Chapter Text
CHAPTER EIGHT - SUNRISE
The morning following the night of the Blood Moon was strangely…normal. Classes and the usual activities had been cancelled for the day to give people a chance to rest. But there was almost this sense that everyone wanted to just press on despite what happened. That the entire night had been one crazy fever dream they all shared and all the damage to the Monastery had been caused by a freak storm, or something.
Shock was a hell of a thing sometimes.
No one had died during the night. Even those who had “died” or been torn apart or turned into monsters. It would seem that the light magic used by the Archbishop and the others to stabilize the ritual had worked to heal any physical damage. Though Linhardt and Hanneman were already pouring over every ounce of knowledge they had about the Crest of Flames to determine if its involvement with the Hegemon also allowed for the powerful mass healing to work.
Groups of students came and went, chatting idly with each other, detailing what they recalled from the past night. Some laughed, some cried. Some had no strong feelings while others fretted to no end. Monastery workers went back to their tasks as if nothing had happened, though the caretakers and gardeners had spent the morning grumbling about the amount of work that now needed to be done to fix what had been broken.
Byleth stood next to Edelgard outside of the reception hall. The holes in the walls crumbled and the heavy wooden doors sat crooked in their frame. Sunlight spilled in through the gaps, catching as beams of yellow against the dust floating in the air. As they waited, Byleth watched a loose stone finally give up and tumble out of a particularly large crater. But despite the loose bricks, the walls still stood, and stone and wood can be repaired.
Out of the corner of her eye she saw her House Leader waver. It had only been a few hours since dawn broke. Edelgard had gotten a change of clothes but then completely avoided her bed and headed back out to Rhea’s office. She no longer looked like a Demonic Beast but the bags under her eyes gave the appearance of her having one foot in the grave. But, trooper that she was, there she stood.
Thankfully, Byleth anticipated this. She reached into her coat pocket, pulling out a freshly baked sweet bun wrapped in paper. Edelgard’s expression lit up from the smell alone, and she eyed the pastry the way a cat would eye some fish.
Byleth smiled and handed the treat to her. “You’re probably pretty hungry,” she noted.
Edelgard accepted the treat and eagerly unwrapped it. There was an attempt to try to eat it somewhat gracefully but her second bite into it threw that concept to the wind. “Starfing,” she corrected with a mouthful of pastry. She swallowed what was in her mouth, adding sheepishly, “Thank you, my Teacher.”
“After last night, I promise to get you sweet buns from the dining hall every time they make them,” Byleth vowed.
Edelgard chuckled. “It would be in your best interest to not let Hubert know about that,” she commented, “But I would appreciate it.”
As she finished up her treat, Byleth looked around with a frown. “What are we waiting for, anyway? I thought you wanted to meet with Rhea this morning.”
Edelgard nodded. “I did, but we are waiting on two more,” she replied.
No sooner had she said that did they hear footsteps coming up the stairs, echoing through the halls. “…I’m just saying, you didn’t have to have that fourth helping.” Claude’s voice carried before he came into view. “You know how Edelgard feels about tardiness.”
He and Dimitri rounded the corner. The latter was wincing sheepishly, rubbing his arm with his other hand. “I could not resist, Claude! I was feeling particularly famished this morning,” Dimitri replied defensively.
His eyes met Edelgard’s, and he cast her a little smile. Then he noticed her finishing off the last piece of pastry in her hand and his smile grew. “See! I bet Edelgard would agree with me.”
“Yeah, yeah,” Claude sighed, “At least I didn’t catch her sneaking a handful of sweet grass on the way to the dining hall.”
“I wanted something green! Forgive me if the thought of eating meat is off putting after the night I had!”
“Claude, leave him alone,” Edelgard groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose, “After the events of last night I’m not going to fault anyone for wishing to take care of themselves.”
“Speaking of that,” Claude commented, looking over her appearance with a raised eyebrow, “You look like you’ve been neglecting that.”
Dimitri nodded solemnly. “Indeed, Edelgard,” he added with concern, “Have you received any sleep since last night?”
Edelgard huffed. “No,” she replied, “There’s too much to think about, too much to plan… After we speak with Rhea I shall try to relax enough to get some rest.”
With that, she led the way into the reception hall and straight to Rhea’s office, which still sported a gaping hole on the one side, allowing one a perfect view into it. So much for privacy. Seteth was waiting by the door, and gave them all a stern nod as they entered. The Archbishop was pacing behind her desk, her hands clasped together at her back, but she stopped when her visitors filed in. Much like Edelgard, she, too, looked like she hadn’t rested at all since the night before. She cast them all a thin, wary smile.
“Welcome to you all,” she greeted, her eyes falling to Edelgard specifically, “It is good to see you have recovered, my child.”
“Thank you, Lady Rhea,” Edelgard replied. Her fist tightened at her side and she sucked in a deep breath. “I…believe you would like a better explanation of what happened last night. Or, I suppose I should clarify, my connection to it.”
Rhea’s gaze narrowed, but she nodded and motioned for Edelgard to proceed.
Edelgard gulped. “You already know about Those Who Slither… Those men. And what they did to me,” she began tentatively, “It was their experiments that resulted in my possession of the Crest of Flames, and the Hegemon…”
“They called you their ‘weapon’,” Rhea stated, raising one thin eyebrow, “Were they planning on attacking the Church in the future?”
Edelgard sucked in a deep breath. She braced herself, and dared to look Rhea in the eye. “Yes,” she told them, keeping her back straight and fists clenched tight by her sides, “Although I was…not opposed to that.”
“What?!” Claude and Dimitri both exclaimed at the same time.
“Now when we say ‘attack’, just how big are we talking here?” Claude questioned as he leaned around Dimitri to better look Edelgard in the eye, “Because if one of their weapons was that Demonic Beast we saw last night…”
“Why?” Dimitri challenged, “Why side with them? After what they did to you? The Church could have helped you, could have protected you!”
Byleth reached for her hand, working her own gently into one of Edelgard's tight fists. “I couldn’t have known that the Church would,” Edelgard insisted, “You remember how I had lost my Faith, but even if I hadn’t, I had seen enough evidence to believe that it would not have ended well for me even if I had gone to the Church.”
“What are you talking about?” Seteth demanded, “The Church of Seiros takes in all kinds of people who need help! Especially someone in your circumstances!”
“And all those who are listed as ‘heretics’?” Edelgard asked, finding it easier to challenge his gaze, “Lord Lonato and the Western Church? Miklan Gautier? All of the poor and Crestless civilians who ask questions that cause doubt within the masses? Were they all not sentenced to death for their opposition to the Church?”
“Yes, but—”
“Would I even still be here talking with you had I not saved half the Monastery from a fate worse than death? Or would I have been put down like a rabid dog, just as Miklan had been, if Solon had just decided to activate the Hegemon without all the fuss of that curse?”
That gave the Headmaster pause, his chest and shoulders deflating as he looked away.
“El…” Dimitri breathed, every muscle in his body straining under incredible tension, “This was going to be more than a simple attack, wasn’t it?”
Edelgard turned to him, feeling something tighten around her heart. “It was going to be war, Dimitri,” she uttered, “Against the Church.”
“And you are aware of what my position would have been, as the future King of the Holy Kingdom?” The reservation he held was beginning to crack, revealing the true anger that dwelled underneath.
“Easy, big guy,” Claude said with a nervous cough, “I’m sure things have changed now that Edelgard’s alliance with the Shadow People has been shattered.” He shot her an anxious glance. “It has changed, right?”
Edelgard swallowed roughly, her mouth and throat impossibly dry.
“Are you still considering it?” Dimitri demanded, taking a step forward with fists clenched at his sides, “El, you can’t be serious!”
“Enough,” Rhea said coldly, green eyes burning into the girl before her, “Let her speak.”
Edelgard drew another deep breath. “I would be willing to back down from that plan,” she revealed, “Not only would it be foolish to go through with it now that the element of surprise is no longer on my side, but after everything we’ve been through… After everything you all know now…” She pressed a gloved hand to her heart and looked at her fellow House Leaders. “I never thought I would ever share some of that information with you. I was so afraid it would expose my vulnerabilities and you would only take advantage of them, but the opposite happened, instead.”
“Well, you’re giving us quite a bit of credit there, Edelgard,” Claude said with a small chuckle.
Edelgard shook her head. “I can’t speak for the future, but… What I saw last night, when I revealed what had been done to me, spoke volumes,” she told him earnestly. She braced herself for her next words, standing with her shoulders square and back as straight as a spear.
“I didn’t think it would be possible to change things through diplomacy,” she stated boldly, “We’ve known about the terrible things that occur to people in Fódlan for decades now - poverty and famine and disease - but nothing of value is ever done. After my father’s closest allies stripped him of his power and tossed his children to the wolves, I saw just how corrupt the entire system is. Something truly evil dwells within the shadows of Fódlan and no one wished to do anything about it because they benefited from not doing anything.”
“But why attack the Church?” Dimitri demanded, “That is not the source of this evil you speak of!”
“Indeed, Edelgard,” Rhea stated as she raised one sharp eyebrow dangerously, “By now it should be clear as to who are the enemies of the Church. Why side with them in order to turn your blade against us, when the Church is not the one causing harm?”
Edelgard met her fiery gaze with flames of her own, boldly squaring her shoulders. “With all due respect, Archbishop: but the Church is causing harm,” she replied, keeping her voice calm, but unwavering.
Rhea’s lips pulled back into a snarl. “We are not the ones stealing children from their beds for cruel experiments!” she argued fiercely, slamming both hands down on her desk and looming over it.
“But you have turned your back on such suffering,” Edelgard countered, “All eleven Imperial children disappeared off the face of the earth and not a single official thought to investigate?” She shook her head angrily. “But my situation could have been hidden from you, so I cannot fault you completely for that. But what about the famine in Galatea? The border disputes? All the crime and violence that plagues Fódlan?”
“The Church does ensure those issues are taken care of!”
“By sending students out to slaughter the enemy of the week without any long-term solutions being made!” Edelgard huffed in frustration. “You want to claim supreme authority over this land but bear none of the responsibility! People need more than Knights or mercenaries wandering the land establishing order. Meaningful change can only happen through hard work, through cutting out the rot and supporting that which is strong!”
Rhea scoffed. “You are young,” she sneered, “Your youth makes you naive. You have no concept of what leadership truly is, of what Fódlan truly needs. A war to overthrow the Church will only result in mass casualties. Even if you were to succeed, the vacuum of power it would leave would be far too much for you to handle.”
Edelgard clenched her fists tighter. “A war seemed the only option for me at the time that I conceived my plans,” she returned, “But now you know the truth about me, about what is happening in the shadows. So tell me, Archbishop: are you going to do anything about it? You cannot feign ignorance anymore.”
Rhea glared at her, her eyes glowing acidic green in the shadow cast over her expression. Her mouth stayed firmly shut in a deep frown as her grip tightened around the edge of the desk. “Has it occurred to you,” she growled, “That I have not tried to change things for a reason?”
Edelgard held her ground, staring up at Rhea with fire in her eyes. “I watched my siblings die,” she said coldly, “I listened as their mindless screams faded away to nothing. I felt their hands go limp in mine. I smelt their decaying flesh!” She winced as the memories bubbled back up to the surface. “I watched my older sister die to a swarm of rats she was too weak to scare away. I was too weak from the poison they had been filling my veins with to save her.”
She glanced down at her hands, biting her lip before tugging the gloves away and revealing the scars on her skin. “You didn’t cause this directly,” she uttered, “But the system you put into place and uphold… It has led to it. It has created parents who do not care about their children. Women who are used as broodmares for Crest bearers. Peasants with no hope of their own. Selfish nobility exploiting the masses by virtue of their blood and blood alone.” She clasped one hand over the shackle scar on her wrist. “I and my siblings were the children of the Emperor,” she growled, “If we were not safe from the selfish desires of the nobility then who is?”
Rhea held her gaze for an agonizingly long time. No one spoke, no one even dared to move, as the two had their silent stand-off. Rhea was the one to break first, closing her eyes as she drew a deep breath. “I am sorry you had to undergo such horrors, Edelgard,” she began, her voice surprisingly calm and quiet.
“Sorry does not bring my family back,” Edelgard hissed in return.
The others flinched as all eyes flew to Rhea, awaiting a response with baited breath. She took another deep breath. “You are correct: it does not,” she stated, her voice still worryingly calm. She glanced away, and folded her hands behind her back. “I must admit that I was unaware that the Agarthan threat still remained,” she uttered, “The fault does lie with me, for I grew complacent and comfortable in the assumed peace I was familiar with. I was content to rest in the sun, and to ignore the shadows where the rats were congregating.”
Edelgard was taken aback, her jaw even dropping a little despite herself. The others were equally floored, all glancing at each other to ensure they had heard all of that confession correctly.
Claude scratched his head. “Hang on… Agarthan?” he asked, “You mean those creepy mages that almost turned Edelgard into the world’s scariest attack dog?”
Edelgard let out an unimpressed huff as she cast a scowl his way, causing him to flinch away.
“Yes,” Rhea sighed, “The Agarthans were an ancient enemy of the Church a long time ago. I had assumed they had died out.” She looked to Edelgard. “Apparently, that is not the case.”
She then cleared her throat, and with more authority and boldness, continued, “I will admit that I have made mistakes, however I will not assume total responsibility for the state of things, now. Humanity itself is full of countless flaws that cause pain and suffering within its own societies. The Church may have laid the groundwork, but the corruption came from you. It came from people wanting power, and not caring about who they hurt to get it.”
“Then we have to change it.”
All eyes fell on Byleth, who now stood with her usual quiet confidence. “The Church has the power to change things,” she continued, “Not just politically, but within the people, as well. Teach them about doing good, about reaching out to each other instead of solely up to the Goddess.”
Seteth pinched the bridge of his nose. “Do you have any idea how difficult it would be to change our doctrine?” he sighed, “And to convince our more…staunch followers to go along with it?”
“It would be easier than war,” Byleth pointed out, “Fewer casualties, too.”
“But why war?” Dimitri demanded, turning to Edelgard with an almost desperation, “Why was that even an option for you to consider? I understand the pain you must bear but that does not mean it is right to force that pain on others!”
Edelgard bowed her head and let out a deep sigh. “I wanted to see that change was happening in Fódlan,” she explained with a grimace, “Diplomacy and changing doctrine may have fewer immediate casualties. But they tend to drag on and on for far longer than is needed. Too much emphasis is placed on trying to appease everybody, including those who are part of the problem. It could be decades before any meaningful change is actually made. And within that time, there will be casualties. More children like me. More women married off to abusive husbands who only care about maintaining bloodlines. More victims of famine and poverty whose lives could have been made better at a faster rate if those with power just committed to change.”
“But a war across the whole continent?” Dimitri challenged, “I know it will take time but we must be willing to devote ourselves to being slow and careful, not throwing the whole world into turmoil.”
Edelgard swallowed sharply. She clenched her fists tight and closed her eyes, her shoulders even hunching up slightly. “I don’t…have time,” she uttered.
That took him aback, along with everyone else in the room. It was Byleth, though, who stepped a little closer to her, with a distinct look of worry and disbelief on her face. “Edelgard…” she breathed, “What do you mean by that?”
Edelgard flinched. She had hoped that by the time she had to come clean about this particular truth, the effects of it would have already started to take their toll. “My two Crests,” she explained quietly, avoiding everyone’s eyes, “The human body is not meant to bear more than one. Each Crest alters and strains a person’s body, and to have two… Solon told me that I would be lucky to make it to my thirties.” She huffed out a shaky breath. “After this whole debacle with the Hegemon, it would not be far off to assume that my time is even shorter, now.”
She dared a glance up at Byleth. Her usually stoic teacher instead had an expression that could only be described as furious. She looked as though she was about to storm out to track Thales and Solon down herself.
Claude shook his head sadly. “After seeing how having two Crests affects Lysithea, I can believe it,” he stated grimly, “But you don’t get winded just by putting a couple books away. You’re actually insanely strong: those iron axes aren’t light by any means and you twirl them around as if they weigh nothing. Are you certain that having two Crests will kill you while you’re young? Maybe Solon was just lying to you again.”
“I’ve been…better at hiding it,” Edelgard revealed, “Lysithea’s Crests have different abilities. The Crest of Seiros that I was born with grants me strength. The Crest of Flames is regenerative, so I usually have more energy and can heal faster. But that doesn’t mean that I live without pain.”
“What kind of pain?” Byleth asked quietly, placing a gently hand on Edelgard’s shoulder, “If there’s anything I can do…”
Edelgard shook her head. “It’s not…that serious, my Teacher,” she tried to assure, “Perhaps sometimes my bones ache, or I’m overcome with exhaustion… But I have always been able to press onward despite these issues.” She winced, and added with a grimace, “If anything, the largest effect my two Crests have had on me has been in my mind. My memory isn’t what it used to be, and following the experiments I realized that I lost a good portion of my memory from when I was younger.”
“That’s why you didn’t remember!” Dimitri gasped, “You always acted like you didn’t know me, and I didn’t understand why. I thought I had perhaps done or said something to upset you, but…”
“This has all been rather enlightening,” Seteth interrupted with a frustrated sigh, “But we should steer the conversation back to the problem at hand.”
Rhea nodded grimly. “Indeed,” she said solemnly, “Now we know that the Agarthan threat is real, and we have glimpses of what they were planning. But there is still much we do not know. Most importantly: what they plan on doing next.”
All eyes landed on Edelgard. She resisted the urge to anxiously fiddle with her hands, instead forcing herself to stand tall. “Thales is still out there, and it won’t be long before he comes looking for answers regarding last night,” she stated, “I have no doubt he will wish to speak with me.”
Rhea’s jaw clenched as she glared down at the girl. “So what do you intend to do about that?” she challenged, raising one eyebrow dangerously.
Edelgard bit her lower lip. Her heart began pounding in her chest. Rhea’s searing gaze was one thing, but the thought of Thales seeking her out now filled her soul with a special kind of dread. As fear threatened to drown her, she felt a hand gently prying her fist apart to take a tender hold. She glanced down, finding Byleth’s calloused hand giving hers a small squeeze. “I… I need your help,” Edelgard admitted quietly, bowing her head and refusing to give Rhea the satisfaction of seeing her eyes so full of fear, “I don’t know what Thales will do to me but now that the Hegemon has been exposed…”
“El,” Dimitri said, surprisingly softly given his outburst from moments ago. But his tone shifted darkly at rapid speed. “You have nothing to fear. If that monster so much as approaches you, I will personally rip out his spine and—”
“I think what Dimitri is trying to say,” Claude interrupted, giving Dimitri a warm pat on the shoulder to try to calm him down, “Is that we’ve got your back.”
Edelgard shot them a small, grateful smile. “I appreciate the sentiment,” she said, “But I’m afraid the help I require will be more than protection from one man.”
“So… What are you saying?” Dimitri asked with a frown.
“Thales has been posing as my uncle, Lord Arundel,” Edelgard explained, “It was under him that the Insurrection happened, and between him and the other nobles who stood against my father, he has a dangerous amount of power within the Empire. I’ve had little choice but to work with him, however if I had stronger allies…”
Rhea grimaced. “While I, too, wish to see the Agarthans routed and destroyed, I am not certain I can ally myself with someone who wants to eliminate the Church as well,” she stated firmly.
“What about reform?” Edelgard suggested, “Like Professor Byleth suggested: the Church doesn’t need to be eliminated if it is open to change. The world is constantly growing and changing - nothing should be completely inflexible. Right now, the Church is enforcing rules from centuries ago. That is where I draw issue, not with the religion itself.”
“If we open ourselves up to the changes you seem to be proposing, we will expose vulnerabilities within the Church,” Seteth argued, “It may seem totalitarian, but what we have in place is necessary to ensure the Church’s supreme power. If we lose that, then we lose our ability to protect Fódlan, as well as ourselves.”
“Well…” Claude winced as Seteth’s cold glare fell on him. “You seem to think that each country is incapable of keeping the peace on their own.”
“You would all be at war with each other were it not for the Church’s intervention,” Seteth reminded him dryly.
“Well then maybe reform should extend through our borders, too,” Claude returned, “I’m with Edelgard: things have gone rotten within the nobility of Fódlan. A lot needs to be changed, and maybe war is a tad overkill, but we will probably need something more forceful than mere diplomacy.”
Rhea brought a hand to her chin as she considered his arguments. Turning her acidic gaze on Edelgard once more, she questioned, “Just what are you suggesting? What sort of reforms did you have in mind, not just for the Church, but for Fódlan?”
Edelgard stood a little taller. “The end of the noble class,” she stated bodly, “At the very least, how it exists now: determined by Crest bloodlines and not through merit and hard work. I’m not suggesting we abolish leadership, but I am saying we cut back and choose leaders who will actually lead. I envision a world where there is no commoner class - a world where everyone is free to rise and fall by their own merits. Arbitrary things like Crests will become a thing of the past.”
“But Crests do make people better!” Dimitri challenged, “They provide advantages that others do not have. As long as people have them, they will shift the balance of power.”
Edelgard raised an eyebrow. “I can say with certainty that Crests do not always make someone ‘better’ just because they possess one,” she replied icily, “Even here at Garreg Mach: some of the hardest working students here do not possess a Crest. And those who do also face disadvantages. How often does the unnatural strength your Crest grants you get in the way of everyday life? How will such strength help you prosper in a time of peace, and not war?”
“She’s got a point,” Claude added, “Besides…we don’t know how Crests affect things other than someone’s physical strength. They might not even matter all that much in a word where people don’t have to use force to maintain their power.”
Dimitri frowned as he considered this. “Still… It will not be an easy task to make those who are currently in charge surrender their power,” he pointed out, “I can say with certainty that Faerghus as a whole will have difficulty adjusting. Our entire governing system is based on the idea that those with Crests are the ones who deserve to lead.”
Edelgard sighed. “I know it will be a challenge,” she conceded, “Need I remind you of what happened when my father attempted to take on the noble class in Adrestia? Hubert and I have been working to secure support from some key members of the nobility - House Bergliez and House Hevring especially. It is not an easy task, and for a nation like Faerghus I can imagine it will be even harder.” She glanced away, her expression falling. “That was why war seemed the best option. As heartless as it may seem, removing the stubborn rot from Fódlan by force would have been the easiest way. And the fastest.”
“But must we rush this?” Dimitri pushed, “I understand your…need for haste. But diplomacy could work if we just proceed carefully. There is no need for civilian casualties, something a war would create.”
“There would still be civilian casualties. There are casualties happening right now,” Edelgard reminded him, “Even without Those Who… The Agarthans meddling in the lives of humanity. There is famine and plague and violence that is widespread across this continent that is a direct result of our current governing system. The longer we allow things to go on as they are, the more people will die of cold, and hunger, and poverty.”
“And just what is your vision of this world, Edelgard?” Rhea’s voice was as stoic and serene as ever, but it still froze the arguing nobles in their tracks. “I think perhaps we are having difficulty imagining something different from what we are so familiar with,” the Archbishop continued, “If you would enlighten us…”
Edelgard straightened her back as she turned to face Rhea. “The details will still need to be ironed out,” she began, “I am…actually quite open to input from others, including criticism. I am willing to admit that I tend to focus too much on the bigger picture.” She drew a deep breath. “The world I envision is one in which the people of Fódlan can be whomever they wish to be. Where they were born and whether or not they were born with a Crest will not matter. They can rise to whatever level in society they wish to be a part of, so long as they are willing to put in the effort. Nothing should come for free - if one wishes to live with the luxuries of being a noble then one must first know the strife of the working class. If they do, then their decisions that affect the working class will have a more positive impact.”
“And how would you determine that leadership? Someone will have to hold the top position, or else there will be an endless scramble for power,” Rhea challenged.
“At first, likeminded people will be appointed to maintain control,” Edelgard explained, “They will oversee the change in the system, and hold things steady as the new reality settles. But, in time, as the effects of the system take hold eventually I foresee the people of Fódlan electing their leadership themselves.”
“Have you gone mad?” Seteth demanded, “Most of the people of Fódlan can’t even read. How are they supposed to know who they should elect? They could just fall for the lies of someone who is willing to say anything to get themselves into power.”
Edelgard opened her mouth to object, but Rhea raised a hand, and with an authoritative tone, stated, “We have debated for long enough.” She eyed Edelgard up and down, her expression impossible to read. “Just one more question before I send you all on your way,” she added, moving around her desk to stand right in front of the Imperial Princess, “Such a bold vision requires unwavering conviction. You must have the fortitude and strength to stand against the countless who will oppose you. To forge a new world is something only a few in all of history have succeeded in, and everyone before you has been Divine. And so I ask of you, Edelgard: do you believe in this?” Her green eyes burned intensely, and Edelgard found herself unable to look away. “With all of your heart and soul, with every ounce of strength within you, will you commit to this cause? Will you bring Fódlan into a new dawn despite all that it could cost you?”
Edelgard held her unnerving gaze with a bold glare of her own. “I already made that vow years ago, Archbishop,” she revealed, her voice strong and unwavering, “I have never believed in anything more than I believe in this cause.”
“And you swear this is not an attempt on your part to gain more power for yourself?” Rhea questioned with a raised eyebrow.
Edelgard shook her head. “I have, and always will, do this for Fódlan,” she vowed as she placed a hand on her heart, “I will give my all - all the power that has been forced upon me - to ensure that the land I love and all her people will see a brighter future.”
Rhea was quiet for a moment, her unblinking eyes never leaving Edelgard’s. After a long, tense pause, she sighed and brought her hands behind her back. “I have heard enough for today,” she said, “Take the remainder of the week to rest and recover from our trying ordeal. We shall discuss further action regarding Thales in the coming days.”
“Wait, that’s it?” Seteth demanded, “After all that was revealed today, you’re just going to let her go? What about the safety of Garreg Mach?”
“We will inform the Knights to increase their patrols,” Rhea resigned, “And I’ll discuss improving the magical defence system with the priests. But it is obvious everyone here is tired. It will do none of us any good to discuss world-changing policies when everyone is so sleep-deprived.”
Seteth sputtered again but eventually conceded with a huff. Rhea bid the three Lords and Byleth farewell, and they filed out of the room.
“I’d say you came out of that pretty well, all things considered,” Claude teased as he playfully nudged Edelgard’s shoulder, “You still have your head! And speaking of your head, I’d love to know more about what’s going on in there when you’ve got some free time. It sounds like you’ve got some pretty good ideas.”
Edelgard sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. “Perhaps we should set up a tea date,” she replied sarcastically, “Tomorrow, after I get some rest.”
“Of course,” Claude agreed, giving her shoulder one more pat before turning and heading off toward the library. Calling over his shoulder, he added, “If you ever need a co-conspirator, you know where to find me!”
Dimitri groaned warily beside her. “I worry about what he means by that,” he commented. He then attempted an awkward smile, rubbing the back of his neck and avoiding direct eye contact. “I…wouldn’t mind meeting up to talk, as well, however,” he stammered, “Obviously once you have rested. Despite my objections, I do think you have some good points. And you have always had good intuition. If you believe so strongly in this… Perhaps I shouldn’t let myself be so pigheaded about this.” He chuckled. “Perhaps that is why Felix always calls me a boar.”
“I would…like that,” Edelgard said slowly, pausing as they reached the bottom of the steps. Dimitri stopped as well, giving her a curious look. “Thank you, Dimitri,” she muttered, “And I’m sorry. All of this…it must be a lot to take in.”
“I’ll admit, I’m still very confused and angry,” he told her, “But…less so at you. I still find it hard to understand how you came to some of your conclusions, however having seen the monsters you have been forced to work with…” He set his jaw, finally finding the courage to meet her eyes. “They’re…the ones responsible, aren’t they? For the Tragedy?”
Edelgard swallowed the lump in her throat and nodded.
Dimitri drew a long, deep breath. “I cannot promise that I will be able to agree with everything,” he vowed, “There are parts of your plan that I still think are deeply flawed. However: for as long as you need me, I will help you stop them. It may be my spear alone, but I will not rest until those snakes are all dead.”
Edelgard nodded again, in acknowledgement. “Thank you, Dimitri,” she said softly, “That means more to me than you know.”
Dimitri placed his hand on his heart and gave a small bow, then turned and took his leave.
This left only Byleth and her student. “You’ve been awfully quiet, my Teacher,” Edelgard noted with a small smile.
“Did you…really mean that?” Byleth asked, “Just how much you’re willing to give up all for this future you’re envisioning?”
Edelgard sighed. “If I am successful, my Teacher, then every sacrifice I make will be worth it,” she stated wistfully, “I have already had so much taken from me. I want to use what I have left to ensure no one else is forced to become like me.”
Byleth’s eyes were sad, the corners of her mouth downturned as she stared at her student. “And what’s that?” she breathed.
“Someone with far too much power, and not nearly enough,” Edelgard replied with an equally downcast expression.
Byleth looked away, down toward the floor. She debated pressing the issue, but then Edelgard yawned. As she recovered from that, Byleth noticed her usual stiff posture and commanding presence were no longer there. Any energy she had for that must have been spent. Something about seeing Edelgard von Hresvelg hunched over in a stance more suited to Linhardt made Byleth’s heart ache. “You should go to bed,” she suggested, only slightly hinting at the urgency with her tone.
She was about to escort her, but then her stomach grumbled. Loud enough for Edelgard to hear. The princess smiled a little, and said, “I’ll be alright to find my room on my own, my Teacher. Go get yourself some breakfast.”
“Are you sure?” Byleth asked as she rubbed a hand over her troublesome stomach, “I can wait a few minutes.”
Edelgard nodded in the direction of the dining hall. “Go. I’ll see you in a few hours,” she commanded gently.
Byleth hesitated for a moment, but then smiled. With a friendly wave, she turned and headed toward the promise of a hearty breakfast.
Edelgard watched her go. She lost the last of her strength to stand tall and proud once Byleth was out of sight, and she hunched over even more, crossing her arms around her middle. So many thoughts and worries buzzed through her head, but her exhausted body didn’t have the energy to form them into coherent statements. Instead all that anxiety just bunched up and sat uncomfortably in her gut.
She glanced at the stairs. One musing did manage to worm its way out of the mess in her mind: Rhea had gone surprisingly soft on her. Almost like she was agreeing with her. That was…unforeseen. And it had been too easy.
Why had it been so easy?
Granted, easy had involved revealing her darkest secrets and turning into a horrible monster, but now that everything was said and done… It still did not make sense, and that only tightened the coil of anxiety in her core.
She was far too tired to be trying to make sense of this. With a shaky breath, she was on the move, herself. The thought of settling down in her bed was incredibly appealing. Flopping down and burrowing into the covers, closing her eyes, finally letting her aching limbs relax, falling into the gentle oblivion of a deep slumber…
Having a nightmare with the monster she had just turned into…
The ball of anxiety threatened to burst. Suddenly her exhaustion was overwhelmed by fear, enough so that she froze in her tracks. The stairs to the upstairs dormitories were just ahead. But the thought of sleeping now was out of the question. There was risk to that. She couldn’t face that thing now. She…she needed to push herself just a little more. Perhaps go for a walk and try to clear her head.
Maybe if she can get herself to a point of such extreme exhaustion, her body won’t have the energy to conjure a dream and that demon can remain trapped deep in her mind.
Yes, that’ll have to work.
With that, she reluctantly turned, planning on doing a tour of the grounds. Maybe even go all the way to the Cathedral and back. She has to get herself to the point of collapsing to ensure her sleep is strong enough to prevent a dream.
— — —
“Do you know what you are doing?” Seteth demanded.
Rhea huffed and plopped down in her chair at her desk. “I do, however I sense you have doubts,” she groaned as she massaged her eyes.
“I do,” Seteth spat, “You didn’t even punish her! You actually sounded like you agree with her? After all this time of upholding the system, only now you think of changing everything?”
“She was right, you know,” Rhea muttered, “Things have been falling by the wayside. She is wrong in how she wants to go about it, but…”
Seteth paced anxiously back and forth. “This could lead to riots, rebellions!” he stammered, “Fódlan itself could splinter! Everything we know, the peace we worked so hard for…”
“The Agarthans working under our noses to torture children and destroy families?” Rhea challenged.
Seteth stopped in his tracks. “I admit… The revelations regarding them were concerning,” he sighed, “And it is good Edelgard wishes to turn her back to them. It gives me some peace of mind to know she is not so far gone so as to continue to ally herself with them.”
“They did to her what they did to us, Seteth,” Rhea breathed, her gaze falling away into dead space and dark memories, “They killed her whole family and for what? Weapons?”
“A single weapon,” Seteth grimly reminded her, “One who walks through the halls of this very monastery.”
Rhea smirked. “You say that as if she is the only beast hiding in human form on these grounds,” she commented.
“We are not…” Seteth cleared his throat. “That is different. She is a Demonic Beast.”
Rhea looked away, glancing down as her free hand played with a tear in her cape. The insignia of her Crest glistened as the light of the window caught the gold threads. “And from what we know of Demonic Beasts, is it really all that different?” she asked lazily.
Seteth snapped his mouth shut, letting out another frustrated huff.
“You are tired, Seteth. We both are,” Rhea observed, “Go and get some rest. I will be retiring to my chambers soon.”
Seteth set his jaw, looking very much like he had more to say. But with another long sigh, he bowed his head in defeat. “Very well,” he conceded, “But we shall continue this discussion later.”
Rhea huffed out a quiet chuckle. “Of course, my friend,” she replied as he headed out of her office.
Once he was gone, her smile faded.
She sat up and pushed her chair back slightly. She reached under her desk and her hand found a button disguised as a carved rose. Once pressed, a hidden compartment popped open in one of the side drawers. Inside, was a small book. It was an ancient book, the leather cover crumbling and pages falling loose.
Rhea flipped through the old pages with care, thumbing through journal passages from centuries ago. The ink had faded and smudged through countless lifetimes, the words written in a language so lost to the ages even Rhea would have trouble deciphering it, making most passages impossible to read.
But she was not here to read any of it.
She found the pages she was looking for, and carefully set the book down on the desk before her. Open across the whole spread was a drawing. An old drawing. Done with graphite and charcoal, and perhaps there had once been pigmented chalk that had since been smudged away. It was blurry and faded but the subject of the drawing was clear: it was a dragon.
It was a dragon no living mortal had ever seen before.
The beast bore some resemblance to the Immaculate One, but it was…more Immaculate. Rather than just two large feathered wings, it had six. Its body was long and skinny, twisting and curling around itself and the clouds surrounding it. A multitude of spines lined its back and down its long tail. At first it looked as though it had six eyes to match the wings, however upon closer inspection there were a multitude of eyes all along its body, even on the wings. It was crowned by a nest of horns that seemed to come from every animal that grew them, the most prominent being massive, curved ram horns on either side of its head. Held within its long claws was an orb in one hand and a sword in the other.
Rhea reached out, and ever so carefully tapped those curved horns with her finger. Her gaze then moved to the eyes, then the wings. Were it not for this drawing, such details may eventually be lost to her.
However, she had just witnessed these features recently. Very recently.
“I wonder…” she murmured, looking at the Holiest of Dragons as a new seed of hope bloomed in her chest.
Perhaps this was what she had been missing all along. She thought she had all she needed: the Goddess’ bones and Crest stone.
The Church had said that Demonic Beasts were hellish spawn, that they were monster born from humanity’s greed and defiance of the Goddess. And well…that was almost true. While all Rhea had were theories, they were strong theories. Theories formed once she witnessed Maurice after his curse took hold and recognizing too much of her brother in his monstrous form.
They say that murdered souls often continue to walk the earth, angry and resentful. It would make sense that her family would be the same, especially if they are unable to truly rest when their bodies and hearts are used to craft gruesome weapons.
Rhea had always thought that her mother had moved on. After all, Nemesis had never been transformed by her vengeful spirit. But perhaps more of her soul had survived than Rhea realized, and if that was the case…
Edelgard was a stubborn girl. And foolish. Seteth was right: her vision for the future was far too optimistic, and overlooked far too many things. But her conviction, her resolve, her faith…
Rhea closed her eyes and sighed. A memory bubbled up, one that had been buried in the centuries she had lived. One that was hazy and obscured by trauma. One that was unreliable thanks to her forming it in her youth, when she was young and immature and still needed the constant presence of the only person who had ever made her feel so completely loved and protected.
They looked out over the land. It was charred and smouldering. Trees had been reduced to stumps and the very earth was scorched beyond recognition. Fires raged all around and seemed to even ooze up from the ground as liquid rock bled from massive gouges in the earth.
“It’s terrible,” she said as she clutched the pristine white robes of the woman she cherished more than anything, “Why did it have to be like this?”
Her mother grimaced, and placed a hand on her head. “Corruption leads to this, my child,” she said as a shadow fell over her expression, “The world may burn and people may die but it is only once those who feed off of such chaos are eliminated that things may start to heal.”
“And… They’re gone?” she asked cautiously.
Her mother glanced down at her other hand. The gold on her rings had warped and weakened in the intense heat of the spell she had just cast. “They are,” she replied.
She then pulled away, and started to walk forward. New magic formed around her, spreading out across the dirt in intricate lines as a massive rune formed under her feet. Around the lines of light, grass and flowers sprung from the charred earth.
Seiros rushed forward, grabbing her mother’s robe again. Sothis turned with a saddened smile. “I’m afraid I need you to stand back,” she said softly, “This spell is different from the one I just used, but it is equally powerful.”
Seiros frowned, gripping her mother’s robes tighter. “But you used so much power already! If this one is just as strong…” she protested.
Sothis knelt down, taking her daughter’s hands in hers. “I must do this, my love,” she told her, “You know how much I care for this land, and without my intervention, it shall remain like this: dead and broken. I shall heal the land, and allow for people to flourish once more. Fódlan will be born anew, and perhaps this time things will be different. Better, even.”
“But what if you use too much?” Seiros demanded worriedly.
“Then I will sleep, and when I wake up, we can live in our new world together,” Sothis promised, “I may have wrought this destruction upon this world in order to cleanse it, but now I must give even more of myself to help it heal. I have come to love this land, and the humans who walk upon it. I want them to have a future as bright as my children’s, even if it means I weaken myself to do so.”
Seiros sniffled, but nodded in understanding.
“That’s my good girl,” Sothis beamed, “Now go find cover. It may be a while before I wake, so I shall tell you this: I love you, my dear Seiros. Take care of everyone for me in my absence.”
“Yes, Mother,” Seiros said, trying to keep a brave face. With reluctance, she released her mother’s robe and scampered away, finding shelter behind a large boulder.
There was a mighty roar that shook the earth and sky, and a flash of light as blinding as the sun. Hurricane-force winds whipped up dust and ash before rain poured down from the heavens in a torrent.
But then, as quickly as the tempest formed, the world calmed. Seiros opened her eyes to not a burning wasteland, but a verdant paradise. The winds were cool and gentle, carrying the scent of grass and dew. Fresh blue water had turned the boiling lava ponds into lakes. Wildflowers of every colour danced in the breeze, and white fluffy clouds listed lazily across the sky.
Her mother lay peacefully amongst a bed of lilies and carnations, already succumbed to a healing sleep. But she had done it: Fódlan had been cleansed of its evil, and was now free to begin again. The future felt as bright and pristine as the world before her, all thanks to her mother’s sacrifice.
Rhea opened her eyes, disappointed she was no longer amongst the wildflowers and instead back in her dark and dingy office. Her gaze flitted to the hole in the wall leading out to the reception hall - the one Edelgard had made after Dimitri sent her flying through the stone.
“I wonder…” she mused again.
She will have to find time to chat with the Imperial Princess privately sometime soon.
— — —
“I missed what?!”
Byleth winced as the shrill voice in her head carried on. Sothis was so incensed that Byleth could actually see her floating around, flitting back and forth and waving her arms as she carried on with her tirade.
“You mean to tell me that I slept through a Demonic Beast invasion?” she demanded, “Not only that, but your own students turned into them? And the Hresvelg girl is their Queen?!”
‘She’s not their Queen,’ Byleth corrected as she tried to eat her porridge, ‘The experiments she underwent made it possible for her to turn into a Demonic Beast - one designed to have authority over the others.’
“So a Queen,” Sothis insisted. She crossed her arms in a huff and settled down in the empty chair across from Byleth. “Why did you not try to wake me up?”
‘What would that have done?’ Byleth returned, ‘Would there have been anything you could do?’
Sothis opened her mouth for a scathing retort, but when she came up blank, she shut it sheepishly. “So now what?” she wondered.
‘I’m going to finish my breakfast then go to bed,’ Byleth replied.
“No, you dolt! About all of this!” Sothis sighed, “Everything about last night is incredibly suspicious. Evil mages turning students into monsters? And the same ones who tortured the Princess, no less! Surely a plan is being hatched to stop them in their tracks?”
Byleth shrugged and took another spoonful. ‘Probably, but right now everyone is too tired to think about that,’ she answered.
Sothis slapped a hand over her face. “How is it that I am the only one with the energy to think about this?” she demanded.
‘You slept all night,’ Byleth reminded her.
Sothis let out a frustrated growl. “You are so insufferable at times,” she huffed. She drummed her fingers on the table before her as she pouted for a moment. Then she glanced back to Byleth. “Have you thought about why Edelgard has been granted such an ability?” she questioned, “Or how?”
‘It was the experiments she was put through,’ Byleth told her, ‘As for why…” She shuddered. ‘They wanted a weapon. One that could command their other Demonic Beasts.’
“Yes, but why her?” Sothis pressed, “Why only her, when her other siblings also underwent the same torture?”
Byleth shook her head. ‘I don’t know,’ she admitted with a saddened sigh, ‘I’m just glad she’s ok now, and back to normal.’
Sothis raised an eyebrow. “Who said she is back to normal?” she wondered, “That kind of power doesn’t just…vanish. She probably still can turn into a Beast. If I were you, I’d look into it, as well as sorting out these shadowy figures who are so hellbent on turning children into monsters.”
Byleth couldn’t help but smirk. ‘You are technically me,’ she teased.
Sothis groaned. “Don’t remind me,” she sighed as she pinched the bridge of her nose, “I will leave you to your meal, then. I’m going to think on this myself. We should aim to formulate a plan sooner rather than later.”
Once she was gone, Byleth finished up her breakfast in peace. She then cleared her place and brought her tray of dishes back up to the counter, before heading out of the dining hall.
She paused just outside the door and yawned, stretching her arms high above her head. She was ready to take a nice, long nap. The afternoon sun felt warm on her skin, despite the chill in the air. It seemed a shame to waste such a nice day but her exhausted body had other plans.
She headed out of the dining hall toward the pond just by chance, and she was happy that she had.
She never would have noticed Edelgard sitting at the end of the dock if she had gone the other way.
“Edelgard?” she asked as she approached, her footsteps causing the old wooden boards to creak.
Edelgard tensed her shoulders, wincing as if she had been caught doing something she shouldn’t be. “Oh! My Teacher,” she greeted, turning around and tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear, “I did not expect to see you here.”
“I could say the same,” Byleth replied, taking a seat down beside her student, allowing her legs to dangle over the water below, “I thought you were going to bed?”
Edelgard grimaced, glancing back out over the pond. “I was,” she sighed, “But…” She fiddled with her gloves, smoothing out fabric that didn’t need it.
“You’re going to have to sleep at some point,” Byleth told her softly.
Edelgard closed her eyes and let out a deep breath. She brought one hand up to rub her eyes, massaging them deeply and shielding them from the harsh sunlight reflection on the water. Byleth’s frown only deepened - Goddess, Edelgard looked tired.
“Professor…” Edelgard began hesitantly, “Remember what I told you that one night a few moons ago… About the nightmares?”
Byleth nodded. “I’m sure your body is so exhausted you might not even have them this time,” she said hopefully, “But if you’re worried, I can see if Manuela—”
“It’s not…quite that, Professor,” Edelgard said, her shoulders dropping as if someone had just dropped a boulder upon them. She sucked in a shaky breath, and added, “Sometimes I have had certain dreams and it has been in them. Hunting me.”
“It?” Byleth tilted her head to one side, raising an eyebrow as she regarded her student. “The Hegemon?”
“Yes.” Edelgard gulped. “That.” She huffed in frustration, adding, “That thing it just… It won’t leave me alone. Every night I encounter it, it tries to kill me and sometimes it succeeds and what if…” She let her head fall, heaving out another heavy sigh. “What if it succeeds, and not just within the dream?”
“Oh.” Byleth looked down as well, tracing an old scar on her hands as she mulled over the conundrum. “It tries to kill you in every dream?” she asked quietly.
Edelgard nodded. “If I go to sleep, I have no doubt that I will have another,” she revealed, “And now that a deeper connection has been established between my mind and its, now that it knows it can weasel into my head and take control…”
She crossed her arms over her middle, her fingers tightly gripping the fabric of her uniform.
“I fear that more than anything else,” Edelgard admitted quietly, “Losing control like that. More than rats. More than being chained up. More than the dark. More than death.” She bit her lip. Her grip tightened. “Thales and Solon used to inject poisons into my blood that would cause loss of consciousness. I still don’t know what happened to me when they did that. It’s…not knowing that makes it so terrifying. It’s knowing that something else has complete control over your body and you can’t stop it. You can’t defend yourself. You can’t make it stop. You can’t scream for help. You just wake up, covered in your own blood or someone else’s and you have no idea how long it’s been or what has happened.”
She released a long, rattling sigh. “Nothing broke my spirit more than the moment I realized that I could not even have my own body, after everything else had been taken from me,” she uttered, “There are only the scraps of it that I have left - the scarred, warped, white-haired shell that was once Edelgard von Hresvelg. And now I have come to learn that I must share it…with a beast that has been forced upon me.”
“That’s…” Byleth fought for the right words, but her mind was drawing a blank. She clasped her hands together in her lap and looked down at the water below. Fish swam idly underneath their feet, not a single care in the world. As if the whole of the previous night had never happened. Byleth wondered what that must feel like, to be a fish without a care - save, perhaps, for the odd fishing enthusiast.
“I swear to you that I will rest soon,” Edelgard assured her with a dry chuckle, “I don’t think I will have much choice in the matter for long. In fact, I worry I might collapse into the pond as we sit here. I just…would like a moment longer before facing the monster again.”
“She’s not a monster,” Byleth said quietly.
Edelgard cast her a confused glare. “She’s a Demonic Beast, Byleth,” she stated pointedly, “She might not be a particularly violent Demonic Beast, but that doesn’t change the fact that—”
“She’s you, Edelgard.”
Edelgard’s glare darkened.
“I don’t mean that you are a monster,” Byleth clarified, “The opposite, actually.” She sighed. “I had a chance to talk with her when I went to find you in your mind,” she revealed, “She - the Hegemon - she seemed… Sad. Lonely, even. I think she knows how you feel, and she wants to try and make it better.”
Edelgard shook her head. “There’s nothing she can do,” she replied bitterly, “Unless she can think of a way to leave my body and mind for good.”
“I know you don’t like the fact that she is there,” Byleth told her gently, “But the fact of the matter is that she is. Whether you like it or not. I think you should make the most of it.”
Edelgard scoffed. “How? By turning into a beast the next time we have to face off against bandits?” she challenged.
“Talk to her,” Byleth pressed, “You might find someone who you can confide in, maybe even learn from. The situation might not be ideal, but…” She paused, as she remembered her own mental companion. Sothis might have had quite the tirade for when she woke up, but it had been an amusing pick-me-up for Byleth after such a long night. “It could be nice, to have a friend so close to your heart.”
Edelgard cocked one eyebrow as a disbelieving frown crossed her face. “I highly doubt the beast could be a friend, my Teacher,” she stated.
Byleth shrugged. “You never know,” she commented, “If someone had told me a year ago that I’d be friends with the Crown Princess of Adrestia - not to mention all the other children of major noble families - I’d have thought they were crazy.”
Edelgard’s brow furrowed. She looked away, also turning to watch the fish swimming below them. Her shoulders sagged as she finally gave in to her exhaustion. “But what if the beast doesn’t wish for that?” she murmured, “If I extend my hand out to her and she uses it as an opportunity to pull me into the darkness…”
Byleth nodded sagely. “I think,” she said simply, “You need to trust. You’ve been surprised by everyone else so far, haven’t you?”
Edelgard grimaced, but then slowly relented with a nod. “Very well, my Teacher,” she sighed, “For you, I shall try.”
Byleth smiled, then pushed herself to her feet. She extended a hand out to her student, stating warmly, “Good. Now let’s get you to bed.”
— — —
It was dark, and cold. Each step echoed as stone underfoot, indicating she was somewhere underground. The air was sticky with humidity, allowing the cold to seep in past every layer of clothing and deep into her skin. Somewhere in the distance she could hear rats skittering about, squealing as they fought each other for scraps.
Edelgard gulped anxiously, her eyes scanning the darkness. She tightened her grip on her axe.
Red eyes appeared in the dark, and her heart skipped a beat. The creature growled, low and threatening, as she shifted her weight, preparing to charge forward with her axe at the ready.
Before either of them could move, a rat scurried between them.
Out of pure instinct, Edelgard leapt backward. She almost fumbled her axe but maintained a chaotic grip on it. She could not hold back her panicked shout.
But she was not the only one to let out a startled noise.
The creature - the Hegemon - had also recoiled at the sight of the rat. It no longer towered above her, instead shrinking down low and hunched over. It let out a low, rumbling whine as glowing eyes scanned the shadows, looking for more rats. Their gazes met, then it looked away, hiding its face in shame.
Edelgard straightened up, eyes wide and mouth agape. She took a step toward the Hegemon, and as she did, her grip loosened on her axe. It fell from her limp hand with a clank on the stone floor, but she barely registered it.
“You’re…afraid of them, too?” she uttered, taking another step closer to the monster from her nightmares.
The Hegemon peeked through her long talons, her glowing red eye softer, sadder than it had been before.
“They’re…they’re little monsters, aren’t they?” Edelgard said with a nervous chuckle.
The Hegemon uncurled herself even more, both eyes widening as she realized that Edelgard meant no harm. A noise born of curiosity rattled out of her throat, as she cocked her head and lowered herself further to better inspect the princess. “They are…not my favourite creature to encounter,” she muttered with an anxious frown.
“Byleth told me about what happened in the Cathedral,” Edelgard revealed softly, “She said that you were kind, and gentle. And that you protected everyone with such fierceness.”
Another noise, a low clicking sound, was her reply. “I could not let harm befall them,” stated the monster. The Hegemon then carefully reached a long, spindly finger out, gently tapping Edelgard’s chest. Another long talon then settled on the exposed clavicle on her own torso.
“Yes… They matter to me. A great deal, in fact,” Edelgard stated, “And… It would seem they matter to you, too.”
The ground trembled as the Hegemon settled down into a sitting position before her. It was only then that Edelgard realized it had gotten lighter in the dungeons surrounding them. She could see more of the Hegemon’s form now, especially her face that was so eerily like her own.
The Hegemon chuffed in response to her statement. “Of course they matter to me,” she said with a matter-of-fact tone so familiar to Edelgard.
It brought a less nervous chuckle to her lips. “It would seem that I misjudged you,” she sighed, edging even closer to the Hegemon, “You’re not the monster in the shadows I feared you were.”
The Hegemon growled, eyes narrowing as she looked beyond Edelgard to the axe discarded on the ground. “Nor are you.” Edelgard followed that gaze, her own eyes widening at the realization. She couldn’t remember how many times she dreamt this dream with an axe in hand, preparing to take down a beast of shadows. Too many, it would seem.
“I suppose… I must have been pretty terrifying as well: a monster hunter with an axe,” she relented.
She recalled what little she could remember during her transformation. All the weary cries for help from the lost souls trapped as Beasts. All the calls for vengeance from the dead, unable to rest peacefully because of what happened to their families and their bodies.
She stared up at the Hegemon, fully aware that such a creature only exists through the implementation of the most horrible of torture and experimentation. Something that only Edelgard would ever fully understand. Well…perhaps her and…
Herself.
“Things…need to change,” she breathed, turning away from the axe and back to the Hegemon, “I want to change the world. To make things better for people like us who have suffered in darkness for far too long.” She paused, now finding it her turn to lower her head in shame. “But before I do that, I must first look inward,” she added, her voice edged with determination, “Because it would make me a hypocrite to try to help those called demons while banishing my own.”
The Hegemon reached out, lifting her chin up with the tip of a long, black claw. “I am sorry,” she said, the deepest remorse etched onto her face, “That you must be shackled here with me.”
Edelgard bowed her head. “I experienced many awful things in the darkness below Enbarr,” she uttered, lifting one hand to gently rest it on the Hegemon’s claw, “But the worst of it happened when I was alone. After all my siblings had died and it was just…me. Perhaps… Having someone to share my burdens will help ease the pain.”
The Hegemon looked away. “What you said…before the ritual…” she said quietly, “You think yourself a monster because of me.”
Edelgard frowned. She glanced down at her hand and tugged off the glove, revealing the wretched scars that marred her skin. “It’s not…you,” she sighed, “Those mages… They took away so much of my dignity. Sometimes I cannot even bear to look at my own skin because it reminds me of how low I sunk, of how much was stolen from me. I thought of myself as some sort of beast long before I knew about you. A child chained to a wall stops seeing herself as a girl after a long enough time spent eating gruel and watching her siblings die.”
The Hegemon let out a low, rumbling growl. It was not an aggressive noise, but rather one born out of pain, as if she bore a wound that would not heal. “It is as you said: what was done was horrific, and I came from what was done,” she lamented.
Edelgard glanced up at the monstrous version of herself, taking in the extent of the Demonic Beast corruption. “You contain far more of my humanity than you might think,” she said earnestly, “You not only chose to protect and heal our classmates, but you also guided me through the past night. I fear I may have lost sense of myself had you not given me advice, or stepped in when I was in over my head.” She reached out and took one of those long claws in her hand.
“I’m sorry I was so hostile to you,” she atoned, “I should have known from the moment you saved my friends that you meant no harm.”
“And I am sorry as well,” the Hegemon replied, “For attacking you in all those dreams, and forcing my way into your head.” She gave a crooked smile. “Brute force is mostly all I know, after all.”
That piqued Edelgard’s interest. “What…do you know?” she asked, “You seemed to be aware of some things, but not others.”
The Hegemon frowned. “I know about as much as you do, unfortunately,” she sighed, “Somethings exist as…feelings. Like they are familiar to me, but I cannot recall the details.”
Edelgard pondered this, bringing one hand up to her chin as she mulled it over. “I know too well what that can feel like,” she stated, “As loathe as I am to admit it, we need more information from Thales and Solon. There may be some notes left behind in the library and now that our ‘dear’ librarian is gone there is no one to stop us from looking.”
“I will search my own memories,” the Hegemon offered, “Much is gone, but perhaps things can come back to me. I, too, wish to learn more.” She paused for a moment, her glowing eyes glancing away to stare off into the darkness. “There may be a way to separate us,” she offered, “And then you will no longer be tethered to my cursed existence.”
The thought of being free of this nightmare made Edelgard’s heart leap for joy. No more monsters. No more shadows. She could break one more chain, get herself just a little further out of the darkness.
But then she looked up and saw the sadness on the Beast’s face. She sat with her long clawed hands in her lap, shoulders hunched, wings drooping. Edelgard’s heart ached as similar emotions began to bubble up to the surface. Loneliness, grief, fear… She clenched a hand over her heart as the pain seemed to spread. She couldn’t help but notice that the Hegemon did the same without even looking at her.
She approached the Hegemon, reaching up to gently rest a hand on her sinewy arm. “For now, let’s just focus on stopping Thales,” she decided, “Splitting ourselves up can wait… It might be…nice…to have someone who can share my experiences so intimately.”
The Hegemon stared down at her, her black and red eyes wide and jaw slack just a little. “You mean it?” she asked breathlessly.
Edelgard nodded. “What do you say?” she stated confidently, a smile slowly spreading across her face, “Shall we change the world together?”
The Hegemon mirrored her grin, her fangs poking through past her lips. Those glowing red eyes brightened as she nodded.
The squeal of a rat snapped her eyes open. Before she was even fully awake, Edelgard was upright in her bed, one arm outstretched as a brilliant fireball careened across the room. The little furry bastard was lucky, but only escaped by the skin of its teeth and a singed backside.
Edelgard blinked, then rubbed the sleep out of her eyes with her left hand. She willed the fire away with her right, only then thinking better of it. Sparks still crackled around the dark skin and claws on her right hand. A few scales had also broken through the surface. With minimal effort, she called for a small flame to ignite in her palm, casting the room into a soft orange glow.
She watched the flame dance harmlessly in her palm, watched how the light bounced off the glinting scales and obsidian talons. The night was chilly yet again, as was typical for Red Wolf Moon. But the light and warmth from the flame put her mind at ease.
Something in her mind whispered that this should toss her into a state of unease. That the fact that her hand was one of a monster’s would be a cause for concern that should have her in the throws of a panic attack at this very moment.
But she willed the claws and fire away with the same amount of thought as blinking or shaking one’s head.
She then settled back down under the covers, nestling into the warmth the sheets and blankets provided. And slowly, she drifted back to sleep, no longer feeling as alone in the dark of a cold night.