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Long Live

Chapter One: All the Mountains We Moved

Rating: General Audiences

Archive Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply

Category: Gen

Fandom: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses

Characters: Lysithea von Ordelia, Flayn (Fire Emblem)

Additional Tags: Crimson Flower | Black Eagles Route (Fire Emblem: Three Houses)

Language: English

As Flayn entered the library, she spotted something both usual and very unusual. She had seen Lysithea sitting in that exact spot many times during her term as a student, but the circumstances were all wrong. For starters, it was well after sunset and aside from one small lit candle on the table next to the girl, the room was pitch black. More notably, instead of the usual thorough, detail-oriented reading she knew Lysithea preferred, Flayn saw her flipping through pages like mad, as if she was looking for something instead of taking everything in. She wasn’t studying, she was searching, but for what? Flayn approached cautiously. She didn’t want to startle her and end up at the wrong end of one of Lysithea’s spells or worse, one of her tongue-lashings. But Flayn had a job to do and so, after approaching slowly and keeping just far enough away to dodge anything that might come flying at her, she spoke up.

“Lysithea!” the green-haired girl exclaimed with as much positivity as she could muster.

“What?! Who!?” Lysithea was so caught up in herself that the break in the silence pushed her even further past her already edgy state into terror. She grabbed the heavy book she was reading and shakily held it in front of her as some small protection from whatever had come to get her. “Don’t come any closer! I’m far more dangerous than I appear!”

Flayn spoke quickly to try to ease the tension in the room. “Don’t worry Lysithea, it’s just me. I’ve come to get you for the banquet, you’re the only one who isn’t there.” She walks closer and tries to get a look at the book being held between them. “What are you doing studying at this time of night? Aren’t you tired after the long day we’ve had?”

She can’t imagine having the brainpower to read anything, let alone whatever textbook Lysithea was devouring. Everyone in their class had been up bright and early for the Battle of the Eagle and Lion, the event that the whole year-long curriculum of the Officer’s Academy builds towards. This mock battle brings together the brightest minds, most skilled fighters, and most talented mages from each class and tests all that they’ve learned over their term. Flayn and Lysithea had both participated for their respective houses and both had played key roles in the battle. Flayn was always perfectly positioned to heal any wounded Black Eagles, which she chalked up to the strategic ability of her professor but accepted credit for nonetheless.

Meanwhile, Lysithea knocked no less than three young men in the other two armies clean off of their horses in one blow. It was an impressive feat, but one that went unheralded as Lysithea was only forced into that position as the last member of the Golden Deer still on her feet at that point. Despite her ability, she couldn’t hold off an entire army on her own and was forced to concede. Claude had advised her (“our secret weapon,” he had called her) to hold back until the perfect moment, part of a scheme he had concocted the night before which blew up in his face when his wyvern was shot clean from a ballista. The wyvern (wholly unconcerned with Claude’s intricate plan) threw him off, knocking Claude out and sending the rest of the Deer into a panic spiral. Lysithea’s perfect moment never came. This confirmed her deeply-held belief that waiting will get her nowhere, and that if she wanted anything good, she would have to do it now, and do it herself.

The battle clearly still weighed heavily on Lysithea’s mind as she was implored to come celebrate her embarrassing defeat. “I’m not too tired, I’m quite full of life, thank you. The ride home afforded me a lot of time to think about what went wrong and I just had a few things to research before I forgot about them. Tell my housemates I’ll see them in class. Goodbye.” She sat back down and began trying to find the page she was on. She remembered that it had strategies for avoiding ballista fire but couldn’t remember if that was before or after the chapter about catapults. Or was that a different book entirely? Despite her protestations, she was exhausted and knew in her heart that anything she read at this point would likely fly out of her head as quickly as it was being forced into it. But she couldn’t face her classmates or her professors. She had to stay at least long enough for Flayn to leave, then she could sneak off to bed and begin her studies again in the morning.

Flayn was not ready to leave her worthy opponent alone in this dark, lonesome room. The win had felt good, true, but the most exciting thing she had experienced during the battle wasn’t the victory but the camaraderie. She could feel the discomfort radiating off of Lysithea and knew that the best cure for that would be a good meal with good friends. “I’ve been told not to take no for an answer. Claude wants to hear how you hit Sylvain square in the face with one of your spells! And Hilda-“

“I don’t want to see any of them right now. We lost, there’s nothing to celebrate.”

“You didn’t lose, you outlasted the Lions! Plus, it’s only a mock battle, you’ve done so many wonderful things here that are worth celebr-“

“No I haven’t! I’ve spent nine moons here and I’ve gotten nothing but frustration. The only times I’ve gotten anything out of this place have been when I’ve come to this library to study, so I’m going to stay here as much as I can until I have to leave.”

“But what about your friends?”

“They’re not my friends, they’re my classmates. They’re all either children of nobles who see me as a chess piece or commoners who pay me no mind. And they all treat me like a child! I’m sick of it.” Tears start to well up in Lysithea’s eyes. These frustrations have spent many moons building up and are all coming out now. “I don’t have the time to deal with anyone who won’t take me seriously.” She wipes her long black sleeve across her face to soak up the tears. “I’m not some precocious child to be oohed and ahhed at, I’m just as capable as everyone else. Maybe even more capable, if today is any indication.” She took a few deep breaths and imagined the warmth of her bed to level her emotions, a trick taught to her by her father after a particularly nasty tantrum when she was younger. She had always been unafraid to express her displeasure with things, but too much at once could send her over the edge, which would only make her look immature, which she couldn’t afford to be.

“What’s wrong with being treated like a child? I find that there’s nothing more wonderful than being young. You can eat as much as you want, you can act without a care or responsibility, you can be silly and not have to answer to anyone! I do so love being young!” Flayn closes her eyes for a moment to imagine the sorts of things young people might do with one another. She had been so sequestered for so long with only her (much) older brother for company that she relished any opportunity to be around young people. He had strenuously objected to her wishes to join the Officer’s Academy, but if she had been forced to spend one more year with him and no one else, she might have exploded. The sudden infusion of youth from spending time with her new friends had given her new life. How is it possible that Lysithea could have such a different experience in such close proximity?

“I don’t have time for any of that. I…” Lysithea considers revealing exactly why she feels so hurried, but deflects. “I have House Ordelia’s interests to consider. I have to help my parents in building up our reputation in the Alliance. I have to learn proper diplomacy and strategy. We are right on the border of the Empire and so I must put my own desires aside and think for the future. If none of my classmates treat me as an equal now, how can I be sure they will when people’s livelihoods are on the line?”

“I’m sure what you’re saying is true but does all that really mean you can’t enjoy being young? I’m sure you’ll have many, many years to sort all of that out.”

When Lysithea heard Flayn say “many, many years,” her tentative calm was complete shattered. She threw the book across the room behind her and started to throw magical spikes of pure darkness at it, yelling punctuating each spike. “NO! I DON’T! I DON’T! I DON’T! I…” Before she could throw another spike, she collapsed. Her long, strenuous day had finally caught up with her. Crumpled on her side on the ground, she sobbed into her cloak. Flayn was barely able to see Lysithea on the floor but was able to follow her cries and sat down next to the exhausted mage and put her leg under Lysithea’s head to keep it from the stone floor. Flayn put her hand on Lysithea’s shoulder and squeezed.

“It’s alright. Cry it out, you’ll feel better once you do. Everyone needs a good cry sometimes.” The two sat like this for a few minutes, Lysithea now crying into Flayn’s dress and Flayn humming a calming tune. Eventually, Flayn noticed the crying becoming quieter. She briefly considered trying to get her to return to the banquet immediately, but decided she might be able to do some good poking at this a little more. Not to mention her curiosity couldn’t leave Lysithea’s outburst alone. “Lysithea, when you say you don’t have time, you mean…”

Lysithea, head still atop Flayn’s leg, turned onto her back and took two very deep breaths to compose herself. “It means I don’t have as long as everyone else. To live.” She closes her eyes and continues to breathe steadily.

Flayn took this in. She couldn’t comprehend what it would feel like to have that knowledge. Flayn has been alive for hundreds of years, many time beyond the average lifespan in Födlan. She will likely live for hundreds more. The future for her is infinite, held back only by her own monstrous secret and her overprotective kin. “How do you know this?”

“I was experimented on when I was a baby. They gave me two crests. They did this to me and all of my siblings. I was the only one who survived, but my lifespan is likely to be drastically shorter than most.”

“That’s terrible. I’m so sorry.” Flayn reaches out to grab one of Lysithea’s hands with hers,

“And so that’s why I don’t have time. I need to use everything I have to find a way to remove these crests. Because otherwise…,” Lysithea trailed off. They both knew where that thought ended. The two of them sat still in the darkness for a moment.

“Do you have any idea what can be done?” Flayn asked. “Can any of your housemates help?”

“I’m not supposed to reveal my condition to anyone, but none of them seem particularly apt to do so anyways. No one seems to have any interest in crests beyond using them for battle or for…” she gagged at the thought of Lorentz talking about his hypothetical future wife “…breeding.”

“What about Professor Hanneman? He’s an expert in crests and your house’s leader, perhaps he knows a way to deal with your condition?”

“I suspect he knows. He’s offered to teach me privately in the past but he always suggests ‘a quick blood test first, you know, for science’ and I just don’t trust him. No one here sees me as a person, just a means to an end.”

“I’m so sorry Lysithea, I didn’t know you felt this way. I’ve had so much fun since I’ve been able to join you all, I just assumed everyone else was having as good a time as I am. I wish you could switch places with-“ Flayn sits upright as inspiration strikes her. “Wait a minute, there’s no need to switch places, why don’t you just come join our class?”

“Don’t be ridiculous, there’s a reason I’m with the Golden Deer: House Ordelia is a member of the Alliance. As everyone constantly reminds me, this is an important opportunity for diplomacy. My needs are secondary to the needs of my family.”

“Lysithea, you can’t ignore your unhappiness forever. I don’t know much about diplomacy but I know that everyone in my house cares about each other a great deal, and I’ve already learned so much from Professor Byleth, she’s quite amazing and I’m sure she would love having someone as talented and smart as you. And Lin is quite interested in crests, perhaps he-“

“Lin? Who… Do you mean Lindhardt?” At the thought of finding a person interested in crests who doesn’t have Hanneman’s lack of tact, Lysithea finally lifts her head off of Flayn’s leg and sits up to look her in the eyes.

“Ah yes, Lin! Dorothea has given us all nicknames, it’s really quite fun! I’m sure she’d give you one as well, she’s very good at it.”

“I- well- I do appreciate the thought but I can’t imagine that the school would agree to this, it’s very unorthodox. Not to mention having to tell my father I’m betraying the Alliance…”

“We can figure out the best way to tell your father and put it in a letter, I’m sure that he would understand if it was for your health and well-being. Fathers always want what’s best for their daughters. And as for the school, I can talk to my fath…er…brother if anyone has any objections. Seteth will listen to me eventually, I’m quite good at holding my breath.” Flayn and Lysithea share a small laugh about the power of a strong pout applied effectively.

“Flayn, why are you doing this for me?”

Flayn’s face grew very straight. “Everyone here has such pressure on them. Everyone I meet is either going to be someone important or wants to be someone important, and they push themselves so hard that they sometimes forget that they ought to have fun. I know that must be even harder for you because you have had so much put on you, and so I feel I should help you. You deserve it as much as anyone else, if not more.”

Lysithea was taken aback. This was the first time since she arrived that someone was doing something for her with no ulterior motive or expectation of being owed something. The purity of the kindness shown to her made her eyes well up again, this time in joy. “Thank you so much, Flayn. I’m so glad you came up to find me tonight.” Lysithea grabbed Flayn as tight as her tired arms could muster and buried her face in Flayn’s shoulder to dry her new tears.