Irreplaceable Love / Fire Emblem / Byleth x Dimitri shortstories

Tales of the Red Canyon (Paralogue)

-----

Pre timeskip, Takes place after chapter nine and before chapter ten. Beginning of part takes place on the morning of the eighteenth of the Guardian Moon. Takes place after "An Expression" part. References "Heartbreaking tears..." part and references when Byleth reads Jeralt's diary.

-----

Byleth would normally spend her free days exploring in the monastery.

However, she just never did that anymore. She was still in grief and didn't want to talk to anyone except for four certain people.

One of these people being her father. She wanted to talk to him again. She wanted him to be alive again. She wish she could save him from such a cruel fate but... she couldn't...

Another person she wants to talk to is Rhea but she knows that would be pointless. Her trust for Rhea went down majorly after reading that diary of Jeralt's. She desperately wanted to interrogate Rhea but... there was no point. Rhea hides everything and Byleth knew that she shouldn't even try to talk to her about it.

The third person she'd like to speak to is... her. Monica. Well perhaps, talk wouldn't be the right word. She wanted Monica to pay. Just Monica. Just Monica needed to pay for what she had done. 

The one other person she has been talking to this entire moon and wanted to continue doing so was Sothis. It didn't matter where or when, she was always comforting Byleth since then. 

So she wanted to spend this free day in her room, just to talk to Sothis the whole day. It was oddly comforting.

So, Byleth continued to sleep in the morning. She knew Sothis would be there in her dreams.

And she was. Sothis was in the green throne room again. She wasn't sitting on the throne this time, she was just standing around. Byleth was ready to talk to her again.

However, Sothis had something on her mind and Byleth wasn't oblivious to this. 

Sothis spoke her mind without realising it. "Hmmm... What was that name again?"

"What's on your mind?" Byleth asked.

Sothis slightly sighed before she spoke again. "Oh, this is frustrating me to no end! I simply can't recall."

She then realised what she was trying to figure out. "Oh, I have it! Zanado!"

Byleth looked slightly puzzled but spoke regardless. "Zanado, the Red Canyon?"

Sothis seemed pleased. "That's it! It was not long ago that we were there... And still, I somehow managed to forget!"

Byleth still looked a bit puzzled. "What about it?"

"Well... That place brought back some fragments of my memory. I cannot help but wonder why. I feel we must return to find some answers there."

Byleth didn't really want to leave where she was but... She feels as if she owes Sothis this. She might even be able to find out some information about herself. While it was unlikely she'd find out why she has no heartbeat and what exactly Rhea had done to her, it was still worth a try.  

"Let's go." Byleth nodded.

Sothis had a smile on her face. "Yes, you are right! For as the saying goes, there is no time like the present."

Byleth  immediately woke up right after. Sothis appeared behind her.

Byleth stared down at the ground for a bit when she realised something.