The Bright Star [Fire Emblem: Three Houses AU]

Unfolding the Plan (Rhea)

Her plan was about to go underway.

She had Sitri's heart that formerly belonged to her mother. She had meant to put it within Byleth long ago, but never had the chance to. Now that she had it back and Byleth to use, she could finally do what she's always wanted to do.

Byleth had met Rhea in the Audience Chamber. When Byleth entered, he bowed to the archbishop. "Lady Rhea," he said. "You want me to go to Abyss with you, correct?"

Rhea nodded. "That would be lovely, sweet child," she said to him. She walked towards him and grasped his hand. Byleth was still wearing his thick, black gloves that he always wore. Pressing her hand against his made Rhea feel like she was touching something that was out of the ordinary for her, which was exactly what she was looking for when reviving her mother.

Byleth noticed the tight grasp Rhea had when the two were walking to Abyss. "Rhea?" he asked her. "I don't mean to sound weird or anything, but what's with the tight grasp?"

Rhea went silent before muttering to him. "It's something I haven't felt in a long time from someone."

Byleth stared at her in confusion. "I don't know what you mean by that, but alright."

Rhea entered Abyss, still holding Byleth's hand like a mother and her child. Byleth stepped into Abyss, immediately picking up the vibe that this was the place where all the dirty work that was unacknowledged by the Church unfolded. Walking down the halls of Abyss exposed him to the violent brawls of Abyssians throwing each other into the stone floors that made noise whenever he stepped on it with his heeled leather boots.

Rhea noticed that whenever she stepped into Abyss, anyone who noticed her presence would immediately stop their violent acts until she left their sight. She knew that she was terrifying to them and acknowledged it well to keep Abyss in order under the Church.

They finally arrived in the mysterious section of Abyss that contained Sitri's body. Byleth saw his mother's body with no signs of decay and holding a valerian in her palms. Rhea saw him as he stood in silence, secretly shocked. "Why is she here?" Byleth asked her. "My father has been mourning for her at her marked grave, and she was here this whole time?"

Rhea nodded solemnly.

"Why is she here, Rhea? You led me here. You should know."

"I do know why, sweet child."

"Then why aren't you telling me?"

Rhea sighed. "Listen, I know that your opinion on me will change when I tell you the truth. But I want you to know that it's the truth, and I won't lie one bit."

Byleth nodded. "As long as you're honest."

Rhea went silent before she told Byleth the truth. "I created her, your mother. I've had dreams of reviving my mother and I knew how to do so. I had the same heart that my mother once had, with the Crest Stone in tact."

Byleth was shocked. "Crest Stone?"

Rhea nodded. "It allowed her to have her divine powers. Sitri had the same heart as her, but even with the Stone she still wasn't able to gain the power." She looked close. "But I believe you would be able to."

"Why?" Byleth began to get uncomfortable.

"You are a child born from a mother who was a failed vessel for the Goddess and a father who carries my blood, the holy blood of Seiros. You are the holy combination destined to be the Goddess's rebirth."

Byleth didn't know whether to believe her, but Rhea did say earlier that she was telling the truth. "Are you sure this isn't something straight out of a fairy tale? I remember my mother telling me a story like this to me when I was younger."

"Because your mother adapted it into a story to inspire the children of the monastery as a good omen for the return of the Goddess. They knew the Goddess would come back one day and she would make up stories about her rebirth to inspire them to keep believing in the Goddess's faith. But this one story of hers is actually true, sweet child."

Byleth looked deep into her eyes as she said the most important sentence he would hear before he knew he was more than just a human.

"You are the Goddess."

Byleth went silent temporarily. "What do you mean by that exactly?"

"You are eligible to inherit the Goddess's power and are of a combination of divine blood. I would like to gift you the power of Sothis, the divine Goddess of Fódlan. Do you accept?"

Rhea could tell that Byleth was conflicted. He didn't know what to say, nor could he accept that what she was saying was the truth. But eventually he nodded. "I accept it."

The words filled Rhea with so much joy. "I truly thank you. Come with me." She walked behind Sitri's body, where Byleth followed. Rhea pulled Sothis's heart, once the heart of Byleth's mother, out from where it was kept sealed away behind the body. She took the heart from its prison of being sealed, holding it in her bare hands. The Crest Stone was visible within its slimy-presented texture to Byleth, making him gag. Rhea held the heart with one hand put her hand on one of Byleth's shoulders. "It's alright," she said softly. "Now, stand there. As long as you won't squirm, this won't hurt one bit."

Byleth got defensive. "What are doing to me?!"

Rhea hushed him like a mother would. "Hold still. It won't hurt if you don't squirm."

Byleth reluctantly agreed and stayed still. Rhea was right— he didn't squirm and it didn't hurt all that much. A bright, white light flashed within his eyes and he didn't see a thing. It was a sudden feeling like an enlightenment.

Rhea performed a spell that would transfer the Goddess's heart into Byleth's chest, covering it up for Byleth by making it appear as a sudden, bright flash of white light. Byleth shouldn't have felt a thing, or at least that thing being pain.

After the transfer, Byleth nearly fell over on his back against the hard, stone floor. Rhea caught him before his head could touch the stone and put him against the wall. "Are you responsive?" she asked him.

No response.

"Perhaps that took a toll on you." Shortly after, Byleth's heart appeared in her hands from the result of the spell. Rhea put his heart back in the sealed state like Sitri's heart, leaving it behind Sitri's body. She lifted up Byleth and carried him. "Let's take you to the infirmary to rest, shall we, sweet child?"