Hopes

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Post timeskip, takes place after chapter fourteen and takes place before chapter fifteen. Takes place after the "Hidden" part, "Withered Flowers" part, "A Gift for Her" part, "Humour" part and "The Face Beneath" part. References "Hidden" part, "The Professor's Birthday" part, "One's True Feelings Part 2: The Ball & Goddess Tower" part & "Nowhere left to Hide" arc. Takes place on the 22nd of Pegasus Moon.

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In the evening of that day, Byleth wanted to go to the Goddess Tower to stargaze.

She wasn't really sure why she did exactly. It just... felt relaxing and even nostalgic to do so.

But more so when she is in the Goddess Tower.

She hadn't been there in that tower during the evening for a very, very long time.

Not since her birthday five years ago when Dimitri gave her the necklace she was wearing right now.

She loved that place. How quiet it was, the calm moonlight, the beautiful stars, the breeze... everything!

Stuff like that wouldn't normally fascinate her at all but...

She for some reason was just always happy whenever she was there even if it wasn't often.

So she headed there, when she was finished training for the day.

She had to get through the Cathedral first.

Before she went in, she thought about Dimitri. She wanted to ask if he'd like to join her there but...

The answer was... probably negative.

Still, it wouldn't hurt to try and ask. They both stargazed there twice in the academy days and it was him who invited her there the first time while she found him there the second time.

When she entered the Cathedral, she was surprised to see that Dimitri wasn't there in the Cathedral.

She panicked a little as she mumbled to herself when she realised he wasn't there. "He didn't... He didn't go to Enbarr... did he?"

Byleth shook her head when she realised something else. "No...Even he knows we need to go to Ailell first and talk to Rodrigue...Maybe he's..gone to sleep for the day?

Byleth for some reason, knew that Dimitri didn't do that. Not even he would do something that reckless at times like this.

So she continued to walk where the Goddess Tower was, which was ahead in the left area of the Cathedral.

When she walked up stairs, the breeze was getting windier.

She smiled to herself when she remembered going up here for the first time.

When she finally got on the top, the breeze got even windier and it blew in her face as she started to tilt her head up.

Her eyes widened when she saw something or rather...someone there.

It seemed like she wasn't the only one who had the idea of going to the goddess tower.

The one who was there, alone in the Goddess Tower...was Dimitri.

Byleth really wasn't expecting to see him here.

Dimitri didn't realise she was even here. He was in the opposite direction and had his head up high.

He was staring at the sky, he looked like he was in a different world entirely.

He then realised that she was here and then turned around to look at her. He sighed and had a very broken tone as he spoke. "Why are you here? Did you follow me?"

Byleth shook her head. "No.. I uh...didn't even realise you were here too...I just came here to stargaze, that's all."

Dimitri just stared at her. He seemed a lot more calmer than normal. "Hmph."

He looked back up at the sky. He said nothing to her.

Byleth tried to start a conversation. "The sky and breeze are wonderful today, right?"

Dimitri stayed silent for a while but he eventually responded. "Yes, they...are."

He looked back at her as she stared at the sky too. He recognised something she was wearing.

"That necklace..." Dimitri muttered.

Byleth looked back at him. "Huh?"

"That necklace of yours...Where did you get that from?"

Byleth stared at him. "What do you mean?"

"It looks....oddly...familiar. Where did you get it?" He muttered again.

Byleth bit her lip as she thought to herself. "Does he not remember giving it to me?"

She took a small sigh before she spoke again. "Someone...kindhearted made it for me...and gave it to me in this tower so long ago."

Dimitri was frustrated. He remembered that necklace. He even kept it for five years and then buried it in the garden of the monastery.

And now he knows who she is talking about...

Byleth didn't stop there. "I found out recently that the gemstone is like a lucky charm. It helps one feel better and regain confidence. It makes me love this necklace even more."

"...Does it help you feel better and help you regain confidence?"

" W H A T     A R E    Y O U - "

A voice in Dimitri's head that was about to yell at him was unintentionally cut off by Byleth's voice. She nodded happily with a smile on her face. "Yes. It does."

".....No....it....didn't....."

Dimitri tilted his head left towards the direction of where that familiar voice came from.

It was Jeralt's ghost. He hadn't seen his ghost in quite some time.

Dimitri felt scared when he was confronted like this by Jeralt again. It was never something he ever got used to.

Byleth noticed that he started to look frightened from something over there that she couldn't see.

"Could it be those...unseen forces again?" Byleth eyes widened when she realised what Dimitri might be going through at that moment.

Byleth quickly faced Dimitri. "Dimitri! Please, don't let them-"

Dimitri's broken voice returned. "It didn't make you happy at all. Quit lying to me."

"What?" Byleth asked.

"The one who gave it to you is not kind hearted in the least. Quit believing that."

"Dim-"

"I'm leaving. I don't have anything to gain from being here." Dimitri sighed and started to walk away.

The inner voices chanted in his head again. " D O N ' T      F O R G E T      Y O U R       G O A L "

Dimitri nodded to himself and mumbled. "R-right. I won't."

Dimitri heard Glenn's voice. "Stay away from her. You keep thinking you have the right to live when she is around. But you don't. And. You. Never. WILL!"

"Of course Glenn... You're right..." He answered.

"They're all right...... Damn it! I need to stop forgetting my purpose for goodness sake!"

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