Chapter Text
It had been thousands of years since the people Byleth knew and loved had passed on, thousands of years of wishing she could join them in the afterlife, but death never came for her, no illness she got would take her... Byleth had even tried to take her own life multiple times... but no matter how hard she tried, death always eluded, never freeing her from this never ending grief.
Because of all the years that had passed, the history of the war and all the people she knew back then, was no longer known, and those who did know of the war, it was seen as legend passed down through families.
Byleth lived all by herself in a house not far from a town, the town was near where the empire used to reside.
Byleth was sat outside behind her house, the people she knew so long ago had died so long ago, their actual graves no longer exist, and she had decided to make graves for everyone... even those she took the lives of. Byleth sat in front of a specific grave, her knees against her chest, tears slowly falling from her eyes as she stared at the engraving on the grave, 'Edelgard von Hresvelg'.
"...I'm so sorry Byleth" Byleth heard the only person she still had, because she always had her.
"You don't need to apologize Sothis, it's not your fault" Byleth responded.
"...But maybe you'd be with... her... if I wasn't here" Sothis said this alot to Byleth, and it kinda frustrated her.
"Sothis, how many times do I gave to tell you this, It's not your fault, and I don't blame you at all!" Byleth stood up, and quickly wiped off her pants, gave the graveyard one last glance, and headed inside her house.
As she walked through her house, she would glance at the weapons she had decorating the rooms, they were all the heroes relics, and despite the many years, Byleth made sure to keep good care of them. She went to a specific spot, where The Sword of The Creator stood and beside it was Aymr, she carefully touched the Crest stone on Aymr. Because of all the time that had passed, crests were no longer a thing, though, they were a legend people told, Byleth was sure she was the last remaining person with a Crest, and even if there were others, the Crest would be so minor it wouldn't do anything, all these weapons that needed Crests to be wielded, would never be used ever again.
Byleth's hand move from the stone to the blade of the axe, she had tried at one point to use this very axe to take her own life, but obviously it didn't work.
"...Byleth... maybe... maybe you should... go into town..." Sothis suggested.
"...Yeah... maybe that's a good idea" Byleth caressed the blade, then pulled her hand away, she quickly headed to the front door, and left her house.
Despite the fact the world wasn't like how it had been when all her friends were alive, she always had a dagger on her, just incase something happened. As Byleth walked along the edge of the road to the town, cars drove past her, but she didn't care how much the world changed, she would stick to walking, or riding a horse if she needed to go farther.
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Byleth soon made it to the town, walking along streets was so much different to all those years ago, there no longer just stalls you could go up to and buy things at, or have a nice conversation with the shopkeeper, you had to go into stories, and not many people who did the selling were very nice and up to chat... she missed the past.
Byleth wished things hadn't changed so much... wished she was still in passed... wished she was with Edelgard.
"By-" Sothis was cut off as Byleth walked into someone having been lost in thought, she fell backwards, having not been prepared for the fall, "Shit, sorry!" The person Byleth walked into immediately apologized, giving Byleth their hand to help her up.
"No, I should be apol-" Byleth reached for the person's hand, and as she look up at them, she cut herself off.
The woman in front of her had long flowy brown hair, soft looking pale skin, but what really drew Byleth's attention, was the woman's sparkly purple eyes.
"...Are you okay? You hit your head?... didn't look like you did" The woman asked.
"Yeah, I uhh... I'm okay" Byleth grabbed the woman's hand, and stood up, now standing Byleth could tell she was a bit taller then the other woman.
"I really am sorry" The woman said.
"No, it was I fault, I wasn't paying attention to where I was going" Byleth responded.
"...Neither was I" The woman said.
Byleth looked into the woman's eyes, "...Your eyes are a very pretty color" She said.
"Oh, why thank you! Your hair and eyes are an interesting color, don't think I've ever seen someone with that color" The woman responded.
"...Byleth, I know your thinking the same thing I am... she looks like..." Sothis' voice came into Byleth's head, "Mhm" She nodded in response to both the woman and Sothis.
"...I don't think I recognize you... what's your name?" The woman asked.
"...Names Byleth" Byleth answered.
"It's nice to meet you Byleth, my name is Edelgard" The woman introduced herself.
"E-Edelgard?" Byleth's eyes widen, she had to have heard her wrong, Edelgard nodded, "Yep, that's my name" She answered.
Byleth slightly nodded her head, this wasn't real... it can't be... this woman who looks so much like Edelgard... and her name is Edelgard! Byleth had to have fallen asleep at Edelgard's grave and this was all a dream.
Byleth looked down at the ground, "This is one shitty excuse for a dream!" She quietly said, "...What?... this isn't a dream...?" Edelgard slightly tilted her head having heard Byleth, "...What?... it's not?" Byleth looked back at Edelgard, "No" Edelgard shook her head, "...Shit... okay..." Byleth said, "Why did you think it was?" Edelgard asked, "N-No reason" Byleth Internally cursed as she stuttered.
"...I uhh... I gotta go!" Byleth then started quickly walking away.
"...That girl seemed strange..." Edelgard said to herself, then shrugged.