EDGE OF DAWN.

          and yet here she stood, an adult gazing upon the well in preparation to make some sort of wish… she almost felt foolish, until another woman approached, gazing upon the same well with what appeared to be similar fascination. perhaps she, too, had a wish to make?

          the area was nearly silent, despite the small crowd that gathered at the venue — edelgard wondered whether the other residents of terra were gathered upon the temple grounds with curiosity or reverence. perhaps the stranger beside her was in a similar position: not native to this land, but curious about it nonetheless. 

     “Edelgard, take a look at this.” Robin had been pondering over texts historical and religious. There was a great deal to Terra that they didn’t know yet, that they couldn’t know yet. This is why they studied and explored, sought information not given, or given in too small of strokes. “There is documentation about some of the religions here but… well it isn’t terribly conclusive. It does explain a bit more about the patron sages though, something I’ve been curious over. Maybe that will lead to more information.” Both were women fair of hair, and high in intellect. Robin found herself drawn to the other woman, they were complimentary… different sides of the same coin. If anyone was worth investigating with, it was Edelgard. // @aymrtyr​

          “i see... i can’t say i’m shocked that it’s not wholly conclusive.” in fódlan, the vast majority of the religious and historical texts had been inconclusive — and with many discrepancies that made piecing the continent’s history together difficult. it was no secret that victors wrote history; and that those in power could easily rewrite the truth to advance their own plans. and yet knowing that the texts she pored over may not describe the full truth didn’t stop edelgard from researching and learning all that she could of terra; especially in the wake of recent events that brought monsters to their nights.

    Olivia was not one to mingle easily. She had come into more confidence as the years passed, and grew to be more comfortable with herself even away from the safety of the stage, but she was still nervous… still hesitant to open herself up to the world around her. And this world she was in now, well it was so new. But even if she was fearful of all the new people from so many different worlds apart, the language of the land still spoke to her. Readily did she hear the call of flowers, the whistling of the winds, and the dancing of blades of grass and tree branches. She was drawn into one of the many gardens, happily taking up a post of tending to the flowers, watering them and nurturing them to grow.

    This practice also allowed her time to think freely, and reflect openly on what this world was, and what it could bring to her. She had possessed the fortune to meet those of good nature, of gracious hearts thusfar. As she gently moved tall flowers to the side to water their roots, her reflection was gently broken by the calling of a familiar voice.

    “Miss Edelgard! How lovely it is to see that you are well! Please, I would be more than happy to have your company again.” She smiled small, but easily, as her eyes were refulgent, and the warmth of the sun across her skin made her glow as radiant as she felt in this moment. “You can help me water and share stories that you’ve collected of Terra thusfar.”

          edelgard was well aware that performers were storytellers in their own right; the feelings and experiences they could convey only through movement had always impressed and captivated the young princess, and that fact remained all these years later. over the course of her life, the emperor’s ambitions had weighed heavy on her interactions with others; seldom had edelgard taken advtantage of the chance to do something as calming and refreshing as tending to flowers while exchanging tales with a friend. 

          in the short amount of time she’d known olivia, it had become abundantly clear that she provided a warmth and safety that would allow edelgard to open up, even if doing so would be a slow and careful process. she couldn’t possibly know what terra as a whole held in store — but it was comforting to know that others shared her position, others who were kind and compassionate, and willing to lend their aid, even if most often that meant lending an ear.

     Trust was never a sentiment Dorothea had allowed herself to offer another… at least not for a very long time. She was rightfully guarded in her ways, keeping her thoughts, her feelings, and her desires to herself. She’d been scarred by the world for no fault of her own from her very birth, and had seen just about every wretched fate that could be bestowed upon a person from her perches along the streets she grew up on. She didn’t know that she ever could trust someone. Not until Edelgard. 

     Even then, for all the love Dorothea grew and fostered for her friend in their younger years, for all her recognition of her dear Edie’s ambitions, there was still another scar, another betrayal, in knowing what had been kept from her. But while it hurt her, she recognized that secrecy in herself. They were kindred spirits, they always had been, and fate had driven them to each others sides. So when faced with the choice to walk with Edelgard, or remain dormant in the arms of Garreg Mach, she had never been presented with an easier decision.

     Years later, and here they are. The war was over, at least part of it, and the victory was theirs, but now they were in this strange new world, full of different rulers and religions, and a magic unfamiliar… yet recognizable in it’s way. The pattering of Dorothea’s heart only continued to grow at that. Before her was her dear friend, asking her to walk with her once more, as they surveyed the land of their new life together.

    “Edie, I would find no greater joy than to walk with you once more. There is much to discover here- the beauty and what lurks beneath it- and there is no one else I would rather navigate that with than you.” There was no one else she could trust so, no one else so dear in her heart.

     Dorothea raised one hand to place over Edelgard’s on her shoulder. “Take my hand, take my whole life too, and let us explore together.” Slowly, Dorothea nudged Edelgard’s hand from her shoulder, just to weave their hands together, fingers intertwining. Before she shifted to be at Edelgard’s side, however, she tucked one mischievous white lock of her dear Edie’s hair back into place, and then gently cupping her chin as her emerald gaze met lavender. 

     The spell of such a moment was not broken, but gently prodded as Dorothea then shfited to her friend’s side, and began to lead their descent into reality. “Do you think they have food stalls somewhere? I’m absolutely famished.”

         their time in this strange place wouldn’t be without its challenges — edelgard had been scorned by her own world far too much to believe that another realm was incapable of as much. and yet she had high hopes for some sort of future, whether here or back home, should she ever return. “it’s a little exciting, isn’t it?” she asked, responding to dorothea’s touch with a reassuring squeeze. “thinking of everything we’ve yet to discover about this place...”

          as she looked back at all of the goals and ambitions she’d seen through to their bitter ends, with friends such as dorothea by her side, she couldn’t help but feel somewhat optimistic. whatever obstacles she encountered here could surely be felled just as swiftly as those, even if the tasks presented to her were not easy.

          and as alone as she had felt throughout her life, edelgard knew now that she had never been entirely without support and love. and dorothea had been just one of many people who shone through when her life was at its darkest — now, as their hands briefly intertwined, edelgard was certain that her presence would always provide a welcome warmth.

   “hold up, edie,” his hand reaches out in an empty gesture, not attempting to grab the young woman’s shoulder nor coming near her. mismatched eyes linger in the shade of the boughs above, fixated on the minute rustling of leaves and pitter-patter of claws against the branches, “i hear somethin’.”

   the moments elongate as his intense gaze bores into the tree, until finally a silhouette bounds from its hiding place, landing deftly onto the dirt path with a whisper of a thud. up rears its head with its big, beady, black gaze, the long, thick-furred tail twitching behind its demure form. at which point, albi’s palm presses firmly into his brow, and a sigh passes his lips at the squirrel that was now scampering away into the darkness. 

   “… haha… ha.” his shoulders relax as he forces the laughter past, but his head shakes all the same. ( really? a nutkin? i must really be on edge. ) “well, guess it’s good ta know there’s still like… other animals about in all this?”

           before venturing out into blackgrove forest, edelgard had mentally prepared to encounter beings akin to the countless demonic beasts she’d fended off back in fódlan. and when al’bito placed a hand out in front of her, she expected to steel herself against something just as dangerous. but the appearance of the actual culprit contradicted those very assumptions; while she’d been expecting some manner of beast, what they faced instead was... a squirrel. 

         she calmed only a little, rushing to speak lest her fear of the small animal become obvious. “o-of course. it’s a relief that the wildlife still thrives despite the circumstances, or so it seems.” edelgard let out the breath she’d been holding as it scampered away, attempting to calm the increased pace of her heartbeat. there was something about small rodents that unnerved her, and though rats were the primary subjects of her fears, even this little creature was able to startle her. 

          as she strolled through terra, she again encountered a woman she’d met only days prior—olivia, a dancer of another world—who knelt on the ground before a variety of vibrant blooms, tending to them with care and undivided attention. while edelgard longed to return to the gardens in enbarr, she did appreciate the beauty regardless of the location. 

          “ah, i’m pleased to see you again, olivia. you have an interest in gardening as well?” the dancer looked as though she belonged among the flowers, the soft pink shade of her hair complemented by their blooms. “i don’t wish to impose, but do you mind if i join you?”

     The greatest of blessings had been bequeathed upon a woman of lesser faith in the gardens and nature that surrounded the shrines here. As of yet, she knew too little of this country’s faith to have an opinion, to consider if she might be swayed to re-evaluate her stance on the subject, but the very beauty was enough to convince her that reconsideration may be worth giving a chance, at the very least. Bathed in sunlight, she felt herself soak up warmth – her skin, her hair, her clothing, everything became saturated with that golden heat softened only by branches and leaves from beating down upon her. In her brief time here, Dorothea found herself constantly coming to the gardens to write and sing, to create, and if inspiration were a holy blessing, she possessed it in spades, gifted upon her by the nature soothing the tragedy which scarred her body.

     With lined parchment before her, Dorothea sketched out pieces of melodies that entered her brain, and were hummed from her lips. Some of them would be stitched together into full pieces, some would remain untouched until inspiration for those lone two to four bars of music struck once more at random… and some bars may even become acquainted with the flames that were Dorothea’s oldest friend. Right now, though, each little piece of melody or harmony seemed to piece together easily, coming from her heart filled to the brim with longing.

     Edelgard, a lady painted in shades of crimson, a leader of a revolution. Dorothea had the honor of calling her ‘friend,’ and she was the person Dorothea trusted most. She missed her dearly, and from that longing was born music both melancholy and true. She would honor her friend, the tragedies and scars they shared, and the bond they had forged with this music, and remember her fondly until they got to see each other once more.

     Dorothea was… well she was unequipped for that to be just this moment. Be it serendipity or the will of the princess or the deities, Dorothea cared not. Looking up at the sound of a voice that sent her heart into a fluttered rhythm, for how could it be this simple, Dorothea met the gaze of the very woman she’d been humming over.

     “Edie…” The name was hushed, a reverie as she looked upon her friend bathed in the same warm gold she had previously been basking in alone. Her tone was louder when she spoke once again, but in her own ears, she was almost too loud – as though she might break the sanctity of this moment. “I… well… you’re here.” She was a woman rarely stunned, but Edelgard was one of the rare people that possessed the capability of doing so to Dorothea. 

    “I’m so uncertain of the terms of us being here still but, well selfish as it may be of me, I’m pleased to see you here too. To be here with you, rather than alone and longing for your company.” She smiled then, wide and toothy, unable to temper the bubbling joy she threatened to boil over with. She should keep some semblance of resolve about her, she knew that, but instead of honoring such an idea, Dorothea set aside her bound parchment to bold up and embrace Edelgard in a firm embrace. 

    “Singing is my oldest companion, I could never stop, but I’d… rather have you than just my own voice.” Her words are quieter now, whispers warm against the skin of Edelgard’s ear, but filled to the brim with love and admiration.

          “i’m uncertain as well, dorothea. and while I’ve no doubt we’re here for a purpose... i have yet to discern exactly what that purpose may be.” she supposed it was important, critical, even, if the rulers of terra had deemed it necessary to bring them here. but edelgard knew that those who held power did not always act with the best interests of their people in mind—let alone the wellness of outsiders. 

          and yet several people from edelgard’s own home world had been chosen, and it would be foolish to presume that it was mere coincidence. she had encountered claude first, and now someone dear to her in dorothea. her presence was a great comfort in the wake of these strange events, but edelgard couldn’t settle into comfort just yet... not while she was so determined to uncover the truth of their purpose here.

         but still, she softened in dorothea’s presence and embrace—the melodic cadence of her voice serving to lessen the ever-present uneasiness edelgard felt.

          “i can only agree with you. i’m certainly glad that i’m not alone here, as much as i wouldn’t wish these circumstances on you—nor upon any of our friends... but surely this will be easier to navigate with each other.” it had always been that way, indeed; without the strength of her allies, those that she’d leaned on during her darkest moments, edelgard knew she couldn’t have achieved half as much as she did. she pulled away from dorothea’s embrace then, as much as she did not want to, placing her hands softly on her friend’s shoulders. 

*    starter :       @aymrtyr .

they could be star-crossed, these two. not star-crossed lovers, no, but star-crossed something. enemies, perhaps, but at some point the fighting grows tiring and poison must be spat out before it can fester. before it’s his own soul left to dry out there on the battlefield, trampled like all the rest.

but they aren’t on the battlefield this time and what’s important: he survived. he’d faced down the might of the imperial army, with its harrowing emperor at their helm and he’d bargained for their survival and succeeded. peace was a thing within reach, and when he’d flown away to take his place at almyra’s head, khalid’s mind was racing through a hundred thousand ways he could grab it in his hands.

then, this. then, much later, so coincidental khalid is inclined to believe there are actual gods in this land as well and they are playing with him: edelgard, precisely as he remembers her, crimson bathed, daunting, ethereal. a woman who could only exist half in dream, half in nightmare.

(  he won’t say which.  )

khalid clears his throat.  “  well.  ”

so many paths are playing out in his head, a myriad of branches fanning out in all sorts of directions and it makes his head hurt, all the possibilities, all the ways in which this could mean terrible and wonderful things. the worst part about his mind is that it never stops, even when his temples start throbbing and his teeth are grinding behind his closed lipped smile. some part of him will always be that kid, afraid of doing the wrong thing because doing so means pain, and hate.

yet what could possibly be the right thing, in this ?

khalid’s body coils itself into an easiness he does not feel, and so convinces himself he does. he grins at edelgard, slow and easy  –––  the same grin when she walked up to him, between the pillars, and he’d swallowed his nerves just as he’d learned to swallow the sun. with a smile, and never blinking.

“  fancy meeting you here. you’re as lovely and brutal as i remember you, edelgard.  ”

          “perhaps fancy is one word for it.” but perhaps strange, unsettling, or perplexing would be more accurate descriptors. edelgard recalled their last meeting—he’d said something similar, hadn’t he? and she’d returned the sentiment. but whether either had been sincere in their niceties was unclear, even if they were not being dishonest either.

          “i certainly wouldn’t have expected our next meeting would occur quite like this.” in truth, she didn’t suppose she fully expected they’d meet again at all, even in their own realm. but she was glad to have the chance, wasn’t she? as his classmate, edelgard enjoyed what little time they’d been able to spend together—though she may have felt conflicted about the way claude enjoyed challenging her. 

          and yet it was exactly that nearly peerless intelligence of his that inspired edelgard’s curiosity even now. she would be careful, certainly, in the presence of anyone she had raised arms against in the past. the emperor’s guard was always up, and that was even more true in this unfamiliar place she’d come to understand so little of. 

          edelgard was a woman who preferred to plan, to consider many scenarios and prepare herself for any obstacle that may present itself.

          but this, however... she could not have imagined any of it, let alone readied herself for it. and yet even here she was determined to remain capable and resourceful—as was claude, she had to assume—and the emperor thought that if anyone here was just as curious about this land’s princess and her intentions, it would be him. 

          “i apologize if i’m interrupting,” she spoke, having noticed another shopper who seemed at least marginally more acquainted with this type of establishment. “if someone were unfamiliar with products such as these, is there something straightforward you might recommend starting with?”

The last time you saw her was under painful circumstances. Even now, even here, it was hard to miss her even if she looked older, more serious, more determined. Perhaps even a bit confused, a sentiment you shared for your current situation. No matter the pain that was caused, she was still dear and important to you and given the predicament here, you decided to put aside that pain for now so you could approach her.

“Edelgard,” you called out, approaching her without any hesitation. “You’ve found yourself here too.”

❖ @aymrtyr​​ 𝕝𝕚𝕜𝕖𝕕 𝕗𝕠𝕣 𝕒 𝕤𝕥𝕒𝕣𝕥𝕖𝕣

         edelgard was pleased to encounter her dear professor here—how lucky she was that not everything about this place would be unknown to her. that she’d found someone she not only knew but who had believed in her and stood by her side through everything that had occurred over the past years was reassuring. perhaps these were not the most ideal of circumstances. but if anyone gave edelgard faith that they would make the most of this, it was byleth.