Byleth's Sorrow

Hope?

AN real fast.

I'm just working on schoolwork, and I take a little break, and I decide to check up on this story. 

And I see, below the title:

#1 in Fireemblem3houses.

WHAT ON EARTH?!?!?!?!

Guys, thanks so much for the support. School's kinda crazy rn, but this deserves a new chapter. From my, point of view, this is way more important than school.

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Byleth strode through the hall of Garreg Mach, the fire crackling in his arms, the flames reaching out as if to attack him. Apparently, it had grown fond of the constant praise of the students. Byleth whispered his plan to it, and it immediately stopped. He walked towards the Audience Chamber as fast as he could without upsetting the fire.

He reached the large and spacious room quickly, and entered without knocking. (He really should get out of that habit.) 

And literally ran into Jeralt. 

Jeralt barely even staggered, but when he got a closer look at the offender, his eyes widened. He grabbed a frozen Byleth by the shoulders and said, "Where the hell have you been?"

Byleth, still frozen, could only stare at his father- Jeralt- as the flashbacks came back full force. 

Jeralt, lying on the ground as Byleth wept above him.

Byleth watching his father be killed by the Death Scythe

Byleth, finding his father dead in an alley, stabbed by Athame once again.

"-leth? Byleth!" His father was shaking him, trying to shake Byleth out of whatever daze had overcome him.

Byleth tore himself out of Jeralt's grasp, and leaed against the wall, trying to control his breathing.

"Perhaps," said Rhea. "You should come back another time. It is obvious your presence does Byleth no good."

Jeralt, stricken, took another look at his son before turning and slowly trudging out of the chamber.

Byleth looked to Rhea. "Thank you." he muttered, out of breath.

"Think nothing of it," Rhea waved it off. "I see you have returned. Any news?"

Byleth nodded. He told her of his plan, but Rhea looked doubtful. 

"Are you certain?" Rhea asked. "I seems like most of what you are suggesting is based on a hunch."

Byleth shook his head. "No. I can't be certain. But it's your only chance."

Rhea, after considering this, nodded. "Then let us begin."

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The plan was as complex as it was certain to work. Which is to say, not at all.

Byleth, after hearing that it could possibly be cleansed, immediately thought of his fire, which was full of the power he wielded. Using the power had destroyed any impurities inside of him, and while doing the same to Rhea was risky, the fire could potentially travel through her body without harming her, and destroy the degeneration from the inside.

Or it could burn her alive.

There were other risks, but that one took the cake, looming over Rhea, Seteth, and Flayn. Byleth, in spite of himself, could not help but worry.

He hated worrying.

When the time came, they stayed in an abandoned building to ensure no one would see them performing strange rituals with the Archbishop.

Byleth carefully told the fire what to do, and watched as it slithered up Rhea's arms and into her mouth. Rhea's face contorted in discomfort as it made its way through her body. Eventually, after it had cleansed every part of her, it crawled back up and, in a rather disgusting manner, fell out of Rhea's mouth. Byleth caught it and threw it in a fireplace, slightly revolted. The fire took to its new home happily, burning brightly.

Rhea stumbled a bit. Seteth was there immediately to help her stand. "Milady! Are you alright?"

Rhea blinked, then said, "Yes. I'm alright." Everyone let out a collective sigh of relief.

"In fact," Rhea's eyes furrowed. "I feel... young." She removed herself from Seteth's helping hand, and took a few steps. Her laughter filled the air.

"I feel good! It's been so long since I've last felt this, I'd forgotten what it was like!" Rhea looked happy, as if a great weight had been lifted off her shoulders.

And for a moment, everything was great.

Then the screaming started.

AN: I hope I did a good job on the chapter. You guys deserve all the chapters in the world, but I can only write so much. Also, I now have a massive amount of work I'm behind on, but this was definitely worth it. 

Also, some of you may have noticed discrepancies in the story. To those of you who are confused, I say this: I do not believe Byleth would do the exact same thing three times in a row. And in my story, Rhea acts the way she does because of draconic degeneration. I'm no expert on it, and I probably should have looked it up a little more, so please excuse me if I get some things wrong. Anyways, See you next chapter!