[Felix clutches the edge of his blanket, not at all liking the sound of that. Not noticing anything before he transferred classes aside, the fact that Byleth actually tried to turn back time for him and it didn't work sounds like some sort of ill omen.]
I went back in time.
[Well, he'll get back to that later. For now, they might as well tackle this question first.]
[Sothis floats a little closer, appearing to settle on the bed beside him. But she has no real physical form, and even the sheets give no evidence of her presence. Even so, there's a strange sort of warmth that emanates from her, familiar even though it has no reason to be.
"...yes. You stand against the flow of time... how did such a thing come to be?"]
[That unusual warmth next to him is what gets Felix to lay his eyes on Sothis once more--a perplexing sight given how weightless and fleeting she seems. Fitting perhaps, given everything surreal that they're discussing right now.]
I don't know. I was taking a nap after a job, and the next thing I knew, I woke up in my room back here in Garreg Mach.
[At the perplexed glances in his direction, Felix sighs, pressing a hand to his forehead and shaking his head.]
It would have been around seven years from now. You [he glances towards Byleth,] were instrumental in ending the war against the Empire and uncovering a certain truth related to it. Peace came, and I had to find another reason to wield my sword.
[Everything Felix has said is concerning, but it's not until he says those three little words that Byleth is worried.
Against the Empire.
How curious. Though there's no reason for it, he feels nauseated. It's a physical symptom that produces a visibly disturbed expression, though he doesn't seem to be aware of it.]
[Felix isn't a person inclined towards explanations, but there's relief to be had at just being able to finally say what he could not for the past two months.
So he tells Byleth about Edelgard's treachery. Of him refusing an invitation, and standing with the Church as the Empire moved forward with its conquest. Of him falling and disappearing for five years, and a consequent reunion during a promised day.
Past that, Felix glosses over the details. Though he makes mention of the disastrous battle at Gronder, he never mentions his greatest regret at Myrddin, instead choosing to fast-forward to how they manage to secure footholds into the Empire and defeat Edelgard, then mysterious organization behind it all. There's some hesitation when he brings up Rhea, but for the sake of completion, he does, and ends his story with how Byleth takes over her position after the war.]
We all went our separate ways after. I found that my calling is not dwelling in Fraldarius, but other battlefields that could use my blade.
Your calling, [he repeats quietly. Somehow, he doesn't think that sounds right. Why would he be back here now if he found his calling?
Sothis seems to be thinking along similar lines.
"Is that truly the whole of it, little one? You would not be here if you were satisfied with the outcome. To shift the sands of time requires a strong will. It does not happen on accident. Even if you cannot remember it, you must have wished so strongly to change things that you ended up here."]
["You have fallen for the prince," Sothis says. It's not like Byleth was totally oblivious to it or anything, but he still looks a little surprised to hear it spoken so bluntly.]
...is that it? Did he lose himself to the darkness?
[Felix swallows and nods, not specifying which statement he was agreeing with. It's obvious anyway, and if prodded, he has no plans on denying what is there--nay, always has been.]
Perhaps... that's why I've been sent back in time in the first place. To prevent him from falling into the same darkness that caused his death.
"...truthfully, I do not know. There is much still I cannot remember. The sudden sickness from saving Jeralt, however, is concerning. Time is malleable to an extent, but fate... if you truly come from the future, little one, then you will be in danger if you change events that would shift history. The fate of an entire country would be tied to the prince — perhaps even the fate of Fodlan as a whole. You must not attempt this lightly."
It sounds like she's saying Felix might die, doesn't it? Even so, if a war with the Empire awaits them, a part of Byleth wants to ask him to do it anyway. Thankfully, logic wins out over fledgling emotion. He won't make a request, simply offer his support.]
...if you decide to do it, I will do what I can to assist you. I owe you for saving my father, and I would rather avoid war as well.
[Felix barely hears Byleth's words, eyes wide open in stupefied horror as Sothis' warning sinks in, cooler than the winter chill that seeps through his bones.
He shuts his agape mouth, clutching the ring through his thin shirt as if that would root him in a certain blissful reality and not one that is threatening to crush him under its formidable weight.
Chewing the inside of his lower lip, he raises his gaze to meet Sothis', hating the mist that coalesces over his eyes.]
...You think I might die if I try to change history.
[Once upon a time, he would have considered that possibility without a second thought. Of fulfilling his purpose as the king's aegis, as he should have. But after knowing what it is that caused Dimitri's agony, after knowing how it is like to be left behind, he simply can't subject Dimitri to that curse again.
Especially not when he's promised his "always" to Dimitri.]
[Sothis winces at the look on his face. This must seem like a cruel joke — to dangle hope in front of him only for it to be snatched away.
"I am afraid so. Not right away, but almost certainly by the time you reach the moment you traveled back from. The wider the gulf between the reality you know and the one that exists now, the higher the chance you will not live past that day."
Even saving Jeralt could potentially do it. She thinks not, though. Jeralt has done his best to slide under the radar for quite some time, and with his close ties to Byleth (not to mention that he used the Divine Pulse at the moment of his would-be death), any backlash from that particular change is likely to fall on Byleth and Sothis. They'll make it through, Byleth was born from one that was meant to become her vessel in the first place.
[Until the moment he traveled back from... that would mean he only has seven years left should he continue on this path.
Lengthy as it sounds, Felix knows well how time can fly. And when it comes to Dimitri, it feels like he could spend eternity with him and it wouldn't be enough.
Seven years... just seven years is too short, barely even scratches the surface, especially with the turmoil they have to deal with in the horizon.]
It could be that Dimitri isn't fated to die.
[Oh no. Are those tears dripping onto his lap? The fingers that brush past his eyes seem to suggest so, embarrassing as it is to cry in front of these two, of all people.]
How can you be so certain that's his destiny?
[Of course, it doesn't sound like Sothis would be joking about this, but there's something damning about the authority behind her words, one that he bristles at, doesn't want to accept despite the power he senses behind them.]
["Your existence here, your memories of what was and will be. 'Fate' is time's memory. You being here now, coming back like this — it is like taking a rock from a river and throwing it upstream. Right now, you are simply being pushed along with that stream. If nothing changes, you will continue to travel downstream until the natural end of your life. But if the entire stream shifts its course and the rock tries to travel where it once was, it will come to a stop. It will no longer be in the stream."
An imperfect metaphor, but the best she can come up with when her own memories are so fragmented.]
[Felix's chest tightens with that confirmation, his own tears a steady stream he lets flow before he sniffles and wipes them away with his hand.]
It's not a stream I wish to return to.
[Though the possibility of dying along the way is terrifying as it is. Not as much the prospect as it is leaving Dimitri behind, though maybe, just maybe, he could find a purpose beyond Felix should he pass on ahead of Dimitri...
No, who is he kidding? Even if Dimitri undoubtedly loves his country, Felix is too painfully aware of what happens to Dimitri when something happens to Felix. The way he stayed by his side the first time he got injured in Remire, and the way he defied Byleth's orders when he fell earlier... Perhaps in the future Dimitri may be able to temper it, but now...
It's a change that's in motion, one that Felix himself has help set.]
But I can't... simply leave him behind either and let everything run its course as it did before.
[Felix swallows, trying to clear his mind with a small breath. It doesn't do much, though he does manage to glance at Sothis and Byleth again, hoping they have some answers he does not have that moment.]
[With a fragmented existence, there's only so much Sothis can do. She doesn't know how to avoid fate any better than Felix does — perhaps if she did, she wouldn't be in this state to begin with.
For Byleth, though, all these concepts are newer. He can't intuit the natural laws of time like Sothis can, therefore they aren't taken into consideration as he mulls the problem over. He gets up to pace a bit, grabbing a handkerchief for Felix before returning to his bedside.]
Before making any decisions, you need to identify the point of no return. What happens to him?
[Felix takes that handkerchief, grateful for something to freshen up with slightly.]
After the battle of Garreg Mach, he returned to the capital. But he got caught in a coup staged by Cornelia and was detained. Dedue managed to rescue him from execution after six months, but he hasn't been the same since.
[Felix shudders, closing his eyes briefly before letting his hands rest over his lap.]
She might have been gathering them for a while and given how quickly everything went down, they've likely have been in place for quite some time already.
[Felix sighs, worry twisting his features.]
Cornelia framed Dimitri for killing his uncle, the regent.
I see. It would be possible to avoid it if he refrains from returning to the capital, but... unless he is coronated, I suspect the kingdom would immediately fold to the empire under its current ruler.
[Folding his arms, Byleth hums thoughtfully.]
Assassinating Cornelia before his return is also a possibility, but we can't know for certain if she's the mastermind or just a pawn. Given the timing, I suspect the latter.
[In which case killing her off would accomplish nothing other than replacing the figurehead, and said figurehead might opt to kill Dimitri off sooner. He shakes his head.]
I don't think there's a way to guarantee his survival if those circumstances are changed. Escaping an execution is quite the feat.
She has not given anyone reason to be suspicious until then, [Felix says, unable to keep the bitterness off his tone.] I'm... not sure if I could even stop Dimitri from returning...
[Given how his throat seizes up whenever he's tempted to blurt something out with regard to the future.
Felix bites down on his lower lip, not at all liking Byleth's conclusion.]
Is that the only choice? [he asks despite knowing the answer.] Is all that suffering truly necessary...?
Maybe, maybe not. But if 'fate' is a memory, then he is fated to live through that trial unless someone with outside knowledge intervenes. It's the only method that has a survival rate of 100%.
[He glances to Sothis then.]
Correct?
[Sothis sighs heavily.
"Unfortunately, yes. What would you propose after he escapes?"]
Felix knows the exact date of the execution. He just has to be in the capital when he's escaping and make sure to only come into contact with him after Dedue has him out of confinement. Your relationship is different from before, isn't it? Do you really think he has no hope of recovery if you stay with him?
[Felix shakes his head, guilt eating at his chest at those words. If only he had loved Dimitri more the first time around, perhaps this situation would never have had to come to pass...]
Then... I'll play a more active part in the rescue, then.
[It probably is for the best as the professor puts it. Considering it's the path with least unknowns and would likely ensure both their survival for the time being.]
How about you, Professor? What are you going to do?
Just be careful not to make too many changes until he's out of the city. If he dies early on, then that might shift history all on its own.
[And it would be a terrible waste if neither one of them survives, wouldn't it?]
I'm not sure yet. If possible, I'd like to change Edelgard's path... what would happen to me?
[He turns to Sothis again, only looking mildly curious instead of afraid.
"You are my vessel, and you are capable of shifting time all on your own. I believe you would live on. Despite the knowledge of a possible future, you are still from this time, after all. If you are the one to enact the change, it may even provide some protection for the little one... though there would still be no guarantee."]
[It's eerie to see Byleth radiating calm rather than any of the emotional turmoil making Felix a little sick to his stomach, but then again, should he be surprised? Byleth has been quite the stoic--only ever truly shaken by the deaths of those closest to him.
Jeralt, then Edelgard.
Still, the possibility of averting a future as cursed as the one he came from and maybe, just maybe, living through it... The way it's phrased isn't very reassuring and he might as well operate unknowing of it, but it's still better than nothing.]
That would put us on opposite sides of the war.
[A simple statement of fact.]
Communication... won't be easy. Provided you don't disappear the way you did the last time.
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amewsbox2020-01-09 12:53 pm
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I went back in time.
[Well, he'll get back to that later. For now, they might as well tackle this question first.]
Could it have something to do with that?
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"...yes. You stand against the flow of time... how did such a thing come to be?"]
Do you remember? Did we send you back?
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I don't know. I was taking a nap after a job, and the next thing I knew, I woke up in my room back here in Garreg Mach.
[At the perplexed glances in his direction, Felix sighs, pressing a hand to his forehead and shaking his head.]
It would have been around seven years from now. You [he glances towards Byleth,] were instrumental in ending the war against the Empire and uncovering a certain truth related to it. Peace came, and I had to find another reason to wield my sword.
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Against the Empire.
How curious. Though there's no reason for it, he feels nauseated. It's a physical symptom that produces a visibly disturbed expression, though he doesn't seem to be aware of it.]
Tell me more.
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So he tells Byleth about Edelgard's treachery. Of him refusing an invitation, and standing with the Church as the Empire moved forward with its conquest. Of him falling and disappearing for five years, and a consequent reunion during a promised day.
Past that, Felix glosses over the details. Though he makes mention of the disastrous battle at Gronder, he never mentions his greatest regret at Myrddin, instead choosing to fast-forward to how they manage to secure footholds into the Empire and defeat Edelgard, then mysterious organization behind it all. There's some hesitation when he brings up Rhea, but for the sake of completion, he does, and ends his story with how Byleth takes over her position after the war.]
We all went our separate ways after. I found that my calling is not dwelling in Fraldarius, but other battlefields that could use my blade.
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Sothis seems to be thinking along similar lines.
"Is that truly the whole of it, little one? You would not be here if you were satisfied with the outcome. To shift the sands of time requires a strong will. It does not happen on accident. Even if you cannot remember it, you must have wished so strongly to change things that you ended up here."]
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Death had become my calling afterwards. But if there was something I desired more than that... it would be the life I'm living now.
[Absently, he lays a hand over his chest, right where Dimitri's ring rested underneath his shirt.]
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...is that it? Did he lose himself to the darkness?
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Perhaps... that's why I've been sent back in time in the first place. To prevent him from falling into the same darkness that caused his death.
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[Sothis frowns, kicking her feet.
"...truthfully, I do not know. There is much still I cannot remember. The sudden sickness from saving Jeralt, however, is concerning. Time is malleable to an extent, but fate... if you truly come from the future, little one, then you will be in danger if you change events that would shift history. The fate of an entire country would be tied to the prince — perhaps even the fate of Fodlan as a whole. You must not attempt this lightly."
It sounds like she's saying Felix might die, doesn't it? Even so, if a war with the Empire awaits them, a part of Byleth wants to ask him to do it anyway. Thankfully, logic wins out over fledgling emotion. He won't make a request, simply offer his support.]
...if you decide to do it, I will do what I can to assist you. I owe you for saving my father, and I would rather avoid war as well.
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He shuts his agape mouth, clutching the ring through his thin shirt as if that would root him in a certain blissful reality and not one that is threatening to crush him under its formidable weight.
Chewing the inside of his lower lip, he raises his gaze to meet Sothis', hating the mist that coalesces over his eyes.]
...You think I might die if I try to change history.
[Once upon a time, he would have considered that possibility without a second thought. Of fulfilling his purpose as the king's aegis, as he should have. But after knowing what it is that caused Dimitri's agony, after knowing how it is like to be left behind, he simply can't subject Dimitri to that curse again.
Especially not when he's promised his "always" to Dimitri.]
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"I am afraid so. Not right away, but almost certainly by the time you reach the moment you traveled back from. The wider the gulf between the reality you know and the one that exists now, the higher the chance you will not live past that day."
Even saving Jeralt could potentially do it. She thinks not, though. Jeralt has done his best to slide under the radar for quite some time, and with his close ties to Byleth (not to mention that he used the Divine Pulse at the moment of his would-be death), any backlash from that particular change is likely to fall on Byleth and Sothis. They'll make it through, Byleth was born from one that was meant to become her vessel in the first place.
But Felix, major crest or no, was not.]
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Lengthy as it sounds, Felix knows well how time can fly. And when it comes to Dimitri, it feels like he could spend eternity with him and it wouldn't be enough.
Seven years... just seven years is too short, barely even scratches the surface, especially with the turmoil they have to deal with in the horizon.]
It could be that Dimitri isn't fated to die.
[Oh no. Are those tears dripping onto his lap? The fingers that brush past his eyes seem to suggest so, embarrassing as it is to cry in front of these two, of all people.]
How can you be so certain that's his destiny?
[Of course, it doesn't sound like Sothis would be joking about this, but there's something damning about the authority behind her words, one that he bristles at, doesn't want to accept despite the power he senses behind them.]
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An imperfect metaphor, but the best she can come up with when her own memories are so fragmented.]
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It's not a stream I wish to return to.
[Though the possibility of dying along the way is terrifying as it is. Not as much the prospect as it is leaving Dimitri behind, though maybe, just maybe, he could find a purpose beyond Felix should he pass on ahead of Dimitri...
No, who is he kidding? Even if Dimitri undoubtedly loves his country, Felix is too painfully aware of what happens to Dimitri when something happens to Felix. The way he stayed by his side the first time he got injured in Remire, and the way he defied Byleth's orders when he fell earlier... Perhaps in the future Dimitri may be able to temper it, but now...
It's a change that's in motion, one that Felix himself has help set.]
But I can't... simply leave him behind either and let everything run its course as it did before.
[Felix swallows, trying to clear his mind with a small breath. It doesn't do much, though he does manage to glance at Sothis and Byleth again, hoping they have some answers he does not have that moment.]
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For Byleth, though, all these concepts are newer. He can't intuit the natural laws of time like Sothis can, therefore they aren't taken into consideration as he mulls the problem over. He gets up to pace a bit, grabbing a handkerchief for Felix before returning to his bedside.]
Before making any decisions, you need to identify the point of no return. What happens to him?
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After the battle of Garreg Mach, he returned to the capital. But he got caught in a coup staged by Cornelia and was detained. Dedue managed to rescue him from execution after six months, but he hasn't been the same since.
[Felix shudders, closing his eyes briefly before letting his hands rest over his lap.]
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Hmm. How did she gain the support of enough of the kingdom to pull that off...?
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[Felix sighs, worry twisting his features.]
Cornelia framed Dimitri for killing his uncle, the regent.
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[Folding his arms, Byleth hums thoughtfully.]
Assassinating Cornelia before his return is also a possibility, but we can't know for certain if she's the mastermind or just a pawn. Given the timing, I suspect the latter.
[In which case killing her off would accomplish nothing other than replacing the figurehead, and said figurehead might opt to kill Dimitri off sooner. He shakes his head.]
I don't think there's a way to guarantee his survival if those circumstances are changed. Escaping an execution is quite the feat.
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[Given how his throat seizes up whenever he's tempted to blurt something out with regard to the future.
Felix bites down on his lower lip, not at all liking Byleth's conclusion.]
Is that the only choice? [he asks despite knowing the answer.] Is all that suffering truly necessary...?
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[He glances to Sothis then.]
Correct?
[Sothis sighs heavily.
"Unfortunately, yes. What would you propose after he escapes?"]
Felix knows the exact date of the execution. He just has to be in the capital when he's escaping and make sure to only come into contact with him after Dedue has him out of confinement. Your relationship is different from before, isn't it? Do you really think he has no hope of recovery if you stay with him?
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Then... I'll play a more active part in the rescue, then.
[It probably is for the best as the professor puts it. Considering it's the path with least unknowns and would likely ensure both their survival for the time being.]
How about you, Professor? What are you going to do?
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[And it would be a terrible waste if neither one of them survives, wouldn't it?]
I'm not sure yet. If possible, I'd like to change Edelgard's path... what would happen to me?
[He turns to Sothis again, only looking mildly curious instead of afraid.
"You are my vessel, and you are capable of shifting time all on your own. I believe you would live on. Despite the knowledge of a possible future, you are still from this time, after all. If you are the one to enact the change, it may even provide some protection for the little one... though there would still be no guarantee."]
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Jeralt, then Edelgard.
Still, the possibility of averting a future as cursed as the one he came from and maybe, just maybe, living through it... The way it's phrased isn't very reassuring and he might as well operate unknowing of it, but it's still better than nothing.]
That would put us on opposite sides of the war.
[A simple statement of fact.]
Communication... won't be easy. Provided you don't disappear the way you did the last time.
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