Flaynleth

"Your heart is as vast as the ocean. I ask that you wrap me in your embrace, for now and for all eternity."

- Flayn to Byleth

Flaynleth is the non-binary ship between Flayn and Byleth Eisner from the Fire Emblem fandom.

Part I: White Clouds
Flayn and Byleth first meet just after the former chose which of Garreg Mach Monastery's academy houses they were going to teach. She asks what their doing there, prompting her older brother Seteth to explain they're a new professor. Realizing this, Flayn gladly introduces herself and tells them she's happy to make their acquaintance. For the first few months of their tenure, Byleth can talk with Flayn, even learn to fish from her. During the fourth month, during the annual Goddess's Rite of Rebirth, Flayn joins Seteth in approaching Byleth and their class about guard duty. While Seteth is impressing the importance of the ceremony, Flayn jumps in and tells Byleth that Seteth once told her that he's concerned for them and thought they'd be better off patrolling a coffin - which Seteth doesn't appreciate being revealed. Flayn's comment, however, points Byleth and their class to an attempted theft by the Western Church in the Monastery's Holy Mausoleum that they manage to thwart. Two months later, Flayn suddenly goes missing and Byleth is tasked with finding her whereabouts. The investigation brings Byleth's class into an underground chamber where they find an unconscious Flayn being guarded by the mysterious "Death Knight" - who was also part of the Western Church's theft attempt. Byleth's class manages to beat back the Death Knight and the forces of his master - the "Flame Emperor" - in order to rescue Flayn. Talking with Seteth after the rescue, Byleth is curious about why Flayn was taken to begin with - prompting the advisor to reveal that she has "special blood" and says that the two of them must now leave so its secret is kept. Flayn, however, overhears this and soundly rejects the idea, instead proposing to join Byleth's class since they would be able to keep watch over her constantly. Begrudginly seeing merit in his little sister's idea, Seteth agrees and tells Byleth to keep her safe. From that point on, Flayn joins the rest of the class in learning from Byleth and participates in activities like the Battle of the Eagle and Lion and the mission in Remire Village in the following two months. Sometime after the Remire mission, Byleth stumbles upon an argument between Flayn and Seteth that the former brings them into. Flayn explains that Seteth is going on a dangerous mission and she wants to come along, with her brother further explaining that it's to stop the Western Church from ransacking a monument dedicated to Saint Cichol at Rhodos Coast. Flayn then goes on to explain to Byleth that she wants to join so she can be useful to the Church but Seteth is adamant about leaving her so she's not in danger - leaving her to ask for Byleth and their class to come for protection. Byleth agrees to join and they join Flayn in helping Seteth rout the Western Church forces at Rhodos Coast. After the battle, Byleth overhears Flayn paying respects to her mother at a grave - just after Seteth reveals his wife was buried at the monument. Byleth asking about the coincidence of Flayn's mother and Seteth's wife being buried there prompts Seteth to reveal - in confidence - that Flayn is actually his daughter and they had to hide their true bond because of their special blood. Flayn soon begins telling Byleth about her mother, particularly her love of fishing, and joins her father in reminiscing about the memories they shared. During a grand ball held for Garreg Mach's students, Byleth goes to the Goddess Tower and is met by one of their students, with Flayn being one of the options for the male version. Flayn will find Byleth and assume he's there for the legend: that a man and woman who make a vow in the tower during a ball will be blessed by the goddess. Although Flayn doesn't take much stock in the legend, curiosity about what kinds of vows youth make is what brought her to the tower that night. When she finds out that Byleth wasn't waiting for anyone nor knew what kind of vow he would make, Flayn decides to be his partner in making a vow. This gives Byleth the motivation to make a heartfelt vow - which Flayn really liked and found informative. She realizes, however, the possibility that the goddess did hear that vow and blessed the both of them, but notes she'd be perfectly fine with that. Flayn eventually joins Byleth and their class in Garreg Mach's Holy Tomb on the orders of Rhea. She witnesses Byleth sit on the throne within for a "holy revelation" that ultimately doesn't occur. Before anyone can ask about what's wrong, the "Flame Emperor" arrives with their army to start stealing the Crest Stones within. Flayn joins Byleth and their class in beating back the Flame Emperor - in the process revealing them to be Black Eagles house leader Edelgard von Hresvelg (this fact is revealed before the battle if Byleth is teaching the Black Eagles). After she escapes, Edelgard reveals herself to be Emperor of the Adrestian Empire and soundly denounces the Church of Seiros before organizing an army to attack Garreg Mach. Before the attack, Flayn overhears a discussion between Rhea and Seteth about Byleth being a vessel meant to revive Fódlan's creator goddess and the need for Seteth to help them from now on. Flayn comes out of hiding to reveal that she'll help Byleth however she can. Flayn soon joins Byleth and the rest of Garreg Mach in defending the monastery from Edelgard's army but is forced to retreat when the disappearance of both Byleth and Rhea cause the defenders to falter - allowing Edelgard to capture Garreg Mach.

Part II: Silver Snow
Five years after the Battle of Garreg Mach, Flayn returns to Garreg Mach to search for something important in the Holy Mausoleum. It's during that search when Seteth comes back with a returned Byleth. Flayn is thankful for Byleth's return as she and Seteth had been worried sick about what happened to them - and now believe they have a chance to end Edelgard's war. With the remaining Knights of Seiros and Byleth's former class gathered together, Seteth lays out that they'll use Garreg Mach as their base of operations to make their moves against the Empire. Flayn asks Byleth about what they think about it before telling them to leave gathering new allies to Seteth. By month's end, Flayn stands alongside Byleth as Seteth presents the army with the flag they fight under - adorned with Byleth's Crest of Flames. After the ceremony, Flayn and Byleth - later joined by Seteth - converse about Edelgard's desire to change Fódlan's society and where the professor had been for the last five years. When Byleth tells her that they'd been sleeping all those years, Flayn makes curious comments that makes it seem like she knows what that's like. Before Byleth can ask about that, news comes in that Edelgard has sent a force to retake Garreg Mach. Flayn joins Byleth and the others in pushing back the attackers. For the next months, Flayn and Byleth join the Knights of Seiros in slowly making grounds against the Empire while also searching for Rhea. Eventually, they learn the Empire sustained severe losses in a battle that saw the effective collapses of the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus and Leicester Alliance. While Flayn is worried about what'll happen to their people - which Byleth helps assuage her fears about - it opens up the chance to attack the Empire's capital of Enbarr and end the war. Taking the opportunity, Byleth and Flayn join the Knights in assaulting Enbarr and eventually killing Edelgard in her throne room. Following the battle, Flayn is handed a letter addressed to Byleth by an Imperial general that she delivers to them as they're talking with Seteth. Reading the letter, written by Edelgard's retainer Hubert, the three learn where Rhea is being kept and the location of the hideout of "those who slither in the dark" - a mysterious group that hate the goddess and her children. Flayn realizes that they're the same group that orchestrated her kidnapping five years ago and a weakened Rhea reveals they're also the ones that helped the ancient King of Liberation Nemesis in slaughtering the children of the goddess. Now knowing they were using Edelgard to further their goals, Flayn determinedly tells Byleth that they'll stop "those who slither", which they agree with. Joining Seteth in leading the charge, Byleth, Flayn, and the army manage to defeat "those who slither's" leader Thales before managing to escape when he destroys their city. The battle, however, caused Rhea to be seriously injured and fall unconscious. Returning to Garreg Mach, Byleth, Flayn, and Seteth discuss the fact that the latter two and Rhea are children of the goddess before moving on to the possibility of Byleth leading Fódlan should something happen to Rhea. When Byleth shows hesitation at the idea, Flayn suggest talking about it with others. By month's end, Byleth and Flayn join Seteth and Rhea to discuss what the professor decided - but this gets interrupted when Rhea's blood suddenly overwhelms her, turning her into the Immaculate One and flying off. After hearing other are turning into dragons, the group solemnly decides they have to kill Rhea or Fódlan will fall to ruin. Flayn joins Byleth in managing to subdue Rhea but manage to do so without needing to kill her. With that, Byleth takes the mantle as ruler of Fódlan.

C - A-Support Conversations
On a quiet day in the Academy, Flayn approaches Byleth curious about them and likens them to a sea. After briefly getting sidetracked by talk of fishing, Flayn elaborates that she notes how calm they look normally but wield such power as they do - enough that she admits Seteth considered them a youth with dubious origins before backtracking and saying she wasn't disparaging Seteth. Flayn then brings up that no one even knows their age - and either is understanding that they'd rather not say or surprised when they reveal even they don't know - before admitting she can't figure it out, either. Byleth soon asks about her age, prompting her to deflect by noting she had been considering joining the Academy for a while before excusing herself and leaving. Sometime later, Flayn approaches Byleth to boast about the gains she'd been making under their tutelage and thank them for the help. However, Byleth expresses doubt she's grown that much, prompting her to try and explain she's learned and done things reserved for those as mature as her. Byleth brings up that they don't know how old she is, which makes Flayn remind them that she doesn't know their age either. At that, Flayn begins reiterating her comparison of Byleth to a sea, but - after getting sidetracked about fish, again - adds on that the particular sea she's thinking of is one that she'd been to a long time ago. When Byleth hazards a guess that they met before, Flayn initially dismisses the notion but soon begins pondering about it before affirming that they're not strangers and is happy for it. Five years later, during the war, Byleth finds Flayn lost in thought. Striking a conversation, Flayn tells them about the mounting evidence she has of Byleth's identity - from having the Crest of Flames and being able to wield the Sword of the Creator to having the same hair and eye color as herself and Seteth. After admitting that Seteth never clarified about all of that, Flayn comes to the conclusion that she and Byleth are bound together since she also has special blood within her. With that, she vows to protect Byleth - only for them to say that they'd prefer to protect her. Flayn agrees to that and agrees to unite their power so that they'll be unstoppable.

S-Support and Paired Ending (M!Byleth only)
In the Goddess Tower, Flayn reels from what Byleth just told her: that he's merged with Sothis - Fódlan's creator goddess - and has her power. Her attempts to rationalize this fact, including asking about Byleth's gender since Sothis is female, only serve to confuse her more before finally just taking his word for it. With Flayn calmed down, Byleth presents her with his late father's ring. Flayn initially mistakes how feminine the ring looks as proof that Byleth is Sothis, but quickly realizes what it means for someone to gift a ring like that - as Byleth asks for her hand in marriage. Flayn is shocked and moved by Byleth loving her this much and is compelled to ask if he is Sothis one more time. When he confirms that he isn't, she finally accepts the ring and his proposal as she asks him to be with her for all eternity. Byleth soon ascends to his new position - either the leader of the United Kingdom of Fódlan in Silver Snow/Verdant Wind or the Church's new archbishop in Azure Moon - before announcing his marriage to Flayn. Flayn doesn't get involved in her husband's official affairs, instead focusing on helping the people frequently, which helped endear them to the two of them. Upon Fódlan being fully restored, Byleth stepped down and the two retired to a royal villa at Rhodos Coast where they spent their remaining days in peace doing a lot of fishing. It's also noted the two remained quite youthful no matter how old they were.

Part II: Crimson Flower
If Byleth decides to join Edelgard in opposing the Church of Seiros, Flayn abandons their class and returns to Rhea's side. Flayn soon joins Seteth and the knight Gilbert in leading Garreg Mach's first line of defense when Byleth's and Edelgard's newly-formed Black Eagles Strike Force move in to capture the monastery. Confronting Byleth, Flayn is distraught on why they would do so and question why they don't see the cruelty. Flayn is ultimately defeated along with the other defenders - ultimately leading them to retreat to the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus' capital of Fhirdiad. Edelgard's forces, meanwhile, manage to capture Garreg Mach at the cost of Byleth suddenly going missing during the battle. Byleth would reappear five years later and help Edelgard in defeating the Leicester Alliance. As they prepare to defeat Faerghus, the Knights of Seiros launch an assault on Garreg Mach. Part of this is an expionary force led by Seteth to sneak in that Flayn is a part of. Reaching the outskirts, as Seteth vents to Flayn about his anger at Byleth's betrayal of Rhea, she feels conflicted about having to fight them when they saved her life and wonders if there's a way to win without having to fight them. Byleth and the Black Eagles Strike Force soon arrives and fights Seteth's force, with Flayn joining in later when the Knights spring a trap they'd set. In most cases, Flayn dies to the Strike Force along with the other leaders. However, if Byleth engages against her, she will tell them how she was happy to learn they were alive but still distraught about how they're fighting for Edelgard. She admits she can't take their life as they saved hers and promises to go into hiding with Seteth when it's all over. If Byleth manages to defeat Flayn while Seteth is still alive, she bids them farewell - the two unlikely to ever meet again - before following through with her promise and leaving the fight with Seteth.

Fanon
Flaynleth is a rare ship in the Fire Emblem fandom. The lack of support is primarily attributed to Byleth having more popular choices, with Flayn's youthful looks compared to Byleth being a secondary reason. Notably, despite their canon S-Support being romantic in nature, this ship is more liked platonically. This variant is typically paired with Setleth as Byleth joining Seteth in becoming a parental figure for Flayn. Despite this, there are fans that like this ship due to Flayn being one of the few non-leaders that not only has focus in story - but the main objective for one chapter by Byleth saving her. On AO3, this ship isn't as supported as others, with the platonic variant having tagged entries in the 70's range and the romantic variant only in the 20's range.

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