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No one saw it coming, that this, simple in paper, mission could have such a spin.
How could the professors know? Her brothers in arms, her friends, how could she even predict that such thing could happen to her?
It certainly was a quick move. The company composed by the three houses of the officer’s academy was marching towards the next battle front against a rumored powerful band of criminals and mercenaries.
Being a company that big, the professors decided to mix students and create units small enough to move quickly and take positions in the battlefield but also strong enough to stand their ground if needed.
How could she know this would happen?
Her unit was formed by Byrd, Margaret, Martha and, for better or for worse, Edelgard.
The unit was at the rear of the like that formed the others. But it certainly took them by surprise.
She was feeling uneasy, but she would not share those thoughts at this moment, it would be improper, specially in front of the future emperor, her emperor.
How could she had been so reckless and lower her guard even for a moment when she was so focused on protecting her?
Alas, she saw how the next in line for the throne fell to the ground work of some of the bandits they were all searching for?
The three girls turned her attention to the bandits, one shielding their fallen comrade from axes and arrows, while the other two got to work to take them down.
She immediately ran towards Edelgard and without hesitation or doubt in her actions or words, started to cast a healing spell to heal her wounds.
As their companions were fighting and defending from all sides they could cover, the noise and the commission grew, making it difficult for her to pay attention to other thing aside from her priority.
Edelgard recovered her consciousness she let out a shout. A sign of warning for her to take cover.
Forget the bandits, forget the battalion, forget everything for a second. Your priority is her.
Swift as she could ever be, she took it, it had fell of its owner hands after the attack. She took Aymir in her hands, turned around and blocked the incoming attack.
She could shout and ask for help to her friends, but with all the commotion, they would not hear her. She still had her priority set. Protect Edelgard.
She held Aymir firmly in her hands and attacked the enemies that tried to come colors to the still in the ground princess.
Hit after hit.
And then, something clicked, they were much more than they could take right now in this state.
Hit after hit.
They needed backup.
Hit after hit.
And suddenly, a critical.
Filled with hope and determination.
Alas, she had forgotten about that one thing.
She bore no crest.
A wave of energy ran through her body, in a flash it had swallowed her, and in a pulse, it had knocked down everyone around her.
She didn’t knew what was that, but when she started to feel an unbearable pain she connected the dots.
As her companions got back into their feet, when they looked up towards the energy source, they could had bet they were having a nightmare.
Her friend was not there, instead some kind of monster had took her place.
It let out a loud noise, loud enough to attract the attention of the other academy’s battalions near by.
“Andy....” Edelgard let out “....no....”
As the three still standing approached Edelgard with caution, the demonic beast started to cause destruction.
The girls prepare themselves for an attack, one that never came.
The demonic beast was hunting the bandits, crushing them without a doubt and destroying their weapons left and right; all while covering the girls in the center of the turmoil.
When it seemed that everything had finished, it let out another noise.
Not a loud one, not meant to numb.
It was a cry, filled with sadness, nostalgia and one could say, even a little regret.
“Andy...”
Were words that the wind carried away as soon as they left the lips of whomever had said it.
They were approaching her when something else clicked. The air was now aggressive instead of the sad vibes it has just a second ago.
She let out another loud cry, so devastating it seemed everything had stopped.
What could be done at this point? Did they lost her?
Will they had to fight her? Was there any other way?
The 4 girls in the scene could not find an answer to this questions, because just as the cry had ended, a group of knights and students had appeared.
They were in their own space, looking at her, crying their hearts out without noticing, only focusing in the shine of her eyes fading away.
It fell like forever for them, standing there blocking any signal from the outside world trying to understand, so comprehend how and why. Until a loud cry was heard.
Running towards it with shaking limbs and tripping multiple times during the process, they tried to get to her.
Moving people from their way, they arrived looking only at Aymir, again on the floor.
It was when a knight cut the piercing silence by asking “was she your friend? I’m sorry”
Sobs could be heard from students and teachers. But they could not be compared with the sad and desperate cries of the four girls making the air gloomier by the second.
A scream filled with pain and regret pierced the hearts of the ones that tried to approach them to get them moving again.
Edelgard repeated the scream once or twice while punching the ground and hugging Aymir.
No one would have the face to tell this girls that this was enough crying, not even Hubert had the strength to speak a single word at the princess now.
Their friends started to make the crowd move and go back to their missions, they will wait for them to gather the strength they currently didn’t had.
But how could the professors know? Her brothers in arms, her friends, how could she even predict that such thing could happen to her?
Maybe she didn’t knew what could happen, but something is sure, Andrea would do it again and again; she would do it as many times as necessary to protect them, no matter the final cost.