By the 15th of the Lone Moon, Presea could no longer hide her concern on the growing tensions between the Adrestian Empire and the rest of Fódlan. She didn't want any of her friends to be drawn into a war, but she knew that wish would never come true.

After Byleth finished the lecture, he pulled Presea to the side so he could ask her some questions about the lecture. She stood by the chalkboard, but she didn't register the professor's voice when he asked the first question.

"Presea," Byleth called out to his student.

Hearing her name, she blinked repeatedly and realized she'd been spacing out. "I-I'm sorry, Professor. What did you say?"

"Are you feeling all right?" He asked, concerned.

She sighed, glancing down at the floor. "I can't help but worry. I fear we will be drawn into the war and I don't want any of you to get hurt."

"I share the same feeling," he confessed. "But I'm afraid we're already in the middle of this war."

She frowned melancholically. "And the only way out is to fight..."

After a few minutes of silence, Byleth dismisses Presea. She left the classroom, whispering a small "thank you" under her breath to the professor. Outside, she came face-to-face with Claude.

He noticed the frown on her face and the worry in her eyes. "What's with the doom-and-gloom look?"

"Just worried, is all," she sighed.

"We all are. Some of us are just better at hiding it. You, on the other hand, wear your feelings on your sleeve."

"I never was good at hiding my feelings."

"You look like you could use a break."

Presea tilted her head in confusion. "A break?"

"Yeah," Claude nodded. "Let's head to our secret place. I could use a change of scenery, too."

"I think it would be a nice change of pace."

The boy took her hand in his, entwining his fingers with hers. He guided her to the entrance of the Officer's Academy, ignoring the concerned voices of their fellow students as they walked by. When outside the monastery, Presea transformed and flew herself and Claude to the island located in the middle of the lake.

Arriving at their destination, the couple sat under the tree with their backs resting against the trunk. They stared out across the glistening water in silence, listening to the chirping of birds as they flew overhead.

With the worry slowly vanishing from her mind, Presea enjoyed bathing in the sun's rays. A gentle breeze swept through the area, tousling her ivory locks. Scooting closer to Claude, she snuggled into his side and rested her head on his shoulder. Taking advantage of the serene scenery and peaceful atmosphere, she closed her eyes and fell into a deep slumber.

Claude turns his head slightly to glance at her, noticing how peaceful her sleeping expression was. He was aware for the past two weeks, she hadn't been sleeping well. Seeing she was finally able to find a moment to clear her head and sleep brought a relieved expression to his face. She deserved to rest after losing precious sleep and he wouldn't dare wake her.

Eventually, Claude leaned his head against the top of hers and watched a mother duck and her ducklings swim across the lake. He chuckled lightly when a duckling swam into one of its siblings and nudged its bill against its side. The mother duck quacked, grabbing her babies' attentions.

The emerald-eyed boy continued watching the family of ducks before closing his own eyes and falling into a deep slumber beside Presea.

The couple slumbered peacefully for a couple hours. Presea was the first to awake when the sound of soft quacking stirred her from her sleep. Opening her eyes, she spotted the mother duck and her seven ducklings a few feet away from her while keeping her head on Claude's shoulder. One of the babies wandered toward her out of curiosity and ran into the bottom of her boot. It tapped its bill against her shoe before waddling toward her hand.

Carefully, Presea reaches out to pet the duckling. Her finger caressed the top of its head and she admired its soft yellow fuzz. She giggled when it titled its head and allowed her to scratch under its bill and the top of its head.

Seeing their sibling getting attention from the girl, the other ducklings made their way over to her. They gathered around Presea and snuggled against her legs. The one she'd been petting managed to hop on her leg and wander up to her thigh. Once reaching her torso, it snuggled up against her stomach and fluffed out. The duckling got comfortable and soon fell asleep.

Presea was taken aback at the duckling's behavior. Many animals saw through her human form and were able to see her true nature, retreating whenever they detected her presence. However, the ducklings were the complete opposite and promptly made themselves comfortable. She was puzzled as to why they didn't scurry away and wondered if it had to do with how young they were.

Glancing up, Presea looked at the mother duck. She noticed she was watching her to make sure she didn't harm her babies.

When realizing the other remaining ducklings were fast asleep, she sweated nervously in fear of waking them if she tried to move.

A few minutes ticked by and Presea heard Claude stir in his sleep. She tapped her finger against his side, waking him. "Could you help me?" She whispered.

Claude lifted his head from hers, wondering what was wrong and glanced down at her legs and torso when something yellow caught his attention. He blinked in astonishment when seeing the seven ducklings snuggling up against her. "Would you look at that?" He chortled. "Guess not all animals are scared of you."

"Wh-What do I?" She asked.

"Eh, just let them sleep." Claude wound his arm around her neck and placed his hand on the side of her head, pushing it back on to his shoulder. "You should get some more sleep, too, Pres. I know you haven't slept well in the past two weeks."

Presea didn't protest and sighed. "All right..."

<--------------<<<<<

A week passed since Presea spent some alone time with Claude. Today, she was wandering around the monastery and wound up visiting the Cathedral. There, she found Marianne and Lysithea chatting. She was about to join them in their casual conversation when she heard a menacing voice echo throughout the Cathedral. Looking around, she spotted the only other person present.

Dimitri.

Presea approaches the blonde cautiously when she heard him whispering to himself, "I'll kill her..."

"Dimitri...?" She hesitantly called out to him. "Are you all right?"

She received no response from him as he continued to chant "I'll kill her" under his breath with a wide-eyed expression.

A chill crept down her spine when feeling the murderous aura surrounding him and she immediately backed away. She left the Cathedral, frightened of the boy.

Halfway across the bridge, Presea was stopped by Leonie. The redhead waved with a bright smile as she ran over to the cerulean-eyed girl. "Hey, Pres! I've been looking for you."

"Me?" She asked.

"Yeah! You're the strongest magic-user in our house and I was hoping you'd join me in training. I'm trying to strengthen my defenses against magic."

"Not sure how much help I'll be, but I'll join you."

The two girls headed to the training grounds. Seeing it was unoccupied at the moment, they didn't have to worry about bothering other students. Leonie grabbed her spear while Presea wondered which form would be better. Deciding to remain human, she stood across the way from her friend.

Leonie wondered where to start and asked, "You wouldn't have any pointers, would you?"

"I do have one-all spells have a weak point. It's possible to shatter an incantation if one knows how to. If you can't reach the caster before the spell is complete, there is still a possibility to deflect or annul it. Let's use a simple fire spell as an example." Presea conjured up a large fireball and held it between her hands. "A fireball is easy to dispel. Simply aim your weapon at its core. Since you use a spear, this will be pretty easy and you don't have to worry about getting too close. Are you ready?"

Leonie nodded, griping her spear tightly. When Presea released the fireball, she charged forward and used the sharp tip of her weapon to pierce its core. When she did, the fireball dissolved. The redhead blinked in shock. "No way... It was that easy?"

Presea nodded. "Yes. Fireballs are a common spell among mages. Now, let's try a more difficult spell-a fire vortex."

"I don't think I'm ready for something THAT intense just yet," Leonie expressed her doubt.

"I know you can do it. This may be a more advanced spell, but it is pretty easy to deflect. Unlike a fireball, a fire vortex lacks a core. However, you can redirect the flames by simply creating a stream of air with your weapon. Spin your spear around and create a shield of air. The flames will be deflected and you'll come out unscathed."

"I...think I understand."

"Do you want to try?" Presea inquired.

Leonie nodded. "Yeah."

Presea conjured a fire vortex and sent it straight for Leonie. The redhead spun her spear around in front of her rapidly and created a shield of air. When the vortex reached her, the flames subsided and she didn't even have a singe mark on her weapon. She smiled in amazement. "That was so cool!"

Presea giggled at her excitement. "Good job, Leonie. Now, let's move on to another element."

For a couple of hours, Presea taught Leonie how to handle multiple types of spells and elements. From ice to lightning, she shared every tidbit of knowledge she knew about magic.

After the training session, they headed to the dining hall to enjoy lunch together. Once finishing their meals, the two went their separate ways.

Presea left the dining hall and wandered around the monastery with no destination in mind. She walked past the reception hall and her quarters before arriving back at the dining hall. She decided to rest at the pond, taking her boots off and dipping her feet into the cool water. A few fish swam towards her before making a quick retreat. She glanced down at the water's surface and analyzed her reflection. The memories she made with Edelgard before she turned her back to the Church filled her mind. She wasn't particularly close with her, but she did cherish the memories she made with her.

"Uh-oh, you're frowning again."

Tearing her eyes away from her reflection, Presea glances over her shoulder. "It's a little hard not to frown with our current situation, Claude."

He sat next to her, one knee propped up. "You just need to think of happy thoughts. You've got plenty of those, right? Even the fish look happier than you."

"Of course, I do. It's just...a little difficult to overshadow my worry with happy memories."

Claude places one of his hands on her cheek and turns her head gently towards him. He then placed his second hand on her other cheek and squished them. "Aw, come on. Smile for me." He grinned when he was able to make a funny expression on her face by pulling on her cheeks. "Heh, now you look like a fish."

Presea couldn't help but laugh. She placed her own hands on Claude's cheeks and mimicked his actions. "You look like a fish, too."

He ceased squeezing her cheeks and cupped them gently in his palms. Once she dropped her hands from his cheeks, he leaned forward and pressed his forehead against her. He gazed lovingly into her cerulean eyes, a gentle smile slowly creeping onto his face. "Can I kiss you?"

The girl became perplexed at the sudden question. "You had no issues kissing me in front of tons of students without my permission before. What's changed?"

"Oh, I only did that to make sure everyone knew you were spoken for," Claude replied.

"You mean you were just trying to show off to Sylvain," she retorts.

"I prefer to call it a "strategic maneuver to keep guys away." It's a pretty good and effective strategy, right?"

"I think it might need a new name."

Claude chortled in amusement. "Guess I'll need to come up with some ideas. But for now..." He places his lips over hers and kissed her gently.

Presea didn't hesitate to kiss him back, relishing the moment. It was a short kiss, but she enjoyed every second of it.

The two pulled away when a large fish swam to the surface and splashed water on them. Presea glared down at the aquatic creature as it frantically swam away. "Stupid fish..."

<--------------<<<<<

On the 31st of the Lone Moon, the Golden Deer was gathered in the reception hall after receiving dire news from Lady Rhea. After waiting for a few minutes, Alois rushes over to them. "Listen up, everyone! The Imperial army is upon us. If you can fight, pick up a weapon! Everyone else, hurry up and evacuate! We have the goddess' protection on our side. We have nothing to fear. Victory will be ours!"

Catherine was the next to join the group. "Professor, are you ready?"

"Almost," Byleth replied.

"Well, hurry up. I don't need to tell you that the situation is dire. We have some support troops from the local nobles, but the army we're facing is immense. No matter how you look at it, we're at a disadvantage. To make matters worse, the enemy is being led by Edelgard. Do not underestimate how extraordinary her abilities are."

Presea's eyes widen. "She's here...?" She whispered to herself.

"She's back already?" Hilda gasped. "Talk about impatient!"

"If we don't stop them, the academy will be destroyed." Claude glances around at his fellow Golden Deer. "Prepare for battle, everyone!"

"We will stop Edelgard's rampage!" Lysithea proclaimed.

"Our opponent is formidable, but if we work together, we will not fail," Ignatz said.

"Enough talking! Let's go!" Raphael cheered.

"Dear Goddess... Please, protect us all..." Marianne prayed.

Flayn determinedly declared, "I shall fight with all that I have. It is an honor to fight alongside each of you!"

Hilda glances at Byleth, Claude, and Presea. "Professor, Claude, Pressy... You'll lead the way, won't you? You won't let any of us fall, right?"

"Me...?" Presea mumbled. "You want me in the front lines?"

"As much as I would like you to remain in the rear, you're one of the strongest members of the Golden Deer alongside Teach," Claude answered. "Your spells will provide us with the openings we need to attack the enemy."

Byleth placed a hand on Presea's shoulder. "You won't be alone. We'll be right beside you."

Presea felt somewhat relieved. "I'll do my best."

"Please, Presea, be careful," Marianne said.

"She'll be fine!" Hilda chanted. "She's got us!"

The snowy-haired girl smiled. "Thank you, everyone."

Everyone except Byleth, Claude, and Presea left. The house leader glanced between the two. "I wanted to talk to Rhea first, but as expected, that won't be possible. What did she hope to accomplish at the Holy Tomb? What happened to you as a baby? Does it have to do with that Crest Stone Presea mentioned? There are still so many things I need to know."

"At least we know the true nature behind the Crest Stones and the Heroes' Relics," Presea commented. "We have some mysteries solved, but others remain indecipherable."

"And we know the truth about your people," Claude added. "But as for Seiros, Nemesis, and Acheron...just how much of their mythology is true?"

"Even with what we know, we know so little," Byleth sighed.

"It's true. But lucky for me and Pres, we refuse to die with so much still unknown." Claude pauses for a brief second before his tone turned serious. "Hey, Teach... All joking aside. Can we possibly survive this battle?"

Byleth met the house leader's worried gaze. "We'll find a way."

"That's all we can do, right? If we gave up, the god of fate wouldn't be happy. I'm a lot of things, but I'm not the kind of man to just roll over and die in a place like this. I have my own ambitions to see to. There are things...dreams...that I must see come to fruition." Claude glances at Presea for a split second before redirecting his gaze back toward the professor. "And I've been thinking. I want you to see those dreams realized as well. On top of all that, there are still so many secrets out there, just waiting to be uncovered. We can't let that stand, can we? So, Teach... No, scratch that. You're so much more. You're my ally and my friend. And I think Presea agrees."

Said girl nodded. "Yes, Professor. You mean so much more to us."

"Teach... Friend... None of those words quite capture what you've come to mean to us. We may not be connected by blood, but I believe our bond goes deeper than that. Now that we know each other, our hearts are connected. Even if our paths diverge and we're forced to say good-bye... I know that we'll meet again. And so, for lack of a better word, I gratefully call you my friend, and I hold fast to the belief that this isn't it for us. No matter who or what you really are, I'll always be on your side. You can't count on much in this world, but you can count on that."

"The same goes for me," Presea smiled at Byleth. "Please, Professor, count on us as your friends and allies. Even if this battle doesn't end with our victory, just remember those who you trust. Like you told me earlier, you won't be alone and never will be. I know the entire Golden Deer house will do everything in their power to support you."

Byleth glances between the two, a small smile forming on his face. "Thank you." He spun on his heels and left the reception hall, leaving behind his friends and students.

Presea went to follow, but Claude grabbed her arm and stopped her. He pulled her back into his arms and hugged her. "Promise me..." He whispered in her ear. "Promise me you won't do anything careless. I don't want to lose you again."

She wrapped her arms around him. "I...I want to promise I won't do anything reckless, but I won't be able to. This is war, Claude. If I can do something to protect our friends, I will regardless of the circumstances. To me, everyone is irreplaceable and I wouldn't be able to handle it if I knew I could've done something differently to protect those I hold dear."

A weak chortle escaped Claude's throat. He tightened his arms around her. "And that's another reason why I fell in love with you... You are just... Never mind." He pulled away and offered her a weak smile. "Let's go join the others."

Presea could feel a foreboding sensation, but she refused to acknowledge it. "Okay."

The couple rendezvoused with the other members of the Golden Deer, Lady Rhea, and the Knights of Seiros. They gathered in the main hall, gathering their forces to ready themselves for battle. While in the middle of preparations, a single knight entered the hall and ran toward the archbishop. "I have a report! The enemy is within the walls. They're about to break the defensive line!"

Claude readied his bow, glancing around at his allies. "We have two priorities for this battle. Protect the archbishop and maintain the defensive line! Reinforcements should arrive soon, so just hold your ground until then!"

Byleth unsheathes the Sword of the Creator and gave orders to his students. While delegating his plan of action, another knight announced, "Report! The enemy has taken the entrances where the reinforcements were heading!"

"So long as we can recapture the east and west strongholds, we might be able to call in the reinforcements..." Claude said. "Presea, got any surprises up your sleeves? Because I'm a little fresh out of schemes at the moment."

She smirked. "I may have a few."

"Think you could handle taking back the east stronghold?"

She nodded. "Leave it to me."

"I'll go with her!" Leonie announced.

"All right. The rest of you will follow me," Byleth said.

Presea transformed and flew toward the nearest stronghold with Leonie following close behind on her pegasus. Imperial soldiers tried to surround and stop them, but their combined strength wiped them all out. Eventually, the two girls were able to reclaim the stronghold.

Claude, who'd handled an enemy pegasus knight, noticed reinforcements pouring into the battlefield. Looks like Presea and Leonie did it. We took back one of the strongholds. On to the next..." He, alongside Lorenz, Raphael, Ignatz, and Lysithea, departed from Byleth at his command and headed to the second stronghold. The imperial soldiers stood no chance against the students as they were slaughtered within minutes. Seeing the stronghold was back in their grasp, Knights of Seiros entered the battlefield. "All right, we took back both of the strongholds. Let's keep up the momentum!"

Presea and Leonie went to regroup with the others, but their path was soon blocked by Hubert. He set his sights on the wolf, knowing she was his equal. "What you fail to appreciate is that we have, at our backs, a force you cannot hope to defeat. You stand no chance against us."

Leonie wanted to join Presea in this fight, but she was stopped when she saw the Pterolykos stand in front of her. Knowing what she was trying to convey, she hesitantly flew off on her pegasus to help her other friends.

Having nothing to say to the mage, Presea howled and conjured a barrage of icicles. She aimed them at Hubert, who managed to melt them with his fire magic. He shot a sphere of miasma at her, but his spell fizzled when it came in contact with her protective barrier. Clicking his tongue in annoyance, he continued firing miasma at the canine. His barrage of spells didn't lighten up, forcing Presea to remain on the defensive. She growled in annoyance before finding an opening and using her protective barrier against him.

The barrier shattered, creating shards of light. They sailed through the air and sliced into Hubert's flesh. He was forced back and only was able to dodge a few shards, but the remaining ones littered his body with scratches and his clothes with tears.

Now the tables were turned.

Howling, Presea created a fire vortex around Hubert and trapped him in the center. The flames singed his already torn clothes and cut off his oxygen. Before he could pass out from the lack of oxygen, he took a chance and dashed through the flames. He caught his breath before glaring daggers at the Pterolykos. "I can afford to fall back. We still have the advantage. You shall fail."

Presea tried to pursue him, but froze when a familiar menacing figure entered the battle.

The Death Knight.

She took a few steps back when his sight was set on her. She remembered the torture he put her through months ago just to keep her from escaping and using her magic against him. She wouldn't deny the fact she was frightened of the man, but she would do everything in her power to protect her friends from him. Taking advantage of the situation, she took to the sky and led him to a more open area.

Once in the middle of the battlefield, Presea looked behind her and saw the Death Knight following close behind. She landed on the ground, turning to face him while baring her sharp fangs with a threatening growl. He rode toward her at full speed with his weapon at the ready, but he didn't make it far before a sphere of miasma was sent his way. It collided with his horse, causing it to fall on its side.

Presea looked toward where the spell came from and saw Lysithea had been the one to strike the Death Knight. The fuchsia-eyed girl rushed over to the wolf and stood next to her. "Are you all right, Presea?"

The Pterolykos nodded while her gaze was still focused on the Death Knight. She watched as him and his steed quickly recovered from the spell. Once back on his horse, he rode towards the two girls.

Lysithea and Presea combined their spells to create a powerful one. Their combination of miasma and lightning was able to push the Death Knight back. He tried for a second attack, but an arrow to the shoulder caught his attention. Glancing at the arrow that pierced his armor and flesh, he stoically ripped it out of his body. Looking toward the person who fired it, he tossed it to the ground. Claude was the culprit. The Death Knight then looked back at Presea before grabbing the reins of his steed. "The time is not right... I will wait for the next opportunity..." As quick as he appeared, he vanished.

Claude rushes over to the two girls to check on them. "How're you two doing?"

"We're fine," Lysithea said.

Presea howled in response, her tail wagging slightly. He smiled faintly at her body language before gesturing for the two girls to follow him. They fought through another throng of soldiers and set their sights on Edelgard. They passed Byleth and Ignatz, who were fighting against Ladislava. They easily took care of the woman, forcing her to retreat.

Coming face-to-face with Edelgard, Claude scowled at her. "Here she is-Her Majesty-looking pleased as a dog with a stick. What exactly happened to make you this way?"

"I'm simply seeing through a promise I made to myself a long time ago," Edelgard replies with a stoic expression.

"Isn't this much force excessive? Thanks to you, my own long-held ambitions are nearly destroyed," Claude retorts.

"If you don't want them to be destroyed completely, I suggest you turn tail and flee."

"We will not fall!" Lysithea announced.

Claude, Presea, and Lysithea fought against the empress. The trio was able to stand their ground and keep Edelgard from advancing forward. While keeping her at bay, Byleth soon joined them and stood between them and the enemy.

Now with the professor joining the fray, Edelgard was unable to withstand their combined attacks. Seeing she stood no chance, she chose to retreat. "You fought well. But now, your fight is over. Send in our reserve troops, and give my uncle the signal!" She quickly fled with her remaining soldiers. Claude and Lysithea took chase, but were forced to fight against more soldiers not far from the battlefield.

Presea returned to her human form and joined Byleth near the edge of a cliff overlooking the town. In the distance, they spotted a large battalion of imperial soldiers running straight for the monastery.

"There's so many," Presea murmured.

Just as Byleth was about to unsheathe the Sword of the Creator, preparing to fight, Rhea stops him. He and Presea watch as she walks ahead. She then turns toward him, smiling. "Everyone here, young and old, is in your hands."

Byleth was clearly conflicted, but he respected her command and nods. "Understood."

Rhea turns back towards the approaching reserve as Byleth runs back to the monastery. Presea refuses to budge and stood next to the archbishop. "I know what you're planning. Let me help you, Lady Rhea. The Children of the Goddess meant so much to my people. I refuse to let you fight alone."

The girl was prepared to hear the archbishop argue but was shocked when she said, "Let us fight side-by-side. I shall grant you the true power of your people. Together, we shall keep the enemy at bay long enough for the professor to evacuate the monastery." She placed a hand on Presea's shoulder.

The young girl could feel the immense power coursing through her veins and was ready to fight. "Shall we?"

"Yes. I will not allow another Red Canyon tragedy to happen here." Rhea transforms into the Immaculate One and takes flight towards the reserve.

Presea watched the dragon fly directly into battle before unleashing her own powers. In the blink of an eye, she transformed. Her size was a couple inches smaller than Rhea's and instead of one tail, she now had ten. She released a thunderous howl before flying toward the battalion to join the Immaculate One.

The Pterolykos landed on all fours and conjured an immense fire vortex that swept through the soldiers. The Immaculate One used her own ability to force the soldiers to retreat. Their combined attacks caused immense damage to not only the battalion but to the town as well. They continued focusing their efforts on the soldiers until four demonic beasts came charging forth and pounced on them.

The wolf howled in pain when one of the monster's bit into her side, but she quickly wrapped one of her tails around its neck and tossed it aside. The other one attached to her back dug its claws into her flesh and latched on. She slammed her back against the stone wall in a desperate attempt to get the beast off her.

The two demonic beasts that pounced on the Immaculate One knocked her down and pinned her against a monastery wall. Both the dragon and wolf struggled against the horrid creatures, but they were soon saved by a familiar face.

Byleth, noticing the fight, rushes to their aid and attacks one of the beasts. As the Immaculate One knocks away the beasts, part of the wall overlooking a large abyss, is destroyed with a single monster falling to its death below. The remaining demonic beasts are crushed by rubble in the ensuing collapse of the wall, freeing both the Pterolykos and the Immaculate One. Both creatures eye Byleth in bewilderment.

"Why did you come?!" The Immaculate One demands.

Byleth, realizing his error, glances back to see Thales and his soldiers watching them. The menacing man launches a ball of energy towards him. The professor prepares to block the attack with his blade, but was stopped when the Pterolykos jumped in front of him. She howled in pain as the spell exploded against her back, causing her to skid across the ground. She managed to stop herself before she was able to fall off the edge and tumble into the dark abyss below.

Byleth, having been caught in the blast as well, placed his hand on the wolf's leg. When he did, that's when he heard the sound of cracking. Looking down, he saw the ground was beginning to crumble underneath their feet. Before he or the creature could jump to safety, the ground beneath them vanished. Byleth screamed out in horror as he fell into the abyss.

Hearing his cries, the Pterolykos wrapped her tails protectively around his body as she quietly plummeted into darkness. The last thing she heard before her world turned black was the horrified roar of the Immaculate One.