#while byleth matches his current edge

[kumeko]

A/N: For the Blades in Hand zine! I wanted some post canon fluff, at least as much as Felix and Byleth allow themselves fluff. XD Last time I had written them in the endings where they go around wandering, so I wanted a more domestic route this time. And all based off the one line in their ending where they end up having duels every time they go home.

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Byleth wasn’t home. It was late at night, Byleth’s carriage should have arrived hours ago, and she still wasn’t home. Felix stood in front of his big bay windows, scowling at the slowly rising moon as though it had personally insulted him. No one would call him a patient man—Ingrid had bemoaned how little it took to set him off—but there was little else to do in the face of delays but wait.

He paced his dimly lit manor, the candles casting just enough light to see. Somewhere, a clock chimed, the hour late. Their children had already been tucked into bed, disappointed and sulking when their mother hadn’t returned. Felix hadn’t the words to comfort them; they had even less patience than he did. It was a Fraldarius thing, this desire to move, this need to get things done immediately and without delay. Byleth had always been good at the waiting game, whether it was teaching in their youth or handling important affairs as she cleaned up a war that she hadn’t started.

Aside from his soft footfalls echoing through the vaulted ceiling and the quiet tickticktick of the clock, the house was silent. The servants had long since finished their duties for the day. Only the stableboy stood outside, waiting to tend to Byleth’s horse. Felix watched the moon rise even higher, its silver rays lighting up the path to their front door. His sword dangled uselessly at his waist.

The clock chimed once, twice—at the eleventh gong, Felix stood stock-still. A familiar figure trotted down the path, her cloak pulled back. In the moonlight, her green hair glowed. Something in him uncoiled at the sight.

There were very few that could touch her, especially now that the war was over. Somehow, that fact never stopped the knots that grew in him whenever she returned late.

He was getting soft. A minor affliction he had feared as an ignorant child, and one that he now embraced as a father.

Her horse stopped at the front door. He listened to the soft murmurs as she talked to the stable boy, as she slipped off her steed and walked to the door. Felix stood in front of the staircase, expression impassive, as she walked in through the doors.

Byleth’s eyes lit up as she spotted him, her lips curving into a rare, soft smile. “I’m back.”

“Late,” he replied evenly, noting the slight limp as she closed the door. Her green cloak looked frayed and torn, and the dark splatters could only be blood.

“There was trouble.” Byleth unfastened her clasp and turned when he approached. “The children?”

“Asleep.” Felix gently pulled off her cloak. Their conversations were always quick, pointed things, like the strikes in fencing. Only the bare bones were needed, only the bullet point summaries had to be uttered. “The blood?”

Looking over her shoulder, Byleth smirked. “Not mine.”

Felix chuckled. He shouldn’t have asked. Stripped down of her travelling gear, he could see that she was perfectly fine. His gaze flickered to her right leg. Almost perfectly fine. Felix touched her hip lightly.  Her skin was warm beneath her stockings. “Should we do this tomorrow?”

Byleth rested a cold hand on his, squeezing it lightly. Her other hand cupped his cheek, guiding him down into a firm kiss. He could taste her long, dusty journey on her lips. As she pulled back, she shook her head. “Today. I have not felt your sword in a month.”

Felix didn’t fight his smile. With every year that passed, he realized how lucky he had been to find her. There was no need for words between them, they only got in the way. There was no desire for pleasantries or any of the trappings of society, the social norms that only served to restrain and hinder them.

No, the only thing they needed was the swords attached to their belts and an open space to fight. Sparring was their religion, their weapons their gods, and there was no need for any tradition in their household aside from their clashes. Felix had long learned how to read Byleth’s body, with the reverence that Mercedes put into her prayers, and any questions he had would be answered as they fought.

Felix deposited her cloak in a corner. They could put it away later. The candlebras were fully lit, leaving two bright pools of light on the ground. Felix stepped into one, drawing his one-handed arming sword. The servants had cleared the room of any fragile items. No one had mopped. The area was clear for their fight. “With the clock?”

Byleth rolled her shoulders and cracked her neck as she entered the second pool of light. She drew her sword, a solid two-handed longsword. It didn’t have the same reach as her Sword of the Creator, but in her hands it didn’t need to. “Okay.”

The second hand ticked. He kept his grip relaxed. Her strength versus his speed. They fought so many times, they’d stopped keeping track of the score and focused instead on who was winning. Felix breathed in. Byleth breathed out.

The minute hand moved, a soft tick, and they both sprang forward. He struck first, as always: a sharp thrust to her chest. Byleth parried, a strong stroke that sharply cleaved through the air. Without a pause, she kicked him with her good leg, sending him flying back.

He didn’t miss her wince as she did so. Her leg hurt more than she had admitted. Her stoicism matched his, and it was hypocritical of him to say otherwise. Sliding to a stop on their marbled floor, he ducked at her follow up attack and elbowed her in the chest. Byleth grunted and hit his shoulder with her hilt.

Felix clenched his jaw and jumped back. Her eyes narrowed and he knew that she’d recognized his reaction for what it was: his old shoulder injury acting up again. It liked to do that, some spring nights, when winter’s chill still lingered long after the snow had melted.

Every movement revealed more and more of their time apart: the exhaustion in her arms from her long ride, the boredom of his paperwork dulling his blade, her nose ruddy from the drizzle she’d travelled through. It was better than any letter, more explicit than any conversation. What the memory forgot, the body remembered.

The dance continued: thrust, parry, duck, jab. Muddy footprints recorded their midnight duel. Moonlight streamed through the windows, and Felix was reminded of another starlit dance on a marbled floor, years ago when she had been a mysterious teacher and he hadn’t cared for her beyond her blade. Somehow, Sylvain had convinced her to dance with the entire class.

Felix had spent the entire song stiff, his hands wooden on her shoulder and waist as he impatiently waited for the night to be over. And when they had bumped into each other later, in front of the tower, he had mocked the entire affair.

Settle for being a lover, he had said. If you want passion, look elsewhere.

He had been a fool then. There was no better partner than Byleth, no better dance than that of their blades. There was no settling with Byleth, only rising to each other’s challenges.

And passion could be found everywhere, from their swords to their beds.

They clashed, steel meeting steel, speed opposing strength. Byleth’s eyes were alive in a way he rarely saw otherwise, burning with a fire as she instantly decided her next move. Felix was certain he had the same wild look, his hair flying out of its tie, his lips drawn into a smile that was all teeth and grit.

Since he was a child, he had known there was no place for him in peace. Even with his duties, his friends, his children, it was a feeling that stayed bone deep.

Yet.

Yet.

Here, in the middle of a fight with his wife, her sword nicking his cheek, his blade grazing her arm, he knew had found the one place he’d belonged. They were two extinct animals, but they were together, and perhaps that was all he had needed: a companion.

Byleth slashed at him.  He dodged, but her hilt hit his wrist and he gasped. Before his sword could fall out of his hand, he grabbed it with his other. Sensing weakness, Byleth lunged forward. Felix ducked her thrust and kicked her leg. Her eyes widened and she groaned softly as she fell backward. Before she could hit the ground, he wrapped an arm around her waist, his blade pointed at her neck. “Yield?”

Byleth’s gazed flickered from her sword to his blade to his face. Sighing, she nodded, her weapon falling out of her hands with a sharp clatter. “You win.”

He smirked, pulling her up before he sheathed his own weapon. He kept his hand on her waist, feeling her shudder with every heavy breath. “We’re tied again.”

“No, I’m still one ahead—” Byleth let out a sharp breath and grimaced as she stepped with her hurt foot.

Felix didn’t hesitate before sweeping her off her feet and into his arms. His wrist ached at the added weight. When she shot him a disgruntled look, he pressed a gentle finger on her leg. “A sprain?”

Byleth stared at him for a moment before sighing. “A bruise that hasn’t healed.”

She relaxed, leaning into his chest. Her hair tickled his chin as he tightened his grip and headed up the stairs. Byleth wasn’t one for indulgence, neither was he, but he couldn’t deny the desire sometimes. It had been a month since he’d last held her.

“I missed this,” he murmured. I missed you.

Byleth smiled, hearing the unspoken words. “Me too.”

Their bedroom was considerably brighter than the foyer, the candles scattered on the desks, drawers, and other flat surfaces until the room had a warm, almost cozy feel. It would be annoying to put them out later. Despite that, they were oddly appealing in this late hour.

Years ago, he had told her that he wasn’t a romantic. It was funny how things changed.

Slowly, Felix deposited his wife on their bed, her bright green hair splaying on the dark blue comforter.  She rolled over slightly, eyes closed and smiling contentedly as she buried her nose in the fabric. “They still smell of pine. I didn’t think we’d still need them.”

Felix chuckled, immediately guessing what her real question was. “It’ll be another month before we should remove them.”

Byleth was tough, but not Faerghus winter tough. Felix had long suspected the main reason she kept hosting Dimitri’s peace talks at the monastery was not because of its central location, as she claimed, but rather to escape the deep chill of winter. He leaned down, brushing the hair out of her face. Her eyes were emerald bright in the gloom. “The cold will leave soon enough.”

She leaned into his touch. Her cheek was as rough as her hands. “You said that before I left.”

“It is warmer now,” he rebutted, brushing her skin with a thumb. Part him wanted to linger here, to just stay like this. After spending years running, these days Felix found he wanted to stand still. He was getting soft. It had to be old age.

There was a first aid kit in their drawers. Early on in their marriage, they’d discovered it was an essential bedroom item. Between his lies and her deflections, it was a miracle they hadn’t lost a limb from delaying healing. Felix knelt next to the bed, setting the cloth bandages, a water-filled basin, and a washcloth around him.

Byleth moved up to her elbows, regarding him as he gently pried off her mud-encrusted boots. Her tights fared little better, flecked with the dirt. “Rough ride?”

“There was rain.” She exhaled sharply as he slid her tights off her right ankle.

His fingers skimmed her thighs and he fought the urge to investigate higher. Bruised skin greeted him as he examined her bare ankles, small black and purple flowers that ran up her leg. Carefully, Felix held her leg, his lithe fingers gingerly pressing as he assessed the damage. “A bruise?”

“Many bruises,” she admitted reluctantly. When he looked up, brow furrowed and lips a straight line, she sighed. “It looks worse than it feels.”

He pressed on a bruise and she hissed between clenched teeth. Clicking his tongue, Felix dipped the washcloth in the cold water. “How did you ride with this?”

Byleth shivered as the cold water hit her skin. Lightly, he removed the dirt and grime of her journey, the cloth only just touching her leg. “I wanted to see you.”

His hand froze at the comment. “It could have waited.”

“It couldn’t,” she disagreed, bending forward to run a hand through his hair. When he looked up, she cupped his cheek. “It really couldn’t.”

That tiny action, those small words left him as breathless as their fight had. He turned slightly, pressing a kiss with the corner of his mouth before returning to her leg. “What happened?”

Byleth leaned back and stared at the ceiling. “We had found some remnants of the Agarthans. They were stronger than we’d expected.”

It had been years, and they still hadn’t fully wiped out those conniving bastards. Part of Felix thought they never would. “You beat them?”

Byleth snorted derisively. “Of course.” 

It was an insulting question. There was no other way she’d answer, after all. Felix changed the topic. “How were the boar’s peace talks?”

Byleth huffed. “The remaining nobles are stubborn—they’ve mostly agreed, but they just want to save face by delaying matters.”

“Old fools.” Felix clicked his tongue; the world was filled with morons. He let go of her leg. Aside from cleaning it, there was little he could do. “Anywhere else?”

Byleth gingerly kicked her leg. Satisfied, she shook her head. “No, that was it.”

“Good.”  Felix gently kissed her ankle. He had never considered himself a tender romantic but then again, he had never considered himself a passionate lover either. With Byleth, he found that both suited him. He pressed his next kiss slightly higher up.

Byleth’s breath hitched, and he smirked against her slowly warming skin. It wouldn’t be long before he wiped the journey from her body. Before he could go any further than her knee, a calloused hand cupped his chin, forcing him to look up. Byleth leaned down, kissing him softly, her thumb brushing his cut. It stung. He could taste iron from her bloody lip. She pulled back and patted the space next to her. “Your turn.”

Felix nosed her shoulder, lips skimming her collar. “It’s fine.”

Byleth growled and forced him to stand. “It’s not.”

As though they were still fighting in the foyer, Byleth yanked him down, all but tackling him onto the bed. Now he was the one lying flat on his back, staring at their canopy. She leaned over him, her green hair falling over him like a waterfall. “It’s not,” she repeated firmly, her gaze never leaving his.

“It’s not,” he agreed, reaching up and burying his good hand in her soft hair. Her breath ghosted his lips as he pulled her down.

“Don’t think I’ll fall for this,” she murmured, pulling away before he closed the gap.

Felix glowered at the ceiling before forcing himself to sit up on the bed. She plucked the kit from the floor and plopped it between them. Her knees bumped into his as she adjusted for a more comfortable position. Byleth held out her hand and reluctantly, he placed his injured wrist on her palm.

Now that he was paying attention to it, it throbbed, sending dull jolts of pain up his arm.

“Didn’t think I hit you that hard,” Byleth murmured, her fingers lightly tracing the sprain.

“You got lucky,” he muttered, unable to look away as she tenderly rubbed a cold, white ointment on his skin. Despite her firm grip, her touch was tender and he could barely feel it.

This wasn’t the first time she’d tended to him. It wouldn’t be the last either. Yet, he still couldn’t get used to the sensation, to the feeling of another taking care of him. It was different to Ingrid’s aid, or even Mercedes and Annette’s healing.

Byleth’s fingers sent jolts of electricity down his spine. As she leaned forward, her hair brushed his skin. Cradling his hand as though it were made of glass, she started to wrap it with a cloth tape.  

“Any changes here?” she asked, paying no attention to his stare.

Felix shrugged. “Nothing. Just the usual.”

“I didn’t think you’d ever say that.” Byleth chuckled, and he could feel the reverberations where they touched. “I thought you hated routines.”

Felix stiffened, remembering his stupid, foolish declarations in the academy. “I do. But this one…isn’t all terrible.”

She tucked in the end of the wrap, clipping it into place. She didn’t let go of his hand, staring at his palm as though she could read the future there. Maybe she could. Felix wouldn’t be surprised.

After a few moments, she brushed back her hair and kissed his palm. “No, it isn’t.”

His breath hitched as she looked up, her eyes dark and hungry.

There were traditions, rituals they kept whenever they parted, whenever they reunited. The duel. The patching. And now, another dance, a more intimate one without the blades and armour in their way.

Felix wasn’t a patient man. He had waited a month for his wife’s return.

Yet, as his wife pushed him down, her eager fingers already unbuttoning his shirt, he realized that his wife had even less patience than he did.

[randomnameless]

Yep, in 3 Hopes, we have at least confirmation that Thales was around (and apparently the leader of the Agarthans? Even if there was some "dissent"?) 1000 years ago, so given her behaviour and general sprite, it'd make sense that Kronya is a newbie, or a "disciple".

Agarthans and shapeshifting is odd, maybe it's a new trick they learnt in those 1 000 years?

Seteth doesn't know, and Sothis who still had her wonky memories (she remembers everything at the time she fusion dances, but before it's a fog?) doesn't seem to know about it either.

Yes, Alois has a family, they're referenced in his supports (especially with Manuela) so that could be a reason why his S support with both Byleths aren't... romantic at all.

Linhardt hating blood while have a THE crest meant to heal people could have been a fascinating issue to explore, like people expecting Lin to heal them because he is supposed to be one of the best healers, but Lin doesn't like the sight of blood, so he refuses to heal said people... but instead we got... what we've got.

The lack of camaraderie between the Eagles is also interesting, in SS they're more close knit together than in CF for "reasons" but yes, at this point in the story, it's mostly just the children of the current Ministers of the Empire being in the same class because they are from Adrestia, and bar some pairs, they don't have any chemistry or links or stories with each other (as opposed to the Lions!).

The experimental Demonic Beasts (I think we have 3 experimental demonic beasts? Agarthans are trying to refine their new weapons!) being part "dragon" is also a nod to the crest stone being draconic in essence - but again, bar being a nod, this will never be brought up (iirc no one in the script wonders what is the difference between monsters and dragons, nor even wonders what are dragons or monsters...)

What do you mean by Sothis's paralogue not making sense? Imo, Remire was a first attempt but the human hosts couldn't "morph" yet, they just became violent and lost their minds - After being expelled from GM (within a month?) Solon refined his gaz/poison/whatever he uses to turn humans in demonic beasts and this time it worked !

The Blue Demonic Beast in Sothis's paralogue is a "natural" one, not an experimental one like the ones Agarthans are trying to craft.

I think the devs at first had the idea of making Edel able to mess with Sothis's time powers - but the idea was scrapped in the final release, so maybe that's a leftover?

Granted, given how Sothis reacts in 3 Hopes when she learns people close to her died, her "it's fate you can't do a thing" in Houses feels very weird - especially since, by then she most likely remembers what she used to be (there was that moment when she nearly connected the dots with Rhea singing the lullaby after the Goddess Tower's events...)

Edel's "toughen up" speech is a bit callous, but maybe she thinks by giving Byleth a goal they can, idk, put aside their grief and move on? It's weird, but again, Edel and self-awareness aren't a good match.

IDK about Thales's plan regarding Edel to begin with, yes she has the Crest of Flames so could theoretically be super OP, like OP enough to beat Rhea... but Rhea bodied Nemesis, who had the same crest of flames 1000 years ago, so what makes Edel stronger than Nemesis - who had the Sword of the Creator? Her Minor Crest of Seiros?

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Edel's reasons for targetting the Church are all over the place - but in CF, in some of her exclusive events, she has some, hm, opinions on Nabateans. The localisation tried to smooth the edges of her words, but I'll let you see by yourself!

(if you're playing SS first, she has interesting lines against Seteth and Flayn!)

Flamey dissing Thales for what happened in Duscur is hilarious when you consider the reveal cutscene in the Lion routes, where she dismisses Dimitri - who has told the world he wants to know and find the truth about Duscur. I had the feeling the devs wanted to highlight how Flamey knows she associates with people who are dangerous and amoral, but she accepts this association to get rid of the Church because somehow the Agarthans/Thales are the lesser of two evils in her mind?

From both doylist and watsonian POVs I can't see how that makes sense, but the game completely drops this angle post timeskip so...

So her reasons for targetting the Church are a mix of "they're not humans" + "it's their fault if Adrestia doesn't control the world anymore" + "they put value on crests" + "they make people believe in a goddess who doesn't answer their prayers" -

I don't think she targets the Church to keep Thales in her pocket, but rather, the inverse, Agarthans have been working in the Empire for some time now to create a gap between the Church and the Empire.

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Sylvain's lines and, well, all the "lore" we get about people being tested for crests or what not is wildly inconsistent in this game - as you pointed out, Ingrid is the heir but was supposed to be married out, and what Sylvain says most likely only applies to the Kingdom - in his situation, having a crest and being able to use the Relic is mandatory to protect the border.

But in the Alliance, Holst is the heir of House Goneril, fights against Almyrans and has no crest.

Hubert trying to make sense of Kronya's murder impulses lol - but it indeed helped them in the long run, with the knights scattered, their infiltration + invasion plan worked wonders.

Ah, Dorothea's backstory!

Through various supports (Yuri and Dorothea! or even Flayn and Manuela) it's heavily implied rising stars at the opera were subjected to sexual abuse to become "divas"... and checking the ages of both Doro and Manuela when they became divas, it's actually quite somber and a background information which reveals a bit about how much Adrestia currently* sucks.

*in 3 Hopes, the Doro'n'Manuela paralogue's description mentions the Mittelfrank Opera company going to "comfort" the imperial army, which of course generated the shitstorm you can guess in several places of the world (a japanese game? with an imperial army? being "comforted"?) but the "comfort" angle was nuked out in the localised version, which is one of the good thing this localising team did.

IDK what the Sealed Forest was supposed to be, a junkyard for broken golems or a real forest, but yeah, that bigass stone with the crest of flames on it really seems like it'd be important... but it actually isn't, because the game didn't give a fuck.

I supposed the Holy Mausoleum is used for worship and some religious ceremonies, but the Holy Tomb (which predates Garreg Mach!) is the true resting place of the dead nabateans?

OK, up to the coronation (aka route split), but I couldn't include the coronation notes without hitting char limit.

I don't actually have too much to say here, since it's just the Kronya stuff, which... doesn't really reveal much. I'll just note that Kronya's sword has her as "Disciple Kronya" which I guess is interesting.

Since there's nothing else, I guess there's the point regarding what people know about each other going into the big part one finale:

Solon referred to Byleth as "Fell Star" already when casting Zahras, so the Agarthans had cottoned on about Byleth's situation at least in part, likely due to the Sword of the Creator.

As mentioned before, Edelgard and Hubert know that Demonic Beasts can be created artificially, and I would even say that some artificial ones already exist.

It is mentioned by several characters that Byleth's minty green color is "familiar" or "like someone else" and Flayn even directly says they match now. This is a super easy connection to make.

Seteth seems to not know that Agarthans can shapeshift, which works with Thales not wanting Kronya's body to be taken so that the specifics of their shapeshifting aren't discovered. iirc Seteth does obliquely refer to the Agarthans as being the likely culprits.

The Flame Emperor and the Death Knight being antagonists is at least known to Dimitri even though he theoretically wasn't around for the missions when we see them. Monica being an imposter is common knowledge after the fact. You doing a ceremony to receive a revelation from the goddess is common knowledge.

Anyway, the most interesting part starts after this.

Live blogging notes:

The Blue Sea star is not visible in winter. I kind of headcanon it as a planet in the same solar system, not an actual star in a different star system, but it being visible Jul to Dec and then invisible the rest of the year matches more with actual stars.

Alois doesn't like it when you blush at him lol

Alois has a wife and daughter???

Linhardt: I hate blood and killing :( (is friends with Hubert somehow)

Manuela: you need 13 charm to win; Sylvain: has 21 (albeit after the +5)

Full names: Alois Rangeld, Manuela Casagranda, Shamir Nevrand

The contestants are Sylvain (from me, because I think he's cute), Dimitri (who forced him into this?? he's so desperate NOT to get picked and yet??), and Raphael (Claude apparently showing his sense of humor).

I do not understand why the "dance competition" is doing waltz movements... alone. Especially when the dancer outfit is like that...? That's not a waltz outfit. And why are they dancing alone?! Listen, I've only seen AMVs of dancing animes but, it was definitely way cooler.

Shamir votes for Dimitri lol

You know, when GD made the promise to meet in 5 years, it was kind of cute. Not terribly meaningful, since their relationships were quite casual on the whole, but cute. Having Edelgard suggest it, knowing what she's planning barely months from now, is...... it's pretty messed up. It doesn't help that the Eagles don't really have a sense of camaraderie either.

Same cinematic for the ball. It was kind of one thing when Claude takes you by the hand and pulls you onto the dance floor (?) in GD, though the focus on Edelgard and Dimitri was pretty pointless, but here, it's just weird.

It's vaguely annoying that you can't choose who you meet at the Goddess Tower. I got Marianne on GD, and I got Ashe here... presumably because I recruited him by getting his B rank.

The chapel is within the monastery's walls.

OK, poking at the Demonic Beasts in the chapel, they are "Experimental Demonic Beasts" with "A shard from a shattered Crest Stone" embedded in their foreheads. They are a "more resilient variation." Although this won't be unique to them, they're also labelled as both "monsters" (unnatural beings wielding magic) and "dragons" (born or descended from the goddess herself).

There are 4 beasts and 3 students in trouble.

Jeralt suggests that the students being turned into beasts has "something to do with Remire," but I have come to doubt that Remire was a test run or directly related to the same research. The timeline is just too tight, and the Sothis paralogue won't make sense.

Bye, Jeralt (again).

Thales tells Kronya she must survive because there's a role he needs her to fulfil, but then Solon will kill her in like a month. In a scene later, he says that his only aim was actually to keep the mystery of their bodies from being revealed, which would happen if Kronya died (her body could be taken by the Church, I guess).

Worth noting that Seteth is very confused about Tomas and clearly does not know that Agarthans can shapeshift.

The explanation for why Byleth accepts Jeralt's death is still so weak. "It's fate," says Sothis. OK, but like, why. Because Thales said so??

Guardian Moon (January) is named after Seiros, who first appeared during this month.

The scene with Edelgard after Jeralt's death is a bit... She starts with a very tough love "have you lost the will to act" approach and discusses how no one can understand your sadness. Others can only offer the tears of an outsider. So she won't cry for you or stand still with you, she can only promise to offer her hand when the time comes for HER to move forward. Which is such a weird direction to take? What does this promise have to do with Byleth grieving?

Thales describes the Flame Emperor as their greatest creation, powerful enough to "burn even the gods." So it seems like they experimented on Edelgard specifically to create a powerful soldier who could face Rhea.

Based on this, it does seem like Edelgard targeting the church is a combination of needing to keep the Agarthans cooperating with her by going along with their aims and getting rid of the Knights in case their interfere (since the Knights supported Loog's separation from the empire). Very impersonal, despite how she sometimes frames it.

Edelgard directly tells Thales that there will be no salvation for their kind and blames them for Duscur (and the shit they caused in Enbarr, presumably the Insurrection of the Seven?).

Sylvain says that most noble children are tested at birth to see if they have a crest. Of course, he also says you can't be the heir without one, but like... Ingrid's family wants to marry her out and she's specifically the only one with the crest, so...

The dancer animation is killing me. It's so stupid.

Hubert suggests that the real aim behind Jeralt's murder was to provoke the Knights into spreading themselves thin hunting his killer.

Manuela says the dagger that killed Jeralt wasn't made of iron or steel and the wound it caused wasn't ordinary.

A lot of the named Church people are out of the monastery this month. Which means you can't train with them, which is annoying...

Dorothea casually drops how she had to survive kidnappings, attempted murders, and who knows what while at the opera. Girl, what??

Linhardt mentions, as we're entering the Sealed Forest, that we have no official mission this month. I guess things were too chaotic to assign us anything.

Kronya is using a sword called Athame, which is described as being crafted with archaic methods. Kronya herself is referred to as "Disciple Kronya." She also has a passive called "Agarthan technology" which makes adjacent foes deal 3 less damage. Is this the weird tentacles she has behind her?

Regarding the Sealed Forest itself, there's some ruins, the platform Kronya waits on (where Solon casts Zahras, which uses the pillars on the edges), a glowing red stone embedded in a sigil on a ruin wall, and the remains of mechanical weapon (I think the kind Rhea keeps in the Tomb in her paralogue?).

It snows on the Locket, I guess because the Throat is a mountain range.

The Holy Mausoleum vs Holy Tomb thing is SO confusing that Rhea has a dialogue line that uses the wrong one lmao

Everyone at the monastery knows we're going to receive a revelation, but Manuela mentions that this is the first time she's heard of the Holy Tomb.

One of the Knights at the monastery mentions that he noticed more people in town than usual. Edelgard's hidden troops are on the move...

Dimitri mentions "this month's mission," so it seems Blue Lions have one, which should NOT be going down into the Tomb with Byleth... I would say this, but Felix's dialogue expects you to do something about Dimitri and like... he's not in my class, dude...

[sabineelectricheart]

Teetering on the Edge

Summary: Sylvain and Byleth’s relationship is on the rocks. He is committed to make it work, though.

Rating: K+ - Suitable for more mature childen, 9 years and older, with minor action violence without serious injury. May contain mild coarse language. Should not contain any adult themes.

Words: 1600

Notes: It’s an AU. It’s not as good as this brilliance, but I hope you like it all the same.

Sylvain woke up at an ungodly early hour and rolled over to see Byleth’s sleeping face being highlighted by the dawning sun. He could not sleep anymore, and so decided to open his eyes and get it over with before he feels sick to his stomach in anxiety.

The placid sleeping figure next to him did help to diminish his unease, and he felt fortunate that it did not so happen that she packed a bag overnight and fled back to her parents’ house down the street. By the grace of the Goddess, in a few minutes they woke up next to one another, even if after a heated night.

They fought the previous night, rather heatedly. Of course, they made up very quickly, and he even manage to persuade some sex out of her, but they fought nonetheless. The arguing they had partaken in the night prior was initiated by Sylvain, but she instantly bit back. She was feisty. He loved that about her.

What he did not love, however, was that they had been fighting much too often lately. They were both under a lot of stress in their last year of college, and it was really taking a heavy toll on them, both emotionally and physically. Not to mention all the circumstances that plagued them.

Byleth’s entire family worked at the university, where they observe very critically her successes and failures. It was stressing for anyone, but more so to the very stoic girl, who had trouble venting her feelings appropriately sometimes. As for Sylvain, he came to Garreg Mach to flee from his overbearing family, but this temporary refuge would soon fade away, as graduation veered ever closer. His current situation was unsustainable, but returning in the Summer to Gautier, for what will be the first time in almost a decade, is absolutely unthinkable.

For many years, ever since Dimitri introduced his new colleague Byleth to their usual drinking group, they had leaned into one another to silence the voices and pressures from the outside. They were each other’s best friend, their own living and breathing, and sometimes tough-loving, diary, if you will.

Yet, at the end of the day, they could only fill the pages up so much before they run out. There was only so much bullshit one can handle before snapping, after all, and the redhead knows he is teetering much too close to that limit, and the root of the problem might just be what throws him over the edge.

Sylvain remembered when him and Byleth started their escapades. They were always tight, ever since that fateful night at the Wilted Rose Inn, the absolute worst bar in the Upper City of Garreg Mach. Sylvain thought she was hot and a great addition to his roster of conquests, she thought he was ridiculous.

Over the course of that night, they talked and discovered more about each other that they liked, and a friendship was born. At the beginning, they were inseparable, attached at the hip, but soon they began to be close in other meanings of the word. They were always making out in closets, sharing sweet kisses in his bedroom, sharing rough kisses in his bedroom.

He remembers twirling her as they drunkenly danced on the deck by the fishing pond on more than one occasion. Getting tipsy and going out on the town was the norm for Sylvain and Byleth those years. It was how they would relax after a long day of classes, whenever their timetables matched.

Oh, how he missed those times. They did not really do that stuff anymore, and it was kind of Sylvain’s fault.

Byleth was adored by everyone, boys and girls alike. Even Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd, their sullen Boar Prince himself, was so whipped for her one would think that she hung the stars and the moon for him. Sylvain had always felt this uncontrollable twinge of jealousy whenever she would be around the blond, which, considering they were classmates as International Relations bachelors, was quite often.

Besides, his parents taught him at a young age, Dimitri’s needs and wants are to be privileged over anyone else’s. The Gautier boy fears the day when these prerogatives will finally be enforced and the boar takes away his girlfriend, willingly or not.

In truth, Sylvain honestly thought that his girlfriend could do much better, but he knows perfectly well that the Boar Prince was not that guy, either. Byleth was intelligent, put together, focused and so, so beautiful. She knew what she was doing. She was too good for him.

A few Moons into the relationship, as was to be expected, the redhead began to doubt himself. Doubt his charm, his wit, his confidence. His charm made him too flirtatious with others, his wit and confidence slowly became arrogance. He grew more insecure.

Simply put, Sylvain was struggling. He was still dealing with his family problems, which he did not talk to Byleth about. He knew he should, but all that the Gautiers ever gave him was shame, embarrassment and a legion of leeches ready to pounce. He was not about to let them taint the one good thing he managed to wriggle out of life, regardless of whatever Ingrid had to say on the subject.

The pressure made him spiral into depression. Those tipsy nights dancing on the university grounds turned into Sylvain doing shot after shot of expensive whiskey as he moped around watching the Food Network at his too-large of a TV, while Byleth pursed her lips and tried to shake him off his foul mood.

It did not work, of course, and it often led to fights like the one yesternight, but she did not have any other ideas. She did not know what she could do to bring the old Sylvain back, but Goddess, she wanted so much to be there for him.

Sylvain did not know what to do with himself. He was losing himself under an ocean of anger and hard spirits. Sylvain was not a crier, but man did he cry after a few shots of whiskey. Byleth would embrace him so tightly and kiss his temple as he sobbed on her shoulder. His tears would soak into her shirt.

He knew that she cared so much, she was such a bright force in his life, she was golden, the very sun over their small piece of the world, and Sylvain? He was the moon. He would take over and make the brightness disappear. He hated that her brightness was dimming, and that it was because of him.

Sylvain could tell that Byleth was worried about their relationship. Neither of them was stupid or blind. The writing was on the wall, but despite the pressure it put on both of them, he still could not manage to just come out and say what has been plaguing him for so long, and she does not have the strength to wrestle it out of him any longer. She was scared about if their relationship would be able to pull through this, and he was scared, too. He did not want to lose her. If it so happened that he did, he knew he would have deserved it, but man, did he want to preserve it.

So, since it was so stressing to even be together, they began to avoid each other. His girlfriend spent most of her free time with Mercedes and Annette these days. She seemed so happy whenever she would be with them, and she just did not seem that way around Sylvain anymore. Soon, she would meet another man, some annoying goody-two-shoes from the Botanics Department, with whom she would fall in love and leave him for.

He knew he needed to do something. He could not let himself just lose the only person he ever felt love towards, the only person he ever felt that actually loved him. He does not have much time to salvage whatever was left from the love they shared just a few Moons ago.

It was pretty obvious at this point that he needed to go to a psychologist. He needed to be able to talk out his problems. He needed to be able to release what was bothering him, what was holding him back. He wanted to clear his head, and he wanted to be able to tell Byleth the truth of what lies beneath the surface. He had to tell her about his family, not telling her was physically and psychologically paining him. He did not want to keep secrets from her, but he did not want her to be scared off, either.

Yet, he could rest easy on the knowledge that she was the sun. She would not shy away from him. She would embrace him. She would embrace him for all that he was. Sylvain was not where he came from, he is not his horrid family or stupid last name. What happened with them made him who he is, but in the best possible way. When he finally comes clean to his girlfriend, he is certain that a weight will be lifted off of his shoulders, as well as hers.

It would take some time for the two of them to get back to normal, however, but they will heal together. Byleth loved Sylvain. She wanted to be there for him, be there through whatever he was struggling with. Sylvain loved Byleth. He knew that he was screwing things up, and he wanted to fix whatever he could.

They were not perfect, but nobody really is.

*_*_*_*_*

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[golden-deer-dear]

The Weight of a Name, Claude x Byleth AU Fic, Chapter 3

Summary: One decision can change the course of nations. When King Mahtab brought home a baby from Fódlan, he gave his own son someone to stand at his side. Byleth grows up side by side with Claude, surviving the hardship of Almyra together. For each, they are the other’s only friend.

Notes:  Pedar - father (formal) Maman - mother (informal)

1162, 1167 Read on AO3.

The Weight of a Name 1169

The entire city celebrated, decked in brightly colored ribbons with music echoing down every street. For the common folk it was a day off from labor, when the palace passed out free bread and ale, and they danced in the streets until the dawn’s light touched the golden city. For the nobility, it was nothing more than lip service.

Oh, they could smile and wish him well, but Claude knew there were plots of treachery and treason on those tongues. And it was because of him and his mother. His father’s throne hung by a thread because Mahtab had chosen to marry the woman he loved, and she just so happened to not be Almyran born. So while the nobility smiled, Claude thanked them for their attendance with all the regality a seven year old could muster, matching their toothy lies with his own. Even at this early age, Claude knew navigating his own birthday party was more dangerous than traversing a minefield.

He only let his guard slip once. When Nader and Naima entered, his eyes immediately sought out Byleth. Nader had increased Claude’s training regime, while Mahtab had hired more tutors to instruct his son in different subjects, which had left him with very little time. In the past year and a half he had only managed a handful of brief encounters with Byleth. It didn’t help that Nader rarely brought Byleth with him to court, but those conversations flowed so easily. Byleth, despite all the strangeness surrounding her, was the easiest person to hold a conversation with. She always had some insight that knocked him off his feet and intrigued him all at once.

But Claude still remembered their first meeting, still strove to match her strength. He hoped it would not be much longer now before Nader deemed Claude worthy to train with the older girl.

Claude did a double take when Nader moved, allowing him to lay eyes on Byleth. She did not look like Byleth at all. Naima had done up her long hair in a complex series of braids, piling them all on top of Byleth’s head, save the forelock at the side of her head. Not a hair was out of place, testament to Byleth’s unnatural patience. Claude was simply glad Almyran fashion only dictated he have one braid in his hair. He would have found some way to escape if he had to sit through all that.

The light pastels of her dress were dwarfed by the loud colors of the older women, the gossamer layers piling on color after color to make them all look like songbirds. It was currently the height of fashion in the court at the moment. Byleth skirts floated around her, split on each side up to the hip to reveal light cotton pants beneath. Typical to most Almyran fashion, the skirts were easy to move in, allowing the wearer the full range of motion of their legs should they find themselves in a fight.

Still, Claude had never seen Byleth in anything other than the casual cottons and leather armor Nader provided her. It made sense though that Naima, motherly and proper almost to a fault, would have put her foot down on that one. Byleth looked like a proper noble child, as strange as that was. He never actually considered Nader a proper noble before.

His mother’s hand landed gently on his shoulder, drawing his attention back to the proceedings. “Duty first, my sun. We are almost done now.” Her green eyes glittered like gems in the dying sunlight, laughing at his impatience. People always said he had inherited her eyes, but he thought hers were more lively than his. Perhaps one day, when he was as strong as her, he could pull off that mischievous little twinkle as well.

Claude nodded, and continued to greet the last of the nobles filing into the feast. Already there were loud cheers as the first round of a wrestling tournament began. Some nobles would be late as a show of disrespect, but no one would be late enough to miss the bouts. His uncle, Keveh hot on the older man’s heels, was the last to enter. Their greetings were tinged with teeth clenching politeness, before Keveh was swept away to join the others standing beside the fighting ring. 

“Now, my sun, you may go,” his mother told him.

Claude smiled at her, his grin a smaller version of her own, and slipped from the dais. He weaved his way through the assembled nobles, many distracted by fighting, gambling, drinking, dancing, or some variation of all four. His people certain did know how to throw a party. 

It didn’t take him long before he caught sight of Byleth’s teal hair, all done up in her pretty ribbons. Claude smirked as he began covering the distance to her, the noise of the crowd masking the sound of his approach. When she glanced over her shoulder, perhaps by chance or some supernatural sense Claude did not know she possessed, he ducked behind the legs of taller warriors. When they moved on, Claude cursed under his breath, seeing that Byleth had moved as well. Now he would have to find her all over again.

A tug at his head scarf yanked Claude’s head to the side. “Hey!” he shouted, eyes going wide as he was turned to stare at Byleth.

“Nader needs to work on your stealth skills,” she told him all too calmly.

“Or you just have unnatural powers you’re hiding from everyone,” Claude countered, hands flying to his head to fix the scarf. “And Nader is the last person to teach anyone anything about stealth.”

Byleth blinked at him, as if mulling over his words. It was a look Claude had grown used to whenever he talked to her. “I don’t think I do,” she said eventually.

Claude stared right back at her before shaking his head. She certainly was strange, but that didn’t matter right now. “Come on, I want to show you something.” He grabbed her hand, giving Byleth no chance to argue as they started back through the crowd.

They were at the edge of the terrace when a disgusted shout drew the attention of everyone in the immediate area. Claude grinned when he saw just who was throwing up the fuss. Basir was one of his father’s most prestigious generals, and the most talented when it came to naval warfare. He was responsible for defending Almyra’s northern coast. 

And Keveh had just thrown up all over his shoes. Basir looked at the boy in disgust, cursing again when he noticed sick on the hems of his pants as well. Keveh, for his part, looked torn between mortified and as if he would be sick again. In fact…

Claude bit his lip to hide his laughter as Keveh choked again, vomit spilling from between his fingers as he tried to hold it back, only to succeed in getting more of the disgusting substance on the general.

“Did you have anything to do with that?” Byleth asked softly.

Claude shrugged his shoulders, but Byleth looked far from convinced. “You told me to learn how to survive. Fighting can only take me so far.”

Byleth studied him for a long moment, that look that made it seem as if she were reading his soul. He theorized it was that look that made so many people uncomfortable around her. But Byleth simply nodded after a moment. “Smart.”

His heart leapt at the compliment, and more words spilled out of him before he could stop them. “I started reading one of the healer’s books on herbs. Most of the uses make no sense to me, but each entry comes with warnings.”

“And so you used those warnings to make something to upset Keveh’s stomach.”

“Yeah. I think Goli knows,” Claude said, naming his father’s spymaster. “I asked her a couple questions about dosage, but she won’t say anything.”

“Unless it’s too your father,” Byleth pointed out.

Claude waved it off. “If she mentions it to him, I can handle that. My uncle is giving him so much trouble lately, he’s probably glad Keveh just embarrassed their family. But that’s not what I wanted to show you. Come on.” He grabbed her hand again and dragged her away from the party.

He led her to a sitting room, one reserved only for the royal family and their invited guests. Sitting in the middle of the room upon a plush cushion, was a large white egg. “It’s my father’s present to me,” Claude explained. “It’s a white wyvern egg.”

“It’s large,” Byleth observed. “Normal wyvern eggs are half this size.”

“Have you not seen my father’s wyvern?” Claude asked, continuing when Byleth shook her head. “He’s massive. I’ll show him to you sometime. But this one is mine.” He reached out and touched the shell fondly, brushing his fingers against the rough surface. “I almost didn’t think he’d give me one.”

“Why not? You’ve worked very hard lately,” Byleth pointed out. She reached up a hand to touch the egg as well, pausing until Claude nodded his approval.

“Only kings have white wyverns,” Claude explained, his voice dropping to a whisper. 

“Do you want to be king?”

Claude blinked at her, stunned. No one had ever asked him that before. There never seemed as if he had a choice in the matter. He would become his father’s successor, or he....well, if he didn’t it was most likely because he was dead or in hiding. Claude did not like either of those options. But, did he want to be king?

Before he could answer, the egg rocked beneath their hands, a small crack forming in its surface. Both children yanked back their hands, eyes going wide as the crack got bigger. “It wasn’t supposed to hatch for a few more days!” Claude said softly, watching in awe as a piece of shell fell away. 

“I guess it takes after its master in the surprise category then.”

They sat together in silence upon an intricately woven rug after that, watching the slow process of the baby wyvern working its way out of the shell. There were flashes of white, and tiny ‘meep’ing noises as it worked its way free. He was so eager to meet his wyvern (his wyvern!), but Byleth’s presence beside him kept him from going to the egg and just ripping the shell away himself. His pedar had told him that it was something the wyvern had to do itself in order to build up its strength to survive.

“Claude! We’ve been looking everywhere for you!” his mother’s voice chastised, cutting through the silence. 

Both children’s head whipped toward her, Claude managing a somewhat guilty expression. “Sorry, maman,” Claude said. Despite the limited time he had spent with Byleth, he still felt comfortable enough to use an informal title with his mother in front of her. His mother, however, did not seem to think the same if the way her brows raised were anything to go by. “The egg started to hatch,” he hurried to explain, drawing her attention to something else entirely.

Odette’s gaze went to the wyvern egg, eyes melting at the sight of the almost freed creature within. She swept down to sit behind them, holding both children close as she joined their viewing. Byleth looked startled for the briefest of moments before settling herself at Odette’s side. 

“Well, I guess this is a worthwhile excuse for missing your own party. The hatching of your wyvern is a very important moment, my sun.” 

Claude loved when his mother was like this, when in the privacy of their own family she slipped off the mantle of queen and allowed herself to smile. She spoke to them of stories, telling a slightly different tale of the constellation of the wyvern than Claude’s tutors gave. Her earlier moment of disapproval at Byleth’s presence seemed almost nonexistent, making Claude wonder if he had imagined the whole thing.

The door opened again, and Claude glanced over to see his pedar and Nader silently enter the room. Taking in the scene, they seemed content not to interrupt the queen’s story, and found their own comfortable places to sit. 

The wyvern finally broke free from its shell, tumbling out with a loud cry. Claude rushed from his mother’s embrace to sweep the tiny thing up in his arms. It cried again, happily this time, as it snuggled against Claude’s chest. It tried to burrow into his shirt, seeking the warmth it had enjoyed inside its shell. Claude laughed as its tiny claws tickled his skin, turning to beam at his parents and friends. 

Mahtab nodded to his son, and Claude found himself blinking back tears at the simple gesture of approval. “Very good. He has imprinted on you. Now, it will be your responsibility to raise him until he is ready to join you in your training. He will be your companion in battle, so you must treat him well.”

“I will, pedar,” Claude promised, his voice coming out softer than he would have liked. 

Byleth once more reached out her hand, silently asking Claude’s approval before she attempted to touch the baby wyvern. “Careful,” Claude said, shifting it slightly and causing the dozing creature to make a noise of disapproval.

Byleth nodded slowly, holding her fingers in front of the creature's nose. It sniffed at her uncertainly, but when Claude took her hand and gently placed it against the top of the wyvern’s head, it seemed content enough. As it curled up again, purring happily at the attention, the corners of Byleth’s lips turned upward ever so slightly.

/

Nader joined his friend at the open window, looking out over a slow moving city. Many of the citizens were still in bed, nursing hangovers from yesterday’s festivities. Mahtab did not look up before he spoke, recognizing Nader’s loud footfalls. 

“It seems my son is getting on rather well with your ward.”

Nader paused, every instinct telling him he was walking into an ambush. “Can you blame him?” Nader asked. He tried to pick his words carefully, but politics were never his forte. “He’s young. He needs someone at his side.”

“Did you not see him last night? He’s latched onto her.” Mahtab’s voice quivered ever so slightly. Nader caught it only because he had known the other man for so long. It made Nader pause. His king was afraid.

“She might be good for him.” Nader paused, grabbing two cups from the table set up with refreshments behind the king, pouring them both a generous amount of chilled fruit juice. He practically forced a cup into Mahtab’s hands. “Byleth isn’t there problem here, is she?”

Mahtab took a deep breath, taking a sip of juice as Nader waited for his friend to gather his thoughts. “She’s part of it, but not all. I’m glad Claude has a friend, I am,” Mahtab said, sounding more like he was trying to convince himself rather than Nader. “But I’m worried her closeness will have...consequences. My brother is becoming more of a problem each day. I’m worried he’ll use Claude’s connection with Byleth against us.”

“Anyone with half a mind will dismiss that completely. Claude is still a child.”

“A child possibly being influenced by another woman from Fódlan, just like his father,” Mahtab snapped. Nader noticed the bags under his friend’s eyes, and silently wondered when the last time the king had actually slept. 

“She’s a child too!” Nader protested.

“It doesn’t matter,” Mahtab protested. “Those who wish me ill because I chose Odette will simply use it as another excuse.” 

Nader rested a hand on Mahtab’s shoulder, and the other man let his shoulders slump, allowing himself to show how his burdens affected him for once. It only made Nader more worried about Mahtab’s health. As soon as he was done here, he was going to go straight to Odette and work with her on getting the king some rest.

“And I’m worried that if she remains at his side, Rhea will find out about her. I don’t want that - that creature to come after my son,” Mahtab admitted. “We could lose her so fast, and if Claude is attached to her…”

Nader’s hand tightened on his cup, the metal bending under his strength. “Over my dead body,” he growled. “I’m not going to give her up so easily. Rhea and Jeralt will have to fight me if they want to take her away.”

Mahtab relaxed for a moment before he fully processed Nader’s words. “Jeralt? Is he still looking for her?”

“There have been reports,” Nader said slowly, “of Jeralt and his Blades near the Throat. They’ve been asking questions about a baby with blue eyes and hair. Goli has planted some false leads, but it seems they are still operating out of Alliance territory. I don’t think he’ll ever truly give up trying to find her.”

They stared out over the city, Mahtab swirling his juice absentmindedly. “Perhaps we should have changed her name after all. Would have made it easier to hide her,” Nader said softly before draining his cup.

Mahtab shook his head. “I couldn’t do that. It’s the one thing Tess gave to her daughter. I couldn’t take that away from her. No, we’ll come up with something else.”

Well, that was something he did not quite know how to argue against.

Nader remained silent, watching as a smile started to form on the king’s lips. He followed his friend’s gaze, watching as Claude climbed a garden wall. His shirt moved, the white head of his wyvern poking through before he coaxed it back down. He jumped easily off the wall, and rushed off in the direction of Nader’s estate, unburdened by the fear of the future that plagued Nader and Mahtab’s morning.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You know how last chapter I said I didn't like writing kids? Well, scratch that. Baby Claude is adorable. And so is Byleth with her freaking cute ribbons. Damn, I wish I could draw because that would be up so fast.

[nicolewrites]

something cold and something new

Needed to write something soft and not school related so here you go folks. This takes place in a universe where they spend more time in Fhirdiad (the winter) before heading to Derdriu. For example, assume that Edelgard needs more time to reorganize her forces after Gronder.

Rating: K+/G Genre: Friendship, Romance Characters: [Byleth/My Unit, Dimitri B.], the Blue Lions Words: 3,866

AO3 | FFN

Fhirdiad is cold.

Byleth hates the cold. She hates the permeating chill of the stone walls of the palace and the frost that creeps across the inside and outside of the window panes. She hops from mantle to mantle, trying to keep warm in front of the fire subtly enough that she does not draw attention to herself.

She takes the chair closest to the hearth in the dining room and the chair furthest from the long row of windows in the war room. She closes curtains and wears as many layers as she can afford to without looking bulky. And she's still cold.

Of course, the Blue Lions don't seem to react to the cold. Sylvain is from the furthest north and if his stories are anything to go by, he once spent a night in the cold with no protection so Byleth is not surprised to see him wandering about the palace in his usual wear. Felix and Ingrid also seem unphased as they simply trade their thinner layers for more insulated cloaks they appear to carry at all times.

Annette complains a bit, but Felix lends her a coat and afterward, she clams up for almost three days straight, red to the tip of her ears. Mercedes has her own coat, but she hovers around fires as well, a habit leftover from her time growing up in the Empire. Dedue doesn't seem to be affected beyond the occasional shiver due to a gust of wind and Ashe seems to enjoy the chill, appreciating the drifting of snowflakes and the puffs of air from their breaths.

If Dedue and Sylvain are unaffected by the cold, Dimitri thrives in it. The chill seems to bolster his mood and give him more energy. He's animated as he contributes in war meetings and his chin is held high throughout the whole day. He looks more like the prince Byleth knew before the war started and she knows it is partly due to their success in taking back Fhirdiad from Cornelia.

She only wishes she could enjoy Dimitri's good mood, but she can't because she's so damn cold.

- ~ -

Observant as ever, Mercedes is the first to notice.

"Hello Professor," the healer greets softly as she walks into the study Byleth has been using.

Byleth glances up as she enters and cringes. She's currently wearing a jacket and has a blanket draped over her lap and she's still shivering. Mercedes just smiles sweetly and drifts across the room. She places the tray she had been holding on Byleth's desk and pours her a cup of tea.

"Can I help you, Mercedes?" Byleth asks.

Mercedes laughs lightly. "This is a cinnamon ginger tea. It warms you up fairly well and I thought a cup of it might help you stay warmer."

Byleth feels her ears burn a little as she takes the teacup from her former student. "Am I that obvious?"

Mercedes shakes her head and pours herself a cup of tea, settling into the chair across from Byleth. "Not at all, Professor, I'm just good at noticing things like that. It's my job, after all."

Byleth laughs a bit as she sips the tea. The water is scalding, but the spice bites through and floods her with warmth. She pulls it back and blows across the surface, appreciating its aroma for a little bit. "I feel a bit foolish, to be honest," she confesses. "We had done work in Faerghus before, but never in the winter so I never realized how cold it truly got here."

Mercedes nods. "Growing up in House Bartels, it was never this cold. It was only after I came to the School of Sorcery I really learned what winter was like. I'm still not great with the cold, but layers and tea can do wonders for you when you're not moving about."

Byleth sips her tea again. The spice blend is sharp but pleasant and she does feel a bit warmer already. "I've already gone through so much firewood in my room I fear the servants think I'm some kind of hot-blooded demon."

Mercedes giggles lightly. "Of course they don't, Professor. But, if you're really suffering from the chill in your room, you might want to ask Felix for some advice. He cold-proofed Annie's room and he did quite a good job, I might add."

Byleth raises an eyebrow. "Felix and Annette? What's going on there?"

Mercedes hums lightly into her own tea with a smile. "More than either of them care to admit, but Annie's terribly shy and we all know how Felix is with emotions."

Byleth smiles. "You are probably too perceptive for your own good, Mercedes. But, on the other hand, I don't know where we'd be without you either."

- ~ -

She finds Felix in the training hall, slashing away at a training dummy. He's right where she expects him to be. She pauses in the entrance and watches his lightning-fast sword work. He knocks the dummy flat on its back and finishes by frying it with a snap of his fingers and a bolt of lightning from a Thunder spell. He's breathing quite heavily when he turns and finds her watching him.

"What do you want?" he demands. Felix jabs his sword back into its sheath and folds his arms.

Byleth picks up a training sword from the rack and tests its balance. "I have a favour to ask of you, but I figured we could spar first."

He narrows his eyes but draws his sword again. "A favour?"

They begin to circle each other, swords at the ready. Byleth jabs quickly and he parries, matching her for speed. He slashes and she sidesteps and counterattacks, forcing him to step back.

"If I beat you, I'll ask you," Byleth says. She doesn't see the reason to be humiliated by Felix twice–once in defeat and once for admitting weakness–when it could be for one or the other.

"What kind of duel were you thinking?" he questions as he tests a jab against her defences.

Byleth spins and summons a bolt of white energy above her palm, flashing it forward. Felix rolls out of the way of her Nosferatu and a grin edges up his face. He charges at her quickly and Byleth dodges the blows of his sword and then all the hair on her arms stands on end. On instinct, she rolls to the right and his Thoron spell scorches the ground where she had been standing before.

The sparks catch on her cloak and Byleth curses as the hem of it bursts into flame. She rips it from her shoulders and stamps it into the dirt, smothering the flames. The fire disappears quickly and Byleth grumbles as she scoops it up from the ground. She tries to stop the goosebumps from rising on her arms, but the loss of her cloak's warmth along with the sudden lack of warmth due to exertion has her shivering unintentionally.

A few feet away, Felix watches her, his sword lowered. He looks more amused than annoyed as he assesses her. "You'll never be able to fight well with a cloak like that, Professor," he points out.

Byleth sighs and pulls it back on, lifting her blade. "I'm aware," she replies coolly.

Felix doesn't make a move to fight her again and Byleth drops her sword back to her side and frowns.

"You're not much for our winters, are you?" he asks after a moment.

"No," Byleth admits. "I had actually come here hoping to ask you to help me like you did Annette."

Felix's ears turn pink at the mention of Annette and he pivots, heading for the weapon rack. "Cover the base of your windows, keep coals smouldering in your hearth, and keep your curtains drawn as much as you can. There are probably heavier curtains too if you ask around."

His advice is curt and simple enough and Byleth's lips twitch at the simple and Felix-like response.

"Thank you," she says to him and he just grunts in reply, still very interested in the rack of weapons.

- ~ -

Byleth volunteers for a routine scouting mission with Ashe and Ingrid a week later. She's been basically holed up inside the castle for the last week and a bit and she had been going slightly stir-crazy inside. Ingrid flies ahead on her pegasus while Byleth and Ashe ride along more leisurely on horseback.

Ashe has a scarf wrapped around his neck with the bottom half of his face obscured as he hunches a bit to shield his pink cheeks. Byleth is wearing a borrowed scarf from Dedue that Mercedes had procured for her when Byleth had asked to borrow something warm. Ingrid, above them, is dressed in a few more layers, but despite the frigid air while in flight, she seems perfectly at home.

Byleth shakes her head as she watches the Falcon Knight fly gracefully ahead of them.

"Impressive, isn't it?" Ashe asks, following her gaze. He chuckles lightly. "I don't know how they carry on like they're not even a little cold. I'd be totally frozen up there."

Byleth glances at him and Ashe lifts his chin so she can see the shy smile on his face. "When I was on the streets I got used to being cold, but I've been away from the north at the monastery for a while so I almost forgot what it was like, honestly," he admits.

Byleth turns her gaze back to Ingrid. "You've noticed I don't take the cold too well too, then?"

"Well, Professor, it did take me up to the moment that Mercedes gave you that scarf. I had almost completely forgotten you weren't even originally from Faerghus lands. The climate at the monastery is much warmer than most of the Kingdom."

Byleth fights off a chill as a stronger wind blows by, ruffling her hair. She tucks her chin further into her borrowed scarf and frowns. "I should be more used to this by now," she mumbles. "We've been here for a while and I know that Gilbert wants us to stay until this latest storm is over before we head back to the monastery."

"Don't feel bad, Professor. Just because some of us are more used to the cold, doesn't mean we like it any more than you do," Ashe reminds gently.

Byleth chuckles. "No, I suppose that's true enough."

"Professor! Ashe!"

Their attention is quickly caught by Ingrid as she swoops down, a frown marring her pretty features. Byleth and Ashe pull their mounts to a stop and stare at the Falcon Knight curiously. Ingrid pulls to a stop a few feet away, staying off the snow-covered ground.

"Looks like that bandit troupe we caught word of is camped up ahead. There's only a few of them, but we can go back for reinforcements if we need to."

Byleth exhales and slides off her horse. She ties her reins to a nearby bush and starts unlatching some of her gear. "We came out here to find them and they may be long gone by the time we return with reinforcements."

The snow is ankle-deep and cold as it soaks through her boots and her pants. Byleth refuses to let her discomfort show as she slings her bow over her back and attaches her sword to her hip. Ashe also dismounts, pulling his quiver, bow and lance free. Ingrid stays mounted and her frown deepens.

"The snow won't be an issue?" she asks.

Byleth shakes her head. It's cold, sure, but she refuses to let that get in the way of her duty. "Let's get this over with quickly. It's one less thing to worry about before we have to head back to Garreg Mach."

She heads out in the direction Ingrid had returned from and both of her former students follow her after a moment. She sees the bandits' fire before she sees them. She pulls her bow out and strings an arrow, taking aim at one of the silhouettes she spies in beside the flame. Beside her, Ashe does the same.

They let their arrows fly in unison and two of the figures fall without a sound. There's a flurry of chaos in the camp as they seem to realize they are under attack. Opponents scramble for weapons and Byleth vaults over the fallen log in front of her, breaking for their camp. Ingrid swoops down, her lance gleaming as she strikes. Ashe lets another arrow fly and Byleth throws herself into the battle.

She cuts down two more bandits quite easily. As she pulls her sword free, she turns, assessing the remaining few. Ingrid is handling herself fine and Ashe has moved in closer but is still using his bow and his agility to counter close-ranged opponents effectively. Byleth's gaze continues and she notices a figure breaking the outside of the circle, heading into the forest. Without hesitating, she follows the figure quickly, her hand curled tightly around her blade.

The snow slows her down, but she still manages to gain some ground on her opponent. When she has a clear line of sight on him, she sends a sharp burst of flame outwards, sending him sprawling. She has effectively chased him out of the woods into a snow-covered clearing. Byleth approaches the downed figure slowly, just in case he's staying down as a trick.

She hears rustling in the trees behind her and risks a glance back to see Ingrid and Ashe have followed her. Ashe scans the clearing warily and his green eyes widen suddenly.

"Professor!" he yells. "Get off the ice!"

Byleth barely has a second to register the warning. Confusion flares through her at the word 'ice' because she's standing on the snow-covered ground. Before she can take another step there's an ominous groaning sound and her chest tightens.

She hadn't chased her foe into a clearing. She had chased him straight onto a frozen lake.

Byleth steps back towards the trees and hears another low creaking sound so she stops. Ashe is standing at the edge of the clearing where he has apparently discerned where the lake begins. Ingrid is flying toward her on her pegasus, brow knit in concentration. Byleth slowly lowers herself to the ground, trying to disperse her weight as her father had once taught her.

Ingrid is above her now and reaching out with her hand. Byleth shifts, moving to grab her former student's hand. There's a louder crack below her and just as Byleth's ungloved fingers grasp at Ingrid's gloved hands, the ice gives out.

The water is freezing as it envelops her and Byleth nearly screams at the shock of the cold. The water is dark and consuming and she flails furiously in the direction she thinks is up. She can see a muddle glimpse of light above her and can faintly hear yelling. Finally, after a furiously long second, her head breaks the surface and the cool air stings against her soaked skin.

Byleth lifts a hand and Ingrid grasps it immediately, pulling her quickly the rest of the way out of the water. Her clothes stick to her body immediately and she can feel them biting at the remaining warmth she has. Byleth coughs and gasps and Ingrid flies them precariously over to the edge of the lake.

The two women stumble off the pegasus and Ingrid immediately rips off Byleth's drenched cloak. Ashe immediately replaces it with his own dry, fur-lined cloak. Byleth can barely feel the change in warmth. She's shivering so hard she can barely see and the cold is still clinging to her every limb. She feels sluggish and half-dead and her chest aches.

"If I fly her back, I'm afraid that the winds will freeze her solid," Ingrid says to Ashe. Byleth can barely hear her. It feels like there is cotton pressed in her ears, muffling all sound.

She sways on her feet as the world blurs around her. She feels a set of arms wrap around her and she can barely make out Ashe's voice asking her something, but the words are lost in her haze. Her vision tunnels and she collapses, the sound fading out completely.

- ~ -

When she wakes up, she feels weighed down. Byleth stares at the warm pink of her eyelids for a moment before she musters the strength to open her eyes. She finds herself staring at the ceiling of the infirmary back inside the castle. She blinks slowly before allowing her eyes to take in the rest of her situation.

She's lying on a hospital bed covered in at least three heavy quilts. The curtains in the room are drawn shut and there's a fire crackling in the hearth. There's a large silhouette standing in front of the fire and it takes Byleth an embarrassingly long amount of time to realize that it is Dimitri.

She shifts in the bed and tries to sit up. Dimitri wheels towards her, hearing her movement and his good eye widens when they make eye contact. He crosses the room to her side in three steps and reaches for her with large, warm hands.

"Professor, please! Stay lying down," he instructs.

Byleth frowns and tries to sit up anyways. Dimitri sighs and recognizes the futility of his request. He slides his hands to her arms and gently lifts her into a sitting position. He reaches behind her and adjusts her pillow so she can be leaning against it.

Byleth purses her lips at the overwhelming concern in Dimitri's expression. His hands linger on her pillow and he scans her face nervously.

"Dimitri," she says gently. "I'm okay."

He frowns. "You almost weren't, Professor, so you'll have to forgive me for my concern."

Byleth pulls one of her hands free from the mountain of blankets she's under. She reaches for his hand and curls her fingers through his. "I'm okay," she repeats.

"Your hands are still cold," he murmurs softly. Dimitri withdraws his hands and detaches the heavy mantle draped over his shoulders. He leans in close and pulls it around her shoulders.

Byleth instinctively shivers as the warm fabric wraps around her, chasing away the lingering chills of her body. Dimitri sits on the edge of the bed and runs his hands over his cloak over her shoulders. He stares into her face, still looking frustratingly worried.

Byleth reaches up and gently touches his hands where they lie on her shoulder. "Thank you, Dimitri," she says quietly.

His gaze softens. "Of course, Professor," he replies.

He leans away after a moment, his ears pink, and drops his gaze down to her lap. Byleth drops her hands to his and grips them, relishing in their warmth.

"If the cold had truly been bothering you, you could have returned to Garreg Mach," he says after a moment of silence.

Byleth laughs. "And leave you here alone? That sounds like a recipe for disaster."

"Mercedes mentioned she noticed it had been affecting you," Dimitri points out.

Byleth shrugs. "I guess we never spent much of the winter in the Kingdom when I was growing up. My father never liked the cold either."

Dimitri shakes his head. "I suppose I missed the signs even when they were right there. The cold reminds me of home," he admits. He glances toward the window where the curtains are drawn tightly shut to keep the chill out. "My father used to play in the snow with me." He closes his eyes as he reminisces. "It was the most relaxed I ever saw him when we were out there. My mother thought we were ridiculous, but I loved it."

Byleth smiles and squeezes his hands. "You've been happy here and I'm glad to see it. I'll go back to the monastery with everyone else after the storm," she says firmly.

Dimitri sighs. "I suppose that makes the most sense now, but please, Professor, don't go standing on anymore frozen lakes."

Byleth huffs a breath. "If I had known it was there, I wouldn't have done it."

Dimitri laughs lightly and Byleth's chest tightens at the sound. "Even so, you had us all very worried." His smile drops as he remembers. "Professor, do you know that you don't have a heartbeat? You have a pulse but there's no heartbeat. When Mercedes couldn't find your heartbeat we were all so worried until she found a pulse." Dimitri shakes his head again. "How is this even possible?"

Byleth bites her lower lip. She wishes she could answer him and take away the worry that is still wreathed around him. "I don't know," she admits. "But, I've always been like this. Maybe it's the reason the cold affected me so quickly with the water."

Dimitri ponders that. "I suppose. Mercedes was saying that hypothermia can be worsened by poor blood flow and if your lack of heartbeat limits that, it would make sense."

The clock above the mantle chimes and they both look toward it, startled. Dimitri tenses as he notices the time and he sighs deeply.

"You have work to continue," Byleth guesses. By the rueful glance he gives her, she knows she's right. She squeezes his hands again before reaching to remove his cloak.

Dimitri catches her hands before she can remove it. "Keep it, please. I'll feel less worried about the cold affecting you if you have it."

Byleth smiles. "Alright," she agrees. "You should go."

Dimitri shifts his weight off the bed, standing, and glances at the clock once more. "Please take care, Professor. I can come back later tonight, if you would like some company."

Byleth reaches up, pulling herself further out of her blanket cocoon, and grabs Dimitri's arm. She pulls him down far enough so that she can gently press a kiss to his cheek. His face flushes almost immediately, but he doesn't immediately spring away from her. Instead, his gaze turns impossibly gentle and he leans forward to press his lips to the top of her forehead. He pulls back after that and Byleth notes the subtle flush to his cheeks.

She hides a small smile. "Don't work too hard, Dimitri, there's plenty of things we have left to accomplish."

He is partway to the door when he hears her and he pauses, looking back over his shoulder at her bundled in blankets and his cloak. "I'll have to look into cold-proofing the castle more so that we can come back here because, as you said, we have a whole future ahead of us."

The words are more optimistic than anything that Dimitri has said for months and they warm Byleth much more effectively than any blanket could. The gentle affection in his eyes and the scent of him that clings to his cloak cause her own cheeks to warm as the words die on her lips and Dimitri slips out of the room, leaving her alone with the crackling fire.

"I wonder what future you see for us," Byleth whispers to the quiet room, pulling Dimitri's cloak tight around her shoulders. It is still warm and for the first time since arriving in Fhirdiad, Byleth doesn't feel cold.

[sicprowl]

Gleann na Dùin ~ 2 ~

Fairy AU - Dimileth

Co-written with @hiddenfangirling

Part 1

Now on AO3

Dimitri didn't even notice the slight pitches of the flute that came from each and every direction; a noise that made Byleth feel on edge the closer they got to her home. Normally, the King would question such behavior and find it suspicious but...

"There," Byleth gestured through the trees at a small, modest cabin and a barn next to it. "Father should be finished with dinner by now."

Dimitri swallowed, his mouth suddenly watering at the smell of potatoes and meat. Perhaps he could eat a little for his journey...

The lass turned to look at him, her eyes practically sparkling like star-light and making Dimitri realize that such dazzling eyes were not normal. Finally, he found himself all too aware of her slightly too large eyes, pert and lovely mouth, the pointed tips of her ears, and the soft glow her hair that seemed to radiate as the sun starts to set.

"I'm sure we'll have enough if you're hungry. You'll need the energy after a long day."

He stopped dead in his tracks. Suddenly, the reality of where Dimitri is crashed down on him like the side of a mountain. Gleann na Duin, this forest was said to have been haunted by fairies for ages. The villagers nearby used stories of this place to scare their children. Dimitri believed in the Fair Folk, had heard many of the tales himself, but he had grown up in Fhirdiad, a city far from anywhere that would be touched by the fae. He hadn't heeded the warnings, or even thought to. Even as he stared dumbstruck at the woman in front of him, the spitting image of some of the pictures the King remembered from books in his childhood, he was having trouble believing.

Had he struck his head? Was Dimitri dreaming somewhere on the forest floor, still well within earshot of Dedue? He honestly hoped so. The stories didn't often have good endings for men who trespassed on fae lands.

Dimitri had dropped his arm from Byleth’s hand when he stopped. She stared up at him, a mild look of wounded confusion on her face. Warnings about the fae belatedly cross his mind as Dimitri sheepishly tried to recover.

"I-I wouldn't want to give your father any ideas of impropriety. Please, go ahead." He motioned for Byleth to go ahead of him. She didn't look like she understood, but she nodded and turned back towards the little cabin. As the fairy(?) maiden took a step towards her home, Dimitri took one step back towards the forest - his mind whirling as she glanced back. He stood straight, giving her a meek look and a little wave before she turned back around, thinking he was following.

The King took this time to turn around and bolt it. Without so much as a glance back, the blonde was through the thickets and wildflowers before Byleth could be none the wiser. And so he ran. He ran and he ran and ran. Dimitri ignored how heavy his breath was to his ears, or how loud and hard his heart was pounding in his chest. He could not fathom the strange, almost frolicking music that seemed to match his steps.

It was toying with him. The forest was toying with him like a cat pawing at a meager field mouse. Dimitri could feel his anger rise at this stab at his pride, having gotten out of worse situations then this ten times over. Large scale battles? Whatever. A pack of wild, ravaging snow lions near the brink of starvation? As if. Hells, even Felix's snarky attitude was more of a challenge!

This forest was nothing! He would conquer it. Conquer it like the King he was.

Dimitri sped up and burst through a clearing, skidding to a stop when he realized he was back where he started.

This forest was toying with him...

And now the girl who'd only gotten halfway towards her home was looking at him like he is some fool. Gods, he felt like a fool. Especially when she rushed up to him with concern in her voice. "Are you alright? Did you suddenly fall ill?"

Dimitri was thankful that she didn’t notice his failed escape, but damn he was also angry and tired. He rubbed his hand over his face, trying to regain his composure and catch his breath. His eyes scanned Byleth, looking for any sign of duplicity. Either she is genuine, or a very good actress. Unfortunately for Dimitri, he didn’t know enough about fairies to be able to say one way or the other.

The King sighed, momentarily defeated. "Actually, I think I need to sit down." The fae girl (and it was still difficult to admit that that's what she must be) curled her arm around his elbow, and he barely noticed in his current state. They began to walk back towards the cabin together, while Dimitri tried to think of ways he might escape, when the door to the cabin opened and a grizzled older man stepped through.

Everyone stopped, the new man's eyes meeting Dimitri’s and then Byleth's, and then back to Dimitri's. He studied him thoroughly, as if questioning if what he was really seeing was true or not. Dimitri took this moment to study him too, his own gaze searching through his still damp hair. The King could add wet, tired, and cold to the list of things that had made this day worse.

And by the way the stranger was looking at the fae on his arm with a worried frown - Dimitri knew he would be adding "Protective Guardian" to that list as well.

The man turned back towards the door, not bothering to look over his shoulder at them. "Well, don't just stand there. Bring him in."

Byleth followed, pulling a reluctant Dimitri inside. It was a small cabin with a main living area and kitchen, and what he assumed are two cramped bedrooms to the side. He had to duck when he went through the door. The other man, Dimitri assumed must be Byleth's father, is setting a place at what looked like a hand-carved table up against one wall. The almost heavenly scent of meat stew came from a pot hanging over a fire in a fireplace, with a stuffed armchair nearby. It was a cozy home, and the King is just a little comforted by being inside.

The fae woman stepped away for a moment into one of the side rooms, and came back with a towel. She threw it over his head and began to rub his hair dry. It was so embarrassing that Dimitri forgot himself and took hold of her wrist. "It's okay! I can do this myself." He blushed at the look of disappointment that crossed her face, and chanced a look at her father, who just rolled his eyes in exasperation. "Well, don't just stand there. Come and sit down. Tell me what’s happened."

Byleth pulled away to walk towards the fire, and Dimitri reluctantly followed. He couldn't help but want to keep his guard up, especially with this fae girl's father staring at him like a collector would a butterfly.

He was pulled from their staring contest when Byleth forced him to sit in the armchair, letting the fire warm up his side as she began to dry his hair with the towel once more. Dimitri blushed but couldn't bring himself to stop her again, the more so because her father was within arm's reach and would probably do it himself just to scare him.

"H-Hello, sir." His voice didn't sound like it's usual deep and intimidating growl, the one he used to face opponents. He couldn't help but feel like a tiny boy again, squaring up with his instructor. "I...Got lost in the woods."

The other man stared down at him blankly, "I can see that."

"Ah, well..." This was certainly awkward.

The towel stopped moving as Byleth turned to her father. "He needs a place to stay the night." The older man scowled, and rubbed the back of his neck. Tired brown eyes moved between his daughter and Dimitri. "Just one night?"

The younger man gave a determined nod. "I will leave in the morning."

Byleth's father looked skeptical, one corner of his mouth pulling back as he examined the other in front of him. "You can sleep in the barn. My name is Jeralt, and you've already met my daughter, Byleth." His eyes narrowed at the last part of his sentence. Dimitri fought back the instinct to squirm.

Meanwhile, Byleth scooped a helping of stew into a bowl, and she handed it to Dimitri with a glowing smile. He was only just starting to relax again, but now the King felt every muscle in his back tighten up in nervousness. "You're hungry, aren't you? Please, eat something."

He stared at the bowl in his hands, at a loss for what to do. Now that he suspected where he was, all the stories he had been told were coming back to him, and all the lessons they gave. One of the more common themes was this one: never eat food given to you by a fairy. In fact, never accept any gifts at all, unless you wish to be beholden to them.

Dimitri looked around, desperate for some excuse. The best he could do, as his gaze landed on Jeralt, was a weak "I-I'm sorry. It's been a long day and I'm just too tired to eat." Jeralt looked back at him, and gave an almost imperceptible nod.

Byleth's mouth pursed, her eyes looked fretful despite how very little her face moved. The look almost made Dimitri feel bad, especially when she glanced at her father for help. Luckily, Jeralt showed some mercy and took the King's bowl to give to his daughter.

"Don't push him too hard. He isn't a baby animal that needs coddling."

Byleth still looked put out, but didn't question her father as she took her food to the table to eat. Dimitri watched her go, a bit relieved that she wasn't forcing any kind of strange fairy magic on him. Jeralt cleared his throat, making the King turn back to him, face hot with embarrassment at being caught staring at the man's daughter.

"So," Jeralt grabbed a spare stool by the fire and sat in front of the blonde to talk low. "You got a life outside of this place?"

Dimitri blinked, finding the question odd. "Of course."

The man nodded, though he was scowling. "Then make sure you keep your eyes forward and off Byleth if you want to see it again."

Dimitri sank back into the chair, away from the older man. It was sound advice, even if it came in the form of a threat. "I intend to, sir. I really must leave in the morning."

Jeralt nodded. "How long were you lost?"

"Since this afternoon, if I had to guess." Was it really only a few hours?

"Did you meet with any trouble?"

At that, Dimitri let out a small, sad, laugh. "Trouble? Only plants that tried to hold me down, monstrous spiders, and animals knocking me into ponds." Not to mention beautiful women.

Jeralt groaned, and rubbed his temple with one hand. "Claude."

Byleth perked up from her spot at the table, spoon halfway to her mouth. "He's out in the forest tonight. We heard his flutes on the way back."

"Of course you did," Jeralt grumbled while scratching his head in frustration.

Byleth finished her bite, her blank gaze on Dimitri. He tried to keep from staring back, but he could feel her intense gaze on the back of his neck and he wasn't sure how much more he could take.

"Byleth, why don't you finish up then go to bed."

Said girl frowned and made a move to object but paused when her father held up a hand to stop her. "I'll set up the kid's bed for the night - you need to rest. You spent most of the day cleaning."

Byleth continued eating her stew, pouting now as she went back to staring at Dimitri. It still made the King feel nervous and...well, excited? He had to squash that feeling. There was too much for him to worry about. As much as he appreciated the attention of a nice, interesting, beautiful girl, there is too much danger here and Dimitri sensed that she was at least a small part of it - possibly was quite a large part of it. So he tried to ignore the hairs rising on his neck, and the flush creeping up his face. "Er. W-Who is Claude?"

"He's a friend." "He's a monster." The other two spoke at the same time. Byleth let out a huff of annoyance. "Papa, you know that isn't true."

"Tell that to the scarecrow he used for target practice. Or the skin I was drying that he used to paint that lewd scene. Today I discovered that all of our buckets have holes in them, and I'd be willing to lay down money that is Claude's fault too." Jeralt turned his eyes to Dimitri and his face said he'd had it up to here already. "Claude is a trickster, and you'd be better off avoiding him entirely. But it seems you've already caught his attention. It's for the best you ended up here, instead of wandering out in the trees tonight."

He sighed tiredly and stood up. “When you're ready, come with me and I'll get you settled in the barn.” Dimitri raised his brows and quickly stood, casting one last gaze at Byleth as he followed Jeralt out the front door again.

Byleth watched them both leave the house closely, her eyes catching hold of Dimitri's just as he stepped out the door. Her reward for finally catching his gaze was a soft, pink blush that spread all across the blonde's cheeks while his mouth opened and closed, as if thinking twice at saying anything before he followed her father from the home.

Dimitri let out a long sigh of relief when their gazes broke, but only grew tense again when he noticed Jeralt looking back at him. He swallowed, glancing towards the woods for some hope of escape for whatever this man may have planned. But he knew it would only lead back to the clearing with the little hut, strange barn, and an even stranger girl.

[xeno-odyssey]

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Fighters Pass Volume 2 - New Predictions

With Byleth and the new Fighters Pass coming soon, I thought I would make a new, and revised/updated, predictions list on who might be the new upcoming 6 fighters. I’ll also be putting in reasons why that particular character might have a chance of becoming a fighter in Smash. This list will be fairly long, so I’m gonna put a cut underneath. Also, these are my predictions and personal choice of fighters. Please refrain from saying stuff like “But why didn’t you put (insert your character here) on this list?!” and other hateful things. If you don’t like what I put on this list, you can go ahead and make your own. I’d also rather have civil discussions, and it’s okay to dislike a character without being angry and hateful about it.

This list may also contain some spoilers to certain characters from their origin games. Be warned and read at your own risk.

With that said, these are the fighters (in no particular order) that I wanna see in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Let’s get started!

1. Rex and Pyra/Mythra - Xenoblade Chronicles 2

Xenoblade fans like myself were sorely upset that Rex became a Mii Swordfighter costume as compensation for being unable to join the base roster of Smash Ultimate. From a developer’s viewpoint, it makes sense as Xenoblade 2 was in production nearly the same time as Smash and announced during the Nintendo Switch reveal in 2017. Sakurai probably never got a chance to play a pre-alpha build of the game, so it would makes sense Rex would get the cut from the roster as Smash Ultimate was also nearly complete. Not only that, the lead main artist, Masatsugu Saito, didn’t finalize the designs for Rex and Pyra at the time when Xenoblade 2 started development. But with the announcement of Fighters Pass Vol. 2, the boy Driver and the Aegis Blades might have a second chance this time. - Mechanic/Gimmick: How they would work as a fighter is pretty simple. Rex would be similar to Shulk as he would have the Aegis Sword on his back if he’s not engaged in combat. When he’s attacking, Rex would pull out the Aegis Sword for swings, swipes and various attacks and put it away afterward. At his side, Pyra/Mythra would lend their power to Rex with the Affinity Link. A faint blue light line would be seen as the girls share their power & bond to Rex. The longer they stay by Rex’s side, the blue line would change to a bright gold light line, thus the stronger Rex becomes in his attacks. To make sure Pyra/Mythra stay by his side to keep the Affinity going, Rex would have slightly low mobility like Robin or Shulk using no Monado Art buffs. This can be interrupted if Rex runs too fast, or get’s hit by powerful moves like smash attacks, in turn lowering the Affinity slightly. And like Joker with his Persona, Arsene, Pyra & Mythra are invincible and cannot be harmed just like in their origin game (this does not count the DLC game, Xenoblade Chronicles 2: Torna ~ The Golden Country, where the Blades can get hurt in battle as well). - Special Attacks: Rex’s special attacks would be based on his Driver Arts from his origin game. With the Affinity Link gimmick, these moves can become stronger unless Rex and Pyra/Mythra get interrupted or KO’d. Depending on which Aegis is out and which Aegis Sword Rex is using, Pyra and Mythra affect Rex’s attacks and moves. Pyra’s Sword acts like a single-edged longsword dealing fire elemental damage and having longer range, while Mythra’s Sword acts like a double-edged broadsword being slightly stronger and dealing light elemental attacks, but having slightly shorter range. Neutral-B - Sword Bash: Rex lunges forward slightly and thrusts the Aegis Sword into the enemy. With Pyra’s Sword, it has longer range. Like in its origin game and like Shulk’s Backslash, it deals more damage when you attack the enemy’s back. Side-B - Rolling Smash: Rex does a front somersault and strikes the ground hard causing an Ether shockwave that travels across the floor, similar to Terry’s Power Wave. Deals more damage if it connects with the enemy. If the attack doesn’t connect, the impact from Rolling Smash would cause a mini-earthquake launching foes in the air and dealing a fair amount of damage. This move only works in front of Rex. If you use this move in the air, Rolling Smash acts as a secondary recovery, akin to Little Mac’s Jolt Haymaker and Mii Swordfighter’s Airborne Assault. Up-B - Double Spinning Edge: Similar to the three Links’ Spin Attack, Rex strikes the enemy twice while he’s on the ground. If used in the air, acts similarly to Shulk’s Airslash as he’s hitting the enemy twice. This move requires no second additional input. Down-B - Blade Switch: Allows Rex to switch between either Pyra or Mythra, changing the Aegis Sword’s form, attack range, power and element. This move has no end lag, so you can freely switch between either Aegis Blade & Sword, and you can even do it mid-combo. Rex gains super armor while using this move. He’ll take damage, but won’t get cut off as he does the switch. Does not interrupt Affinity Link. Grab - Anchor Shot: Similar to Young/Toon Link’s Hookshot and Lucas & Rope Snake, Rex uses his salvager grappling anchor attached on his left arm as he shoots out an anchor cable grabbing his foes that are in range from a certain distance. And just like the Hookshot, Rope Snake, Joker’s Grappling Hook and Byleth’s Sword of the Creator, Anchor Shot also acts as a tether grab that allows you to latch onto edges. You can also use it as an aerial attack. Unfortunately, this does not cause enemies to get Toppled (tripped) or grab HP Potions (healing items). - Final Smash(es) - Chain Attack ~ Burning Sword / Sacred Arrow: Similar to how Ryu and/or Ken have a 2-in-1 Final Smash, Rex’s FS differs if Pyra or Mythra are active. After hitting the enemy with a bright light, Rex summons his fellow Drivers & Blades to join him in the Chain Attack. The following could be Nia & Dromarch, Mòrag & Brighid, or Zeke & Pandoria. The Drivers have their Blades use their Special Attacks to overwhelm the enemy. If Pyra is out, she is visibly seen using moves like Flame Nova. If Mythra is out, she is seen using moves such as Lightning Buster. Afterwards, Rex joins his Aegis Blade partners to use Burning Sword or Sacred Arrow as the finishing move. Again, this Final Smash is different if Pyra or Mythra are in play. Possible Version (SPOILER) - Infinity Blade: Pyra & Mythra fuse as one to become their true Ascended Form, Pneuma, and changing the Aegis Sword into a great diamond-like sword, similarly designed like Shulk’s Monado III. After the Drivers & Blades finish their Chain Attack, Rex joins Pneuma as she contacts the Aegis Mech, Siren, as it fires a laser cannon powering up the Aegis Sword. Rex & Pneuma then strike their opponent as they thrust the sword with its infinite power. - Stage: The new battlefield could be based on Alrest, the world of Xenoblade 2. The battle can take place on a tour across the Cloud Sea as you fight flying all over Alrest and battle on different Titans, similar to stages like Skyloft, New Donk City, etc.. - Soundtracks to Bring: There are only a few Xenoblade Chronicles 2 songs that made it into Smash Ultimate. I’ll list the ones that are currently missing: Incoming! Boss Battle Theme 2 Counterattack You Will Recall Our Names Gormott Province (Day Ver. / Night Ver.) Mor Ardain - Roaming the Wastes Death Match With Torna The Power of Jin Praetor Amalthus - The Acting God  After Despair and Hope - Alternate Costumes: Rex & Pyra/Mythra alt. costs. can be based on their special outfits they wear in their origin game. P1 - Rex’s standard blue salvager suit, Pyra’s fragmented bodysuit and Mythra’s white combat blouse-dress. P2 - Prototype Suit Rex based on Rex’s beta design, Pyra and Mythra swap their own color palettes with each other; Mythra-Style Pyra, and Pyra-Style Mythra. P3 - Cloud Sea King Rex salvager suit, based on his newly gifted armor from Pneuma. Disguised Pyra is based on her Gormotti cloak, and Massive Melee Mythra is based on Mythra’s Spirit artwork in Smash Ultimate where the gap on her dress covers up her cleavage, and is given a spandex suit under her dress covering up her legs. This is meant to celebrate the 1-year anniversary of Xenoblade Chronicles 2. P4 - Rex wears his Master Driver armor, a gift from Pneuma. Blue Sky Pyra is a reference to her Ascended Form, while Carbon Mythra is most likely a reference to Malos, the main antagonist. P5 - Rex wears a yellow salvager suit that he keeps as a spare, which he temporarily lends to his party member Nia in a Heart-to-Heart. Pyra wears a white bodysuit based on Nia’s Blade, Dromarch. Mythra is based on Nia’s true Blade form, where she has silver hair and her blouse-dress is decorated similarly to Nia’s Blade clothes. P6 - Rex’s salvager suit turns black and white which is a reference to Mòrag, a fellow party member and Special Inquisitor of Mor Ardain. Pyra’s clothes turn blue and violet referencing Mòrag’s Blade partner Brighid, while Mythra has white and black and blue clothes referencing another one of Mòrag’s Blades, Aegaeon. P7 - Rex’s salvager suit turns to a dark grey and green referencing Zeke, another party member and Tantal’s Crown Prince, Pyra’s color palette changes to reference Pandoria, Zeke’s Blade, and Mythra’s colors change to reference Poppi QTpi. P8 - Rex & Pyra/Mythra wear special swimsuits based on Xenoblade tradition, akin to Shulk as well. Rex wears Cloud Sea Shark, a pair of black & blue swim-trunks, his grappling anchor changes into a toy shark, he wears a blue bag in exchange for his salvager helmet, and a pair of sandals. Pro Swimmer Pyra is a one-piece red & black swimsuit based on Pyra’s standard armor, and Radiant Beach Mythra is another one-piece swimsuit based on Mythra’s blouse-dress. Though Pyra & Mythra’s swimsuits and their bust size may have to be toned down and altered slightly so Smash Bros. keeps the E10+ age rating.

2. Lora & Jin & Haze (Team Lora) - Xenoblade Chronicles 2: Torna ~ The Golden Country

Team Lora are the main protagonists of Xenoblade 2’s story DLC, Torna. It follows the story of the Aegis War that occurred over 500 years ago, and reveals the tragic events that would follow in the main story that determines the fates of these three characters. Not only are they another Xenoblade rep, but they also represent the prequel adventure. Lora & Co. are possibly unlikely candidates for the list if Rex and Pyra/Mythra get in instead. Most likely, they may end up as part of a DLC Spirit Board. - Mechanic/Gimmick: Team Lora works just like Rex & Pyra/Mythra with the Affinity Link system, but with a special twist; they would function similar to the Pokémon Trainer as you can switch to fight as either Lora, Jin, and/or Haze much like their origin game. The frontline fighter is the Vanguard, while the fighter supporting them are the Rear Guard. Lora’s weapon is called a battle braid (handmade rope-whip) utilizing the fire element, Jin wields a katana called the Nodachi carrying the ice element, and Haze wields a healing staff called a Crosier carrying the wind element. When the Driver or Blades are swapped in during combat, they use a special move called a Switch Art, allowing them to attack foes as they switch in. In terms of mobility; Lora is mediumweight, Jin is a slight heavyweight, and Haze is lightweight. And of course like Pyra & Mythra, depending on who’s the Rear Guard fighter, they are invincible until they are switched in. However like Pokémon Trainer’s team, Team Lora all share the same damage they’ve taken. - Special Attacks: Like Rex, all of Team Lora’s attacks are based on their Driver & Blade Arts, Switch Arts, and Talent Arts. Lora ~ Neutral-B - Path of Thorns: A cancel attack. Similar to Terry, after attacking in certain combos, press the B button to deal a multi-hitting move. This attack deals more damage the moment you cancel a combo. The move on its own deals very little damage. Jin ~ Inexhaustible: Jin’s Talent Art., functions similarly to Shulk’s Monado Buster and Hero’s Oomph spell. Deals minor damage to self while boosting only Jin’s stats for a set period of time until the effect wears off or gets KO’d. Haze ~ Winds of Time: Haze’s Talent Art and counterattack, functions similarly to Bayonetta’s Witch Time. Haze slows down enemies giving her enough time to follow up with other moves like combos and smash attacks. The more you use it, the weaker it gets. L ~ Side-B - Spinning Wheel: Lora whips her braids out around her dealing damage to enemies from all sides. J ~ Chillstroke: Functions similarly to Shulk’s Backslash. Jin slashes upward with his Nodachi, and deals more damage on the enemy’s back. H~ Swift Gale: Haze shoots enemies with a burst of air that deals moderate damage and pushes them away. If the attack connects, reduces a small amount of damage, percentage or heals HP in Stamina Mode. L ~ Up-B - Swallow’s Flight: Lora’s Talent Art. Deals minor damage to self in exchange for an exceptional recovery. When using on the ground, boosts Lora’s attacks, smash attacks or special attacks for only one attack. J ~ Snowblast: Jin shoots a burst of snow & ice that causes him to rise in the air as a recovery, and deals damage to foes that are in range beneath him. H ~ Mighty Gust: Haze rises in the air using summoned tornadoes, and deals damage to foes in range and pushes them away. Functions similarly to Hero’s Woosh/Swoosh/Kaswoosh spell. Down-B - Switch Arts: Similar to Shulk’s newly added Monado Art Wheel, by pressing & holding the Down-B input, you can choose which Driver or Blades to switch to by moving the Left Control Stick to select either Lora, Jin or Haze then letting go of the B button to make your selection. After choosing, the selected fighter that gets swapped in will use their Rear Guard Switch Art to attack the opponent. The following are: L ~ Touch-Me-Not: When Lora switches in, her attack causes foes to get launched in the air. J ~ Thin Ice: When Jin switches in, his attack causes opponents to trip. H ~ Stormy Skies: When Haze switches in, her attack inflicts a Meteor Smash attack on foes. Best used on the ledge of a stage when opponents are off-stage. When using on the ground, causes foes to bounce off the floor. Grab - Lora’s battle braid: While Jin and Haze can only grab their opponent with their hands, Lora is the only that utilizes her braids to reach out to foes that are slightly afar. She can also use her weapon as a tether grab to latch on to ledges. This also functions as an aerial attack. - Final Smash(es) - Chain Attack ~ Midnight Sun / Starlight Strike: Like Pyra & Mythra, this FS differs and depends if Jin or Haze are out fighting or supporting Lora. Team Lora calls upon Team Addam & Team Hugo as all teams do a group attack overwhelming the opponent(s). If Jin is active, they use Midnight Sun. Lora deals a series of fiery slash attacks with the Nodachi and then Jin finishes with a powerful cleave with Lora supporting him. If Haze is active, they use Starlight Strike. Lora pummels the enemy with the Crosier staff, then Haze hits the enemy with air blasts using Wind Ether. The two girls then finish by doing a synchronized knee strike. - Stage: The battle can take place on the Tornan Titan in the Kingdom of Torna right in front of the king’s palace. - Soundtracks: These songs may be included if Rex & Pyra/Mythra get in over Team Lora. Regardless, here are the songs: Battle!! - Torna Kingdom of Torna Gormott (Torna Ver.) Malos - The Acting God - Alternate Costumes: Team Lora’s costumes can reference Teams Addam & Hugo.

3. Cross and/or Elma - Xenoblade Chronicles X / Xenoblade Chronicles 2

Cross is the main protagonist and the player’s avatar, and Elma is the central main protagonist in Xenoblade X. They are part of the United Government Forces’ private military organization, BLADE (Builders of the Legacy After the Destruction of Earth) that focus on the survival of humanity on a planet they dub “Mira”. Elma is the captain of BLADE, her Division is with the Reclaimers, and her Class is Full Metal Jaguar. Cross on the other hand, the player can choose what Division and Class they can be. They initially start off as a Drifter. Elma is the more most likely candidate for another Xenoblade rep, while Cross seems unlikely. So when talking about special attacks, I’ll only refer to Elma in this case. - Mechanic/Gimmick: Because Cross is an avatar character akin to Fire Emblem’s Robin, Corrin and Byleth, the player can choose to play as either a male or female Cross. Their moves would most likely be a mix of various classes and weapons. Elma is already set to her default class, Full Metal Jaguar and wields Dual Swords & Dual Guns. For the main gimmick, either character can fill up a meter as they attack that allows them to use a tool called Overdrive. This increases the power of their special attacks, and string combos faster and more easily. Overdrive can only be activated when the meter is full, and when the player presses & holds the R button then presses the B button, much like Inkling’s ink tank. When Overdrive is activated, a song called Wir fliegen will begin playing in the background and play over the current song that’s playing on a stage, regardless if it’s Xenoblade related or not. For example, activating Overdrive while fighting on a Super Mario themed stage will cause the song to play over the randomized OST. - Special Attacks: Because Elma is a Full Metal Jaguar, I’ll list out potential moves that she could use when wielding her Dual Swords & Guns. Neutral-B - Stream Edge: Deals a series of strikes & slashes with the Dual Swords. Can be used as a follow-up combo attack. Side-B - Sliding Slinger / Executioner: Slides across the floor as Elma attacks the foe with her Dual Guns. When using this in the air, the move becomes Executioner instead, and Elma hails the opponent with bullets. Up-B - Shadowstrike: One of Elma’s Signature Arts. Elma jumps in the air, then lunges diagonally downward striking the opponent with her Dual Swords. Functions similarly to Mii Swordfighter’s Stone Scabbard, deals more damage when attacking the enemy’s back. Down-B - Ghost Factory: One of Elma’s Signature Arts and Elma’s counterattack, functioning similarly to Lucario’s Double Team. When struck by an enemy, Elma will create illusionary decoys to avoid the incoming attack and counters by striking back with her Dual Swords. - Final Smash - Skell Barrage / Skell Overdrive: Elma summons a Skell then leaps in to pilot it to deal a series of powerful attacks use the melee weapons and guns. If you have Overdrive activated, the FS becomes Skell Overdrive, increasing the power of the attacks to an eleven dealing even more damage. - Stage: The fight can take place on a tour of the city New Los Angeles (NLA for short). You’ll travel around BLADE’s Administrative District, the Commercial, Industrial and Residential Districts, and the Ma-non Ship that floats over the city. - Soundtracks: Super Smash Bros. Ultimate has a lack of Xenoblade Chronicles X songs. Hopefully if Cross or Elma gets in, this fixes that. Black tar THEMEX NLA (Day Ver. / Night Ver.) Uncontrollable NO.EX1 Wir fliegen / X-BT2  Don’t worry The key we’ve lost - Alternate Costumes: P1 - Her default costume is called “Elma’s Bodywear”, red light wear armor manufactured from the Greneda Galactic Group. It is based on female version of the armor series. P2 - (SPOILERS) Elma’s true form. Seen at the end of the game, and can be used in a premium adventure playthrough. P3 - Wears light wear armor from Sakuraba Industries, referencing the 13-year old mechanic girl Lin Lee Koo. Elma also wears Lin’s Monado hair clips. P4 - Wears another version of Sakuraba Industries light wear armor, this time referencing Irina Akulov. P5 - Wears Sakuraba Industries casual wear, referencing Alexa. P6 - Wears a different version of Sakuraba Industries casual wear, this time referencing Sharon “Murderess” Effinger. P7 - Wears Celica’s Bodywear, an obvious reference to Celica that’s named after her. P8 - As per Xenoblade tradition akin to Shulk’s swim-trunks, Elma wears a red two-piece bikini swimsuit. Though Elma may be slightly toned down to make sure Smash Bros.’s age rating is still E10+.

4. Phoenix Wright - Ace Attorney series

Phoenix Wright may seem like an unlikely candidate...at first. He’s actually a “joke fighter” in the Marvel Vs. Capcom series. He has potential to be in Smash, and be the 4th Capcom rep alongside Mega Man, and Ryu & Ken. He won’t be alone as he’ll work like a semi-duo fighter. His assistant, Maya Fey, will sometimes join him in various moves, much like in Ultimate Marvel Vs. Capcom 3 and in the crossover RPG Project X Zone 2. - Mechanic/Gimmick: Nick’s main gimmick is that he’ll be bring in his Turnabout Stances from UMvC3. Coincidentally because he’s a defense attorney, he has a more defensive fighting style as he prefers to fight from a slight distance using projectiles. Though this version works differently from UMvC3. As he attacks and deal damage, he builds up a meter as he goes through 3 stances: Investigation, Courtroom Trial, and Turnabout. Once Phoenix reaches Turnabout Mode, all of his moves and attacks are buffed until he gets KO’d. Investigation is his defensive mode as he gathers evidence, Trial mode is where he becomes more offensive in combat, and Turnabout mode when he collects enough decisive key evidence to pin the true culprit, allowing him to pull more combos easily and deal more damage to the suspect. - Special Attacks: Phoenix has many moves & combos from UMvC3. Command inputs like “Slip Up” will be his dash-attack as he trips into the enemy, similar to Villager and Isabelle’s dash-attack. So for his special attacks, here’s the following: Neutral-B - Questioning/Cross-Examination (HOLD IT!): Phoenix stops the witness in their tracks to gain testimony and evidence. Side-B - Paperwork Storm (TAKE THAT!): Throws trash evidence in the witness’ face. Functions similarly to Mr. Game-&-Watch’s Oil Panic, and deals more damage the more unneeded evidence Phoenix has. Up-B - Sneeze: Phoenix catches a cold and sneezes so hard he flies high in the air, and unsuspecting opponents take damage as Nick rises upward. Down-B - Present Evidence (OBJECTION!): Phoenix’s counterattack. Phoenix does a counter-argument and rebuts with decisive key evidence and even does his signature finger point while doing so. Special Command Input - Steel Samurai Maya Smelting!: Just like Ryu & Ken and Terry, Phoenix can do a command input too, but only in Turnabout Mode. By inputting the Hadoken command (↓↘→ + A or B), Phoenix can summon Maya where she’ll pummel the enemy with a series of punches akin to Luigi’s dash-attack, then the Steel Samurai comes in to deal the finishing blow with a powerful sword slash. Like Joker’s Persona, Arsene, Maya is invincible in this attack. When using this move, Phoenix will say “I need help...Maya?!” - Final Smash - Great Ace Attorney (based on name of series, and name of Japanese-only 3DS prequel game): This is based on Phoenix’s Hyper Combo from UMvC3. This finisher actually matters depending on how much evidence you’ve collected and deals more damage in doing so. Phoenix finds the true culprit and shows the key decisive evidence that points to the suspect that committed the crime. This FS can catch multiple opponents, but the first one that gets hit is the true culprit. When the opponent is over 100% damage, they are instantly KO’d. Phoenix even uses his Hyper Combo voiceline from UMvC3: “The one who actually committed the crime...is YOU! No alibi, no justice, no dream, no hope! It's time to pay for your crimes! TAKE THAT!” After Phoenix shouts “TAKE THAT!”, the speech bubble for his line deals the final blow on the enemy. - Stage: The fight takes place in a Courtroom, where Phoenix does all of his battles against the prosecution and suspects. The right bench is the defense’s side, and the left bench is the prosecutions side with the Judge residing in the middle on his bench. Like the Suzaku Castle stage, the benches can be destroyed after it takes a certain amount of damage. The jury stands on either side can be destroyed too, expanding the Courtroom for a more wider battlefield. They’ll get restored after a certain amount of time passes. - Soundtracks: All of the songs are pulled directly from the Ace Attorney games, with some having a few new possible arrangements. Also, I just want an excuse to hear “Pursuit ~ Cornered” in a Smash Bros. game. XP Objection! 2001 (English Court) Pursuit ~ Cornered (Original Ver. / Turnabout Mode / English Court) Objection! ~ 2013 A New Chapter of Trials! ~ 2013 Courtroom Revolutionairé Pursuit ~ Keep Pressing On Objection! ~ 2016 A New Chapter of Trials! ~ 2016 Courtroom Revolutionairé ~ 2016 Pursuit ~ Cornering Together - Alternate Costumes: P1 - Default costume is his current appearance in Dual Destines and Spirit of Justice. Open unbuttoned suit, untucked dress-shirt, has locket accessory in breast-pocket, and has a bang sticking out of his hair. P2 - His original design when Phoenix was slightly younger. Suit is buttoned up, hair has no bang sticking out. P3 - His bright pink sweater when he was a college student at Ivy University. His hair even gets slightly shorter. P4 - Nick’s “hobo” disbarred appearance from Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney. Wears a blue beanie, gold locket around his neck, visibly slightly-shaved beard, black pants and sandals.  P5 - Wears “The Tiger” suit, a DLC pack from Spirit of Justice, a reference to one of the suspects, Furio Tigre, in Trials & Tribulations. P6 - Phoenix wears Masamune Date’s samurai armor from the Sengoku BASARA series, Japanese 3DS DLC exclusive only. P7 - Phoenix wears Apollo Justice’s monkey suit, one of the main characters in the Ace Attorney series. Nick’s hair color changes to brown. P8 - Phoenix wears his rival’s suit, Miles Edgeworth, the Chief Prosecutor. Phoenix’s hair turns silver, and has Edgeworth’s glasses in the breast-pocket just like how Edgeworth takes them off when in court.

5. Amaterasu - Okami series

If Duck Hunt can get in, why not another dog character? But this time, a sun goddess wolf. While I know some people would prefer Wolf Link & Midna, Amaterasu is still a good pick. She and Phoenix would great additional Capcom reps alongside Mega Man and Ryu & Ken. Much like Phoenix, Amaterasu would bring in all sorts of moves from both her origin game and Ultimate Marvel Vs. Capcom 3. Because Amaterasu cannot speak, she is joined by her partner, Issun, to talk for her in taunts and her victory screens. - Mechanic/Gimmick: Amaterasu would share the ink tank gauge Inkling has. When she runs out of ink, Amaterasu’s design would change her into just a pure-snow white wolf. She cannot access her Celestial Brush, and her weapon becomes weak. If the player presses & holds R and then the B button, Issun would use an Ink Pot to restore Amaterasu’s power. Her main weapon is called the Divine Retribution, a Reflector. - Special Attacks: Like Phoenix, Amaterasu brings in moves from both Okami and UMvC3. Amaterasu uses the Celestial Brush for most of these moves, and will run out of ink in the process. R+B will restore her lost ink & powers when  Neutral-B - Inferno: Ignites nearby foes as if shooting Mario’s Fireball. Side-B - Power Slash: Amaterasu uses the Brush to deal a powerful attack as if it were a sword slash. Up-B - Galestorm: The Brush creates a gust of wind that lifts Amaterasu into the air, and deals damage to foes that are in range. Down-B - Veil of Mist / Divine Reflect: Amaterasu’s 2-in-1 counterattack. When struck by a physical attack, acts similarly to Bayonetta’s Witch Time causing enemies to be slowed down for a few seconds giving Amaterasu enough to strike back. When hit by projectiles, Amaterasu uses her Reflector on her back, hence the name of her weapon. The reflect move is mostly a Smash original. - Final Smash - Sunrise Divine Instruments (Based on her Hyper Combos): Amaterasu uses the Celestial Brush to paint a sun in the sky that increases her power, then summons all of her Divine Instruments to deal a barrage of attacks. They are the Solar Flare, Tundra Beads and Thunder Edge. - Stage: The battleground takes place on the fields of Nippon, what is basically a fantasy of Edo-period Japan. - Soundtracks: To be honest with you, I never played Okami, so I wouldn’t really know what songs to put in here. I’ve come up with at least 3. If there’s any songs from the game you have in mind, mention it to me! I’d appreciate it a lot. Exorcizing Evil Crimson Helm, Begone! Battle of Ninetails

6. Crash Bandicoot

Crash is one of Naughty Dog’s biggest stars and is basically one of PlayStation’s mascots back in the console wars, meant to rival Mario and Sonic. Since most PlayStation characters like Snake, Cloud, Joker and Hero are already in Smash, Crash would be one of the greatest picks. Crash is not only a Western favorite, he’s also a well-known favorite in Japan much like Banjo & Kazooie. Also, Crash had a few Game Boy Advance game, and Crash N-Sane Trilogy has been on the Nintendo Switch for quite a while now. - Mechanic/Gimmick: None - Special Attacks: Neutral-B - Spin / Death Tornado Spin: Crash’s iconic spin attack seen in every Crash Bandicoot game. A simple press of the B button has Crash do his signature spin kick. An alternate version of it is that if the player press & holds the button, it becomes the Death Tornado. It causes him to spin much longer and faster, and even functions as a recovery glide if Crash is sent flying off-stage. Though the longer you hold the button, the weaker it becomes overtime. The power of the Death Tornado will recover if you don’t use it for a while. Side-B - Fruit Bazooka: Crash pulls out his Bazooka from Crash Bandicoot 3: Warped. This allows him to shoot Wumpa Fruit from a distance and deal exceptional damage. Up-B - Jet Pack: Crash whips out the Jet Pack from Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back. Similar to R.O.B.’s Robo Burner and King K. Rool’s Propellerpack, this move allows Crash to freely recover up high in the air dealing no damage to foes. Down-B - Super Belly Flop: Crash gains super armor during this attack as he puts power into this move and slams down to the ground with full force. Functions similarly to Yoshi Bomb and Bowser Bomber because when on the ground, Crash will lift his opponent in the air with them after he hits them, then belly flop down to the ground. - Final Smash - Crash Team Racing (Based on the game of the same name): Crash summons racers onto the battlefield and jumps into his own race-kart. He is joined by various characters from the Crash series along with his girlfriend Tawna and his sister Coco. Everyone does a barrage of Missiles and Bowling Bombs, and finishes the FS by running over the trapped opponents. Similar to Captain Falcon’s Blue Falcon. - Alternate Costumes: N/A(?) - Stage: The fight will take place on one of the beaches in N. Sanity Island. - Soundtracks: There are TONS of songs to pick from the Crash series, so my best guess is to bring in the new arrangements from the N. Sane Trilogy. Crash Bandicoot: N. Sane Trilogy OST playlist Title Theme / Map / N. Sanity Beach (Outer)

7. KOS-MOS - Xenosaga series / Xenoblade Chronicles 2

KOS-MOS would be one of the best inclusions for Smash. She not only would represent her home game Xenosaga, but also Xenoblade 2 as she’s a guest character in the form of a Blade. She’s the best of both worlds basically. All of her moves can come from both games, and it would potentially work. - Mechanic/Gimmick: N/A(?) - Special Attacks: Most of KOS-MOS’ moves are pulled directly from Xenosaga, with a bit of a mix of aesthetics from Xenoblade 2. Neutral-B - R-Blade: Traps enemies with Hornet-like bullets and performs an attack with a sword arm. Side-B - F-G-Shot (Xenoblade 2): Charge attack similar to Samus’ Charge Shot. After charging, input the command again to fire lasers that scatter. Up-B - T-SKYLLA: Move borrowed from T-elos in Xenoblade 2. Rises upward with a sword slash, followed up with a gun attack. Down-B - R-Hammer: Strike the enemy with a strong & powerful hammer swing. - Final Smash - X-Buster: A black box weapon that has KOS-MOS open up her abdominal region and fires powerful energy beams across the stage. Similar to other Final Smashes like Samus’ Zero Laser, R.O.B.’s Guided Robo Beam, and Mii Gunner’s Full Blast. - Stage: N/A(?) - Soundtracks: Like with Crash and Amaterasu, I don’t know what songs from Xenosaga would appear in Smash. So here are some  Xenosaga Episode I OST Episode II OST Episode III OST - Alternate Costumes: P1 - Default costume, KOS-MOS Ver. 1. P2 - Episode II appearance, KOS-MOS Ver. 2. P3 - Episode III appearance, KOS-MOS Ver. 3. P4 - KOS-MOS Ver. 4 P5 - The Archetype costume. A version of KOS-MOS that went on an accidental out-of-control mass murder rampage in an attempt to intensify the bond between KOS-MOS and Shion. ...But children don’t need to know that since Smash Bros. is for good little boys & girls! P6 - Xenoblade Chronicles 2 Blade appearance. P7 - T-elos, a battle android who is KOS-MOS’ rival of sorts using the reanimated body of Mary Magdalene. P8 - Akin to Shulk’s swim-trunks, KOS-MOS wears a swimsuit. Though it may be slightly altered to keep the age rating be E10+.

8. Sora - Kingdom Hearts series

Sora is one of THE many HIGHLY REQUESTED fighters to be put in Smash Bros., and it’s no small wonder and surprise either given his series’ popularity. Though Sora may be a bit tricky due to that fact he’s both a Disney AND Square-Enix character. While Disney may seem fine with it, trying to convince Square is the real challenge seeing as we already have both Cloud from Final Fantasy and Hero from Dragon Quest. He might be like Cloud where he’ll only get his Japanese voice actor and not his English one, Haley Joel Osment. YouTuber HMK made several videos on reasons why Sora could potentially & possibly make it in to Smash Bros. Take the time to check them out! I will also be mentioning HMK and his selected moveset for Sora in this list. All credit goes to him! WHO OWNS SORA The Dream LIVES ON! Why Sora can EASILY be Super Smash Bros. Ultimate DLC Sora’s COMPLETE Moveset for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate! If Sora Gets In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate! - Mechanic/Gimmick: If you’ve already watched HMK’s video on Sora’s moveset, he brings the MP Gauge much like Hero to use magic, and could bring the Situation Command mechanic that allows him to build up a meter each time he attacks to use Grand Magic. Once the SC meter is full, Sora can unleash devastating powerful magic on the battlefield based on spells like Fire, Blizzard, Thunder, etc.. Of course if Sora runs out of MP, he has to wait for it to recharge just like in both Kingdom Hearts II & III. - Special Attacks: If you’ve already watched one of the videos by HMK, you may have an understanding and idea on what Sora’s moves could potentially be. Neutral-B - Magic / Grand Magic: Sora shoots magic from his Keyblade. In the process this lowers his MP Gauge, but fills up the Situation Command meter to use Grand Magic without the cost of MP. The Grand Magic is based on the last spell Sora uses. Fire, of course, shoots fireballs and can also be used in combos. Blizzard shoots out a chunk of ice that freezes opponents. Thunder casts lightning bolts surrounding Sora while stunning foes, that stuns them longer the more damage they have. And Aero casts wind that pushes foes away and creates a mini tornado that Sora can jump off of as if he is using a Flowmotion Super Jump. Once the MP Gauge runs out, it’ll take time for it to recharge. HMK mentions this in one of his video. As Sora deals damage and uses magic in his combos, he fills up the Situation Command meter to use Grand Magic. Once it’s full, the player can then press the B button to cast the magic from the last spell he used (EX.: Fire becomes Firaza). Downside is that he loses meter if he takes damage. Side-B - Strike Raid: Sora throws his Keyblade at his opponents akin to the three Links’ Boomerang. The difference is that the player can input this command as many times as they wish allowing Sora to throw his Keyblade multiple times to closely resemble its original mechanic from the first Kingdom Hearts game. The attack gets weaker the more you use it though. Up-B - Flowmotion: HMK mentions this in his video. This can be similar to Pikachu’s Quick Attack, Lucario’s Extreme Speed and Shulk’s Airslash. This move has two different inputs. After inputting this command, Sora enters Superslide in which the player must use the control stick to guide where Sora goes. If the player inputs the command again, it turns into Super Jump allowing Sora to soar even higher, but is only used once. When Sora enters Flowmotion and Super Jump, he can use his Flowmotion Attacks if the player uses the attack button (A). Sora will remain in the Flowmotion and Super Jump state until he lands or grabs onto a ledge. Down-B - Command Magic Select: As HMK mentioned in his video and similar to Hero’s own Command Select, this allows Sora to change and swap between Fire, Blizzard, Thunder, and Aero. Though the downside is that Sora is wide open as he’s standing still choosing a spell, much like Hero. - Possible Final Smash(es) - Combined Keyblade: Sora summons his friend Riku by his side, and together by using their lights they summon the Combined Keyblade. Sora and Riku do a series of sword slashes and deal a finishing blow by imbuing the Keyblade with a beam of light slashing downward on the opponent. Union χ [Cross] (Based on a segment from the Keyblade Graveyard in Kingdom Hearts 3. SPOILER WARNING!): Sora summons the Light Of The Past and rides on a Keyblade tornado as he rushes his opponents through with hundreds of Keyblades. He then finishes the FS with Union χ Burst, launching foes away. Trinity (Based on the final boss in Kingdom Hearts 3. Timestamp at 22:30. SPOILER WARNING!): Sora summons his friends Donald and Goofy (or it could be changed to Riku and Kairi due to copyright and rule of no characters that did not originate from a video game) and by combining their powers together and lending support to him, Sora unleashes a tri-beam from his Keyblade to pierce through his opponents. - Stage: There are many worlds in the Kingdom Hearts universe on where a fight could take place. A few in mind could be Traverse Town, Twilight Town, Daybreak Town, Hollow Bastion/Radiant Garden, the Keyblade Graveyard, or Scala as Caelum. - Soundtracks: Hand In Hand (DDD Ver.) Dearly Beloved (New Arrangement to fit Smash Bros.’ high-paced action) Scherzo di Notte (KH2 Ver.) Another Side -Battle Version- The 13th Struggle Working Together (KH3 Ver.) The Other Promise (KH3 Ver.) Deep Anxiety Rage Awakened Wave of Darkness (Phase 1 and Phase 2) Scala ad Caelum - Alternate Costumes: P1 - Sora’s current appearance from Kingdom Hearts III. P2 - One of Sora’s past appearances from Kingdom Hearts II, or potentially based off of Second Form. P3 - Sora’s original first appearance from Kingdom Hearts, or Limit Form Sora. P4 - Sora’s appearance from Kingdom Hearts Dream Drop Distance. P5 - Element Form Sora P6 - Strike Form Sora P7 - Guardian Form Sora P8 - Blitz Form Sora

9. Kazuma Kiryu - Yakuza / Like A Dragon series

Much like Rex and Pyra/Mythra, Kiryu is one of my dream fighters to be in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Though one of my concerns and fears is that Kiryu may not make it into the game due to the fact the Western title of Like A Dragon is called Yakuza, which is of course based on real-life yakuza that are organized crime syndicates and his game series does involve yakuza in more ways than one. So this makes Kiryu a highly unlikely fighter in my opinion. If he doesn’t make it in, I hope a Mii Brawler Costume of him is made as compensation in some way. If they can find a workaround, they could just use the original Japanese title, Like A Dragon and leave it at that. If he does make it, this will make Kiryu the 4th Sega rep alongside Sonic, Bayonetta, and Joker. - Mechanic/Gimmick: His main fighting style is called the Dragon of Dojima, a mix of his three original styles; Brawler, Rush, and Beast which is more refined. He could bring his Heat Action Gauge as the main gimmick. Each time Kiryu deals damage, he fills up the meter which then allows him to use a powerful moves such as curb-stomping opponents. Though the downside is that meter will decrease each time he take damage. When the meter is full, he can enter Extreme Heat Mode when the player presses & holds R+B at the same time. This state dramatically buffs Kiryu for a set period of time until the meter runs out or if Kiryu gets KO’d, just like Joker’s Rebellion Gauge. He also gains super armor in the process. - Special Attacks: Some of Kiryu’s special moves can be based on a mix of his Heat Actions and his abilities. Neutral-B - Heat Actions + Extreme Heat Actions: When a portion of the Heat Gauge is filled and usable, press the B button and Kiryu will activate a random Heat Action depending on the situation. If the player activates Extreme Heat Mode, Kiryu is able to use Heat Actions exclusive to that state when he’s doing combo attacks. If the gauge is empty, this move is useless and Kiryu will just stagger in place. Side-B - Leaping Fist: Kiryu jumps and lunges forward as he strikes the opponent with a powerful punch. Up-B - Rising Tornado: Kiryu uppercuts his foe as he rises skyward. As a recovery move, has more distance than Little Mac’s Rising Uppercut and Simon/Richter’s Uppercut if you keep pressing & holding the B button. Down-B - Komaki Tiger Drop: Kiryu’s counterattack. Similar to Ryu & Ken’s Focus Attack and Little Mac’s Slip Counter, Kiryu will gut-punch his foe that attacks him which causes them to get stunned and tired out. The higher the opponent’s damage, the longer they stay stunned until they fall to the floor tired out. Kiryu also has super armor when using this move. Grab & Pummel: When grabbing opponents, pummelling them and then throwing them, this increases Kiryu’s Heat Action Gauge slightly faster. Throws: When Kiryu grabs his opponent and you input the control stick to throw them, other surrounding opponents near Kiryu take damage from the thrown enemy, making them collateral damage. Taunting: When Kiryu taunts, his Heat Gauge fills up slightly. - Final Smash - Extreme Dragon of Dojima: Kiryu strikes the first enemy he hits, then deals a series of blows and attacks of various punches and kicks, and finally finishes it by striking the enemy with his signature high kick, creating a Kiwami/Extreme (極) symbol with a bright-white backdrop and a shadowy silhouette of Kiryu at the end. This FS is a reference to the box art of the original Yakuza game, and Kiryu’s awakening to the Legend Style: Dragon of Dojima in Yakuza 0. - Stage: The fight takes place in the fictional city of Kamurocho, Kiryu’s home-turf where most of his adventures take place. Much like Isle Delfino, New Donk City and Skyloft, the stage will act as a tour as you go and fight through different corners of this tough city. - Soundtracks: Most of the Yakuza (And Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio games in general) songs have high-paced action feeling songs that gets your blood and adrenaline running, fitting for Smash Bros. Receive You (Original / Tech Trance Arrange / Kiwami ~ Reborn) Funk Goes On (Original / Project X Zone 2 / Kiwami) Receive You ~ The Mad Type Reign Turning Point Push Me Under Water Outlaw’s Lullaby Rebellious Phase Clan Battle Bruise Massive Fire Isolated Fight Kamurocho Fight Bloodstained Philosophy Random Fire Drumfire My Own Style Receive You ~ Dragon of Dojima (SPOILER WARNING!!!) - Alternate Costumes: P1 - Default costume. Grey suit & pants, and open-collared & slight unbuttoned red shirt. Kiryu’s iconic look. P2 - Kiryu’s Yakuza 0 appearance when he goes into real estate business. A white suit with a slight unbuttoned orange shirt. Has a real ‘80s vibe to it. P3 - Kiryu’s red Hawaiian-like shirt from Yakuza 3. The ideal shirt to wear while relaxing in Okinawa. P4 - Kiryu’s wrestling outfit from Yakuza: Dead Souls. P5 - A grey coat Kiryu wears in Yakuza 5 as a taxi driver. P6 - Kiryu with just his red shirt in Yakuza 6: The Song of Life. P7 - Kiryu’s cabaret club manager suit from Yakuza Kiwami 2. P8 - Kiryu becomes shirtless revealing the grey dragon tattoo on his back.

[kumeko]

A/N: For the Blades in Hand zine! I wanted some post canon fluff, at least as much as Felix and Byleth allow themselves fluff. XD Last time I had written them in the endings where they go around wandering, so I wanted a more domestic route this time. And all based off the one line in their ending where they end up having duels every time they go home.

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Byleth wasn’t home. It was late at night, Byleth’s carriage should have arrived hours ago, and she still wasn’t home. Felix stood in front of his big bay windows, scowling at the slowly rising moon as though it had personally insulted him. No one would call him a patient man—Ingrid had bemoaned how little it took to set him off—but there was little else to do in the face of delays but wait.

He paced his dimly lit manor, the candles casting just enough light to see. Somewhere, a clock chimed, the hour late. Their children had already been tucked into bed, disappointed and sulking when their mother hadn’t returned. Felix hadn’t the words to comfort them; they had even less patience than he did. It was a Fraldarius thing, this desire to move, this need to get things done immediately and without delay. Byleth had always been good at the waiting game, whether it was teaching in their youth or handling important affairs as she cleaned up a war that she hadn’t started.

Aside from his soft footfalls echoing through the vaulted ceiling and the quiet tickticktick of the clock, the house was silent. The servants had long since finished their duties for the day. Only the stableboy stood outside, waiting to tend to Byleth’s horse. Felix watched the moon rise even higher, its silver rays lighting up the path to their front door. His sword dangled uselessly at his waist.

The clock chimed once, twice—at the eleventh gong, Felix stood stock-still. A familiar figure trotted down the path, her cloak pulled back. In the moonlight, her green hair glowed. Something in him uncoiled at the sight.

There were very few that could touch her, especially now that the war was over. Somehow, that fact never stopped the knots that grew in him whenever she returned late.

He was getting soft. A minor affliction he had feared as an ignorant child, and one that he now embraced as a father.

Her horse stopped at the front door. He listened to the soft murmurs as she talked to the stable boy, as she slipped off her steed and walked to the door. Felix stood in front of the staircase, expression impassive, as she walked in through the doors.

Byleth’s eyes lit up as she spotted him, her lips curving into a rare, soft smile. “I’m back.”

“Late,” he replied evenly, noting the slight limp as she closed the door. Her green cloak looked frayed and torn, and the dark splatters could only be blood.

“There was trouble.” Byleth unfastened her clasp and turned when he approached. “The children?”

“Asleep.” Felix gently pulled off her cloak. Their conversations were always quick, pointed things, like the strikes in fencing. Only the bare bones were needed, only the bullet point summaries had to be uttered. “The blood?”

Looking over her shoulder, Byleth smirked. “Not mine.”

Felix chuckled. He shouldn’t have asked. Stripped down of her travelling gear, he could see that she was perfectly fine. His gaze flickered to her right leg. Almost perfectly fine. Felix touched her hip lightly.  Her skin was warm beneath her stockings. “Should we do this tomorrow?”

Byleth rested a cold hand on his, squeezing it lightly. Her other hand cupped his cheek, guiding him down into a firm kiss. He could taste her long, dusty journey on her lips. As she pulled back, she shook her head. “Today. I have not felt your sword in a month.”

Felix didn’t fight his smile. With every year that passed, he realized how lucky he had been to find her. There was no need for words between them, they only got in the way. There was no desire for pleasantries or any of the trappings of society, the social norms that only served to restrain and hinder them.

No, the only thing they needed was the swords attached to their belts and an open space to fight. Sparring was their religion, their weapons their gods, and there was no need for any tradition in their household aside from their clashes. Felix had long learned how to read Byleth’s body, with the reverence that Mercedes put into her prayers, and any questions he had would be answered as they fought.

Felix deposited her cloak in a corner. They could put it away later. The candlebras were fully lit, leaving two bright pools of light on the ground. Felix stepped into one, drawing his one-handed arming sword. The servants had cleared the room of any fragile items. No one had mopped. The area was clear for their fight. “With the clock?”

Byleth rolled her shoulders and cracked her neck as she entered the second pool of light. She drew her sword, a solid two-handed longsword. It didn’t have the same reach as her Sword of the Creator, but in her hands it didn’t need to. “Okay.”

The second hand ticked. He kept his grip relaxed. Her strength versus his speed. They fought so many times, they’d stopped keeping track of the score and focused instead on who was winning. Felix breathed in. Byleth breathed out.

The minute hand moved, a soft tick, and they both sprang forward. He struck first, as always: a sharp thrust to her chest. Byleth parried, a strong stroke that sharply cleaved through the air. Without a pause, she kicked him with her good leg, sending him flying back.

He didn’t miss her wince as she did so. Her leg hurt more than she had admitted. Her stoicism matched his, and it was hypocritical of him to say otherwise. Sliding to a stop on their marbled floor, he ducked at her follow up attack and elbowed her in the chest. Byleth grunted and hit his shoulder with her hilt.

Felix clenched his jaw and jumped back. Her eyes narrowed and he knew that she’d recognized his reaction for what it was: his old shoulder injury acting up again. It liked to do that, some spring nights, when winter’s chill still lingered long after the snow had melted.

Every movement revealed more and more of their time apart: the exhaustion in her arms from her long ride, the boredom of his paperwork dulling his blade, her nose ruddy from the drizzle she’d travelled through. It was better than any letter, more explicit than any conversation. What the memory forgot, the body remembered.

The dance continued: thrust, parry, duck, jab. Muddy footprints recorded their midnight duel. Moonlight streamed through the windows, and Felix was reminded of another starlit dance on a marbled floor, years ago when she had been a mysterious teacher and he hadn’t cared for her beyond her blade. Somehow, Sylvain had convinced her to dance with the entire class.

Felix had spent the entire song stiff, his hands wooden on her shoulder and waist as he impatiently waited for the night to be over. And when they had bumped into each other later, in front of the tower, he had mocked the entire affair.

Settle for being a lover, he had said. If you want passion, look elsewhere.

He had been a fool then. There was no better partner than Byleth, no better dance than that of their blades. There was no settling with Byleth, only rising to each other’s challenges.

And passion could be found everywhere, from their swords to their beds.

They clashed, steel meeting steel, speed opposing strength. Byleth’s eyes were alive in a way he rarely saw otherwise, burning with a fire as she instantly decided her next move. Felix was certain he had the same wild look, his hair flying out of its tie, his lips drawn into a smile that was all teeth and grit.

Since he was a child, he had known there was no place for him in peace. Even with his duties, his friends, his children, it was a feeling that stayed bone deep.

Yet.

Yet.

Here, in the middle of a fight with his wife, her sword nicking his cheek, his blade grazing her arm, he knew had found the one place he’d belonged. They were two extinct animals, but they were together, and perhaps that was all he had needed: a companion.

Byleth slashed at him.  He dodged, but her hilt hit his wrist and he gasped. Before his sword could fall out of his hand, he grabbed it with his other. Sensing weakness, Byleth lunged forward. Felix ducked her thrust and kicked her leg. Her eyes widened and she groaned softly as she fell backward. Before she could hit the ground, he wrapped an arm around her waist, his blade pointed at her neck. “Yield?”

Byleth’s gazed flickered from her sword to his blade to his face. Sighing, she nodded, her weapon falling out of her hands with a sharp clatter. “You win.”

He smirked, pulling her up before he sheathed his own weapon. He kept his hand on her waist, feeling her shudder with every heavy breath. ���We’re tied again.”

“No, I’m still one ahead—” Byleth let out a sharp breath and grimaced as she stepped with her hurt foot.

Felix didn’t hesitate before sweeping her off her feet and into his arms. His wrist ached at the added weight. When she shot him a disgruntled look, he pressed a gentle finger on her leg. “A sprain?”

Byleth stared at him for a moment before sighing. “A bruise that hasn’t healed.”

She relaxed, leaning into his chest. Her hair tickled his chin as he tightened his grip and headed up the stairs. Byleth wasn’t one for indulgence, neither was he, but he couldn’t deny the desire sometimes. It had been a month since he’d last held her.

“I missed this,” he murmured. I missed you.

Byleth smiled, hearing the unspoken words. “Me too.”

Their bedroom was considerably brighter than the foyer, the candles scattered on the desks, drawers, and other flat surfaces until the room had a warm, almost cozy feel. It would be annoying to put them out later. Despite that, they were oddly appealing in this late hour.

Years ago, he had told her that he wasn’t a romantic. It was funny how things changed.

Slowly, Felix deposited his wife on their bed, her bright green hair splaying on the dark blue comforter.  She rolled over slightly, eyes closed and smiling contentedly as she buried her nose in the fabric. “They still smell of pine. I didn’t think we’d still need them.”

Felix chuckled, immediately guessing what her real question was. “It’ll be another month before we should remove them.”

Byleth was tough, but not Faerghus winter tough. Felix had long suspected the main reason she kept hosting Dimitri’s peace talks at the monastery was not because of its central location, as she claimed, but rather to escape the deep chill of winter. He leaned down, brushing the hair out of her face. Her eyes were emerald bright in the gloom. “The cold will leave soon enough.”

She leaned into his touch. Her cheek was as rough as her hands. “You said that before I left.”

“It is warmer now,” he rebutted, brushing her skin with a thumb. Part him wanted to linger here, to just stay like this. After spending years running, these days Felix found he wanted to stand still. He was getting soft. It had to be old age.

There was a first aid kit in their drawers. Early on in their marriage, they’d discovered it was an essential bedroom item. Between his lies and her deflections, it was a miracle they hadn’t lost a limb from delaying healing. Felix knelt next to the bed, setting the cloth bandages, a water-filled basin, and a washcloth around him.

Byleth moved up to her elbows, regarding him as he gently pried off her mud-encrusted boots. Her tights fared little better, flecked with the dirt. “Rough ride?”

“There was rain.” She exhaled sharply as he slid her tights off her right ankle.

His fingers skimmed her thighs and he fought the urge to investigate higher. Bruised skin greeted him as he examined her bare ankles, small black and purple flowers that ran up her leg. Carefully, Felix held her leg, his lithe fingers gingerly pressing as he assessed the damage. “A bruise?”

“Many bruises,” she admitted reluctantly. When he looked up, brow furrowed and lips a straight line, she sighed. “It looks worse than it feels.”

He pressed on a bruise and she hissed between clenched teeth. Clicking his tongue, Felix dipped the washcloth in the cold water. “How did you ride with this?”

Byleth shivered as the cold water hit her skin. Lightly, he removed the dirt and grime of her journey, the cloth only just touching her leg. “I wanted to see you.”

His hand froze at the comment. “It could have waited.”

“It couldn’t,” she disagreed, bending forward to run a hand through his hair. When he looked up, she cupped his cheek. “It really couldn’t.”

That tiny action, those small words left him as breathless as their fight had. He turned slightly, pressing a kiss with the corner of his mouth before returning to her leg. “What happened?”

Byleth leaned back and stared at the ceiling. “We had found some remnants of the Agarthans. They were stronger than we’d expected.”

It had been years, and they still hadn’t fully wiped out those conniving bastards. Part of Felix thought they never would. “You beat them?”

Byleth snorted derisively. “Of course.” 

It was an insulting question. There was no other way she’d answer, after all. Felix changed the topic. “How were the boar’s peace talks?”

Byleth huffed. “The remaining nobles are stubborn—they’ve mostly agreed, but they just want to save face by delaying matters.”

“Old fools.” Felix clicked his tongue; the world was filled with morons. He let go of her leg. Aside from cleaning it, there was little he could do. “Anywhere else?”

Byleth gingerly kicked her leg. Satisfied, she shook her head. “No, that was it.”

“Good.”  Felix gently kissed her ankle. He had never considered himself a tender romantic but then again, he had never considered himself a passionate lover either. With Byleth, he found that both suited him. He pressed his next kiss slightly higher up.

Byleth’s breath hitched, and he smirked against her slowly warming skin. It wouldn’t be long before he wiped the journey from her body. Before he could go any further than her knee, a calloused hand cupped his chin, forcing him to look up. Byleth leaned down, kissing him softly, her thumb brushing his cut. It stung. He could taste iron from her bloody lip. She pulled back and patted the space next to her. “Your turn.”

Felix nosed her shoulder, lips skimming her collar. “It’s fine.”

Byleth growled and forced him to stand. “It’s not.”

As though they were still fighting in the foyer, Byleth yanked him down, all but tackling him onto the bed. Now he was the one lying flat on his back, staring at their canopy. She leaned over him, her green hair falling over him like a waterfall. “It’s not,” she repeated firmly, her gaze never leaving his.

“It’s not,” he agreed, reaching up and burying his good hand in her soft hair. Her breath ghosted his lips as he pulled her down.

“Don’t think I’ll fall for this,” she murmured, pulling away before he closed the gap.

Felix glowered at the ceiling before forcing himself to sit up on the bed. She plucked the kit from the floor and plopped it between them. Her knees bumped into his as she adjusted for a more comfortable position. Byleth held out her hand and reluctantly, he placed his injured wrist on her palm.

Now that he was paying attention to it, it throbbed, sending dull jolts of pain up his arm.

“Didn’t think I hit you that hard,” Byleth murmured, her fingers lightly tracing the sprain.

“You got lucky,” he muttered, unable to look away as she tenderly rubbed a cold, white ointment on his skin. Despite her firm grip, her touch was tender and he could barely feel it.

This wasn’t the first time she’d tended to him. It wouldn’t be the last either. Yet, he still couldn’t get used to the sensation, to the feeling of another taking care of him. It was different to Ingrid’s aid, or even Mercedes and Annette’s healing.

Byleth’s fingers sent jolts of electricity down his spine. As she leaned forward, her hair brushed his skin. Cradling his hand as though it were made of glass, she started to wrap it with a cloth tape.  

“Any changes here?” she asked, paying no attention to his stare.

Felix shrugged. “Nothing. Just the usual.”

“I didn’t think you’d ever say that.” Byleth chuckled, and he could feel the reverberations where they touched. “I thought you hated routines.”

Felix stiffened, remembering his stupid, foolish declarations in the academy. “I do. But this one…isn’t all terrible.”

She tucked in the end of the wrap, clipping it into place. She didn’t let go of his hand, staring at his palm as though she could read the future there. Maybe she could. Felix wouldn’t be surprised.

After a few moments, she brushed back her hair and kissed his palm. “No, it isn’t.”

His breath hitched as she looked up, her eyes dark and hungry.

There were traditions, rituals they kept whenever they parted, whenever they reunited. The duel. The patching. And now, another dance, a more intimate one without the blades and armour in their way.

Felix wasn’t a patient man. He had waited a month for his wife’s return.

Yet, as his wife pushed him down, her eager fingers already unbuttoning his shirt, he realized that his wife had even less patience than he did.