Fire Emblem: Making Things Right - A Silver Snow Alternate Ending

Making Things Right – A Silver Snow Alternate Ending

Authors Notes:

-As the title suggests, this is an alternate ending, and an S Support ending wrapped up into one.
-This is not my idealized ending for Three Houses. It's more of a what-if scenario that would theoretically be unlockable after beating all four routes.
-Italics indicate the present thoughts while the normal text is past narration.
-Spoilers for Silver Snow are in this (obviously). Other route knowledge is not required but may enhance the reading experience.

How did things end up this way? We won, but at what cost? How many people were slaughtered before Fódlan changed? Could things have been different? What am I supposed to do? How am I supposed to accept this outcome?

We defeated the Empire. We destroyed the Agarthans and we protected Gareg Mach from Rhea. But the victories felt hollow. In the end, I had to end both Edelgard and Rhea with my own hands. As the new archbishop, I was tasked with rebuilding Fódlan. My focus, however, was constantly in the past.

“Archbishop, did you hear what I said?” Seteth's voice jolted me back into the moment.

“Sorry, say that again, Seteth.”

“Claude has just arrived at the monastery.”

“Very good. Send him in as soon as possible.”

I'm still getting used to sitting in this chair. Every time I come back to this room, I can only imagine Rhea sitting there. She did this job for so long. How am I supposed to fill those shoes overnight? Fódlan needs my help now. I don't have a hundred years to figure this out. Thank Sothis that Seteth is here. Without him, I think I would have fled by now. In some strange way, I understand how my father felt when he left the monastery.

The big double doors opened as Cyril ushered Claude into the room. He was smiling as usual.

“Hey, Teach! Long time no see!” Claude said, with an informal hand wave.

Seteth groaned at Claude. “Claude, he is the archbishop now. You should refer to him as such.”

“It's alright,” I said. “It's good to see you again, Claude.”

“The Alliance has finished securing the Empire territory. There were some dissidents, but we managed to talk them down without any casualties.”

“That is excellent,” Seteth said. “Unfortunately, with the Knights of Seiros here rebuilding, we couldn't have done it ourselves.”

“How is the Kingdom doing?” I asked.

“They're managing. The Battle at Gronder really hurt them, but in time they will heal.”

“The Battle at Gronder” I murmured to myself. “How many students were lost in that battle? If only I was there...”

“Teach, don't do that to yourself.”

“Ah, you're right, Claude,” I said halfheartedly. “Thank you for everything you've done for us. Will you be staying long?”

“I planned to stay the night in my old room, but then I have to get back.”

“You're welcome anytime,” I said, with a smile.

Claude was a refreshing sight. It makes me wonder how things would have gone if I had chosen to teach the Golden Deer. I feel like we could have been the best of friends. After Claude left, I stood up to walk around the monastery. Outside the captain's quarters, I saw a vision of Leonie leaned up against the wall. She looked at me and smiled. I reached out to her only for the vision to fade.

Leonie. You were always here to see my father. You wasted no opportunity to let everyone know that you were trained by the great Captain Jeralt. I heard that you endured a volley of arrows before helping to break the Empire's spear formation. Your horse toppled over, but you kept on fighting. You ensured that the Alliance cavalry could break through. I'm sorry that it came to this.

In the library, Linhardt was taking a nap with his face buried in an open book. Next to him, I saw Annette singing to herself while sweeping the floors. I blinked once and she was gone.

Annette. You were among the most upbeat of us. You worked so hard, day and night, to accomplish your goals. Apparently, you had taken out multiple armored warriors and even defeated the archer manning the ballista. But then the Empire set fire to the hill. Felix managed to pull you out, but it was too late. You had inhaled too much smoke and suffered such severe burns that you died before Mercedes could get to you. I'm sorry that it came to this.

I moved on to the dining hall. Perhaps something to eat would help. But as I got to the dining hall, I saw Raphael stuffing his face with plate after plate of meat. I looked away for a moment and he was gone when I turned back.

Raphael. You were larger than life. Everything about the way you lived was big. But your heart was even bigger than your muscles. I'm told you were impossible to bring down. They even sent demonic beasts to focus on you, but you wouldn't fall. When the battle was finally over, no one knew that you had passed. Even though life had left you, you were still standing. I'm sorry that it came to this.

My appetite faded just as quickly as it came. I couldn't bear to take a single bite thinking about everything. Everywhere I went, I saw ghosts of those who died at Gronder. This happened once before when I saw Dimitri after the battle ended.

I walked into the cathedral to see the reconstruction progress. The rubble had finally been cleared and they were working on rebuilding everything the way it was. Before I could leave, I saw another vision. Mercedes was knelt down, praying to the goddess. I turned away, unable to look back. For I knew that I would only see emptiness.

Mercedes. You had a smile that could warm even the coldest heart. Your sweets were baked with the utmost care and love. Above all else, you were truly devoted to the teachings of Seiros. I heard that you spent every moment tending to the injured during the battle. Even though your hands were bleeding from gripping your healing staff so hard, you kept going. I hear that you tried so desperately to bring back the friends that had already been lost. You were so intent, that you didn't see the cavalry charge coming that ended your life. I'm sorry that it came to this.

Trying desperately to get my mind off them, I went to the training grounds. My mind always had the most clarity when I swung my sword. But even that could not ease my mind. For when I began training, I saw Felix and Ingrid sparring. Sylvain was standing behind them, leaned up against a pillar. I slashed through the images as quickly as I could to make them go away.

My friends. You three were inseparable when you were children. You had your quirks, but when it came down to the wire, you were all fiercely loyal to your kingdom. Sylvain, you cleared the path to Edelgard on the battlefield. Without your sacrifice, perhaps the battle would not have been won. After your horse was killed, you continued to fight, until the emperor herself saw fit to end you with Aymr. Ingrid, you inflicted a heavy wound on Hubert and forced him to retreat. That broke up their chain of command, letting Claude turn the tides of the battle. But when you flew away, archers took aim and managed to hit your pegasus out of the air. You fell to your death, but not before throwing Luin and killing a demonic beast. Felix, I'm told that you were the one who bested Edelgard, making the enemy panic and sound the retreat. Without your peerless skill, the casualties would have been far greater. They say that you fought like a demon, fueled by the wrath of losing everyone. You were the last Kingdom soldier to fall as your sword got stuck in Edelgard's armor. With no more weapons to fight, you were speared from all sides. Friends, I'm sorry that it came to this.

I didn't know where to go to escape all these visions. I went to the second floor of the dormitory. As I passed Edelgard's old room, I heard sobbing coming from behind the door.

Is that Dorothea?

“Oh, Edie...I'm so sorry.”

Should I go in? Would I even be of any help?

I was about to knock on the door, but I stopped myself at the last second. I couldn't face Dorothea at that moment. I left the dormitory, wondering where I could go next. I knew that if I went to the knight's hall, that I would see Dimitri's ghost again. Dedue was probably there right then. He had taken the prince's death the hardest. He was the only Kingdom survivor of the Battle at Gronder. He wasn't quick on his feet, but that armor came in handy. Thankfully, we managed to save him in Enbarr.

It was then that I stumbled into the entrance hall. I looked over at the north-east corner as a memory hit me.

This is where I had the last conversation with Edelgard before she betrayed the church. She wanted me to come with her to Enbarr for something. The dejected look on her face when I said no still haunts me. In hindsight, I realize that she wanted me to witness her ascension. I was that special to her that she wanted me to be there for her.

Edelgard. The time we spent together was magical. You were my best student. I took you for granted, and you slipped away from me. When you were defeated at my hand, you tried to tell me something. I couldn't let you finish. If I had, my resolve would have wavered. But now, I want so desperately to know what you were going to say. I'm sorry that it came to this.

As I left the hall, I caught Claude roaming the monastery. He saw me and approached.

“Woah, Teach. You don't look so good. Is everything alright?”

Is my face that bad right now?

“I'm just thinking about the past,” I replied.

“I figured as much. I could tell that you weren't yourself when you were talking about Gronder earlier.”

“I was that obvious, huh?”

“Walk with me, Teach.”

We went to the Officer's Academy, into the Golden Deer classroom. It was empty at the moment. Claude sat on top of one desk and put his feet up on the closest desk to his. I remained standing.

“Claude, everywhere I go, I see their ghosts. I haven't been able to get them out of my head.”

“I see. To be honest, it hasn't been any easier for me too. When I close my eyes at night, I still see the horrors of the war.”

“Well, Claude, you were there at the battle. It makes sense that you'd revisit those memories.”

“Yeah. At the same time, though, I'm grateful that we won. That's the one thing that keeps me going. Thanks to that, I still have Hilda and Marianne. I have Lysithea and Ignatz. And you too, Teach. I know it's hard not to only focus on the dead. But the two of us...we have to make things right for the people who still live on.”

“Make things right...yeah. You're right. Thanks, Claude.”

“Anytime.”

Claude's words resonated with me. It got me thinking; how can I make things right? I have the power of Sothis within me. Seteth told me that Sothis used the last of her power to heal Fódlan from the flames of war. How could I do the same thing?

“Say, Claude, what did you think of Edelgard?”

“She was strong-willed. She did everything she thought was right. But in the end, she was too arrogant. She believed that she was the only one capable of changing Fódlan.”

“In other words, she needed people to balance her out. People who understood how she felt, but could correct her.”

“That seems right. What did you think of her?”

I couldn't give him a straight answer. I sat in silence for a few moments.

“You loved her, didn't you, Teach?”

“...Yeah. It's a shame I didn't realize it until it was too late.”

“Damn.”

Too late...is it really too late to change things?

“I think...I have one last thing I can do.” I said, with renewed hope in my eyes.

“What do you mean by that, Teach?”

“Claude, I need to gather everyone up. We are going to meet in the Black Eagles classroom. Will you be there?”

“You got it. I can't wait to see what kind of scheme you have in mind.” He replied with a wink.

There was one thing I could do. One last gambit that could save everything. Everyone met in the classroom. All of the Black Eagles were there along with Catherine, Shamir, Cyril, Alois, Dedue, Seteth, and Flayn. They all sat in desks while I stood at my podium.

“Everyone, thank you for coming. I would like to start by apologizing. The Fódlan that we created, it's the start of a new direction for this nation. But it's not enough. We could have done better. That's why I'm afraid I can't leave things the way they are. I wasn't able to save Dimitri or Rhea. Most importantly, I couldn't be the guide that Edelgard needed.”

This is it. Once I go through with this, I won't be able to come back to this point. I'm using all the power that Sothis granted me for one final trick. She once told me that both sides of time have been revealed to me. But to turn back the hands of time five years, it will take a tremendous amount of power. I doubt that I will ever be able to use this power ever again. And if I mess up, I may end up creating a world that is worse off than how it is now.

And yet, this is how it has to be. Perhaps this is for the best. Time is not something meant to be meddled with easily. So, I'll do it just one last time. But this time, I'll fix everything!

I took one last look at my friends in this timeline. I clapped my hands together once and held them in a praying position.

“Forgive me, but I cannot accept this outcome! This will be my final divine pulse!”

I focused all of my energy and activated the divine pulse. Time flowed through me like a raging waterfall. Unlike when I did it for only a few seconds, this feeling was far more disorienting. I felt as though my insides would tear apart from the force. The pain felt like a lifetime but eventually subsided as I found myself in the entrance hall. I was knelt down, dry heaving.

Did it work?

I managed to walk up the steps and kept going.

Please be there. Please. I need to see you there.

It was there that I saw her once again. Her perfectly groomed hair and the pristine uniform. Her beautiful purple eyes and the smile that I wanted to see again.

“Professor...Will you join me? There's something I must do. It will take a few days, but I pro-”

Before Edelgard could finish, I brought her into my arms as tight as I could.

“My teacher...what are you...?”

“Edelgard, you don't have to suffer alone anymore.”

She finally reciprocated and gripped onto my coat tightly as she put her arms around me. At that moment, my hair began to darken until it returned to its original color.

“Your hair. What did you do?”

“My path lies with you, Edelgard. I found the courage to walk it. Because, I'm in love with you.”

A rising flame was alight as the flow of time carved a new history for Fódlan. With the foresight of five and a half years, a tragic war was successfully averted. Edelgard learned of the consequences of her actions and Rhea was told the fate she would suffer. Rhea laid out the truth behind the Agarthans to Edelgard. When she found out how they manipulated the story, she turned her back on those who slither in the dark. Together, they defeated the true enemy of Fódlan. As emperor, Edelgard would change the system, but peacefully with the help of Alliance Leader Claude and King Dimitri. Fódlan was once again unified but through peace. The man who went through time turned down the archbishop position and went to be with the love of his life. Together, they would turn Fódlan into a nation no one thought possible.