House Isekai: Shadowbringers Act 2, Part 1 - Withering Flower
House Isekai Shadowbringers AU Masterlist Here
—
“I don’t know if anyone will be seeing this message, whether that be myself or anyone else who comes into this godforsaken tower but...My name is Byleth Eisner. Son of Jeralt Eisner.”
“And my name is Sothis. Goddess of Fodlan...evidently.”
“We’re leaving this here in some hopes that this cycle can be broken, and to fix this mistake before it could ever happen...Our memories will be wiped after this, so we want to say everything we can before...before we forget.”
“And if anyone else besides our future selves sees this message, please give them to Byleth at Garreg Mach Monastery.”
“Now that the pleasantries are out of the way...We need to start at the beginning.”
----
[’Neath Dark Waters - Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers OST]
Byleth looked at the reflection of himself in the tower. It was a floating crystal and after taking a deep breath, began speaking into it.
======
“Our journey-
No.
Your journey.
It is your journey that we are banking our hopes in.
It is your journey that will give you a different experience, and prevent you from committing the worst atrocity this world has ever seen.
And so, it falls to me to tell you how you got here...
Your journey began when you and Sothis woke up from a dream that had been reoccurring. A dream of a battle at Zanado.
You two did not have any memory of partaking in the fight, yet it was clear as day, despite the fact it had happened centuries ago.
Right as Jeralt was ordering you and the other mercs to prepare for another grueling march, is when your fate would change forever.
You, Sothis, and Jeralt saved three students named Edelgard, Claude, and Dimitri.
They were part of Garreg Mach Monastery, and when the Knights of said monastery came to retrieve them, they convinced Jeralt to take up his former role of Captain.
Something he had never told you until then.
On the way, you exchanged some colorful conversations with them and tried to convince you to join their side.
All of them were next in line to their respective lands, the Adrestian Empire, Leicester Alliance, and Kingdom of Faerghus.
After being informed that you would become a professor, you were to choose your class to teach for that year.
Either out of instinct, or a wild guess, you went with the Blue Lions, led by Dimitri.
Throughout the course of the year, you fought and bled with your students as you accompanied them to various locations across Fodlan, doing the tasks of the Church.
According to Sothis and many others, you did not display any emotions whatsoever. Yet, as the year went on, your wall broke little by little.
And by the end of the year with them, your bond with your students was unbreakable.
...But tragedy would soon strike.
No matter how much time has passed, it is a memory that will never leave you. Everything else will be a blur, but this?
It will be the catalyst to your journey.
Your father was killed saving the students from a Demonic Beast attack in Garreg Mach.
Killed by an Agarthan named Kronya.
In the following month, you march for their known location, eager for revenge. With your class right behind you, refusing to let you fight this alone.
Getting caught in a trap set by Solon, you and Sothis had no choice but to fuse together in order to escape.
Although you would not hear her for a very long time, she would never leave your side.
After successfully getting revenge and fusing with your friend, it is then everyone begins to show their true colors.
You journey to the Tomb of the Goddess and sit upon the very throne Sothis once did by orders of Rhea.
When you sat down, nothing happened, confusing everyone in the room.
But it is here when the Flame Emperor ambushes you and your class, and begin to fight Imperial forces.
And it is here where the Flame Emperor’s identity is revealed, alongside Dimitri’s true self.
Upon seeing that Edelgard was the Flame Emperor, he snapped and became unhinged.
Something that was consistent as the month passed on to your next confrontation, when the Adrestian Empire invaded and the battle’s outcome was a stalemate, both sides losing far too many men to occupy the Monastery.
However, during that battle, you fell into the canyon, where you went missing for five years.
It was only thanks to the intervention of Sothis that you were alive when you awoke, though she sent you five years into the future.
And with another year, you singlehandedly turned the war around against the Empire.
And became the saving grace to Dimitri’s grief-fueled madness.
After months of slowly pushing back the relentless tide of Imperial forces, you brought the war to a final showdown at Enbarr.
And it was then that Edelgard had finally met her match, and was killed by Dimitri.
A few days later, you and Dimitri swore to help repair Fodlan and its wartorn lands together.
Although, there was some part of you that wished to fix this outcome. To see if you could do anything different in order to prevent the war from happening.
Sothis had granted you a power known as Divine Pulse, which allowed you to turn back time.
Although it could only be used as a way to restart at most a day back, you called upon her power, and sent yourself back to where it all began.
The day you met Edelgard, Dimitri, and Claude.
Instead of choosing the Blue Lions, you taught the Black Eagles.
Although you had knowledge of prior events, such as Jeralt’s death, nothing you said could stop it from happening.
When the fated day arrived at the Tomb, you sided with Edelgard.
To find out why she did what she did in the previous timeline.
To your surprise, you found a much softer side to the brutal dictator.
She held compassion and love for her fellow man.
And unending loyalty to you.
The same could not be said for Rhea, who had shown her colors as a ruthless and hellbent on getting her lost mother back, Sothis.
After defeating Claude and Dimitri, you and Edelgard killed Rhea in a burning city.
When that battle was over, you began to question who was right or wrong.
Who held the moral high ground in this conflict?
Calling upon Sothis again, you went back in time once more and sided with the Church to defeat Edelgard.
What had driven Rhea to similar madness like Dimitri?
You were confident about the answer until you finally found the real side to Rhea. A side she dared not show anyone but family.
Rhea harbored similar feelings, though it came after a near fatal conflict between you and Church forces.
She was nothing more than a daughter wishing to see her mother again.
Feelings you could sympathize with.
Rhea was alive but broken, Dimitri and Edelgard were dead, and Claude was missing.
This was not the ideal outcome you had wished for either.
That meant going back to the beginning.
Although this next attempt would only be your fourth time going back, you and Sothis had lost track of how many years had come and gone since you first met the students.
Going back this time and choosing the Golden Deer class, something new happened.
You met the Ashen Wolves, the secret Fourth House of Garreg Mach.
You discovered what happened to your mother, Sitri, and what Rhea was doing to get her mother back at any cost.
After saving the class, they went their separate ways and the year went on as normal, powerless to stop the events that had already been set in motion.
The journey with Claude did not have the outcome you desired either, although at the very least you now knew what he was doing the entire time in all the previous timelines.
You had put an end to the Agarthan agenda together and worked together to unite Fodlan under the banner of the Leicester Alliance, with Edelgard and Dimitri dead, with Rhea broken.
This had happened again.
And again.
And again.
Nothing you were doing could stop their deaths.
It was beginning to drive you mad.
So mad, you went back one final time.
[The Decision - Xenoblade Chronicles 2 OST]
Choosing the Black Eagles once more, you did everything you could to change anything. Even the smallest thing.
But by the time Jeralt’s death had occurred for the fifth time, you had chosen the final option.
You would unite all four against you, by becoming something far worse than the Empire and Church.
You would destroy this cruel world by forming the Knights of Nemesis.
Recruiting the help of Alois, Leonie, and Shamir, and your original mercenary group, you escaped the Battle of Garreg Mach Monastery and pursued your own agenda.
Little by little, you destroyed the bases of Those Who Slither and stole their technology.
Finally avenging Jeralt by killing Thales, you had become the most dangerous group in Fodlan.
And it was there, where you made your biggest mistake.
Creating the Javelin of Liberation.
Many years would pass in your war against Edelgard and Rhea as your Knights built the Javelin, and you had forced the entire war to a standstill.
But due to your brutal tactics and unforgiving nature, forged by four timelines worth of loss and death, you would alienate your very own allies.
Leonie was the first one to act by revealing your plans to the Leicester Alliance, calling a summit to Derdriu.
And when you and your escort reached Gronder Field on the way to the Monastery...
---
(Edelgard) “Years ago we fought here as classmates…”
(Dimitri) “And now, we stand together against someone who was once a friend.”
(Claude) “As far as big class reunions go, this one’s got to be the worst one in history…”
(Rhea) “There is to be no mercy for these heretics. Do I make myself clear?”
(Catherine) “Crystal.”
(Seteth) “Loud and clear.”
---
After a bloody battle with heavy casualties on both sides, you retreated back to the Monastery, with all three nations hot on your heels.
Rhea was killed by having the Javelin fired prematurely, and as a result, you had lost your connection to Sothis...For a time.
The final battle approached and you stood near the top, awaiting your fate.
If you won, then everything would be blasted into oblivion. Your struggle would finally end.
And if you didn’t, well then your goal was mostly accomplished. To have everyone alive and united.
But things didn’t go as planned either way...
---
(Claude) “Think about this! Do you think blowing us all to hell is going to solve every problem that we have?!”
(Byleth) “Do you not think I haven’t thought of this? I don’t know the answer, nor will I ever. But, we’ll just have to have faith in the next generation once it fires.”
(Dimitri) “Are you hearing yourself right now?! What about the hundreds of innocents you’ve put down to get here?! And the millions you’re about to kill today!”
(Byleth) “It’s for the greater good.”
(Claude) “The greater good?! What do you think Jeralt would have to say about this greater good?! The people and students you swore to protect?!”
(Byleth) “You will not lecture to me of what he would have wanted! Us as a species are a blight! We will never have the will to move forward and change things for the better!-”
(Edelgard) “PROFESSOR!”
Everyone turned to Edelgard, who was stepping closer to Byleth.
(Edelgard) “Professor I’m…I’m so sorry for what I have done.”
(Byleth) “…!”
(Edelgard) “I…I understand where you’re coming from. I do. All my family is dead, and I wanted to destroy everything the Church stood for because of the crests, Rhea, everything…But…
I never wanted this war to happen. I never wanted any of us to fight each other! I never wanted to fight you, my dear professor! 5 years ago, you showed me just how beautiful and how tragic this world is!
I’m sorry for all the pain I must have caused you back then. Please, stop this madness and…and we can find a way together to make the world a better place!”
(Byleth) “Edelgard…”
(Edelgard) “Yes?”
(Byleth) “…Nothing would make me happier than to accept your hand, and leave this all behind but…I can never be forgiven for what I’ve done to everyone…To you.”
(Edelgard) “…I understand.”
She unsheathed her axe, Dimitri and Claude moving to her side.
The battle was one sided since you no longer could properly wield the Sword of the Creator.
However, you did not care.
The battle was decided when the Javelin of Liberation finally deployed.
(Edelgard) “Professor…It’s over.”
Byleth looked up to the spell that was displaying the status of the Javelin of Liberation, and smiled.
(Byleth) “You’re right…it is.”
The three looked up to the spell, and saw the meter was full.
(Dimitri) “SHIT!-”
...
(Leonie) “D-Don’t worry about us, the core…!”
They all looked to the core which was pulsating faster and faster.
(Shamir) “Shit, it’s about to activate!”
(Alois) “Y-you-agh! N-Need to overload it with magic! HURRY!”
Dorothea, Linhardt, Lysithea, and Annette all started to cast their strongest spells and aimed it at the core.
(Shamir) “NOW!”
Right as they aimed their hands at the core, it was too late. It was flashing a bright white that enveloped the entire room.
And in the distance, the Javelin fired into the air, and made contact with the ground.
Dimitri, Edelgard, Claude, and you were sent flying backwards.
You had expected nothing would be alive after that hit, but you were wrong.
You looked back to the world, and it was still very much alive.
Although, the skies had darkened to a sickening white and grey hue, the temperature dropping fast.
It would not be long before the world turned into a frozen hellscape.
And much to your horror, the Javelin had not killed everyone in one fell swoop.
You just ensured everyone would die a slow and painful death.
You had overestimated what the technology of the Agarthans were capable of. Not even they could create a world ending device, and your carelessness and overconfidence costed you the world, and those you called friends...
When you turned around, Edelgard, Dimitri, and Claude were killed from the fall, while the forces under your command were engaged in a civil war.
Several hours later, you did not see any of your former students or faculty member which meant one thing: they were killed too.
It was just you and the men under your command.
Not having the option to turn back time, you and the Knights of Nemesis did everything they could to find any device to turn back time with the technology you had.
The Knights carried the technology back to the area with the most magical readings: Zanado.
And there, you all had created the tower, half out of the materials you had brought, and the materials there. It was crude, but it would get the job done.
And...It was here you could finally reunite with an old friend. And gave a final message to yourself.
I don’t know when or how you’ll see this message but...Find us. Before it’s too late. Don’t do what I did. And forge yourself a path that can save everyone, truly.”
======
[’Neath Dark Waters - Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers OST]
Byleth put the crystal down and took a deep breath.
This would be the last thing he would record before the timeline was reset yet again.
But this time, he had no idea what was going to happen. Sothis was here, yes, but her power had greatly diminished by now.
She was only visible thanks to the Zanado Tower.
He looked outside an opening out the tower, and stared at the graves he had made for the Knights of Nemesis.
They stayed with him until the end, whether out of pure loyalty, or wanting to reset what they had done.
Byleth would never know the answer.
(Byleth) “...WIth the tower restoring your power, you should be able to reset time once more with your Divine Pulse.”
(Sothis) “Hm...”
Sothis raised her hand and began drawing energy as Byleth sat down.
(Byleth) “...Thank you. I don’t expect forgiveness for my actions-”
(Sothis) “Don’t apologize to me. I said I’d be with you no matter what. And this is no exception. Apologize to those we have lost.”
(Byleth) “...”
(Sothis) “Do you think it was a good idea leaving that message? Perhaps this is something your...next self needs to know.”
(Byleth) “It isn’t but he will have to. Otherwise we’re doomed to repeat these exact mistakes. And maybe they won’t be so lucky to get the technology we have right now.”
(Sothis) “I suppose that’s true.”
They both remained in silence before Sothis finally lowered her hand and turned to Byleth.
(Sothis) “Child. My powers in combination with Agarthan, Goddess, and manmade magic...This could be a catastrophic reset.”
(Byleth) “I know-”
(Sothis) “There is no telling the amount of damage we can cause.”
(Byleth) “I know!”-
(Sothis) “And we could possibly tear apart reality itsel-”
(Byleth) “I KNOW!...I know, Sothis...”
Byleth’s back slid down the wall and his head looked up at the ceiling.
(Byleth) “I know. But I have to try something...Hah, even though I had the hindsight of how Dimitri and Rhea acted, I ended up becoming exactly like them...”
Sothis floated over to Byleth and attempted to hold his hand.
To both of their surprise, they actually managed to feel something, and it was then Sothis held his hand tightly and took a deep breath.
(Sothis) “...Goodbye, Byleth. And thank you, for everything.”
(Byleth) “...See you around, Sothis.”
Byleth closed his eyes as Sothis invoked the Zanado Tower.
...
...
...
...
Byleth slowly opened his eyes and saw Jeralt standing over him.
Sothis yawned obnoxiously, and Byleth tried to do his best to ignore her and not weird his father out.
(Jeralt) “Were you having that dream again?”
(Byleth) “Yeah...something about a war.”
(Jeralt) “Massive armies clashing on a vast field, right? There hasn’t been a battle like that in over three centuries. In any case, just put that out of your mind for right now-”
As Jeralt began to explain how dangerous it was to let your mind wander, Sothis as if on cue yawned even louder as she floated over to Byleth.
(Sothis) “Ugh, we’re up already?”
(Byleth) Not now, Sothis.
(Sothis) “Why? What’s he explaining to you that you don’t already know?”
Even though Byleth couldn’t express much, he was certainly feeling annoyed.
SLAM!
(Mercenary) “Jeralt! Sir! Sorry to barge in but your presence is needed!”
(Jeralt) “What’s happened?”
Outside...
(Dimitri) “Please, forgive our intrusion! We would not bother you were our situation not dire!”
(Jeralt) “What do a bunch of kids like you want at this hour?-”
FWOOM!
A black and purple portal appeared behind them, spitting out four screaming people as they landed with a violent thud.
(Sothis) “Woah.”
(Jeralt) “Oh, what now?!”
(Byleth) “Hm?”
(Boy in green cloak) “Ack, get the hell off me!”
(Girl with blue hair) “S-SHUT UP! YOU LANDED ON ME!”
(Girl in red) “I...hurk! Might be sick from that!”
(Girl in yellow) “P-People!”
(Edelgard) “What in the?”
(Claude) “Today just keeps getting interesting, doesn’t it?”
The four of them quickly got up in a panicked manner.
(Boy in green) “WHO THE HELL ARE YOU GUYS?!”
(Girl with blue hair) “Hey, don’t piss them off, you idiot!”
(Girl in yellow) “H-Hello there! We are adventurers and...We appear to be lost!”
(Jeralt) “Clearly.”
(Byleth) “Who are you?”
(Boy in green) “...Well uh...That’s Aqua, Megumin, and Darkness. And I’m Kazuma, I guess.”
...
[More than Truth - Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers OST]
(Byleth) “And that was our first contact with someone from another universe...”
Sothis nodded.
(Sothis) “So then...Six years later, they help us end the war in Fodlan, then we send the four of them home.”
Byleth looked at the nearby crystal walls.
They were replaying memories when Kazuma and his group first arrived in Fodlan.
Kazuma and Darkness went with the Blue Lions, while Megumin and Aqua had gone to the Black Eagles and Golden Deer respectively.
They caused some chaos in Fodlan with their stupidity, but they saved lives. And when they finally went home, Byleth went to sleep that night, and when he woke up...
...
(Byleth) “D-Dad...?”
When Byleth turned to his left, his eyes became wider.
(Sothis) “...W-wha...?!”
(Jeralt) “Where’d that come from, kid?”
(Byleth) “You’re both alive?!”
Jeralt was taken aback by how suddenly expressive his son was.
(Jeralt) “Clearly you’re still out of it. Come on, get up.”
(Sothis) “B-But we’re fused together aren’t we? How am I-”
SLAM!
(Mercenary) “Jeralt! Sir! Sorry to barge in but your presence is needed!”
(Jeralt) “What’s happened?”
Outside...
(Dimitri) “Please, forgive our intrusion! We would not bother you were our situation not dire!”
(Jeralt) “What do a bunch of kids like you want at this hour?-”
FWOOM!
A black and purple portal appeared behind them, spitting out at least a dozen people with a violent thud.
As it finished, a massive iron golem was teleported behind them.
(Boy in red) “What in the world...?!”
(Woman in yellow and blue) “Crap, is everyone okay?!”
(Small girl in green) “Y-Yes, Instructor Sara!”
Byleth and Sothis looked at each other.
(Byleth) “Doesn’t this seem like-”
(Sothis) “Kazuma and his group!”
After a wave of confusion among the group, they got around to introducing themselves.
(Boy in red) “My name is Rean Schwarzer of Class VII.”
...
(Sothis) “Then came Class VII.”
Byleth nodded as their memories were displayed on the crystal wall.
They could both hear their words almost clear as day as they walked down the hallway, but did their best to ignore it.
(Byleth) “After Class VII was sent home, we were reset back to the beginning yet again...”
(Sothis) “Then it was...The Phantom Thieves.”
(Byleth) “Right. Then, Megumi, S.E.E.S, the Investigation Team, Denizens of Nazarick, Slayer, and lastly the School-Living Club.”
They reached the end of the hallway.
Each time they had finished their journey with the newcomers, they were reset back when they first woken up by Jeralt, and the following group would take their place until last time.
Before the reset could happen, they chose to reset time themselves with Divine Pulse.
They had no idea if it would work, but they had to try something to break out of this loop.
It resulted in the creation of House Isekai.
Instead of the groups appearing one at a time, they all showed up at once.
And it was now that they all went back to their respective homes together, but Sothis and Byleth could already feel the timeline about to reset once more.
And it was only now they discovered a tower had formed in Zanado.
They had no idea what was inside, but after walking through it, they were starting to get an idea.
Byleth saw at the end of the hallway, a small crystal laying on the ground.
(Byleth) “What is...?”
The crystal displayed a small window, showing the two the contents.
(Byleth) “Is...this a mirror or something?-”
(Crystal) “I don’t know if anyone will be seeing this message, whether that be myself or anyone else who comes into this godforsaken tower but...My name is Byleth Eisner. Son of Jeralt Eisner.”
Byleth and Sothis looked at the Crystal that was playing the recording, and let it play all the way.
Once it was done, they were speechless.
(Byleth) “I...I caused all this?”
Byleth was absolutely horrified by this revelation. He looked at the tower and the crystal mirrors around him, struggling to get his mind wrapped around it.
And it was then the crystal mirrors began to display the routes he had taken prior.
Before the memories of his past were wiped.
(Sothis) “So, this tower is why we keep getting sent back and brought the others in?”
(Byleth) “There’s...There’s no way I would do this! I wouldn’t do any of this!”
(Sothis) “I do not think we can deny what is in front of us. How do we prevent this? No, no. How do we prevent being sent back in time again?!”
(Byleth) “They reset time with Divine Pulse while also using the tower. Perhaps we could try-”
(Sothis) “What?! Child, you heard what that caused, it caused us to lose our memories and rip apart dimensions!”
(Byleth) “Well we have to try something! We did EVERYTHING we were given, fought and bled with our students! WE EVEN HAD OUR DAMN PERFECT ENDING! AND STILL! STILL WE’RE GOING TO LOSE EVERYTHING!”
The memories began to overwhelm the two, hearing echoes of their past finally catch up to them after so many years and timelines.
(Byleth) “...Sothis. We have to. We have to do things right and save everyone.”
(Sothis) “This is a terrible idea.”
Sothis sighed as she began to draw energy into herself from the tower.
(Sothis) “It could barely handle one time, I’m not sure if a second time will-”
KABOOOOOOM!
The entire tower shook violently, forcing Sothis to stop.
(Byleth) “What the hell?!”
The tower began emitting an almost ear piercing screech as everyone’s voices became too much to bear.
(Byleth) “SOTHIS, DO IT NOW!”
(Sothis) “R-RIGHT, HANG ON!”
Sothis raised her hand once more and everything began to turn back in time.
All they had done was reset once again.
Byleth opened his eyes and reached for his head, it pounding in pain.
(Byleth) “Ugh...”
When he looked around, he noticed that everything around them was still the same.
(Sothis) “Did...Did we do anything?”
(Byleth) “I’m not sure. We’re not back at Jeralt’s so maybe we need to-”
Before he could finish his sentence, they heard someone break into the tower.
The reflections in the crystal walls showed multiple men in black robes walking into the tower, seemingly examining it.
(Sothis) “Agarthans?”
(Byleth) “Wait a second isn’t that...?”
The Flame Emperor teleported in and looked around the area with the Agarthans.
(Byleth) “Edelgard?”
(Sothis) “She isn’t supposed to be here! We resolved everything with House Isekai so does that mean?-”
(Byleth) “We’re back in time again. But if we’re here then...who’s in our place?”
One of the Agarthans made their way up to the tower and was completely alone, getting closer to Byleth’s location.
Byleth and Sothis hid near the stairs as they heard the Agarthan walk up.
When the Agarthan made their way down the hall, Byleth stabbed him in the back with the Sword of the Creator and took his robes.
(Sothis) “What are you doing?”
(Byleth) “Improvising. We don’t know what’s going on, and I’ll be damned if I’m getting us caught.”
After Byleth finished getting dressed, he took the mask off the Agarthan and put it on himself.
(Byleth) “We’re gonna need a name as we figure this out.”
(Sothis) “Hm...I think I know one.”
...
Lahabrea made his way to Remire village and saw Dimitri, Edelgard, and Claude run to the entrance.
(Lahabrea) “So that seems to be correct, so all that’s left is-”
The gate opened, revealing Jeralt, Byleth, and Sothis.
(Lahabrea) “What in the hell...?”
And as if on cue, Kazuma and his group emerged from a portal behind the students.
(Sothis) “Why are there two of us?”
(Lahabrea) “We must have done something to the tower and we used it for the second time...”
Kazuma’s voice echoed through both of their heads, slowly joined in by the rest of his group.
(Lahabrea) “...We need to go back to the tower and figure out what’s going on.”
(Sothis) “Right.”
Sothis disappeared and before Lahabrea started moving, he took one last look at the Byleth in his place.
...
INTERMISSION
