Chapter Text
Sothis was impressed with Byleth. Through the professor’s actions, the goddess had regained much of her original powers. It was almost scary how quickly they’d both improved, Byleth’s combat and teaching prowess fueling Sothis’s Divine Pulse energy. They didn’t experiment with the power much, though Sothis felt herself needing to vent her excess power. She and Byleth could only hold so much divine energy at a time, so every now and again they’d needed to re-do a couple hours. It was fine, though, as it gave the teacher every opportunity to learn the ins and outs of Garreg Mach’s students.
Because of Byleth’s startling proficiency, Rhea had suggested a joint-house activity after just a few months: once every other week, the professors would have student exchanges of sorts. The classes would get scrambled around and students would be randomly assigned a professor, with the qualifier that no student could have the same professor twice in a row. This gave students equal opportunity to receive at least a portion of Byleth’s expertise, though somehow the classes ended up falling into strange patterns.
Every third instance, all three house leaders ended up with Byleth. Claude denied involvement, but everyone knew it was his meddling. Still, nobody minded, as the lessons were livelier and everybody learned more. It gave the future rulers chances to interact as well, something both Sothis and Byleth agreed they were sorely lacking. Just a few months in and Byleth had caught Edelgard and Dimitri having a chat outside of class. She never asked what they'd talked about, but both seemed to walk away with whistful smiles.
Because honestly, how could anyone expect neighboring nations to cooperate when their heirs and future leaders are all divided and forced to compete in their education?
Sothis had half a mind to take this complaint straight to Rhea, though considering Byleth would be her proxy she decided against it. Either way, the academy had certainly been a very interesting experience for both the ex-mercenary as well as Sothis herself. With every day, Sothis got closer to unraveling her past and Byleth got to be the woman she hadn’t had the opportunity to be until now.
An unexpected development came in the return of Sothis’s memories. They were still fractured, and more often than not they depicted an endless void, but they were steadily growing in frequency. The professor was happy for her friend, even if she didn’t understand many of the visions. They talked about it a lot, something Sothis was grateful for. It helped add structure to the scattered images, substance to their existence.
Finally Sothis had pierced together at least some fraction of her life before Byleth. She remembered Zanado, her home and her children’s sanctuary. She remembered the children, each hopelessly devoted to her. She remembered her attempts at fostering independence, meeting with mixed success. She remembered the girl who clung to her possessively, almost ecstatic that there were less of her siblings around to keep Mother’s attention.
She remembered a great and terrible conflict. She remembered the people who’d scorned her, who claimed they deserved all she had to give. She tried at first to appease them, but they only wanted more. Eventually they turned their weapons on her children, and she’d had enough. They wanted her power? They’d get it.
Sothis vividly remembers those key moments, where man and beast were buried beneath waves and rocks and fire. She never fancied herself a god, though her power was undeniable. It was this power precisely that coerced people into worship in spite of her protests. They didn’t listen, determined to appease the divine entity that had destroyed the great usurpers and saved the oppressed peoples from their cruelty.
She didn’t get much more time to tell them otherwise. She slumbered not long after her display of power, having over taxed herself to ensure her the destruction of her children’s persecutors.
From her slumber she could still view the world, albeit in a limited capacity. She watched over her children, saddened to see the one girl so clingy still. And then…
Nemesis.
The thief tore into her flesh, this she also vividly remembered. From there, details became hazy. Her consciousness was already somewhat removed from her physical form, but in suddenly lacking a physical form it became hard to accurately discern the happenings of the world. Memories after this continued to be bothersome, but Sothis was confident they’d return in time. After all, she’d very much like to know what happened to the clingy child, that little girl who held so much fondness for her mother…
The time for contemplation was interrupted, however, by more death. Jeralt’s, to be precise.
Even with her restored strength, Sothis was powerless to stop it. Byleth didn’t blame her, and so the goddess did her best to simply console the grieving professor. It was in these tense weeks that grief turned into rage, and though Sothis did her best to temper that rage, it seemed inevitable that Byleth would pursue her father’s killers. Every student seemed to come together to offer their professor support, but no amount of kind words and friendly advice could quench the ex-mercenary's growing desire for vengeance. Even Dimitri--who knew the feeling all too well and had even sought help for his demons at Byleth's behest--was unable to sway Byleth.
It was also during this time that Edelgard grew ever closer to her teacher. The two were clearly fond of each other, and with Sothis’s insider knowledge she was aware of the professor’s budding feelings. Neither acted on them, however, much to the goddess’s dismay. Maybe after graduation, Byleth had said. I don't want to distract her.
This closeness found Edelgard as Byleth’s other confidant, the voice that told her vengeance was not inherently wrong if controlled and executed correctly. Sothis found herself agreeing to these words, and before long the culprits had been located. Byleth vowed to crush them, and Sothis agreed once more to lend her strength on the condition that the ex-mercenary be cautious. The professor promised, and they set forth for the forest where the villains laid in waiting.
Byleth broke her promise.
~~~~
“You fool! What were you thinking charing right into the enemy’s trap! Are you just a boulder that rolls down whatever hill it’s on? No, even a boulder has more sense!”
“I’m sorry…”
The trap was almost clear as day, and Byleth had let her rage win out. Sothis couldn’t entirely blame her, for emotions were never the ex-mercenary’s strongest subject. It didn’t stop Sothis from berating her friend for ignoring her warnings, however.
“Apologizing won’t make things right! This darkness is terrifying, however familiar it is to me…”
Indeed, the goddess recognized the scenery. Well, the lack of scenery. Though no details were discernible in the ever-present blackness surrounding them, Sothis knew this void all too well. It was where she’d retreated to when she slumbered initially, and it was where she’d cultivated her power to return. How peculiar that her ancient enemies had found a way to send her back.
Sothis sighed. No, they’d sent Byleth here, not her. But in doing so she’d ended up here as well.
She looked at her friend. A frown rivaling the one she’d worn following Jeralt’s demise, those indigo eyes heavy with guilt. The goddess sighed again.
“Being that you and I are one, it was only natural that I would be pulled here with you. To leave this place would require the strength of a god. Otherwise, our hearts and minds will cease to be given enough time here. Are you prepared for this outcome? Do you welcome death?”
Byleth’s frown deepened. “I do not.”
“I assumed as much.” Sothis perked up a bit. “It is fortunate, then, that the strength of a god dwells within me. Or rather, it dwells within you .”
Byleth cocked her head.
“Our very existences were conjoined by Rhea. I don’t know how she managed it, but that is the way of things. My power is, and always has been, yours. To leave here means I must relinquish that power entirely to the only other person who possesses a form to return to.”
“What do you mean?”
“Simply put, we shall join properly. My powers would be at your command, and I…” She hesitates, then steels herself. “I would vanish, for lack of a better descriptor.”
Byleth’s eyes go wide. Sothis could tell that she had objections, and continues before they can be given voice.
“I will never be gone entirely, but I fear we would no longer be able to speak in any capacity. Our souls are joined, after all. For all intents and purposes, however, my presence as such will disappear.” Sothis began to muster her power, tangling her fingers between reality's threads as she was so familiar with. “This is the only way, so please do not…” She trailed off, and her expression changed to one of confusion.
Something was wrong.
Sothis reached across time and viewed the outcome of her magic and gasped. That can’t be right. She reached forward again. The same outcome. She dispelled her power and started again. Nothing changed. Byleth stood and watched as Sothis fiddled with her spell. The professor dared not speak up, in fear of further complications. Sothis kept trying, and every time it was the same.
With her power at its current peak and what was required to create an opening in space, then it would be Sothis, not Byleth who would step back into the world.
In every scenario, in every timeline, Sothis’s soul overpowered Byleth’s. With how much of herself she reclaimed, she could no longer relinquish her powers and her being to get her friend back to her students. Even were the goddess to tear herself apart again, scatter her soul so only a fragment remained, the result was the same.
“What’s wrong?” Sothis was snapped out of her thoughts by the teacher’s words.
“I… I can’t--I don’t know!” Sothis began to tear up. “My--my powers, they are too much. I was wrong. I cannot send us back without--” She cut herself off.
“Without what?”
Silence.
“Sothis, what’s the cost of getting us home?”
Sothis trembled in place. “You.”
A heavy pause filled the air.
“The power required to send us back to your students would also push out your being, not mine. I--I was wrong, my soul would consume you should we merge! We cannot--”
“We have to.”
Sothis snapped her gaze back toward Byleth. Her friend’s face was firm, determination written in her eyes.
“But--”
“There’s no time to argue anymore. One of us has to go back. We can’t leave them all alone.” Byleth closed her eyes for a moment and took a deep breath. “I can’t leave Edelgard alone.”
“If we do this, then there’s no guarantee you’ll return to her…”
“You said you wouldn’t fully vanish. Is it the same for me?”
Byleth’s question stunned Sothis.
“I-- maybe, but I do not possess the knowledge to bring you back in any capacity.”
“Could you learn how?”
“Could I learn how!? Listen to yourself! Mights and maybes don’t produce results!”
“Could. You. Learn. How?” The firmness in Byleth’s tone stopped further protests.
Sothis deflated slightly, still uneasy as she responded. “... Yes. Theoretically, were I to continue fostering my powers and regaining my lost self I could eventually ascertain a way to return you to control of your body.” Sothis sighed. “But that could take years, decades even! I don’t even know the extent of my powers, if there is an upper limit or if they are tied to arbitrary and esoteric cosmic mechanics!”
“You’ll figure it out.”
Sothis scoffed. Byleth began walking up the steps of her throne. The pair were both silent until, at last, they were face-to-face.
“You’ll find a way.”
Sothis looked at her friend. “And if I cannot?”
Byleth smiled “Then you’ll have tried, and my students won’t have been entirely abandoned.”
Silence again. “I shall miss you dearly.” Sothis surprised herself with her sentiments, but decided they needed to be said.
“I’ll miss you too.”
Sothis reached out her hand. Byleth did the same, their palms level with one another.
“If I can’t come back, tell Edelgard I love her.”
Sothis chuckled weakly. “Tell her yourself, you lovesick fool.”
They both grinned at one another and closed their eyes, and Sothis felt herself sink into Byleth. The goddess disappeared, her form dissipating into particles of light. The professor’s body went limp for a moment before its new inhabitant caught herself. Color drained from Byleth’s hair, and in a flash it was a vibrant green. Her eyes opened, striking emerald irises adjusting to their surroundings.
She took a few shaky breaths. Corporeality was something she hadn’t experienced in over a millennia. She clenched her fists, a fire burning deep within her soul.
“I’ll protect them, and then I’ll get you back.” Byleth’s voice made her vow to the void itself.
She reached for the ancient blade on her belt. It hummed with power.
“They shall pay for taking you from me. From Edelgard.”
She raised the sword high, then turned towards the steps and threw the relic blade towards the ground with all her might.
~~~~
Solon was enjoying himself.
His creations were proving to be far more capable, now that the enemy’s tactician was gone. He knew Thales would not allow him to outright kill their dear Flame Emperor so soon, but that didn’t mean he could send her packing with a few corpses, a stark reminder of who was in charge.
The mad scientist listened to the threats thrown through the air, each one seeped in more venom than the last. Even Hubert seemed genuinely angry that the professor was gone. It was almost laughable to Solon, how little the humans comprehended and how easily emotion overpowered their reasoning. Such poor control was exactly how they were able to lure the professor so easily, and now one of their greatest (and most unexpected) obstacles was out of the way.
His musings were cut short, however.
There was a crackle of magic in the air. Ancient magic.
The battlefield hummed with an unseen power. The very ground began to quiver, as if even the dirt had enough mind to fear what approached.
The rumbling intensified. By now, all had stopped fighting; too stunned to continue trading blows, and to ill at ease with the unfamiliar feeling in the atmosphere.
An intense crimson glow became visible in the sky. Everyone had to shield their eyes, it was so bright. All except Solon, who took morbid fascination with this turn of events. The Agarthan researcher stared in equal parts awe and fear as he witness what could only be described as a miracle.
“So, the Fell Star consumes even the darkne--”
His words were drowned out by a thunderous crackle of pure energy, now pouring from the light in the sky. Before he had the chance to finish his thought, the Sword of the Creator burst through the light, hurtling towards the scientist. The blade flew faster than Solon could react.
In one moment, Solon was skewered by the relic sword, pinned to the ground by its ancient edge.
From the light emerged another figure. A familiar coat sat upon her shoulders. The professor lept down after her blade, landing on its hilt and further impaling the mad scientist. He instinctively cried out in pain, only for blood to emerge in place of sound.
Piercing emerald stared him down. Her eyes had a fury behind them, a fury unlike that which she'd entered the forest with.
She pulled her sword from his chest and grasped Solon by the neck. An instant later he was thrown, colliding with the stone wall behind him.
The professor flicked her blade and released a whip of red energy, silencing the mad scientist and the battlefield.
The rest of Solon’s forces retreated. The Black Eagles stood stunned. None dared speak, too dazed from events to form words.
Edelgard stepped forward. “Professor? My teacher, is--is that really you?”
The professor’s head turned towards the princess, a bitter smile on her lips.
“Not quite.”
Sothis collapsed, fatigue finally catching up with her mortal body.