Disclaimer: I do not own Fire Emblem: Three Houses or its characters, I only own Blythe, Celine, and the changes in the plot that I make in the war phase.

Enjoy!

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Last Time:

Celine was snapped out of her reverie when she heard Blythe and Byleth talking. It seemed like the group from the kitchen had returned. The blue-haired swordsman heard Blythe ask Byleth if each of the Blue Lion birthdays could be held in the Blue Lions classroom, and the teal-haired, blue-eyed professor gave the affirmative.

The four Blue Lions in the classroom then saw the kitchen group come into the classroom. Byleth had a Pheasant Roast with Berry Sauce in his hand, while Blythe had a container of peach sorbet in her hands. Dedue and Ashe had Mercedes' presents in their hands. All four of them placed what they were holding down on the table.

Blythe and Celine looked at each other and smiled. When they heard Mercedes and Annette talking in the distance, they told the others to hide.

Blythe, Celine, and Dimitri hid by the benches. Sylvain, Felix, and Ingrid did the same thing but on the other side. Dedue actually found a place to not be seen, and he was followed there by Ashe and Byleth.

Once Mercedes and Annette arrived, everyone burst out of their hiding spots. The Blue Lions then celebrated Mercedes' party, which was a brief respite from the tension of the upcoming mission.

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30th of the Great Tree Moon, Garreg Mach Monastery, Entrance Hall (Afternoon), Imperial Year 1180

Byleth was heading to the marketplace to prepare for the coming mission for the Blue Lions. He was unsure of when they would leave, since they had to get word of the bandits' location from the Knights of Seiros. Since he did not know when they would leave, he figured that he should do something that is in his control, and that is to prepare for the mission with proper weapons and healing supplies.

The healers cannot do all of the healing during a battle, otherwise they will be exhausted. For that reason, it is important that any given group going to combat have the proper healing supplies. Weapons can also break at any given moment during a battle, and a person without a weapon is mostly defenseless. Their only line of defense would be their fists and their magic, if any magic was learned.

Byleth was still walking to the marketplace, when he heard Sothis give a noise of frustration.

"I still don't get why that woman assigned your class the mission for bandits. They are CHILDREN! Shouldn't the 'knights' have been able to handle it?" Sothis groaned in dismay for Byleth's predicament. She phased into view beside Byleth while throwing her arms up in the air.

The teal-haired professor shook his head in response to Rhea's reasoning. Out of the corner of his eye, he glanced at Sothis. He quietly said his sentence, so Byleth did not attract any weird looks and judgement. "They should have been able to handle it, but the archbishop wanted us to have some 'experience.' Her words, not mine. Why would you assign a group of students with accomplishing some that the Knights of Seiros are able to do."

The green-haired girl shook her head in response. She just did not know what Rhea was thinking assigning the Blue Lions with this kind of mission. "I see where she is coming from, but did the mission have to be primarily led by you and your students? It could have been led by the professionals, and then your class comes along to help."

"When the Blue Lions were assigned the mission, that was what I expected." Byleth told Sothis, who was still floating beside him. "But the tables have been turned, and now the students are leading the mission, while the knights are acting as the support."

"You trained your class to the best of your ability. That is all you can do." Sothis reassured Byleth while putting a hand on the teal-haired professor's shoulder. Byleth appreciated the gesture given by Sothis, but he was still unsure about how his class would do with the mission.

"I guess..." Byleth trailed off before continuing with, "Thank you, Sothis."

"You are welcome." The green-haired girl responded to Byleth. She then faded away from Byleth's field of view, and Byleth felt Sothis returning to the confines of his mind.

Now alone again, Byleth continued his journey to the marketplace with renewed determination and haste. He vowed to himself that he would make sure his students would all leave the battle alive, no matter how much it took. As soon as the teal-haired professor descended down the stairs leading to the marketplace, he heard someone calling out his name. "Professor Byleth!"

Byleth turned around at his name being called. He saw that his whole class was in a semicircle by one of the pillars in the reception hall. It was Dimitri who had called out the teal-haired professor's name to get his attention. Celine gestured for Byleth to come over, and he followed Dimitri and Celine's suggestion.

"Professor. I just got word from the knights that the last of the thieves have been cornered." Dimitri told Byleth while staring at the teal-haired professor.

"Just as planned. They're in Zanado, the Red Canyon." Ingrid added on. Blythe got a curious expression on her face, and then said out loud, "Why would the Church want the thieves in Zanado? It's a sacred area for the Church."

"I don't know..." Ashe responded to Blythe's statement. He then continued his statement while making a determined fist in the air. "But we certainly can't allow those underhanded thieves to get away. Let's work together and do our best to take them down!"

"It matters not who we're up against. They will not harm His Highness." Dedue declared.

"Hmph." Felix said while looking down to the floor. He then put a hand on his hip while saying, "We're just fighting common thieves, right? I don't expect much of a challenge."

"Aren't you a spoilsport." Sylvain said to Felix. After giving an exaggerated shrug with his hands in the air, the red-haired Gautier continued. "I'm actually quite excited myself. Who knows... There may even be some cute lady thieves."

Celine shook her head at Sylvain's womanizing antics. "Now's not the time to think about that, Sylvain. We have a mission to focus on."

"Hmm. Well, at any rate, a real battle is a great opportunity for us to see how far we've come." Annette responded. Blythe, Mercedes, and Celine all nodded in agreement. "True..."

Mercedes then expanded on the statement. "The mock battle was a success. We'll be fine so long as we stay the course."

All of the Blue Lions then went their separate ways, except for Dimitri and Byleth. Both of them continued to stay in the reception hall.

Byleth briefly looked at the Blue Lions leaving the reception hall. After looking back to Dimitri, the teal-haired professor said, "They seem excited... I hope everything turns out all right."

"Perhaps we are a bit overly excited, but remember that we have the knights on our side. All should be well." Dimitri told Byleth.

Byleth nodded his head in agreement. Dimitri did have a good point, but you can never be too careful. Before the teal-haired professor could respond to Dimitri's statement, the blond-haired prince said something else. "Ah! And speaking of the knights, I heard that Jeralt is once again one of the Knights of Seiros."

"He is. Father is the Captain of the Knights of Seiros." Byleth responded to Dimitri. The blond-haired prince nodded before he continued his prior statement. "Perhaps we'll have the good fortune of seeing you two fight side by side."

"We've fought together many times before." Byleth said to Dimitri while shaking his head. "You just didn't see it the morning that we helped you."

"Oh, of course. I apologize for letting my childish whims get the better of me." Dimitri apologized to the teal-haired professor in front of him.

"In all honesty, I'm a bit jealous." Dimitri continued. "My parents are no longer around."

"No longer around?" Byleth questioned before widening his eyes in realization. "You don't mean..."

Dimitri looked down with saddened eyes. "They...they died. Both of them. I'm all that remains of them now..."

The blond-haired prince looked back up, straight into Byleth's eyes. "Anyhow. I'm sorry to bore you with such things. I'd say it's nearly time for us to depart. Eh, Professor?"

Byleth nodded in response, and both him and Dimitri went to the marketplace to prepare for the upcoming mission the next day.

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31st of the Harpstring Moon, On the Road to Zanado, the Red Canyon (Early Morning), Imperial Year 1180

As soon as dawn rose over the mountains surrounding Garreg Mach Monastery, the Blue Lions class left the confines of the monastery for Zanado. Every student had their weapons with them, but the main supplies needed for the mission were with the knights, at the rear of the formation.

Byleth, who was at the front of the formation along with the leader of the squadron of knights assigned to the Blue Lions, looked back to see the welfare of his class. Most of the Blue Lions were wide awake, but there were a few who were groggily walking along with the rest of the class.

Annette was leaning on Blythe's shoulder, and the turquoise-haired young woman guided Annette along with a small smile.

Ashe was walking on his own, but he was falling behind the pace of most of the Blue Lions. Celine was walking with the gray-haired archer, encouraging him to keep going.

Mercedes was walking on her own beside Dedue, but she occasionally stumbled over her feet. Dedue steadied her each time, and the pinkish-blonde haired healer gave Dimitri's retainer a thankful smile.

Dimitri, Ingrid, Sylvain, and Felix were all wide awake, and the group of friends was talking to each other.

The leader of the knight squadron dropped back to the rear of the formation, checking on the knights under his command.

While walking, Byleth heard someone musing around in his head. "Hm...."

"Sothis?" Byleth responded to the green-haired girl moving around in his head. "What is it?"

"So, we are taking children into battle are we?" Sothis said to Byleth. At Byleth's reluctant nod, Sothis continued with, "I am not certain I will be able to sleep soundly after beholding something like that..."

"Neither am I. It feels like I'm failing as a professor, since my students have to do something like this early in the school year." Byleth confided his insecurities to Sothis.

"I assure you that you did not fail your students." Sothis told Byleth. She then had a thought. "However, if it gives you peace of mind, I shall allow you to turn back the hands of time, but know that this power is not infinite!"

"Thank you for this, Sothis. I won't abuse this opportunity you've given me." Byleth responded to the green-haired girl's generosity.

"I know you won't."
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31st of the Harpstring Moon, Zanado, The Red Canyon (Morning), Imperial Year 1180

The Blue Lions and the Knights of Seiros arrived at the mouth of Zanado, The Red Canyon. Both factions separated from each other, with the knights surrounding the perimeter of Zanado. All of the thieves were trapped in Zanado, and none of them could escape.

Byleth stood in front of his class, looking out over the battlefield. Blythe and Dimitri were on both sides of the teal-haired professor. "Everyone, this is our first real battle. While most people think this kind of work is quick and trite, it should not be underestimated. Thieves and bandits are not bound by obligations or morals, so be on your guard."

The Blue Lions all gave various sounds and gestures of agreement. Byleth, seeing the attentiveness and seriousness of his class, gave a proud smile. "We are going to be using the buddy system that we discussed earlier in the month. Celine, both you and Sylvain will guard Mercedes, who is our dedicated healer. Blythe, our in-field healer, will be partnering up with Dimitri. Ingrid is fighting with Ashe, and Felix is partnering up with Annette. Dedue... you and I are going to be working together."

"The knights passed out vulneraries to each and every one of you." Byleth told the class. "Those should only be used when you feel fatigued. They do not heal wounds. If you are wounded, go to Mercedes or Blythe, and they will heal you. Do not hide your wounds, as that will cause problems for you later."

All of the Blue Lions nodded to Byleth's instructions. He is giving them these instructions for their own safety, and all of the Blue Lions understand that. They will make sure to follow the directions given to them, so they can be safe.

Byleth unsheathed his sword from its sheathe, and Blythe followed his example. Dimitri gripped his lance in a firm grip. The rest of the Blue Lions had their weapons at the ready, all of the weapons firmly in the hands of the Blue Lions. Blythe ignited a small fire spell in her right hand, since her sword was in her left, and Annette conjured a small wind spell in both of her hands.

"We engage the thieves! Onward!" Byleth roared while holding his sword in the air. He then ran forward into Zanado, with Blythe, Dimitri, and the rest of the Blue Lions right behind him.
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31st of the Harpstring Moon, Zanado, The Red Canyon (Morning), Imperial Year 1180

All of the Blue Lions stopped just short of the main entrance to the interior of the canyon. Dimitri looked around at the scenery. "The Red Canyon... This is the first time I have ever been here. It's like walking through a ruin."

"It is a ruin." Blythe responded. "A ruin of the Church and its sacred history."

Dimitri nodded in acknowledgement. He then looked to Byleth, who was in front of him and Blythe. "Let's get this battle out of the way, Professor. The thieves must have already been driven back."

Everyone then heard a masculine voice roar at their arrival, but only Byleth and Celine recognized the voice. Dimitri and Blythe faintly recognized it. "The knights chased us all the way here!?"

The four of them recognized the voice to be the leader of the group of bandits that attacked Remire Village during the Great Tree Moon.

One of the men that was near the bandit leader, addressed the leader. "Kostas, Chief! Let's get out of here! There's no way we can win against them!"

"Shut your dumb mouth!" Kostas snapped at the man. He narrowed his eyes dangerously at the underling. "Where would we go at this point? You can't be a thief if you fear death!"

Byleth, Blythe, and Celine shook their heads at the stubbornness of the bandit leader. His group of thieves would perish as a result of his incorrect decisions. The three of them turned to each other, and all nodded. They would make sure that the rest of the Blue Lions would make it out of the battle alive. That was their main job as former mercenaries, to defend those who often cannot defend themselves.

"Professor..." Dimitri started to say to the teal-haired professor while standing beside Blythe. He then said to Byleth, "According to our information, there is a back road to the west. Let's split up and approach from the west and the front. If we advance cleverly, we attack from both sides and gain the advantage."

Byleth nodded to Dimitri's statement. He would take that into account when the time comes. The Blue Lions had enough numbers to split in half and not sacrifice the integrity of the formation.

"I'll leave the rest to you, Professor. But before all else, we'll need to cross the bridge." Dimitri said while looking out into Zanado.

"Alright, everyone. Follow the directions I gave you before we entered the canyon." Byleth said with narrowed eyes. All of the Blue Lions gave affirming sounds of agreement, and then split into their respective groups.

Byleth and Dedue led the charge against the bandits, with Blythe and Dimitri right behind them. Ingrid, Ashe, Felix, and Annette brought up the middle of the formation. The rest of the Blue Lions: Celine, Sylvain, and Mercedes brought up the rear.

The first enemies blocking the way of the Blue Lions were two bandits of the Fighter Class, and both wielded axes. Byleth and Dedue both took on one Fighter, while Blythe and Dimitri engaged the other one. The teal-haired professor weakened the first bandit, and disarmed them of their weapon. Dedue brought his axe down to finish the job, and the bandit was no longer a problem. While looking down at the bandit, Dedue murmured to himself, "Still whole and sound, I hope..."

Blythe and Dimitri worked together to dispatch the second bandit. Blythe used her evasion to confuse the bandit, while Dimitri used his lance to keep distance from the bandit. The second bandit was killed with a combination of Dimitri's lance and Blythe's fire magic. Dimitri pitied the bandit while removing his lance from the bandit's body. "I know they are just thieves, but this never gets any easier for me..."

"It shouldn't, Dimitri. Your decisions can impact the lives of others, and that should never be taken lightly." Blythe responded while extinguishing the fire spell in her hand. She then joined Dimitri in looking at the bandit. "You were only following orders...may you rest in peace..."

The Blue Lions then regrouped together, with the groups staying the same. All of them crossed the first bridge in Zanado, which was a small bridge made of stone. They crossed two at a time, since that was the maximum amount of people that could cross at once.

After all of the Blue Lions crossed the bridge, they came upon a big clearing in the canyon. Like Dimitri said earlier, Byleth could see the clearing have exits from the west and the front. Seeing a brief respite from the enemies, Byleth turned to his class. "The bandits only expect us to come in from one side, which is the front. However, there are entryways into the innermost part of the valley from the west and the front. I propose that we split up in two groups, and each group goes through a different entryway."

"Blythe, Dimitri, Dedue, Ingrid, and Ashe go through the entryway to the north of here." Byleth told everyone while pointing to the northern entryway. He then pointed to the entryway in the west. "Myself, Felix, Annette, Celine, Sylvain, and Mercedes will go through the entryway to the west."

All of the Blue Lions nodded to Byleth's statement. They then split into the two groups given by Byleth, and not a moment too soon. Five enemies noticed the presence of the Blue Lions, and ran to engage the class. The enemies were two more Fighters, two members of the Thief class, and an Archer.

Byleth's group took on the two fighters. One of the Fighters went after Mercedes, but Sylvain and Celine defended the pinkish-blonde haired healer. Celine threw the bandit back with her agility and weight, and Sylvain pierced the bandit with his lance. Sylvain retracted his lance, and the bandit fell to the ground. "I had to do it. Don't hate me, please."

Mercedes gave Sylvain a sympathetic look in response, and Celine put her non-sword hand on Sylvain's shoulder reassuringly. The blue-haired, female swordsman whispered to Sylvain, and the red-haired Gautier smiled bittersweetly at Celine.

The other fighter went to engage Felix and Annette. Both students noticed that the bandit had a key to a chest on his belt. The Fighter noticed that Annette and Felix's eyes went to the chest key. "We stole this treasure! It's all ours! There's no way we're gonna give it up to some knights!"

Felix scoffed in response, and ran forward to engage the bandit with the support of Annette. The blue-haired, male swordsman sliced the bandit with his sword, and Annette finished the bandit off with a wind spell. Annette looked at Felix after their teamwork. "I did it! See? I'm a great fighter!"

"Finished already?" Felix rhetorically asked. He did agree with Annette and how they worked together. "I was hoping for more of a challenge."

Byleth picked up the chest key from the now dead bandit. He won't be needing that anymore. The teal-haired professor walked over to a nearby chest, and used the key to open it. Inside was a large bullion, and Byleth pocketed the large bullion in the pouch on his leg. He would use that to help his personal funds for his class at Lady Rhea's permission.

He regrouped with the western group, and they began to cross over the bridge to the west. Kostas saw the class advancing from the west, and was outraged. "Damn, they're coming from the west too! I can't stand these brats!"

The western group ignored Kostas's ramblings, and continued on with their mission.

While the western group was crossing their bridge into the innermost part of the canyon, the other group was engaging the two members of the Thief class and the Archer. Blythe and Ingrid worked together to take down one thief, Dimitri was on his own against the second thief, and Dedue and Ashe worked together to take out the archer.

Blythe supported Ingrid's advance with her wind magic, and the blonde-haired Galatea used her lance to have an advantage on the bandit. Ingrid then used the Tempest Lance combat art, with her Crest of Daphnel glowing behind her. The blonde smacked the thief into a rock, and the thief fell to the ground with a head wound. Ingrid sighed at the thief's misfortune. "I can't relax here. We need to prepare for our next battle!"

Dedue was the main focus of the enemy archer's shots. He blocked the arrows shot at him with his axe, which allowed for Ashe to have the chance to return fire at the enemy archer. The two archers engaged in a brief exchanging of arrows, with Ashe being the victor. The gray-haired archer checked the bowstring on his bow, and then said, "If I'd hesitated, that... that would've been me."

Dimitri, who had just finished off his enemy, heard Ashe's statement and consoled the gray-haired archer. "But you didn't hesitate, Ashe. You were protecting those you cared about."

Ashe nodded in reply, although it was a half-hearted nod. The northern group then regrouped together, and prepared to go into the northernmost part of the canyon. They didn't get too far, though, since two more thieves decided to rush at the group to revenge their fallen comrades.

Dimitri, Blythe, and Dedue took on one thief, while Ingrid and Ashe went after the other one. The two mini-groups made short work of the two thieves. All of them rejoined back together, and then continued their trek to the innermost part of Zanado.

The group came to a stop near a bridge. Unlike the other ones in Zanado, this bridge was made of planks of wood. The bridge was blowing in the wind, and was held up by ropes. Blythe and Dimitri were at the head of the formation, and the two nodded to each other.

Both Blythe and Dimitri began to cross the bridge. They gingerly started to cross the bridge, taking notice of the creaking of the bridge.

Out of the corner of her eye, Ingrid noticed an archer taking aim at Blythe and Dimitri. "Blythe! Your Highness!"

"The bridge!!!" Ashe shouted, seeing the archer's true target.

Blythe and Dimitri looked up to see the archer shoot arrows into both of the ropes connecting the bridge to the innermost part of the valley. The turquoise-haired spellsword gasped in both realization and fright.

Dimitri, knowing the bridge was going to collapse, and with his promise to Byleth ringing through the prince's mind, pushed Blythe to safety. The turquoise-haired young woman fell onto solid ground with a grunt, right next to Ingrid.

She looked up to see the bridge come out from under Dimitri's feet, and the prince fell into the abyss of the canyon.

"DIMITRI!!!!" Blythe yelled out in anguish, sobs wracking through her voice. She couldn't believe that she had just lost one of her closest friends to her own inability to move in time.

"Your Highness!!" Ingrid, Ashe, and Dedue all shouted.

Byleth, hearing his sister's piercing scream throughout the valley, darted his head to where the northern group was. He saw Blythe kneeled at the edge of the canyon, looking down into the abyss. She was shouting Dimitri's name over and over again, her voice becoming more distraught each time. The teal-haired professor only knew one reason why she would be doing that, and he came to a chilling realization...

Dimitri must have fallen into the abyss.

"Sothis...forgive me for having to use this so soon..." Byleth thought to the green-haired girl.

"It's okay, Byleth." She responded. "Just make this right!!"

Byleth, resolved in his action, tightened his fist. He willed his mind to stop time, and time stopped with the sound of breaking glass.

He rewound time...Byleth would make this right.
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31st of the Harpstring Moon, Zanado, The Red Canyon (Early Afternoon), Imperial Year 1180

.ssyba eht otni nellaf evah tsum irtimiD

...noitazilaer gnillihc a ot emac eh dna ,taht gniod eb dluow ehs yhw nosaer eno wenk ylno rosseforp deriah-laet ehT .emit hcae thguartsid erom gnimoceb eciov reh ,niaga revo dna revo eman s'irtimiD gnituohs saw ehS .ssyba eht otni nwod gnikool ,noynac eht fo egde eht ta deleenk ehtylB was eH .saw puorg nrehtron eht erehw ot daeh sih detrad ,yellav eht tuohguorht maercs gnicreip s'retsis sih gniraeh ,htelyB

.detuohs lla eudeD dna ,ehsA ,dirgnI "!!ssenhgiH ruoY"

.emit ni evom ot ytilibani nwo reh ot sdneirf tsesolc reh fo eno tsol tsuj dah ehs taht eveileb t'ndluoc ehS .eciov reh hguorht gnikcarw sbos ,hsiugna ni tuo delley ehtylB "!!!!IRTIMID"

.noynac eht fo ssyba eht otni llef ecnirp eht dna ,teef s'irtimiD rednu morf tuo emoc egdirb eht ees ot pu dekool ehS

.dirgnI ot txen thgir ,tnurg a htiw dnuorg dilos otno llef namow gnuoy deriah-esiouqrut ehT .ytefas ot ehtylB dehsup ,dnim s'ecnirp eht hguorht gnignir htelyB ot esimorp sih htiw dna ,espalloc ot gniog saw egdirb eht gniwonk ,irtimiD

.thgirf dna noitazilaer htob ni depsag drowslleps deriah-esiouqrut ehT .yellav eht fo trap tsomrenni eht ot egdirb eht gnitcennoc sepor eht fo htob otni sworra toohs rehcra eht ees ot pu dekool irtimiD dna ehtylB

.tegrat eurt s'rehcra eht gniees ,detuohs ehsA "!!!egdirb ehT"

"!ssenhgiH ruoY !ehtylB" .irtimiD dna ehtylB ta mia gnikat rehcra na deciton dirgnI ,eye reh fo renroc eht fo tuO

Byleth stopped the rewinding of time at the point that he thought was appropriate. He would have to act fast in order to stop Dimitri's incoming demise.

He quickly looked over at the northern group, and saw that only one person could take out the archer in time. Byleth yelled to that person. "Ashe! Take out that archer!"

"On it, Professor!" Ashe yelled back to Byleth. He then quickly took aim at the archer while saying, "I've got you!"

At Byleth's yell, Blythe and Dimitri crouched down at their place on the bridge, weapons in hand. Ashe then released his arrow, over Blythe's head, and defeated the bandit in one strike. Dimitri and Blythe were safe, and they stood back up when they saw the archer was defeated.

Now letting himself show slight fatigue, Byleth sighed in relief. Both Blythe and Dimitri were unharmed, and the possible tragedy was averted.

"Even if the possible tragedy was averted...you alone will remember." Sothis said. "Along with its non-infinite power, that is the cost of the Divine Pulse."

Byleth nodded in acknowledgment, listening to the possible drawbacks of the power known as Divine Pulse. He grabbed a vulnerary from his pocket and popped open the cap. He then drank the vulnerary, curing himself of the fatigue from using Divine Pulse. After finishing the vulnerary, Byleth threw the empty bottle aside.

"Let's go. We'll meet up with the other group in the middle." Byleth told the western group. He then departed from where they were standing, and the rest of the group followed behind.

They came across another archer, one thief, and one member of the Monk class. The archer took aim at Celine and Sylvain, the thief charged at Felix and Annette, and the monk ran at Byleth and Mercedes.

The thief thrust the sword in his hand forward, but Felix and Annette both sidestepped it. Annette then used a blast of wind magic to knock the bandit back. The bandit fell back right into Felix's blade, and the battle was done. Felix got his sword out of the bandit's body, and the thief fell to the ground. Both Annette and Felix looked at each other and nodded with Felix also smirking triumphantly.

The archer shot at Celine, and the female ducked under the arrow. Sylvain was already throwing the archer off balance by sweeping his lance at the bandit's feet. The bandit fell down with a grunt, and Celine ran at the bandit. She sliced at the bandit, who was just getting up again, and the bandit fell back to the ground. Celine shook the blood off of her sword. "Nothing personal...but it had to be done."

The monk had cast a Nosferatu spell at Mercedes, which the healer absorbed inside of her own. She then launched the stronger Nosferatu spell at the monk, who was weakened by Byleth. The spell landed on the monk's chest, and the enemy healer fell over. Mercedes sighed at what she had just done. "I hope the goddess blesses them to rest in peace..."

All of the Blue Lions then grouped back together. Celine ran up to Blythe with a concerned expression on her face. The blue-haired, female swordsman hugged Blythe tightly, and Blythe hugged back with a smile. They parted after a few seconds with smiles.

"Um...Blythe?" Ashe said while gripping his bow in one hand. Blythe turned to see Ashe with a grimace on his face. The archer painfully smiled at her. "I never shot an arrow that fast before... I think the bowstring sliced my hand."

"Hold on..." Blythe responded while walking over to Ashe. She then grabbed Ashe's left hand and saw a slice on it. "Yep. It sliced your hand. I'll heal it right now."

"Thanks." Ashe told the spellsword in front of him. Blythe, while healing Ashe's wound, shook her head in response. "I should be thanking you. If it weren't for you and my brother, Dimitri and I might not have made it off of the bridge unscathed."

Blythe finished healing the wound, and she took her hand from where it was hovering over Ashe's hand. Ashe nodded in thanks and Blythe smiled back in reply.

"Dimitri, Celine..." Byleth started. After both of them turned to look at Byleth, the teal-haired professor continued with, "We're going to defeat the bandit leader. Blythe, make sure that no other bandits interfere with our fight."

"On it." Blythe said while moving her and the rest of the Blue Lions in a semicircle around the entrance to where Kostas is. Byleth nodded in reply, and him, Celine, and Dimitri went to go fight Kostas.

The three of them climbed a set of stairs, and they saw Kostas surrounded by rubble. Kostas narrowed his eyes at the three newcomers.

"We've come to end you." Byleth declared, brandishing his sword in Kostas's sight. Celine and Dimitri followed Byleth's example with their weapons.

"Y-you're... It can't be! The mercenary from before?" Kostas exclaimed, seeing Byleth in the front. "So what, now you're pals with the knights? I'll kill you and your pesky brats!"

"Sorry, we can't let you do that..." Celine said, walking into Kostas's view beside Byleth. Kostas back stepped at Celine's presence beside Byleth. "Along with the 'Lunar Swordsman'! What have we gotten into!?"

"Your demise, that's what." Celine rebuked while dashing forward. Byleth and Dimitri followed her assault.

Kostas ran forward to engage the three. He swung his axe at Dimitri, who blocked it with his lance. Kostas narrowed his eyes in response. "Spoiled little noble! Just die like a good little rich kid!"

"Unfortunately for you, I will not oblige." Dimitri said with furrowed brows. He then broke free of the deadlock between him and Kostas. "You will regret all that you have done."

Dimitri swung his lance at Kostas, who jumped backwards. Byleth and Celine were on Kostas's heels and did not want him to get away. Celine used her agility to confuse Kostas, and sliced him in multiple spots. Weakened, the bandit leader tried to swing his axe at Dimitri, but Byleth intercepted him. Byleth dealt the final blow to Kostas.

Using his final breaths, the bandit leader whispered, "I should have never listened to that idiot... What a mistake..."

All three of them sheathed their weapons in their proper holders. Dimitri told Byleth, "We have defeated the thieves. We'll follow the knights' instructions for what to do next. You led us well, Professor."

The three of them then walked back to the rest of the Blue Lions to tell them about the successful mission.

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31st of the Harpstring Moon, Zanado, The Red Canyon (Afternoon), Imperial Year 1180

Celine, Byleth, and Dimitri descended the stairs down to where the other Blue Lions are. Byleth went off to look at the canyon, and Dimitri joined the rest of the Blue Lions.

The blue-haired, female swordsman was about to join Dimitri with the Blue Lions, until her vision started to tunnel. Celine braced herself on one of the walls of the canyon. "Not again... At least it didn't do it during the battle."

After sliding down to a crouch, Celine closed her eyes, and let the memory overwhelm her.

"Where are you, big brother?" Young Celine hummed while searching around a garden. Her little brother was somewhere else in the estate, so it was just little Celine playing with her big brother.

"Big brother?" Celine asked while peeking around a tree. They were playing hide and seek, with Celine being the seeker. She sighed when she didn't see him behind the tree. "Not here..."

"Maybe he's by the fountain?" Celine said to herself. She then started to walk towards the fountain.

Little Celine hummed while walking towards the fountain, her hairbow flowing in the wind, along with her sky-blue dress. Celine ran towards the fountain, and she heard small noises from behind the fountain. She gasped happily at the noises.

"Found you!!!!" Little Celine cheered while tackling her big brother to the ground. Both of them laughed together. "I did it, big brother!"

"I'm proud of you, CeCe." Celine's older brother told the little girl. Young Celine gave a beaming smile in response.

As soon as the two stood up, the siblings heard one of the maids call out to them. "Young Master!! Little Lady!! Your parents want to see you two in the study!"

"Thank you, we'll be there momentarily!" The older brother stated. He then grabbed Celine's hand in his, and the two siblings went to where their parents were.

Celine started to get the awareness of her surroundings back as she came out of the memory. She opened her eyes to see Felix, Sylvain, and Ingrid all looking at her with concerned expressions. Felix extended his right hand down to Celine's left, and he pulled up the blue-haired female.

"Are you alright?" Ingrid asked Celine once she was steady on her feet. Celine nodded in reply to the Galatea's statement. "I'm okay... Just confused."

Sylvain, recognizing the expression on Celine's face, instantly knew why Celine was confused. "Did you have another memory surface?"

"Yeah." Celine responded. Felix furrowed his eyebrows at Sylvain's statement. "What do you mean 'another memory?' This happened before?"

Celine gave an affirmative noise to her fellow bluenette. "Once before, when we were decorating the classroom for Mercedes' party. I saw a male in the last memory, and the same male was in this one also."

"Maybe you both are related?" Ingrid says while thinking about the possible circumstances.

Celine nodded in reply. She believes that is the case between her and the mysterious young man.

"In any case, we should get back to the rest." Sylvain told his friends. They all agreed, and the four returned to the rest of the Blue Lions.

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31st of the Harpstring Moon, Zanado, The Red Canyon (Afternoon), Imperial Year 1180

Byleth was looking around the canyon, taking in the ruins with great detail. For some reason, the teal-haired professor felt a sense of familiarity when he was inside the canyon.

"I remember this being a peaceful place..." Byleth thought to himself. He then adopted a thinking stance without thinking anything else.

All of a sudden, Byleth perked up. "Hm?"

"Hmm... I wonder why it is that you recall this place." Sothis thought out loud.

"Sothis!?" Byleth said in his mind while he made a surprised motion at Sothis' sudden presence.

"You must be weak of heart." Sothis replied to Byleth, slightly mentioning the surprise of the teal-haired professor. "Each time I speak, it scares you so."

"You surprised me." Byleth said while shaking his head. "That's all."

"Although the battle's at an end, do not feel too at ease." Sothis told Byleth with a small tone of forewarning. Byleth nodded in reply.

After a few seconds of silence between the two, Sothis then said something about the canyon. "Well, anyhow... I am quite fascinated by this place."

"As far as I can tell, this is your first time here..." Sothis mused. Byleth then said in reply, "Still, it feels familiar. Have you been here before, Sothis?"

"Here? I daresay it would be impossible to have forgotten such a place as this." Sothis replied to Byleth. She then had a thought and theory on how Byleth could remember the canyon. "I wonder if somehow, my memories have... Hmm."

"I must admit that I am unsure. Beyond the name and this strange feeling of familiarity, I can't seem to remember anything about this place." Sothis told Byleth, unsure about why she doesn'r remember.

Byleth then looked around the canyon while Sothis continued speaking. "And yet...a great depth of emotion is tied to that sense of familiarity. Like joy and sorrow. Pain and love. And all things in between..."

"If I was somehow here before, I wonder what took place..." Sothis thought. Byleth shrugged in reply, since he had no clue.

"Professor?" Byleth heard from his left. He then turned to see Dimitri looking at him, with Blythe in the distance. "We should return to the monastery soon. We're all ready for the journey."

Byleth nodded in reply. He then heard one last thing from Sothis. "It is time to depart. But know that time reveals all things. One day, I will remember that which I have lost..."

"Oh, by the way. It seems you've earned my gratitude. The thieves who came here are no more." Sothis suddenly thanked Byleth. Byleth thought back, "Why are you..."

"I am not sure myself, yet I am grateful all the same." Sothis said in response. She then continued with, "In any case... You must become accustomed to my voice! If you fall down with shock each time I speak, that just won't do."

"Like I said, you just surprised me. I'm normally not shocked a lot of the time." Byleth replied while shaking his head. Sothis chuckled. "Oh... You think you're standing strong? Of course you are! It was a jest."

Sothis then went back into the confines of Byleth's mind. The teal-haired professor then walked with Blythe and Dimitri to the rest of the Blue Lions, and everyone then started the journey back to Garreg Mach Monastery.

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Chapter complete!

The Harpstring Moon is now mostly concluded. It will be fully wrapped up next chapter, and the Garland Moon will begin.

I have now included the Divine Pulse, one of the main components of Three Houses.

Speaking of the Divine Pulse...what do you all think about how I executed the rewinding of time? Is the backwards text too disorienting, or is it fine? Leave feedback about it below.

What did you all think of this chapter? Celine has another memory back.

I also included special quotes for Blythe and Celine in this chapter for the "first kills."

Blythe's is: "You were only following orders...may you rest in peace..."

Celine's is: "Nothing personal, but it had to be done..."

Also, "I've got you!" is one of Ashe's critical hit quotes.

See you next chapter!

-Brandy