Dedue.." While Flayn wasn't close to any of the men in the Blue Lion house as per Seteth's request, Dedue sitll assisted Flayn with cooking from time to time. He was patient with her, allowed her to call him silly nicknames (although reluctantly), and even had the nerve to try her own disastrous meals. He truly would've made a great friend if she ever had the freedom to.
"With our morale down and us feeling hopeless, we were essentially stripped down to bandits. We wandered the lands for over a year, cutting down any Imperial solider we came into contact with as revenge.
"And only yesterday we encountered the monastery. As we were surveying the damage, I found the trap door leading to Abyss and the Wolves roped us in to forming a resistance."
"Do you truly wish to fight back?" Seteth asked.
"Of course I do!" Byleth said louder than she should have. "Edelgard and her stupid underground cult took everything from me and Dimitri, we must have our revenge!"
"I am not asking of what you think you want. I am asking what you truly want."
Did Seteth have a point? Was she only fighting for revenge because that was what Dimitri was doing and she had nothing else to fight for? Did she really wish for peace instead of war?
"I truly do." Byleth said firmly. "Whatever it takes, I will do. For a peaceful Fódlan."
"Then we must take action. We must inform that the king and queen have returned from the ashes."
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Thanks for reading! Next up, more familiar faces will appear and do our power couple question who they've become? Find out next time on- ha I'm getting to excited, I'll stop. I hope y'all enjoyed and as always, have a wonderful day!
~The Artist Sylveon 🌸