Not This Time

Five Years Later

Friend...it has been a long time, but now you must stand. You've been sleeping for far too long...people are awaiting your return. It's time to rise once again.

What...?

Oh, for heavens sake! Get up! I'll coddle you no longer!

Byleth hazily opened her eyes, feeling an uncomfortable ache in her chest. She winced, but it wasn't quite as bad as it had been at the monastery before all of that rubble fell on her...

Wait. She'd been crushed by the monastery's weight...how was she alive? She didn't even feel pain besides from her chest...

More importantly, where was everyone? The monastery looked abandoned and in disarray. She tried to move, but her arms did not follow her commands and simply laid uselessly next to her. Yawning, Byleth eventually managed to roll over, weakly managing to sit up. Her arms began to regain feeling, and Byleth pinched at her legs, stretching them out as she tried to regain control of her motor senses. Eventually, she managed to stand, although her les trembled underneath her. She could barely support her own weight!

Slowly, Byleth lazily opened her sea green irises, feeling incredibly disoriented. She tried to move, but her arms did not follow her commands and simply laid uselessly next to her. Yawning, Byleth eventually managed to roll over, weakly managing to sit up. Her arms began to regain feeling, and Byleth pinched at her legs, stretching them out as she tried to regain control of her motor senses.

She checked on her menacing sword subconsciously By some miracle, it had remained attached to her. Byleth hobbled inside of the undamaged structure, surprised that no one was inside.

What was going on? Shouldn't Edelgard and the other Imperial troops be celebrating their victory? Or, if they hadn't won, which Byleth found impossible to believe...why wasn't the church still residing within this monastery? What was happening?

Byleth made her way into an undamaged tower of the monastery slowly, hobbling all the way there. Her legs were still shaky and her chest still ached something fierce. Gah, why wouldn't the pain just stop already!? She was confused and in pain, but she knew someone had to be at the monastery. Right?

As Byleth slowly fumbled up the stairs, she saw a figure clad in large, scarlet armor. Their white hair was done up into two buns, with a golden crown adoring their head. Even though the figure was facing the window, Byleth could easily tell it was Edelgard just from the hair alone. She felt her lips draw into a weak smile before she collapsed onto the stairs.

Edelgard turned around in shock from hearing the loud noise, her now more mature lavender eyes widening. She stood there for a moment in pure shock before rushing over to help Byleth.

"My teacher! You're alive!" Edelgard knelt down, embracing Byleth in a extremely tight hug. Byleth tried to comfortingly pat her back, but the dull didn't disappear even with Edelgard around. "What's wrong? Is it your chest again?"

"Yes..."

"I'll have to have Linhardt look over your condition," Edelgard nodded, supporting Byleth so that they could stand. "Finally...I did not think I would ever see you again. After all this time, I had given up hope...Where have you been?"

"All this time...?" Byleth frowned, not quite understanding what her friend meant. Edelgard had matured quite well; while she had always been pretty, she now held an even more confident and elegant aura. She radiated with authority, and her crown spoke of her high status. "What do you mean? How...How long has it been...?"

"Five years..." Edelgard revealed, making Byleth's jaw drop in surprise. "Five long years of war so far. I am afraid we have been at a stalemate, but with you and Jeralt around again, the tide can change."

"Five years!?" Byleth repeated, placing a hand over her aching chest. Nope; still no heartbeat. That hadn't changed. So why was her chest aching like this...?"I've been sleeping for five years...? Wait. Where...Where is my father?"

"After you went missing, I do not think your father ever stopped looking for you," Edelgard responded, holding Byleth up still. She clung to her tightly, not wanting to let go in fear of Byleth's disappearance again. "Now that you are back, I am most certain he will join our cause once again."

"He's alive, right...?" Part of Byleth was glad that he hadn't stopped looking for her, while the other part of her was upset he hadn't continued with Edelgard in her absence. Edelgard nodded, much to her relief. "Oh, good..."

"With the two of you together, our victory is certain," Edelgard smiled wider. "My teacher...I'm so happy to have you back."

"...What...What's the situation?" Byleth questioned, hoping she'd find some information about the Alliance. After all, it had been five years...The world had kept on moving without her. Did...Did Claude even remember her?

"Well, Dimitri has aligned himself with the church. He's granted the Archbishop sanctuary within Fhirdiad," Edelgard revealed, a disappointed look on her face. "The Leicester Alliance has remained neutral in all this, but it only makes sense for us to take them down first-"

"No. That's...Why? They're innocent in all of this," Byleth interrupted, making Edelgard glance over suspiciously. "They've done nothing wrong. Why must we attack them..?"

"The goal in all of this is to unite Fódlan."

Byleth pondered this for a moment. She had never really realized that was what Edelgard was after-she had only known Edelgard wanted to destroy the church.

Fighting Claude would be inevitable if Byleth wanted to aid Edelgard...

"...There are thieves lurking around the monastery," Edelgard noted, briefly taking Byleth's hand in hers. Byleth was too distracted to even notice this fact, considering how her friend's life was endangered. "I'll dispatch of them, my teacher. Stay right here."

Byleth didn't really have a choice but to stay; she was too weak to fight with her aching heart, and Edelgard had taken off without her anyway. She was left with her invasive and worried thoughts as the consequences of her actions began to catch up with her.

Killing the Deer...

Killing my friends...

Killing Claude.

Could she really go down this path when she knew all of this would happen?