Edeleth Week Day 6: Halloween

     Since it's the start of October, I decided to write the FE3H characters celebrating what Fire Emblem Heroes calls "the Fall Festival."  Dorothea's costume was inspired by this piece of fanart: Commission: Rise and Dorothea by sirenami on DeviantArt while Annette's is based off this character: Mamori by gvsgdude89 on DeviantArt and inspired by this alternate outfit for her: Mamori as Annette by gvsgdude89 on DeviantArt  Also, I don't know if I was aware of it while choosing the costumes, but there is a piece of fanart of Byleth in the costume I chose here: Calamity Cosplay by TaylorSwitch64 on DeviantArt  Also, Annette's line about Larvitars was inspired by her voice actress, Abby Trott's Twitter.

               Byleth stood in front of a full-length mirror in the Adrestian Castle, fastening light blue hair clips to her hair to finish her costume.  She was wearing a blue top over a white button-up shirt, a large leather belt, black fingerless gloves, tight black pants and brown boots.  “You look marvelous for the Fall Festival, honey.” Said her wife’s smooth voice as she strode into view.

 

               Edelgard was dressed as the current incarnation of the Princess of Hyrule’s wife, a white and blue suit of armor with red chest armor and blue shoulder pads with white circles on the front and lime green circles on the sides.  A green cannon adorned her right arm.  She wore no helmet, her white hair in a ponytail cascading down the back of her head, ending at the small of her back.  Byleth giggled slightly.  “Thank you, and you make an impressive bounty huntress for the second year in a row.” She said with a smile.  The previous year, Edelgard had dressed as Samus in her Zero Suit.

 

               “Thank you, I find she gives me courage and confidence.” Replied Edelgard, giving a curtsying motion.  Byleth walked to Edelgard’s left side, the two locking their arms together at the elbow, heading off to the Fall Festival.  Citizens in costumes such as werewolves, vampires, mummies, superheroes and famous people ran to and fro, asking for treats from houses they visited.  Petra arrived with Dorothea, Dorothea dressed in a simple orange dress that ended at her knees, black tights and orange heels, with her hair in pigtails.  Petra, on the other hand, wasn’t in a costume.

 

               “Hi, Petra and Dorothea!” smiled Byleth.

 

               “Hello, Byleth.” Replied Petra.  “I understand a festival of Fodlan is taking place tonight?”

 

               “It’s the Fall Festival, honey, I told you before we left!” smiled Dorothea.  “Everyone dresses up and collects candy and pumpkins.”

 

               “Around this time, Brigid has a memorial service in honor of those who have fallen in the last year.” Replied Petra.  “We pray to the Forest Spirit of Death and burn a large tree in memory of our loved ones, watching the ashes blow away in the sea breezes.”

 

               “D—did you do that for me…when you thought I had died all those years ago?” asked Byleth.

 

               “I had listed your name; I was relieved to be mistaken.” Replied Petra.

 

               “Can we talk about something happier, honey?” asked Dorothea.  “Maybe we’ll win a candy or pumpkin prize for Brigid!”

 

               “That would be most enjoyable!” smiled Petra.

 

               “What, or rather, who are you dressed as anyway, Dorothea?” asked Edelgard.

 

               “Oh, I’m Rise Kujikawa, a premium pop star we’ve seen fight as a Mii Brawler in Smash Bros.  The one in orange with the pigtails?” she replied.

 

               “Ah, right, that one, she’s pretty adorable.” Nodded Edelgard.

 

               “Speaking of adorable…” said Byleth, noticing a familiar ginger mage approaching with her axe, though dressed in a light purple and blue kimono with a pinwheel on the collarbone area and her hair in braided pigtails with a giant red bow atop her head.

 

               “Hi, guys!” said Annette, putting her axe by her waist.  “Great costumes, love the Samus, Zelda and Rise outfits!  Petra, what are you supposed to be?”

 

               “I am…not wearing a costume, Brigid does not celebrate the Fall Festival.” Replied Petra.

 

               “Annette, when you joined us, I told you about diverse cultures.” Said Byleth.  “Not everyone believes in Sothis, and that is fine.”

 

               “I know, personally, I’m still having some trouble with the fact Seiros wasn’t as good as we were taught to believe in elementary school, that she really was a petty, power-mad dictator.” Replied Annette.  “But, Edelgard showed me her scars and Rhea didn’t do anything about it…what kind of leader doesn’t help when something like that happens?”

 

               “One more concerned with being right than the citizens of her continent.” Replied Edelgard angrily.  She sighed to regain control of her emotions, Rhea was gone, she couldn’t hurt her or anyone else anymore.  “So, who are you, Annette?” she asked.

 

               “Mamori of Fortuna Entertainment in Tokyo, Japan!” smiled Annette.  “I had wanted to be a Larvitar, but they didn’t sell that costume at the costume palace.”

 

               “Well, you look adorable.” Smiled Edelgard.  “How about you, Petra and Dorothea enter the candy raffle?”

 

               “Nice, we’re going to get the grand prize!” smiled Dorothea.

 

               “You wish, Dorothea!” replied Annette with a laugh.  The three went off, Byleth gently putting her hand at Edelgard’s back.

 

               “Hey, you okay?” she asked.  “I wasn’t expecting Annette to bring that up.”

 

               “Honestly, I wish I could be nicer to her.  She’s all there is left of the Blue Lions now.” Replied Edelgard.  “You’re better and kinder than he was…but I keep cursing his loyalty to the tradition of state religion, his unwillingness to have freedom of religion for a beloved childhood friend.  If he had…I would never have had to…well, you were there.”  Tears formed in Edelgard’s eyes.  Byleth hugged Edelgard, who hugged back, breathing heavily.

 

               “I didn’t have any childhood friends like that, but I can imagine how much it grieves you.  He called you that name, that only I, your sisters and your parents have used.  He still cared, though his actions showed he was ultimately more loyal and afraid of Seiros than that care.  But I won’t stop caring, El.  You’ve been through too much.  I don’t want you to go through any more.” She whispered.  Edelgard wept out the sadness.

 

               “Thank you, Byleth.” She whispered, letting a few more tears fall, Byleth letting her shoulder catch them for her Empress.  “We should keep going, we’ve got quite a few other people to talk to.”

 

               “Yeah, let’s see how Shamir, Bernadetta, Caspar, Hubert, Ferdinand, Leonie and Lysithea dressed up!” smiled Byleth.  The two walked off, arm in arm, smiling at each other.  Edelgard’s spirits lifted, she felt like she’d be okay, so long as her sweet Princess of a woman was with her.

 

The End