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If you asked Ferdinand what are some things he cherishes most, he'd probably give you a good amount of answers.
For instance, he'd say the customized tea set he got for his 10th birthday. And perhaps his debate awards from middle school. Oh, and of course Horse, his golden retriever that liked crashing on his bed; Despite how Horse was not a puppy anymore.
But most of all, he'd always say his treehouse.
Ferdinand grew up with only one friend, well he'd say rival but she would always brush that off. Edelgard and Ferdinand knew each other since elementary, and since then, one wouldn't be seen without the other. People wouldn't say they were close but it would be odd to see them separated.
That’s why it was a shock to find out she would be moving after her mother and new stepfather's wedding. Edelgard was gone within the month she announced her move, leaving eight-year-old Ferdinand feeling... Well, lonely. First, his father got him a dog to combat his mopey attitude and, while it worked for a while, it just wasn't the same. Nobody had the same ferocity and passion as Edelgard, there was no challenge with the other students. This is when Ferdinand desperately tried to convince his father to move to the neighborhood Edelgard went to. He made presentations and charts showing how much better the schools were and there were more programs to help build his education.
Finally, after a year and a half of complaining and debating, his father agreed.... if only to get him off his back.
And so Ferdinand moved right next door to Edelgard.
She was shocked of course but he also saw her look a little relieved to see a familiar face again in this new neighborhood that she was still adjusting to.
His treehouse was built a year later. It was a way to keep Ferdinand entertained and out of his father's dwindling hair, and boy was it the right call.
Ferdinand fell in love with his treehouse.
He named it Fort Merceus.
The treehouse was simple. Not very big. It sat on the side of his backyard nearing the fence that Dimitri's father had rebuilt after moving in. The treehouse had one singular room and its steps were nailed to the oak. A big branch intruded inside the room, making Ferdinand sometimes have to duck under to get to one corner of the room. And sometimes birds would await him, making their nests by the limited windows in the treehouse.
It was imperfect but he loved it all the same.
His Barbie fold-out chair and plastic bright green table were the first things you'd see climbing in. In the corner, his collection of Harry Potter and Percy Jackson books was neatly tucked away. His father would never allow him to read such books, so in the meantime, their home was in his treehouse. There was a plastic bin that held a thick blanket and a box of saltine crackers with a jar of peanut butter on the side. His go-to snack. There was once Horse's bed in the corner when Ferdinand would bring him up as a pup, using a makeshift carry pouch to transport him up. It stopped when his father found out and got upset.
He considered it like his own home, having spent much of his time here growing up. It was a place for his imagination to run wild, practicing holding tea parties or dancing. It was a place to escape when he felt emotional, whether it was a fight with his father or Edelgard's bluntness.
Moving into the neighborhood didn't fix many of his problems. Edelgard hardly had time to play anymore, making use of her time studying or practicing her violin. She'd been up to his treehouse a few times, whether it was to get away from her annoying brother and his friends or simply to indulge in Ferdinand's requests to come over. She stated that she was growing up and didn't have time to play around anymore. This only made Ferdinand feel the need to rise to her non-existence challenge as well but also left him feeling saddened by her isolation.
So he too studied and worked hard in school in the comforts of his treehouse, afterall middle school was no joke. Besides the personal comforts, his treehouse offered another gift. From up there, he could hear other neighborhood kids playing and having fun. Peeking from his window, Ferdinand got to see a lot of things in the neighborhood growing up.
He saw Dimitri break one of the deck chairs by accident and Sylvain hiding the evidence in the bush. Felix, holding back tears because Sylvain had hit him a little too hard while playing lightsabers. Ingrid and Felix argue over who would be the blue power ranger only for Dimitri to get it. And it wasn’t just Dimitri’s backyard. From afar, he saw Hubert, moving down the street to the corner house kids would always say was haunted. He was there as he saw a little girl named Annette moving next door to Hilda, and saw the little redhead become attached to Dimitri. One day, he even observed another new kid named Claude move in between Hilda and Sylvain, who made almost everyone, including Edelgard and Felix, stumble over their words.
He became so intrigued by these everyday happenings that he liked to jot them down in multiple journals he kept in an old clothing chest—a record of his observations and notes about each one of his peers.
Yes, he saw his neighborhood grow from the very comforts of his treehouse, his fort, his haven.
But alas all good things come to an end
-
It's the summer before their final year of high school when the incident occurs, and it's only years later when Ferdinand learns the truth about what happened on this warm August night.
He’s out to dinner with his father, a time that doesn’t happen as often due to his father’s job taking him out of town a lot. Applebee’s, 2 for $25, Four Cheese Mac n Cheese with the Honey Chicken Tenders. He could indulge. So, he isn't there when his friends are stewed in boredom.
Sylvain and Dimitri had been hanging out for most of the day, winding up in the backyard when Hilda lets herself in through the side gate.
Dimitri’s backyard was one of many hangout spots for their friends to meet. It was one of the few things that carried over from childhood. It was an easy spot, and it was nice and large. It had a wooden patio that held Lambert’s grill in the corner and a long table with many seats to try and fit the many kids that would come by for barbecues and birthday parties through the years. Along the fence, Patricia’s herb and flower garden, which Dimitri would try in vain to help with, made for a colorful visage.
Edelgard herself would eventually put up white string lights along the canopy, completing the perfect look.
“Is it just you two here?” Hilda says, slightly disappointed in the lack of chairs filled.
Sylvain huffs. “You bored too?” He’s tossing a foam football straight in the air, he and Dimitri had given up on Catch with just the two of them.
“Yes! Oh my god,” Hilda exclaimed as she plopped down in a chair, “I can’t believe I have nothing to do on a Friday night. I always have something going on Friday nights.” She complains, resting her chin in her palm.
Dimitri sadly nods. “It seems everyone is busy tonight. I thought that Felix and Ingrid would be able to be here, but it seems they’re both out tonight.”
“Ah, we don’t need them,” Sylvain says as he waves his hand in the air. “We can have fun on our own. How about some Mario Kart?” he suggests.
“I’m not all that good at that game. I’m more of a cheerleader, to be honest.” Hilda explains.
“Yes. And if Hilda’s out, then it's just the two of us competing,” Dimitri says as he picks the lint off his jacket. “Plus Sylvain we always play Mario Kart, you’re too good at it. Let’s try something different.”
Dimitri says this but nobody speaks up. The three of them glance back and forth at one another, trying to figure out an activity that would ease their boredom.
“Okay, I’m gonna go check my room for anything fun. Wait here.” Sylvain suddenly decides, rising from his seat without pause.
“What could possibly be fun in his room, his Zoloft?”
“Hilda, you know he struggles with that. Don’t be mean.”
-
A few minutes later, Sylvain comes back with a grin, carrying two colorful boxes in his hands. “Alright! Here’s the solution to our boredom.”
A bright red and orange colored box with cartoon explosions, and yellow text across the front reading, “Fireworks.”
Fireworks?
“Why do you have fireworks in your room?” Hilda questions with a raise of a brow.
“Ah well, you see I was saving them for when Miklan got home, but I guess we can use them now.” He shrugs, already tearing at the complicated packaging.
Dimitri gets to work on the other box, “Why were you waiting for your brother to come home to use them?” He starts using his rugged nails to pull off the tape.
Damn this packaging is annoying.
“He’s a veteran.” The redhead simply states with another shrug, not caring about the slight pause the other two make.
“Uh, Sylvain-”
“Got it!” Sylvain exclaims, pulling a couple out of the box. “These go straight up, so we have to be careful we’re not near them when they go off.”
Hilda and Dimitri share a look, but decide to drop the subject and help their friend set up the stand.
Once placing the firework on the stand, they ignite the string using Edelgard’s, only used once, Creme Brule torch from the kitchen. Making sure the string has caught flame, they move back in anticipation.
The firework shoots off, making an ear-piercing screech before exploding into the bright colors of yellow and blue mixed to create a circular pattern.
The three high school students stare up in awe until the colors fade and all that’s left is the smokey smell. When they lower their heads, their attention goes to one another. Silence.
Hilda is the first to speak. “I mean that was cool. It was pretty. Blue…Yellow,” She shrugs.
“Yes, it was,” Dimitri replies, as Sylvain starts setting up the next one.
Again, ear piercing screech with the same colors exploded in the night sky before quickly fading away.
And again.
And again.
“Hm, this isn’t what I thought it’d be like.” Sylvain admits as he watches Hilda set up the next one, trying to spice up the activity by taking turns.
Dimitri nods. “I have to agree. It was pretty the first two times, but the charm of it sort of dissipates after a bit.”
“Especially when you have to set it up yourself,” Hilda huffs as she lights the string. “Fireworks are more fun when your parents are setting it up for you.”
As she stomps her way back to the boys, she fails to notice her movements causing the flimsy made stand to topple over.
“Wait Hilda, the firework!” Sylvain warns her in time, as she turns quickly to see her mistake and moves to the left to avoid the trajectory of the firework.
“Eep!” She exclaims as it shoots past her towards the boys.
While Sylvain easily sidesteps out of the fireworks range, Dimitri merely jumps over it as it shoots up into the sky at an angle.
As it explodes, Sylvain places both hands on Dimitri’s shoulders to examine him. “Holy shit dude! Are you okay?” While Dimitri looks surprised, he seems fine.
“Yes, Sylvain, I'm okay.” He responds with a huff of laughter and pats his hands.
Hilda speed walks towards the two. “Wow, Dimitri, that was pretty cool! You just jumped up immediately. Your reflexes are something else huh?” She looks at him with some newfound respect as Dimitri scratches his head.
“I’ve been told as such by many in the past.”
“Yeah, Dimitri’s reflexes have always been insane. Even Felix regards them as inhuman.” Sylvain adds with a slight chuckle. “He was always first picked in dodgeball during middle school.”
“Really now?” Hilda examines the blonde boy before her, putting a hand on her hip and another on her chin reminiscent of her best friend’s scheming posture.
“What?”
“Dimitri, how would you feel about spicing up this firework show?”
-
“This is incredibly dangerous Hilda!” Dimitri shouts from his spot in the tree that rests on the side of the house, brows furrowing as Sylvain and Hilda set up the firework.
“I seem to recall that you can back out at any moment!” She shouts back, handing the torch to Sylvain.
“Let’s try it out once and see if you wanna continue, yeah?” Sylvain shoots Dimitri a smile, which makes the blonde boy’s posture relax slightly.
“Alright. But we call it quits if it gets too dangerous!” He’s given a thumbs up from the two and Sylvain counts down.
Within the three-second countdown, Dimitri thinks about a lot of things. Will someone call the police on them? Technically fireworks aren’t smiled upon in this neighborhood. His parents would be disappointed if the cops were called on him, Goddess forbid Edelgard caught wind, he’d never hear the end of it. And Sylvain and Hilda? Holst would burst a blood vessel if his sister was arrested. And Sylvain. Sylvain’s father would probably-
“Fire!”
The firework goes off and Dimitri, without even thinking, effortlessly dodges out of the way.
Even he seems surprised as he looks back to where the firework explodes in the sky, and Hilda and Sylvain shout words of excitement from below.
“That was so cool Dimitri!” Hilda shakes Sylvain next to her and smiles at the boy in the tree. “Wanna keep going?”
That rush of adrenaline, the possibility that he almost got hit, a challenge before him, makes him disregard every concern he just had as he turns back to Hilda with a grin. “Yeah!”
And so, the ridiculous activity of shooting fireworks at Dimitri within the tree continues.
And he dodges all of them. Dimitri’s reflexes are amazing and scary, and his friends are loving them. The blonde boy even jokingly attempts to grab one as it flies past him. It’s a great time.
“Side attack!” Sylvain moves more to his right, aiming at Dimitri from another angle, and lights it up.
Of course, Dimitri notices and promptly moves out of the way as normal.
But the sound of the firework exploding in the air does not come, instead the sound of an impact and splitting wood crackles in the air.
What the three didn’t realize is that the fireworks’ new angle was headed straight towards the treehouse in Ferdinand’s backyard.
Going through the window, the firework explodes in a burst of colors. The sparks catch the fleece blanket and books stored inside, the fire spreading on them as well as the wood surrounding them.
The sound paralyzes the three in their places, hoping what they heard wasn’t what they think they heard. But the multiple bursts of light catch their eyes, confirming their fears.
“Oh fuck.” Sylvain mutters as Dimitri fumbles to get out of the tree. Hilda pulls on both of their arms as soon as Dimitri runs up to them, pulling them towards the direction of the sliding door.
“C’mon!” She slides open the door, rushing them and shutting it.
Sylvain pauses then paces around the room, looking around. “Oh man, where do I put these?” as he grips the remaining box with sweaty hands. He flings open cabinets and drawers until he settles on the one under the sink, shoving them way in the back. He makes a mental note to get it back later. For sure. Yeah. He’ll remember.
“Why are you hiding it?!” Dimitri exclaims.
“Do you want to get in trouble for this? Because I don’t. Who knows what my father will do to me if he finds out?” Sylvain looks calm but Dimitri can tell he’s panicking.
Hilda agrees. “Dimitri, chill, He’s right. My parents would kill me knowing I was a part of this, not to mention Holst! I’d be locked in my room forever! Plus nobody saw us doing it. So we need to get our story straight and call the fire department right now.” She explains as she looks for her phone, being so frazzled that she can’t remember that she left her phone at her house across the street to charge.
“Right! We’ll just say we were here playing games the whole time if anyone asks.” Sylvain adds as he heads towards the Switch console, turning it on to load up Mario Kart.
Dimitri can’t believe what he’s hearing. Do they really want to play dumb right now? They just burned down their friend’s treehouse!
But they do have a point. He really doesn’t want to disappoint his parents and let Edelgard know. So he says “My other controller is in my room. I’ll go get it.”
He rushes out to head upstairs to his room, grabbing the controller and heading back into the living room. Hilda looks better as she’s opening the fridge to grab some water to calm down and Sylvain is picking the ‘vs. race’ option. Not any of them noted the sound of a car pulling up.
-
Ferdinand can’t believe what he’s seeing as he pulls up to his house.
He dropped off his father at an acquaintance’s house after dinner and stopped by Target to get a new book to read.
All that time was wasted when his precious treehouse was on fire!
He hurriedly gets out of his car when he notices Claude and Hubert in front of his house, jaw dropped at the site of the fire.
“Oh, Claude!” Ferdinand exclaims, latching onto Claude in a tight embrace. “My treehouse! It’s on fire! Terrible, just terrible!” He sobs into his friend’s chest, clutching his shirt tightly.
Claude, though surprised at the sudden embrace, awkwardly places his hands on Ferdinand’s back.
“Uh yeah, I can see that.” He pats his hands on Ferdinand in an attempt to comfort him. “I just got here right now.”
Ferdinand raises his head to meet Claude’s eyes and says in a rush, “Did you call the fire department?”
“I called them.” Both boys turn to look at Hubert, who watches them with an unreadable expression. “The fire was so bright I could see it from down the road, so I called them as I ran over here, I noticed your car wasn’t in the driveway, so I made no attempts to search your house for you.”
“Hubert…” Ferdinand wobbles out, but Hubert raises his hands in front of himself in an attempt to block any embrace Ferdinand might do.
“Don’t thank me. I just did what anyone would do.” He looks away.
The conversation is interrupted by the sound of a new voice.
“Oh my god!”
The three turn to see a new trio running out of Dimitri’s house. Sylvain, Hilda, and Dimitri immediately make their way toward the group with frazzled looks.
“Ferdinand, holy shit your treehouse!” Sylvain says as he looks upon the blaze with bewilderment in his eyes.
“What happened?” Hilda coos as she joins Claude’s attempts to soothe Ferdinand, putting her hands on his shoulder.
“I don’t know! I just pulled up and saw my treehouse on fire. Did you guys see anything?” Ferdinand asks, taking the time to glance at everyone around him.
“I was reading when I happened to look out the window and saw the fire,” Hubert says. “I will admit that I did hear fireworks shortly before the treehouse caught on fire.”
Claude nods. “Yeah I heard them too, but I was busy doing movie night with my family. I only came outside to get the mail.”
“Well, we were in the middle of some Mario Kart when we heard a commotion outside, right Dimitri?” Sylvain says, looking at Dimitri who’s been strangely quiet since meeting up with everyone.
He snaps out of his daze. “Oh, yes that’s right! Sylvain was in the middle of throwing a red shell at me when we heard something outside.” Dimitri adds quickly, looking back at the blaze with a slightly pained expression.
Sirens in the distance can be heard along with Ferdinand’s wails.
-
The group stands on the sidewalk as the Fire department hose down the flames. Ferdinand groans and moans the entire time, hiding his face in Claude’s back while Hilda pets his hair. Hubert stays among the crowd, no longer looking at the blaze but at his phone instead. Dimitri keeps his eyes on the fire while Sylvain turns to the road at the sound of a car pulling up.
Glenn’s Dodge Explorer is barely in park when Ingrid and Felix hop out from the passenger and backseat respectively.
“The fuck happened!?” Felix shouts as he makes his way to the group. The sound causes them all to turn to where he and Ingrid approached.
The group is in silence as they take in their appearances.
Sylvain, having seen them approach ahead of time is the first to ask, “What’s with the fits?”
The two are dressed in a mix of blue cloth, armor, and brown pleather.
Ingrid wrings out her braid, “We were at the Renaissance fair.”
Ferdinand exclaims, “NOT ONLY DID MY TREEHOUSE BURN, I MISSED THE RENAISSANCE FAIR?”
He cries harder in Claude’s back, to which Claude can only cringe and think about the laundry he’ll have to do later.
Felix bristles, “That doesn’t matter! How the hell did your play place catch fire?”
Ferdinand’s voice comes out muffled against Claude’s shirt, not helping Felix’s glare.
Hilda answers for him, “He doesn’t know Felix, none of us do. We all just heard a loud noise and boom!”
Ferdinand raises his head, “This is the worst thing that has ever happened to me. It’s the worst thing that ever WILL happen to me! I’m going to die from this. And you’ll all have to write on my gravestone that I died of a broken heart.”
Ingrid approaches with a grimace, “Come on Ferdinand, it’s not that bad.”
“THIS IS MY 9/11 INGRID,” Ferdinand barks as Hilda has to slap her hand across her mouth to stifle laughter.
-
After the fire is out, the police take everyone’s statements.
What did you see? Did you hear anything strange before the fire started? What were you doing before the fire? And after getting everyone’s stories, the police left them be as they discussed amongst themselves.
The group of eight stood in silence in front of the wreckage, a pile of blackened wood and ash before them.
“Now what will I do? That was the only place I could cry in private.” Ferdinand says melancholy, probably not even realizing what he just said, and places his head on Claude’s shoulder.
“I’m sure you can have a new one made dude,” Claude offers, not entirely sure why Ferdinand keeps coming to him for comfort. “Maybe even better than before.”
Another round of silence. The once magnificent treehouse, a recognizable landmark of the neighborhood, lies devoid of color and life. It’s hard not to look away when something so precious is lost within seconds.
But then Dimitri suddenly speaks up. “We’ll help you build a new one!”
Everybody turns to look at him in confusion and shock.
“You’d do that for me?” Ferdinand asks, a new wave of emotion hitting him as Dimitri’s bright smile is aimed at him.
“Of course, I feel terribly guilty for not noticing the fire sooner. Maybe we could’ve stopped it before it went out of control.” He clenches his fist to his chest. “But I want to do all I can to make it up to you,” He turns sharply to his right, “Sylvain and Hilda will even help out.”
“What?” The two mentioned snapping their attention toward Dimitri in bewilderment.
Hilda comes up to his side. “Dimitri, what are you…?” She whispers harshly.
“We should've been more vigilant, so we must offer our services to help out our friend,” Dimitri responds, shooting them both a look. “It’s the least we could do right?”
Sylvain, already knowing he can’t say no to Dimitri, simply shrugs and lets out a huff. “Alright, I guess. But don't be expecting anything grand from us.”
Hilda sighs, already knowing her fate, and nods along.
“Thank you for your kindness.” Ferdinand gives them a hopeful smile. “I won’t let you all do it alone either. I’ll be there to help as well.”
“Don’t rope me into this.” Hubert automatically states. “You know I'm not one for physical exertion.” He crosses his arms and turns to look at Ferdinand. “But I suppose I could ensure you guys are up to code when constructing the house.”
Claude winks and smiles at Ferdinand. “I mean what a way to finish off summer. I guess I’ll swing around from time to time to help out when I’m not busy of course.”
Ferdinand can’t believe how lucky he is. His friends are so kind!
“See look, Ferdinand. A silver lining already!” They turn their heads to see Dimitri among the wreckage, pulling away burnt boards to unveil an ash-coated chest that was buried.
“Ah, my journals!” Ferdinand takes a spot next to Dimitri. He’d forgotten about his antique chest, which seems to have withstood the flames after all.
He opens it, noticing that nothing inside seems to be burnt. All his journals detailing notes about his friends and the memories recorded throughout the years are untouched.
He may have lost his books, his decorations, and furniture inside the treehouse…. But not the memories. They’re still here, intact and safe.
He feels another wave of tears as Hilda and Dimitri place their hands on his shoulder in support, not noticing the death glare the pink-haired girl was giving a sweaty Dimitri.
-
It’s four months later.
Dorothea invites Edelgard out to her favorite cafe as a way to get her out of the house. The constant construction near her home makes it hard to focus on her studies, which prompted Dorothea as a way to help her escape the noise.
“While I know it comes with the territory, I wish the machines weren’t so loud,” Edelgard complains, looking over the menu with interest. Maybe she’ll go for a salad today. “Not to mention Dimitri and the others being loud on their own when the machines are off. I think Balthus thinks he’ll get paid by the end of this.”
Dorothea merely chuckles at her friend’s complaint. “C'mon Edie. Cut them some slack. Ferdie’s been through a lot. And he seems to be in better spirits than he was a few months ago.”
Edelgard simply hums as she places the menu down, already knowing what she wants.
“Still I wonder how the fire started. It seemed so abrupt and no one knows about those fireworks that supposedly went off.” Dorothea says, skimming over the menu.
“The fireworks? Ah, that was Dimitri.” Edelgard simply states while folding her napkin.
“H-Huh? Say that again?” Dorothea says dumbfounded.
“Dimitri, Sylvain, and Hilda set Ferdinand’s treehouse on fire. I was watching the whole time from my window.” She says, checking her phone’s battery life before setting it down to turn her full attention towards her friend. “Granted it was an accident, but they were foolishly pointing the firework at Dimitri so he could dodge them. It missed and hit the treehouse.”
“Edie! Why didn’t you say anything that night? You were home right? Why didn’t you come out?” The brunette can’t believe what she’s hearing. Why is she only saying this now?
“The fact that Dimitri is taking accountability right now, albeit under a lie, is a decision I respect so I didn't say anything to anyone,” Edelgard explains. “As to why I didn’t say anything that night. I texted Hubert to call the fire department immediately when I understood what was happening and to come down as soon as possible to deal with it.”
“Why didn’t you come out, to begin with?”
Edelgard puts a hand on her temple as if recalling something annoying. “Dimitri and Sylvain were making out so loudly to Mirrors by Justin Timberlake that I had a headache that night, so I couldn't be bothered to deal with any of the drama that would come with Ferdinand’s arrival.”
“What?”
“Hi, there ladies!” Their waitress comes up to them. “I’m Danielle and I’ll be your server today. Can I get you started with some drinks?”
“Ah yes. May I have the hazelnut latte please?” Edelgard casually asks, as if she didn’t just drop a bombshell like that.
“Alright. And you ma’am?” Their server looks at Dorothea, whose eyes remain on Edelgard the whole time.
“I’ll have an iced lemonade tea. Edie, what did you mean by that?”
“Okay! I’ll put these drinks in, and come back for your orders. Thank you!” The waitress leaves, obliviously to the awkward tension between the two.
“Edie my love please, you gotta tell me what you mean by that? Edie? Edie!”