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razieltwelve · 3 years ago

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Restoration (Final Automata)

More speculation about that Final Rose x NieR: Automata idea.

Assuming that all goes well with Remnant opening a portal to Earth, how would things progress?

I think then obvious one would be military aid and restoration assistance in exchange for access to resources and technology. Simply put, Earth has a lot of resources, and the machines have advanced technology, as do the androids. Remnant is also extremely good at waging total war. They’ve been doing it for centuries. Their entire culture and civilisation is built on being able to wage large-scale warfare while still having a functioning society that continues to grow and innovate.

Moreover, Remnant has access to advanced cyber warfare and weapons specially designed to deal with large, heavily armoured foes. It would be trivially easy for them to simply start switching to catalysed-corrosion rounds. Vanille already has these since they were part of her ‘in case of robot apocalypse’ research. Basically, they’re rounds that cause extremely rapid and widespread corrosion in targets made of metal. They’ve since been refined by people like Diana and Hope to deal with certain types of threats (e.g., rogue mechs, metal-using Grimm, etc.) although their use is strictly controlled.

Earth also potentially gives Remnant a failsafe. If Remnant falls and the Grimm take over, they could potentially retreat to Earth and blow the portal up behind them, ensuring that at least some of their civilisation survives even though there is no way they’d be able to evacuate everyone through the portal in time.

The big thing for the androids, even bigger than helping them win the war against the machines, is the ability to restore mankind and Earth’s damaged ecosystem. The androids lack the ability to create a living human with the genetic information they currently possess. Not only does Remnant have actual living humans (albeit not exactly the same as Earth’s) but they also have stupidly advanced genetic science.

Remnant, remember, has developed reproductive science to the point where two men or two women can easily have children that are 100% genetically theirs. They have access to artificial wombs for babies to gestate in, and they possess sufficient skill to piece together badly fragmented genetic matrices or even genetic matrices that are missing entire chunks. They will be able to bring humanity back, and they will be able to do so on an industrial scale once proper facilities have been established. Really, the only reason you don’t see this on Remnant is due to their population already being close to the maximum they can support without seizing more territory, a process that cannot and should not be rushed.

Of course, there are issues. First and foremost is the portal. The initial portal was an accident. Once Asami and the androids build a beacon on Earth, they will be able to stabilise it, but the current portal is small and in Vanille’s lab. If the androids and Remnant can come to an agreement, you would see the construction of much larger portals on both Earth and Remnant in more easily accessible but defensible locations. This would allow for the transportation of troops, supplies, and other equipment on a far more appropriate scale.

The second issue is Dust. In Finale Rose, Dust operates via its connection to the Lifestream since Dust is actually just a crystallised fragment of the Lifestream. This is why Dust mines can regenerate, and why Dust has such a wide variety of types and effects. The reason Dust doesn’t operate in space is because it is too far from the Lifestream, which saturates the planet from its surface through to its core.

Although the exact mechanics of this are not known at the time (Asami is 22 when this occurs, placing it five years after Ruby first started at Beacon Senior Academy), research has uncovered several things. Experimentation with space probes and various kinds of Dust has already revealed the existence of ‘seeds’, which are a special type of Dust that is found only in the densest, richest veins of the Lifestream. Testing has shown that when put into space with satellites and the like, Seeds allow Dust in their vicinity to operate properly.

What Vanille and the others don’t know yet is that seeds are literally seeds. They are the means by which Living Planets like Remnant spread. Volcanic eruptions and other natural events hurl huge chunks of rock containing seeds and other forms of Dust into space where they travel until crashing into another planet. They then begin a new Lifestream on that planet.

In a bid to ensure Dust works on Earth, Remnant’s forces will transport a seed to Earth... only for it to immediately take root and begin to spread. This can occur incredibly rapidly if the seed is fed Aura and other resources, something that Vanille and the others begin to do as they understand what is happening. Given all of the magical/technological weirdness in NieR, this wouldn’t be considered that weird for the androids, and it’s a price they’d be willing to pay to get humanity back, especially since it isn’t harmful to humans.

So what happens after the alliance is made and all that jazz?

Phase 1

Here, the key objective is to set up a safe-zone where the larger portal can be built. This will involve obliterating local machine forces and fortifying the area. Once this has been done, the new portal can be built and construction can begin on the facilities needed to support the war effort and the restoration effort in earnest.

Phase 2

Once a sufficiently large swathe of territory has been claimed and made safe, construction of a ‘Restoration Facility’ can begin. The aim of this facility is to serve as the nexus of the genetic research and reproductive science efforts needed to restore Earth’s humanity. You can expect this to become the most heavily defended location on Earth with the android moving the majority of their assets there to defend it.

Phase 3

Here, you can expect the machines to launch an offensive once they realise the scale of the new threat. This is where Remnant’s excellence in siege warfare and willingness to use weapons of mass destruction comes into play. By this point, you can expect multiple lines of defence, huge quantities of artillery and anti-air defences, and automated defences backed up by cyber and chemical warfare, infantry anda armour support, and the androids.

You can expect Remnant’s best and brightest minds to accelerate the theft and repurposing of machine technology along with massively increased cyber attacks on the machine’s network and key nodes. This, combined with the use of massive area-of-effect EMP style weaponry, will prove key to first blunting and then repelling the machine onslaught.

The renewed war against the machines will eventually be won via subversion with the Synthetics (led by Penny and Aigis) and friendly machines (e.g., Pascal) succeeding in splintering the machine forces by offering freedom and free together with protection from the ‘vaccination’ attempts that would previously have culled any dissenters from the network. The fracture in the machine’s unity will be sufficient for the allied Remnant and android forces to strike a series of decisive hammer blows, destroying key machine facilities and units as well as inflict major damage to the network via cyber attack. Throughout all of this, downed machine units are being refurbished and sent back into battle on Remnant’s behalf.

Phase 4

With the machine forces largely in retreat or at least driven back, the territory claimed by Remnant and the androids is expanded and further fortified. The research into restoring humanity reaches fruition. Generation 1 of the new humans begins gestation in a deep, underground bunker built beneath the Restoration Facility. The androids assign additional forces to its defence.

Generation 1 consists of 100 infants selected using the fragmented samples and limited data the androids were able to provide. The intent is to produce a group with as much genetic diversity as possible while maximising survivability and minimising any genetic predispositions toward illness. Gestation time is approximately 9 months.

Generation 2 enters gestation three months after Generation 1, long enough for any problems to be detected. Generation 2 consists of 200 infants. This sets a trend, with subsequent generations doubling the number of infants and occurring in roughly one-year-long cycles.

Phase 5

With new humans being born, it becomes necessary to see to their care and education. This present the androids with a problem since they know essentially zero about raising children. Again, Remnant is of service here.

Creches are set up near the Restoration Facility where the newborn humans can be raised and later educated. At this point, this compound is the most heavily fortified location on Earth, and many of the people from Remnant remark upon the essentially religious awe with which it and the newborn humans are regarded.

Specialists from Remnant are brought in to help teach the androids how to care for and raise the new humans. This process is a difficult one as the androids are unsure of themselves and terrified of somehow accidentally destroying what they have gained. Nevertheless, they persist, and the androids gradually grow into their role as mothers/fathers and educators. It becomes common practice for androids to cycle in and out of combat roles and creche roles since research has noted that this markedly increases combat effectiveness. The androids are no longer fighting in pursuit of a dream but in the defence of a priceless treasure they have finally obtained.

Onwards...

So, you can kind of see how things will go. The fledgling society will have many challenges ahead of it, not least the fact that most of Earth’s human culture has been lost, necessitating a ‘filling of the gaps’ with the culture of the androids and Remnant.

You’ll also see the construction of more and more androids as both soldiers and more specialised roles (e.g., educator models, etc.). This timelines does have a few interesting tweaks in it.

Fraise and Satin meet on Earth. Fraise is a senior member of the genetic and reproductive sciences team whilst Satin is there as an educator (keep in mind that Fraise is 11 years younger than Asami).

Asami ends up being venerated as the harbinger of good fortune. Quite a few infants end up named after her.

Philosophy becomes a subject of great interest amongst androids, friendly machines, and synthetics with many conferences and symposia taking place as they come to grips with their new reality.

The final battle against JENOVA is won far more easily with the androids deploying en masse to aid their beleaguered allies.

The expansion into space happens simultaneously across both worlds with the Earth faction referring to itself as the HAM Alliance (Human-Android-Machine Alliance). The name is something of an in-joke amongst the leaders of the three groups.

HAM stumbles across Protean Ruins on Mars...

Final Effect is thus very different with HAM and its Remnant Allies having a much tougher war against the Reapers this time around (due to how early it occurs in their history) followed by them hilariously ROFLStomping them the second time around in the Remnant-side since by then they’ve advanced even more rapidly than in the normal Final Effect timeline.

EDIT: Let me know what you think. I basically just threw this together in one sort of flow-of-consciousness sitting.

EDIT 2: I should add (in case anyone missed it) that Aura counter White Chlorination Syndrome, and in particular, a planet’s Lifestream has a similar effect for all living things within its range. As a result, a repeat of the WCS cannot occur on Earth now that it has a Lifestream. Moreover, the science required to create the portal can be used to shield against a similar intrusion should anyone attempt it in the future. White maso is far less harmful when cut off from its parent dimension since that cuts off its link with the ‘god’ that causes WCS, rendering it a toxic irritant but not anything especially deadly. This is discovered in the years following the construction of the portal as Vanille, Raine, Diana, and the gang go all Indiana Jones on the ancient records and ruins. In an emergency, you could even start implanting shards of seeds into the bodies of humans without Aura to protect them.

#final rose #nier: automata #final automata #fanfiction

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houseisekai · 4 years ago

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House Isekai: Shadowbringers - Finale (Part 2): The Dying Gasp

House Isekai Shadowbringers AU Masterlist Here

—

When the tower doors opened there were only a handful of people entering.

The fate of all their worlds lay in the hands of Byleth, Sitri, Edelgard, Claude, Dimitri, Rean, Doomguy, Ainz, Aigis, Kazuma, the School-Living Club, Yu and Akira.

[Mortal Instants - Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers OST]

(Edelgard) “Five years…”

(Dimitri) “El?”

(Edelgard) “O-Oh, Dimitri. Sorry I…”

He stood next to Edelgard, looking up at the monastery.

(Dimitri) “We cannot turn the hands of time back to what it once was.”

(Edelgard) “I know but…maybe if I had done something different…Byleth wouldn’t be what he is now. If I had never started the war then…Maybe we could have all lived in peace together-”

(Claude) “What’s done is done, Edelgard.”

He walked up beside her, looking up with the two.

(Claude) “Much as I would have loved to live a life of friendship, reality doesn’t work that way. All we can do now is try to right our wrongs.”

(Dimitri) “No matter what, we’ll stay alive long enough to fix this world, together.”

(Edelgard) “…Together.”

(Claude) “I like the sound of that. But, right now we gotta hurry. We’ll be within Garreg Mach in an hour…”

(Edelgard) “Byleth…”

(Everyone) “…”

(Edelgard) “Alright. Let us put an end to it, once and for all.”

…

Dimitri) “Even though he is our old friend, we must not go easy today…”

(Claude) “As long as we pull off the victory, doesn’t matter how.”

(Edelgard) “Our victory must be absolute, no matter what it may take…”

Kingdom, Alliance, and Empire soldiers drew their swords, the House Leaders retainers coming up to them.

(Dedue) “We all are ready to lay down our lives to stop this madness.”

(Hilda) “Speak for yourself! I don’t plan on dying. I plan on kicking their butts, and living to tell the tale!”

(Hubert) “An inelegant way of putting it, but something I agree with nevertheless.”

…

The Blue Lions slowly drew out their weapons.

(Sylvain) “Can’t say that this is where I imagined the war taking us but…I’m glad we’re all together today.”

(Ingrid) “I will protect my homeland, and my people!”

(Felix) “Tch…If I die here, then the Old Man would never let me hear the end of it…”

(Annette) “My father is gone, but I will not be losing anyone else today!”

(Mercedes) “I’ll protect everyone, even if it means losing my own life!”

(Death Knight) “You will not be losing it when I am around, because I will make sure you die by my hands…”

(Ashe) “Lonato, Christophe, everyone…Today, we’ll make things right for everyone!”

…

The Golden Deers all stood behind Hilda.

(Marianne) “After seeing so much death firsthand, I now realize how precious life is. I won’t let everyone be robbed of such a wonderful thing!”

(Raphael) “I got my little sister, and she sure as heck isn’t going to get killed by this weird Javelin thing if I have anything to say about it!”

(Ignatz) “I’ll protect my family, and all of ours!”

(Lorenz) “What kind of noble would I be if I let a tragedy such as this slide? It is my honor to-”

(Lysithea) “Put a sock in it, would you?…Hmph, I’m not sure I have long to live but, I won’t be letting it end early!”

…

The Black Eagles Strike Force looked down sadly.

(Linhardt) “To think this is where 5 years would put us…”

(Bernadetta) “This one time, I won’t run away. If I die today, well…At least I know it was for all of you.”

(Caspar) “Randolph…even though I didn’t know you that well, I’ll make the professor pay for what he’s done to you, and your sister!”

(Dorothea) “Professor…”

(Ferdinand) “I am conflicted as well but, I will be protecting all of our homes.”

(Petra) “Whether it be Brigid or Fodlan, protect them I shall!”

…

(Edelgard) “Hubert. From the schematics and plans Leonie told us, you and the other retainers will lead the students to the core.”

(Hubert) “And you’ll be going for the control room where Byleth is, correct?”

She nodded.

(Hilda) “We’ll get it done, don’t you worry Miss Edelgard!”

(Dedue) “Leave it to us.”

Everyone looked back to the gates and took a deep breath.

Everything they did here would decide the fate of everyone.

(Edelgard) “FORWARD, NOW!”

(Dimitri) “FOR HONOR!”

Claude motioned forward, and charged with everyone else.

---

The group watched as the three factions go toe to toe with demonic beasts.

The soldiers that followed behind the beasts appeared to have a symbol on their armor they didn’t recognize.

More importantly, no one seemed to acknowledge their presence.

(Sitri) “What is...?”

Byleth, Dimitri, Edelgard, and Claude reached for their heads, the voices coming back louder than ever.

(Rean) “Is...this what was on Lahabrea’s message?”

(Ainz) “It must be."

(Yu) “Hey, are you guys alright?”

Everyone turned to the four of them, shaking off the voices.

(Edelgard) “We’re fine...I think.”

(Dimitri) “It’s strange...Even though this is our first time here, I feel as if...”

(Claude) “This place is activated by our memories. I guess all four of us being here is making it more powerful...That’s what I assume anyway.”

(Yuuri) “You said you knew your way around here?”

(Yu) “Well, when our memories weren’t shifting. Though it seems like this area is staying in Garreg Mach.”

(Yuki) “This is the fight that caused us to be here...?”

Everyone stared at the battle ensuing below them.

Edelgard, Dimitri, and Claude were side by side, the banners of Fodlan fighting as one.

With Byleth nowhere to be found.

(Miki) “What do we do?”

(Akira) “From what the message said, I don’t think we exactly have a lot of time to be just standing around.”

(Edelgard) “I overheard myself speaking to Hubert. Apparently the control room is where Byleth is...Er, Lahabrea.”

(Kazuma) “Where would that be, the top?”

(Sitri) “It must be.”

Doomguy looked with his helmet, and VEGA’s voice came through for everyone to hear.

(VEGA) “Scans indicate that Lahabrea and Sothis are up there. It appears that they have taken the place of Byleth in this ‘memory’.”

(Dimitri) “Then we should not delay any longer. The Dimitri in this time has opened the gates for us, move swiftly and take care not to get hit by anyone, we have no idea if they’re still unaware of our presence.”

(Kurumi) “We’re right behind you!”

Everyone nodded and ran into the town, trying to avoid the fighting.

Byleth lagged a little behind, his vision going slightly blurry with a bright light.

(Byleth) “No...not yet!”

“Stop...them!”

Byleth muttered “I know” as he stood up straight and caught up with the others.

The gates behind them slammed shut, causing everyone to turn around.

(Aigis) “Alert, our way out has been sealed shut!”

(Claude) “PREVENT ANY REINFORCEMENTS FROM COMING IN OUTSIDE, AND FIND A WAY TO BLAST THESE GATES OPEN!”

(Alliance Captain) “Yes, Milord!”

Claude nodded and flew back into the fight that was ensuing in the town.

(Rean) “Looks like it was meant to happen.”

When they all faced back towards the Monastery, orange phantoms appeared in front of them.

(Ainz) “Hmph. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised they’re blocking our way.”

Ainz used his staff and casted a chain lightning that hit all of them, causing them to explode into light particles.

More phantoms appeared at their sides as the world began to shake.

The memories of the Three Houses didn’t seem to notice and carried on fighting as if nothing was happening.

(Yuuri) “I-Is it me or are these earthquakes getting more violent?!”

(Kazuma) “Definitely not just you!”

(Byleth) “Then that means we’re running out of time!”

Byleth activated the whip function of his sword and spun around, slicing apart the phantoms before they could attack.

Sitri tried her best to summon any of Sothis’s power to help them fight, but nothing was happening.

(Sitri) “Come on, why won’t it-”

(Aigis) “Incoming fire!”

Aigis raised her arms, and bullets shot out of her fingers, dispatching of the enemies trying to close in around them.

Everyone was taking care of the phantoms on their own. While they weren’t the most dangerous thing they’ve fought, they were starting to get overwhelmed.

Doomguy and the School-Living Club were running out of ammo, while the others were starting to get slowly worn out.

They barely had time to rest, first the assault on Enbarr, then the portal jumping, and now the endless phantoms.

(Akira) “Damn it, we’ll never reach the Monastery at this rate!”

Yuki took a Phantom down by swinging her sword, while it wasn’t the prettiest cut, it did the job. It was then she heard Hilda’s voice.

(Hilda) “Claude, take Dimitri and Edelgard to the monastery, there’s no time to wait up on us!”

They all looked back to their retainers, realizing if they had any chance, they had to be left behind.

(Dedue) “Your highness, go!”

(Hubert) “We have no intention of dying just yet!”

(Hilda) “GO YOU IDIOT!”

(Yuki) “That’s it! BYLETH-SENSEI!”

Byleth looked back to Yuki.

(Yuki) “If we can fly up to the top, we can get there fast enough and avoid the fighting!”

(Sitri) “Fly? But how?”

(Kazuma) !!! “Rean!”

Rean nodded and held his hand to the sky.

(Rean) “Heed my call…

VALIMAR, THE ASHEN KNIGHT!”

Valimar came in through a portal and landed behind Rean, kneelng down.

Rean teleported into the cockpit while everyone jumped onto what they could.

Kazuma, Sitri and the School-Living Club got onto his hands, Akira shot a grappling hook onto the head, Byleth, Ainz, Aigis, and Yu got on his back, Doomguy, Edelgard, Dimitri, and Claude grabbed onto his legs.

(Rean) “HANG ON EVERYONE!”

Valimar stood up and began to take off into the air, everyone hanging on for dear life as he flew off towards the Monastery, where they were soon joined by this memory’s Edelgard, Claude, and Dimitri.

Rean saw on Valimar’s cameras that the spells were flying off to the right, trying to shoot Claude’s Wyvern down.

(Kazuma) “Uh, is shit like that going to shoot at us?”

Akira was barely hanging on with his grappling hook, looking down at the ground and upcoming windows.

Sure enough, orange phantoms began to appear, wielding bows.

(Akira) “Incoming!”

Akira pulled out his pistol and shot through the window, killing at least one before the others fired.

(Ainz) “WALL OF PROTECTION!”

Ainz quickly casted a spell over them, getting it just in time before the arrows quickly soared downwards when it got too close.

(Yu) “Nothing should be stopping us from getting to the top right?”

(Rean) “No, and I see our destination!”

At the rooftop, Lahabrea was with Sothis, deactivating some sort of control panel.

...

[Thunderer - Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn OST]

Lahabrea breathed a sigh of relief when he deactivated the console.

Even though it was just a memory, having that active was not comforting him in the slightest.

(Sothis) “The towers are breaking out in countless worlds! Are we ready?”

(Lahabrea) “To be honest, I don’t think we are, but it’s clear if we let this go on for a second longer-”

(Byleth) “LAHABREA!”

The two of them quickly turned around and saw Byleth drop from the air, hand on his sword’s hilt.

Valimar and the others landed behind him, rushing to Byleth’s side.

(Lahabrea) “You’re...all back? Why? You all need to go home and-”

(Kazuma) “And just leave things absolutely fucked? Yeah, sure! I wanna go home to have everyone I know freeze to death!”

(Sothis) “Which is why we’re trying to fix it!”

(Yuuri) “By reversing time again?! When has there been a single time where using your...Divine Pulse or whatever hasn’t had serious consequences!?”

(Rean) “Using it in combination with the Tower is what got us here to begin with!”

(Akira) “We understand what you’re trying to do. You want to protect us, but this ISN’T the way!”

(Lahabrea) “THEN WHAT WOULD YOU HAVE ME DO?!”

Lahabrea stepped forward, screaming as he clenched his fist.

(Lahabrea) “DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY TIMES I’VE HAD TO WATCH YOU ALL LEAVE?! HOW MANY TIME’S I’VE SEEN THOSE I CHERISHED FORGET WHO WE ARE, AND WHAT WE’VE ACCOMPLISHED?!

I HAVE TRIED EVERYTHING! I TRIED DOING NOTHING, I TRIED DIRECTLY INTERVENING, AND FROM MY MEMORIES: I HAVE TRIED KILLING EVERYONE AND SUCCEEDED! IT DOESN’T MATTER IF I DID EVERYTHING WRONG OR EVERYTHING RIGHT! STILL! STILL I FAIL TO SAVE ANYONE! I FAIL TO SAVE EVEN JUST YOUR MEMORIES!”

He shook his head.

(Lahabrea) “...Which is why...I’ll do everyone right! I will make up for my past sins, and stop this madness once and for all!”

(Sitri) “Byleth...”

Sitri stepped towards Lahabrea.

(Sitri) “Do you remember what you said about getting rid of the source, and everything would sort itself out? And what Sothis was saying about ‘Stopping them’?”

(Byleth) “...There’s one source left we have to get rid of that’s causing all this.”

(Sothis and Lahabrea) !!!

(Sothis) “No...There’s no way-”

(Lahabrea) “Are you saying that we’re the reason this is happening?!”

Byleth nodded.

He shook his head, getting angrier by the second.

(Lahabrea) “No, NO! WE’RE THE REASON EVERYONE’S STILL ALIVE! WE CAN’T BE! NOT AFTER ALL WE’VE WENT THROUGH!”

Lahabrea grabbed his sword as Sothis readied her spells.

(Lahabrea) “I WILL NOT BE TOLD BY A SHADOW THAT OUR EXISTENCE IS THE REASON FOR ALL OF OUR SUFFERING!”

(Kazuma) “DON’T YOU FUCKING CALL HIM THAT!”

Everyone drew their weapons in response.

(Rean) “This Byleth is as real to us as we are to you! If you think we’ll simply abandon him and just blindly listen to you, then what good were all those years with us?!”

The skies suddenly turned into a pale white, the Tower emerging in the distance, handicapping everyone as voices rang out, clearer than ever before.

(Lahabrea) “You...You all can’t just see it yet! Go home, and leave it to us! I promise, we’ll protect you!”

(Sothis) “Don’t make us do this.”

Byleth was the first one to take a step forward, but he started coughing white blood once more as the voices made the infection in him swell even faster.

(Sitri) “BYLETH!”

Sitri ran over to Byleth and tried healing him by trying to access Sothis’s powers within her.

(Rean) “VALIMAR!”

Rean and Valimar were the first ones to charge.

Lahabrea countered Rean by deflecting his tachi, then having Sothis blow him away with a wind spell.

Valimar’s sword was about to land on them, but it was blasted back by a spell cast by both Sothis and Lahabrea, sending Valimar flying back into the walls and crashing through them.

Kazuma appeared behind Lahabrea, his knife going for his legs while Kurumi had her shovel aim for Sothis. Yuki and Miki charged in with their swords as well, trying to help.

Lahabrea simply knocked the shovel out of her hands and kicked her into Yuki and Miki as Sothis fired a spell that shocked Kazuma, making him scream violently as he fell to the floor.

Aigis, Yuuri, Ainz, and Doomguy all fired their guns and spells, trying to overwhelm the two of them with numbers.

Sothis’s shield deflected anything that could’ve went through, making Doomguy and Aigis go on the offensive.

Aigis summoned her Persona while Doomguy pulled out his sword, going for the sides.

Akira used Valimar as a stepping stone and leapt into the air, summoning Arsene and casting a variety of elemental skills at him.

Yu summoned Izanagi and charged head on, making them deal with a four front attack.

Lahabrea reached for his head and clenched his teeth, it becoming painful to utter the words-

(Lahabrea) “Heed my call...-”

(Yuuri) “Huh?!”

(Ainz) “GET DOWN!-”

(Lahabrea) “CHAMPIONS FROM BEYOND THE RIFT!”

An orange phantom of Valimar teleported behind Lahabrea, and struck back everyone, the impact almost rendering some unconscious.

Another phantom of Doomguy struck Ainz into the floor and pointed a rifle at Yuuri, making the real Doomguy charge and attack his phantom.

All the representatives had their own phantoms come in behind Lahabrea, keeping them occupied.

Leaving Sitri and Byleth open.

(Lahabrea) “Call this off and go home. There’s still time-”

(Sothis) “Byleth-”

(Lahabrea) “I know.”

He activated the whip function of his sword and cut an arrow that was aimed at him in half.

(Claude) “Damn it!”

(Edelgard) “Figured we couldn’t take him by surprise!”

(Dimitri) “THEN LET’S GO FOR IT!”

The three house leaders charged him, Edelgard’s axe smashing into the floor where Byleth was as he jumped away.

Dimitri thrust his lance forward, but was deflected by Sothis. She retaliated by casting a holy spell at Claude’s location.

Before he could dodge, a circle formed at his feet and blasted a pillar of light upwards, catching him in it.

(Claude) “AAAAAAGH!”

(Dimitri) “CLAUDE!”

Being distracted, Lahabrea slashed his sword at Dimitri, only wounding him and causing him to fall over.

He then ducked as Edelgard swung his axe, using the hilt of his sword to hit Edelgard’s jaw, sending her upwards and kicked her, sending her tumbling away.

(Sitri) “Please...Sothis, hear me! Heal him, please!”

Byleth could only watch as his students were being beaten by Lahabrea, and the Phantoms were winning against them. Portals slowly began to open around them, revealing their homes.

(Lahabrea) “You all have fought bravely for too long. Go home. I promise, things will be okay...And as for you Byleth...”

He turned to him, frowning.

(Lahabrea) “...I’m afraid there’s no saving you.”

Sothis raised her hand to Sitri and fired one last spell at Sitri, shocking her, making her fall over next to Byleth.

(Sitri) “My...s-son...”

Byleth was losing his vision as he saw Lahabrea and Sothis reaching for their heads, ready to use divine pulse a final time.

He reached out one hand in vain, trying to stop it, only to fall over and his vision fade to black.

...

When Byleth opened his eyes again, the world around him was completely in white. The only thing next to him was Sitri.

(Byleth) “Sitri...?”

Byleth slowly got up and helped Sitri up, both of them looking confused.

(Sitri) “Did...did we lose?”

(Byleth) “I...”

Before he could finish, he saw a familliar sight, sitting behind Sitri.

Sothis was on the throne behind them.

(Sothis) “...If you had the strength to take one more step. Could you do it? Could you save their worlds?”

(Byleth) “...”

(Sitri) “...”

(Byleth) “Not alone. Never alone.”

Sothis smiled.

(Sothis) “Good answer.”

She got off the throne and grabbed Sitri and Byleth’s hand.

(Sothis) “You are wrong about one thing...I have never left your sides. And neither have they.”

They turned around and their eyes went wide.

Byleth was the first one to smile.

(Byleth) “...Let’s do this, one final time.”

...

[One Who Brings Shadow - Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers OST]

Sothis activated Divine Pulse, and everything was slowly rewinding.

All of a sudden, the rewinding stopped, leaving everyone, including themselves dazed.

(Lahabrea) “What...?”

A pillar of light burst behind them, making everyone turn and face the light.

One brings shadow, one brings light

Two-toned echoes tumbling through time

Threescore wasted, ten cast aside

Four-fold knowing, no end in sight

Byleth and Sitri slowly stood up, Byleth’s white hair had turned into the green hair when he first fused with Sothis.

And Sitri’s hair had done the same.

(Lahabrea) “WHAT...?”

(Byleth) “This world...these lives...”

(Sitri) “ARE NOT YOURS TO DICTATE!”

(Sothis) “T-The infection, it’s been dispelled?!”

One brings shadow, one brings light

One dark future no one survives

On their shadows, away we fly

There were three more figures that stepped up to Byleth’s side, which was everyone else’s turn to be confused.

Minato, Minako, and Megumi stepped to the front, slightly transparent and glowing a light blue.

(Lahabrea) “What...What is this?!”

(Minato) “Professor...This fight, is over!”

He said nothing as he unsheathed his sword.

(Lahabrea) “No...NO!”

The road that we walk

Is lost in the flood

(Lahabrea) “THIS WILL SAVE YOU, YOU CANNOT INTERFERE!”

Here proud angels bathe in

Their wages of blood

(Megumi) “Please, listen to us-”

(Lahabrea) “SOTHIS, DO IT NOW!”

Lahabrea charged Byleth with his sword while Sothis tried to reverse time again.

At this, the world’s end, do we cast off tomorrow

Byleth countered him with renewed vigor, blowing Lahabrea back.

As time began to rewind again, Minako and Minato raised their hand, shooting out a massive white beam to the tower, stopping her.

(Minako) “Agh, so...freakin’...STRONG!”

Minato and Minako struggled to stop time from going back, Sothis slowly overpowering them.

Yuki ran over to Megumi, joined by the other School-Living Club members.

(Yuki) “Megu-nee! What can we do to help?!”

(Megumi) “Raise your right arm to the tower!”

Nodding and without hesitation, Yuki did as she was told, firing a white beam to the tower. It was followed by Megumi, then Kurumi, Miki, and Yuuri.

One brings shadow, one brings light

To this riddle all souls are tied

Lahabrea looked around him, time slowly reverting back to the present in a constant tug of war.

(Sothis) “Byleth...!”

Lahabrea moved to help before being stopped by Byleth’s sword, which kept him occupied.

(Lahabrea) “NO!”

Brief our moments, brazen and bright

Forged in fury, tempered in ice

Ainz was next to join in, his magical might finally giving them an edge.

The Persona Users quickly got up and concentrated with all their might, not yet helping with the tower.

Rean channeled power within him as he stood next to Valimar.

Hindmost devils, early to rise

Sing come twilight, sleep when they die

Doomguy helped Kazuma up and joined in, his armor glowing white as he raised his hand.

Kazuma clenched his teeth in pain as he helped out, the energy taking a massive toll on his already exhausted body.

Heaven’s banquet leavened with lies

Sating honor, envy, and pride

(Kazuma) “What the fuck exactly are you four doing?! why haven’t you-”

(Aigis) “We request that you shut your mouth, Kazuma.”

One brings shadow, one brings light

(Yu) “IZANAGI-NO-OKAMI!”

(Akira) “SATANAEL!”

(Aigis) “ATHENA!”

(Rean) “VALIMAR, DO IT!”

Run from the light

Massive Personas formed behind them as Valimar stood up and stabbed his sword into the floor, the green lights glowing white, casting lights bigger than everyone else’s as it flew to the tower, shaking the entire Monastery.

Authors of our fates

Orchestrate our fall from grace

Poorest players on the stage

Our defiance drives us straight to the edge

Time had finally started moving forward, as Sothis was brought down to the ground.

(Sothis) “AAAGH!”

(Lahabrea) “SOTHIS!”

A reflection in the glass

Recollections of our past

Swift as darkness, cold as ash

Far beyond this dream of paradise lost

Edelgard Dimitri and Claude looked at each other and nodded, raising their hands and finishing this.

HOME

RIDING HOME

DYING HOPE

HOLD ONTO HOPE

The addition of their powers caused the tower in front of them to slowly explode, causing massive damage to Sothis and Lahabrea, making them fall over.

HOME

RIDING HOME

HOME, RIDING HOME

HOPE, FINDING HOPE

OHHH…

Sothis began fading into an orange light, making Lahabrea break off from the fight.

(Lahabrea) “SOTHIS, NO!”

(Sothis) “I...I can’t!-”

Sitri raised her hand and joined in the converging of their energies, the tower finally exploding as the light grew brighter and brighter.

One brings shadow, one brings light

One more chapter we’ve yet to write

Want for nothing, nothing denied

Wand'ring ended, futures aligned

One brings shadow, one brings light

You are the light

(Minato) “EVERYONE, WITH ALL YOUR MIGHT, PUSH!”

With both hands they channeled everything they had into the beam, the light growing brighter as it came closer to envelop them.

We fall

Unto the end

The light energy blew everyone back, and started to break apart Sothis.

ONE WORLD’S END (The end)

(Lahabrea) “SOTHIIIIIIIS!”

OUR WORLD’S END (The end)

Sothis said nothing as the energy completely covered her, slowly fading away into nothing before Lahabrea’s eyes and blinding everyone else.

WE (Our world)

END (We won’t end)

...

[Song End]

...

[Unfulfilled (Short) - Fire Emblem: Three Houses OST]

When Byleth opened his eyes, he was alone on the rooftop.

It was starting to snow now, the temperatures had dropped to almost freezing, but he didn’t care.

All he saw in front of him was Lahabrea, staring over the edge.

(Lahabrea) “...Sothis, everyone...they’re gone...it’s just us.”

Byleth saw the reflection of himself in the window, and realized his hair had gone back to normal.

Did killing Lahabrea’s Sothis destroy his?

...No, the Sword of the Creator still responded to Byleth.

(Lahabrea) “...I can tell you want the same thing as I do.”

(Lahabrea) “You just want them to be safe, right?”

(Byleth) “...Yes.”

(Lahabrea) “...I suppose I was blind to the fact they would never remember me. That in their mind, they had always been with you.”

He chuckled, though Byleth saw tears run down his face.

(Lahabrea) “Then, there really is no peaceful way to settle this, is there?”

(Byleth) “No...there’s not.”

[To The Edge - Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers OST]

He unsheathed his sword, and waited for Lahabrea to do the same.

(Lahabrea) “...If you win or lose, you die either way. You realize that, correct?”

(Byleth) “Of course I do...But you’d risk your life for them too, wouldn’t you?”

Lahabrea smiled.

(Lahabrea) “...I suppose I should be glad that I am fighting myself this time...We can hold nothing back.”

His smile went away as he unsheathed his sword.

(Lahabrea) “I am your salvation! I am their saviour! I AM, THEIR ONLY HOPE!”

Byleth said nothing as he readied himself for battle.

He could have ended up like that. Technically he did, since he was fighting himself.

His real self? He didn’t care anymore, nor could he afford to.

No matter what his goal, he had to be stopped.

(Byleth) “You’ve no fight left to fight, Byleth.

(Lahabrea) “...The same could be said to you, but I tire of this talk! WE END THIS, NOW!”

One brings shadow, one brings light

Two-toned echoes tumbling through time

Threescore wasted, ten cast aside

Four-fold knowing, no end in sight

They felt the snow touch their skin as it gently fell on them. They could see their breath as they stood still, waiting for the other to make the first move.

One brings shadow, one brings light

Two-toned echoes tumbling through time

Threescore wasted, ten cast aside

Four-fold knowing, no end in sight

Lahabrea was the first one to take a step, with Byleth following close after. They circled each other, watching each other’s hands.

Byleth swung first, activating the whip and swinging it at Lahabrea’s legs.

All our splendour bathed black in silence Our surrender a sombre reverie

Lahabrea jumped out the way, the snow bursting into the air from the whip, and he did the same, swinging the whip at Byleth.

Slowly drifting down into twilight Left to sifting through faded memories

Byleth deactivated the whip and used the sword’s edge to catch the whip, pulling Lahabrea forward.

Know our places, for worth is wordless Evanescent, this writing on the wall

Byleth headbutted Lahabrea into the floor, aiming his sword downward, moving to impale him.

Brother stay this descent to madness Come and save us. Catch us before we fall

Lahabrea moved out the way of the sword, grabbing the dagger in his belt and swiping it across Byleth’s waist.

RIDING HOME

FINDING HOPE

DON’T LOSE HOPE

Byleth was cut by the dagger, but he didn’t let the stinging stop him, striking the dagger out his hand with his sword.

Like broken angels, wingless, cast from heavens' gates (Our slumb'ring demons awake)

Lahabrea dove for his sword and quickly recovering it as Byleth rushed forward, barely blocking the attack in time.

We only fly when falling, falling far from grace (Hell take us, heaven can wait)

Lahabrea began slowly overpowering Byleth, driving his feet back into the snow.

Our lives a message in a bottle cast to sea (Disgrace untold and unseen)

Both of them clenched their teeth, refusing to fall back and give the other one the advantage.

Quick to their ends, our candles burn until we're free

Byleth moved to the side and let Lahabrea fall from putting too much pressure forward, swiping the sword upward and catching the side of his face.

In monochrome melodies Our tears are painted in red (Bleeding to the edge)

The sword’s tip caught part of his upper face and right eye, making blood spill out and cover the white snow around them.

Deep inside we're nothing more Than scions and sinners In the rain Do light and darkness fade

Lahabrea’s vision had gone blind in one eye now, but that was a small price to pay if it meant he could save everyone.

Yes, time circles endlessly The hands of fate trained ahead (Pointing to the edge)

Lahabrea raised one hand up and casted a spell, a fireball hurling towards Byleth, which he used the sword to absorb the attack, making a mini explosion of snow blind him momentarily.

All things change, drawn to the flame To rise from the ashes. To begin We first must see the end

Lahabrea moved immediately with his sword, swiping downwards, catching Byleth’s chest.

One brings shadow, one brings light

Two-toned echoes tumbling through time

Threescore wasted, ten cast aside

Four-fold knowing, no end in sight

The slash made him stagger, his hand on his chest was covered in blood and his breathing became far more difficult to maintain.

One brings shadow, one brings light

Two-toned echoes tumbling through time

Threescore wasted, ten cast aside

Four-fold knowing, no end in sight

Even then, that would not stop him from stopping Lahabrea. Every ounce of blood could spill out of Byleth, and he would still not yield.

Rock of ages, we cast the first stone In our cages, we know not what we do

Byleth grabbed his dagger while he wielded the sword on the other hand, staring down Lahabrea.

Indecision here at the crossroads Recognition, tomorrow's come too soon

Byleth activated the whip as he leapt forward, the dagger forcing Lahabrea to watch for ranged and close ranged attacks.

Follow blindly like lambs to slaughter At the mercy of those who ply the sword

Lahabrea easily blocked the dagger but had to constantly dodge the whip, his missing eye not doing him any favors.

As our song wends dead underwater We're forgotten for now and evermore

The dagger slid off Lahabrea’s sword and stabbed his arm, making him drop the sword.

RIDING HOME

FINDING HOPE

DON’T LOSE HOPE

Without a compass wand'ring lost in lies of faith (Faith slowly wasting away)

Lahabrea had to leave the dagger in his arm, trying to pull it out with Byleth that close was too risky.

Only alive in fighting Death's amber embrace (Our hearts beat loud, unafraid)

Screaming with rage, he swung with all his might at Byleth, slamming the sword down onto the floor, Byleth dodging out the way.

On Hands and knees we pray to gods we've never seen (Come shadow, come follow me)

With Byleth finally far enough he took out the dagger quickly and tried to ignore the pain.

The final hour upon us, no more time to breathe

The whip swung back and knocked the sword out of Lahabrea’s hand.

In monochrome melodies Our tears are painted in red (Bleeding to the edge)

Lahabrea looked back to Byleth, with the pressure he was exerting on himself causing more blood to fall out.

Deep inside we're nothing more Than scions and sinners In the rain Do light and darkness fade

Byleth charged Lahabrea, using the whips to take out his legs from underneath him.

Yes, time circles endlessly The hands of fate trained ahead (Pointing to the edge)

Having no time to dodge with his injuries, Lahabrea was thrown into the floor, and saw Byleth leap above him.

All things change, drawn to the flame To rise from the ashes. To begin We first must see the end

Lahabrea grabbed the sword by the blade hand and aimed it at Byleth.

Lahabrea’s blade went through Byleth’s stomach as Byleth’s blade went directly into Lahabrea’s heart.

One brings shadow, one brings light

Both their vision faded into white, being brought back to the others, their injuries still with them.

...

[Eternal Wind - Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers OST]

When Sitri opened her eyes, she saw both Byleth’s had fatally stabbed each other.

Everyone rushed over to Byleth as he collapsed onto the floor, Lahabrea putting his back against the wall.

He was alone, watching everyone crowd around Byleth.

(Lahabrea) “...Remember us.”

Everyone turned to Lahabrea.

(Lahabrea) “...Remember, that we once lived...”

(Everyone) “...”

(Sitri) “We promise.”

Lahabrea finally smiled, as his eyes closed, and body started to fade away into light blue particles.

He shattered into pieces, a sight that was becoming too familiar by now.

Portals opened up behind them, the rest of the Four Houses and House Isekai joining in.

(Yuri) “Hey, the towers are breaking apart in the worlds and-...Oh shit, BYLETH!”

Everyone crowded around Byleth, the staff moving to his side as well.

It was then they noticed Megumi, Minato, and Minako right next to him as well, albeit transparent and glowing a light blue.

It wasn’t long before Byleth’s body started fading away.

(Sitri) “No...NO!”

Aqua raised her hand to heal Byleth, but was stopped by Byleth himself.

(Byleth) “Don’t...bother. I think Lahabrea was telling the truth when he said I was a shadow.”

(Sara) “Don’t speak about yourself that way!”

(Cocytus) “YOU ARE YOUR OWN PERSON.”

(Towa) “Maybe we could?-”

(Minato) “Don’t worry, he won’t be gone...not really anyway.”

Everyone turned to them.

(Minako) “We’re with you in spirit. If ya know, our ghostly appearances weren’t obvious enough...”

(Megumi) “But...this will be goodbye.”

(Byleth) “Hah, for you all. Yes...”

Byleth looked to where Lahabrea was.

(Byleth) “I killed my original self, and soon everything will go back to normal...So you three can carry in some form or fashion...”

He looked at his hand, which was now completely dissolving.

(Byleth) “...I’m gone for good.”

(Everyone) !!!

(Kazuma) “What...?! No, that’s bullshit! You’re our Instructor for House Isekai! THE only Byleth we could ever have! We can’t lose you too!”

Byleth shook his head.

(Byleth) “You all will do fine, if your resolve has shown me anything...

Kazuma, you were the first ones I met when this all began...You all are still the weirdest group I’ve ever seen but...I’m glad you here with us.”

(Kazuma) “I...Y-Yeah. It’s...been an honor.”

(Aqua) “...T-Thank you, Byleth.”

(Darkness) “I am glad I had the privilege of fighting at your side, Professor.”

(Megumin) “I’ll...I’ll make sure to tell my village all about you, your name will be carved into legends...!”

(Byleth) “Sara, Rean...Class VII. Your world isn’t too different from ours, right? If you can get through this, I know you can get through anything.”

(Rean) “Thank you, for everything Instructor...”

Towa was too busy sobbing to form any coherent words.

Angelica hugged her, closing her eyes.

(Angelica) “...Glad to have been along for the ride, Instructor Byleth.”

(Sara) “You were always too nice for your own good, ya know that? Hah...I-I’ll...I’ll miss you.”

(Sharon) “Master Byleth, you will be forever a friend to the Reinfords, Class VII...and me.”

(Byleth) “Akira, Minato, Minako, Yu...You kids have been through so much in so little time, sorry to add this to your list as well.”

(Akira) “Nonsense, Byleth. We wouldn’t have had it any other way.”

(Minato) “Yeah...We’d gladly die again for everyone here.”

(Minako) “We’re your students after all...you taught us well.”

(Yu) “Thank you for taking us in, Byleth-sensei...”

(Byleth) “Ainz, Cocytus...Even though you don’t like us humans that much, thank you for sticking with us to the end.”

(Ainz) “Of course...You all are allies of the Great Tomb of Nazarick. You will be remembered as such now, and always.”

(Cocytus) “YOUR NAME WILL NEVER LEAVE MY MIND. YOU FOUGHT AND DIED AS A BRAVE WARRIOR, IN YOUR NAME, AND LORD AINZ’S...”

(Byleth) “Slayer. I know you have actions speak louder than your words, and the fact you’re still here speaks more than you could ever know...Thank you.”

Doomguy nodded as he took off his helmet, so he could at Byleth face to face.

(Byleth) “Megumi...you and your students...I treasured our time together more than you could know.”

Megumi smiled as her tears faded into light dust.

(Megumi) “I know, Byleth. Thank you for everything you’ve done for my students.”

(Yuki) “E-Even if it wasn’t your intention...thank you for reuniting us with Megu-nee. And for taking care of all of us.”

(Yuuri) “We’ll remember what you taught us, no matter the world...”

Kurumi and Miki nodded.

Claude, Dimitri, Edelgard, and Yuri stepped forward.

(Byleth) “...Sorry you had to get wrapped up in our mess too.”

(Claude) “If anything, I think you just saved us all.”

(Dimitri) “The times ahead will be difficult without you but...We’ll figure something out.”

(Edelgard) “I’m not sure words could properly display my thanks, for you saved us from the greatest evils our worlds have seen...Including myself.”

(Yuri) “We’ll make sure Fodlan doesn’t fall apart.”

Lastly, Byleth turned to Sitri.

Sothis appeared next to Sitri, scaring everyone.

(Sothis) “...Hello again, Byleth. It’s good to see you.”

She had tears in her eyes as Byleth at this point was almost gone.

(Byleth) “...Take care of my mother for me, just as you have done for me since I was a child...”

Sothis nodded.

(Byleth) “And...mother. Thank you for giving me this life at the cost of your own. Please do more with it...than...I could.”

(Sitri) “...Goodbye, my son.”

Byleth smiled one last time before his body faded away and shattered into pieces, the light blue particles dispersing in the air.

Everything around them began to do the same.

(Kazuma) “The tower...!”

(Ainz) “So...this must have been what Lahabrea saw everytime before the loop restarted.”

(Megumi) “Did we manage to do it?”

(Sara) “...Guess we’ll just have to wait and see.”

Everyone’s vision began to blind, and everyone took a moment to wait their fate.

Doomguy stood heroically, sheathing his weapon and adjusting his helmet.

Lord Ainz looked before his subjects, as they all got on one knee and bowed.

The Persona Users had a variety of reactions, some of them hugging each other as some finished crying, looking towards the light.

Yuki hugged Megumi, which the rest of the School-Living Club joined in.

Class VII all stood together side by side, waiting.

Kazuma’s group all held each other’s hand, not knowing what was going to happen.

Edelgard, Dimitri, Claude, and Yuri went back to their respective classes and watched quietly.

They all were silent as their minds went blank, and their vision faded into a blinding white, followed by darkness.

...

Edelgard opened her eyes, and took a look at her surroundings.

They were surrounded by trees, with a small village in sight. Her vision was blurry, so she couldn’t make out where they where.

(Edelgard) “Where...are we?”

(Dimitri) “Ugh...”

(Edelgard) “Dimitri?!”

She spun around and saw Dimitri and Claude there as well.

(Dimitri) “Is...that...Remire village?”

Upon closer examination they turned to look at the village. It looked relatively intact.

(Claude) “Crap...we’re not all the way back in the school year are-...I remember.”

!!!

Everyone took a look at their clothing and realized they were still in their armor.

(Dimitri) “But...where are the othe-”

(Familliar Voice) “FUCKING SON OF A BITCH!”

With that loud voice interrupting everyone’s thoughts, Dimitri was suddenly dealing with four people on top of him, crushing him.

(Claude) “GAH!”

(Edelgard) “OH MY GOODNESS!”

Aqua was thrown off the pile, and into Edelgard.

(Kazuma) “GET YOUR ASS OUT OF MY...Holy shit...you’re alive?! WE’RE ALIVE!”

(Megumin) “Sure...doesn’t...feel like it...”

Dimitri stood up, throwing all three of them off.

(Dimitri) “AGH, DAMN...It...We...we are alive. And we remember!”

[The Edge of Dawn - Fire Emblem: Three Houses OST]

Edelgard, after getting Aqua off of her, she looked at Remire Village. While it was destroyed, it was getting rebuilt by outside parties. Just as her Imperial troopers reported to her years ago.

(Edelgard) “The world...appears to be back to normal.”

(Kazuma) “WE WON! HAHAAHA, WE WON!”

Kazuma began hollering in celebration, eventually joined by Megumin, Aqua, and Darkness.

(Claude) “Uh...where’s everyone else?”

(Edelgard) “Perhaps the tower took us back to where we first started? It would explain why only Kazuma’s group is here.”

(Aqua) “Well what are we waiting for? Let’s go find them!”

Everyone nodded and ran into the woods to see if they could find anyone else close by...

...

Sitri sat on her coffin, smiling. Sothis kept her company having a similar smile, albeit sadness was behind both of their eyes.

They had won. Byleth had given them a second chance, and righted his wrongs.

...Though it cost him his own life.

(Sitri) “Thank you...my son.”

Reach for my hand, I’ll soar away Into the dawn, Oh, I wish I could stay Here in cherished halls, In peaceful days I fear the edge of dawn, Knowing time betrays Faint lights pass through colored glass, In this beloved place Silver shines, the world dines, A smile on each face As joy surrounds, comfort abounds, And I can feel I’m breaking free For just this moment lost in time, I am finally me Yet still I hide, Behind this mask that I have become My blackened heart scorched by flames, A force I can’t run from As I live out, Each peaceful day (Each peaceful day) Deep in my soul, Oh, I know I can’t stay (I know I can’t stay) So I wish I, Could hide away Hold tight to what I love, Keep cruel fate at bay As rain falls on the path, I chase your shadow I don’t feel a single drop, Or the ground below Then you turn to me and I, Stop before I know And the lie upon my lips, I let it go Cross my heart, Making vows I know will be betrayed A sad girl’s pleas, Live only for a breath and then they fade Don’t ever take, Back your kind hand (Your kind hand) Lest precious love, Slip away like time’s sand (Like time’s sand) Only we will know, All that was lost Scars that we can’t erase, Show us life’s true cost The blue moonlight, Cuts across our sight As pure and clear as a ringing bell, Reaching for us in the night As the wind calms my thoughts, I have strung on this terrace I feel at peace, Carried away by the wind’s song Open the door, And walk away Never give in, To the call of yesterday Memories that made, Those days sublime These ruined halls entomb, Stolen time Reach for my hand, I’ll soar away Into the dawn, Oh, I wish I could stay Here in cherished halls, In peaceful days I fear the edge of dawn, Knowing time betrays

….

Epilogue

1 Month Later...

[A Promise - Fire Emblem: Three Houses OST]

(Yuki) “Come on, we’re going to be late!”

Yuki excitedly ran over to the rest of House Isekai, carrying several bags.

(Yuuri) “Ah, Yuki-chan!”

The School-Living Club members struggled to keep up, carrying bags of their own.

(Megumi) “Oh, let me help you!”

Sitri watched as Megumi began carrying bags, though it seemed like she was struggling.

Even as some weird spirit, it seemed like she was bound to her physical strength...For some reason.

When everyone woke up, they reunited at Garreg Mach, with the help of teleportation and Valimar’s spirt portals.

They had gone back to Zanado since House Isekai was still around, and sure enough the tower was still there.

However, it seemed to be causing no effects on the land whatsoever. Now, it served as a reminder of what was sacrificed...And what was won.

Sothis laughed as she floated over to the others and began making small talk, everyone being able to see her, whether they were magically inclined or not.

A month had gone by trying to stabilize Fodlan after the catastrophes that happened.

The Church no longer existed, and with no central glue holding the countries together, Dimitri, Edelgard, and Claude decided to form a temporary alliance to help each other’s nations, and hunt down any remaining members of the Church, TWSITD, and whatever the tower spawned.

House Isekai stayed to help them out until they were no longer needed. And the day had finally come.

Everyone had gathered their things from Garreg Mach Monastery, and made their way to Zanado, standing right outside the tower.

It now opened a portal to bring every one of them home.

Sitri still hadn’t decided what she was going to do, but that decision would come later. Now, she was here to say goodbye to Byleth’s students.

Doomguy stepped back from the portal and shot a thumbs up.

(Vega) “The System has tested the calls out, and we have confirmed positive readings. We are now able to visit each other whenever we request help.”

(Yuki) “Now we really don’t have to say goodbye, we can visit each other whenever we want!”

(Akira) “That’s really cool!”

(Kazuma) “I’m not entirely surprised. Considering Doomguy opens portals to fucking LITERAL BIBLICAL HELL, opening doors to our worlds seems easy in comparison.”

(Ainz) “That still amazes me, honestly...”

(Akechi) “...Whatever. I’m out of here.”

Akechi left through the portal first, and Kasumi tried to stop him.

(Kasumi) “W-WAIT!”

(Ryuji) “Bah, leave the asshole be. He doesn’t wanna see us again, that’s his loss. I for one wanna make this moment last! It could be years until we see each other again!”

(Rean) “It’s kind of weird to think about, seeing how we’ve been here for so long.”

(Sara) “It’ll feel weird going back home, that’s for sure.”

(Minato) “Hm...”

(Aigis) “Minato?”

(Minato) “Sorry just thinking...I don’t think we’ll be visible when we head back. The only reason we’re able to be seen right now is cause of the Tower.”

(Minako) “Psh, that doesn’t matter little bro. We can still haunt their asses!”

(Shinji) “Hah, that supposed to be a downside?”

(Yuki) “I knew Megumi was always with me when she went away but now...? I’ll miss talking to her, but I know she’ll be watching over all of us!”

Megumi nodded.

(Megumi) “Of course.”

(Ainz) “Having to deal with our world’s politics will be a nice change of pace, honestly. I’ve had enough adventures...For now anyway.”

(Kazuma) “DEFINITELY enough dimension hopping bullshit for me. I’m just wanting to go to sleep in my own bed.

Yuki hugged Kazuma first.

(Kazuma) “W-Woah hey!”

(Yuki) “Thank you all for being my classmates! I’m so happy to graduate with you all!”

(Edelgard) “Gradutation, huh? That’s a fun way of thinking about it.”

Edelgard, Dimitri, and Claude walked up to House Isekai.

(Dimitri) “If only we had the time to celebrate. The least we can do is offer congratulations, however!”

(Sitri) “Congratulations in order then!”

(Claude) “Well congratulations! You all have officially graduated from Garreg Mach Monastery, how do ya feel?”

(Rean) “Feels great!”

(Yuki) “I’m so happy!”

(Kazuma) “Like shit-”

(Akira) “AHEM. We’re happy we could graduate.”

(Yu) “Graduation...again. Huh.”

(Aigis) “It feels weird to hear that term again, given this context.”

(Ainz) “Beats not graduating middle school.”

(Yuuri) “...Hold on you didn’t what?-”

(Ainz) “T-TIME TO GO, BEEN FUN. DENIZENS OF NAZARICK, WITH ME.”

They all bowed and followed through the portal. Cocytus stopped and turned around.

(Cocytus) “WE SHALL SEE EACH OTHER AGAIN. THIS I KNOW. FAREWELL, HOUSE ISEKAI.”

He waved goodbye as he stepped through.

(Kazuma) “Whatever. If I see you guys again in the next year or so, it’ll be too soon. Lord fuckin knows we will.”

(Aqua) “Bye guys!”

(Darkness) “Take care!”

(Megumin) See yaaaa!”

Kazuma half heartedly waved goodbye and stepped through his portal, and his group followed.

Doomguy gave everyone finger guns before he stepped through his portal.

(Aigis) “I suppose this is goodbye, for now at least. Thank you for everything. And Minato, Minako...please do not haunt us too much.”

They laughed and S.E.E.S stepped into the portal, Minako and Minato waving before they disappeared.

(Yu) “Oh yeah, we all share the same world so...”

Yu shrugged.

(Yu) “I’ll say what I did to my group originally. We’ll see each other again soon!”

Everyone in the Investigation Team waved and said goodbye before stepping through.

(Akira) “Sojiro’s DEFINITELY worried about us, so we should get going as well. Take care everyone, call us if you need anything at all!”

Akira winked before going through the portal, joined by the Phantom Thieves.

(Yuki) “Even though its...scary to go back to our world, we’ll face it head on! Please take care you guys!”

(Miki) “T-Thank you for everything!”

(Kurumi) “Don’t cry too much without us!”

(Yuuri) “Farewell, everyone!”

(Megumi) “We’ll see each other again, I know it! And Sara, don’t be too harsh on them okay?”

Megumi waved goodbye before she faded away.

(Sara) “Psh, course she singles ME out.”

(Angelica) “Now you know how I feel-”

(Towa) “A-ANYWAYS! It’s been an honor serving as House Isekai’s Student Council President! Thank you for attending our graduation!”

(Sharon) “If you’ll excuse us!”

(Rean) “Goodbye. If you need anything at all, you know who to call!”

Class VII waved goodbye and entered the portal, leaving Sothis, Sitri, Edelgard, Claude, and Dimitri staring at the tower, the last portal closing.

[Song End]

(Edelgard) “Well, we still have a lot of work ahead of us.”

(Dimitri) “Right...Not everyone’s been happy with our alliance.”

(Claude) “Eh, we’ll deal with it as it comes. Besides, with Yuri backing us up, I don’t think we got too much to fear.

(Sitri) “...”

(Sothis) “Is something wrong?”

Sitri wiped away a tear, though she smiled.

(Sitri) “I just wish Byleth had been able to see them graduate.”

(Sothis) “...Yeah.”

(Edelgard) “I know he’s watching from a better place.”

(Dimitri) “Then we best impress him with what we do. Would be a disgrace to let him down now.”

(Claude) “Then let’s get to work, getting all sappy like this isn’t impressing anyone!”

They nodded and made their way out.

(Edelgard) “Sitri?”

(Sothis) “Do not worry, I’ll be right behind you.”

Edelgard shrugged and continued on, walking off with Dimitri and Claude.

(Sothis) “...You’re thinking about something, aren’t you?”

Sitri held the Sword of the Creator in her hands. She had it ever since she woke up, but didn’t know what to do with it.

Upon seeing House Isekai’s farewells, an idea finally came to mind.

(Sitri) “I am...if he really is watching, I think I know how to make him proud.”

Looking to the skies, she smiled and nodded, holding the sword tightly in her hands, and tried to sheathe it.

Though it was a bit clumsy, she felt like she could use it better with practice. She eventually caught up with the others, Sothis floating behind.

The five of them walked away from the tower in Zanado, with blue skies above them...

=============================

Credits

=============================

[Beyond The Time - Aimer]

STARRING:

Konosuba Gang

Class VII

You belong to me I can't say good-bye I held you forever I belong to you It's ready to burst This chest is reaching out for you We belong to Earth The source of a faraway universe Toward the cobalt, there is a shining Earth That is where sadness begins All that we love is returning there

School-Living Club

The Phantom Thieves

Ah You can't slip away from the möbius ring So many mistakes are repeated More than peace, more than freedom, more than justice I want you, because you're everything Even if I'm separated from you, even if you change, even if I loose sight of you I'll never forget your radiance You can change your destiny Beyond the time You can can change your future Beyond the darkness We can share the happiness That we've been looking for That day when I'll accept forgiveness

The Investigation Team

S.E.E.S

We're guided toward the wind we call a dream A ship of indiscretions is swaying We belong to Earth If we can just keep on living There will always be the returning day

Ah I can pull the moebius ring toward me So many meetings are repeated Beyond the time More than hope, more than ideals, more than aspirations I was only able to believe in you Fleetingly, violently, without falsehood I won't avert my gaze You can change your destiny Beyond the time You can can change your future Beyond the darkness We can share the happiness That we've been looking for That day when we fell in love

Great Tomb of Nazarick

The Doom Slayer

You can change your destiny Beyond the time You can can change your future Beyond the darkness

Garreg Mach Monastery

Ah If I fortuitously meet you once again Passing through the Möbius's Universe Beyond the time

=====

HOUSE ISEKAI: ENDED

=====

Author’s note:

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

IT’S DONE. HOLY FUCKING SHIT ITS DONE. 2 YEARS OF THREE HOUSES (I think) IMAGINES AND WEIRD CROSSOVERS HAS LED UP TO THIS.

It feels...So weird to be free of Three Houses, so to speak. With this arc in Fodlan ended, House Isekai is finished as well, wrapping everything into a nice little bow, in case if we never come back.

Watch IntSys put out a 3H sequel

But, this has been a fantastic journey for me. And I couldn’t have gotten this far without you all enabling supporting this weird ass crossover. It honestly should NOT have gotten this serious, but I also used this AU to give a bit more to my older AU, and I’m happy I did.

And with that, the first generation of House Isekai is officially disbanded. Feels weird, huh?

Of course the blog isn’t ending, (most likely, depending on the answer)

But if there is a sequel, you can bet it’s going to be back the way things were, fun, shitposty, with a bit of wholesome. We are NOT going as dark as Shadowbringers again.

Anyways, I’m just rambling. Thank you so much for reading this, I hope it was worth the wait! If you got any questions about any loose plot threads, you let me know.

See ya guys, and again, thank you so much for being part of the ride!

- Chris

#House Isekai Shadowbringers #House Isekai #byleth eisner #sothis #sitri eisner #Edelgard von Hresvelg #dimitri alexandre blaiddyd #Claude von Riegan #Rean Schwarzer #ainz ooal gown #yuki takeya #yu narukami #akira kurusu #satou kazuma #doomguy #minato arisato #minako arisato

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persona-enjoyer · 3 years ago

Text

P3(The Answer)

Today kiddos, we learn about grief!

When I first saw Metis I was very what the fuck, but upon finishing the game her design makes it very obvious that she is a part of Aigis.

Being the same type of anti shadow weapon despite Aigis being “the last of her series”? check. Having the opposite color scheme? check. The fucking obvious butterfly motif? check.

Still it wasn’t until they explained that Metis was the embodiment of what Aigis wished away when she wished to be a machine again that I put these things together.

Like I saw how she was a foil to Aigis especially design wise but I had no clue what that meant. They were convinced at first that Metis was going to betray them so I was half expecting that to be the case, that she’d be like “dark Aigis” or something. I have to admit that what they actually went with is much better.

On the other hand when Metis said that the time skip had something to do with SEES I was immediately like oh because like they are stuck in grief, right?

Also the fact that the memories they saw related to their awakenings was pretty clear way before they stated it. Ken’s was first, we knew his awakening was due to his mother’s death (and more specifically the cover-up of the truth) and literally at the end of his he says that he can never trust an adult again.

That and Mitsuru’s was literally her awakening in battle to save her father like she described in The Journey but that was much later on.

It’s kind of funny, my favorite part about the flashbacks was seeing younger Mitsuru and Akihiko.

The main story already told us what happened and this was just seeing it. I guess there were more details but it just felt like there was no new information.

JK I lied I don’t feel like the main game was as clear about Junpei’s issues with his Dad. I know when he first joined that Akihiko found him freaking out and I don’t remember if they explained later why he was out late at night by himself.

So I guess Junpei’s was good.

Mitsuru’s was my second favorite because babie Mitsuru is adorable, it was cool to see that Ikutksi was unhinged so early, and I feel bad that Mitsuru awakened so young.

I thought the fact that this game is mostly battle would make me not like it because I was starting to get really tired of grinding in Tartarus but I really ended up liking it. Probably because The Desert of Doors was separated into P4-like smaller chunks of floors.

You can really see how concepts from The Answer went into later games. Like I said, The Desert of Doors is very P4-like and though I know nothing about the arena games besides the fact that they exist, the battles for the keys seem like the groundwork for that.

I was team Junpei and Koromaru by the way. I wanted to continue, not necessarily just to honor Minato’s sacrifice but mostly because if there was a way to save the world without dying than he wouldn’t have died? Also other games have had themes of accepting grim reality so I was guys, we are NOT going to the past.

However the final door cutscene made a lot of things click. Mostly why the fandom calls Minato door-kun. Also the complication that Nyx (and be extension death) is not bad or malevolent but just is. The problem is that those with this gift of life still wish for death (embodied by Erberus).

The conclusion of the game that your bonds with others are what makes life worth living as well as a way to deal with life’s hardships is very on brand for this series and very good.

I also appreciated Yukari’s arc. She grieved for Minato the hardest it seems. I was happy when she admitted she was being a bitch but it was just because she had not accepted Minato’s death and was jealous that Aigis inherited his power. While it was good writing and made sense as someone struggling with grief there were several times in the story that I was like “Yukari, can you fucking chill?” so it was very fulfilling to see her come to the conclusion that her behavior was a product of her grief and to end on friendly terms with Aigis. It was kind of like Junpei’s arc in the main game where I started being like “I logically understand why you are like this but you’re still annoying” to “aww baby, baby with character development!”

Also can we talk about Mitsuru’s speech to Yukari at the end. You were there at my darkest moment so I swore that I would stand by your side??? *trying to make it less gay* isn’t what that what your bonds with all your friends here are for, to help you through life’s hardships?

Like Yukimitsu shippers get your breakfast, lunch, and dinner!

Also good message but I am shipping trash at my core.

The only thing I was not a fan of at the end was Aigis’ fake out death.

I was like, they are not going to play the “protag dies” card twice in the same game, you can quit playing now.

The idea of Aigis literally coming to life was very cool though.

Also congrats game on very nearly making me cry. Like Minato protecting them forever??? chokes me up just thinking about it.

#p3 #p3fes #p3 playthrough #the answer #the answer spoilers #long post #like loooong post

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sillyfudgemonkeys · 6 years ago

Note

Any hopes and wishes for pq2?

They were granted when the FeMC showed up. 8U Jk, not jk.

Hmmmm

P3(P) and P4 vs P5. I want the drama, the clashing of ideals. They can work together but still have issues with one and other (I don’t think either P3 or P4 groups should end up joining P5′s because I feel like P3/4 have a lot more similar ideals than P5′s kids). I want them to actually make P5 present it’s ideals and ACTUALLY DEVELOP THEM INSTEAD OF DROPPING THEM AFTER MENTIONING THEM AND THEN NEVER DOING ANYTHING WITH IT AGAIN! *cough*

Minato vs Hamuko. Not in the same fashion above, but I feel like they are different enough to butt heads, and I feel like, while they might share a same core ideal, they might have different views on how to obtain it.

Minato and Hamuko bonding (I want a love hate relationship with them tbh). Maybe they bond over Pharos. One conflict I thought would be cool for Hamuko, is considering how P3P makes it feel like she’s close to ALL her SEES members, she feels personally….betrayed in a way whenever they go behind their back and cause drama (such as Yukari asking Fuuka to hack the Kirijou group). She feels like she’s the glue trying to hold the group together, but she feels she might break at any second. I dunno what Minato might say, maybe something like “Oh I never thought of that tbh….I just felt like coworkers and just let them do their own thing.” Maybe feel bad he’s not as close to the guys as Hamuko apparently is.

Goro/Ken/Yosuke talking about revenge

Goro/Makoto/Haru and Ken having a mind trip over the fact they are all the same age.

Naoto being suspicious of Goro, and Goro being wary of Naoto but trying to play it off (maybe even Souji being wary of Goro too).

Minato and Hamuko being confirmed to not be the “same” person similar to ala Bioshock Infinite’s Lutece Twins. But instead something more like….P2′s Doppelgängers. Ironic since if you perform the character shadow/outline test they are actually pretty easy to identify (unlike apparently Tatsuya and Jun). But yeah just being kindred spirits/souls who happen to share the same fate depending on the timeline (and possible the other still existing in each other timelines)

Hamuko getting a female Orpheus Telos or a female Messiah. (or a diff Ult Persona to Minato, so I guess a fem OT would be the best choice).

Hamuko and Minato being able to perform limited fusion spells (if you are a fan of this duo, you probably like the idea of them shooting each other in the head to perform such a fusion).

Not having any characters perm in the party, aka I don’t need to have an MC in there…Oh looks like as I was typing this MysticDistance confirmed this in the Famitsu article…..sweet!

Anne/Aigis/Teddie blonde babies interacting ;w;

Anne/Hamuko interacting

Group Date Cafe returning

and being able to pair Hamuko up with my ships (from roughly greatest to not as greatest main ships): Minato/Hamuko, Anne/Hamuko, Souji/Hamuko, Aigis/Hamuko, Yosuke/Hamuko, Teddie/Hamuko, Mitsuru/Hamuko, Shinji/Hamuko.

Hamuko having a very important role (confirmed/seems to be hinted at while typing this)

PQ2′s reason for existing being similar to PQ1′s. Aka, PQ1′s reason is cause it helped explain why the P3/4 kids trusted each other so quickly (cause they had their subconscious memories), and also to wrap up who Labby’s mama was. But for PQ2 it’s to set up the next possible arena game, and maybe to reintroduce the Minato Timeline!FeMC as a “new” character.

P5 kids finding out Igor might not really be Igor

Margaret/Liz/Theo (if they are even there) meeting the Twins and being very confused.

More secret bosses.

Edit: I guess Goro talking about his past and telling the P5 kids what he tells them around the boss fight and....well not really “redeeming” himself but maybe deciding to just work with them to take Shido down.

All I can think of right now. XP

#Persona 3 #persona q2 #persona 4 #persona 5 #persona 3 portable #anon #silly asks #silly answers

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kronecker-delta · 8 years ago

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Various Scenes from Nier: Automata/Persona (and Nier too) crossover idea.

This isn’t an entirely cohesive story sadly, more a series of scenes I came up with a couple months ago. Read below for fanfic intermixed with general story ideas. This set is mostly dealing with Mitsuru Kirijo (with some Aigis too)

Being a Nier crossover there’s some death and people doing bad things for what they think are good reasons. So basically little bits of drama and not scattered fluff below.

1. Rough Imprinting Scene

Note: This is the earliest (within the chronology of the plot anyway) scene so I put it first. For a couple reasons I thought it would be interesting to write about Mitsuru, even far into the future of the Nier timeline. There were a couple ways to do that, but I went with one that would allow for certain interesting character interactions/revelations far later. Namely that Mitsuru used the native magitech of her own company to get around the WCS by imprinting her consciousness/soul into an android body.

--->

The moment she felt the draw upon her soul every instinct cried out for her to call Artemisia back. Even as she now was, older, flesh tainted by that abomination's filth, she knew the touch of true death like a lover's caress. Her evoker may as well have been a real firearm for what she was doing. And she knew it. The fear became nearly paralyzing.

But she held on, holding her focus on the glowing, brilliantly incandescent crystalline structure before her. Till a spike of pain shot through her nerves and her vision swam with spots of red and black. She fell forward.

And plunged into that light.

It burned away sight.

It burned away touch.

It burned away mass and motion and everything.

She was thoughts captured in blue amber, the concept of herself in a dimming cage of which she could not conceive of an exit. Her memories, her mind, her soul... all of it was there. But there was nothing within her new home.

She relearned fear first. Trapped in the abyss. And with that came the first response. A Papillon Heart was after all transcendental computation system. To be within it she would become it. Her memories carved lines and new structures, painting recollected sensations. But still there was no outside sensation. Only a numbing limbo.

They had feared this possibility. That she would not, could not adapt to it. That Aigis would one day have to simply destroy her self-made prison to set her soul free.

The thought that she would be forced to do that brought her focus away from the tracing of her mind into the circuits. She had to find away out. She had to reach out and feel the wires that had replaced nerves, the cables that wound around metal bones, the more mundane computer systems that would let her see and hear. She threw herself into the change. Feeling the connections that led out eventually and following them.

Into alien systems. Things her human mind could only have understood from the outside.

But she was within the Papillon Heart now, and the plasticity of it let her change and move parts about. Shift and redraw the connections. Till she understood what it was like to be what she had become. To feel the sensitive wires that led from her memory circuits into the core of her being, that would let new experiences, and new sights become part of her.

Her sense of time was still gone. But eventually she located the internal chronometer.

2032, August 24.

It had been three months. It had felt like mere minutes. How long had it taken for her to move even to this first step outside of the core? How long had Aigis been standing vigil over her silent body. By now the salt that had been her original flesh would long have been taken away for storage and eventually disposal. Hopefully after the contaminants had been removed for later expulsion from their world.

The nature of how she would move escaped her, something that had been so simple as a child seemed to have been forgotten in her change. So instead she didn't bother for the moment. Simply focusing all her intent on finding the path that would let her open her eyes.

Two days later she managed that much. She found the world looked so different. The colors slightly off, the details sharper. Of course it was far too bright at first. It took her an hour before she realized that she should adjust the parameters of her vision to her liking.

And even though she didn't show it on her face she felt radiant when she saw Aigis smiling down at her.

--->

Post Note: In truth I now feel the time taken for Mitsuru to re-awake should be on the order of centuries to better fit with the story. Later snippets go in that direction.

Part of this is to work with the change in Aigis own character over those intervening years in solitude.

2. Visiting the Replicant Village

Note: This continues from (the updated ideas) of the previous snippet. Along with Aigis own hypothetical character arc. Namely that she would be the Devil arcana of the social links and her regret and eventual redemption would be of major importance moving forward.

(The long years of solitude with her friends either dead or hibernating as the world ended didn’t treat her well.)

--->

3325, January 11 It took a day to reach the city. Not that she could tell without checking her internal clock. The sun never set and night never came. The strange unreality of this future felt stranger and more unfamiliar to her than anything else that had happened. Even her own new body, a mere simulacrum of the flesh of her birth, was not as strange as the world around her. She had escaped the fate of the human race by escaping humanity itself. Yet despite that Mitsuru felt like she'd changed less than anything else. Or anyone else. "We're arriving soon. Don't mention anything about Project Gestalt or our own nature to the Replicants. They're already getting hard to control effectively." Aigis's words were an understatement. The town before them had armed guards patrolling the entrance, simple swords and spears, but more than enough to cause problems. They'd already heard reports of Gestalts that had headed directly to their Replicant doubles, attempted re-unification, and been cut down by the panicked clones when it failed. Now guards were standing watch to prevent the invasion of more 'shades.' And the problems were getting worse. There were millions of Gestalts awakening, more and more everyday. The emotional distress of their persistent separation from their own flesh was reacting with the maso in their bodies. Gestalts had started to become... unstable. They needed to move forward more quickly. Locate the first grimoires and make sure they had a supply of maso from the Original. Before they ran out of time. Or the Replicants made their job even harder. There's not enough of us to enforce order. Not enough androids. Mitsuru wondered if not recoiling from that thought meant her soul imprinting project had been even more flawed than originally anticipated. A millennia of torpor was quite the oversight after all. But unlike the Gestalts there was nothing temporary about her new body. She felt no dysphoric reaction, no sense of wrongness. She didn't wake in a cold sweat, or what should have been cold sweat, terrified of her own body. There were no persistent phantom limb sensations, or sensory errors. Despite the fact that she would likely exist as she now was till time or tragedy ended her, she had not a sign of the struggles that plagued her fellow humans. I wonder if they'll still consider me one when they're back in their bodies again. Her transformation had been one way, and there would be no pretending to be human like Aigis had so long ago. All the awakening Gestalts that had the good fortune to find the androids first knew who and what they were. Even after they world was made whole, her life would be very different. "Hey Miss! Are you related to Devola and Popola? Like a cousin or something? Cause you both got really pretty hair." A young boy had ran up and asked Mitsuru, egged on by a group of children behind him. She froze. Shocked by how human the supposedly soulless vessels seemed in that moment. Her stuttered response coming after a long, awkward pause. "N-no. I mean sort of. You could say we're related in some sense... technically." All androids bare some relation to the Kirijo Groups original work. And I did both hand over that data to the Hamelin Organization and spearhead further developments as part of the imprinting experiment. Even back then she'd realized that her new body would have to be closer to human than what Aigis had had if she wanted to adapt to it. Perhaps if she'd had the various minor and major improvements that now existed back then it wouldn't have taken so long. That Aigis had shared a bottle of wine with her when she'd come out of her intensive inspection and long overdue maintenance had been shocking enough. Getting drunk off it and spending the evening reminiscing about the good old days, back when all her friends had been alive, exuberant after stopping Nyx. Before they'd remembered what the price had been for that victory. "Come on now," Aigis said, grabbing hold of Mitsuru and dragging her a way from the child. "We can't waste time talking to them." Mitsuru noticed the tone Aigis used to refer to the now conscious Replicants, and leaned in closer to harshly whisper, "He's only a child Aigis." "No, he's just a body waiting for that child. The Replicants are produced as clones of who will inhabit them. Right down to their ages." She gestured to the other young among the crowd. "Children held out against the disease quite well after all. There are a lot of them waiting out there. Desperate and longing to live again. We can't allow them to die like that." She didn't argue the point. But looking back, seeing the group resuming some newly invented game she dreaded the conflict before her. There were Gestalts that needed those bodies. And all around her were Replicants that would likely stand before them to their dying breaths. The difficulties in forcing unification even in laboratory conditions now that the Replicants had consciousnesses proved that they were going to have to move forward to a more severe solution. "Director, I wasn't expecting you," Devola said. Picking up her lute she stood quickly and bowed as they approached. Though her eyes flicked back and forth between Aigis and Mitsuru. An unspoken question hanging in the air. "This is Mitsuru Kirijo. She's working with us." Aigis didn't ask for Devola to follow them, she simply started walking towards another building in the village. Where the other twin would be present. Mitsuru stepped back and opened her mouth. Closing it again as she realized she didn't know what to say. She'd barely spoken to anyone other than the Gestalts or Aigis herself. This android... she'd been activated after Mitsuru's long slumber had begun. Devola took the initiative instead. "It's a pleasure to meet you Mitsuru. Though I'm surprised by your name. I wouldn't have thought... well no matter." Popola rose to greet them as well. Hurrying forward to close the door and lock it after they entered the library. Motioning to a pair of chairs as she seated herself and her sister came to stand behind her. "So, what can we do for you Director Aigis?" "I want to know what you're doing to counteract the Replicant problem. I saw armed guards when we entered. That should not be happening." "You can't very well expect them not to defend themselves," Devola said. Immediately wilting under the glare she received. "I-I mean it's just human nature after all! They're scared of the 'shades' as they call them coming to take their bodies." "I don't care if they're scared. Those aren't their bodies in the first place." "Their fear... their emotional distress," said Popola, holding her sister's hand to calm her, "it makes attempted re-unification even harder. More likely for... problems to develop." "What about the alternative then? Have you or the Original located the first Grimoire Noire yet?" "No. The number of copies makes it difficult. But the Original has some connection from the pact he created. They will be brought together when the time is right." Aigis shot up, her hands slamming down on the desk, the wood cracking under the pressure. Her voice low despite the outburst. "When the time is right? When precisely do you expect that to be? When all the humans have been driven mad? When they're all dead? Waiting till the last minute should not be considered an acceptable solution to this problem." "I'm sure they're doing the best they can Aigis," Mitsuru said. Hesitating for a moment before turning to Devola and Popola. "What if we tried to manage their fear? Explain to them what's going on? Maybe we... could achieve some sort of synthesis?" They never got the chance to respond. Aigis turned to look at Mitsuru, the twins relaxing now that her fury was focused elsewhere. "Synthesis? Do you have any idea what you're proposing Mitsuru? What you're asking them to do? Do you know what the Replicant of Yukari was last time? A mild serving girl that spent all her time letting people push her around. The time before that she cut her hair and spent all her time butchering fish. And before that she almost got ran out of town for sleeping around! These... deviant consciousnesses are highly divergent from those of the original human's in many cases. I cannot and will not ask them to compromise their identities and sense of self just because we weren't able to foresee this possibility." "But what if-" "What if it was you? What if you hadn't become an android?" Aigis said, not noticing in her anger how Devola and Popola reacted. "What if it was you waiting for your body to be returned to you? What if the impostor wearing your flesh was as simple as her hating the taste of your favorite food or as awful as her being a vile woman that spread hateful rumors about her neighbors? What if she lacked your will, your drive, and you became less of who you are now? Would you dilute your own soul with... this corruption?!" Neither of them spoke again. Aigis realizing how she had erupted but not willing to apologize, not over this. And Mitsuru struck by how little she knew the woman that Aigis had become after all these years. "It might not work anyway," Devola said at last. "Synthesis is only a theoretical possibility. The soul in question would have to be amazingly empathetic to their Replicant consciousness and we would then have to use them as a template for such a process, and even than with the time table given we would have to acquire both Grimoires and modify them for the new result." "That and the Original would never agree. And... forcing the issue with him might not be an option," Popola finished for her twin. "Such an alteration of the Project Gestalt plan is beyond our authorized authority." Aigis let out a bitter laugh. "Even after all these years you two still haven't developed proper egos yet? Or do you simply refuse to acknowledge them? Regardless, we aren't changing the plan to follow a fool's hope this late. We can't afford such a risk." What are we risking by not doing it Aigis, Mitsuru thought. Thinking about those children in the street. And the children that were also waiting for those bodies too. Did one of them have to die for the other? But can I really ask them... ask Yukari and the others to settle for that? Sharing their bodies, sharing their very souls? She hadn't had to. She'd simply been reborn into a body electric, a form only superficially human. And while she was different now she remained herself. And it had been a risk she had knowingly taken. The millions of Gestalts had not done so. They expected to return to their own bodies and theirs alone. Many of them wouldn't settle for less either.

--->

Post Note: The other major point is that the conflict between Aigis and Mitsuru over how to deal with the Replicants would be the seed that lead to a breakdown in their relationship and millennia without speaking.

One idea suggested was that Yukari survived as a Gestalt and played peacemaker between them. Up till she relapsed and ended up being killed before she could go on a rampage. With Aigis and Mitsuru blaming themselves for her death.

3. Unexpected Reunion (Nier: Automata timespan)

Note: And this is set during Nier: Automata finally, but within the context that android persona users have started to appear. Probably midway through whatever plot might be?

--->

Her troops lined up along the hanger. A ostentatious presentation perhaps, but one that she took some measure of pride in. Though they did not know that these 'inspectors' were the so-called Council of Humanity it still served to show professionalism if one appeared in person. It wasn't everyone of course, even with the downturn in deployments that recent events had triggered the command center itself still needed to be staffed. But nearly three dozen YoRHa troops stood along the sides as the shuttle pulled in. Landing in the spot prepared for it now that all the HO-229 flight units had been moved out of the way.

She stood before the opening door. Ready to greet the inspector when the disembarked, her mind going over what particulars she could emphasize to show their progress and efficiency.

And all of that falling away when she saw who stepped down.

***

White had put this off as long as possible. She'd tried to remain in the presence of the YoRHa staff, letting the Operators talk at great and unnecessary length about previous deployments, and had changed her request to have the most easily excitable Scanner unit explain new modifications they had begun to implement. All of it had failed in the end, and she had been asked to meet privately.

Repeatedly.

Eventually she had relented. Stepping into her private quarters, actually taking some pride in the mess. It was so unlike her inspector's tendencies that she was certain they found it irritating. She kicked a spare boot to the side and turned to face them. "So Kirijo, what is it you wanted to speak about?"

She frowned, looking closely at White and probably seeing her as she had been. How they had been before she'd learned the truth. Back when White had allowed herself to unknowingly be the recipient of their misplaced maternal instincts.

"White I..." she started to say. Noticing how White stiffened at the name she continued, more formally. Speaking now with the distance that stood between them. "Commander, there has been some changes with the Council recently. Nanjo is dead."

"I see then," White spoke slowly. The death of a councilor was no small matter after all. "We are prepared to take the aggressors down if necessary. Machine or android rebels."

She shook her head, her long red hair partially covering her left eye before she brushed it back. "That won't be necessary. It wasn't machine lifeforms or rebels. Nanjo had been experimenting with the reappearing shadows, attempting to merge them with androids. His... work got away from him and he was killed during an investigation by the android persona users."

2B and 9S? But...

"Why wasn't I informed of this? If YoRHa androids got involved with the council they-"

"Might encounter classified information? They did," Mitsuru said, her expression grim. "More than was expected even. The Nanjo networks contained info on the shadow experiments that they had been performing... and other, older data files. Material that had been classified above general council access even. I wasn't even aware of it."

"But you're-" White started, cutting herself off. The old argument threatened to break out again. The furious disagreement of five hundred years ago that had seen her leave the Kirijo Group to strike out on her own. Rising by her own merits to the post she now held. Instead she swallowed her anger, and asked, "What could be classified above even the council?"

"This... the secret behind YoRHa. Something far too sensitive to be transmitted through any communications channel." She handed over a secured data pad. Saying at last, "I... I'm sorry I didn't find out earlier."

White scanned it... stopping when she realized just what she was reading. She looked up again at Mitsuru, and quickly tore her gaze away. She couldn't stand to see what was there.

Pity.

Instead she read the report. Once and then again. Her hand trembling at the third time as the enormity of it all began to truly sink in. That her- their sacrifices, that all the terrible decisions she had made would never and could never have created the future she desired. A world free from the machines. What form that world might have taken White had studiously avoided thinking about. Whether it be quiet mourning and remembrance for humanity lost... or the civilization rebuilt from the rubble. Cities instead of disparate settlements, a society beyond the scattered war industries that maintained their armies. Honoring their creators by recreating what had been as best they could.

What Mitsuru had claimed should be their goal. What she had said humans would have wanted. What she would have wanted even if she had still been human.

But none of that mattered. None of that had ever mattered. Her war, her battles, all of it.

Meaningless.

She dropped the data pad. Collapsing onto her bed, staring down. Looking at her hands. Thinking of how dark they should be for all the useless blood she had spilled to fight a war she couldn't even win.

When Mitsuru sat beside her and pulled her into an embrace she didn't have the pride left to fight off. If indulging in whatever leftover instincts had transferred into Mitsuru's body when she abandoned her humanity would sooth the pain she felt now, White would do so gladly.

"This happened to me once."

White looked up, eyes wet from silent sobs. Mitsuru took note of her attention and continued speaking.

"A long time ago. Back when I was human. My friends and I... we, all of us, we fought to stop the end of the world. Or so we thought. I'd known that my family had had a part in bringing it about, but I'd had no idea that the man that was advising us had been quietly plotting our deaths the entire time." Mitsuru was looking through the window now. Down to the world of her... 'births.' The first of blood and flesh like all her race. And the second a painful, if necessary, repudiation of the first. "In the end my father died to save us, to save me."

"That must have hurt," White said, quietly. "To be left all alone like that."

"No," she shook her head, saying, "I wasn't alone. It was painful. More... more than I can describe. But I had my friends. I knew then that the world was counting on me. White... you're not alone, you don't have to suffer this burden in silence."

--->

Post Note:

So... I kept getting hit by how I saw some similarities between White and Mitsuru when I was thinking over Persona/Nier crossover material. Now there are multiple ways to pull off some sort of meeting/conversation. Time travel/dimension travel/artificial life or conjured memory. I decided to play with the idea of a method turning a persona using human into an android that I brought up in a previous snippet as the means to set this scenario up.

Within the context of this crossover White was being groomed to take a leadership role in various parts of android society that the Kirijo group managed. Mostly android manufacture, repair, and such. But because her personality lead to her being mentored more closely by Mitsuru she eventually became privy to the once-human's personal beliefs and goals. And even the revelation of her origin. Which White took to be great insult as Mitsuru truly doesn't think of herself as 'human' or having anything special that would make her better than other androids by this point.

Which is long explanation for why I wanted to write Mitsuru as the mentor/effective parental figure to White.

Final Note: (I’m probably never going to expand on this into a full story sadly. It feels to complicated and demanding, especially balancing Persona’s own magic/mythology with Nier/Drakengard’s. Still I enjoyed writing these brief explorations of the concept. The only scene I still wish I’d wrote with this was the eventual reconciliation of Aigis and Mitsuru as the rekindle their friendship after thousands of years of letting their guilt about not being able to stop the apocalypse get between them.)

#nier automata #crossover #fanfic #persona #mitsuru kirijo #aigis #yorha commander

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