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There were many strange things about Professor Byleth. The former mercenary rarely showed emotion, and when she did, it was only in miniscule amounts. A small upward pull of the lips, a slight widening of her eyes. She always tilted her head to the left and scrunched her eyebrows ever so slightly when confused. It had taken months, but Edelgard was slowly learning to read the blank face of her professor. The woman’s hardly seemed to care about anything, but her indifferent demeanor harbored a caring heart, and a ferocious warrior. The Ashen Demon, as she had been called as a mercenary. What caught the Adrestian Princess off guard was the teal-haired woman’s penchant for jokes. Always said with her usual deadpan tone, Edelgard was never sure if she was being serious or not and half the time the professor never cleared that up for her either. It was infuriating, yet she also found herself considering it rather endearing as time went on. Edelgard was slowly beginning to think the mercenary couldn’t surprise her much anymore.
Until one of her lectures during the first week of the Wyvern Moon, that is.
Lysithea von Ordelia had recently transferred to Byleth’s class, this being the first full lecture she’d had with the Professor. Halfway through, the pale-haired girl leaned over from her seat next to Edelgard, her voice a low, cautious tone, “Edelgard, do you notice anything… off… about the Professor?”
Edelgard frowned, sparing the girl a glance. Off? As she focused on Byleth (more intensely than usual, at least), she felt the familiar feeling of embers igniting in her chest and spreading throughout her body. Her crests were resonating with something. This only caused her to scowl further. Edelgard was about to reply a negative to the young mage when she blinked. The sudden sight before her causing her to immediately stiffen in her seat.
A mumble tumbled from her lips, “What the…”
As if she had appeared out of thin air, there was now a young girl floating over Byleth’s shoulder as she moved around the room explaining the tactic she’d drawn on her board. She sometimes felt her crests awaken around the Professor, a feeling of being watched hounding her, but she had assumed it was due to their Crests of Flame resonating with each other with their close proximity paired with her Hubert induced paranoia. Now it appeared she had been wrong. Very wrong indeed.
“Yeah,” Lysithea mumbled, “Who the hell is that?”
The girl was small, she looked no more than twelve years of age. Her incredibly long green hair pulled into pigtails behind a tassled headdress, falling across her back nearly to her feet. Her loose blue clothing intricately designed with gold patterning. And… pointed ears? Edelgard felt her breath catch in her throat. Lysithea was right, who the hell was this girl?
She remained attached to the Professor’s shoulder as she turned from the board to face her students, positioned like she was lying on her belly, chin resting on her arms which she had on Byleth’s shoulder, and feet pulled up and crossed, kicking lazily. Edelgard felt her heart stop as the girl looked right at her. Her eyes… she was so young but her eyes were… Ancient. Edelgard almost felt like the girl was seeing right through her. Revealing her darkest secrets with a mere glance. The girl’s eyes flicked to Lysithea, who shot up in her seat, straight as a rod, eyes wide as she was met with the strange girl’s gaze.
A flash of realization crossed the girl’s face. Just as quickly, it shifted into a rather mischievous grin. Edelgard struggled to keep up the appearance that she was paying attention as Lysithea whimpered beside her. She didn’t like that look one bit.
The girl unfurled herself, stretching her legs and arms as she floated down from Byleth’s shoulder, and Edelgard had to wonder if the Professor was even aware the girl was there herself. The girl reached the ground and began walking towards the desk of the two students. Edelgard watched Lysithea out of the corner of her eye, the poor girl was gripping the feather in her hand so tightly Edelgard was surprised it hadn’t snapped yet. Lysithea began trembling as the girl stopped right in front of their desk, swinging her gaze between the students. Her smirk grew at their wide eyes, Lysithea beginning to draw attention from the more alert students such as Dorothea. The girl suddenly leaned down to Lysithea’s eye level and jumped forward, her body phasing through the table as if she wasn’t even there… like a ghost.
“Boo.”
All eyes were drawn to the petite mage as she shrieked and pushed away from the desk, her chair teetering on it’s back legs for a split second before gravity finished the job and sent Lysithea tumbling to the floor.
Edelgard had just kneeled next to the girl when Byleth appeared at her other side. Goodness the Professor was fast!
“Lysithea, are you alright?” The professor held her hand out to the mage, her voice was it’s usual deadpan, though Edelgard swore she could just hear a concerned lilt to it.
“Y-yes, Professor,” She took the offered hand, Edelgard rising with her, a steadying hand on her shoulder, “I-I um… I was practicing uh… a small controlled wind spell and I, well, lost control and it blew me over. My apologies for disturbing the lesson,” Lysithea took a shallow bow, trembling hands clenched to her chest.
Byleth’s lips quirked up in a small smile, “No worries, Lysithea. I’m glad you’re alright, though maybe keep the offensive magic to the training grounds.”
“Yes, right. I’ll remember next time,” Lysithea face flushed red as she reclaimed her seat, intensely aware of the eyes following her every move.
Edelgard turned just in time to see Byleth walk past the hysterically giggling ghost girl and swipe a hand through her face, sending her sputtering and wiping at herself as she turned pout on the Professor, stomping her foot and crossing her arms like a child.
“Lysithea, I think we need to have a talk with the Professor.”
Lysithea let out a deep exhale, “Tell me about it.”
Byleth was just finishing up grading papers when a knock came at the door to her quarters. Edelgard? She always had extra questions. Not that Byleth minded.
“Come in,” A familiar head of white hair and amethyst eyes appeared. Byleth felt a smile form on her face, “Ah, Edelgard,” The princess opened the door fully, revealing a second head of white hair. Byleth’s head tilted in confusion, “And Lysithea? Is this about what happened in class earlier?”
The girl shuffled sheepishly, “It is.”
Byleth frowned, “Are you feeling okay?”
“If you count being scared half to death,” she grumbled.
Byleth’s head straightened, “Huh?”
The girls shared a look, obviously unsure how to voice whatever it was they were concerned about. As Byleth waited, a certain green-haired Goddess manifested behind the two students. Byleth’s eyes narrowed, it was practically guaranteed Sothis was up to something.
“Oh, I think they’re talking about me.”
Byleth’s ears were set ringing as both girls shrieked, jumping into the air as they spun to see Sothis behind them, sending Lysithea once again stumbling to the ground as Edelgard instinctively drew the dagger she kept on her belt.
Edelgard’s breath came rapidly, “This, Professor! What sorcery is this?!”
Byleth’s eyes widened as the realization hit, “Wait, you can see her?”
“Yes!” Lysithea shouted from where she was hyperventilating on the floor, “Professor, pardon my language, but why the hell do you have a ghost following you around?!”
Byleth averted her gaze, scratching her cheek in embarrassment as Sothis was bent over laughing, “Uh, well, I don’t know. The day I met Edelgard, Dimitri, and Claude, I woke up with her talking to me in my mind.”
Edelgard took a moment to regain her composure before sheathing her dagger, “The day we met? Odd…”
Sothis finally recovered from her laughing fit, “Oohhhh goodness, you should’ve seen your faces !!” She giggled, “You humans scared of ghosts are too easy !”
Edelgard gaped at the girl, “She…”
Byleth let out a small sigh, “Yeah, she’s an ass.”
Sothis glared at the Professor, “Excuse you, you just can’t appreciate my comedic brilliance, which is a travesty because I’m stuck in your boring head. Do you ever get tired of thinking the same gay thoughts all day every day?”
Lysithea slowly stood and brushed herself off, clinging onto Byleth’s arm, “She can read your thoughts?” her voice wavered.
“Unfortunately.”
Edelgard straightened her posture, throwing her arm to the side as she puffed out her chest in an attempt to project her authority, “Who are you?”
“Oooooo,” Sothis regained her usual smug look, “Look at little miss Emperor over here trying to look all tough,” Sothis floated up and mimed pinching Edelgard’s cheeks, her fingers simply phasing through the girl.
Edelgard shuddered, backing away as she attempted to swat Sothis’s hands away, “That feels… most disconcerting.”
“So, uh,” Byleth scratched her neck sheepishly, “You know how I made that joke the other day about the Goddess speaking to me?”
Byleth winced as a shrill cry rose from a certain mage on her arm, “WHAT?!”
Sothis began hopping up and down, clapping her hands merrily, “Yup, you’re looking at the Goddess! So show some respect!” She turned a glare on Edelgard, “Pointing a dagger at people is quite rude, you know, did not one teach you manners?”
The way Edelgard bristled at Sothis’s words reminded Byleth of a bird puffing up to look bigger. Rather fitting for the leader of the Black Eagle house, she supposed, “Excuse me?”
“Nyeehh!” Sothis pulled at her lower eyelid with a finger and stuck her tongue out in a rather childish mockery.
“Why you-” Edelgard’s hands reached out, clawing at Sothis as if attempting to strangle her apparition.
Byleth ignored them for the moment since neither could really hurt the other, turning to the mage currently using her as a shield, “Lysithea, she can’t hurt you.”
“Contrary to popular belief, words can in fact be quite deadly, Professor,” Lysithea glanced up at Byleth before shuffling further behind, still clutching the ex-mercenary’s arm.
“So you’re using me as a human shield?”
“Yes.”
Byleth sighed, “At least you’re up front about it.”
The two turned back to Edelgard and Sothis, the former still seething at the petite Goddess.
“Well, uh…” Byleth scratched the back of her head, “Now you know.”
Edelgard whirled on her Professor, “How can you be so casual about having The Goddess inside your head?!”
“It’s still weird.”
Sothis scoffed, “Don’t lie, Byleth, you love me.”
“Love to be rid of you and teach in peace.”
Sothis gasped, putting the back of her hand to her forehead and leaning back dramatically, “Oh how you wound me, Professor! How ever shall I recover?”
“I’m sure you’ll be fine,” Byleth deadpanned.
“Edelgard,” Lysithea let her expression go slack, eyebrows raised slightly, something Byleth was coming to call her ‘done’ face, “This is a dream, right? I hit my head too hard falling over in class?”
Edelgard sighed, “Unfortunately this is real,” murmuring, she added, “The Goddess is real... “
Sothis placed her hands on her hips proudly, “You bet your ass I am!”
Byleth sighed, this was gonna be a long year.
The next day, Byleth and Edelgard found themselves standing before Rhea. Apparently a village in the Alliance was found to be harboring fugitives that had escaped the purging of the western church. Rhea wanted them dead and the village burned to the ground. Things were grim as usual when Rhea and heretics were involved. That was until both women heard a certain young voice in their heads.
“Oh goodie, ready to go oppress innocents again, Byleth?” Sothis materialized in between Byleth and Edelgard, her arm propped on the Professor’s shoulder as she floated off the ground, “Another day, another village burned down for allowing someone to question Rhea. Does she ever get tired of arson? There are much better ways to destroy a village. I could use Seteth’s thick skull for one thing.”
Byleth arched an eyebrow as she heard Edelgard quietly stifle a laugh. Thankfully, Rhea didn’t seem to notice. Byleth was only half paying attention as Rhea droned on, she’d get the details from Seteth later anyways. What she was more interested in was Sothis slowly hovering towards Rhea.
“You know Rhea, you’re kind of a huge asshole,” Sothis poked at the Archbishop’s cheek, “Why burn down the whole village? Are you that insecure? Do you need mommy to tuck you in at night still, too?”
Edelgard’s lips were twitching now, her incredible self control on display as she valiantly fought to keep her expression neutral.
Rhea lowered her head, her voice as serene as ever, “Let this be a lesson to the commoners of the Alliance. It is foolish to house heretics who would undermine the well being of the people of Fodlan.”
Sothis scoffed, “Well being of the people my ass. Can you believe her?” She jabbed a thumb into Rhea’s nose, the ghostly girl staring at Byleth incredulously, “Honestly every time I have to listen to this crap I can feel my brain power deteriorating. This fool will just end up turning the populace against her if she keeps killing people off willy-nilly.”
Seteth handed Byleth her papers, and they were dismissed, Sothis moaning dramatically as she disappeared once more. Byleth noted with some amusement that Edelgard’s shoulders had begun shaking as they made their way to the stairwell. Once safe from prying eyes, her hand latched onto Byleth’s arm as the princess leaned into her and let herself go. The girl’s laughs ringing pleasantly in Byleth’s ears like music, the Professor sporting a wide smile as she witnessed Edelgard’s mirth. Byleth fondly patted Edelgard’s head, the princess burying her face in the crook of the Professor’s neck as her shoulders shook with her giggles.
Byleth hummed softly, “Sothis really got you there, huh?”
“I-I,” Edelgardtook a shuddering breath, “I’m sorry, Professor, but seeing someone so blatantly talking to Rhea’s face like that was more than I could bear. Especially with Sothis’s… unique way of approaching it,” She sighed, the last of her laughter escaping with it, her head coming to rest back on Byleth’s collar. Edelgard suddenly tensed. Her head shot up as her widened eyes stared at the professor before she jumped back, nearly careening into the opposite wall of the stairwell, her face a deep crimson.
“W-well now, we should get back to class, right, Professor?”
Byleth tilted her head curiously. Edelgard’s gaze was currently darting around the room, landing everywhere but Byleth, “Edelgard are you alri-”
“Yes! I’m quite fine, my teacher! Thank you! Let’s go!” Edelgard quickly began descending the stairs, leaving an even more confused Byleth in her dust.
“ Oh my god you’re an idiot, ” Sothis groaned.
Byleth shrugged, whatever was going on, she was sure Edelgard would tell her if it was important. Unlike whatever Sothis was talking about.
Of that she was certain.