#and then there's edelgard either pointedly looking away and ignoring them or staring at them like

[dimiclaudeblaigan]

i still love this pic so much bc it's literally the embodiment of all official artwork of the lords

claude is just being friendly and nice and dimi is staring at him like wow i love him so much and edelgard is just SO DONE with third wheeling their kissy bullshit

[birger-wuvs-elsa]

Shadow ~ FE3H One Shot

Edelgard dragged me along again, but honestly, I kinda conspired with her this time around.

Enjoy.

Shadow had followed her for as long as she could remember.

Edelgard did not know who it was, nor even what it was. Ever since she was a little girl, she’d seen it out of the corner of her vision. She’d just happen to spy her shadow, only to realize it was far too big, far too muscled, and far too tall to be her own. But every time she realized, and would look to the strange shadow, Edelgard would just see her own.

Thus did her young self dub them Shadow.

As a child, she had very much enjoyed Shadow’s company. When she read a book, she could feel a presence look over her shoulder and read with her. She’d even read slowly, just in case Shadow wasn’t as fast as she was. When Edelgard would practice her dancing, if she ever did so alone, she would feel the air before her shudder as if she had a tall partner join her.

Edelgard knew better than to let slip the presence of her strange companion. Even as a child, she never thought it wise to inform the adults about her invisible friend she called ‘Shadow’. She both preferred not to suffer the looks they’d give her, but a jealous part of her enjoyed Shadow’s exclusive attentions. The simple fact that no one else saw signs of Shadow’s presence, but Edelgard clearly could…

They only wanted her to know them, and that made her small chest swell with pride.

As she grew, Shadow remained close at hand, no matter where her family ended up taking her. The assurance that her companion was not just some localized phenomenon greatly comforted Edelgard. She truly had come to cherish Shadow’s friendship throughout her childhood. Even as the young Hubert became her vassal, and as such a physical shadow that trailed behind her, the Shadow that eclipsed them both still held a special place in her heart.

Which would make the tragic events that would soon befall her all the worse.

Growing up, Shadow would occasionally disappear and spend time on their own. Edelgard grew to understand that they simply wanted to strike out on their own every once in a while, and explore. Even as a child, Edelgard was all right with this; after all, imaginary friends didn’t leave of their own accord, they were always where you imagined they would be. Since she always wished that Shadow remained close, their autonomy further proved the tangibility of her companion.

So it came at poor timing that Shadow was missing when Edelgard’s suffering began. During that dark and painful time, Shadow had seemingly never returned, even when she thought they should’ve. Edelgard did not know if her friend feared the horrid people that tortured her so, or if they had some shell that prevented their presence. Throughout all the agonizing pain of the experiments inflicted on her, she begged for Shadow to come back. Edelgard would be loathe to admit it in her elder years, but one could call her silent pleas for Shadow’s return prayer.

But strangely enough…it seemed to work. As if her inward calls actually reached them, Shadow found her just as the arduous experiments came to an end. Whether they were freer with their feelings, or their strange bond was stronger, it didn’t really matter; all Edelgard cared about in the wake of her pain was that she could feel Shadow’s own. They were beyond shocked to find her as they did, and she could all but feel their sorrow and their guilt.

Shadow didn’t leave her side again for the next several years.

The days of the Academy were an especially fascinating time for them both. Shadow seemed strangely shy for a being who could show signs of their presence to only Edelgard, and she found new ways to interact with them without being caught. Quiet, stolen moments with a book in the library, silent exchanges in the cafeteria that none could understand, and whispered good nights and phantom hair strokes before sleep. Though tenuous with the undercurrent of Edelgard’s plans, Shadow kept to their word, and never left her side once.

But it was when the new professor arrived that things…changed.

   For the first time ever, Edelgard’s gaze was stolen away from her Shadow.

For several months, her focus was on her studies, and even then, she was often distracted by the new teacher. True to their promise, Shadow remained close, and what times Edelgard paid attention, the air about her when they were near seemed…oddly gleeful, especially when she was with Byleth. She pointedly ignored it, though it did please a part of her that Shadow seemed to approve of her teacher. She dared not share Shadow with Byleth yet, though to her surprise, she often considered it.

Even poor Hubert didn’t get such consideration.

Beyond the abnormality that was Byleth, and the confusion that seemed to bring her, Edelgard’s time with Shadow remained mostly unchanged. The only real change seemed to be that, to both her surprise and delight, Shadow was taking a more physical presence. They toyed with her curtains, fluffed her pillows when no one was looking, and even pulled up her blanket as she slept.

It was especially nice when Edelgard had a quiet moment alone, Hubert standing guard as always, but giving her privacy. She’d bring out her chess set and set it up, then make her turn. All she had to do was wait, and watch as the other side’s pieces slowly moved along the board on their own. Edelgard would almost smile, always so comforted by seeing the pieces move and the assurance that her childhood was not a dream. The game would continue, and to her delight, the outcome was never certain. She would win most of the games, but that was not always the case; either Shadow would somehow force a draw, or to Edelgard’s shock and joy, even win once in a while.

This enjoyable routine soon found itself with a shadow of another sort over it, however. As Edelgard’s plans continued, and Shadow remained ever close through it all, she often wondered what they thought of everything. What they thought, what they wanted, why they were even here at all? Why did Shadow follow her all this time? Why did they even care?

...who are they?

One day, however, Edelgard got her answer.

   After a long day of class, as the sun set and everyone went about their evening, Edelgard eagerly returned to her room. She was just a touch sore and tired, having overly exerted herself during spars and training. It was all the better, of course; if she was going to succeed, she had to be at her best. She’d been somewhat distracted, however, over the course of the day.

Shadow was missing.

They hadn’t been missing since that time, and so their absence had bothered Edelgard just enough that she struggled to contain it. The day before had ended the same as all others, there was no sign that something was amiss. As Edelgard made to turn into the night, she paused and stared at the table by her window.

The chess board was sitting out…she’d put it away last night, and hadn’t touched it all day.

Edelgard approached the board slowly, and kept her senses keen for any disturbances. Whether it was Shadow or something else, she would not be caught off guard. As she got closer to the board, it came to her attention that not all of the pieces were out. Only two of them were, set side by side atop a folded piece of paper. The White Queen and the Black Knight, with the former oddly set slightly in front of the Knight to its side.

Or perhaps…the Knight stood behind its Queen…

Gently, almost reverently, Edelgard set the pieces aside on the board—she even took the care to keep them together, out of some strange sentimental urge. She lifted the note and carefully unfolded it, only to drop it upon seeing letters scrawled on it. Edelgard turned to scan her room, but frowned when it was clear that she was alone.

She took a shoring breath and looked back down at the note as she picked it up again. The handwriting was somehow both bold and rushed, a hand so confident that it wrote too quickly. As she read it, a tumultuous storm of emotions ignited in her chest.

 Edelgard, follow my pull and come to the steeple roof. It’s about time that you and I properly spoke; I owe you an explanation, after all.

~With love,

            Your Shadow

 A slight tremble took to her hand before she stilled it. Shadow wanted to speak? Face to face? Why now, after all this time? Was it because of her plans…did they want to talk her out of it? No, with a purse of her lips, Edelgard knew that wasn’t the case. If Shadow disapproved, they would’ve made it clear well before she’d reached this stage.

They wanted to explain themselves…a lifetime spent not questioning their presence, and now, all the answers she never asked questions for were at her feet. Or, they would be, once she followed Shadow to their chosen spot.

As soon as Edelgard set the note down, she felt a gentle pull at her shoulder. She turned with it, and saw a dark phantom shape on the wood of her door. It was so tall, it had to crouch for its totality to be seen. The shadow was too muddled to make out, but Edelgard’s heart stuttered as she realized what it was.

Then she blinked, and it was gone.

Edelgard rushed out the door, and swiftly looked both ways down the hall. She saw nothing, but then felt another pull on her shoulder. She followed it, just as they asked, and continued to follow both the pull and the phantom silhouettes until she reached whatever destination Shadow desired.

It was, indeed, one of the large steepled roofs of the monastery. This particular one was large enough that its angle was not too steep to be climbed. Edelgard had heard tale of many rebellious, adventurous students who dared each other or themselves to climb to the top and watch the sunset. But on this night, the sun had already set and the moon lit Edelgard’s climb to the enormous beam that stretched across the height of the roof.

Just as Edelgard was about to reach it, her foot slipped, and her eyes widened in dread. She threw out one of her hands to try and get traction on the tiles of the roof…only to have the hand be grabbed by someone else’s. With their hold as an anchor, Edelgard managed to get her footing and catch her breath. Relieved that she wouldn’t have to explain herself to everyone, she looked up at the hand that held her own.

Her eyes widened as she realized the hand holding her own was so very larger, what felt like a hand was merely fingertips.

Edelgard followed the crimson digits thicker than a halberd’s pole, to the black palm that eclipsed her own like the sun dwarfed the moon. All of it was blacker than the night sky, an abyssal skin that felt like living metal. Farther along, the arm as thick as a small tree, covered with more of the black, jagged metal-like skin, the black occasionally broken by streaks of red or gold. The arm more muscled than all the boys in the monastery combined flowed up into a shoulder that made a stone look insignificant, into a chest that blocked out the moon entirely from Edelgard’s vision.

And atop that chest, a vast head…the head of a dragon.

Bright blue eyes flecked with gold shone in the shadowed expanse of the beast’s face, shrouded by the shadow it made with the moon at its back. A crimson mane crowned it, enormous bull horns of gold swept forward out of it, and above huge ears that looked somewhere between those of a horse and a bat. The long snout curled into a smile, the gentleness of which defied the grand, fierce visage that it bore.

The beast inclined its head to Edelgard, its long chin brushing the metal-skinned chest beneath.

“It’s a pleasure to finally meet you properly, Edelgard.”

The deep, gentle baritone of its voice struck a chord inside of her, like she’d heard it before, and yet this was the first time it graced her ears. As the man-dragon carefully pulled her up onto the steadiness of the steeple’s beam, Edelgard looked up—way, way up, the entity was massively tall—and narrowed her eyes as she met its own.

“…Shadow?”

The fluffy red eyebrows above its eyes curved upwards as it smiled sheepishly.

“Aye, the one and only.”

Edelgard stared for a moment before she shook her head.

“This can’t be…what are you? A dragon?”

Shadow nodded, their smile still rather shy as they scratched the back of their mane.

“Of a sort, yes, I am.”

Edelgard narrowed her eyes up at them.

“Of a sort? You have the bearing of a man, but the head of a dragon…that is a rather unique sort of dragon to be.”

The dragon sighed as they nodded, and carefully made to sit down on the steeple beam. They let their long legs stretch out down the roof’s tiles, and it was then Edelgard realized the lower half of their legs were also more draconic than human. They had no tail, it seemed, and with a sigh of her own Edelgard crouched down to sit beside Shadow. Even sitting down, they towered over her, even the mere top half of their badly greatly outreaching her own height.

After a few moments of silence, thankfully not ruined by the revelation of Shadow’s appearance, they finally spoke.

“I am a god, Edelgard.”

Time itself seemed to halt as Shadow’s words hit her, and she held terribly still. All of her frustration and anger at the church and the gods it revolved around bubbled dangerously in her chest, and she struggled to keep it at bay. This was Shadow, her Shadow, the friend she’d known since she was a little girl…

…right?

Without looking to them, she whispered so softly she barely even heard herself.

“You can’t be…”

A gentle huff of a half-hearted laugh from them.

“Can I not?”

“You can’t be a god…you care.”

She saw them move out of her peripheral, and knew they had glanced her way. The following silence hardly lasted another heartbeat before Shadow spoke again.

“I know nothing of your gods, Edelgard, but I am a god myself and you’re right…I do care.”

Her fists clenched and lips pursed, and she glared coolly up at them.

“Do you? Truly? And yet you allowed so much to occur? To this world, to my family, to–“

Her voice caught in her throat, and Edelgard looked away. But before she could stew in her grief and frustration any longer, Shadow softly spoke again…and their words seethed with an undercurrent of an emotion she couldn’t quite place.

“…it is not my place to decide what happens in this world, Edelgard. I swear to you, had I the authority, had I the influence, had I the thrice damned power I once did, your hair would still have been the sweet brown I once wished to touch.”

Edelgard’s eyes widened and she looked back up at them, and almost leaned back at the burning intensity in their eyes. It was anger, but not at her…no, she knew her Shadow, they would never be angry at her. But then who could possibly be on the receiving end of this fire? The longer they stared at one another, however, the clearer it became.

Shadow was angry with themself.

“What…do you mean, the power you once did? You lost power?”

Shadow raised a mighty paw, and stared down at it before they slowly curled it into a tight fist. Sparks of fire and lightning pulsed and zapped across the metallic, abyssal sheen of their skin. But…for a god, it was…oddly small of a show.

“I am not of this world, Edelgard…I came here, searching for someone precious. But it was far more costly than I ever could’ve imagined.”

Edelgard tilted her head as she regarded her friend, and felt a strange urge come about her. She slowly reached out with a hand, and braved her own hesitations and gently set it on Shadow’s great arm. She expected the metallic appearance of their armor-like skin to indicate a cold touch, but rather Shadow radiated heat like a small, dying star.

“Shadow…you…came here? From another world entirely?”

They stared at their fist for another moment, before they looked down at her hand on their arm and sighed.

“Aye…I did…I thought I would find her here…”

“Her? Who were you looking for?”

The look of sheer heartbroken sorrow that overcame Shadow’s eyes actually affected Edelgard to her core.

“…my heart…my dear Elizavere.”

Shadow then regaled Edelgard with a tale she could hardly believe to be real. A tale of a world of bestial gods, of their children that they abandoned, and how one mortal woman broke Shadow’s self-imposed exile and somehow won their heart. To hear of a woman so selfless and brave, she willingly took upon herself the powers of yet-to-be-born gods that offered their strength to her cause…both in word of her actions, and by the adoring, reverent tone Shadow spoke of her with, Edelgard found herself moved.

Shadow crossed a thousand worlds and a thousand lifetimes, following their love to every life she was forced to live after having been banished by Shadow’s enemies.

Their tale finally finished, Shadow sighed as their form slumped, the mighty size of the dragon god suddenly so small.

“I thought she was here…I thought I felt her, but I was wrong. She’s nowhere to be found.”

“Why don’t you leave, then?” Edelgard questioned, the answer seemingly so obvious escaping her. “Find another world where she may be?”

They shook their grand head sadly.

“I can’t…I am too weak right now. Had I wished to leave, I should’ve done so years ago, before my power waned. At this point, it’ll be another several years before I am rested enough to leave.”

Edelgard frowned, and took some time to consider what could possibly have kept Shadow here, in a world without their heart. If they’d long since realized she was missing from here, then why? Why would they stay, when they could’ve continued the search?

“…then why did you stay?”

A sad smile spread across the black and crimson snout of the god as they turned to look at Edelgard.

“I couldn’t ignore the prayers of a little girl who needed my help.”

Her eyes widened as her breath stilled in her chest.

“But I…I didn’t, I never…I don’t…pray…”

Shadow’s smile remained unfazed.

“Ah, but you did. When those monsters took you away and ravaged you, I had been making a final search for Elizavere. I was just about to make way, to leave and hope you would grow to think I was just a figment of your imagination. But then I heard you…afraid, in pain, and I felt my heart ache.”

They looked away, and up into the starry night sky.

“I couldn’t leave you alone…she would never forgive me if I abandoned you, and I would never forgive myself. Besides…”

They smiled down to her again, the mirth and cheer she’d once associated with Shadow as a child evident in their blue-gold eyes.

“I’ve grown rather fond of you, my dear Edelgard. Besides, remember how I said I had thought I felt her here?”

She nodded, hesitantly, and their smile grew impossibly brighter.

“Your spirit fooled me for hers, they were not too dissimilar.”

Edelgard stared at them in shock, and shook her head.

“No, you must be mistaken. Elizavere, she…she sounds like a hero, she sounds more like Byleth or some other noble soul. I cannot possibly have…”

She drifted off as Shadow’s smile endured, unaffected by her dismission. They slowly raised a hand to gently hold her back, the paw so large it nearly dwarfed her back.

“I have had the pleasure to meet my Elizavere in more lifetimes than I care to count. She has not always been the same in each world, Edelgard. In each world, in each lifetime, I saw a different Elizavere. She was always different, but never the same. I truly believed you could be her, Edelgard. Though that may have proven false, do not dare think yourself unworthy of my attention. There is not another mortal on this world that has come close to deserving my gaze, let alone my time.”

Their gaze drifted away, and they tilted their head.

“Except for Bernadetta, perhaps…I still battle the urge to show myself to her father and give him a piece of my mind.”

Edelgard could not combat the smile that came about from Shadow’s admission. After all, it was a sentiment she regularly visited herself. To know that Shadow had felt the same when watching Bernadetta while they trailed behind Edelgard was very satisfying.

She sighed, and let her own gaze drift away and up at the stars.

“What will we do now, then, Shadow? While we wait for your next window to find your heart?”

She heard their heavy sigh, and easily imagined they looked star-ward as well.

“Most paramount, I do not intend to be known to anyone else in this world. I was never meant to be here, and I cannot dare be known by any others. No…I shall stay your Shadow, and hope I can be of help to you beyond the reach of the others.”

Edelgard raised an eyebrow and eyed them out of the corner of her vision.

“So you intend to follow through with me, then?”

They huffed once more, the laugh bearing more heart in it this time.

“But of course, my future emperor. There is wisdom in your plan, its only faults caused by the limitations of the thinking of those around you. And…well…”

She looked over just in time to watch Shadow gently, oh so very gently, take her small hands in their huge ones and eye her chest.

“I know all too well why you rush, Edelgard, and I understand. I will do all that I can to assist you, in every way my limited capacity will allow.”

As Edelgard stared up at their blue-gold eyes, and saw the devotion and the sincerity of their claim, the words left her before she could even consider them.

“Please…call me El.”

  Edelgard’s relationship with Shadow surprisingly didn’t change that much, even with their godly revelation.

They returned to their dominantly incorporeal state, as they’d done before. As her plans began to reach a head, Shadow never left her side as they kept an eye about her and whispered what they saw and what they thought. There remained some degree of mirth in their interactions, however; especially on Shadow’s side, as their newfound openness gave them more confidence in being silly, it seemed.

Edelgard couldn’t figure out if that was a good thing or not.

Shadow had been awfully proud behind Edelgard during the coronation, and if she was honest with herself, it felt nice. There were not many who she could consider truly close that attended, and Shadow’s beaming presence at her side warmed her like a gentle fire. Though, it didn’t help when Shadow pointed out to her that Byleth was present.

Edelgard could all too easily imagine Shadow’s cheekily excited body language, and ignored it along with her own budding joy at her teacher’s attendance.

The next five years were difficult, with the war in full swing and Dimitri’s wrath on the horizon, Shadow’s enduring support was much needed. Especially after Byleth disappeared; though Shadow assured her that she was all right, but never disclosed how they knew. Edelgard let it go, and focused on the war efforts with her army, and her house classmates she formed into a fearsome strike force.

Shadow provided surprisingly effective tactical advice every now and again. It ranged from supply line information, improving efficiency in a variety of fields, and…attack plans that were shockingly ruthless. But then, Edelgard supposed that she shouldn’t be surprised. Shadow had, after all, had to all but wage war with most of their godly siblings, and would later go through several lifetimes following their soulmate.

All that experience would’ve worn away a lot of Shadow’s…sentimentality regarding such things.

Hubert often asked after Edelgard’s mysterious source of advice and information. She simply assured her dear friend that all was well, and the source could be trusted more than most anyone else. He took that rather skeptically, as she expected him to, but Hubert accepted it on the grounds that it kept his lady safe and victorious.

A delightful change of pace after Shadow came clean was the stories. Every night that they were able, before Edelgard retired to bed, she would challenge Shadow to a bout of chess. Rather than move the pieces akin to a ghost, Shadow would fully appear as they had that fateful night. It was a delight for her to actually get to see their face and body language as they considered their moves.

The way they bent forward, rested their strong arms on their knees. The way their bushy crimson eyebrows clouded like a bloody stormfront over their blue-gold eyes. The way their shoulders hunched forward, and would rest their long chin atop clasped paws. Edelgard couldn’t decide which was the more fascinating part: getting to see a contemplative humanoid dragon, or playing chess with a god.

Ultimately, she decided the most fascinating part was simply getting to play chess with Shadow at all.

Edelgard was also impressed at Shadow’s capacity for multitasking, as they managed to continue to provide a challenge for her whilst simultaneously sharing more tales. Though they seemed rather hesitant to share too much about their first home, Shadow readily regaled her about all of the other worlds they’ve been to, the lives they lived. Some of them were too outlandish for her to believe, and occasionally the shine in Shadow’s eyes seemed too…mischievous.

Edelgard especially like the stories about Shadow’s closest friend, a powerful, brave woman known as Yuna. Apparently, she had to teach Shadow a thing or two once upon a time, and saved their ass more times than they could remember. They spoke of her fondly, and often referred to themself as “her dragon”. What this woman did to earn the god of dragons as her personal dragon companion, Edelgard could only dream.

Some of these moments, however, found a shadow of another kind over them for Edelgard. It dawned on her that this time with Shadow was borrowed. They regained the strength they needed to leave once before…and sacrificed that chance to go back for her. But now, that time was coming again for Shadow to be able to leave. Maybe not go home, exactly, but to continue their search for Elizavere’s next life, and reunite with them again.

Shadow was going to leave her soon…

  The end had finally begun.

Fhirdiad spread out before them, lit aflame by Rhea’s desperate order. Edelgard stood alone, apart from where her army and friends were massed, and waited the order to proceed. They’d just seen Rhea transformed into a dragon, and soared over the city. They would be marching soon…

“So that’s what a dragon looks like here.”

Edelgard looked to her left, and then up as she took in Shadow. They had their thick arms crossed over their mighty chest, and crimson eyebrows bunched angrily over their eyes as they glared solemnly over the city. She sighed as she looked back to the burning buildings ahead of them.

“Indeed, it would seem Rhea was keeping secrets.”

Shadow hummed in thought for a moment.

“Is that so? A shame I didn’t spy on her more, then…though, perhaps she might’ve sensed me were I too close. Alas, it’s past now.”

Past…

Edelgard’s gaze grew distant as she lost her focus. She held up her hands and stared at them, trapped in contemplation. The time must be soon…the finality of everything was too purposeful, too fateful. The journey was coming to an end, and Shadow would soon be just a memory…just a story.

She felt a large hand gently cover her back.

“El…come back, now, El.”

They spoke so softly, her breath caught in her throat and she could swear her heart stuttered. Why was this happening? Why did she feel this way, so on edge?

Why were her hands shaking?

“You’re going to leave soon…” Edelgard murmured, her eyes still on her shaking hands.

She heard them sigh.

“Aye…soon, I’m almost strong enough to leave again. I need to find her trail; I’ve been away from Elizavere for too long now.”

It wasn’t quite envy—or perhaps jealousy?—that Edelgard suddenly felt waft over her, no. But it was something deep and sharp, that struck at Shadow’s words. They’d been around for so long, for as long as she could remember when she was a little girl. What could life possibly be like without her Shadow?

“Do you have to go…?”

The words were spoken before she could stop them, and she immediately scrunched her eyes shut and pursed her lips. She didn’t mean to say that, Edelgard didn’t want to say that. The last thing she wanted to do was guilt trip Shadow.

“I’m sorry, Shadow, I didn’t–”

“Kalahan.”

Her eyes shot open wide, and she looked up at their face. Their hand was still on her back, and they smiled at her when their eyes met.

“My name is Kalahan.”

Edelgard felt quite calm, strangely, upon hearing that. She frowned and tilted her head as she gathered her thoughts.

“Kalahan…I am sorry, I didn’t mean to ask that before. You have elsewhere to be, your place isn’t here. It isn’t…”

She took a deep breath to shore herself.

“…it isn’t with me, and I understand. But I must admit…I will miss you terribly.”

Shadow—no, Kalahan—nodded, their smile sadder now.

“I will miss you too, El…so very much. It has been a delight to watch you grow up into the mighty emperor you became, even if I had to watch you endure so much pain to reach it. And it has been the highest of honors to earn your friendship.”

Edelgard watched as Kalahan took a step back, and her eyes widened as they lowered to one knee. They placed their hands one over the other on the still raised knee, and bent over in a shallow bow.

“I wish you all the best in your future, my emperor.”

Her body seemed to be in the mood for rebellion. Perhaps the war raged against the church was to blame…but in the moment, as Edelgard’s feet moved of their own accord, and she found her arms envelop Kalahan’s thick neck, and gripped their mane in her gloves, she didn’t care. It was for the best, then, that she forgot herself in this moment, and the feel of Kalahan’s strong arms gently wrap around her and their chin softly fall to her back, it was worth it.

“My dear El…I am so glad I chose to stay behind. I meant what I said, it has been a true honor to be your friend. I cannot wait to tell Elizavere all about you, when next we meet. She’d have adored you, as would that rather rambunctious companion of mine I warned you of.”

A chuckle came unbidden, but Edelgard had truly given up her cares, this moment was too important for them.

“I still doubt I could be so alike to this heart of yours that you’d mistake me for her, but I am grateful for the mistake all the same.”

The dense chest beneath her arms shook with laughter.

“I will happily call you my greatest mistake, if that’s what you’re implying, El.”

Edelgard shook her head as she pulled away, her hands rested on their shoulders as she gazed somberly into Kalahan’s blue-gold eyes. They seemed to take notice, and let their own hands carefully rest on her back as their ears perked up.

“Kalahan…promise me, here and now, that should you ever have need of my help you will not hesitate to call on me. I do not care where, when, or what you are when you do so…I will always be at the ready, whenever you may need me.”

They stared at her for some time, as if testing her resolve…and seemed pleased as they smirked.

“I promise, Edelgard. Should I feel the situation is dire enough, and I need to call upon my allies, you shall be first and foremost among those I call to arms.”

They then gently squeezed her back and smiled.

“If you promise me…”

They hesitated, awfully distressed with what they were about to say. Edelgard reached out and pet their chin as she waited for them to gather their courage. Kalahan took a deep, shoring breath before they could continue.

“…if you can’t get your crests taken care of, then please, I beg you…pray to me before the end. Let me be there, please…”

Kalahan’s voice was thick as they spoke, and Edelgard could swear she saw their eyes glistening. She was confused at first, until she remembered: Kalahan watched her grow up. They really were there for her from the beginning, and were perhaps…making light when they said, that night they revealed their nature, that they had “grown rather fond” of her. Even if they had vanished when the experiments were performed, they knew…Kalahan knew what it meant.

Edelgard realized that it was genuine fear and sorrow that shimmered in Kalahan’s eyes.

“You can’t be a god…you care.”

Oh, what an understatement…

Edelgard could feel the prickly sensation of threatening tears, but ignored them as she pulled Kalahan’s chin down and gently kissed their nose, just beneath the golden horn that sat proudly there.

“You have my word, my dear Shadow.”

  Edelgard sat there, on her knees, fire all around her but she didn’t care.

In her arms was her teacher, was Byleth…her heart. Rhea, the Immaculate One, lay dead behind them, slain by their combined and determined might. The city burned around them, and no doubt, their forces were taking care of everything. All that mattered to Edelgard in that moment was Byleth.

Her heart had stopped, and the emperor clung to her, crying.

Don’t you leave me, too…I can’t lose you both, not in one day…

Suddenly, Edelgard heard a soft beat from the chest beneath her ear, and her eyes opened widened. She pulled back and stared at Byleth’s face as she watched the woman slowly open her eyes. Relief fell from Edelgard’s eyes as she smiled, and laughed with joy as she hugged Byleth tight. Her heart only soared higher as she felt weak arms gain their strength and hug her back.

“El…”

The whisper was soft, the voice hoarse, and Edelgard gently squeezed her.

“Don’t speak, my teacher, please…rest yourself.”

“El…I-I heard…someone…”

Confused, she pulled back and scanned Byleth’s face, further perplexed to see her smirking.

“Yuna says hello…she’s…she’s taking care of Shadow for you…”

Somehow unsurprised that Kalahan’s closest friend had been watching over Byleth, Edelgard simply laughed and held her heart close.