Fanfic / A Chance for a New Dawn

A Chance For a New Dawn is a Fire Emblem: Three Houses fanfic written by LostCipher999

During the final battle, Byleth is stuck down protecting Bernadetta. Somehow, the power of Sothis passes down to her, and she quickly finds herself back when Byleth first came to the academy. Armed with knowledge of the future and advised by a reawakened Sothis, Bernadetta tries to change fate.

WARNING: This fic contains heavy spoilers for the Golden Deer/Verdant Wind route.

A Chance For a New Dawn contains examples of:

• Accomplice by Inaction: In Chapter 11, when the Black Eagles recount how their mission to arrest the leaders of the Western Church degenerated into a total massacre of both them and the civilians they were protecting, Monica (who was with the Blue Lions and Golden Deer on another mission) accuses them all of being accomplices since they did nothing to stop it.
• Adaptational Backstory Change: The original game's Monica was the daughter of an Adrestian noble house who lost their patriarch in conflict with Brigid and Dagda. This Monica claims to hail from the Erebonian Empire, a civilization far removed from Fodlan.
• Adaptational Badass:
  • Bernadetta has access to Divine Pulse in this timeline, Chapter 5 reveals that she bears the Crest of Flames, most likely due to Sothis' merge with her, and Chapter 13 reveals that she can wield the Sword of the Creator.
  • Lonato is armed with the Dark Lance of Ruin, and is turned into the first Demonic Beast.
  • Monica/Kronya was not even slightly impressive in canon. Here she's keeping up with Bernadetta and her extra seven years of experience and Byleth the Ashen Demon while not showing off any Agarthan capabilities.
• Adaptational Early Appearance:
  • Monica shows up much earlier than in canon, as a result of Bernadetta changing to the Golden Deer early in the school year. In addition, the excuse for her disappearance is changed from being kidnapped to having been away dealing with family business.
  • The Death Knight's raid on the Holy Mausoleum happens slightly earlier than in-game. Instead of happening one month after Lonato's rebellion, they instead show up roughly a week or so afterwards.
  • The end of Chapter 18 sees the introduction of Odesse, who was previously a one-note enemy seen leading the remnants of the Agarthan forces in the battle against Nemesis.
• Adaptational Heroism:
  • Monica/Kronya shows a much more empathetic side when Agarthan civilians come into play. Somewhat justified by her Adaptational Early Appearance and more frequent appearances giving more opportunities for her character to be explored. Though it should be noted that she isn't remotely sympathetic at all in her depiction in Fire Emblem Heroes.
  • Applies to the Agarthan race as a whole. The fic depicts civilian Agarthans as being no different than any other civilian population, while the Agarthans were at least heavily implied to be an Always Chaotic Evil race in the game.
• Adaptational Villainy:
  • Rhea comes across as somewhat less sympathetic due to her advocating the genocide of the Agarthans, despite it being shown that many of them are innocent of the crimes committed by Ouroboros.
  • Count Varley has received this treatment as well. While his malicious acts were only ever directed towards Bernadetta in the original game, here, his mistreatment has been extended to the populace of his territory, and his people hold an exceptionally poor opinion of him for it.
• Adaptation Name Change: "Those who slither in the dark" are given the name Ouroboros by Rhea.
• Adapted Out: With Miklan suddenly going missing after the fight with Lord Lonato and the Lance of Ruin still safe in House Gautier, the mission against Miklan in the tower is replaced with the Golden Deer having to investigate a plague that has infested the territory of Varley.
• Affably Evil: Morbid sense of humor aside, Monica is generally pretty cheerful.
• Affectionate Nickname:
  • Bernadetta had a tendency to call Byleth "By" in the first timeline. She quickly finds that she has to stop herself from doing so after being sent back due to the fact that he doesn't know her yet. By Chapter 15, Byleth allows Bernadetta to call him that, finding it soothing, and calls her "Bernie" in response.
  • Monica calls Bernadetta "Bernie" which at first the latter rejects (after their interaction in the mock battle) but later quietly accepts it. Monica also calls Edelgard "Edie" instead of "El".
  • Monica has also taken to calling Lysithea "Lissie", much to the latter's staunch disapproval.
• Agony of the Feet: In Chapter 13, Bernadetta deliberately drops a dresser on her foot so she can sneak off to scope out the Holy Mausoleum. Fortunately, she had slipped a metal plate in her shoe beforehand so she wouldn't really be hurt. Then double subverted when she gets a thrown dagger to said foot. Bernie rewinds time to undo it, only to get stabbed again.
• Ascended Extra: Monica. She has a higher presence, interacts with more characters, and engages with the missions unlike in the game. Her role is increased into becoming The Lancer to Bernadetta.
• Ascended Fangirl: Bernadetta claims to be a big fan of Byleth's time as the "Ashen Demon" in order to justify her knowledge of his abilities and her unexpected change of house. Not that she doesn't try to use Divine Pulse to undo saying so first.
  Bernadetta: Who hasn't heard of the legendary Ashen Demon? You're only the greatest mercenary to roam the land and the son of the esteemed Captain Jeralt!
  Leonie: Wow, Bernadetta. I had no idea you were such an avid fan of our new professor. I've never heard of him myself until just recently.
  Byleth: [rubbing the back of his head] Well now. I'm... rather flattered to hear that.
  Bernadetta: [mentally] Ack! Sothis, bring me back a few minutes!
  Sothis: I am NOT turning back the clock every time you fumble over your own dialogue!
• Battle Butler: Bernadetta's butler Rowan has no compunctions about physically restraining Bernadetta's father when he slaps her for getting too defiant.
• Battle Discretion Shot: Bernadetta and Flayn hear a loud skirmish from a distance. The fight finishes once they arrive with Monica and Odesse coming out of a house unscathed.
• Berserk Button:
  • Monica and Dimitri go berserk and tear apart the unknown soldiers committing the massacre of Agarthan civilians in Chapter 10.
  • The Death Knight is enraged and charges Bernadetta when she tosses Byleth the Sword of the Creator, disgusted that she would discard such a powerful weapon so carelessly.
  • Bernadetta snaps at Monica for proclaiming that Bernie should be at least a bit excited to be going back home.
  • Lysithea is personally offended by the village of Weiler's adverse treatment of Bernadetta for her father's actions, believing that there is nothing more foolish than blaming the child for the actions of their parents. The very presence of Odesse seems to set her off as well.
• Big Damn Heroes: Bernadetta comes this close to being devoured by wolves, only to be rescued by Rowan and Claude.
• Black Cloak: Bernadetta encounters an Agarthan witch in Chapter 18 who actively uses a face concealing hood to mask her identity.
• Break His Heart to Save Him: Platonic example. Bernadetta quickly distances herself from her former classmates from the Black Eagle house, to the point of claiming that she was never really friends with any of them to begin with. It's actually because she saw all of them die in the original timeline. Her trying to distance herself is so she can keep them from being involved.
• Bungled Suicide: Around a year before attending Garreg Mach, it's noted that Bernadetta threw herself off the highest floor of her manor as a result of the immense strain on her body and mind from the secret implantation of the Crest of Indech within her. Though how she survived was left a mystery, Bernadetta claims she's actively repressed the traumatic event from her memory ever since.
• Butterfly of Doom: The simple act of Bernadetta changing to the Golden Deer house early results in Monica coming back to the Black Eagles much earlier, several of the Golden Deer's early missions having their objectives changed, and Lord Lonato being turned into the first Demonic Beast instead of Miklan. It may be something more than that, as the rampant Kiseki shoutouts were definitely not present in the original timeline.
• Cain and Abel: Chapter 20 reveals Bernadetta's father murdered her uncle.
• The Cavalry: In Chapter 13, as Bernadetta and the Black Eagles are about to be overrun by the soldiers invading the Holy Mausoleum, Byleth and the rest of the Golden Deer show up to turn the tide and clean house.
• Cool Old Guy: Bernadetta's butler is described as quite elderly and is polite and gracious despite the dysfunctional household he serves. He also pins down Bernadetta's father when he strikes Bernadetta for speaking out against him, taking the time to call the Count out on his poor behavior.
• Cool Uncle: Bernadetta has many fond memories of her deceased uncle Abelard, who always treated her better than her father ever did. Though he didn't return home to his niece often, Bernadetta would always look forward to his visits with great excitement.
• Covert Pervert: Among the manuscripts Bernadetta has written, she's apparently written at least one smut fic about her and Byleth. Sylvain ends up stumbling across one, leading Bernadetta to kick him in the groin to keep him from reading.
• Crazy Enough to Work: Sothis cannot believe that Bernadetta's plan of giving herself a fake foot injury to enter the Holy Mausoleum without notice actually worked. And it would have, if the Black Eagles didn't see her immediately go from a limp to a sprint in the middle of the academy.
• Crazy-Prepared: After being ambushed by Monica during the mock battle, Bernadetta plants a security system in case the former tries to sneak in her room, which she does. Claude also trips on a second trap in the same night.
• Crossover: The story implements elements from the Trails Series, most notably the Ouroboros and the Erebonian Empire, although the author has stated the story will take place entirely in Fodlan and no named characters from the Trails games will make any direct appearances.
• Cutting Off the Branches: Byleth took the Golden Deer route, but recruited Bernadetta around the time of Miklan's theft of the Lance of Ruin.
• Dream Sequence: Bernadetta's dreams are shown several times.
  • First, a happy moment with Byleth that may or may not have happened in the original timeline.
  • Second, a dream of a kinder version of her mother taking her away from an apparently much kinder version of her father who can no longer provide a good life for them. Sothis thinks this is a flashback, Bernie is certain it is not.
  • Third, a nightmare where she commits suicide some time after Byleth's sacrifice against Nemesis.
  • Though not shown directly, she suffers a particularly intense night terror where she apparently murders Byleth with his own weapon. The theory that Bernadetta is the successor to Sothis' archenemy Sahrius makes this possible foreshadowing.
  • Bernadetta unknowingly goes through one during her mission in Weiler where she converses with the Pestilence Witch. Sothis wakes her up, and both somewhat believe it was some sort of possession as the two of them couldn't hear each other for some time.
  • Chapter 20 kicks off with a dream about a conversation between Bernadetta's father and uncle. It quickly transpires that this is a vision of his murder, which occurred in the past.
• Dies Differently in Adaptation: In the original timeline, Lord Lonato was killed in combat with Byleth's house. Here, he becomes the first Demonic Beast despite seemingly surrendering and is ultimately put down.
• Disappointed in You: Sothis is very disappointed by her church now that she is more aware of her identity, not that she can show it due to being Invisible to Normals. She's especially angry at her daughter Rhea's extremism.
• Does Not Like Spam: Byleth isn't fond of raw tomatoes.
• The Door Slams You: Bernadetta accidentally does this to Monica in Chapter 18.
• Easily Impressed: Flayn is very intrigued in visiting another settlement and engaging what today's youths call "ditching".
• Fantastic Racism:
  • Rhea does not like Agarthans, to the point of lumping in any of them simply living peaceful lives away from the Ouroboros as threats to be annihilated. She does trust Byleth's judgement enough to have them captured alive if possible, but she considers them too much of a threat to leave any of them alone for now.
  • Monica's sudden genuine concern for Bernadetta starting in Chapter 10 may be a result of Monica mistaking her for another disguised Agarthan. Come Chapter 19, Monica's suspicions are correct.
  • Monica assumes Flayn is a monster because she's a Child of the Goddess.
  • Half-Agarthan breeds are also discriminated, as Monica tells Bernadetta that half-breeds need to stick together.
• Fascinating Eyebrow: Rowan is described as raising his eyebrow in a comical manner when Claude wonders if he's heard of him before.
• Five-Aces Cheater: Monica fights Bernadetta in the mock battle using a dagger which, according to Claude, is often used for political assassinations. While Bernadetta refrains speaking about the perpetrator to Edelgard, the latter instantly knows who did it and, off-screen, chastises Monica and demands that she apologize.
• Fist of Rage: Monica's reaction when near Jeralt's presence in Chapter 11.
• Freudian Excuse Is No Excuse: Bernadetta's mother tries to justify her father's abusive behavior by giving a sob story about how his first wife and daughter died in a plague, Bernadetta's twin was stillborn, and his territory fell on hard political times. Bernadetta retorts that none of that justifies his treatment of her.
• Friends Are Chosen, Family Aren't: Bernadetta's final thoughts in Chapter 19, where her peers in Garreg Mach have given her a greater familial bond than both of her parents.
• Groin Attack: When Sylvain reads some of Bernadetta's erotic literature, she gives him a critical hit to the gonads. The damage was so great he doesn't show up to help Ashe the next day.
• Heroic Sacrifice: Byleth sacrificing himself to save Bernadetta during the final battle with Nemesis is what triggers the plot.
• Hypocritical Humor: Bernadetta gets completely baffled that Jeritza left the training grounds in the middle of their conversation. Sothis quickly calls her out on it.
• I Hate Past Me: Sothis is bothered that Byleth's Sothis is letting him do childish acts.
• I Have Your Wife: Bernadetta, Monica, and Claude create a fake hostage situation with Ashe to make Lonato surrender. Lonato is enraged by this and starts charging towards them but not before Bernie and Claude activate a trip wire to drop him off his horse.
• Impaled with Extreme Prejudice: In the original timeline, the Final Boss Nemesis impales Byleth with his sword, who promptly returns the favor.
• Implied Death Threat: When Hubert catches Bernadetta stalking Jeritza, he warns her not to stick her nose where it doesn't belong lest her newly empowered spirit be prematurely snuffed out.
• I'm Standing Right Here:
  • Monica says the trope name when Bernadetta tells Raphael to keep the pot away from her poisoning it.
  • After Bernadetta nervously questions why she, Ashe, and Monica are speaking against the church inside the monastery, Monica assures that she scouted for eavesdroppers and encourages Bernadetta to commit blasphemy while no one is around them at the moment. Sothis immediately reminds Bernadetta that she'll be listening to every word.
• In Spite of a Nail: Despite Bernadetta's changes to the timeline:
  • Lonato still dies on the battlefield. Instead of being simply slain, he's transformed into a Demonic Beast by the Lance of Ruin and is subsequently put down.
  • Dimitri still makes a bloodthirsty threat to sever the limbs and crush the wicked skulls of those who slaughtered an innocent village as he does in the canon Blue Lions route. This time, the victims are a group of ordinary Agarthan civilians living on Gaspard territory.
• Invisible to Normals: Sothis, naturally. It gets subverted in Chapter 14 when both versions of Sothis are seen by their opposing hosts... as well as Jeralt. Byleth rewinds time before his father can fully understand what is going on. In Chapter 19, both Sothises can physically manifest themselves by will.
• Jerk with a Heart of Gold: An "indiscriminate murderer with a heart", as Monica puts it. She softens up towards Fodlan denizens who do not use the Goddess as an excuse for their actions.
• Look Behind You: Bernadetta does this to Claude so she can escape the embarrassment of him knowing her crush towards Byleth.
• Lovable Traitor: Monica at first tries to kill Bernadetta, but then becomes "semi-best friends" with her and helps the other students of the academy. Monica doesn't hide her murderous tendencies, swipes a bracelet from an Ouroboros mage before Claude does, silently rages at the presence of Jeralt, and is given the job from Arundel to take revenge to the man who made her suffer.
• Luck-Based Search Technique: Bernadetta accidentally opens up a wall of the manor's exterior that leads to a massive, deeply underground, labyrinthic laboratory.
• Mental Time Travel: While Bernadetta was a fearsome sniper in the original timeline, she's back to square one when she ends up in her younger self's body. This causes problems due to the fact that while her mind is the same, her physical body isn't acclimated to her future self's level of skill after 7 years of training.
• Mundane Utility:
  • Bernadetta uses the Time Master power of Divine Pulse to redo embarrassing conversations. Sothis calls her out on it.
    Sothis: What did I tell you about abusing my power for petty reasons?!
  • Byleth uses a Divine Pulse to give Bernadetta an extra night's worth of sleep after the latter suffers from a particularly severe nightmare.
  • At one point, Byleth gets the idea of using his and Bernadetta's awareness of each other's shifts in time to signal one another for help if the need arises.
• My Future Self and Me: In Chapter 14, present and future Sothis meet and briefly interact.
• Mythology Gag:
  • It's mentioned that the last time Bernadetta saw the Death Knight he was disintegrated by Lysithea, referencing how effective she is against him in-game. Sure enough, when he actually shows up for the first time Byleth has Lysithea promptly obliterate him, forcing a retreat.
  • In Chapter 7, Byleth finds Bernadetta asleep after a long study session and remarks, "There are better places to take a nap than in the middle of the library, you know."
  • Sylvain finds some of Bernadetta's writings, referencing their support conversations. In this same conversation, when Bernadetta kicks him in the jimmies, he wheezes, "C-critical hit to the sacred stones...!"
  • Bernadetta's "mother's" name, "Erica von Eisner" is a reference to Erica Mendez, Bernadetta's voice actress.
  • The butler of the Varley estate is named Rowan.
  • The title of Chapter 18, Rumors of a Witch, is a direct call-back to the chapter Rumors of a Reaper from the original game.
  • One of the many rumors thrown at Bernadetta during the investigation of Weiler alleges that she's a reclusive freak that makes cursed dolls to bring misfortune onto her enemies, referencing her supports with Ferdinand.
  • While investigating the plague, Bernadetta is assaulted by a vengeful mother who blames her son's death on her, arguing that her son's passing could have been prevented if he'd never had any delusions of befriending a noble, referring back to a similar tale detailed in Bernadetta's supports with Dorothea.
  • When Odesse attempts to defend Agarthan Crest experiments as human evolution, Lysithea angrily asks if it's some kind of twisted joke, referencing Dimitri's famous line during his canonical Freak Out upon learning the Flame Emperor's identity.
  • The Varley estate has servants named Felicia and Flora. The latter is seen fighting with ice magic and daggers in Chapter 22.
• Named by the Adaptation: Bernadetta's parents are given the names Allocer and Theresa von Varley.
• Noodle Incident: Rowan alludes to an incident he blames himself for that led Allocer to become the bastard he is now.
• Not Always Evil: Bernadetta is surprised to see ordinary, benevolent Agarthan civilians living normal lives, although disguised to be human-like, on the grounds of Fodlan.
• Not Me This Time:
  • A Zigzagged example occurs in chapter six. Throughout the story Bernadetta makes fair use of the Divine Pulse to fix up any of her mistakes as shown under Mundane Utility. In the chapter in question, Bernadetta keeps using the Divine Pulse to fix up her bungled shots. She finally gets it right, only for time to reset again. Sothis accuses her of showing off but realizes seconds later that it was actually Byleth who used the Divine Pulse that time.
  • When Monica reports that soldiers in crimson armor (who Bernadetta previously identified as being servants of the Flame Emperor) put Ashe's village to the torch, the narration describes Edelgard's surprised reaction as genuine and Hubert subtly responds that they have no clue what she's talking about. Monica/Kronya's reaction to the event implies it wasn't "those who slither in the dark" either.
• Odd Friendship: Bernadetta, a Shrinking Violet hero from the future, and Monica, an Affably Evil Psycho for Hire, develop something resembling a rapport.
• Official Couple: Bernadetta and Byleth in the original timeline. As of Chapter 17, she seems to be on her way to becoming one with the new timeline version of him as well.
• Off with His Head!: In the original timeline, Claude finishes off the Final Boss Nemesis by decapitating him.
• Oh, Crap!: Bernadetta's reaction once she realizes she has sent surviving Agarthan villagers to the Church. She gets increasingly worried that the Children of the Goddess in the Church are unaware of their identities.
• Only Fatal to Adults: According to Flayn, the plague in Varley has taken out a great number of the children's parents and older guardians in Weiler.
• O.O.C. Is Serious Business:
  • Almost everyone who knows Bernadetta are very alarmed due to her sudden shift in behavior, not knowing she's gone through around 7 years of Character Development and knowing what will come to pass. Edelgard notices this and directly demands Bernadetta to stop the heroic journey she's engaging in.
  • Monica in the game had an overly cheerful personality which most characters believed was a coping mechanism from being kidnapped for so long. Here, she's overly cheerful and shamelessly Ax-Crazy, yet everyone takes this as normal behavior. Both the characters and the narration tend to express shock whenever she shows any other emotion. Chapter 16 goes farther when Bernadetta sees Monica in a panicked state next to Arundel and assumes he is also part of Ouroboros.
• Organ Theft: Upon stumbling into a secluded underground labyrinth located deep beneath her old manor, Bernadetta discovers that the deaths and disappearances caused by the Varley plague were an elaborate front to harvest and preserve the bones and vital organs of the plague's numerous victims. Lilith even goes on to imply that her father has had a complicit hand in the operation for untold years.
• Original Character: The von Varley butler Rowan, the "Pestilence Witch" Lilith, and Agarthan deity Sahrius have no game counterpart.
• Out of the Frying Pan: Bernadetta escapes from a whole bunch of brain monsters in a secret laboratory, only to be accosted by a trio of wolves.
• Palette Swap: The soldiers who attacked in Gaspard and Varley wear colors reminiscent of Adrestia and Almyra, respectively. These soldiers are not from their respective locations nor from Ouroboros.
• Peggy Sue: Bernadetta. Sothis latches onto her after Byleth's Heroic Sacrifice in the original timeline and accidentally sends them both back to the beginning of the game.
• Pinocchio Nose: Bernadetta points out that Byleth has a tendency to place a hand over his unbeating heart whenever he's lying or otherwise trying to hide something from her.
• Pipe Pain: When trapped in a secret laboratory beneath the Varley estate with a bunch of brain monsters with legs, Bernadetta uses a pipe as a makeshift weapon. Unfortunately, it breaks after three hits.
• Poisoned Chalice Switcheroo: Bernadetta switches cups around to avoid the tea Monica gave her. Sothis tiredly demands Bernadetta to drink her tea already as they have the Divine Pulse to reverse the effects.
• Precision F-Strike: After about five minutes in her father's company, Bernadetta snaps and calls him a bastard.
• Psychic Dreams for Everyone: Not long after discovering her half Agarthan heritage, Bernadetta learns that she inherited the clairvoyant abilities of their patron god Sahrius, allowing her to dream of the events of the past from her own experiences or through the eyes of another. This power does come with the double-edged drawback of forcing her to share the sensations of whoever's perspective she's witnessing at the time, though.
• Psycho for Hire: In the enrolled to the academy sense. Monica really just wants to kill people with her knife and will ask to join other houses' missions if it provides more action than the Black Eagles' missions.
• Pull the Thread: When Bernadetta tries to claim that her mother, "Erica von Eisner", wrote her erotic story, Hubert promptly points out that her mother's name is Theresa von Varley and there are no Eisners other than Jeralt and Byleth.
• Pyrrhic Victory: Overlapping with Downer Beginning, what kicks off the plot opens with this in the original timeline. Byleth dying protecting Bernadetta right as the final battle ends has the mood of the scene the complete opposite of Verdant Wind's original ending cutscene, with everyone devastated at Byleth's death.
• Revealing Injury: The skirmish at the mock battle has Monica cut part of Bernadetta's skin and draw Agarthan blood out of her which lead to Monica/Kronya turning friendly towards Bernadetta. Bernie doesn't realize this until Chapter 20.
• Ridiculously Difficult Route:
  • The route Monica's homeland takes to leave Fodlan without hitting the Veil is both extremely precise and has a low success rate.
    Monica: I dunno what your Goddess has against free travel, but that sure makes it a pain for me to go back and see my family whenever I want!
  • There's only one route to reach Count Varley's mansion which is placed on an obscure valley with ragged cliffs. While Flayn and Ignatz explain the relation of the area to Saint Indech, Bernadetta counters that it's mostly to do with Count Varley hating unannounced visitors.
• Ripple-Effect-Proof Memory: Bernadetta remembers everything that happened before time rewinds, and so does Byleth. This includes her embarrassing moments around him.
• Rivals Team Up: The mission against Lonato requires a coalition between the Golden Deer and the Blue Lions. The two classes merge into one to prepare themselves which allows Bernadetta to interact with the Blue Lions more. She wonders why the two houses would oppose each other in the original timeline but believes it was the war's chaos that caused it to happen.
• Running Gag: Every time Bernadetta and Monica suddenly meet each other leads to a Divine Pulse being used to revert any mishaps.
• Screw Destiny: Sothis reveals in Chapter 12 that Byleth burned through all of his Divine Pulses in order to save Bernadetta in the final battle, only to find that, much like Jeralt, she died no matter what he did. This makes his Heroic Sacrifice to save her at the cost of his own life into this.
• Secret-Keeper: Upon seeing the dead Agarthan civilians in Gaspard, Monica quietly tells Bernadetta to not let it be known to anyone.
• Secret Secret-Keeper:
  • Thanks to her time travel, Bernadetta is aware that the Flame Emperor and Monica are respectively Edelgard and Kronya and they are plotting against the Church, but she hasn't acted on this knowledge in order to avoid making herself a target.
  • Chapter 14 confirms that Byleth has known all along that Bernadetta is capable of Divine Pulse and remembers all of her rewinds.
  • Chapter 20 has Bernadetta suspect that Claude knows about her mixed ancestry but is keeping his mouth shut. Likewise, Monica knew about Bernadetta's Agarthan blood since the mock battle but never told her about it until Theresa revealed it to Bernadetta the night before.
• Security Cling: The first thing Bernadetta does when she sees Byleth in the past is give him a long hug, having recently watched him take the bullet for her in the original timeline. Sothis allows her to finish doing so before resetting the day, as to not draw suspicion. Funnily enough, Byleth immediately becomes suspicious of her as they haven't met each other yet.
• Self-Deprecation: The beginning of Chapter 21 has Monica feeling they've been in Varley territory for nearly a whole year even though it's been about three days, referencing the time frame Chapters 17-21 were uploaded. Edelgard advises she'd keep a proper schedule with Monica replying she had some personal things to take care of.
• Shout-Out:
  • There are a good amount of references to the Trails Series present, namely the changing of "those who slither in the dark"'s name to Ouroboros/The Society. Monica also claims to hail from the Erebonian Empire as part of her cover story. The chapter title Pulsation to Tomorrow also comes from the Kiseki titles, as it is the name of the opening to the first Cold Steel game. The author's note at the end of chapter 15 heavily implies it's an outright crossover but this has not yet been confirmed.
  • In Chapter 9, Bernadetta reads one of Ashe's novels, and the story is a direct reference to Tales of the Abyss. Bernie even finds herself drawing comparisons between Van Grants and Edelgard.
  • At the end of Chapter 11, Rhea concludes her speech to the officer's academy by declaring that "the only blade that can dispel calamity is one forged from unshaking reason, and the iron will to do what must be done." Monica mocks this shortly afterward, saying "Wow. That was an amazingly corny speech."
  • Bernadetta attempts to stealthily stalk Jeritza through the bustling streets of Garreg Mach's town in Chapter 12 by burying her nose in a book that she's obviously not reading as she follows him from behind. It doesn't work.
  • Chapter 14 has Byleth utter the (in)famous quote from Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of the New World "Courage is the magic that turns dreams into reality." In-universe, this comes from a favorite childhood storybook of his. Byleth also remarks how similar Bernadetta is to the main character of that story, most likely referring to Dawn of the New World's protagonist, Emil.
  • In Chapter 16, the Big Bad introduces himself as "a man of no consequence".
  • When calling out her father in Chapter 17, Bernadetta screams "You've hardly raised me at all you bastard!"
  • In Chapter 17, Rowan recounts a tale of Bernadetta's uncle putting on a play for his niece where he, as a brave knight, protected the sorceress Bernadetta from a fearsome dragon. Only, the dragon actually turned out to be the real deal in the end. In addition, near the end of the same chapter, Bernadetta expresses a desire to make the present stand still forever, lamenting that time always finds a way to escape her, no matter how hard she tries to hold on to it.
  • Bernadetta's literary adoration of the exploits of other RPG heroes continues in Chapter 20, where she's revealed to be a major fan of the stories of Adol Christin, even going as far as to develop a crush on the famous adventurer in her childhood. In addition, the fic's cover image bears a striking resemblance to the cover art of Ys VIII.
  • In Chapter 22, Bernadetta and Sothis get into the old ladder/stepladder argument.
• Sins of Our Fathers: Bernadetta is subjected to intense animosity from the populace of one of the many villages afflicted by the Varley plague. The citizens are unapologetically outspoken in regards to their disapproval of her father's actions, and have little issue spreading vicious rumors or blaming Bernie for all the tragedies and misfortunes they've suffered under Allocer's rule.
• Sixth Ranger: Bernadetta wastes no time transferring to the Golden Deer when she arrives in the past. This leads Edelgard to bring in Monica early to make up for the loss in firepower. Despite this, outside of the Holy Mausoleum, Monica often joins the Golden Deer in their missions either due to her or Edelgard's insistence.
• Small, Secluded World: Fodlan and its surrounding locations are surrounded by a magical veil. Anyone can visit Fodlan but cannot leave it without taking an unreliable route. The Veil also seems to hide Fodlan from outsiders as Theresa was unaware of the land prior to arriving by accident.
• Smite Me, O Mighty Smiter: When Hubert pulls the thread on Bernadetta's excuses for her self-written Bernie/Byleth smut, Bernadetta begs the goddess strike her down this instant.
  Sothis: I'm afraid I must decline. This embarrassment is yours to suffer alone.
• The Social Darwinist: Odesse claims that the weak die out while the strong survive and that his Crest experimentations are simply fostering human evolution.
• Stealth Hi/Bye:
  • Bernadetta tends to leave people hanging. Her first day in the Golden Deer has Byleth catching her already outside of the classroom.
  • Conversely, Monica always introduces herself to Bernadetta this way.
  • Rowan is able to appear in such a way that not even Sothis notices his sudden presence.
• Stolen MacGuffin Reveal: When the group first sees Lonato with the Lance of Ruin, Sylvain tells the others that Ingrid was in Gautier territory last week, and there was no urgent letter stating that it had disappeared. After Lonato's defeat the Lance of Ruin shatters and Catherine later confirms the real one was never stolen in the first place.
• Synchronization: Byleth and Bernadetta are both affected by each other's time rewinds. Experiencing one of these after his first time talking with her is what makes him suspicious, while Bernadetta ends up realizing the link when Byleth uses his Divine Pulse during a battle. Bernadetta's rewinds in Chapter 13 give Byleth enough of a clue that something wrong is happening to her.
• Suggestive Collision: Bernadetta collides with Byleth leading to both rolling down a hill. Byleth lands on his back with Bernadetta hugging him by instinct on top of him. Claude notices this before she has a chance to get off.
  Claude: Ooh la la! You know, I had a feeling this was why you wanted to join the Golden Deer, but I never thought you'd be this bold.
  Bernadetta: Ah, I swear this isn't what it looks like!
  Claude: Hey, I won't judge. Though I must say, it might not be the best idea to get down and dirty in the middle of the battlefield.
• Supporting Leader: Byleth takes this role in the academy and during missions.
• Survivor's Guilt: Bernadetta feels awful about the fact that Byleth had to sacrifice himself for her, to the point where she has nightmares blaming herself for ruining their happy ending.
• Taking the Heat: Byleth takes full blame over what happened in the Holy Mausoleum so the students won't get expelled for it.
• Tampering with Food and Drink: Claude and Monica tamper with Count Varley's tea so he won't show up on the room meeting the next day. Everyone, except Flayn, do not seem worried about it.
• That Came Out Wrong:
  • During their first meeting, Sothis informs Bernadetta that she was inside Byleth in the original timeline. Bernadetta assumes that her lover was already seeing someone else.
  • Bernadetta asks Byleth to sleep with her after a conversation with her mother gone awry. Byleth is immediately flustered by the request, which Bernadetta frantically tries to explain that she didn't mean it in a lewd manner. Somewhat subverted, as Bernadetta quietly notes to herself "At least… not just yet, anyway…"
• Threesome Subtext: Sothis explains in Chapter 18 that she experienced the same sensations as Byleth due to fusing with him in the original timeline. This includes the intimate times Bernadetta and Byleth shared together, much to the former's dismay.
• Throwing Your Sword Always Works: Byleth throws his sword into the Death Knight's shoulder to save Bernadetta from him.
• Token Evil Teammate: Monica, as both an occasional helper in the Golden Deer's missions and to the Black Eagles. Even before she revealed herself as Kronya, she still is a very underhanded fighter and has an extremely morbid sense of humor.
• Tomato in the Mirror: Chapter 19 reveals Bernadetta is half-Agarthan. Chapter 21 also uncovers that Bernadetta was born without a crest and was artificially given one a few years ago.
• Tragic Bigot:
  • Edelgard is extremely prejudiced against the Agarthans, which makes sense considering every single one she's ever met has been plotting the downfall of the surface world and their experiments resulted in the deaths of all of her siblings and her own lifespan being cut short.
  • Rhea as well, given that the Agarthans almost totally exterminated her people, and that the current generation of Agarthans is plotting Fodlan's downfall. They're not Always Chaotic Evil, but she has very few good reasons to see that and very many not to.
• Trauma Button:
  • Bernadetta does not take being checked on by Edelgard immediately after she wakes up from her Mental Time Travel well. Getting away from her ends up being one of the main reasons she tries to transfer to the Golden Deer as soon as possible.
  • In Chapter 13, Byleth sacrifices himself to save Bernadetta from a fatal blow from the Death Knight in the exact same way he died saving her in the first timeline, before rolling back time to save her without dying. This causes her to curl up into a ball and go into shock - because she saw him fail to save her without dying over and over in the original timeline.
  • The end of Chapter 22 has Monica go in a sheer state of panic upon seeing the Varley manor in flames. Her first act after gaining composure is to dive and crash into one of the windows.
• Troll: Monica, mostly to Bernadetta. She also starts to troll Flayn in Chapter 17.
• Underground City: Underneath the Varley manor's massive underground laboratory is an equally large, abandoned city resembling Shambala in ruins.
• Written-In Absence: Edelgard disappears starting Chapter 12. In Chapter 16, Monica mentions that she hasn't seen Edelgard at all that day which Seteth finds troubling. Edelgard returns in Chapter 19 with both Bernadetta and Monica asking what she was doing in her many weeks of absence.
• Wham Episode:
  • Chapters 9-11 send the situation that Bernadetta is familiar with clean off the rails as Lonato becomes the first Demonic Beast fought by the students via usage of a copy of a Hero's Relic, Agarthans living lives away from Ouroboros are discovered, Monica seems to show genuine compassion for Agarthan civilians and Bernadetta, and Rhea publicly outs the Society to the students.
  • Chapter 19 reveals major skeletons in the Varley family closet. Bernadetta is half-Agarthan on her mother's side, and is a distant product of a long-running attempt to produce a successor to Sahrius, a man worshiped by the Agarthans as a god. Bernadetta also has a maternal half-sister who was killed in her mother's escape from the City of Sin, a paternal half-sister who died in a plague, and a stillborn twin sister; her twin's death was the catalyst for her father's abusive treatment of her.
• Wham Line:
  • In Chapter 9, when the heroes confront Lord Lonato.
    Dimitri: Why is Lord Lonato wielding the Lance of Ruin of all things?
  • For readers picking up on the Trails Series references, Monica's description of her hometown in Chapter 18 is this.
    "It was really nothing special… just a tiny little border town off in the middle of nowhere. It's probably not the kind of place you'll find on the map anymore…"
• What Happened to the Mouse?: Discussed by Bernadetta who threw away an unopened letter from Count Varley in the original timeline. She believes the letter was about her mother and is horrified by the possible idea that she died painfully without Bernie knowing.
• You Are Not Alone: The rest of the Black Eagles, with the notable exceptions of Edelgard, Hubert, and Monica ^note Though in Monica's case, she's mad that Bernadetta didn't invite her, follow Bernadetta down to the Holy Mausoleum after she tries to cut off contact with them. When she tells them that they shouldn't have followed her, and that they can't understand what's going on, they respond by telling her that she's still their friend no matter what.
• You Are Better Than You Think You Are: In Chapter 14, Bernadetta berates herself for being a coward, wondering aloud if Byleth would be better off without her. Byleth immediately refutes this, insisting that Bernie is a stronger person than she gives herself credit for, and praising her steadfast will to better herself and risk her life for her beliefs in spite of her fears.
• You Remind Me of X:
  • During the tea party, Monica tells Bernadetta that she reminds her of a friend from Erebonia. A detailed picture of her from a letter reveals this friend to be Renne Bright from The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky. In that game's canon, Renne is part of Ouroboros but quits later on.
  • Byleth gets various visions of a woman to the point where he has a crude drawing of her. She resembles Bernadetta post-timeskip.
  • Arundel is totally surprised upon seeing Bernadetta but instantly calms down once he realizes she strongly resembles someone else.