Chapter Text
“Murderer.”
Suletta blinked.
She glanced down at her hand.
She vaguely registered the giblets that were once the terrorist threatening Mio-Mio and her father.
She looked back to Mio-Mio, her fiance’s eyes filled with terror and disgust.
“...u-um,” Suletta asked, warily, “Was I… not… supposed to do that?”
Silence reigned.
“D-did you have a plan?”
Empty, foreboding silence.
“I-I should have figured you had a plan, I-I’m s-sorry!” Suletta stepped back, grimacing as she stepped further into the blood pooling around Aerial’s hand. “I-I didn’t mean to interrupt, or—”
“You killed him,” Miorine replied, her words a hoarse whisper. “And you think I’m mad because I couldn’t?”
“...y-yeah?” Suletta asked, as if unsure where Miorine’s confusion came from. “Is… is that wrong?”
“Of course it is! You killed him! ” Miorine howled, holding her arms out across her father’s prone form. “Don’t come any closer!”
“Mio-Mio, I had to!” Suletta placed her hands upon her chest, Miorine flinching at the sight of red tainting her spacesuit. “I didn’t want to—”
“Then why did you smile?!”
“Huh? I…” Suletta blinked, tilting her head as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. “I saved you. O-of course I’d smile.”
“ Liar! ” The words felt like a blade of pure venom, shooting out from Miorine’s lips to Suletta’s heart. “No… no, nobody can be that calm, that lackadaisical while doing something so… bloodthirsty…” Miorine gritted her teeth, a withering glare meeting Suletta’s trembling gaze. “‘Kill a man in cold blood.’ Was that on your list, too, Mercury?!”
Suletta felt the tears before she even realized she had been crying. “Mio-Mio, I didn’t—”
“Don’t you dare call me that!” A few heaving breaths fell from Miorine, her focus slowly shifting to her father. “Only the real Suletta could call me that. The kind, honest, innocent Suletta. Not whatever monster you are at this moment.”
Suletta felt something break inside of her. “Monster?”
“All the same… technically,” Miorine managed, “You saved my life and my father’s. I would be… a failure of a Rembran if I did not say that much.”
Suletta sniffed, not daring to wipe her tears with her blood-stained gloves.
Miorine’s focus flickered for a moment, before a steely expression returned to her form. “However… this is where our arrangement ends.”
“W-what?”
“As my father is currently incapacitated, I now hold authority over my own life.” Whether or not her fiance believed that, Suletta couldn’t tell, as Miorine had turned so all Suletta could see was her back. “And by that authority, I…” Miorine paused, balling her fingers into tight fists. “I hereby annul our engagement. Suletta Mercury.”
What broke, cracked.
Run away, gain one. Move forward, gain two.
That’s what she said.
That’s why I…
Was she wrong?
Was… I…
“I’m sure you and Aerial can find your way out of here. I’ll find an escape route on my own, with my father.” Miorine didn’t look back as she spoke, moving her father’s stretcher carefully through the rubble. “I hope one day you understand.”
Miorine didn’t stay long enough to hear the sobbing, choked-out whimpers behind her.
If she did, she might have reconsidered.
“Run away, gain one. Move forward, gain two. Run away, gain one. Move forward, gain two. Run away, gain one. Move forward, gain two. Run away, gain one. Move forward, gain two. Run away, gain one. Move forward, gain two. Run away, gain one. Move forward, gain two. Run away, gain one. Move forward, gain two. Run away, gain one. Move forward, gain two. Run away, gain one. Move forward, gain two. Run away, gain one. Move forward, gain two.”
The words flooded, unceasing, mixing with the blood pooling beneath her.
“Run away. Move forward. Run away. Move forward. Run away. Move forward. Run away. Move forward. Run away. Move forward. Run away. Move forward. Run away. Move forward. Run away. Move forward. Run away. Move forward. Run away. Move forward. Run away. Move forward.”
Suletta could feel reality slipping from her grip, her chanting deafening her to the strange sounds beginning to flood the chamber.
“Run away. Run away. Run away. Run away. Run away. Run away. Run away. Run away. Run away. Run away. Run away. Run away. Run away. Run away. Run away…”
Her eyes red, her voice strained, her dreams shattered.
“I WANT TO RUN AWAY!”
Suletta’s wail echoed, bouncing off the walls and rebounding back to her.
She knew nobody would hear it, or even if they did, they wouldn’t listen.
She knew Mio-Mio wouldn’t be listening. Mio-Mio…no, Miorine. Miorine despised her. Suletta could see it in her eyes. She felt it in her heart.
She knew her mother may have been listening, but she wouldn’t care. She’d lied to her. She’d done so before, but this… this breaking of everything she knew? That was the end of it.
Nobody would hear her. Nobody would listen.
…except, that is, for her beloved sister.
Suletta could barely make out the non-bloodied, gentle hand that carefully scooped her up.
She felt the cushion of the cockpit seat, the gentle click of the canopy closing around her.
She could almost hear it in her mind:
Let’s run away, then.
Get some rest. It’s a long trip ahead.
“Where are we going?” Suletta mumbled, exhaustion beginning to take hold.
As far away as I can take you.
“...that… sounds nice…”
Suletta knew no more.
Aerial took flight.
Zanado was not a locale that Byleth especially preferred visiting.
The fact that she had to so consistently proved that the universe was a cruel and unjust one.
Too many bandits thought that it made the perfect hiding spot, much like the last bandits who hid out there, and the bandits before them.
And so will the bandits who inevitably come in after Byleth’s class devastates this current crop.
But, a job is a job.
She’d been asked to take the Golden Deer to eliminate the forces of… Kosmos? Koztaz? Something to that effect. It was the man who attempted to slaughter the House Leaders in Remire, somehow still not having learned his lesson from that failed venture.
Even though she needed to utilize Sothis’ power on occasion, for the most part, her little fawns were doing well. Fighters fell like flies, and the leader’s final stronghold was in sight; a roughshod barricade had been erected around the ruins at the end of the rocky pathway, making for a slightly more difficult entry point… not that the guards were of any greater quality.
Byleth wished her fawns didn’t need to bloody their hands so, to tell the truth. They were too young for this. Too inexperienced.
Too good and innocent.
Unfortunately, she had orders to follow and missions to complete.
You do realize, a certain voice reminded her, You are also considered a child in this scenario.
I have no idea what you’re talking about, Sothis.
Oh, don’t be obtuse!
I have far more time on the battlefield. Age aside, I…
That doesn’t make it any less accurate, Child .
Ignoring the passenger in her mind, Byleth quickly parried an incoming bandit’s strike, knocking the sword from the attacker’s grasp. Before the bandit could make another move, a loud smack resonated from behind. As the man toppled, Raphael came into view, his fist caked in blood… hopefully not his own. “Oh, jeez. I was only trying to knock him out. Hope that didn’t break anything important.”
“I’m sure he’s fine, Raphael,” Byleth replied, stepping over their downed foe. A field of bodies, some broken, some restrained, and others long departed, greeted her. “More than I can say for most.”
Raphael grimaced. “Tell me about it. Now all we’ve got left is that little fort, though, and I think only the boss guy is left.”
“He’s right,” a drawling voice added. Lorenz gestured with his spear toward the fortification; its immediate guards lay dead at the door, with disgruntled shouting coming from behind its wooden frame. “Their glorious leader has been swearing up a storm, but otherwise hasn’t deigned to grace us with his presence.”
Indeed, what little Byleth could make out matched Lorenz’ assessment. “...lousy, stinkin’ brats… he never told me… I lost half my respect and all of my gold because of…”
“All the better.” Byleth gestured toward Claude. “See if you can get the rope from the caravan within the next few minutes; we should have time to let him tire himself out in his rage. We can bring him back to the Archbishop in one piece, and see what he knows.”
The House Leader grinned, placing his hands on his hips as the other Deer gathered around, whispering all the while with pale faces. Byleth “Right-o, Teach! I’m just glad this worked out without casualties. I have to admit, it got a bit dicey there.”
Claude, with a knife in his throat.
Marianne, shot in the heart with an arrow.
Hilda, falling into the abyss.
“It took work to make it only dicey. Keep that in mind.”
“Can do, Teach.” Claude glanced up to the sky, covering his eyes as the sun beamed down. “Still, I’d like to not have fought in this blasted heat…” He paused, narrowing his eyes. “Does… anyone else see that?”
“See what?” Hilda scanned the sky. A dark shape shifted through the clouds above. “Eh… I’m just seeing some dark clouds. Does it usually rain around here?”
“It’s not unheard of, but if I recall correctly, it hasn’t for some time…” Ignatz followed Claude’s eyeline. There was indeed some large, black spot in the sky. “Perhaps it’s some sort of bird?”
That thought lasted all of two seconds, before the shape began to come into clearer focus.
Reflective, oddly-shiny focus.
Not to mention on fire.
Leonie readied her sword. “I get the feeling that’s not a bird, ‘natz.”
“I can see that now! ”
Lysithea turned to Byleth, her hand hovering over a tome. “Professor, should we charge in now? Whatever that thing is, it’s on a collision course with this canyon, and I don’t think we have much time!”
“We’re… not just going to let him die, are we?” Marianne’s expression flitted between concern and doubt as she shrunk in on herself. “There’s already been so much killing today. I don’t… I would rather not see another corpse if I can help it for some time.”
I personally feel like this is some kind of karmic justice, Sothis mused, But the girl is right. Whatever this thing is, it’s liable to cause damage. If we don’t get the captives out of here, that Kosmonaut fellow included, their deaths are assured.
Right. We need the information they have. “Everyone, get whoever’s tied up to the caravan. Make as much distance as you can, but stay within a mile of me. I’ll see to their leader.”
“Think you’ll have enough time to make it out before that thing makes impact?” Claude frowned, the roar of the… whatever-it-was tearing through the air beginning to grow louder and louder. “I don’t think—”
“Focus on your classmates,” Byleth ordered. “Now.”
Claude stared at her for a moment, before letting out a deep sigh. “Sure thing, Teach. Everyone,” he called out, “Get a move on! We need to be out of here now! ”
“Right!”
As Claude maneuvered the Deer, Byleth darted to the “fortress,” Koszaz' complaints becoming more and more clear.
“—I swear, I’ll gut every last one of you like a fish, just you try and get me!”
Byleth didn’t have time to play around with a locked door, and even slicing through it with a sword would take some time.
Thankfully, being that the fortress was open-air, a third option was very easily found.
While rarely an emotional type ( Putting it mildly, Sothis grumbled), Byleth did find some satisfaction in the squawk of indignation from Kostas ( THAT WAS HIS NAME!) as she dropped from the sky.
“I-it’s you! The Ashen—”
“Have you looked up in the last five minutes?”
Kostas raised an eyebrow, along with his axe. “The hell’re you talkin’ about? Ain’t this where you hero types say somethin’ about bringin’ me to justice?”
Byleth merely pointed up.
Sparing a glance, Kostas swore under his breath. “Let me guess, there’s even more of you brats dropping in from— what the fuck is that?! ”
“So you don’t know. Shame. I was hoping I could kill two birds with one stone.”
“How would I know what the hell that flamin’ pile of crap is?!”
Byleth shrugged. “It’s not my problem if you don’t. But it is my problem if you die right now, so…”
“Wait—”
Before Kostas could finish his protest, Byleth struck him in the stomach with the hilt of her blade, knocking the wind (and consciousness) out of the thief. Given his weight, another leap wouldn’t be an option; she’d need to open the gates, and fast. Grabbing him by the arm, she noticed the shadow cast by the mysterious object growing greater and greater, and its whine getting louder and louder. It must be close. I should move before —
CHILD, IT’S ARRIVING FASTER THAN YOU THINK! YOU NEED TO TURN BACK TIME, NOW!
Byleth felt the scorching heat sear her back, the pain immediate and near-debilitating.
In a snap, she managed to slip some seconds back, to when she had just landed before Kostas.
“I-it’s you! The Ashen—”
THWACK!
As Kostas went limp, Byleth grabbed him once again. She rushed to the gate, kicking the lock clean off with a strong strike. She forced herself and her cargo through the gate, running as fast as she could.
She made it across the small bridge at the start of the path when she heard the crash.
A wave of pure force struck her in the back, separating her and Kostas; while she tumbled down the pathway, the bandit she had fought hard to retrieve fell deep into the cavernous maw of Zanado.
Sothis, I need another Pulse!
I-I can’t! I’m trying, but I can’t!
Damn it all… I suppose we still fulfilled our mission, then —
Byleth gasped in shock as a wave of heat rushed over her; it was nowhere near as searing as the earlier one, but it was still far from pleasant. Forcing herself up to her feet, she took in the sight before her.
Encompassing the whole of the opposite end of the path (or, rather, crater ) was a massive, smoking figure. Its body was made of pure steel, shaded with varying hues, but not left unharmed by its approach. Scorch marks and melted iron dripped from various spots on its arms, though its chest area appeared relatively unscathed. The creature’s face (or what she approximated as its face) had the most damage, with cracked glass and torn metallics throughout.
What in the world is this?
I wish I knew…
Byleth intended to return to the others, to call upon the Church to investigate, as further engaging with this… thing was far past what she had been ordered to do.
However, this was before the creature turned its head to look directly at her.
It’s alive?! Sothis screeched, horror in her every breath, How is something like that sentient, let alone alive after falling from the sky in flames?!
…sU…Le…tTa…
If Byleth had much of a heart, it likely would have stopped.
“You… can talk?”
Sa…ve… Su…lE…ttA…
The creature’s chest opened, steam billowing from its sides.
It held within its casing a girl with bright red hair. She appeared to be unconscious, slumped in a seat surrounded by strange, glowing squares.
The seat the girl was in began to shake, Byleth tensing at the motion. Before she could approach, the seat launched out of the metal creature, taking its passenger along with it.
Child, what are you waiting for?!
R-right!
As the seat came near, Byleth quickly scooped up its occupant, letting the chair itself fall helplessly to the ground in a tumbling heap.
If she didn’t know any better, Byleth would have thought she heard the monster sigh.
TeLl hEr… i wILL Be fInE…I jUsT neEd… a… nap…
The creature’s eyes dimmed, fading into gray, as the girl began to stir fitfully in her sleep.
…Child. What are you going to do?
Byleth didn’t know how to answer that.
She had a feeling she’d be thinking that a lot lately.
“—unable to find either Suletta Mercury or the Aerial Gundam unit. Prospera Mercury is similarly MIA. Anyone with information on their whereabouts is encouraged to reach out to—”
Miorine couldn’t help crushing the tomato in her hand, air hissing through her teeth.
“Missing.”
“Missing,” they said.
“Information.”
The one thing she had and didn’t have simultaneously.
She heard the roar of the engines, watched out a tiny, insignificant window as her gr… as Suletta streaked through the sky, the Aerial’s head turning to stare at her.
Accusing her.
She dropped the tomato in a trash can, glancing down at her hand.
Red.
So much red.
So much red led to all of this.
“...where are you,” she whispered. Slamming her red-soaked hand on the wall, she cried, “Where are you?”
No answer would come. Not from the TV, nor from the handprint-shaped stain on her wall.
She knew this.
All the same, she wished it would.
Maybe then, whatever that answer was, it would make her heart stop hurting.